‘The Wife’ grapples with a cheating husband’s dying plea

CEBU, Philippines —  A steamy adult drama that attempts to deconstruct the wife versus mistress narrative and taken from a female’s lens is the latest offering of Vivamax. “The Wife”, starring Louise delos Reyes, Diego Loyzaga, and Vivamax temptress Cara Gonzales (Pornstar 2, Palitan) will begin streaming on February 11.

Directed by Gawad Urian 2019 Best Director Denise O’Hara, “The Wife” features Louise as Mara, the soft-spoken spouse of Cris (Diego). Their marriage faces a challenge when Cris cheats on her with his childhood friend and ex-girlfriend Lee (Cara Gonzales), whose aggressive and outspoken personality is the polar opposite of Mara’s. The couple decide to mend their relationship with Cris willing to go the extra mile to make up for his deceit. But fate throws them another curveball when Cris is diagnosed with leukemia.

“The Wife” aims to let viewers ponder on how long one should cling to their marriage vows when infidelity comes into play. With an illness thrown into their already complicated scenario, the wife’s promise of “in sickness and in health” is put to the test as her dying husband begs her to accept his mistress.

“Unusual scenarios can actually lead to unusual relationships between women, na hindi kailangan magkalaban. That’s the rationale behind this that’s why the portrayals are not black and white,” said O’Hara, a niece of the late actor-director Mario O’Hara.

Louise, who for the first time agreed to do a love scene, said her role in “The Wife” was emotionally draining.

“Every after shoot, kailangan ko bumitaw sa character ko and magpagpag ng emotions, kasi ang bigat niya. But in a good way. My emotions were really stretched,” the actress said, with Diego agreeing that his role here was on a “different level of heaviness.”

On how she’ll handle a marital affair in real life, Louise shared, “Kung mas malaki ang pagmamahal mo sa tao na yun kesa sa kasalanan niya, may chance pa. Hangga’t kaya, hangga’t may pagmamahal, ilalaban. Doon ako naka-relate sa character ko. Sa pamilya naming, hindi ganoon ka-perfect yung relationship ng mga mag-asawa. Gusto ko kapag ako ang nandoon sa sitwasyon na yun, gusto ko ilaban. Naniniwala pa rin ako na kaya pa rin magkaroon ng happy ending.”

To watch “The Wife” and other Vivamax titles, download the app and subscribe via Google Play Store, Huawei App Gallery, and App Store. Watch all you can on Vivamax for only P149/month and P399 for three months for bigger savings. A three-day access to Vivamax at a very affordable price of P29 is also available.