It was Saturday morning, and today was the day of my prenatal checkup. Yvan cannot join because he has something out of the country and the schedule for his return home is still open. But I’m used to not being able to have him during my checkups because he’s busy with his company. But that doesn’t mean he’s not responsible enough. He doesn’t neglect my needs. If before he forbade me to eat unhealthy foods, now, he allows me as long as I limit myself to food because I might get bloated and have trouble giving birth. He can’t do anything about it because my cravings are weird. Sometimes he canceled his meetings just to buy the food I was craving.The other day he called me to check how I was doing at home, but he got confused when he heard me crying.“Why are you crying? What’s the matter?” he asked. His voice was panicking on the other line. But it felt so strange that I found it cute to hear his voice. I don’t know if this is just because of my pregnancy, but I suddenly feel giddy whe
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll head out first. Have a nice day, Mrs. Mendez” I smiled before I turned my back to them, ready to walk away, but before I could escape, I was shocked that someone suddenly pulled my hair. “You bitch!” she swore at me while pulling my hair hard.“Mrs. Mendez, let go of me!”“Mom!”“Mom, please let her go!” Mico pleaded while helping me remove his mother’s hands from my hair. Mico tried to protect me as he hugged and pulled me away from his mom.Every time her mother attacks me, Mico takes the hit and not me. And I appreciated what he did to protect me. Suddenly, a frightening voice echoed in the hallway and stopped us all.“What the hell are you doing?!” “Yvan,” I muttered as I breathed a sigh of relief.He took me away from Mico and checked every part of my body to see if I had scratches. He looked at my messy hair and brushed it carefully.“Are you alright?” He asked me with his eyes showing concern, but deep inside, I could feel he was mad.I don't k
I asked my driver and Mico to send Aurora back to our house. I don’t want her to get anxious about what’s happening to her best friend, Belle. As her husband, I volunteered to look for her best friend in her apartment. After Aurora got a call from Belle, Aurora got worried. She wanted to come but I insisted that she needed to take a rest for our baby in her tummy.“But I don’t know what’s happening to Belle right now. I’m worried, Yvan. Please let me go with you.” She said, which made me groan in frustration.“Don’t you understand? Your health and the baby are more important than anyone else.”“But-”“Don’t worry, alright? I will go there to check on her. We will call you right away once we arrive.”“Mico, accompany Aurora to my house. Make sure she’s okay. And don’t leave her alone.” I ordered Mico.I knew the relationship between them was over ages ago. I also discovered Mico had a secret relationship with his best friend Lucas. So, I am not bothered if I let Mico accompany Aurora to
I had a strange feeling that something wasn't right. It seemed like secrets were being kept from me. Suspiciously, I watched Mico cook in the kitchen at his uncle's house. It was only his second day here after Yvan asked him to stay and look after me while he was away. I couldn't understand why Yvan had chosen Mico to take care of me, especially when I had always been alone with the helpers here. It was hard to believe that Yvan trusted his nephew and my ex-boyfriend to always be with me. Perhaps, he was just testing the waters, if I still have feelings for his nephew. I shrugged my thoughts away when my phone beeped. I received a message from Yvan.‘I won’t be home tonight.’ he said in the message and I just replied ‘Okay.’ Was he that busy?Yvan still hasn't returned home after I asked him to go check on Belle. I'm starting to get a little worried. I even called Yvan and asked how’s Belle. But he’s not answering me directly.He would just say, “She’s fine. Don’t worry about her.”An
“Thank you for keeping my friend safe.”After our delicious dinner, I helped Belle settle into one of the guest rooms where I used to stay. I made sure she got some rest early, and then I headed to Yvan's room. Despite having questions to ask her, I didn't want to disturb her. It must have been tough for her to face those unpleasant people. I wonder about the circumstances leading up to the situation.Knock… knock… knock…I gently rapped on the door three times before cautiously pushing it open and peering into his room. "Aurora?"I could hear his muffled voice coming from the darkened depths of the closet. After a few moments, he emerged from the closet and made his way to the bed. Gesturing with a tap of his hand, he silently invited me to join him. I hesitated for a moment before taking a seat beside him.“I just want to say thank you for saving my friend.”His warm hand enveloped mine, and a gentle smile graced his lips. "You don't have to thank me," he said reassuringly. "Your fr
“Aurora, how have you been? It’s good to see you here. Were you here for a vacation?”“You look great, dear. Are you still single? My son is single, you might both try to have a date. He’s handsome and my son graduated from law school.”“Hey, Marianne. How have you been? I heard you are sick. Is that true?”When Mom and I arrived at her hometown, the Agusan, some of our relatives who noticed our arrival, came to our grandfather’s house and asked about our lives back in the city. But I’m exhausted. So, I took a deep breath. I know they were curious about how our lives have been in the city. And they want to catch up with us. But I’m tired from the long travel, also I’m pregnant, so I really need some rest.“Hmm… Thank you all for your concerns and for welcoming us back here again. But Mom and I were exhausted from our long travel. I hope you all understand. I wanted to chat with you all, but maybe some other time. Let’s do a raincheck for now, I hope you won’t mind.”“Oh, right. Have s
People here in our province have so much free time that they interfere with someone else’s lives. They can even beat a twenty-four-hour CCTV for watching our lives.Whenever I walk on the road either going home or to work, I notice that my aunts and neighbors are also on the road. They were chatting here and there with the people that came across that road. They greeted them warmly, but they talked behind them when those people passed by. I just shook my head in disappointment. What if someone heard them and they keep talking about the shits of others not thinking theirs were the worst. That day I came home from my job as a cashier at a convenience store. And because my partner is on leave, I have to work overtime. But unexpectedly, because of exhaustion, and staying awake at work, I passed out on the way home. And since our village is small, the news about my pregnancy spread immediately like wildfire. My mother and I became a hot topic in our town. Another thing they talked about wa
I took in the sight of the expansive, two-story villa that sprawled across one hectare before me. I was utterly astonished by the sheer size and luxury of the house. It was hard to fathom that Lucas owned a villa in the city's most affluent neighborhood. While I was aware of Lucas's wealthy background and his investment in Mico's company, I had no idea that he was a billionaire.“Get in.” I was brought back from my deep thoughts when Lucas suddenly spoke behind me with my other things.“I never thought you had this kind of villa.” I found his house quite amusing, as I couldn't help but be impressed by its opulence. The lavish interior decor, adorned with exquisite paintings, stunning artwork, statues, and ornate vases, truly reflected the wealth and sophistication of its owner. “Ah… This? This is just a small house. I hope you’ll be comfortable here.” I looked at Lucas in disbelief.“You called this small house?” I scoffed. “Are you kidding me? This is too huge for me to stay alone h
Yvan’s POV“Mr. Reed, thank you for accompanying me. I know you are busy, and I’m sorry for taking your time to drive me here to the hospital.” Belle said, which made me smile.“Nah. I should be the one who should say sorry. I sent your husband out of the country to find your friend Aurora when he should accompany you for your prenatal checkup.”I am deeply troubled by the absence of Aurora, who departed months ago. To aid in her location, I tasked my reliable secretary, Alexander, with the important mission of identifying the most skilled investigator in the world. It is with great concern that I contemplate Aurora's well-being. I cannot help but sympathize with Belle, Alexander's wife, as I have repeatedly implored him to travel abroad to engage the services of elite investigators for our search efforts. Despite our exhaustive exploration of remote areas where she may have hidden, we have unfortunately been unable to pinpoint her whereabouts. We even tried to go through hospitals, s
Have you ever felt betrayed? Did someone dear to you betray you, or did something you’d never thought they would lose your trust? It’s painful, right? It feels like someone stabbed you behind your back. She was my best friend, always by my side. I never imagined she would deceive me. I believed she was looking out for him, and I had complete faith in her. However, she has significantly changed and is not the same person I once knew.It's distressing to recall the events that took place only three months ago when I lost my son. Shortly before that, I went to the hospital to obtain a fit-to-work letter from my doctor to return to work. While I was there, I witnessed Belle and another individual engaged in a cheerful conversation. Belle was gently caressing her slightly protruding stomach, leading me to the realization that she was pregnant. Lucas, another observer, confirmed that Belle was carrying Yvan's child. “I’m so sorry, Aurora. I never intended to keep secrets from you. But I d
“What were you thinking?” I was taken by surprise and felt a jolt of shock coursing through me when a sudden, unexpected voice spoke from directly behind me.“Gosh, Lucas! Don’t just pop out somewhere. You made my heart jump.” Lucas grinned.He kindly handed me a tall, frosty glass filled with creamy strawberry milkshake that he had just purchased. I expressed my gratitude silently, mouthing a heartfelt "thanks," before bringing the lip of the glass to my mouth and taking a slow, satisfying sip of the delicious milkshake.“What were you thinking? You seemed lost. Is there something wrong?” He asked.I shook my head as an answer to his question and smiled. “It’s nothing,” I replied.As I sat there, my mind kept drifting back to thoughts of my best friend. The ache of missing her was overwhelming, and I couldn't shake the desire to just wrap her in a comforting hug. Belle had been by my side since we were little, and we were practically inseparable when we were together. It tore me apa
I took in the sight of the expansive, two-story villa that sprawled across one hectare before me. I was utterly astonished by the sheer size and luxury of the house. It was hard to fathom that Lucas owned a villa in the city's most affluent neighborhood. While I was aware of Lucas's wealthy background and his investment in Mico's company, I had no idea that he was a billionaire.“Get in.” I was brought back from my deep thoughts when Lucas suddenly spoke behind me with my other things.“I never thought you had this kind of villa.” I found his house quite amusing, as I couldn't help but be impressed by its opulence. The lavish interior decor, adorned with exquisite paintings, stunning artwork, statues, and ornate vases, truly reflected the wealth and sophistication of its owner. “Ah… This? This is just a small house. I hope you’ll be comfortable here.” I looked at Lucas in disbelief.“You called this small house?” I scoffed. “Are you kidding me? This is too huge for me to stay alone h
People here in our province have so much free time that they interfere with someone else’s lives. They can even beat a twenty-four-hour CCTV for watching our lives.Whenever I walk on the road either going home or to work, I notice that my aunts and neighbors are also on the road. They were chatting here and there with the people that came across that road. They greeted them warmly, but they talked behind them when those people passed by. I just shook my head in disappointment. What if someone heard them and they keep talking about the shits of others not thinking theirs were the worst. That day I came home from my job as a cashier at a convenience store. And because my partner is on leave, I have to work overtime. But unexpectedly, because of exhaustion, and staying awake at work, I passed out on the way home. And since our village is small, the news about my pregnancy spread immediately like wildfire. My mother and I became a hot topic in our town. Another thing they talked about wa
“Aurora, how have you been? It’s good to see you here. Were you here for a vacation?”“You look great, dear. Are you still single? My son is single, you might both try to have a date. He’s handsome and my son graduated from law school.”“Hey, Marianne. How have you been? I heard you are sick. Is that true?”When Mom and I arrived at her hometown, the Agusan, some of our relatives who noticed our arrival, came to our grandfather’s house and asked about our lives back in the city. But I’m exhausted. So, I took a deep breath. I know they were curious about how our lives have been in the city. And they want to catch up with us. But I’m tired from the long travel, also I’m pregnant, so I really need some rest.“Hmm… Thank you all for your concerns and for welcoming us back here again. But Mom and I were exhausted from our long travel. I hope you all understand. I wanted to chat with you all, but maybe some other time. Let’s do a raincheck for now, I hope you won’t mind.”“Oh, right. Have s
“Thank you for keeping my friend safe.”After our delicious dinner, I helped Belle settle into one of the guest rooms where I used to stay. I made sure she got some rest early, and then I headed to Yvan's room. Despite having questions to ask her, I didn't want to disturb her. It must have been tough for her to face those unpleasant people. I wonder about the circumstances leading up to the situation.Knock… knock… knock…I gently rapped on the door three times before cautiously pushing it open and peering into his room. "Aurora?"I could hear his muffled voice coming from the darkened depths of the closet. After a few moments, he emerged from the closet and made his way to the bed. Gesturing with a tap of his hand, he silently invited me to join him. I hesitated for a moment before taking a seat beside him.“I just want to say thank you for saving my friend.”His warm hand enveloped mine, and a gentle smile graced his lips. "You don't have to thank me," he said reassuringly. "Your fr
I had a strange feeling that something wasn't right. It seemed like secrets were being kept from me. Suspiciously, I watched Mico cook in the kitchen at his uncle's house. It was only his second day here after Yvan asked him to stay and look after me while he was away. I couldn't understand why Yvan had chosen Mico to take care of me, especially when I had always been alone with the helpers here. It was hard to believe that Yvan trusted his nephew and my ex-boyfriend to always be with me. Perhaps, he was just testing the waters, if I still have feelings for his nephew. I shrugged my thoughts away when my phone beeped. I received a message from Yvan.‘I won’t be home tonight.’ he said in the message and I just replied ‘Okay.’ Was he that busy?Yvan still hasn't returned home after I asked him to go check on Belle. I'm starting to get a little worried. I even called Yvan and asked how’s Belle. But he’s not answering me directly.He would just say, “She’s fine. Don’t worry about her.”An
I asked my driver and Mico to send Aurora back to our house. I don’t want her to get anxious about what’s happening to her best friend, Belle. As her husband, I volunteered to look for her best friend in her apartment. After Aurora got a call from Belle, Aurora got worried. She wanted to come but I insisted that she needed to take a rest for our baby in her tummy.“But I don’t know what’s happening to Belle right now. I’m worried, Yvan. Please let me go with you.” She said, which made me groan in frustration.“Don’t you understand? Your health and the baby are more important than anyone else.”“But-”“Don’t worry, alright? I will go there to check on her. We will call you right away once we arrive.”“Mico, accompany Aurora to my house. Make sure she’s okay. And don’t leave her alone.” I ordered Mico.I knew the relationship between them was over ages ago. I also discovered Mico had a secret relationship with his best friend Lucas. So, I am not bothered if I let Mico accompany Aurora to