The next day, I cooked breakfast for Hudson. I don't know why I did it. Maybe because I'm just happy about what happened last night.I don't know what to feel anymore. I don't want this marriage, but here I am doing the job of being a housewife, cooking for a husband.Maybe I should give it a try? This is for the meantime; after all, if someone is in this situation, they might also let things unfold to their places.I brought the food that I cooked to our bedroom. I looked at Hudson, who was still sleeping, so I just sat on the edge of the bed, gently caressing Hudson's face.Hudson groaned and rubbed his eyes, then woke up."Ace?"Good morning, my husband! "Hudson finally opened his eyes. He didn't say anything; he just stared at me as if confused."Your wake-up call is nice, isn't it? Now get up and have breakfast." I stood up and took the bed tray containing the food from the table. I placed it in front of Hudson after he sat down. I sat again on the edge of the bed."This is new.
After me and mom talk, we eat dinner, and then I call Hudson to come and pick me up. I already wanted to go because mom has a lot of questions that I don't have answers to. Even I don't know what I am feeling. All I know is that I'm trying to be a good wife.I called Hudson a couple of times, but he didn't answer. His cell phone kept ringing, so I asked my mom if she had the number of Hudson's secretary, and mom immediately gave it to me.As soon as I got it, I dialed Hudson's secretary's number. It was almost six o'clock in the evening. I feel so fucking tired of what I did all day. After me and mom talk, I arrange my things in my room and plan to get them tomorrow, or maybe if I have time.I breathed a sigh of relief when Hudson's secretary answered my call."Hello, is this Hudson's secretary?" I said on the other line."Good evening, ma'am. Yes, it's Mr. Hudson's secretary. What can I do for you?" A woman asked from the other line.I hesitated to ask, but in the end, I did. "Do you
HUDSON'S POVOne week has passed without Aceia talking to me. Every time I attempt to talk to my wife, she always has an excuse for not talking to me. Just like now. We are eating face-to-face, but Aceia never said a word.My annoyance was too much, but I couldn't do anything. I was irritated. I don't know what I did or why Aceia is being like this.I tried talking to her in any way that I could think of. I tried pleasing my wife in every way, but to no avail. I tried to corner her in the bathroom and kiss her senselessly, but she didn't complain and just stood there like a statue. And this is the cruelest thing that has happened in the past week. I tried to seduce her. I miss my wife; that's why I started kissing her on the lips down to her neck. I thought she would stop me, but she let me do what I wanted. I was the one who stopped voluntarily because my wife was like a statue, cold and emotionless.I want to shout because of frustration! I will lose my mind every time we are togeth
ACEIA'S POV"Ace, just chill," Beatrice said as we were still in the car. I didn't know where love would take us, but I didn't care. "You saw that Hudson was shocked, right, didn't you? I was there and I saw it. Don't assume. Don't let that woman destroy your relationship with Hudson as a couple."I didn't say a word. Yes, my two eyes saw that, but it still hurt to see another woman hug my husband, and on top of that, Hudson didn't do anything; he just stood. I feel like someone picked up my heart and stomped on it over and over again. I know my reaction is kind of dramatic, but no, it really hurts.I know that our marriage is just for a show, but I didn't know I'd be hurt like this, and it hurts because before, I told myself that I would never be like this and that I would be okay if Hudson found another woman. Now that it's happening, it makes me feel pain.I was stunned when Love's car stopped at our house gate."Thank you," I said to my love, who had just answered me with a nod.B
HUDSON'S POVI almost called every saint I knew just to stop my stomach from aching. I couldn't count how many times I had to go back and forth to the bathroom since I ate the breakfast that Aceia cooked.Speaking of Aceia, she bit her lip while looking at me pitifully. I was lying on the bed, weak and drained."Are you okay?" She asked while biting her lips."I'm fine." I answered lifelessly. "I took medicine to stop this LBM; it will take effect soon. I'll be okay." My stomach grumbled again. "Fuck!" I go run to the bathroom again."Holy fucking hell!" I screamed as I felt that I only discharged water. "I'm going to die. Fuck it!"It was silly, but I was afraid of LBM. When I was a child, I was taken to the hospital because of diarrhea. And I was dehydrated, even if it was only for a few hours. I developed a phobia because of the many needles that were injected into me. Because of that, I learned to cook for myself. I want to make sure what I eat is clean. Aceia was the first person
HUDSON'S POVI can feel that I am starting to get drunk. My vision was spinning, so I closed my eyes to avoid dizziness and leaned my head against the back of the sofa I was sitting on. But even though I was already drunk, I still reached for the glass that had rum in it. "Rum" comes from a shortened version of the slang words "rumbullion" or "rumbustion. I knew liquor like my father did. The Rixco Wine Enterprise was centered in the liquor business, such as rum."Damn all the women in the world!" Clark suddenly shouted, making my eyes open.I looked at Clark, who was drowning himself in his favorite Martini wine. Clark looked like shit. He was a freaking mess. His hair is messy, and he won't be surprised if the iron chases him because his polo shirt is so tangled."Shut up, moron," Wilson said in a strong voice, glaring at Clark. "I don't want to be famous tonight, so don't shout. People are looking at us. I don't intend to have fans. And anyway, you owe me. I'll take you to your pen
HUDSON'S POVMy forehead was wrinkled when I woke up with nothing on my body except the boxers I was wearing. I quickly got up and looked around, full of dread. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that I was in our bedroom.Thank God...I stood up from sitting on the bed and rubbed my head as if it were being torn apart by the pain."Argh! I hate having a hangover!" I groaned.I was about to walk to the bathroom when I saw a post-it note on the side table, and next to it were two Advils and a glass of water.I picked up the post-it note and read what was written there. It was a woman's handwriting, and I confirmed it when I read what was written there.Hudson,Here's an Advil for your headache. I also cooked soup for you. I'm sorry about what I did yesterday. I know it was childish of me. When you read this, I'll probably be in Dra. Manzana's office for my check-up. I hope you like what I cooked. Have a great day ahead.-AceI stared at Aceia's note. I want to stay angry with her,
ACEIA'S POVI awoke early the next day, greeted by an empty space where Hudson had once been. Urgency fueled my movements as I rose swiftly, clutching a towel and a set of clothes. The morning routine was a familiar dance.After the comforting embrace of the shower and the refreshing sting of toothpaste, I emerged from the room, descending to the first floor of the house. The damp tendrils of my hair clung to the towel I used, a makeshift accessory on my journey downstairs."You will stumble in what you do." The resonance of Hudson's voice reached me, a casual observation that halted my hair-drying endeavor."Hudson, you're an early riser," I remarked, words offered almost instinctively as I appraised his morning countenance. His clear face, adorned in a black cotton sweatshirt with a white stripe design paired with rugged jeans, exuded a simple yet undeniable handsomeness."Yeah, I woke up early," Hudson confirmed, closing the physical distance between us. "Because I was looking for a
HUDSON'S POVIt began when my parents decided I should attend a math camp, assuring me it would be a joyful experience while they were away. Little did they know that it would become the catalyst for a traumatic event, pushing my life to the edge of death.As Sunday afternoon descended, we meticulously packed our belongings, getting ready to head home. The facilitator signaled the end, prompting us to board the bus. The journey commenced serenely, and I immersed myself in a book, oblivious to the impending disruption.Suddenly, the bus screeched to a halt, shattering the tranquility. My eyes darted outside, revealing an eerie silence only disturbed by the entrance of an armed stranger.Chaos erupted as the man discharged his weapon, sending children into fits of panic. Fear gripped me too, yet I chose to remain silent.Soon, we found ourselves at the mercy of these assailants. Tears flowed from frightened children yearning to return home. Amid the gunfire, a rescue mission unfolded, c
ACEIA'S POVWith all that had happened, I felt like I needed to find closure because of the overwhelming weight that was on my shoulders. I understood that knowing the truth was essential if I was going to embrace a happy future.After receiving confirmation that my daughter was safe, I set off to visit my parents. There were secrets hanging in the air, and it was time to face the ghosts of the past. As I walked up to the door, the air crackled with expectation, and I felt a mixture of resolution and nervousness in my veins.As I sat across from my father, a guy with many life experiences and unspoken stories, I forced myself to go deeper into our family's past. It was as though the walls were listening closely to everything I said, and the weight of unspoken truths echoed throughout the room.For an instant, my father wavered, a trace of regret visible in his eyes. Subsequently, he started to reveal a story of love and sorrow in a voice that carried the weight of decades. He added, "M
ACEIA'S POVHudson and I ran across the sterile hallway, our footsteps hitting the chilly hospital walls like cries for help. The fluorescent lights pulsed harshly overhead, creating eerie shadows that reflected the turmoil in our hearts. Seated on the emergency bed, our daughter was a delicate figure among the difficult chaos of life-threatening medical situations.My vision became blurry as we approached the surgical room. Hudson, who was equally upset, desperately tried to hold onto our hand to help steady ourselves in the emotional storm. The sobs of a pained mother resonated with the far-off wails of sirens outside.The door to the operating room flew open, showing a surgeon whose face reflected the seriousness of the situation. As I talked, my voice quivered, and the words came out of my mouth like thin whispers in the storm.My eyes gleamed with worry as I asked, "Is she... is she going to be okay?" but the surgeon's grave expression offered no instant comfort.The surgeon gave
ACEIA'S POVWhen the man finally tore my top off, I forced myself to get away from him, even though it was difficult to do. I scooted away, trying to get away, but my legs were yanked back with force.Tears were flowing down my cheeks as I looked at Alison, who was still crying. "No, please. Don't do this," I begged.Marthina spoke, casually playing with the gun in her hand while still sitting in front of me, interrupting the terrifying image. "You know, when I was young..."Captivated by her words, I turned to face her. She related the heartbreaking story of how my father abandoned them when she was a young girl, leaving her mother hopeless. She stated, "I never had a happy childhood because your father took that away from me. When he left, my mother fell into madness, unable to care for me. I had to work to survive," before suddenly pressing the trigger, deafening Alison with her cry.I tried again, desperate to get out of the man's grasp, but I was quite conscious that all that was
ACEIA'S POVMy head was hammering when I woke up, like a relentless hammer, causing unbearable pain. The agony in my brain was getting closer to breaking, so I tried to get up and looked around as it did.Alison and I ended up sitting on the ground, tied, and surrounded by rusting, run-down cars in an abandoned car factory.I had no idea where we were.I had flashbacks to Alison, and I went for ice cream, but they were cut short as Marthina barged in holding a gun.After being made to sign a document and given a numbing agent, our bodies passed out. As we awoke, the terrible truth of our imprisonment became apparent.There was one thing we knew for sure: Marthina had planned our kidnapping. Her intentions were still unclear, but she acted with malice in her eyes.Turning to the sound of Alison’s soft sobs, I took a deep breath to compose myself, resisting the urge to succumb to fear.The uncertainty of impending help gnawed at me. All I could hope for was that Hudson was actively searc
ACEIA'S POVIt had been a full week since the intenseencounter with Marthina. I didn't talk to my father after that. I purposefully chose to keep this distance because I needed time to gather my thoughts and reflect before bringing up the hard topic. Even though I really should be talking to my dad and making sure Marthina and Alexander are telling the truth, I take comfort in these quiet times, letting my ideas settle before facing the storm that is coming.This self-imposed break from face-to-face interaction is making my internal turmoil even more confusing. My logical mind begs me to speak with my father immediately in order to get clarification and closure. It is full of longing for pure clarity, wanting to remove any doubt from Marthina's charges and Alexander's remarks. However, the soft murmurs of my heart beg me to take my time, to temper the urgency with a measured resolution, so that feelings don't overshadow any revelations that may come to light.There is a constant feeli
ACEIA'S POVMy mind was jumbled with doubts as I looked at the man in front of us. His manner was sincere, yet there was a persistent suspicion that persisted in the back of my mind. Was he trustworthy? Are we to believe all he said? My eyes studied his facial expressions, searching for any hints while she considered these questions.I questioned whether there was a process for figuring out what defines authenticity or a guide that explained how to deal with the complexities of trust. As the silence lingered between them, I thought about the importance of every word that was said. Was there a clue in his eyes—a slight change in the way he held himself—that would expose the truth?As I kept talking to myself, I fought with the problem of making choices based solely on beliefs. What actions should I take to make sure I'm not misled if I decide to trust? I felt the weight of the situation pressing down on me, forcing me to choose between being sincere and lying. I realized that the way fo
ACEIA'S POV I woke up to a fairly normal workday with very little on my schedule. Driven by the need to give priority to the things that really mattered, I made an unusual decision. Choosing to stay at home, I made the most of my unexpected free day by spending it with my kid. As we explored the simple pleasures of reading aloud, making cookies, and playing games,Following our different adventures, Alison fell into sleepiness and went to bed. Driven, it seemed, by an ongoing restlessness, I sat in the soft light of my laptop, expecting to lose myself in the routine work of checking files.A distant memory emerged as the room filled with the quiet hum of the laptop: a USB card placed in my bags. After getting it back, I started looking for files in its small memory. But somewhere among the things in my bag, I found a strange calling card—something to remember from the mysterious stranger who had passed me by the day before.The card was silently inviting me to inquire as it settled in
ACEIA'S POVI used to have so much wonderful family time, but the burden of running the family business left me exhausted, and my daughter Alison would sulk even on the weekends. I was determined to stop this cycle, so I made the decision to finish work early today and give my scheduled time for bonding with her and Hudson top priority.“Ma’am, you have a board meeting in 30 minutes, followed by a lunch meeting with Mr. Perales. I've arranged a restaurant reservation for that,” my secretary informed me, her voice cutting through the endless stack of reports I was sifting through."Okay, just let me know when it's time for lunch," I replied, my focus still immersed in the sea of paperwork that demanded my attention.While I was signing documents, my secretary gently reminded me that the board members were still waiting. He nodded, and I got up, gathered up my coat, and made my way to the boardroom, wondering aloud if Marthina, who had always been concerned about the company, would be am