Nicole couldn't help but smile sweetly as she gazed at her newborn baby. She felt like she could spend the entire afternoon just staring at her peacefully sleeping child."Hey, you should rest too..."Nicole immediately turned toward the sound of the door opening, and she smiled even wider when she saw Alexander standing there."I know, I just can't help but stare at her. She's so beautiful, Alex. My baby is so beautiful."She said happily, and Alexander smiled back as he carefully walked toward her, making sure not to make any noise that might wake the baby."Our daughter, and yes, I agree. She's gorgeous. I mean, what do you expect? Her dad—and your soon-to-be husband—is pretty handsome too."He said with a playful tone, which made Nicole roll her eyes."You're not handsome, and who said I was going to marry you?"She teased, causing Alexander to pout."You said so when you were in labor. You said you’d marry me."He replied, sounding so sure of himself, making Nicole smile again as
"You look beautiful, Nicole," Leah praised her, smiling as the flamboyant makeup artist who had been taking care of everything finished her up.Today was her wedding day with Alexander, and Nicole felt that no word could truly capture the joy and excitement she felt at that moment.Nicole smiled at her friend and thanked her."Thank you so much, Leah. And thank you for agreeing to be my maid of honor," she said, extending her arms for a tight hug."Ah, don’t mention it. Who else would you choose as your maid of honor? I’m the only one who’s your best friend and ridiculously beautiful," Leah joked, making them both laugh.They paused when Leah suddenly stared at her intensely.Before Nicole could even ask why, Leah spoke first."I just... can’t believe you’re actually getting married," Leah said, her voice softening with emotion. "I’m so happy for you, Nicole. So, so happy for you."She smiled sweetly at Nicole, wiping away a tear.Nicole playfully rolled her eyes and hugged her again.
Standing just outside the grand, ornately carved doors of the church, Nicole could already hear the soft, melodic strains of the organ, filling the air with a sense of serenity and anticipation. Her heart skipped a beat as excitement surged within her—this was it. The moment she had dreamed about for so long. Today, she was about to marry the man she loved more than anything in the world—Shawn Alexander Montefalco, her CEO, her lover, the father of their precious daughter, Alexandrea.Nicole’s fingers tightened slightly around the bouquet she held, the delicate white roses a symbol of the new chapter she was about to begin. But just as she was starting to bask in the moment, she felt her grandmother’s hand settle gently on her arm, a comforting weight.“I know I’ve said this countless times already, dear, but congratulations again. I’m so happy for you,” her grandmother said, her voice thick with emotion. She squeezed Nicole’s hand warmly and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, adjust
Nicole immediately smiled as she woke up, her eyes opening to the familiar, comforting face of Alexander right in front of her. The soft morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow on his features."Good morning, beautiful wife," he greeted her, his voice rich with affection, and his eyes gleaming with a mischievous sparkle. He gazed at her intently, like she was the most precious thing in the world."Good morning, naughty husband," she replied playfully, her voice full of teasing warmth. Without hesitation, she raised her arms and pulled him into a tight hug, relishing the closeness of his presence. He eagerly reciprocated, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in even closer. But just as he leaned in to kiss her on the lips, Nicole quickly turned her face away, causing a pout to form on his lips.Alexander’s brows furrowed in slight confusion as he paused, staring at her in surprise. "What’s wrong?" he asked, his tone soft but curious.Nicole couldn’t hol
“She strives to inspire other people to live a meaningful life, one that is beyond self. Ladies and gentlemen, to give the response on behalf of the graduating batch—”Nicole felt like she was about to pee from excitement as she waited for the university administrator to call her name. The administrator was currently delivering a speech at their graduation ceremony.This was the day Nicole had been waiting for the most—the day when all her hardships and perseverance to finish her studies would finally pay off.“Our university’s summa cum laude, from the College of Aeronautical Engineering—Natalia Nicolette Lorenzo.”A thunderous round of applause erupted from the professors, her fellow graduates, and even the guests attending the university’s graduation ceremony.Proudly, Nicole stood up from her seat and walked toward the stage, wearing her black graduation gown. She was greeted with a warm smile by one of her favorite professors—one of the people who helped her get to where she was
Nicole woke up gasping for breath, startled from her deep sleep. Not only was she utterly shocked, but she also felt like she was drowning—no wonder, as a whole bucket of water had just been poured directly onto her face. And it wasn’t just any water—it was ice-cold.She bolted upright, shivering, not only because of the freezing temperature but also due to the sharp pain from the hard objects that had hit her face. No wonder—it was large ice cubes.“Well, well, isn’t life so good for you, our dear princess?”The loud voice came from her cousin, Luciferia. Judging by the look on her face, Nicole knew she was the one who had thrown the cold water. Not only was her mean cousin standing right in front of her, but she was also holding a blue plastic dipper.“I-I’m sorry, Ate Lucy. I woke up late. I was up all night because of our graduation party,” Nicole apologized, quickly getting up to fix her soaked pillow and blanket.Her cousin’s real name was Lucy, but Nicole had taken to calling h
"I’m Late!" Nicole shouted loudly as she sleepily glanced at the clock and saw that it was only a few minutes before seven o’clock. She quickly got up from her sleeping mat, hastily folded the blanket she had used, and carefully placed it inside a wooden cabinet along with a single thin pillow. She also rolled up the tattered sleeping mat, which she estimated she had been using for about seven years, and neatly tucked it under the broken bamboo sofa. After tidying up her sleeping area, she grabbed a change of clothes from a small cardboard box she had asked for from a nearby store. She also took the towel that was neatly hung up and quickly ran towards her Aunt Norma’s house to take a bath. As expected, a flying washbasin was the first thing that greeted her as soon as she stepped inside the house. Luckily, just like yesterday, she was quick enough to dodge it today. Instead of hitting her beautiful face, she caught the basin mid-air. With how skilled she had become at catchi
Nicole was immediately greeted by a male security guard stationed at the entrance of the large building she was supposed to enter.“Good morning, sir,” she politely greeted the guard, whom she estimated to be in his forties.She greeted him with a good morning, even though she knew her own morning was anything but good—thanks to the rude man who not only snatched her coffee but also had the audacity to insult her and try to bribe her with three thousand pesos.The nerve of that man! If they ever crossed paths again, Nicole would make sure to crush him like a tick—though, admittedly, he didn’t look anything like one. With his handsome face and muscular build, he could easily pass for a model—one she would have had a crush on if he weren’t so infuriating. Maybe that’s why he was so arrogant—because he was too good-looking for his own good.Shaking the thought away, Nicole forced herself to focus on the security guard in front of her.“Good morning to you too, ma’am. What brings you here
Nicole immediately smiled as she woke up, her eyes opening to the familiar, comforting face of Alexander right in front of her. The soft morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow on his features."Good morning, beautiful wife," he greeted her, his voice rich with affection, and his eyes gleaming with a mischievous sparkle. He gazed at her intently, like she was the most precious thing in the world."Good morning, naughty husband," she replied playfully, her voice full of teasing warmth. Without hesitation, she raised her arms and pulled him into a tight hug, relishing the closeness of his presence. He eagerly reciprocated, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in even closer. But just as he leaned in to kiss her on the lips, Nicole quickly turned her face away, causing a pout to form on his lips.Alexander’s brows furrowed in slight confusion as he paused, staring at her in surprise. "What’s wrong?" he asked, his tone soft but curious.Nicole couldn’t hol
Standing just outside the grand, ornately carved doors of the church, Nicole could already hear the soft, melodic strains of the organ, filling the air with a sense of serenity and anticipation. Her heart skipped a beat as excitement surged within her—this was it. The moment she had dreamed about for so long. Today, she was about to marry the man she loved more than anything in the world—Shawn Alexander Montefalco, her CEO, her lover, the father of their precious daughter, Alexandrea.Nicole’s fingers tightened slightly around the bouquet she held, the delicate white roses a symbol of the new chapter she was about to begin. But just as she was starting to bask in the moment, she felt her grandmother’s hand settle gently on her arm, a comforting weight.“I know I’ve said this countless times already, dear, but congratulations again. I’m so happy for you,” her grandmother said, her voice thick with emotion. She squeezed Nicole’s hand warmly and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, adjust
"You look beautiful, Nicole," Leah praised her, smiling as the flamboyant makeup artist who had been taking care of everything finished her up.Today was her wedding day with Alexander, and Nicole felt that no word could truly capture the joy and excitement she felt at that moment.Nicole smiled at her friend and thanked her."Thank you so much, Leah. And thank you for agreeing to be my maid of honor," she said, extending her arms for a tight hug."Ah, don’t mention it. Who else would you choose as your maid of honor? I’m the only one who’s your best friend and ridiculously beautiful," Leah joked, making them both laugh.They paused when Leah suddenly stared at her intensely.Before Nicole could even ask why, Leah spoke first."I just... can’t believe you’re actually getting married," Leah said, her voice softening with emotion. "I’m so happy for you, Nicole. So, so happy for you."She smiled sweetly at Nicole, wiping away a tear.Nicole playfully rolled her eyes and hugged her again.
Nicole couldn't help but smile sweetly as she gazed at her newborn baby. She felt like she could spend the entire afternoon just staring at her peacefully sleeping child."Hey, you should rest too..."Nicole immediately turned toward the sound of the door opening, and she smiled even wider when she saw Alexander standing there."I know, I just can't help but stare at her. She's so beautiful, Alex. My baby is so beautiful."She said happily, and Alexander smiled back as he carefully walked toward her, making sure not to make any noise that might wake the baby."Our daughter, and yes, I agree. She's gorgeous. I mean, what do you expect? Her dad—and your soon-to-be husband—is pretty handsome too."He said with a playful tone, which made Nicole roll her eyes."You're not handsome, and who said I was going to marry you?"She teased, causing Alexander to pout."You said so when you were in labor. You said you’d marry me."He replied, sounding so sure of himself, making Nicole smile again as
After a few moments of silence, Nicole couldn’t speak because she hadn’t expected Alexander to say that to her. He asked her to marry him…What was she supposed to say? As far as she knew, he was already married and had his own family."Say something, baby…"Alexander said gently, but just like before, Nicole remained silent, her eyes wide in shock, staring intently at him.“Look, I know our relationship before didn’t turn out well. I know you're really angry at me because of what I did, but believe me, baby, everything happens for a reason. I only did what I did to protect you.”He spoke softly, and Nicole wasn’t sure whether to believe him. She wanted to understand everything, but part of her didn’t want to hear these things.“Marry me, Nicole.”He said again, and she squeezed her eyes shut, then slowly opened them to meet his serious gaze.“W-why?”Finally, she asked. She knew it wasn’t the perfect response, but she genuinely wanted to know why Alexander wanted to marry her. She di
Two hours had passed since Leah and Nicole returned from the mall, but Nicole couldn't shake the nervousness from their brief conversation with Alexander. She hadn’t expected to run into him there, and certainly hadn't anticipated him finding out about her pregnancy.Since she never prepared for such a situation, she didn't know what to say if they were to meet and he discovered her condition. And now, the thing she never expected had happened. Instead of distancing Alexander from the thought that he might be the father of her baby, Nicole felt like she had only drawn him closer to that belief with her careless responses earlier.Who could think clearly in a situation like that?Thankfully, Leah didn't say anything else or ask questions. She stayed quiet while driving, while Nicole couldn’t calm herself. She didn’t even know why she was still upset about Alexander.But when she recalled how her former CEO insisted on knowing about her pregnancy earlier, Nicole couldn’t help but think
Seven months.It had been seven months, and Nicole’s baby bump was already showing quite a bit. Until now, no one from her previous workplace knew she was pregnant—and that was exactly how she wanted it. She had asked everyone to keep it a secret.Her relatives had agreed, especially after learning that the father of her child was the CEO of the company they were partnering with.Nicole didn’t want Alexander to find out about the baby. Her family understood that completely.No one questioned her decision either. To her, it was enough to know that Alexander had already started a family of his own. She kept trying to convince herself that she didn’t need him—and neither would their child.“Hey, ready?”The voice of her friend Leah pulled her out of her thoughts. Nicole gave her a quick nod and took one last glance at her reflection in the full-length mirror.She smiled softly, her hand gently resting on her rounded belly.The white maternity dress she wore fell just above her knees, and
Nicole’s hands were trembling with nerves. She couldn’t even bring herself to touch the food on her plate as she quietly observed her surroundings, listening in silence to the conversation at the breakfast table, led by her grandparents.They were all gathered in the dining room, enjoying breakfast together. There was laughter and teasing all around, but Nicole couldn’t bring herself to join in. And she knew exactly why.She had spent the entire night thinking about how she was finally going to tell them she was pregnant. No matter how they reacted or what the consequences would be, she had already prepared her heart to accept it all.She was also sure that her cousin, Domenic, already suspected something. He kept sneaking glances at her across the table, which she responded to with sharp glares—glares she knew he didn’t appreciate.“Natalia, sweetheart, I’m glad to see you’re feeling better,” her grandmother said gently, pulling Nicole’s attention back. The warm smile on her grandmot
The moment Nicole stepped into the clinic, her knees nearly gave out. She felt like the walls were closing in on her, anxiety gnawing at her every thought as she waited for the results of the test.She felt like someone terminally ill, anticipating the doctor’s verdict on how many days, months, or years she had left. What made it worse was the strong gut feeling that the pregnancy test would come back positive. Her hands trembled with nervous energy.She sat quietly in the waiting area, beside her cousin who looked like she wanted to slap some sense into her. Nicole couldn’t really blame her—Domenic had seen it all. He knew what Alexander had put her through, and he was the one who convinced her to cut ties with the CEO she once worked for. Now here they were, possibly about to confirm that she was carrying his child.Her heart skipped a beat when she noticed Domenic looking at her. She quickly looked away and tried to focus on something else—anything else. Her eyes landed on a poster