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.
SAMUEL rushed to Mara immediately when she saw her carrying the crates of wine on her own. He got it from her and took it inside the warehouse.“You’re not supposed to do this alone, Mara. And this kind of work is not for you,” he told her.She just smiled at him and dried his sweat with her handkerchief.“Y-you don’t have to do this. I—”“Samuel…” Mara said somberly.“Mara, please… we talked about this—”She exhaled deeply and shook her head.“Just tell me why you couldn’t love me back, Samuel….”Mara was sweet and caring. Not only that, but she was also very thoughtful as well. But he could not love her. He could not allow himself to do that until he did not know who he really was. So, until his memories were not coming back, all he could offer her was friendship.“I…” he ran his fingers thr
“HAPPY birthday to you… Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday, dear Angel… Happy birthday to you….”Everyone cheered as her daughter blew the candles on her birthday cake. They gave her a round of applause afterwards.“What’s your wish, sweetie?” Kate asked as she planted a kiss on her daughter’s temple.Angelique clasped her hands and looked at her with dreamy eyes.“Will you make my wish come true?” her daughter asked with a wide grin plastered on her face.“Hm… it’s negotiable,” Fernan butt in.He even wrapped an arm around her waist that made her straighten her back. If only there were no guests around them at that moment, she would distance herself from him. She felt quite uncomfortable, for some reason. Kate diverted her attention to her daughter instead of thinking about it too much.“Tell us your wish,” she told Ang
“OH, here they are….” Jan’s father beckoned them to come closer.He was with a bunch of businessmen close to the family.Fernan wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Of course, they had to act lovey-dovey in front of everyone. Kate immediately forced a smile. If only it was Jan… she did not have to do that.“So, this is your soon-to-be daughter-in-law?” one of the guests asked.“Well, technically, she was her daughter-in-law from the start,” the woman beside Jan’s father countered. “Don’t you know that she’s Jan’s wife?” There was this smug look on the woman’s face that she tried so hard to ignore. “And now after he disappeared, she’s to marry his brother. Perhaps she’s after something—”“Excuse me,” Fernan cut the woman off. She felt his grip tighten on her side. “I don’t th
“THIS island is the perfect getaway. If we acquire this property and build an exclusive private resort—”Winona raised a hand and beckoned her secretary to stop talking.“Miss? Is there something wrong?”She did not respond to the question and remained looking at the man unloading crates from a truck a few meters away from them. The man looked like Jan! She was unsure if she was seeing it right or her vision was playing tricks on her.Winona was aware that there could be a slight chance that a stranger may look like someone she knew. However, her instinct kept telling her that could not be wrong. She had been friends with Jan for a long time, and she had feelings for him. There was no way she would not recognize him. Winona would recognize him by just seeing his back and the way he walks.“Miss?” Her secretary grasped her arm. “Are you alright? Do you want me to get you something to drink?”
FERNAN watched Katherine and Angelique play in the garden. What a sight to behold. How he wished he could watch that scene his whole life. He heaved a sigh as he sat down on the bench in the garden and continued to watch them.It had been years since he started playing the role of a father to Angelique, and he quite got fond of it. It brought him joy. It gave his life a new meaning. However, Fernan knew that everything he had was just temporary.“They look beautiful, don’t they?” his mom said as she sat down beside him.“Yes… of course,” he said without taking his eyes off Katherine.“Angelique looks like her mother in some angles, but she sometimes resembles your brother.” His mother heaved a sigh and held his hand. “Fernan… do you really love Katherine, or you’re just bluffing to save our family’s ass from the—”“It’s true that I love her, Mom.
WINONA welcomed him with a tight hug when he arrived at her hotel suite. He hugged his friend back.“How have you been?” he asked when he distanced himself from her.“Fine. I’m doing okay,” she said, beaming. But her smile did not reach her eyes.Of course, he already had an idea. What she saw must have bothered her.“Winona.” Fernan held her friend’s hands and squeezed them gently. “Tell me what happened.”“Come, let’s have a seat.” She tugged her in the direction of the couch.They sat down there, facing each other.Winona heaved a deep sigh, but it seemed that she could not start speaking. She was out of focus, in panic. She rose from the couch afterwards and sauntered towards the minibar.Fernan leaned on the couch and took a deep breath while watching his friend sip her whiskey. After a few moments, Winona turned to face him, holding the glass wi
“WHAT did he say?” Mara asked with furrowed brows when he returned home after meeting the guest who came to the vineyard.“He told me that he’s my best friend.”“And you believed in him?” She breathed exasperatedly.Samuel turned to face her. Something in the tone of her voice tells him she has doubts about his friend.“Mara, I—”“How can you trust someone when this is the first time you saw him—”“I think you’re forgetting something here,” Samuel said in a low tone, cutting her off. “I have amnesia. I had no choice but to believe what he told me because I couldn’t remember anything. I just… followed my guts. I didn’t feel anything bad towards him.”Samuel knew better. She must have been opposing the idea that the one who came was a friend because she was afraid that the time had come for him to leave them. He
KATE was just curling on the bed day and night for a few days now. She was crying and not talking to anyone, even her nanny. If not for her daughter, she could have done something to hurt herself. It kind of felt like she lost her will to live anymore.She heard the hinges creak but did not pay attention to it. Whoever went inside the room must be someone who delivered her food. But after a few seconds, she felt the cushion move. Someone climbed up on the bed.“Mommy! Mommy!” said her daughter’s sweet little voice.Angelique then removed the duvet covering her face.“Baby… come here.” Kate immediately wiped her tears and pulled her daughter for a hug. When her little arms wrapped around her neck, she could not help but cry. “Oh, God…”“Why you are crying, Mommy?” Angelique kissed her cheek, drying her tears. “Are you sad? Did someone make you cry?”She wiped her
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