Hope waiting for signs of pregnancy

The alleged "other woman" who claims to have had an affair with basketball star James Yap, husband of television host Kris Aquino, finally showed her face to the public yesterday and said she is still waiting for signs that she may be pregnant.

In an interview aired over GMA network’s S Files with movie writer Lolit Solis, one of the show’s hosts, Hope Centeno said she "does not know yet" if she is pregnant. She apologized anew to Kris.

In an interview on rival network ABS-CBN with Korina Sanchez, Yap said he could not have fathered Hope’s baby, if indeed she is pregnant.

Kris, for her part, who appeared in the same interview with her husband, lashed back at Hope.

"How dare you say sorry to me now after you endangered a defenseless child?" said Kris, who is seven months pregnant with her and James’ first child.

She was rushed to the Makati Medical Center last Thursday for premature labor pains associated with stress. She was supposed to have been discharged yesterday.

Kris questioned Hope’s motive for going public, since in her previous interviews in which she said she and James were having problems, "not once was there an insinuation of a woman, an affair."

"You just want to ruin us," she said. "You attempted to steal my husband. You forgot I am seven months pregnant."

James, for his part, said he owned up to his mistake and told Kris his side of the story.

Asked if she has forgiven her husband, Kris said, "No. Forgiveness is a process. I’m not going to hide it. This is one of the saddest moments of my life."

Hope said her last meeting with James was on Jan. 15, and wishes he had called her when the controversy regarding their 11-month affair broke out shortly afterward.

If she is indeed pregnant, Hope plans to raise the child on her own even if she is apprehensive about her own future since she was fired from her job as a receptionist at a well-known beauty clinic. She claims she was fired after the clinic’s management found out about her alleged trysts with James inside the cubicle where he had his facial and scrubs once a week.

"I don’t know if I can find another job. I am ruined. My only sin is that I loved James. I wish I was not judged," she said, dabbing a piece of tissue paper at her eyes and nose.

Hope said that contrary to the public’s perception of her as a "stalker," she is actually a "victim" in this situation and she made her face public to "clear my name."

"I fell in love with James," she said, noting that she was not attracted to him when they were introduced by an officemate, "Eliz," in March 2005. However, she claimed that James courted her by giving her chocolates, flowers, visiting her at work, being very affectionate, sending her text messages and calling her even in the wee hours of the morning.

Eliz has since denied Hope’s claims, but Hope said that Eliz and Mitos, a "scrubber" assigned to James, will refuse to talk for fear of losing their jobs.

When she met him, Hope claimed she did not know James and Kris were married. When she found this out in May last year, she was "hurt because by that time I was in love with him. He did not say anything" about his being married.

Despite the public consequences of her affair with James, Hope said she does not regret it because "I also wanted it. I loved him."