WINTER:The child was not Calcifer’s. How? It was impossible. And if it wasn't him, why did she call him Daddy? Where was Carmela now? What happened to her? I mentally shook my head. Calcifer was good at telling lies and now, he was saying it so that I would trust him and give him a chance. My eyes narrowed while folding my arms in my chest. “You’re lying until now. Let's drop this act, Calcifer, and tell us the truth.”“What child are you talking about, Cali?” Dad said it seemed that he did not have any idea about the child. Even after talking for three years? Why did he hide it from my father? Maybe because he got scared that Dad would be mad at him again. “Calcifer has a child, Dad. The same age as Liam,” I answered for my ex-husband when he did not say anything.“Jett-Jett is four years old. She is older than my son.”Four years old? So he had been cheating on me on our first wedding anniversary?I clenched my fist. How could he do that to me? “I’m not buying it. The child
CALCIFER:Winter already belonged to him?A strong wave of jealousy hit me hard as I watched the bastard's hand on my wife. No. Ex-wife. Winter would be mad at me if he heard me calling her wife.If I did not divorce her, I would be sitting beside her by now. If I did not leave her, would we be happy together with the child? Would I understand her more? I want her to be mine. Again, I thought. They haven’t married yet and I still have a chance to win her again. I have to win her. I will be the one who will be taking care of my child. Not another man. Take a deep breath, Calcifer. You don't want to scare Winter. You will get her back. You’ve got to show her that she needs you more than her boyfriend. Be true to your words and never lie to her. Again. "If you say so," I replied coolly. I crossed my legs, leaned back, and eyed the bastard. He was handsome. I could say, but I could provide well more than him. And my son will have everything that money could buy. If he wants it. I wa
WINTER:My heart tightened looking at my ex-husband’s reaction. It seemed like he was in disbelief upon seeing Liam for the second time. Who wouldn’t? He was seeing the mini-version of him. Was I feeling guilty that I kept our son away from him? Partly. But those small thoughts telling me that my ex-husband deserved it was the one who was victorious. Calcifer brought this upon himself.You are punishing Liam for his Dad’s sins. Your son deserved a father who will guide him as he grows up, the other part of my mind said. Am I punishing my son? Is that what it was called? I did not want anything but to make my son happy. It was not bad, right? But how could I do that if my ex-husband was suddenly in the equations?“Mommy!” Liam exclaimed while giggling as Ynes was tailing him. The old woman was already saying that her knees were in pain and now Liam made her walk fast. If not, maybe run earlier. “Liam. You have to walk slowly or else you will stumble. Wait for Ynes.”Not listening t
20: I Want To Know, TooWINTER:Liam was waiting for my answer while my ex-husband was giving me an apologetic look. He was cheating on our marriage. Jett-Jett was not his child, my foot. Damn him to hell!“Mommy?”“Yes, Liam. I-It is.”My ex-husband opened his mouth but closed it again. He knew for a fact that I never belieevd when he said that Jett-Jett was his daughter. Period. How long will he keep on denying it so that he won’t anger me?I stood. “Where are you going, Mommy?”“I will look for Uncle Hawk.” To Ynes on the corner, I ordered, “Ynes, please grab a drink for Liam and Calcifer. I will just go out and talk to Hawk.” To my ex-husband, I said, “Take care of my child. I will be coming back. Don’t make him cry.”“Why would you come after him? To console him?” he asked, pertaining to Hawk.“Isn’t that what I am supposed to do?” I asked back.“If he could not control his feelings, he does not deserve you.”“I will be the one to decide who deserved me or not.”We stared for a
WINTER:My first reaction was to stay away from Hawk and search for some alibi as to why we were talking side by side. But then, I was reminded that I had nothing to be guilty about. My ex-husband had no longer right over me. Besides, why would I feel guilty when he never even bothered to get jealous before? Yeah. He was a good husband but when someone showed their intentions towards me, my ex-husband never reacted. So why?“Where is Liam?” I asked instead when Hawk’s response was a glare.“You’re smoking even if Winter is beside you?” he asked Hawk, watching the cigarette butt on the ashtray.“I killed it when she was here,” he explained.“Stop making everything a big deal, Calcifer. Hawk was telling the truth and he will not do anything that would endanger my life. He loves me that much compared to you who never was sensitive to my feelings.”“What I did in the past was wrong, pumpkin. I was aware of that. I came here to redeem myself.”“You came here for my son. Not me. Let’s be c
WINTER: I silently sighed in relief after Hawk was pulled away from me. I was still not ready to kiss any man. Yet.It was not because my ex-husband was right in front of me. It had nothing to do with it because if it did, it would only make him be good at himself, thinking I still had feelings for him. It was because I did not want the feeling of being kissed by someone whom I did not have any feelings for. Was Hawk that bad?Definitely not.The next time I would kiss, it would be to someone whom I liked. I won’t be repeating the same mistake I committed a couple of years ago. I lifted my chin while seeing Hawk pull himself away from Calcifer and distance himself, returning to my side. “You want us to kiss, but you’re the one who pulled me away from Winter.”“Like I said, I don’t want to see anyone kiss Winter,” Calcifer answered casually. I hated how confident he looked. It seemed like he was thinking that there was some kind of chance between us even if there was none.“You do
WINTER:I was right. It was Carmela, but why did my ex-husband deny it at first? He never changed after three years. He was still denying everything when it involved Carmela. He loved her that much that was why he kept on protecting her. He even divorced me because of that woman.Why?Was she beautiful and richer than me? Or was she even good at bed? My chest tightened.Why was I feeling like this again? He should not have any control of my feelings, right? He had nothing to do with me, right? But why did it still hurt?The ringing won’t stop and Calcifer seemed like he was debating whether to answer it or not. He kept on glancing at me as if I was the reason why he did not want to answer the call. Fine. “Liam? Could you ask Aunt Ynes to get Mommy a snack?”“Are you hungry, Mommy?”“Yes, I am.”“How about you, Daddy?”“I am full, buddy.”“Okay. I will be back, Mommy.” And the child left the room.Sensing it would take a couple of minutes before he would be back, I said, “You can a
WINTER:“You’re not making this any easier for me, Dad,” I said. Whose daughter doesn't want her dad to be happy? I want Dad to be happy, but he wanted something which I could not give—marrying my ex-husband. “I’m only telling the truth. Winter…I witnessed how your ex-husband deeply regretted that he divorced you. I was the one who was with him all the time. He looked for you even when I did not tell you where you were when he hit his head in reality.”My chest tightened. If forgiving was as easy as pie, then I already forgive my ex-husband…but I could not. It wasn't that easy. I gave him a sad smile. “How can you easily forgive him, Dad?” I mumbled. “You know how scared I was that time thinking I carried Mom’s sickness. He was not patient enough with me. He easily let go of me just because he no longer understands me.” At the back of my mind, I tried to understand him, but…I could not.“I saw his struggles, Winter. He was sorry.”“You did not see mine?” I asked. “Dad. He left me
WINTER: One week later… Just like what I wanted, it was a small wedding only, attended by some important people. The wedding only happened in the mansion, something Calcifer did not approve of, but agreed to in the end. Did he have a choice? He did not. In the end, he had no choice but to give in. My wedding dress was nothing fancy. It was a simple one which I bought at the mall. Cali wanted to hire someone to make the dress for me, but I declined. I didn't want anything extravagant. It was better to donate the money to some charities. After all, what was more important was the marriage. Our marriage life after the wedding. We only invited the pastor to come into the mansion. The press found out about our wedding. It was all over the news, but I told Cali not to give any statement about it. I will do it when I want. Despite the venue, Cali was still able to ask the wedding planner to transform the hall into something beautiful, with a lot of flowers on each side. The servan
HAWK: The door burst open and saw Miss Nathalia’s angry look. I stopped drinking and looked at the newcomer. The alcohol did not even make me drunk. I need more. “Miss Nathalia. Cheers.” I offered a bottle of beer, but her expression told me she was not a bit happy. “Is this all your plans, right now, sulking in the corner? Smoke. Drink?” Nathalia asked. She put her hands on both of her lips as she looked at me with disappointment. Almost a week of staying in this apartment which she had helped me get. In the meantime. I was supposed to start working on her, to be her bodyguard, but I did not have the strength to work at the moment.It still hurts.Miss Winter was my ultimate love and there was no other woman beside her.The alcohol made me numb the pain, but when I got sober, it was back again. When will this end? "I am only giving you this week to fix yourself. If you will not, I will kick your butt and let someone drag you to my condo and stay there."She had been pestering
WINTER: The crowd was expecting my answer while all I could do was stare at Cali kneeling down, holding an opened box where the ring was waiting for me. “I know this is not the kind of proposal that you’re expecting. This is simple, but I thought that you also did not like anything fancy. This is not like what you see on social media platforms, but there is one thing that I wanted to assure you. My feelings are real. My promises will remain the same. It's the feelings that matter, right?”Cali was expecting my answer, and the more I was silent, the more he grew nervous. My eyes went to Dad. He was already wiping the tears from his eyes while Nathalia was silently cheering for his brother. The servants seemed like they could no longer breathe because of the fast beating of their hearts. “Cali…I…” I bit the inside of my cheeks. Was I ready now? “May I talk to you for a moment?”His mouth fell but was able to get hold of his emotions. Clearing his throat, he said, “Yes, Pumpkin. Wh
WINTER: ONE MONTH LATER...“Mommy? Why is Uncle Hawk leaving us?” Liam asked, watching Hawk bringing his bag outside. Not only Liam and I were sending him, but Calcifer was also with us and the rest of the maids. None of us wanted him to go. “He is just visiting his parents, Liam. He does not know when he will be back, that's why he resigned.”He looked at me with pure innocence. “Daddy? I don't understand why he needs to leave us while he visits his parents,” Liam continued. Cali patted Liam. “You will understand when you become an adult.”He pouted. “I don't want to become an adult, Daddy. I want to be your baby forever.”“You will be our baby forever.”A month had passed since I accepted Cali's love. A month of always showing me how much I meant to him and our son. He never failed to show us how much he loved us, by cooking and traveling abroad. Above all, Liam was the happiest. He constantly brags to his classmates that his Daddy is already with us and he constantly wants Ca
WINTER:I rubbed my hands together as I waited for Hawk. Craning my neck, I stared at the gate, waiting for a car to enter— the car I let Hawk lend.My heart continued to hammer against my ribcage. Damn it. Why was he making me this worried? Was he punishing me? It was already six o’clock and he was not here yet. I wonder what happened to him. He was not this late. He also never was the type who never texted me where he was right now.I bit my fingernails while pacing back and forth on our porch.That man. I will give him a scolding for making me worry this much. This was so unlike him. Did he want me to die because of worrying?Cut him some slack, Winter. That man is hurting after you told him the truth. Do you think it is easy for him?But he went out to have some check right? It was nothing to do with me and Cali?I stopped and checked my phone again for the nth time. Still, no messages coming from him. Damn it. What seemed to be wrong?What if I call his number? Why haven't I
HAWK:Nathalia was pretty easy to talk with.The moment I asked for her pin code, she gave it to me without hesitation. Was she always like this to other men? [Don’t be shy to order something online, Sweetie.][Are you there, yet? Your silence is making me nervous.][Hawk! You have to answer me, or I will call the police and declare you missing.]I shook my head while reading the last message.Answer her. She does not joke when it comes to you. Again, left with no choice, I texted some replies and hit the word send.[Yes? Yes? Is that the only thing you could answer me, Sweetie? I’m putting all my efforts into giving you a reply and you’re going to answer short ones? You are seriously hurting my feelings.]I pocketed my phone after telling her that I was going to enter her condo.She was not the one who I was expecting to text. It was Miss Winter. But I did not receive anything from her.I stopped at Room 703 after double-checking it. This was the room Nathalia had given me.I was a
HAWK:I stared at the ceiling like a fool. Now what? Where would you go now? Why did you lie to Miss Winter saying you’re sick? Now, you’re forced to go out and spend the rest of your day there. Now, you’re forced to go out and spend the rest of your day outside while your guilt is eating you away. You never lied to Miss Winter like this. I smiled bitterly. Could I be blamed? When I heard Liam and that bastard’s laughter, I gave in to the temptation and I went to the pool and saw them myself. The bonding of the real father and Dad. Something which I will never be able to achieve. My chest felt like it was being wrung. I held my breath as the pain became too much seeing how they looked good together. The three of them. Liam was happy. Miss Winter was happy with the bastard’s presence in the mansion. When he failed to sleep in this room, something might happen between them.I closed my eyes tightly as images of them being together entered my mind. Something already happened betwee
WINTER:Hawk's silence was not helping at all. “Hawk? I'm waiting.”"May I use this day as my day off? That's the reason why I approached you.”“Day off? Where would you go? You did not usually use your day off, right?”“I'm not feeling well right now. It started last night."Worry flashed over me and touched his forehead. “You don't have any fever at all.” But sometimes, you felt hot inside your body but on the surface, it was not hot. "Do you want me to call our family doctor to check on you?""No, Miss Winter. I already called someone. A friend of mine. I will visit his clinic so that he will know the diagnosis."“Don't you think it's better to stop smoking? It's not good for you.”“I will think about it, Miss Winter. It's not easy to quit.”“If there's a way, there is a will. Do you have a friend who is also a doctor? No offense, Hawk. But I don't see you hanging out with anyone.""I met him on social media.""Oh, I see. Is that person to be trusted? Hawk. Please be careful. Ther
WINTER: I was dreaming. You know the feeling that you were aware that you were inside your dream? That's what I'm feeling right now despite facing Cali in a fine dining restaurant. He wore a suit while I was wearing a red dress. He looked so handsome.“Why are we here?” I asked. “You don't remember, Pumpkin?”“What?”“We are celebrating because we are having our second child. So don't drink any alcoholic drinks from now on.My eyes bulged. “I'm with a child?”He chuckled and grabbed the wine glass from my hand. “This is supposed to be mine.” He emptied the contents. “We're going to have a baby?” I asked.“We are. I'm so happy, Pumpkin.”I looked down and saw that there was indeed a baby bump. Tears simmered down my eyes when I felt the kick of my baby inside. “We are going to have a baby?” I whispered while caressing the bulge on my stomach. “Thank you for approving to have another baby,” he whispered and kissed my hand. “Calcifer!” a woman's voice suddenly shouted. We all lo