KATE went straight to the master’s bedroom when she arrived from the clinic. She had her first check-up since she learned that she was pregnant. Now it was confirmed that she was indeed carrying Jan’s child in her womb. She could not help but feel sad when the doctor asked about the father; all she could say was he was away at the moment due to an incident. Kate did not want to presume he was dead unless she saw his corpse.
She turned in the direction of the door when she heard the hinges creak. After a few seconds, her friend Natalie came in. Her friend would always visit her at home and in the office whenever she was free. In fact, Natalie often quarrels with her boyfriend because she has been spending more time with her than with him. But her friend would just shrug it off and see her later after the fight.
Natalie handed her the glass of fresh orange juice that she got in the kitchen. She was the one who accompanied her to the clinic because Nana Talia
KATE went to bed after her conversation with Fernan. But she just lay flat on her back and stared at the ceiling. It was hard to fall asleep when so many thoughts kept running inside her head. And then, in the middle of her reverie, her phone rang.She reached it from the bedside table and saw her nanny’s name on the caller ID.“Nana…” she said as soon as the phone reached her ear. Kate sat up and leaned against the headboard.“How are you?” She heard Nana Talia sniff in the background. “I’m sorry I can’t see you. I’m afraid you’ll catch the cold virus through me.”She heaved a sigh. “It’s okay, Nana. I understand that you’re thinking about my health.”“Yes. You should stay healthy and strong. Especially now that you’re pregnant. Anyway, I told Luisa to bring you some warm milk. It will help you fall asleep.”And then, there was
“HERE is the proposal for the new design of our brandy’s logo and the draft of the new commercial campaign.” Bianca put the folders side by side on her table. “They’re hoping that you will prioritize this one so they can start as soon as possible.” Her secretary smiled at her apologetically.Kate opened the folder and scanned the proposal.“The new logo looks good for me. But then…” She tapped her fingers on the table. “I think it’s better if we use a much cleaner font for the back label. And also, can we use a more enticing color?” She raised her head and looked at her secretary, who was busy noting on her tablet as she spoke.“I’ll let them know immediately.” Bianca looked at her afterwards. “Is there anything else?”“That’s all for the design.” Kate closed the first folder and jumped into the other one. “Why is the commercial c
“SEE? I told you that it’s good to have your friends by your side in this tough time, dear. And I thank the Lord you have such good friends,” said Nana Talia when she got home and told her what happened at the party.“Yes, Nana… and I want to thank you for always reminding me.” She held her nanny’s hands. “If not for your comforting words… I don’t know where I am right now.”“Oh, dear.” Her nanny cupped her cheek. “Anyway, your brother-in-law dropped by a little earlier before you arrived. He’s looking for you. He must’ve thought that you’re already home because he didn’t find you at the office.”“Oh.”She sauntered towards the bedside table and fished her phone from her bag to check if he had called her. But there was not even a single missed call or text message from Fernan. Kate turned in her nanny’s direction.&l
KATE looked up when she heard the door open. Her secretary came in afterwards.“Yes?”“A certain Winona Sison is here to see you, Ma’am. She said she has a personal appointment with you.”“Oh.” She closed the folder. “Send her in.”Kate pulled her mirror out of the drawer and checked how she looked. She was always conscious whenever she and Winona met.Soon Winona came in. She was wearing the trendiest outfit worn mostly by models and celebrities. Kate then left her seat and met her halfway.“Katherine,” Winona greeted upon reaching her.“I… uhm… I thought we’ll gonna see each other at the coffee shop.” Kate cleared her throat and gestured to the visitor’s couch. “Have a seat.”Winona sauntered towards the couch and sat there with her legs crossed.“I dropped by to see how you’re doing here.&rdq
KATE was too busy that day; she did not even get a hold of her phone the whole day. When she checked it after getting off from work, she saw a few missed calls from Fernan and his mother. She still hated him, so she ignored his calls and called his mom instead.“Mom… I’m so sorry for not answering your calls. I’m busy today and….” She heaved a sigh. “Well… honestly, I chose to be this busy.”“I know, Katherine. And you don’t have to apologize, okay?” said her mother-in-law.“Thank you for understanding.”“Anyway, Fernan told me that you said you won’t be attending Jan’s funeral. Are you really not going to change your mind?”“Mom… I… kinda feel bad attending my husband’s funeral when I’m still hoping that he’s alive.”“Well… you are right, Katherine. It really feels weird, but
“JAN…”Fernan heaved a deep sigh and looked at everyone inside the chapel. He was now standing at the pulpit to deliver the eulogy for his brother.“We grew up together. We shared a lot of things and memories. He’s not just a brother but also a dear friend. We were almost like twins.” He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “When I learned that my brother has gone missing, it kinda felt like I lost half of me. I felt totally devastated, wishing it was all just a dream, and soon I’d wake up and find him standing in front of me. Brother… wherever you are right now, I hope… you’ll find peace.”Kate’s fists clenched. Suddenly, she felt it hard to breathe. So, she decided to leave her seat and ran out of the chapel. She knew she caught the people’s attention. But the hell she cares about what they would say about her. She just wanted to stop hearing the eulogy. Kate could no
KATE could not explain what she was feeling at that moment. She was sure that there was a meaning behind Jan’s father’s gaze. And the more she waited for him to speak, the more she felt anxious.“Katherine, have a seat.” Her father-in-law gestured on the couch.She felt her knees trembling as she sauntered towards the couch. Kate almost lost her balance. Good thing she propped her hand on the couch’s armrest for support.“Are you alright, Katherine?” Jan’s mother asked. It seemed that she had noticed her.“O-oh, y-yeah.” She cleared her throat and straightened her back. “So, what is this all about?”Kate clasped her hands above her lap.“You know you’re Jan’s successor.” Jan’s father tapped his fingers on the table. “So, I want to know if you have plans to marry again.”Her mouth dropped open.“I…&rdquo
Four years later…KATE’s gaze reverted to the door when she heard the hinges creak. Her office door opened slowly, and a small pair of feet came in. A smile immediately curved on her lips. She left her seat and met her visitor halfway.“Mommy!” said Angelique’s little voice as she rushed towards her.Her daughter squealed when she picked her up. She showered Angelique’s plump cheeks with kisses.“Did you knock on mommy’s door, Angel?”She turned in Fernan’s direction when he came inside her office.“So, she’s with you.”“Hm.” He beamed. “The nanny called and informed me that the car at home broke, so I picked her up from the daycare. I brought her here because she said she missed you.”“Oh, that’s so sweet of you, darling.” Kate planted a kiss on her daughter’s forehead.
JAN checked in at the same hotel where his brother was staying. He emptied the envelope the moment they got it and looked at its content one by one. He caressed his chin and looked at her afterwards. “When did you get all of these, Katherine?” “Steel delivered them to me before your dad died. I… I decided to keep it hidden at my family’s ancestral house in the meantime.” “And are you carrying them now? Are you going to give them to my brother?” “No…” Kate shook her head and clasped her hands. “Winona called me. She told me there’s a possibility that you’ll come here to see your brother. And she was right… I have it with me because… I want to show it to you in front of your brother and—” “You don’t have to do that, Katherine.” Jan rose from his seat and sauntered towards her. he held her by the arms and looked at her straight in the eyes. “What’s between Fernan and me will remain between us. I don’t want you to involve yourself with that. Do yo
KATE was biting her nail anxiously as she paced back and forth in the living room.“Dear, could you please stop doing that? I’m starting to get dizzy seeing you pacing like that,” Nana Talia told her and sighed. She even lightly hit her leg with her cane.“I can’t help it, Nana… I’m worried why Angelique and Mom still haven’t arrived here at this hour!” She was almost hysterical when she said that. “Their plane landed at ten this morning. It was already two in the afternoon!”“Then why don’t you call Madam Martina and ask her where they are now instead of worrying here?” Her nanny leaned against her seat and massaged her forehead. “You’re not just making my head dizzy. Now it throbs.”“Right.” Kate fished her phone frantically from her pocket and called Jan’s mother.The other line kept ringing until she heard the operator say th
KATE was cooking fried rice in the kitchen when her nanny came in from the backdoor. She was followed by the cook, who carried the freshly picked crops from the vegetable garden.The cook rushed to her immediately. “Madam, you should’ve—”“No, it’s alright.” She flashed a smile and continued mixing the fried rice in the wok.Her nanny went beside her and nudged her to the side.“Your aura’s looking exceptionally happy today, dear. Did something good happen?” asked Nana Talia.“Well…” Kate turned off the stove. “Jan finally came out of the guestroom, and he requested some fried rice for breakfast, so I cooked for him.”“Oh!” Her nanny’s eyes glowed. “You did it, Kate! It worked!” Nana Talia tapped her back. “Well done, dear.”“Thank you, Nana.”She poured the fried rice into a bowl and
JAN’s mother decided to hold a one-day funeral for his father. After that, he was taken to his final resting place. Fernan did not show up, and Kate only heard from Winona that he had been locking himself inside his hotel suite and would not talk to anyone. She knew what he did was wrong, but then… she could not help but worry about him. Fernan’s situation was not easy, and there was a possibility that his mental state was at stake. She wanted to check on him, but a lot of reasons were holding her back. In the end, Kate decided not to see him and just wait until their paths crossed again. And as for her husband, Jan was another problem. He had been locking himself inside the guestroom. He has barely eaten a decent meal since his dad died and only filled his stomach with different liquors his hand would have a hold. The Villamar brother’s coping mechanism was too far from their mother’s. After her husband’s funeral, Madam Martina went on a vacatio
KATE was at the venue of their company’s commercial shoot that day. She left her phone in the car and eventually forgot to get it, for she was too occupied with supervising the shoot.“Is it alright if we retake that one? I think it will look better if we take the shot from the left angle. What do you think?” she told the director.“Oh, Katherine! You do have a good eye!” the director said after taking another look at the video they shot. “Let’s roll another take of this one.”The director immediately prepared for another shoot.She sat on a bench as she waited for the shoot to happen. That was when her secretary came to her, rushing.“Is there something wrong?” Bianca handed her her phone. “A call from your in-laws’ residence, Ma’am. It’s urgent.”“Hello…” Kate said nervously. Could it be that something happened to her husband again?
KATE hid the file folder in her family’s ancestral home before going to Jan’s parents’ place. She had to hide it somewhere far from everyone who must not see it in the meantime. She must keep the secret until the right opportunity to tell everyone comes. His family had been through a lot lately; she did not have the heart to add another problem.She dipped herself in the bathtub while enjoying a bottle of champagne, hoping that it would relax her mind and body. It was her only escape since she could not go somewhere far away to unwind.“This is one of the things that I miss about you.”Her gaze reverted to the door when she heard Jan’s voice. She found him leaning against the doorframe. His eyes were glistening with admiration as though she was the most beautiful woman in the world.“If you’re going to join me for a bath, please turn off the light.” She took a huge gulp of champagne.“And
KATE sipped her wine as she sat on the bench in the garden. She went there after putting her daughter to sleep. She thought some fresh air would help her feel sleepy, but it did not do much.“I told you, you should join me in bed from now on,” Jan said as he sat down beside her.“And then I’ll keep running back to Angelique before she wakes up in the morning? Nah.” She chugged down the remaining wine on her glass and put it down. “That set-up is hassle—”“Then perhaps you should teach her to sleep on her own….” He buried his face in her neck and sniffed her scent. “The bed feels so huge and lonely without you by my side.”Kate chuckled when she felt his tongue graze the sensitive flesh of her neck.“I didn’t know that your amnesia has this kind of—” He bit her neck. “Jan!”“Ssshhh…” He snaked his arm around he
SHE opened her eyes when she felt butterfly kisses showering her face. Kate smiled immediately when she saw it was Jan.“Good morning,” he said and kissed her deeply afterwards.Her brows furrowed when she realized that her husband was acting as though they did not argue last night. Was he too drunk last night and he did not know what he was doing? Did he already forget about it?“Tell me… have you forgotten what happened last night?”“Which of the two?” he countered.Kate pressed her lips firmly. Ah, it seemed that he did not forget about everything.Jan sat up and leaned against the headboard. He looked down at her, and his fingers started creating circles at her bosom. Kate closed her eyes and moaned softly. What he was doing was already arousing… for her.“I had a dream last night,” Jan said after a while.“About what?” She did not take her eyes off h
KATE stood by the foyer with her eyes fixed in the direction of the gate. She was waiting for Jan to come home. He left before sunset when she had just arrived from work. Jan did not mention where he would go, and she did not dare ask. But now, Kate’s anxiety was tearing her apart. She feared that her husband would not come back just like the last time.“Katherine?”She turned behind her and saw Jan’s mother walking in her direction.“Mom.” She managed to flash a smile.“What are you doing here, hmm?” Her mother-in-law caressed her arm.“I’m waiting for Jan, Mom.” Kate heaved a sigh and turned in the direction of the doorway again. “He left this afternoon and… I don’t know where he is.”“Jan told me he’s going to meet Winona.”She suddenly felt a pang of jealousy in her chest. Jan did not even remember his feelings for her. Wha