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
While I was organizing my things in my room, I heard James knock on my door. I had decided not to go to work today, as we agreed earlier.“Kate, Mom’s flight has been moved to tomorrow. Don’t forget. I’ll knock on your door when it’s time to pick them up. Let’s leave a bit early because I need to stop by the flower shop,” James said softly.Since Mr. Abdullah humiliated me in front of my staff and our customers yesterday, James’s attitude toward me had shifted. He’d been unusually kind and had stopped teasing me.“Alright, James. That’s good to know. I’ll prepare her favorite dishes. I’ll head to the supermarket later to buy some prawns and crabs,” I replied.I was surprised when James handed me a red box.“I passed by Mubarakiya earlier and checked out some gold shops. I saw this, and I thought it would suit you. (When I opened it, I saw a necklace with an infinity pendant.) We can also take Mom there later since she loves jewelry,” James said.“James, thank you, but I can’t accept t
KATE ANDRES:While driving to the office, I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten to discuss with James. I didn’t get the chance to ask what his plans for the villa if I ended up accepting the offer in going to Italy. The visa situation looked promising since I’d be going there on a working visa, which would also grant me all the privileges to visit Schengen countries. I also wanted to bring my brother George with me if things worked out. I didn’t want him stuck in the toxic environment he’s in with Mom. This could be a great opportunity for him—a chance to build a better life, especially since it’s in Europe.When I arrived at the showroom, Mr. Abdullah, one of the top management staff, was already waiting for me. Rona approached me as soon as I stepped into the shop.“Ma’am, Mr. Abdullah has been in the office for a while now with Ms. Rhea and Saed. He’s been furious, cursing a lot earlier. It was embarrassing because there were so many customers, and he kept yelling. Ms. Rh
THE NEXT DAY AFTER MY DINNER DATE WITH JAY KATE’S POV The first thing I did this morning was call James to talk about what Mr. Ismail mentioned to me. I was confused by his sudden decision, especially why he paid for two years’ worth of the Villa we were staying in if he was planning to move me to Europe. Was James just wasting money? But then I remembered, this was nothing to James Santiago. With all the income he makes from the showroom and his other businesses, it’s not surprising that he’d let go of the fully paid villa so easily. “Yes Kate, you miss me? That fast, really?” he teased me. “James, what is this I’m hearing from Mr. Ismail about me transferring branches again?” I asked him irritably. “Relax, Kate! I’m just doing you a favor. It’s not a joke to be offered a COO position. And it’s in Europe, Kate. It’s a great opportunity for you,” he answered arrogantly. “James, I didn’t ask for this
KATE’S POV HR DEPARTMENT KATE AND MR. ISMAIL’S CONVERSATION I received an email from Mr. Ismail asking me to come to the Head Office for a proposal. I didn’t ask what it was about just yet. When I arrived at the Head Office, Mr. Ismail was already waiting for me at the front desk. Ever since he found out about James and me, his attitude toward me had changed. He became more approachable, and every request I made was granted right away. After all, how could he refuse when the wife of the owner made a request? This was one of the privileges I enjoyed in the setup James and I had. Despite everything, there were benefits to my agreement with James. I agreed to pretend to be his wife for two years in exchange for 10 million and the freedom to be free from the legalities of our marriage. I accepted because I felt I had no other choice. James constantly threatened that he wouldn’t sign our annulment and would strip me of everythin
KATE AND JAY’S CONVERSATION A few days after returning to Kuwait, Jay visited me at the showroom. I was surprised when he arrived holding a bouquet of roses. My Filipino staff couldn’t help but smile widely—after all, they knew Jay well since he frequently visited me at work. He also loved bringing small gifts from his base to win over my staff, especially when he was looking for me. Despite feeling a pang of regret knowing that this charade of mine would only last for two more years, I couldn’t help but smile. I knew that when this ended, I’d also have to distance myself from James’ parents, who had treated me with such care and value as both a child and a person. Still, I couldn’t ignore the fact that Jay had been consistent in his efforts to win me over—from my time in Dubai to now in Kuwait. “Hi, brat! Welcome back!” Jay greeted me. “Thank you, Jay. You didn’t have to do that!” I replied shyly.
AFTER ONE MONTH BACK TO KUWAIT Mommy Samantha and Daddy Eddie hugged me tightly. My one-month vacation in the Philippines flew by so fast. Even though I didn’t get to see my real family, I felt like my days in the Philippines weren’t enough because I truly enjoyed bonding with James’ parents. It wasn’t because I wanted to be with James, but because I experienced what it felt like to be cared for by parents—something I never felt with Mama and Papa. I knew I would miss their care and affection when I returned to Kuwait. At first, I had doubts about going to the Philippines with James, fearing his parents wouldn’t like me or that they might be snobbish because of their wealth, while I was just an ordinary employee working for their son’s business in Kuwait. But I was completely wrong. Everything I had worried about was the exact opposite of what happened. To make things easier, James and I told his parents everything about me—exce
AFTER TWO WEEKS BACK IN THE PHILIPPINES Time flies so quickly. It feels like just yesterday we arrived in the Philippines, but now two weeks have already passed. I’ve grown fond of James’s parents, especially his mom. She visits us almost every day, always bringing home-cooked meals for me. They constantly joke about wanting us to hurry up and give them a grandchild, which makes me smile every time the topic comes up. Sometimes I wonder if James is adopted because his personality is so far from theirs. His parents treat me like their own daughter, doing things for me that my own parents never did. Every time I talk to my mom, the only thing she ever mentions is my remittances. When I think about the two-year contract James and I have, I can’t help but feel sad. When our arrangement ends, so will the warmth and kindness his parents show me. For the first time, I’ve felt what it’s like to have parents who genuinely care ab
KATE’S POV I jolted awake when I saw James lying beside me on my bed, sleeping soundly while we were wrapped in each other’s arms. He stirred slightly as I pulled away, breaking the embrace. Memories of last night came rushing back—how we ended up sleeping next to each other, the foolish things I did, and the anger I felt before I left the house, especially after hearing from Nikka what my parents had done behind my back. If I hadn’t come home, I wouldn’t have known that I no longer had my condo because they meddled with it again. Nikka even told me how furious my parents were with me for keeping the condo a secret. I stared at James’s peaceful face as he slept. I remembered how he took care of me last night and how he didn’t take advantage of me while I was drunk. I was grateful to discover that, deep down, he had a kind heart. A small smile crept onto my face as I watched him, but then he suddenly wrapped his arms around me again, pulling me back down
JAMES’ POV I turned away from Kate and started walking out of her room. Once again, she teased me. She flaunted herself in front of me, and I didn’t understand why I didn’t take the bait. Kate is incredibly sexy and beautiful. She has a well-proportioned figure—ample breasts, a flat stomach, and wide hips. Her face is angelic and naive-looking. If she were any other woman, I probably would’ve given in by now. “Isn’t this what you want? You’re just like every other man! You’re horrible!” she snapped at me. “Kate, enough!” I said calmly. “Get some rest; you’re really drunk!” I had no choice but to return to her room and hand her a loose shirt I found in her closet. Thankfully, she didn’t argue and put it on right away. She even laughed and teased me while taking off her bra and waving it in front of me. I turned away until she was fully dressed. I helped her lie down on her bed, and she collapsed onto it carele