Chapter 19

It's been more than two years since Bea and Stephen moved into the same house together.

He sold his former house with Sofia and added the money he raised to his and Bea's dream house and donated the other half to charity.

The two are happily living together now. They still often argue like cats and dogs but they resolve it quickly. There is almost nothing they can ask of each other, except for marriage. Bea and Stephen's dream come true.

"Good morning, cherry." The gentleman said as he hugged the girl's back and kissed her on the cheek.

"Cherry?" he curiously raised an eyebrow. He let go of the coffee maker for a moment and faced Stephen.

"And who is Cherry?" he said with his arms crossed. Stephen suddenly covered his mouth and widened his eyes.

"Oh my gosh, you don't know Cherry?" this response only confused the girl's mind.

"Who is that Cherry? Is that Cherry Pie or Cherry Gil?" from the tone of his voice, he was a little suspicious of the gentleman, so he immediately took him by the hand and knelt down in front of him.

"Don't you remember when we first met? I found you crying in the heavy rain. You're wearing a simple no'n but your still stunning. You're wearing a white blouse no'n with cherry prints, which is also my favorite cherry . And do you remember what I told you last night? every time I see you it's like you're surrounded by cherries, as well as your fragrant like cherry scent." He said and he smiled sweetly on his lips.

"So Beatrice Tuazon, can you be my cherry for life?" at the same time he took something from his pocket and showed a sing-sing that he had actually customized and had a small diamond cherry engraved in the middle.

The girl almost burst into tears and just smiled with so much joy. That's why he immediately replied, "Yes. I'm ready to be the cherry of your life." He said and then Stephen put the ring on Bea's finger.

She was so excited that she jumped up and charged Stephen, as their lips pressed against each other.

"I love you." He said weakly to the girl.

"I love you more." He responded to him with a sweet smile on his lips. He kissed her on the lips again and the gentleman made her sit on the sink while they exchanged kisses.

"Wait a minute, did you really have coffee or did you just have creamer?" Stephen suddenly yelled at Bea.

"Why? can you taste it?" he replied and placed his two arms on the gentleman's shoulders.

"Hmmmm.. nothing. It's sweet." He said the girl hit him on the arm at the same time but Stephen suddenly grabbed him by his hip and looked him in the eye.

"Perhaps you would like to have breakfast first, Mr. Stephen Ulysses?" he said smiling.

"Breakfast? I already have?"

"Where?" he said and he peeked at the table but there was no food served there. Stephen squeezed her cheek and turned the girl's face towards him.

"Here." He responded and quickly grabbed Bea's lips with a sweet kiss that surprised her.

The young woman was no longer silent and she just went along with their burning love for each other. Stephen picked her up again and took her inside their room.

He made the girl fall down on the bed and pulled her two legs closer to him.

"Wait a minute! are you serious? We both just woke up." Bea said to him, which is why he suddenly stopped taking off his clothes.

"I said so." He replied and just scratched his head. Grinning, the girl got up from the bed and then she hit the gentleman on the ass.

"Take a shower. I'll just cook our breakfast." He said and was about to go out the door when he suddenly grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her closer to him.

"Aren't you going to take a bath with me?" he whispered in his ear.

"Mr. Ulysses? are you going to take a bath or not?" after he said that he released him immediately and he went straight out the door.

Bea went to the kitchen and took out two eggs from the refrigerator. that he would cook for their breakfast. While Stephen was in the bathroom and he was still whistling in the shower.

The girl just grinned when she heard him whistling and it was obvious that she was in a good mood now.

After bathing and cooking, they ate together at the dining table and ate side by side.

"Cherry, I'll take care of the laundry. Go take a shower." Stephen said that Bea almost lost her temper, when he heard her call him cherry.

"Or why? are you okay?" this worried the girl, she took some water and handed it to Bea.

Bea quickly drank a jug of water and was hit hard by the gentleman's arm.

"Why did you give it to me? I wish you had put it in the glass!" he complained.

"Well, you're going crazy. That's why I'm suddenly confused by you. It's because you're just eating slowly, maybe you'll eat the plate later." He said jokingly that Bea just smiled and laughed at him.

"Because you are!"

"Or what?"

"Because you called me cherry."

"Why don't you want the name cherry?"

"I don't want to. I still prefer my real name!"

"Which one? Beatrice Tuazon or Beatrice Tuazon Ulysses?" he said as the girl turned and suddenly smiled.

"Can both?"

"You can. But you won't be using Tuazon because you will soon be Mrs. Ulysses." He responded weakly and Bea caressed him for a moment while she stared at him.

"Why do I seem to be excited?"

"Where? as I said you will soon be Mrs. Ulysses?"

"No. I'm more excited to be with you every day and hug you like this, not as Bea who is your girlfriend. But as Bea who is now your legal wife." He said that Stephen was more happy and kissed him on the forehead.

"Go take a bath. The oil on your forehead is gone." He said he was joking so the girl just hit him on the arm again and soon he got up to go to the bathroom and take a shower.

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Stephen is currently driving the car while his fiancé Bea is next to him, who is just singing along to the music she is playing on her cell phone.

"And if you're happy with him. I won't force it anymore. That's my only request to him.

Don't be sad and let him take care of you." Bea sings Paubaya by Moira Dela Torre.

While he was singing that song, Stephen couldn't stop doubting the lyrics he was hearing. That's why he glanced at the girl as if she didn't understand what the lyrics of the song wanted to convey.

"Move that, it's too sad." He said but she ignored him and even finished the song.

"Why? What sin did Moira do to you?"

"Don't ever sing that song to me again." He said with a serious face.

"Huh? I don't understand you. What's in the song and your nose seems to be smoking?"

"What's wrong? You really don't know?"

"Wait a minute. Is it because of the lyrics of the song?"

"So, you know."

"But, those are just lyrics."

"Bea, it's not just lyrics. It's a story of two people who love each other but didn't last, do you get my point?"

"Okay, fine. You win. Come on, I won't sing that again next to you or in front of you." He said at the same time he just looked at the slide window. Stephen held her by one hand and coaxed the girl who was in trouble.

"Sorry, if I got carried away by the song. I suddenly felt sad when I heard the lyrics. I don't want to imagine that this will happen to the two of us. By the way, you also know, don't you? how important you are to me . That's why I can't lose you by my side either." Explaining this, Bea turned to him.

"I understand you, but I hope you will always remember that nothing can separate the two of us. And any song lyrics are not a reason for me to stay away from you. So, I'm sorry too." He said with a smile on his lips. Stephen just smiled and focused on driving again.

"By the way, where exactly are we going now?" it suddenly asked the gentleman.

"At home." He replied briefly.

"Home? but this is not the way home for us."

"I mean, in our house. Where I grew up with my parents."

"What?!" Bea said in shock.

"Stop!" Bea shouted loudly. Stephen stopped the car for a moment and turned to the girl.

"Are you serious? We're going to your parents' house now?!" can't believe the girl's promise to her boyfriend.

"Yes. I will introduce you to them right now." It was a gentle response.

"Don't you understand me? We're going to visit your parents wearing and looking like this? and we don't even have anything to welcome them!" he said confused.

"No need. Even if you're only wearing a shirt, you're still beautiful in my eyes."

"What?! That's not what I'm going for, Stephen."

"Bea, it doesn't matter what you're wearing or what we're carrying. What's more important is that we get their blessing right away and so we can set a date for our wedding, right?"

"You don't understand me. Your parents will meet and see me for the first time, then I just look like this? What will your parents think of me? That I have no self-esteem?" he was confused so the gentleman held him by his face and made him face him.

"You don't have to worry, Bea. I'll always be here by your side and whatever they say about you, I don't care because you're still the girl I'd choose to marry." He said while kissing the girl's forehead. Bea just smiled and even though she was still nervous, she just tried to stay calm.

"Wait, are we getting close to your parents' house? Tell me when we get close so I can at least practice what I'm going to tell them." He just said and suddenly Stephen got out of the car. He followed her gaze and noticed that he went to the opposite side of her door.

"W-why?" she was curiously curious about the gentleman as he opened the door for her.

"We're here." He replied that surprised the girl even more.

"W-what?! Pe-but.." he could barely finish what he was going to say when the gentleman took him by the hand and he just got off the car.

"You don't have time to practice because we're already here." Stephen said to him. Bea couldn't speak and just looked up at the tall building in front of them now.

"Don't say this is your parents' house?" he asked while pointing at the building.

"Not really. But my parents also own that." He replied at the same time he pulled the girl by the hand who was just staring at what he was discovering.

A broad smile draws on the gentleman's lips, every time he catches a glimpse of Bea who looks around them and marvels at every house she sees, which is also owned by Stephen's parents.

"Doesn't your neck hurt from looking back?" he joked to the girl.

"Great! is this all a dream? pinch me." He approached Stephen at the same time, but instead of pinching his cheek, he just kissed him on the lips.

"Ah okay. I woke up." Bea said jokingly which made the gentleman laugh.

"Why? Do you think that all of this was just a dream of yours?" he suddenly asked.

"It's not like that. I just can't believe I'm in a story book."

"Story book?" he was curious.

"Yes, I feel like I'm Cinderella-"

"And I'm prince charming, is that what you think?" he promised smiling and Bea nodded her head.

"Why do you think you're Cinderella? Is there something bothering you? And besides, as far as I know, the princess in the story is beautiful."

"So, what do you mean I'm ugly?" they stopped walking for a moment and he raised one eyebrow.

"Well," he looked at her from head to toe.

"Yes, yes! I'm ugly! Are you happy?" he said after slapping the gentleman's arm. While he just laughed and looked at her.

"Wait! I'm not done talking yet. All I wanted to say earlier is that you're more beautiful than Cinderella, even though you're only wearing short shorts and slippers." He replied, making the girl smile and quickly cling to his arm again.

"Then you can't be Cinderella." He snorted again.

"And why is that?"

"It's because your head is hot." He promised but Bea didn't say anything because she admitted to herself that her head was hot.

After a while, they both arrived at Stephen's parents' house. They both stood in front of its gate and held hands.

"Are you ready?" he said as he glanced at Bea who was obviously nervous.

"Don't you want us to continue this the next day?" it asked him.

"Yes, I don't want to." He responded which annoyed the girl and bit her lower lip.

Stephen rang the door bell and after a few moments, one of their assistants opened the gate for them.

"Susmaryosep! Señorita Stephen, is that you?" Manang Sora said to him, Sofia's former assistant.

"How are you, shark? I haven't seen you in a while." He said while hugging her.

"You have nothing to worry about me, Manang Sora. Besides, this nurse of mine is good at taking care of me." Jokingly, he looked at Bea.

"Oh, you're with someone. I'm sorry if I didn't notice you right away, bro. My eyes are blurry and I'm just excited to hug this young man." He said to the girl and she just smiled.

"By the way, are Mom and Dad inside?" Stephen asked the old assistant as he peeked behind her.

"Oh no, just show them another day, because the situation here is not good right now."

"Po? what do you mean?" he wondered and they were momentarily startled by the loud noise they heard, as if something had broken from inside the house.

"I'm sorry, but it's better if you go on another day." The old man said and was about to close the gate, but Stephen suddenly stopped him and forced the gate open.

"Please. Don't-" Manang Sora tried to stop him but he didn't budge. He just walked straight in while tightly holding Bea's hand.

A few moments later they were both stunned when a woman appeared in front of them, who fell to the ground and seemed to push her out of the door.

"You flirty woman! You dare to seduce my husband!" from the other side of the door, Stephen immediately saw his mother screaming and furious with the woman they met.

"You're thinking wrong, hon! How many times do I have to repeat to you that nothing comes between Marcella and me!" and behind his mother he also saw his father trying to explain to his wife.

"And you're really still defending that p****k?!" it was a sweet response to the mister.

Bea seemed to notice that Stephen's grip on her hand was getting tighter and her eyes were burning with anger.

“Stephen, I am in pain.” He softly said to the gentleman but he ignored him and focused his attention on his parents arguing and shouting at each other.

When Stephen was still young, he often heard his parents arguing over and over and it was because of his father's womanizing. He also often finds his mother getting drunk in the kitchen or she just passes out suddenly and sometimes she even blames him for her husband's cheating.

That's why he promised himself that he would never follow in his father's footsteps and he would never hurt or make the woman he was going to marry cry.

But at that time it was as if he returned to the darkness of his past when he was young. Where she always cries and hides inside her cabinet. Just to avoid seeing and hearing his parents arguing.

It was almost Manang Sora himself who guided and stood as a parent for him. The old man also knows that the daily quarrel between his wife and husband will not bring any good to the child. So ever since Manang Sora was hired as his personal maid, the sadness and fear he feels in his chest seems to have lessened.

He no longer often cries and locks himself inside the cabinet, but the old man just takes him for a walk in the park or maybe invites him out of the house every time his parents fight.

"So, the speculations I hear about you are true? That you are flirtatious and like to fornicate with married people! Why? What did you bless my wife with?! Is it because of the money? Is it paid for? his one-night service to him? or because you're just really itchy?!" the lady shouted and said angrily to the woman who was just sitting on the floor.

Her hair was messy and it looked like it had been tweaked. Even the clothes he was wearing were torn as if he had been dragged several times somewhere.

"Stop saying that! You're not ashamed of the neighbors anymore! We've been together for almost a few years and you still haven't changed a thing, Tessie!" scolded by her husband, Mr. Bernny Ulysses, Stephen's father.

"And I'm really the one who should be ashamed? why?! are you proud to have relationships with different women?! for all those years, Bernny! I endured all the cheating you do to me! and even face to face I'm fooling you, I've never divorced you! But, this time I won't let this nonsense pass you by!"

"Why do you think I'm afraid to break up with you?! I've wanted to break up with you for a long time, Tessie! but you're the only one struggling, aren't you? Maybe you're forgetting that the only reason I married you was because This is an arranged marriage! You know from the first that I have no feelings for you, so don't let it appear that you are the only victim here!" he said and suddenly he approached the woman while he supported her to stand up.

The lady turned around for a moment and noticed that her son Stephen was there.

"Stephen?" he said in surprise that his father also turned around.

"What are you doing here? and who are you with?" Bernny promised. The couple looked at the young woman with her and they didn't seem to like Bea's outfit.

She's only wearing short white shorts, a crop top blouse that shows her navel and slippers.

"Susmaryosep, iho! what brought you here? don't tell me she's the girl you're fooling around with now?" said his mother sharply with a judgmental look at the girl.

"She's not just a girl. She's my future wife!" he said in a deep voice making Bea even more nervous.

For a few moments, the woman next to Bernny caught a glimpse and suddenly her eyes widened when she saw Bea.

"Bea? son?" after saying this, the girl quickly looked at him and couldn't believe that the girl was his mother.

"S-child?!" Tessie said in surprise and looked around at the two.

"Bea, son." He approached her at the same time but she immediately dodged and ran out of the house.

"Bea!" his mother followed him and chased after Bea.

Meanwhile, Stephen froze where he stood and couldn't believe what he found out.

His mother, Tessie, smiled and looked at him.

"Like father, like son. I can't believe the two of you that you actually brought trash to my house. So, is that the girl you say you're going to marry? Future wife? Are you sure she's not like her flirtatious mother? ? or did you even acknowledge his family background?" the lady said insultingly while Stephen just bowed and was still shocked by what happened.

"Stop it." Bernny said firmly to him.

"Why, Bernny? can't you accept the fact that your girlfriend has a child and that her daughter is the woman your son is going to marry!" he shouted to his wife.

"Don't tell me.. is she Lorna?" Stephen suddenly asked and he looked at his father.

"Yes, that's Lorna. How did you know about her?" Tessie was curious about her daughter.

"You mean, she's the same girl you got pregnant?" he said with tears in his eyes.

Bernny couldn't speak and just stared into his son's eyes. The lady was shocked and held her mouth.

"Bernny, what's your daughter saying? What did she get pregnant? tell me the truth, did you get Lorna pregnant then?" said the lady and her husband bowed down for a moment while there was a tear in the corner of his eye.

"Yes." He only gave a weak response but it caused a lot of shock, pain and sadness to the mother and daughter.

"Don't tell me.. that's the boy.." Stephen said shakily and tears started to fall from his eyes one after the other.

"I'm sorry, son." That was the only thing he said out of his mouth and he left the house.

The lady almost sat down in shock and weakness. Manang Sora immediately approached him and handed him a glass of water. While Stephen screamed loudly and punched the wall.

He tramples and destroys every plant around them. Manang Sora immediately called someone to rescue the gentleman and prevent him from disappearing. The lady almost burst into tears while watching her son. His mind was confused and he didn't know what to do.

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(LORNA AND BERNNY POV)

MEETING but not destined, if it can be considered a love story between the two of them. Bernny had long had a secret crush on the girl Lorna- beautiful, majestic, intelligent and good at drawing pictures.

Lorna belongs to the drafting club. Where their painting talents are honed. That's why Bernny also moved to the club that the girl belongs to. Not to learn painting, but to get closer to the girl and see her every day.

"Hey, it's Bernny Ulysses! You've been here in the Art club for almost more than a month, but you still only know how to draw plants and trees." His friend Daniel said that he is good at drawing different kinds of abstracts.

"Sssh! don't make noise! ​​it's embarrassing." He whispered as he glanced at Lorna who was busy painting. Some of their female classmates in the club turned around and simply laughed at him.

"What are you doing? You're not really interested in this club, are you? Why did you move?" it asked him again. But he just hides on the canvas board and looks at Lorna. Daniel frowned and turned to the woman he was looking at, then he looked at his friend again.

"Are you interested with her? Is it because of her that you moved here?" he asked, causing Bernny to turn his head.

"Huh?" he said in surprise and simply glanced at the girl, but he noticed that she also looked at him.

"N-no! She's not my type of girl!" he just said and immediately looked away from Lorna. Daniel grinned and let out a deep breath. The young man seemed to notice that and was curious about him.

"Wait a minute. Why did you suddenly ask me that?" he asked his friend.

"Because I like her." His quick response surprised her and it was like she was shot in the heart.

"W-what?" he stammered.

"I thought you would be his rival but I was wrong. Sorry bro, if I misunderstood you." He said to his friend and then he returned to his old place. Where he and Lorna were just next to each other.

Bernny followed the young man's gaze and looked back and forth between the two.

From that day on, he was afraid to continue his feelings for the girl. Daniel is his best friend and they were really close when they were kids.

That's why it's difficult for him to choose, whether he chooses to betray her or just stay as her friend.

Until one day came. Daniel has confessed his love for Lorna. And it wasn't long before they had a relationship.

They are still friends together and they still see each other often but he is always with Lorna. That's why the wound in Bernny's heart only deepens and he falls for the girl even more.

Lorna also considered him a close friend. They both came to an agreement and made peace. However, he still did not reveal his true feelings to her. He was afraid of breaking the friendship they had started as well as the deep bond he and Daniel shared.

But fate is really teasing and playful. It got to the point where he couldn't stop himself anymore and just let the flow of his feelings go.

He took the girl to a private place, while she was unconscious and lying on the bed. The young man undressed her little by little and kissed her on different parts of her body.

When Lorna regained consciousness, she found Bernny sitting on one side and crying. He was shocked when he realized that he was in a room and in an unfamiliar place.