**Vivien** The day went by quickly, and now Xander and I were heading to Bulacan. I had already said goodbye to Mom and my brother, and I even texted Dad, but he didn't reply at all. “Ready?”Xander asked as I came out of my room. He had been here for a while, too excited as if I were going to run away from him. I wanted to relax a bit; my work schedule for the past weeks had been hectic. I was piled up with tasks, but they said it would be more relaxed when I returned. Since the day we had a misunderstanding, Xander had become more clingy. He sent me quite a few texts each day, and he seemed to update me on everything he was doing. He was a bit excessive with the updates, but I just let him be; that’s what he wanted.“Yeah, let’s go?” He came closer to take my bag and then gave me a sweet kiss on the forehead. I smiled; he had gotten used to that routine. I walked out of the unit first, with Xander following me. We headed to the elevator together. While we waited for it to ope
After eating, I didn't dare glance at Xander. I also didn’t speak and just focused on my food. I felt so awkward because I could feel his teasing gaze on me. I was the one who did a bit of teasing, but it quickly backfired on me—karma worked fast. But that wasn’t really what I intended to happen earlier. Aling Pilar's son escorted me to my room, on Xander's orders. He said Xander was at the house under construction, checking to make sure everything was in order since it’s almost finished. We’re staying here in their hut; it's large, and Xander usually stays here. It has four rooms, and the master’s room is in the other room. When I entered the room, I was amazed as I looked around. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary hut, but once you’re inside, the ambiance is different—a mix of provincial and city vibes. The room I was brought to even had a small air conditioner and its own bathroom. The bed is double-sized, and the surroundings are very pleasant. I set my bag down by
**Vivien** The next morning, I woke up with pain in the middle of my thighs. Xander really kept his word about making the most of the night. It was already dawn when he finally got tired and gave up. After going for five rounds, how could you not be exhausted? I looked at the other side of the bed, and Xander wasn’t there. I listened for any sound coming from the bathroom, but there was none. That guy! After wearing me out and leaving my body aching, he’s not even here beside me? What was that—sex and run? Tsk, he should’ve waited for me to wake up first. What a way to start the morning. I winced as I got out of bed, hobbling over to my bag to get some clothes, and then headed straight to the bathroom. Good thing the bathroom has a heater, so I took a warm shower to ease the soreness in my body. I must’ve soaked in there for about an hour before deciding to get dressed and step out of the bathroom. As I came out, I was stunned and my eyes widened in surprise when I saw Xander
**Vivien** Tears welled up in my eyes as I turned to look at Penelope, who now had a visible expression of pity and sadness. She took my hand and held it tightly. “I'm here, okay? No matter what happens, I'm here for you. I won't leave you, Girl.” I glanced again at the stairs they had gone up. I hoped I was wrong, I hoped Dad wasn't deceiving us. Slowly, I pulled my hand away from Penelope, then, trembling, I picked up the envelope I had dropped on the table. Confused, I looked at Penelope again. “H-how did you know that Dad and Loraine would be here?” She sighed. “I had someone follow Loraine, so I know her movements. From the first time I saw that woman, I had a bad feeling. That's why I told you I'd find out more about her. And I wasn't wrong. Inside that envelope is everything, Girl—the truth and the lies they've been hiding from you for so long.”My hands trembled even more as I looked at the envelope. “That's also why I didn't reach out to you for a month. I wanted to b
I chose a simple pair of denim shorts, paired with a black shirt and black slide flip-flops. I also wore a white cap to somewhat cover my still swollen eyes. I dressed simply to avoid drawing attention. I grabbed my car keys, phone, and wallet before heading out of the room. Penelope was right, Chad's coffee shop was close to my condo. We both got out of the car, and I gave a slight smile—just seeing the outside, it already looked great. I wondered how much better it would be inside. “Let's go.” Penelope smiled as she walked up to me, linking her arm with mine before pulling me inside. The interior and ambiance of the shop were indeed beautiful. As soon as you walk in, the aroma of coffee greets you. Coffee lovers like Penelope and me would surely love this place, and I bet their coffee is great. Penelope wouldn’t have brought me here otherwise, even though Chad owned the shop. There were only a few people inside. Penelope led me to the front to sit there. She was confident si
Vivien I stayed silent until we reached my unit. I walked weakly to the bedroom, wanting to lie down first. My headache had worsened, and I needed to rest before going to our house to confront Dad. I felt like I had exhausted all my energy talking to Loraine. I was near the bedroom door when Penelope called out to me. “Girl, wait.” I weakly looked at her. “Why, girl? I want to rest first. For sure Dad isn't home yet, so let's leave here in the afternoon. Is that okay?” I said softly. My headache was really bad. Penelope looked concerned and came closer to me. “I was actually going to ask if you were okay. You look pale, probably because of what happened earlier. Uh, while you're resting, I'll cook us lunch. I'll wake you up when I'm done. I'm making sinigang na buto-buto so you can have some broth; you need that to regain your strength. Go ahead and get inside, don’t think about anything else for now.” I nodded. I suddenly craved the sourness of Penelope's sinigang. “Alright,
**Vivien**Loraine suddenly stood up and hugged Daddy, and he hugged her back. I felt a sharp pain in my chest—it hurt. I forced a bitter smile. I could clearly see the concern in Dad’s eyes for Loraine, while I, who had been gone from this house for more than two months, never received a text from him. He never even checked on me, never worried about me.Loraine pulled away slightly from the hug and looked up at him with teary eyes. Tsk, what an actress. If she can fool Daddy with her drama, she can’t fool me or anyone else here. I could feel her faking it and trying to gain sympathy.“D-Dad, Ate Vivien slapped me. I was so shocked earlier when she suddenly sat in front of me and then slapped me. I wasn’t doing anything, Dad,” she said, crying. I let out a dry laugh, not believing a word she said, and just rolled my eyes as Dad gave me a serious look.“Is that true, Vivien Dawn? Your sister came to me earlier, crying and out of breath, saying you slapped her because you found out eve
“What?! Are you that desperate now, Ate Vivien? You're going to block Dad's happiness? You're going to use the annulment? What a childish act! You're still forcing yourselves even though Dad's no longer happy with you. So selfish!” My anger flared up again. “Coming from you, Loraine? We’re the desperate ones, huh? Those words are really coming from you? It’s like we’re the ones who are the second family and the mistress here. You’ve got some nerve. You’re just showing your true agenda.” I turned to Vanessa, whose face was now unreadable. “You think you’re going to get everything? You think you’ll succeed? Dream on! You’ll never be legal, you’ll never experience the life of a queen, and you won’t get to use my dad’s money!” I shouted.“And how do you know that?! Are you the one in charge of Dad's money? Are you the one handling it? Don’t act like you know everything! I have a right too because I’m Dad's daughter!” Loraine shouted back, her victim act now gone, replaced by a fierce,
Lex stepped back when he saw his uncle calling.I answered the call right away.“Hello, Kuya?”“Bunso? Are you busy right now?”“I’m not doing anything, Kuya. Lex and I are just resting; we just got home from the park. Why?” I asked, curious.“Can I talk to you for a moment?”“Sure.” I adjusted my sitting position to hear him better, while Lex moved to the single sofa and grabbed his iPad from the center table, keeping himself occupied for now.I waited for Kuya to speak.“Are you busy again? Is your schedule hectic? Do you have a lot of shoots this month and next month?” His rapid-fire questions made me furrow my brow, and his tone sounded different—agitated and troubled.“I’m not busy yet; I haven’t started any shoots. I said I’d begin next week because I need to take care of the resort I’m building. Why? Is there a problem?” I asked, worried.He took a deep breath before answering.“I know you’re focused on your modeling and on Alexis, but Kuya needs your help now,” he said sadly.
What is he doing here? Has he been here for a while? Is he waiting for Loraine? But there aren’t any other people inside.I swallowed as his gaze swept over my entire body, finally stopping at my left hand where I held my purse. His eyes darkened as they settled there.I felt uncomfortable with his scrutiny, so I stepped forward, planning to walk past him, but he suddenly blocked my path. I couldn’t believe I was looking at him.“What do you think you're doing, Montenegro?” I asked, irritation creeping into my voice. What’s his deal? What if Loraine sees him? What would that saintly girl think? This is going to cause trouble again.I was taken aback when he just smirked and then shot me a dirty look.“Stay away from my cousin, Ms. Herrera. You already have a fiancé, but you're still flirting with my cousin, huh?” My eyes widened at his words. What is this guy talking about? I glared at him.“What are you saying? I'm flirting with your cousin? Are you sure of what you’re accusing me of
Mom gasped in shock. Oh come on, Mom, can’t she get it yet? My brother stayed silent, looking like he already knew why I was wearing a ring. Meanwhile, I could feel Penelope holding back her laughter. What have I gotten myself into?Since I gave birth to Alexis, I've done nothing but work and take care of my child. I don't have time for anything else. I admit that I had suitors when I was in California, but I cut them off right away. My top priority is my child, nothing else. “Sorry, Dad. I didn't take him with me. He's busy right now, and everything happened suddenly.” Gosh, it’s so awkward. “Aww, is that so, Ate? What a pity, then.” I rolled my eyes mentally. Why is she answering? I’m talking to Dad, not her. Does she feel close to me? Maybe she’s forgotten that we’re not okay? And we will never be okay because I can't accept her as my sister.“Excuse me, everyone, I just need to borrow my best friend for a moment. We forgot to go somewhere. The manager is looking for her, and he
I ignored the whispers and walked confidently toward Mom’s table. Why are my family, Dad's family, and Xander's family all at the same table? Is this some kind of mini-reunion? Tsk.I glanced at the other table where Penelope stood, smiling, with Chad next to her, also smiling.As I approached the table, Mom greeted me with a tight hug.“You're back! When did you get back? I miss you, sweetie…” Mom whispered, almost in tears. I hugged her back tightly. I missed her so much too.“I just got home the other day, Mommy. I was supposed to visit you at your office, but I found out you were in Cebu, so I didn’t go.”“Yes, I just got back from Cebu this afternoon. Come, let’s sit down.” Mom helped me, but before we reached the table, my best friend intercepted me.“Aunt, can I borrow BFF for a moment? I just need to chat for a bit, just a quick one, hehe. Is that okay?” Mommy chuckled softly.“Alright, you two. Just be sure to come back to the table, okay?” Both Penelope and I nodded before
After I talked to Penelope, Alexis woke up just in time. Thankfully, she didn't wake up earlier when I was talking to her aunt.When she saw the snack I made, her eyes lit up, and she smiled as she sat down. I could only shake my head. I got a small plate and filled it with baked mac and a piece of garlic bread.Before I sat down, I went to check on Manang Fe in the guest room to invite them for snacks. I had also let them rest after lunch since there was nothing else to do, and my priority was to watch over Alexis. When I'm not around, Manang Fe cooks for them while Len keeps an eye on Alexis.We all ate snacks together, and at first, Manang Fe and Len didn't want to join us. They said we should finish first, but I’m not used to that. I consider Manang Fe family; she's like a second mother to me.She happily shared stories about Alexis, saying she’s a kind, respectful, and obedient child. Alexis doesn’t misbehave, and she knows when it’s time to bathe and sleep in the afternoon with
I couldn’t believe what Penelope had said. She looked at me with uncertainty.Xander was here earlier? Jeez! Thank goodness I spent three hours at the agency! Otherwise, we might have run into each other. “Good thing you came here only now; I didn’t know you had already returned, so I didn’t get a chance to let you know,” Penelope said softly. I sighed; it would have been my fault if we had met.I hadn’t told Penelope that I had come back suddenly.“It’s okay; let’s just be grateful we didn’t run into each other. Fate is still kind to me. So, changing the subject, why are you in such a bad mood?” She exhaled before returning to her seat and picking up the design she had been looking at earlier.“Well, I’m not satisfied with the design. I feel like something’s missing, but I don’t know what,” she said, staring at her design. I approached her to check out her interior design.“What do you think, girl? What else is missing or wrong here? I can’t think straight,” she said, pouting as she
What happened? How did Loraine become a Herrera? Why didn’t I know about this? Why didn’t Kuya or Penelope mention it to me? Since when has that woman been using our last name?And so, she’s still with Xander, huh? I smiled bitterly. After all these years, they ended up together in the end. They’re getting married, and that woman’s even an actress now? Tsk.The elevator doors opened, and the two women stepped out. I sighed, leaning back against the wall. I’ve just returned to the Philippines, and already I’m hearing all sorts of things. Well, I had been cut off from everything that happened for the past seven years because I asked Penelope not to tell me anything. So, it’s no surprise I’m shocked by what I’m hearing now.As the elevator reached my floor, I straightened up and quickly exited. I shouldn’t dwell on what I overheard; we each have our own lives now. When I reached my unit door, I entered my passcode and stepped inside. I’d link my fingerprint tomorrow.I set down some of t
In life, you’ll realize that there’s a reason why you meet certain people. Some come into your life to use you, some to break you, and others to hurt you.Even if they used you, broke you, and hurt you, at least in the end, you learned something.—**PRESENT**Jeez, how much longer for my order? I really want to leave this place. I’ve been sweating nervously for a while. It seems Xander didn’t order takeout; he’s eating here! Gosh, he chose to dine in.Of all the fast-food places here, why did he have to pick this one? So annoying! What a lovely way to kick off my return to the Philippines.I remember when I left seven years ago, Annie and I left together. I thought my boss wouldn’t let me go, but he understood my situation. Annie even volunteered to come with me, no matter what.Two weeks later, Penelope joined us in California. She told me Xander had been pestering her constantly, pressuring her to reveal my location. He wouldn’t leave her alone and even went to Batangas and Bulacan
I gasped when he turned me to face him.I was shocked to see him in tears, his eyes filled with pain and pleading.I covered my mouth as he suddenly knelt, gently took my hand, and kissed it softly while crying. “I'm begging you, Dawn. Please…” His eyes were speaking to me as he looked at me, while I, in disbelief, stared back at him as he knelt before me.My tears began to fall again. Why does it hurt so much? I could clearly see the pain in his eyes, his suffering and pleading. Why, Xander? You're only making things more confusing.But this is wrong. No, I shouldn’t be swayed by what I see. It would be best if I went away.Our baby's life is more important than the two of us. If I stay here, the problem may get worse, and I might not be able to handle the stress.With trembling hands, I slowly pulled my hand away from him before shaking my head. “I'm sorry, Xander. I have to do this. I have a strong reason for leaving. Forget me and go back to Loraine. She needs you now... Goodbye