Amihan's POV,As I gazed out the window of my office on that crisp, autumnal Monday morning, the cool breeze that wafted through the room brought with it a flood of memories from the day before. I remembered the outing I'd had with Derrick and Judith, and the many laughs we'd shared. I couldn't help but smile, replaying those moments in my head. It had been a magical day, one I never wanted to forget. Derrick had been like a soulmate, completing me in a way that was both unexpected and profound, even though I tried to be careful around him, I couldn't deny I had something for him. As my thoughts began to clear, I realized that the serenity I had felt after my recent achievements had been replaced by a storm of questions and doubts. The appearance of little Bella and the return of Derrick had muddied the waters of my mind, blurring the lines between friendship and something more. I tried to convince myself that my feelings for Derrick were purely platonic, but I couldn't shake the nag
Maxwell's pov, I knew if I ever wanted to escape from the clutches of Judith's torment, I had to take a bold step towards freedom. And the first step was quitting my job at the company. My girlfriend, Amihan's birthday was coming up and I wanted to make it as special as possible, especially since I had begun to feel threatened by Derrick's presence. He seemed to be a rival for Amihan's affections and I was determined to show her that I was the one she truly belonged with.Three days had passed since I had made the bold decision to quit my job, and I had to admit that I felt more liberated than ever before. The constant pressure from Judith was finally gone and I felt a new sense of freedom and energy that I hadn't felt in a long time."So, how did you like the movies?" Amihan asked, breaking me out of my thoughts as we drove back to my house. We had spent the entire day together, doing everything from shopping to dining out and even taking a long walk in the park. It had been a wonde
Judith's Pov, After being publicly humiliated by Maxwell at the office, I knew I had to act fast if I wanted to salvage the relationship. I called his mother and told her about how Maxwell had treated me and even resigned from the company.As I sat on Maxwell's couch, waiting for his mother's arrival, I felt a sense of comfort and anticipation. I couldn't wait to be the one in control of his heart and his life.Amihan had confided in me about her experience meeting Maxwell's mother. She had been treated coldly and she was determined to win over her approval. Even though I had advised her to keep calm and give it time, I was secretly glad that she was finding it difficult. Amihan was a romantic who believed strongly in family love and acceptance. She wouldn't feel settled with Maxwell until his mother accepted her. This was working in my favor."I'm sorry for the delay," she said as she joined me in the living room. "I was busy making some food for my son. We argued last night about y
Victoria's POV,As I heard Maxwell's car pull into the parking lot of his apartment, I felt a wave of nervousness wash over me, I could see the sadness in his eyes as he approached the door. Even though I knew I wasn't going to see him till this evening, I couldn't wait to get my plans running, as I heard the tip tap of his footsteps ascending the stairs just before the door, I settled myself on the couch, and prepared my mood for the upcoming conversation, putting on my most pitiable look in an attempt to elicit his sympathy, I flashed a smile to my face as he opened the door,"Hello son, You're home!" I said, my voice low and shaking with relief. "I've been so worried."He nodded but didn't look at me as he walked past and headed towards his room. "I'm fine, mom," he said. "Don't worry."I felt a mix of emotions as I watched him walk away. Part of me was relieved that he was home safe, but another part of me was frustrated that he wouldn't even look at me, let alone talk to me. I
Karl's POV,The incessant call from my dad that morning set me on my toes, judging from its persistence, I knew instantly that something was wrong since my father never called except when it was warranted, I had lied to Dalisay that it was an unknown number when my phone rang the first time early that morning, waking both me and Dalisay up from sleep, I immediately placed my phone on silent to avoid every suspicion from Dalisay.We had just finished breakfast when I went to the garden to find the reason for that undesirable call, no sooner had the phone rang when my dad's deep husky voice rang in my ear from the other end,"Hey son, how're you doing?" The hastiness in his voice as he spoke, told me something was up and I couldn't wait to know what was going on, knowing how delicate my position was which had always made me live meticulously,"I'm fine Dad" I responded in haste praying earnestly that my instincts were wrong, "what's happening? You've been calling for hours?" I asked,
Dalisay's POV,"You'd do no such thing," was the shrill cry that brought me to where Karl was... speaking to this unknown person, judging from his next words and the heat of the conversation, I suspected that it must be that same woman I saw in the photo, as I looked at Karl, I noticed his desperation and the frustration steaming from his shoulders like a cloud of smoke, which made my heart drop, a mixed emotion of both fear, worry and anger flooded me instantly and I felt my heartbeat accelerate, as my mind began to wander carrying along placards of uncertainties,I was so scared of the unknown that I didn't notice when my hands began to shake following the rhythm of the horror that had gripped my heart, my phobia for a broken home especially after laying every other thing aside, including my first love to build a family with him, brought tears to my eyes but I fought hard to keep them in.As I stood there, trying to comprehend why they were still having a heated conversation, after
Amihan's POV,The thought of spending the evening with Maxwell and his mom left me with mixed feelings, even though it was a moment I had always dreamed of, I couldn't stop my heart from anticipating the worst as a result of my first encounter with her and all that had happened that same day, All through the day, my mind swirled with ideas on how to get along with her, Judith's number wasn't connecting, which exacerbated my anxiety, I was left with no other choice than to scramble online for ideas about pleasing a prospective mother in-law, since Maxwell informed me late last night and I couldn't wake up early to discuss it with Judith before she left for office,Among the things I was going to do was to evacuate the office earlier so I could join her in preparing the meal, I quickly reviewed New York recipes of the favorite meals Maxwell had told me about, and revisited the table etiquette, given her elegancy.On getting home earlier that evening, I found Judith seeing a movie with
Judith's POV,It was two more days before Amihan's 28th birthday, and a sense of excitement filled me as I thought about the events to come. The prospect of finally having Maxwell all to myself, and the possibility of everything falling into place, was enough to make my heart race with anticipation. I couldn't wait until her birthday eve to put my plan into action. I had to do it now, before it was too late and I knew that Maxwell would be suspicious if anything happened to her on her birthday eve. I was running out of time.I got home from work feeling motivated and energized to get my plans done, it was going to be the night of the great turnaround and I was ready to follow the tide, I took total control of the night by fixing an indoor date and filled it up with activities that will get the three of us actively involved, especially Amihan and Derrick.The first thing I did was to go straight to the kitchen to bake some cookies... the flavor Amihan, Derrick, and I used to bake tog