Reina’s POV“Secrets always have a way of revealing themselves, don’t they?”The voice in my head was relentless as I sat on the porch and I could see the lake glittering under the early afternoon sun.My fingers toyed nervously with the edge of my sweater, but my mind was elsewhere. I was thinking about the message I received a night before. Ethan had not brought it up again since our tense conversation, but I could feel his watchful eyes on me everytime as if he was trying to figure out what I was not saying.I could not shake the dread that was coming up in my chest. Whoever had sent that message knew something, but the question was, how much? And why now, when Ethan and I were just starting to make progress?The sound of Ethan’s heavy footsteps broke me away from my thoughts. He walked onto the porch with a coffee mug in hand, looking like a man who had made up his mind about something.“You are awfully quiet this morning,” he said, sitting down across from me.“I have a lot on m
Reina I and Ethan reconciled again. After so many times of quarreling. The weeks after our reconciliation felt good at least. Ethan was attentive, loving, and almost like the man I had fallen in love with years ago. It felt too good to be true, and deep down, I could not shake the feeling that the storm wasn’t over. We were still going to have our quarrel again. One evening, as I was sitting in my home office reviewing proposals for my latest fashion campaign, my phone buzzed. It was Celia.“Reina, you are not going to believe this,” she said happily and her voice tinged with excitement and panic.“What is it?” I asked, leaning back in my chair.“I just saw Ethan,” she began.“And?”“He was at a café with a woman I didn’t recognize. They looked… close.”I felt my stomach drop. “Close how? What do you mean by that?”We just reconciled and now, Celia was telling me this? This was not true. “They were sitting in a corner booth, whispering, and he handed her a thick envelope. I did
Reina’s POV The pounding in my head kept on returning as it screamed vengeance to me. It was the third day this week, and I could no longer ignore the dizziness that often followed. I gripped the edge of the kitchen counter, trying to keep myself from falling to the floor as my vision blurred for a moment. “Mom, are you okay?” Andrew’s small voice pulled me out of my haze. He was standing by the fridge, holding a juice box, his curious eyes staring at me. I forced a smile. “Of course, sweetheart. Just tired. Did you finish your homework?” “Yes,” he replied, but his brows furrowed. “But, mum. You don’t look okay.” Before I could reassure him, the front door opened, and Ethan walked in. I could still feel his presence as he stepped in and it gave me a kind of feeling that I could not quite explain. Things had been better between us, but there was still a fragile thread tying us together. “Hey,” Ethan greeted, glancing at Andrew and then me. His eyes lingered on my face.
Reina's POV I woke up to the sound of rain tapping against the window. When I turned to my side, Ethan was not in bed. Again. For the past few days, he had taken to waking up before me, always slipping out of the room quietly. He said it was to give me more time to rest, but I noticed some strange things about him. He hovered around me yet kept his distance, as though he didn’t know how to approach me anymore. I sat up slowly, careful not to let the dizziness creep in again. The doctor’s words echoed in my mind: “Stress is a major trigger.” I could not help but laugh bitterly. How did he expect me to avoid stress when my entire life already felt this stressful? I was trying not to allow myself to be very stressed but, some things won't let me. “Reina?” Ethan’s voice startled me. I had not even heard him come in. He stood in the doorway, holding a tray with what looked like breakfast. I could see some scrambled eggs, toast, and a glass of orange juice. “You made br
ReinaI woke up that morning feeling restless. Something was off, though I could not quite put my finger on it. I didn't know what was wrong. Ehan had left the house earlier than usual, claiming he had a meeting with a client. Andrew was still asleep upstairs and I could hear his small snores drifting down the hallway, reminding me that he was here in this house with me. Although, I knew that in an hour or two, he was going to be left with his nanny. I lingered over my coffee, staring out the kitchen window at the dull gray sky. The forecast had warned of heavy rain later in the day, but I was not worried. My schedule was packed with back-to-back meetings, and I had promised myself to leave early to pick up a package. "Are you going to sit there all day, or are you finally going to get ready?" Celia's voice crackled through my phone.“I’m moving, I’m moving,” I mumbled, setting my mug down and heading upstairs.As I dressed up, my thoughts wandered to Ethan. He had been doing goo
Reina Everyday in the hospital was filled with so much pain and all I could see were patients who were attended to and nurses who were filled with so much concern. Ethan never left me for a second. He was there every morning when I woke up and every night when I drifted into restless sleep. But the accident had changed something. It was not just in my body, but in the air that surrounded us. I could feel it in the way he hovered over me, his hand brushing mine as if afraid I might shatter. I could see it in the way he looked at me. It was not just love; it was fear. And I hated it. “You are not eating enough,” Ethan said one afternoon. I pushed the food tray away, the smell of the hospital’s chicken broth making my stomach rumble. I hated the sight of food. I didn’t want to eat anything. “I’m fine.” “You are not fine, Reina,” he said, his tone hardening. He sat down beside me, his knee brushing against the edge of the bed. “You almost died.” I flinched at the word. “You
Reina “Damn it!” I almost yelled at the blank wall b The sound of the rain splattering against the window just reminded me of how my mind was. The atmosphere in the house had changed since the accident. I was getting better of course, I knew I was. I was taking my drugs and going for my frequent checkups to make sure I was fine. I was doing all I wanted to do to stay alive. Because, Damn. I still had a little boy that I needed to take care of. Ethan was trying his best to be present, trying to make things better between the both of us and I always appreciated his efforts but something still felt fractured. No matter how hard we tried, the pieces of our relationship didn’t fit the way they used to. That was just the plain truth. I could not continue lying to myself. I loved him, yes. But we were not as we used to be. Tonight, the tension felt unbearable. I sat at the dining table, staring blankly at the steaming cup of tea in front of me. Andrew was already in bed, and t
Reina The following morning, the house felt colder than ever. It was not the weather or the light drizzle outside my house, it was the emptiness Ethan left behind. After our little argument last night. Ethan left the house and refused to answer my calls. I was going crazy because of a husband I had married and now, he had refused to come back. My heart became so heavy as I began to think about the implications of our argument. Had I pushed him too far this time? Was this all my fault? I would have shut the fuck up and not talk much to him about anything. It would have saved us a lot of stress. I stared at the clock, my coffee untouched on the table. Every second that passed without a word from him felt like a ticking bomb. My pride told me to wait, to let him be the one to come back and apologize, but my heart was screaming at me to call him, to beg him to come home. I needed him home. I needed to see him even if we were quarreling. I picked up my phone, my fingers hov
Reina “Do you want a new car? Or a new apartment?” Ethan teased. “Anyone, my love. A Lamborghini won't be bad, you know.” I turned to face him, and there it was, the smile I had come to know and love over the years. It was the smile that had carried me through the darkest days, the one that had reassured me when I didn’t know how to move forward. The evening was calm and beautiful qne Andrew was at a friend’s house for a sleepover, and Ethan and I were alone for the first time in a while. Alone, but not lonely. We were never lonely when we had ourselves. “I’m looking,” I said softly, walking toward him. “And I see a family that’s been through hell and back, and yet we still survived it.” Ethan reached out to pull me into his arms and held me tight as if he was scared to let me go. “We have always been strong. It was just a matter of time before we realized it.” I rested my head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. This was home. This was everything
Reina It was a morning like any other, except it wasn’t. I had just received the news I had been waiting for, hoping for, but still uncertain if it would ever come true. I had gotten another job. It was a job that would challenge me, push me out of my comfort zone, and finally allow me to make a real name for myself in the world I had always longed to be part of. As I stood in the kitchen, staring at the email, I could not stop the tears that filled my eyes. I had worked so hard for this moment, and now that it was here, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and disbelief. “Reina? What’s wrong?” Ethan asked, stepping into the room. His voice was soft, and his concern was evident in his eyes. I couldn’t speak at first, so I just handed him my phone, pointing to the email. He took it from me, his eyes scanning the screen. His face lit up as he read the words. “Wait… you got it? You really got it?” I nodded, my throat tight. “Yes. It’s real, Ethan. They offered me the position. I t
Reina The day had finally come. The day I had been both dreading and hoping for. The day Ethan and I would renew our vows. I had spent so much time imagining what it would feel like, but now that the moment was here, I was filled with excitement and a little nervousness. After everything we had been through, I was not sure how I would feel standing up in front of our friends and family, saying the same vows we made years ago. But this time, I was going to say them with more meaning, more depth, and more love than I ever had before. Ethan had gone above and beyond to make this day perfect, and I had already walked into the garden where it would all happen. It looked like a dream. “Mommy, you look beautiful!” Andrew said, his eyes wide with admiration as he helped me adjust my dress. I laughed softly. “Thank you, baby. You look very handsome too.” He beamed in his little tuxedo, looking just like his father. When Ethan walked in to check on me, I could not help but smil
: A New Beginning (Ethan POV) --- I never thought I’d feel this nervous again. The last time I felt anything close to this was the first time I asked Reina out. But now, standing in our living room with the small box in my pocket, I felt like a teenager unsure if the girl would say yes. Andrew was asleep in his room, and Reina was curled up on the couch, reading a book. Her hair was loosely tied back, and she was wearing one of my old sweatshirts. She looked so comfortable, so at peace, and for a moment, I just stood there, watching her. “Why are you staring at me like that?” she asked, not even looking up from her book. I chuckled nervously. “Do I need a reason to stare at my wife?” She finally looked up, raising an eyebrow. “No, but it’s weird when you’re just standing there silently. What’s going on?” I took a deep breath and walked over, sitting beside her. “Reina, can we talk?” She frowned, closing her book. “Is something wrong?” “No, nothing’s wrong,” I assured her. “In
Ethan “ A therapist? We are going to see a therapist, Ethan?” Reina blurted out and I had to calm her down that it's for the better. “Yes. I made that decision and I have already paid for a session. It is a good thing and I think our marriage will get better.” “Oh dear. I'm just scared.” *** Sitting across from Reina in the therapist’s office felt a little weird and I was trying to keep up. This was the first time we had actually met with a therapist about us. The therapist, a calm woman in her mid-50s named Dr. Laura smiled gently at us. “Thank you for coming today. The first step to healing is often the hardest, so I commend you both for being here.” I glanced at Reina, who gave me a small, nervous smile. “We are ready,” I said, squeezing her hand. “Good. Why don’t we start with why you’re here? What made you decide to seek therapy now?” Dr. Laura asked. I looked at Reina, silently asking if she wanted to go first. She nodded and took a deep breath. “I think we h
Reina Evans was at my house again. This time, I was very convinced that he had something off his sleeves. How can someone who I haven't seen in years suddenly show up in the new country where I relocated to? Has he been stalking me all these years? Evans stood at the door, his hands shoved in his pockets, and today he looked so confident in himself. But, I was here to destroy whatever confidence he had. I had hoped I would see the last of him after his first visit, but here he was again, uninvited and unwelcome. “What are you doing here again, Evans? Haven't I told you that I don't want you around me?” I thundered and my pulse was racing. “I needed to talk to you,” he responded calmly, despite my raging anger. “I don’t think we got to finish our conversation the last time.” “There’s nothing left to talk about,” I said, stepping out onto the porch and closing the door behind me. I didn’t want Ethan or Andrew overhearing any of this. “Reina, please,” he said, his eyes pleadin
Ethan I didn’t know where I was driving. I just needed to get out of the house. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, my mind racing with thoughts of Reina, Evans, and everything that had gone wrong. Evans. Just hearing his name made my blood boil. The nerve of him to show up out of nowhere, to text me like he was some concerned friend. And Reina, why hadn’t she told me right away? She keeps doing things like this and it pisses me off. She of all people knows that something like this was the cause of our problem sometime ago. I pulled into an empty parking lot and turned off the engine. When I finally walked back into the house hours later, the living room was dimly lit, and Reina was sitting on the couch, her knees pulled up to her chest. She looked up as I entered, her eyes red and puffy. “You are back,” she said softly. I didn’t answer, dropping my keys on the table and heading for the kitchen. “Ethan,” she called after me with her voice trembling. I paused, leani
ReinaI was wiping down the kitchen counter when the doorbell rang. Andrew was upstairs, resting after a long day of physical therapy, and Ethan had stepped out to pick up a few things from the store.It was odd for someone to come by unannounced, especially at this hour. I wiped my hands on a towel and I headed for the door to check who was there. I was so curious and at the same time cautious that I checked the security camera three times. When I opened it, my heart stopped. I thought I was dreaming or something. “Evans,” I whispered, gripping the doorframe right. He was standing there, looking exactly as I remembered him. He was quite tall, with those piercing blue eyes and well shaved beards. But seeing him now didn’t fill me with the same warmth it once did. Instead, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been splashed over me.“Reina,” he said, his voice soft but steady. “I hope I’m not intruding.”“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended. He w
Ethan “Our anniversary was tomorrow?!” That was my exact reaction when I checked the calendar and I saw that I had long forgotten the date of our anniversary . An idea had come to me while sitting in the car, waiting for Reina to return from the grocery store. Our anniversary was tomorrow, and I wanted to do something special. Something that would remind her of the good times we had shared before everything got complicated.I had been racking my brain all week, trying to come up with the perfect plan. Reina deserved something meaningful, something that was not just flowers and a card. She needed to see how much she meant to me.“Okay, Ethan,” I muttered to myself as I parked in front of the house. “You will get our way around this.”The plan was simple yet heartfelt. I was planning a surprise dinner at the place where we had had our first official date before we got married. It was not the fanciest restaurant, but it held a special place in our hearts. I had reserved a private cor