PROLOGUE:"This is part of being married to each other, Jermaine," said Demitri, slowly removing his clothes."No—no!!! It can't be!!" She stepped back as her husband approached."Sweetheart, there's nothing more you can do. We're married now, what else can you say to me? Besides, I've invested a lot in you. Perhaps it's time for you to reciprocate everything..." he murmured as they neared the bed. She sat down on the soft mattress, realizing she was the only one sleeping in it.Her spouse stood by the door, an extension of that room, so as not to arouse suspicion from their housemates that they weren't sleeping side by side."But, Demitri... we're only married on paper!" She continued to look for a way to stop him, holding onto her clothes to avoid his touch.The man stopped in front of her. Gently, he held her chin and looked into her eyes."Is what I give you still not enough, Jermaine? I'm only asking this now, but can't you grant me this one thing?"Jermaine felt the intensity in
She's sulking again, constantly staring at her cellphone. She's waiting for a message from Dylan, the man who shattered her heart. She can't fathom how he could deceive her. Two year age gap; he graduated earlier and is now working, while she's still studying.They were just in their first year of college when the guy courted her. She really liked him, inspired by what she saw in pageants on TV. He was in his third year of college at the time, and wherever he was, she wanted to be there too.Her contemplation was interrupted by her cellphone ringing. It was her friend, Coleen. She hadn't been attending classes for a week because she was secretly following Dylan. She missed her defense. Almost as if her friend could reach through the phone, she scolded and slapped her. Her friend was sent as an exchange student to Japan, and if Coleen could visit her, she probably would, giving her a piece of her mind.She abandoned her studies and has no one else to talk to. For her, taking care of on
She scanned the surroundings of the place. It had been a long year since she left her grandmother's house, taken away by her parents to her father's province.During college, she chose to move to Manila and convinced her parents to buy a condo unit for her. They hesitated, being protective of their only daughter, but she stood firm.She promised her parents she wouldn't marry early, focusing on growing their business. Her mother, with Chinese heritage, wisely invested and expanded their wealth instead of merely letting it sleep.Her grandparents warmly welcomed them. They raised her while her parents worked abroad, establishing a home and business before bringing her back.Her grandparents were kind, and she obediently followed their wishes. Her uncle, her mother's younger brother, used to take her to school. He now had his own family, but his house was conveniently close to her grandmother's, so he often visited."Maine, my grandchild!" Her grandmother embraced her tearfully."How ha
She stepped out of the house to observe. Much has changed in their area over the more than ten years of her absence. The once abundant trees in the surroundings have diminished, replaced by buildings and houses. Several subdivisions have also sprung up in the area.It's a beautiful transformation. The muddy road they used to take to school when it rained is now paved.Many children there are unfamiliar to her. Some passersby glance at her, perhaps wondering who she is.A group of women passed by and stopped in front of her."Maine?" The one greeting her seemed hesitant."Yes? Do I know you?" She asked. The others laughed."Silly, it's me, Emilie."Her face lit up. She suddenly felt happy, seeing a familiar face."OMG, you look gorgeous," she hugged her old friend."I've been looking for you on social media, couldn't find you.""I'm not active, my profile is hidden," she replied."Monique and Elise, they're our friends too.""You all look beautiful," she smiled at them. They've all blo
As Maine lay on her bed, a wave of emptiness washed over her. The room felt suffocating, and her thoughts were consumed by memories of her cheated boyfriend. She couldn't help but replay the promises he had made, the words that had once held so much meaning.She remembered the way he had looked into her eyes, his voice filled with sincerity as he vowed to always be faithful. She had believed him, trusted him with her heart. But now, those promises felt like distant echoes, shattered by his betrayal.Tears welled up in Maine's eyes as she thought about the moments they had shared, the dreams they had built together. It was painful to realize that it had all been a lie, that the love she had invested so deeply in had been taken for granted.She felt a mix of anger and sadness, a whirlwind of emotions swirling within her. How could he have done this to her? How could he have thrown away everything they had for a fleeting moment of pleasure?Maine knew that she deserved better. She deserv
Maine and her friends went to the mall to buy clothes for graduation. Suddenly, a wave of sadness enveloped her. If only Dylan hadn't deceived her, she might have been graduating now too."Hey Maine, look at this beautiful dress! It would look amazing on you for graduation!" Emelie happily got the dress.She forces a smile "Yeah, it's really nice.""Are you okay, Maine? You seem a bit down. Is something bothering you?" Elise asked.She sighs "I... I had to stop schooling because of my cheating boyfriend. It's been really tough for me.""Oh, Maine, I'm so sorry to hear that. That must have been really difficult for you." Monique gives sympathy to her."We're here for you, Maine. You don't have to go through this alone. We'll support you no matter what." Emelie cheers her up."Thank you, guys. It means a lot to me to have your support. It's just hard to see everyone excited about graduation when I won't be a part of it." she was about to cry. The tears started to mold on her eyes."Main
She was in her room when a man suddenly entered carrying a sack. She grabbed her pillow to defend herself.The man took out his weapon from the sack."You shouldn't have made it until tomorrow!" he declared."We'll see who falls first!""I'm here to take your head, as I promised my wife!""Before you can do that, I'll make sure to slit your throat!"They circled the room, and she initiated the attack. He fought back, wielding his weapon. Due to his size, he managed to knock her down first.He was about to strike her again, but her grandmother intervened, hitting him with a cane."You're such a nuisance! Your niece just arrived, and look at what you're doing!" She aimed for his legs, and the cane struck hard."Ouch, Mommy!" he cried out. "Maine, defend me!"She blocked her uncle and held him by the arms."Go, Grandma! Avenge me!""Traitor!" Her uncle tried to break free, unintentionally hitting her with the cane."Ouch, Grandma!" She winced in pain. The cane struck her leg, leaving a v
She walked alone, passing through an orchard laden with mango fruit. Her stomach grumbled, so she entered a gap in the barbed wire. She wasn't familiar with the place. It had been ten years since she left.She enjoyed walking among the tall trees with intertwining branches. The fruits seemed like hearts kissing the earth. It felt like she was in an enchanted garden. As she walked, she reached the center of the farm.The trees looked similar, and she didn't know how to find her way out. She hesitated to shout, not wanting to disturb the owner.She continued walking until she came across a beautiful house."Oh my God, a beautiful house in the middle of the woods? Could it be, am I in a haunted place?" She rubbed her eyes in disbelief.She walked around the house, admiring its beauty from every angle. It had a modern touch despite the house's age."Oh, there's a gate," she remarked upon seeing it.But before she could reach it, she heard a growling animal. A shiver ran down her spine. Sh
My uncle was lying on the floor, laughing and laughing, while the people around me were smirking as I think they knew everything about this scene. My brows furrowed, as I looked at my husband, and demanded an explanation. "I'm sorry honey. I want you to come over, but I don't know how to ask you. Because I know, you will get mad at me," he went closer to me. I raised my hand and slapped him twice. The people around us, were all shocked! They didn't say any words, even my uncle Sandro. I felt betrayed! I'm so foolish to believe them! Olga, Marisa, everyone, they make fun of me! "I'm sorry senyorita," Olga, kneeled in front of me, "we just want you to be happy. We want you and senyorito to stay together, because we know, that you love each other." "Forgive us, senyorita," Marisa also kneeled. "It's our fault. Please, forgive us.." My head was already hurting because of them. Gradually, I felt like a candle burning out. Before I could fall to the floor, Uncle Sandro and Demi caught
"Senyorita, I have news," Olga, suddenly approached me, "Marisa told me that sir's woman are here. They're in the room together.""Really? Now? As in right now?" I confirmed with her."Yes, Senyorita. We need to go there before they leave. And you can catch them in the act," Olga urged."Alright, just a moment. I'll get dressed," I stormed into my room, took a quick shower, and dressed in something elegant and sexy. When i stepped out, Olga was surprised to see me."Senyorita, what are you wearing? Why like that? You never wear revealing clothes." she asked, puzzled"I need to dress like this so your Sir knows what he'll lose if he continues his affair with that woman. Are you sure they're there?""Yes, Senyorita. Marisa said they're definitely there. They just arrived," she confirmed."Good. Where's there... should we splash acid on them?" I asked."Oh no, Senyorita. That's too much. Just hurt them. We'll hold them," she stopped me."Alright. That might be better. The nerve of that m
"Lola, it seems like Maine is really angry," I said to her, worried. "It looks like she'll never forgive me for what I did." "Oh, don't worry about my grandchild. I know she still looks for you. I can see it in her actions. Just don't worry too much," Lola reassured me. "But, Lola, she might be so angry that she won't come back home," I said tensely. "She'll come back. Just continue with your plan with Sandro. When does he plan to bring her there?" She took a sip of her coffee. "Sandro, Olga, and I are still discussing our plan," I replied. "Well, hurry it up. She might suddenly burst in here when you're not prepared. Are your accomplices ready?" She glanced at the door where Maine had entered. "Everything's ready, Lola. We’ve arranged everything. We might be able to execute the plan next week." I felt more confident knowing Lola was on my side. "Make sure of it. I'm running out of things to say to my grandchild whenever she asks if I'm taking your side," she said, her face sho
I was speechless when I saw my wife, Demi, at the dining table. I couldn't confront my grandmother about why she invited Demi to our home, fearing she might get angry with me instead. I ate in silence, and Demi did the same, while Grandma watched us closely. After a while, Grandma cleared her throat. "Ahem," she said, breaking the silence. "Are you two just going to sit there quietly?" I looked at Demi, who seemed just as uncomfortable as I was. Grandma's eyes shifted between us, filled with concern. "You need to talk things out," she continued. "You can't keep ignoring whatever's going on between you." Demi and I exchanged glances, both at a loss for words. I knew she was right. "Lola, what is Demi doing here?" I asked. "I invited him. Why? Is that a problem?" she responded. "But Lola, you know we're going through something," I replied, frowning. "What are you talking about? Why don't you two just talk?" she said, her brows furrowed. "Lola, I don't think I should be here.
"What did your senyorita say, Olga? Is she still curious about my girl?" I asked Olga when we met outside her school. "She's still waiting for news, Senyorito. And she saw the flowers you planted behind the house. She was so happy," she replied. "Really? How did she know I planted them?" I asked excitedly. "Well, there wasn't anyone else who could have planted them because she said her grandma doesn't know how to plant flowers—they always die. So, she figured out it was you when I brought the flowers to her from you," Olga explained. "Oh, what did she say? Did she like the flowers?" I asked happily. "Yes, Senyorito. She loved the flowers you planted. She couldn't believe it was you who planted them," she replied. "Why not?" I frowned at what she said. "Because she didn't know you could plant flowers. So, I told her that the flowers around your mansion were planted by you," she said, glancing at her watch. "Thank you so much, Olga. Was she really happy with the flowers,
I continued pondering why Demi would plant the flowers he sent me at the back of the house. Shortly after, Olga approached me. "Senyorita, what are you doing at the back of the house?" she asked. "Don't you know, Olga, that someone is planting the flowers my husband sends me here at the back?" I asked her. "No, senyorita, because as you instructed, I always return them to senyorito," she replied. "Ah, I see. Because I saw them earlier and asked Lola, but she said it wasn't her who planted them. So it must have been Demi. Turns out he's quite skilled at planting flowers, isn't he?" I said to Olga. "Yes, senyorita. Over at senyorito's mansion, he plants flowers there. He's responsible for all the flowers planted on the grounds," she replied with a smile, gently touching the flowers. "Really? He never mentioned these things to me," I said, looking at the blooming flowers. "Perhaps you didn't have the chance to talk privately," she suggested, glancing at me. "We do talk abo
I laughed when Olga told me and admitted that she really has a crush on Uncle Sandro. She said she only pretends to be angry, but deep inside, she gets thrilled and happy. I just scratched my head at what she said. "What does that girl see in my uncle? He doesn’t have any good qualities aside from being handsome. That's all he can boast about. And yes, he has money, but that's it," I thought, falling into deep contemplation. I was really thinking that perhaps Olga and I were going through similar experiences. I realized that I couldn't quite pinpoint what I liked about my ex-husband Demi either. He wasn’t really kind. He was, at first, but towards the end, he stopped listening, which is why we separated. He and my uncle really have similar personalities. No wonder they get along so well as friends. I decided to step out onto the terrace of my room to get some fresh air. As I looked around, I found joy in watching the trees swaying with the breeze. My eyes wandered to the back of
Olga arrived at the house frowning. I thought something had happened to her. "Oh, why do you look like you had a fight outside?" I asked her. "Nothing, senyorita," she replied to me, "your kind uncle is here." "What did he do to you this time?" I asked, my forehead furrowed. "Hey, Olga, where are you going?" I heard Uncle Sandro call out to Olga. I saw how Olga's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, there’s your annoying uncle again," she said to me, hurriedly making her way to the kitchen. "Olga, I'm talking to you!" Uncle Sandro called out. "What do you need from Olga, Uncle Sandro?" I asked him. "Why is she so annoyed with you? What did you do this time?" I stopped him as he attempted to follow Olga. "Nothing! I didn't do anything to her. I was just asking her something," he replied. "So, what were you asking her?" I asked, crossing my arms in front of him. I knew it was probably some nonsense that was irritating Olga. "Nothing, I was just asking if she has a crush on me." He
"She was really furious?" I asked happily after Olga told me about my wife's reaction. "Yes, sir. She was so angry she wanted to get violent. She even asked Marisa and me to find out when that woman you supposedly have would be coming over," Olga replied, glancing around. "Oh, and what did you tell her?" I asked, rubbing my chin thoughtfully with my thumb and forefinger. "I told Senyorita that I would talk to Marisa to find out the schedule of the woman so we could come over," Olga replied with a smile. We had met in front of her school to talk, knowing my wife never went there. "Is that so? That's great news. You really deserve a bonus for this," I said, smiling at her. "No need for that, sir. I'm doing this to help you because you've helped me a lot," she replied, blushing and smiling with her hands in her pockets. "It's nothing. I know you're a good person and you deserve the reward. Don't worry, Marisa and I will take care of you both. I'll support you all the way," I assur