My frustration ruined my mood that I insisted on going home after checking into one hotel only. We were supposed to do resort hopping, but because I was afraid Zed would notice my foul mood after an unsatisfied petting, I made my lack of sleep as an excuse. Zed always understood so, in less than three hours, we were back in the city.
“Want an ice cream? It’s too hot today.” I knew Zed wanted to let my mood cool down, but he blamed it on the sunny weather.
“Okay,” I forced myself to answer.
I should understand that Zed just wanted to protect our baby. He was afraid that my pregnancy was delicate, and we would lose our child by indulging in our carnal desire. We often heard from older folks that a pregnant woman should abstain from any sexual stimulation to ensure a healthy pregnancy.
Zed pulled over in front of an ice cream castle. A few minutes later, I ordered a banana split. It had three scoops of ice cream with split banan
“Doctor? Why?” Zed asked in furrowed brows.I looked at him with a scared and worried face that confused both Zed and Ara. Zed hurrieddownstairs but I stopped him right away.“Can you do the questioning later and just hurry up? Go and change!”Zed scratched his head and opened his mouth to speak, but he shut his mouth in the endand turned to leave.In less than 10 minutes, Zed was already in a new set of jeans and shirt. He hollered from the top of the staircase, interrupting Ara and mine’s discussion.“What was in that movie that prompted you to bring me to a doctor?’I ignored her and turned to Ara. “Ar, I’m so sorry. You may stay here and continue watching the movie. Promise, I will explain it to you later.”Ara shooed us away impatiently, irritated that I had disrupted her excitement of the climax of the story.“Whatever. Just tell me what caused
Zed had his laboratory tests the next day, but the results were all normal. I had succeeded in letting Zed believe that I happened to read an article about diseases associated with most lecturers. It said that lecturers spent sleepless nights and long hours of preparation. They are also prone to stress and anxiety due to the pressures and demands of the crowd. They sometimes skipped meals and overeat the next because their clients often treat them with lavish and sumptuous foods.“Those are unnecessary worries, dear, but I appreciate you for thinking of me.” Zed gave me a tight hug when we were back in the car.I huddled close to him for a while before we set off the road again. I closed my eyes on the way and pretended I was sleepy, but the truth was my mind was in a mess. Zed didn’t have any of these predisposing factors for Erectile Dysfunction Syndrome, so it meant he had another illness.I decided to revisit Dr.Mitch in the afternoon when
I closed my eyes and tried hard not to blink. Thislulled me to sleep.I didn’t know if I tossed or turned over—I just felt his skin on my nudeback. He pulled me closer so that his chest and abdomen fitted into my curled position, making my butt rest on his torso. I opened my eyes slightly and turned my head to look at him.“Why are you naked?” he asked; his tone irritated. "You might catch a cold.""Hmmn."I ignored his concern for a while and turned my back on him again. My initial plan to seduce him dissipated as soon as my desire to sleep more set in. Nothing ismore tempting for a pregnant woman in her early trimesterthan curling up in bed.“Naked?” I answered lazily. My thoughts became groggier as my sleepiness dragged my consciousness away.“Look at this!” he teased, cupping my ass.I shifted to a supine position and his hand immediately landed on my mons.
I continued to serve the hospital’s accounting departmentuntil my resignation took effect. At the same time, I was learning more about Kim Yuan Microelectronics. I didn’t see Kim after that trip with him since he was out of the country the whole time. However, Miss Trish kept communicating with me and sent me some files and links to go over. The previous manager who resigned due to some personal reasons also took time to orient me with the full responsibilities.Time flew fast, and Ara was already in his seventh month of pregnancy. Her nose became larger, coupled with lots of pimples and dark brown patches on her face. Her nape, neck, and underarms darkened, and an ugly linea negra mapped her abdomen, aside from gaining weight.One Sunday afternoon, Ara and I took a walk around the subdivision. I avoided topics related to Tim, so I no longer knew about the progress of his relationship with Maezy.“Yen, you should see Tim. He’s becom
The sound of running footsteps against the tiled floor caught my attention. As soon as I lifted my eyes, Jaykee'sshrill voice pierced into my ears.“Auntie Yen, Auntie Ara!”“My love!” Ara stretched out her arms to hug him. “How’s my baby boy?”“Jaykee is happy. Daddy Yuki is here!”New name. Who was he, I thought.“Auntie Ara, Auntie Yen, look!” Jaykee raised his finger and pointed the photo frame on the wall. “He’s my daddy.”I got confused. I thought James was his real daddy’s name. Sylvia must have read my mind because she approached me and whispered into my ear, “Jaykee’s real father.”I recalled everything she said that night while we were in the plaza. That before James, Maezy had an old man. But it hadn’t occurred to me that he was Jaykee’s biological father. I turned to look at Ara, and I got
I couldn’t imagine how big my eyes were when I looked at the man beside me.“Kim, what are you doing?” I exclaimed, still muddle-headed.“Sorry for troubling you. But you know I can’t be there.”It suddenly occurred to me that his wife was betraying him in his own home. This fact just blew out of my mind when he appeared like a knight in shining armor to save a damsel in distress. I was focusing on being star-struck, rather than being sensitive enough to his feelings and to the current situation.“Kim, I don’t understand.” I was just so afraid to make a wrong conclusion.“Mr. Yuki is still her husband. When he got sick for a long time and was under the care of his family, she decided to go home to the Philippines. She was pregnant at that time, so his family thought it was indeed inconvenient for an eighteen-year-old wife to stay with a comatose husband, so they kindly sent her away. When
“I see.” I no longer asked who Jakara was. It was something personal and I was reluctantto delve deeper into it. He threw a glance at me with an amused smile. “Do you want to know about her?” I stared at him with doubtful eyesand asked, “You are willing to talk to me about her?” “Why not?” He chuckled. “Since you know a lot about my life and all the betrayals, I don’t consider it wrong if I add some more to it.” “Okay, then. I’ll listen.” “I met Jakara when…” Kim began, but he suddenly stopped. I followed his eyes outside the windshield, looking at the jogger who passed by. To my surprise, it was Zed. He stopped over a bench, drops of sweat trickling down his face. I froze as I watched him bending over, placing his hands slightly wider than his shoulder’s lengthon both corners of the bench Then, he pushed his body forward and up in repeated cycles. I debated whether or not I should go down and gree
“I trust you, Yen. You don’t have to ask permission in everything you want to do or everywhere you wish to go. You can tell me later about it.”I stared at him with drooping shoulders. The sense of guilt I felt inside seemed to consume my energy. Yet, itseemed that all my worrying was unnecessary because it didn’t matter to him. This man was really one of a kind!“Thank you, Zed. I thought I had you worried. But believe me…”Zed suddenly hovered over me and drowned my words into his lips. And because I was pregnant andestrogen and progesterone productionin my body were high, I was extra sensitive. I wanted him so badly.I threw my arms around his neck and locked my fingers behind it. I treasured every moment his lips and tongue got into play, licking and sucking its routine paths. He lifted my blouse and gathered the hem below my neck while he pulled down the edge of my bra, exposing my
“Kim’s wife? But what about Maezy?” “There’s was no marriage between them.” “What?” I gasped; my eyes almost fell out from their sockets. “Kim is just paying for the price of a sinful indulgence.” I was about to ask further, but the attendant came over to take our orders. I felt like sitting on needles already that I could no longer stay seated for a long time. I excused myself and went up to our room. My mind was flooding with strange thoughts already – from those repeated dreams, the building I saw near the company, Kim’s business partners calling me Jakara. I felt it in my heart that somehow, all these were related to my life. I did a video call with Zed once I got inside the room. He was already changing into a suit, preparing for his speaking engagement that night. The tailored piece that hugged his well-built body made him look extremely gorgeous. I couldn’t even take off my eyes on him. “Is there a problem?” Zed asked, smiling b
"Excuse me, everyone!" Kim's voice sliced through the rising commotion among the board members. And immediately, the atmosphere stilled. "Whatever reason Miss Yen had is none of our business. What we need are her potentials and capabilities. Besides, it's already five years ago." I didn't expect Kim would defend me before those intimidating figures of Kim Yuan Microelectronics, Asian. But he should "But Mr. Mori, people…" the man who dared to voice out his question insisted. Perhaps, he was about to say that my past issues would affect the company's reputation. And people would pester them about it. However, I had no idea what kind of past they were talking about. "Please. Let's move on to another topic. Miss Yen is not ready to talk about it. You may bring out your issues to me later." Kim swept them a chilling gaze, and everyone fell silent after that. I could still see that some of them were about to open their mouths to speak b
I stopped and stared at the building through the glass wall, trying to compare it to the one in my dream."What's wrong?" Kim's voice disrupted my thoughts."Oh, nothing." I resumed walking, but I noticed that Kim was stealing glances at me."What?" I stepped ahead, then turned and faced him, getting his full attention.He held my gaze for a moment then pulled up his brows together. "Why do I feel something is bothering you?"I turned and glanced at the house again. "That building seems familiar."To my surprise, Kim's eyes lit up, and he smiled."Really? You must have seen it in movies. One time, a filming group rented that building."I bit my lower lip and squinted, letting my mind run through my memories. My thoughts then flashed to some movie scenes I had watched before. And Iindeed thought I had seen this building in one of those movies."You're right," I nodded and resumed walking."This way, ple
The ringing from my alarm app pierced into my ears and had me bolting out of the blanket. I proceeded to the corner where I placed my suitcase, then pulled out a new set of business dresses with my thoughts on my dream. Surprisingly, it's about Kim running after me again in that same snow-covered place. What made me wonder more was the seeming continuation of my first dream. It felt like adé·jà vu. Where it had ended in an elevator the last time, it now extended to another scene. And the scene wasn't anything simple or expected but something beyond my imagination– an intimate scene with Kim! Of all the men out there, why him? I even had trouble forgetting that scene with him on the beach one time. Zed is now my husband and should only be the only man in my mind. I was betrayinghim already by imagining Kim during those unsatisfied moments I had with him. I could hardly believe I dreamed of something like that! Yes,
I hurried to flip the cover back to its place as soon as I saw the doorknob moving. And at that moment, I wondered how a thief handles his racing heartbeats every time he steals. All the while I was flipping the pages to hunt for information about Kim, my eyes were also on the door, accompanied by loud pounding in my ears. "Sorry," Kim said as he sat back across from me. "It was Cris, Trish's fiance. He is also joining us in the meeting later. He's one of Kim Yuan's shareholders." "Really? Trish is already engaged?" My eyes sparkled in excitement for her. "Yes. By the way, he's not just a business partner, but a cousin." That explained why Kim and Trish seemed comfortable with each other. From other people's points of view, their closeness seemed unusual. Anyone might even think they were into an illicit love affair. "That's wonderful to know. And why does Trish still work for you? Why not at her fiance's company?" Kim chuckled
In about six hours, we were already stepping on the bustling premises of Tokyo International Airport. Kim's driver in Japan fetched us, and to my surprise, we headed towards a hotel inside the airport, the Royal Park Hotel. "What are we doing here?" I asked, scanning my eyes over the façade of the huge building. "You're pregnant. You need to rest for a while," Kim responded, glancing at the building before us. "Sir Kim, can you take Miss Yen with us on all our coming business trips?" Trish butted in, stopping me from thanking Kim right away. "With her around, I can also enjoy the special treatment for a pregnant woman." "Silly girl. But by the way, Trish, from now on, you will be accompanying Yen in all her travels while she is pregnant." "What?!" Trish squealed, making Kim's driver frown. I couldn't help noticing his reaction from the rear-view mirror. Trish was sitting beside him while Kim sat next to me in the passenger's seat.
“What are you two saying? I have habitual panic attacks?” I burst into the living room after hearing them mentioning the term ‘panic attack.’ “You misunderstood us, Yen. Zed only wants to mean you’re scared of guns and any explosives.” I looked at Zed, then back to Kim. “I’m sorry, dear. I have been used to using the term because it’s sometimes included in oneof my topics, “Overcoming Fears" and "Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zones." I shifted my gaze between the two of them again, although Zed had convinced me with his explanation. Seeing the guilty looks on their faces, I lost my intention to go deeper. And besides, we only have a few minutes left before risking the cancellation of our flight. “Wait, I’ll get your suitcase. Please excuse me, Mr. Mori.” “Please have a seat, Kim.” I walked over to the sofa, leading the way for Kim. I then sat down ahead of him, gesturing for him to sit down across from me. He followed me, b
I woke up in the morning, bothered by the dream. It looked so real to me. Unlike my other dreams, where the settings or location suddenly changed, the succession of that short dream was steady. I wished I had seen the name of the building. But what amazed me more was the snow-covered surroundings. I couldn’t recall that place in the past. I may have been to other countries before because of my job, but I couldn’t imagine myself walking in the snow.Perhaps, Kim’s love story trailer that Ara revealed had hooked me subconsciously because it appeared in my dream. And what made it funnier was that I became the Jakara in that dream. And Kim is in love with me? I giggled. Dreams are indeed crazy! "Good morning, dear!" Zed's voice disrupted my recollection of the dream. The smile on my lips even quickly disappeared. What would Zed think if he sees me smiling to myself? "Good morning. You always wake up early." I gréeted him while pulling myself out o
After dinner, Miss Trish called to inform me that she had already sent the flight details to my email. Zed helped me prepare my things and even placed them in a small suitcase. He made sure that I had all I would need for a two-day trip. Though we only had to be there for a day and would be back by night, Zed wanted me to stay so that I could rest. He thought I would be exhausted at the end of the day. Thus, it wouldn't be good for my pregnancy.We were about to go to bed when my phone sounded. The screen displayed Ara’s face the moment I picked up the phone from the bedside table.“Yen, are you awake?” Ara spoke right into the line as soon as I pressed the blinking green icon."Yes, of course," I replied. "What's up?""It's Tim. I feel something isn't right anymore.""Tell me more.""He told me that Maezy wants him to stay in their house so that he could be there whenever she needs to go somewhere."I frowned and fe