when he met lorlaine*..

that was middle of october 2001.. my ex-husband was still my boyfriend then. we had a big fight (that time, argument was my way of testing his patience). then i decided that was the end of it. the next few days thereafter, i just ignored him and was nearly successful in killing my feelings against him.

until one morning, he got the chance to talk to me while crying (by the way, i found out too late that crying was his tactic in getting the sympathy of his prey - the unsuspecting women). unfortunately, i was so stupid enough to accept him back only to find out that during those days that we were apart, he had already used that tactic to lorlaine*.

i thought he was only using her to hurt me (but no, i was wrong. i realized later on that he was using her for the properties that she is going to inherit from her parents.) good for her that she did not marry him, or did she? oh how i wish that she married him..

then, he was blunt to tell me that he could never be happy with lorlaine* although he said he could have a promising political career with her considering that her mother, who is a successful politician in their place, could mentor him. he further said that he could pursue his law studies with the financial support of her parents (he must be lucky!).

then, he started comparing my family's properties with her family's properties. he said my family's properties will be eventually divided among 4 - my two brothers, my sister, & me. while her family's properties will be divided only between her and her only brother. practicality-wise, he should choose the latter right? no, i wouldn't reveal what made him chose me over her lest i might hurt her feelings (please don't get me wrong. i don't hate her). by the way, weeks after we got married, he asked me to tell my mother to subdivide our properties. my share would have become a conjugal property. how lovely!

i thought he was just telling me these things just to test me, and i was caught off-guard. too bad for me, i didn't listen to these red flags..

*not her real name