“It didn’t belong to me,” Leonica knitted her brows at Gabriel’s outburst.What was he going on about now?what the h*ll didn’t belong to him?“What?”“The child Angelina had been carrying... it didn’t belong to me.” Gabriel repeated, more clearly this time around.Swallowing thick, he awaited Leonica’s reaction, surprised to see that she was looking surprised. Of course, she was! Heck, who wouldn’t be?After nearly a month of believing that Angelina was carrying his child, he suddenly spilled the beans, saying the child didn’t belong to him.How exactly does that work?“Why... why are you telling me this?” Leonica asked once she was able to shake the surprise off. “What do you hope to gain by doing this?”“I...” Gabriel began, only for the rest of his words to die on his tongue. He had no valid reason for telling her what he just did.In all honesty, it was a spur of the moment reaction to stop her from walking away. But obviously, Gabriel wasn’t going to admit that. But to himself a
April fools, that was what Angelina wished today was.But it wasn’t. Currently, it was May 3, April’s fool was far from over. So that meant everything little thing Gabriel was saying was not a prank.Tears began to pull in her eyes, and she snapped without holding back, yelling at the top of her lungs. “You... you don’t love me anymore? There’s no future for you and I? what the h*ll are you saying Gabriel?!”Gabriel remained quiet even though he had been addressed. He had prepared for something like this, her outrage and on flowing tears, so he wasn’t in the least bit moved.When Angelina noticed this, eyes locking onto his indifferent and unfazed ones, she felt a painful sting in her chest. It was the kind of pinch one felt once they had realized something painful that they had been trying to fight off. And for Angelina, her realization in this case, was that Gabriel’s words were true.He wasn’t lying to get rid of her but telling the truth. He actually no longer loved her.But why?
The next day, Leonica sat in the comfort of her living room, looking through the guest list for Ashley’s birthday party. But truthfully, only half of her mind was on the task. The other half was wandering dangerously close to the conversation she had with Gabriel the previous day, more so, the words she had spoken to him.Now, the white-Ette was a hundred percent aware that Gabriel was a scumbag, she had experienced it firsthand, after all. But for some reason, reasons that she tried time and time again to ignore, she couldn’t help but wonder if she had been too harsh on him.Even an *sshole didn’t deserve such a brutal truth and she could have done a better job at selling it smooth to him, right?“Ha,” Sighing, she placed the guest list down and ran her fingers through her hair, cursing at her mind for thinking hard and long over something such as this, that she didn’t even want to recall.Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening and shortly after, the housekeep
~Thirty minutes earlier~Leonica had just finished sorting through the first batch of attending guests when Grace glided down the stairs alone. She glanced up the stairs, expecting the little demon to rush down in his usual energetic state, but he did.“Where’s Ash?” She asked when her son was nowhere to be seen.“The young master fell asleep right after his bath.” Grace informed as she descended the last flight of stairs and picked up the dusting rag she had dropped off before going upstairs, about to resume her duties. When she noticed Leonica’s unwavering stare on her, she asked. “Should I have stopped him? Perhaps I should have kept him awake so he could sleep better at night?”“Uh, no. Not at all. It’s just,” There was a pause in her sentence in which Leonica chuckled to herself. “It’s not every day you see Ash fall asleep right after a bath.”Understanding the reason for her long stare, Grace nodded her head. “Indeed. The Child must have been really exhausted.” She reasoned, rea
“Risk it?” Leonica repeated his words and went silent. All of a sudden, she chuckled loudly, startling Gabriel. “Don’t be silly, Gabriel. Even if artificial insemination fails, there are many other ways to save Ashley.” She said and waved her hand in a dismissive manner almost as if saying she wanted to end the topic here.But Gabriel’s confused expression said something else.Other ways to save Ashley? God he hoped it was no what he thought she was implying.“In-Vitro for example.” Leonica added upon seeing Gabriel confused face and nearly relished deeply when his expression contorted confusion, anger that came when he realized that his *ssumptions were right and then finally a disapproving look that came along with the realization that not many mothers were the same after IVF.“IVF, are you listening to yourself, Leonica? That can harm you.” He objected, leaning forward in a manner that showed he was serious about his every word.“Like you care.” Leonica shrugged nonchalantly, eyes
The air in the room had suddenly turned stiff after Ashley’s words. But the boy remained smiling, clearly not knowing the meaning of the glances his parents exchanged.Had they just heard right? Ashley, saved by Angelina? The very same Angelina Fernandez they knew? Scheming, witchy and all?Uh-uh, no way in hell that actually happened. But it was also clear that Ashley wasn’t lying. The bundled demon of joy looked far too innocent to be lying. At times Leonica even feared that the kid didn’t even know how to lie and now was no different.So, it was either his brain was still a bit muddled from the entire experience or the doctors had given him some sort of shot that messed up his entire mind and made him mouth speak all kind of rubbish, or perhaps both.Leonica chugged her son’s strange behavior and unreal words up to the two. Chuckling, she gently brought his hands down. “Ash, Honey, tell me, do you feel alright? Do I.. need to question the doctor about your shots?”“Nope.” The child
The next few days had gone in a bliss of eventless hours. And soon, it was the day of Ashley’s birthday party.Standing in front of the mirror, Leonica examined the dress Ashley had insisted hard on her wearing. It was a black evening gown, opened at the back with moderate neckline and golden lining at the bottom which stopped at her ankle.At first glance, she saw nothing special about the dress and wondered why Ashley had been so insistent on her wearing it.“Mommy, it’s time to go~” Came Ashley’s voice from outside her room door and soon, the small child appeared, dressed in a black suit and pants, a befitting attire for his birthday party.It was then Leonica took one look at his dress and then back at hers in the mirror and chuckled. Now she understood why Ashley had insisted on her wearing the dress he had picked out. It was because he was wearing something to match her.The lapel of his tiny black suit had glitters of gold and so did his tiny bow tie, almost as if it was made t
“And any man would be a fool to know someone like her and allow her walk away, am I not right, Mr. Bryce?” Arvan asked in a care free manner, smiling and pocketing his hands at Gabriel's obvious irritated expression.Even without one knowing the subject of matter or the situation at hand, the tension hanging thick in the air, one that Arvan didn’t seem to be paying attention to and even if he is, he was doing a fine job at feigning indifference, was enough to spell everything out loud.A few seconds had p*ssed after Arvan’s words; seconds in which Gabriel held an intense eye contact with him, before he chuckled, lowering and nodding his head all the while.“Indeed. You’re correct, Senator Richardson,” Looking up, he offered Arvan a smile, nearly as meaningful as his past one. “For once, it’s safe to say we’re Seeing Eye to eye.”Like hell they were. Despite the smile on Gabriel’s lips, meaningful as it may look, Arvan was sure that the moment he turned around, the former male won’t he