AFTER TWO HOURS Loud knocks on the door of my apartment echoed continuously. In the silence of that place, I could hear the teasing of my childhood friends resonating throughout the hallway of that ten-room apartment. “Those brats! Hahaha,” I said. “Kate, OPEN THE DOOR!” Alvin said dramatically like Nora Aunor. I laughed as I opened the door because Alvin was already in drama mode, leaning back against the wall and sliding down to sit. “Hahaha, just kidding!” he said to me. “Ahhhhhh!!! (Nikka shouted loudly) Kate, wow, you’re really doing well, our friend is so beautiful! You’re the only one blooming among us. That’s why you’re the talk of the Maharlika Compound,” she said without a care. She was still laughing at her own joke. “Okay, bye! (I teased, pretending to close the door again) Hahaha, just kidding! Girl, I missed you! Come in before I get kicked out for your noise,” I said. Nikka is one of my childhood friends from our neighborhood. She’s really sharp-tongued
KATE POVAFTER A WEEKWhen I got to my room, first thing is did is that I update my Mom that I had arrived at our flat. I didn’t expect them to reply right away since it was also my sister’s wedding to Michael on this day. To reverse my mind from thinking, I occupied myself by cleaning my room, rearranging the furniture to attract good luck in my life. Once I finished, I started dividing the souvenirs I brought for my friends and colleagues here in Dubai.The truth is, I was really trying to avoid my cell phone today; I didn’t want to see what was happening in the Philippines. No matter what anyone says, I would still feel hurt seeing my sister marry my ex-fiancé. Even though I blocked Michael and Charlotte , I am sure that my Mom or any of our neighbors would post updates about the wedding. I also told Nikka and my younger sibling not to inform me about the wedding.As I was unpacking my suitcase to organize the souveni
AT THE HEAD OFFICEWhen I arrived at the Head Office, I headed straight to the reception area. I was wearing simple jeans and a t-shirt paired with doll shoes and a sling bag, with my hair tied back to match my casual outfit. I didn’t wear formal attire since Ma'am Isabel didn’t tell me that it was for a meeting when she messaged me yesterday.“Hi Zel,” I greeted our receptionist, handing her a bag containing the gift i had for her from my vacation. “Has Miss Isabel arrive?”She smiled as she opened the gift I brought. “Yes, she’s in there; you two almost arrived at the same time, Oh wow! You went on vacation. Thanks for this! .”“Alright, I’ll go see her first. We will chat later?” I replied to her“Sure!” she smiledI walked inside. She opened the door for me since I didn’t have an access card for the door, but once inside, I knew my
JAMES’ POVFor months, my mom had been relentlessly nagging me to agree to the arranged marriage with Scarlette. No matter how firmly I opposed their wishes, I felt powerless due to the gravity of my past mistakes. One reason I didn’t want to marry Scarlette was that I couldn’t see myself being intimate with her; since day one, I had treated her like a younger sister. With a five-year age gap, she felt far too young for me, and I knew I couldn’t deceive her because I understood myself—I wasn’t capable of being serious with one woman.The complication was that Scarlette’s parents were close friends with my dad. She was often at our house during family casino, where we all grew up playing together in our garden with other childhood friends.Despite my objections, Mom persisted in wanting me to marry Scarlette, especially since I hadn’t introduced any other woman to them yet. They took it upon themselves to decide who I should marry. I could easily agree and just negotiate with Scarlette
As soon as our meeting ended, I immediately called Daniel, knowing that his call was important because he doesn’t usually disturb me during my meetings. He knows that if I don’t answer his call even once, it means I’m busy with work at the office. But with the kind of missed calls he was sending, I knew it was trouble again. He probably saw something again.“Bro! We just finished our meeting. What trouble have I gotten into this time? I’ve seen the number of missed calls you have!” I asked him.“Bro, I have something to tell you! Can we meet tonight at our favorite hangout spot? Or how about at your resort, just at the bar? I’ll explain everything to you there,” Daniel said.“D*mn bro, I’m starting to feel nervous . It sounds like I’ve really messed up this time. Did I get someone pregnant?” I joked with him.“Hahaha, we’ll talk about it later, bro! I’ll tell William too so that after work we can head straight there. We can get free drinks since you’re the one who will be worried abou
“CONGRATULATIONS!” Alexander shouted loudly.“Wohoooo, this calls for a celebration!” Daniel said, waving a bottle of wine he was holding. They were all laughing and teasing me. It seems I did something foolish this time.“Bro, congratulations to you! Hahaha!” William chimed in. From their smiles, I could tell they weren’t joking. There was something behind each of their grins.“Hahaha, come on bro, you didn’t even invite us to your wedding! So unfair, I thought we were friends?! Why did you go solo?” David added and laughed“This is what the fortune said, so what now, bro? You can’t see Ms. Monday, you’ve got bitterness with Ms. Tuesday, and what about Ms. Wednesday? Does that mean Ms. Thursday and Ms. Friday are gone too?” Seb teased me.I felt weirded out by my friends’ comments. “What do you mean?! What nonsense are you talking about? You guys just brought me here to tease me!” I replied.“Bro, we’re the ones you didn’t invite when you got married. Hahaha! The question now is, who
CAMILA POVWhile resting on our coach “Damn it! Who does he think he is, ringing the doorbell? Don’t you have a doorbell at your house?!” I yelled as I approached our gate. “Just a moment!” I shouted again. I was surprised when I opened the gate. A big smile spread across my lips when I saw the man who rang the doorbell. A foreigner had wandered into our house. I called George to talk to this handsome young man instead because I couldn’t understand what he was saying. It sounded like he was eating his words; I was worried my nose would start bleeding from the confusion. “Hi Ma’am, good morning! I’m Jay. I just want to ask if Kate lives here?!” he asked me. “Oh! Wait. You wait; I’ll call my son,” I replied. “Okay Ma’am, I’m her friend. Sorry for disturbing you,” he said politely with a smile. “Damn it, I can’t understand what this guy is saying!” I whispered
“But please don’t tell Kate about my visit here. I know she will get mad,” he said. “Okay, no problem. I know Kate,” I replied. “Bro, I gotta go ahead; I need to catch my flight. Ma’am, I will go now if you don’t mind!” he said to us. “Okay, that’s so sweet of you,” I responded. I wasn’t sure if I was saying the right thing; I only heard it in movies. I chuckled to myself a bit. “Once you graduate, George, let me know, and I will help you get into the army if you want?” he said again to George. “Thanks, man!” George replied briefly. “Oh, you see, he’s even offering to help you join the army. At least you have backup. Many are eager to get in there,” I told George. I saw him shaking his head. “Okay, Ma’am, I really have to go. Hope I can come b
KATE'S POVAFTER THE PRESS CONFERENCEI didn’t realize how intense press conferences could be. I was so nervous, even though I already knew what to answer. The pressure to respond to each question from the press was overwhelming. I didn’t want to say anything wrong or hurt the feelings of the people I love. Even after the cameras stopped rolling, some press members continued asking questions—this time about my love story with James. Honestly, our love story didn’t have the best beginning, so I didn’t know what to say. Thankfully, James stepped in and politely asked everyone to stop the questions. The press respected his request.Once the interview aired, we started receiving numerous calls and messages claiming they had seen Mama. However, many of these were baseless attempts to claim the 10 million peso reward. Atty. Ruiz advised us not to entertain any information unless it had substantial proof. To unwind, Mommy and I decided to go out. Besides, James and I needed to shop for some
KATE'S POV Since James and I first met, this is only the second time I’ve been to his house. The first was when he introduced me to his parents. This time, however, I brought George along. Just like the first time, James’ mom, Mommy Samantha, was incredibly kind and welcoming—not just to me but to George as well. They even prepared a room specifically for him while we stayed in their mansion.“Don’t hesitate to move around the house as if it’s your own. Kate, you know who to ask for help if you need anything. Make sure to tell your brother that too, and feel free to approach Manang if anything is needed. Treat this house as your own,” Mommy said warmly, her smile filled with joy.“Thank you so much, Mommy! You should get some rest too,” I replied, hugging her before excusing myself to head to our room. Even though I’d been sleeping in the hospital for the past few days, I still felt an inexplicable weariness.I had been keeping in touch with Nikka, asking if they’d seen any signs of
KATE'S POV Since James and I first met, this is only the second time I’ve been to his house. The first was when he introduced me to his parents. This time, however, I brought George along. Just like the first time, James’ mom, Mommy Samantha, was incredibly kind and welcoming—not just to me but to George as well. They even prepared a room specifically for him while we stayed in their mansion.“Don’t hesitate to move around the house as if it’s your own. Kate, you know who to ask for help if you need anything. Make sure to tell your brother that too, and feel free to approach Manang if anything is needed. Treat this house as your own,” Mommy said warmly, her smile filled with joy.“Thank you so much, Mommy! You should get some rest too,” I replied, hugging her before excusing myself to head to our room. Even though I’d been sleeping in the hospital for the past few days, I still felt an inexplicable weariness.I had been keeping in touch with Nikka, asking if they’d seen any signs of
He didn’t immediately answer my question.“Mmm, I’m sorry, but I don’t understand what’s happening. How do you know my mother? And how do you know my exact birthday?” she asked, glancing at James before whispering, “Love, did you tell her anything about me?” She even turned her back to me and slightly moved away in her seat. I saw James shake his head, denying her assumption.“Wait, I think I scared you, dear. We just wanted to explain something to you… to both of you!” I said, turning to face everyone. “Samantha, haven’t I told you that we’ve been searching for our missing daughter, who was taken from us when we were in Saudi Arabia?” I began.“Yes, you’ve mentioned it before. But I still don’t understand, Adreana—it’s all a bit confusing,” Samantha replied.“Kate’s mother and the person who abducted my daughter are the same!” I declared, stunning everyone. The room fell silent for several moments. “Haven’t you ever noticed how differently your ‘mother’ treats you, Kate? That’s becau
GEORGE POV It’s heartwarming to see how much James' family loves Kate. Honestly, I think they love her more than Mama does. I overhear James talking to the people who donated blood for , and it’s clear their family isn’t ordinary. I knew he was wealthy, but I didn’t realize just how rich they are. It might sound exaggerated, but the level of wealth they have, including that of the couple he had an accident with, is mind-blowing. I feel out of place when they discuss their investments and the enormous sums involved. Coming from a simple family, I can’t help but feel shy and out of my element. But James doesn’t let me feel excluded; he ensures I’m comfortable.“Are you okay, George? Do you want something? Just order if you feel like it. We’ll head back to your sister’s room soon. She’s probably been moved to her private room by now,”James said to me.“I’m good,James. This is already too much. I’ll just bring some of this to Kate later since it’s her favorite,” I replied. James smiled
"George, who in your family has an AB+ blood type?!" I asked him urgently."James, as far as I know, my blood type is O, my mom’s and Charlotte’s are also O, and Dad is B," George replied.“Doctor, is it possible that Kate isn’t biologically related to her family?” I asked, puzzled. The doctor motioned for me to step aside and spoke to me in private, not wanting George to hear. Mommy and Daddy stayed behind, watching us anxiously. Mommy kept crying, and Daddy tried his best to comfort her.“James,” the doctor began, “it’s highly unlikely for someone to have no blood type match within their immediate family—unless, of course, they’re not a biological child. Could Kate have been adopted? We need to confirm this immediately because we’re running out of time to find a blood donor. We already checked the Red Cross blood bank, but there’s no available AB+ blood.”I didn’t respond right away because, honestly, I didn’t know anything about my wife’s family history. It wasn’t something we ever
JAMES’ POVI was startled when I heard Kate’s mother’s voice, interrupting the tense situation. I was still cradling Kate in my arms, hoping her mother would show at least a shred of concern for my wife. But her intentions for coming to the scene were far from what I expected.“I didn’t mean to do it! My child’s in the hospital for an emergency, so I was rushing!” the man who hit Kate pleaded desperately. “Please forgive me, ma’am! I don’t have any money. I only borrowed this car to rush my child to the hospital for surgery. Please, I’m begging you!”“I don’t care about your excuses!” Kate’s mom shouted furiously at the driver. “You need to pay for what you’ve done to Kate! You can’t just get away with this like it’s nothing!”One of the men who came with Kate’s mom chimed in, gripping the driver by his collar. “Do you want us to rough him up, Mrs. Camila?”“Go ahead!” she snapped. “He doesn’t want to pay for hitting Kate anyway!”“Please, have mercy on me!” the driver begged, tears s
Charlotte looks completely different—it’s the first time I’ve seen her in years since she betrayed me with Michael. Her hair is now long and blonde, and she even has a tongue piercing. It’s hard not to notice her navel piercing, especially with her crop top and short shorts. She’s covered in accessories, and her face looks striking. While her makeup isn’t thick, it’s evident she had a nose job; her nose looks unnaturally sharp compared to before.“Well, Kate, is that how you introduce your sister to the handsome man you’re with?” she said flirtatiously, attempting to touch James, but he stepped away.Reluctantly, I introduced them. “Charlotte, this is James, my husband. James, this is my sister, Charlotte, Amara’s mom,” I said, my face twisting in annoyance as Charlotte gave James a sticky, seductive look.“Oh, hi! So your name’s James?” Charlotte extended her hand and flirtatiously shook his. James whispered to me softly.“Love, I’ll be over with George. I’ll talk to him for a bit,”
“Minda, did you see the guy with Kate?”“Yes, Camilla, I saw him! He’s so handsome and looks rich,” replied Aling Minda. “Kate is really different from your children.”“Aling Camilla, it looks like Kate hit the jackpot. Her clothes are expensive, and I even saw her watch—it’s a Rolex! That costs millions if it’s real!” Jacky chimed in.“shut your mouth Jacky. You even noticed her watch!” (Mom laughed as she bragged about James and then turned to Aling Minda.) “He is really rich! That man is Kate’s husband. He owns Santiago Corporation and the company where Kate works in Kuwait. See? Kate got lucky!”“Really, Aling Camilla? Wow, you know, I’ve been dreaming of getting into that company. Maybe you could talk to Kate and ask her husband to help me get in,” Jacky said, her eyes gleaming with hope.“Don’t worry, Jacky. I’ve got you!” Mom replied arrogantly.“I’ve been telling you, Camilla, that Kate would be the one to lift your family out of hardship. She’s really a hardworking daugther,