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
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
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 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
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
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
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.
---The days passed quickly. I finished everything I needed to do at the office, I also stopped by the resort I’m having built to check on it, and I did a shoot for a magazine and billboard again. I finished all of that so I could have three days free.Tomorrow is Penelope and Chad’s wedding. It will be held in Tagaytay. Later, we’re all going to the hotel together with some of Penelope and Chad’s relatives.Penelope chose to have us all go together so that everyone would be there and no one would be late tomorrow. Plus, it wouldn’t be so much of a hassle. She has a point.I packed everything I need in a small luggage, and Penelope has my gown. I wasn’t able to pick it up because I didn’t have time. Before leaving, I made sure to take care of Alexis. I also told him that I would be gone for three days, and he agreed right away. How could he not? His Uncle Vince bought him a PS5, so he has something to keep him busy.I didn’t expect Kuya to actually follow through with his reward for A
“You are so beautiful, Ms. Vivien. I only did a simple makeup look on you, but your beauty truly stands out.” I gave a sweet smile to the makeup artist assigned to me today. She was just doing a quick touch-up on my makeup before I headed out onto the runway. Today is the fashion show where I was invited by a very famous designer. I actually just found that out now. I'm here with my supportive boyfriend. I know he's sitting in the VIP section along with the other guests. I took a deep breath before walking backstage. Once I saw that my fellow model had returned, I held my head high and strutted onto the runway. A loud cheer erupted as soon as I stepped out. All the photographers turned their attention to me, scrambling to take shots. But I paid them no mind. I focused on my walk, wanting to bring life to the outfit I was wearing. I gave it my best. My face remained serious as I walked, and when I reached the end of the runway, my eyes immediately searched for Xander. It didn’t
Mics answered the call. “Hello, Love?”I grinned at the endearment he used for Mics. So cheesy! I signaled Mics to respond. “Yes, Love?”We heard my brother sigh on the other line. “I'm sorry for earlier, for our argument. I didn’t mean it, I was just tired… and I miss you… I miss you so much, and I just want to see you.” Mics blushed at what my brother said, while I was grinning like crazy but also feeling giddy! His voice was so tender! Is this really my brother talking? “Hey. Love. Still there? Why aren’t you answering? Are you still mad at me?”I signaled Mics not to say anything. She nodded. “Love? I’m sorry, okay? Wait, it’s already lunchtime—have you eaten? Where’s Vi?” “Love, talk to me, please?” “Don't be like this, Love. It won't make me feel better. I can’t work properly when we're like this. I'm sorry, don’t be mad at me. Okay, how about this? I'll pick you up later for dinner. I’ll make it up to you. And I miss you so, so much.” The redness on Mics’
My brother is really something else. Unbelievable… Geez! How did we not notice? They’re really good at hiding things. “Oh my gosh! You’ve been together for almost a year? Why did you hide it from us?” I asked in shock. Mics just gave me an embarrassed smile. “I don’t know why your brother doesn’t want to tell all of you. It’s hard to keep it a secret, you know. I don’t get what’s up with him.”Oh, so it was my brilliant brother who decided to keep it from us, huh? “Argh! I can’t believe he hid it from us! And we didn’t even notice. I had no idea my brother had a talent for acting.”I slumped back in my chair, crossing my arms. I’m not okay—I got played by my own brother! “I’m sorry, Vivi. Honestly, I wanted to tell you, but he didn’t want me to. That’s something we argue about sometimes.” I could see in Mics' eyes that she was telling the truth. She wanted to admit it to me, but my brother ruined it. He probably didn’t want us teasing him. “It’s okay. If I hadn’t caug
I dragged Xander along until we reached the front of the elevator. He remained silent while waiting for the elevator to open. I sighed before taking my phone out of my bag. I don’t think I’ll go to the office today. I’ll just text Mics and let her handle things for now. There aren’t any meetings scheduled anyway. Xander is tired. I want to take care of him. After texting Mics, I put my phone back in my bag and looked up. “Hey, you okay? Have you eaten?”I asked gently. He lifted his gaze and gave me a small smile. “Honestly, I haven't eaten since last night. I have no appetite. I miss you and Alexis. I can't leave because your dad doesn’t want to go home. He told me to stay and watch over Loraine. If you hadn’t come to me, I might still be there right now.” His voice was tired. He ran his fingers through his messy hair, let out a deep sigh, and spoke again. “She did it again. She tried to take her own life—just so I’d notice her and take her back. I'm tired of this, Daw
When the car stopped, I started to feel nervous. I put on my mask and blazer before entering the hospital. I went straight to the front desk to ask where Loraine's room was. They kindly told me the directions. I started walking and took the elevator. 5th floor, room 206B. It was a private room.When I got out of the elevator, I turned right and immediately saw the room. It wasn’t hard to find because the name was on the wall next to the door.Patient name: Loraine Herrera.I smiled. Herrera, huh? I stared at the door for a few seconds before deciding to turn the doorknob. Luckily, it wasn’t locked.As I entered, I kept a casual expression on my face. The people I didn’t want to see were there, and they were all looking at me. Vanessa raised an eyebrow while staring at me. Dad was just staring emotionlessly. Xander stood up in shock and greeted me. Meanwhile, Xander’s parents quietly observed.I looked at Loraine, clearly tired and sleep-deprived. She seemed okay, though? Tsk. “Baby,
The next day, I woke up again in Xander's arms, a smile forming on my lips. Last night, after a hot kiss, we returned to the room to rest. We didn’t do anything out of the ordinary.I hugged him until he woke up, and we had a short conversation while still holding each other. Then we both got up to start the day. He wasn’t going to work again today; he said he’d be watching over our son. Just like yesterday, we happily had our breakfast together. “Bye, Mom! See you later! I love you.” “Bye, Baby, I love you too. See you later.” I kissed him on the cheek before turning to Xander. “Bye, I’ll just text you later.” I stepped a little closer to him to give him a kiss on the lips. “Alright. I love you.” “I love you too. Be careful on your way home. Text me when you get to the condo, okay?”"Yes, ma’am!" Both Xander and Alexis said as they saluted me. I chuckled and shook my head before getting out of the car. I didn’t let them out because we’d be the center of attention again.When I e
It turns out we’re doing a sexy photoshoot today. I wasn’t informed—I thought it would just be a regular one.After getting my makeup and styling done, I went straight to the set to start the shoot.The photoshoot began, and I struck fierce poses since it was a sexy concept. I followed all the photographer’s instructions, making sure every pose was perfect so we wouldn’t have to redo anything. I didn’t want to waste time.The makeup artist met me afterward to retouch my makeup. Then, I changed into another sexy dress for the next shoot.I sent Xander a text, letting him know I had just one more shoot left and they could pick me up at the agency. Then I went back to continue the session.A wide smile spread across my face as soon as the shoot was over. I immediately headed to the dressing room to grab my things and change. I couldn’t wait to see my boys—I missed them so much.As I entered the room, I walked straight ahead, unable to wipe the smile off my face despite feeling tired. J
After an exhausting morning of playing around, we decided to leave the room. I still had to go to the office today—I couldn’t afford to skip work because of all the tasks waiting for me. Plus, I needed to stop by the agency later for a shoot.When we stepped out, breakfast was already prepared. As soon as we sat down, Xander took charge of serving food onto Alexis’ plate and mine. Alexis was absolutely thrilled that his dad was the one taking care of him today.“You’re going to work today?” Xander asked as we ate.“Yeah, I have to. I’ve got a pile of tasks at the office, and I have a shoot later at the agency.”He nodded thoughtfully.“Alright. I won’t go to Batangas today. I’ll postpone it until tomorrow. I’ll stay here to bond with our son. I’ll take care of him today, and we’ll drop you off and pick you up from work. Is that okay with you, son?”He turned to our son with a smile. Alexis eagerly nodded in agreement.“Yes, Dad! That’s a great idea! Let’s pick up Mom later. She’ll p
When I was done, I walked to the living room to call my husband and son, who were playing PS5.“Boys, stop playing now. Dinner is ready.”They both turned to me, nodded, and put down their controllers.Cute.Holding hands, they walked toward me. Xander gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead before wrapping an arm around me and guiding me to the dining area.“Wow! My favorite! Mom, did you cook this?”I nodded with a smile before serving Alexis some rice and caldereta. Then I filled Xander’s plate with rice, adding caldereta on one side and chop suey on the other.“Thank you, baby.”I simply smiled in response and served myself some rice. Manang Fe and Len watched us happily from the side.The dinner table was filled with laughter and stories. I mostly just listened as Xander and Manang Fe quickly bonded.After eating, I offered to clear the table and wash the dishes. I told Manang Fe to rest since her back suddenly started aching. Alexis went to clean herself up, leaving just Xander