SHE covered her mouth. Tears ran down her cheeks like a rapid river. Her heart clenched and her knees went jelly. Michelle almost fell to the floor, if not for her father, who grabbed and held her immediately. The news was telling her that something bad had happened to her husband. Every bit of information lingered and echoed in her ears, as if trying to kill her. She sobbed, slowly knelt on the floor with her eyes that couldn’t look away from the TV. The man on the screen was none other than her husband. It was really Ethan. The airplane that was about to land crashed before it made an attempt to turn to the landing area. It sank all the way to the ocean, which wasn’t far away from the airport. Her heart felt like tearing apart and all she could do was sob out loud. "Dad! Ethan… Where’s Ethan?!" She cried. Her father could only embrace and soothe her. Their entire family turned into a mess all at once. The Steinfields and Michelle went to the area where the airplane crashed. Th
IT HAD been a month since the accident had happened, and yet they still couldn’t find Ethan.Michelle took every chance she had and searched for her husband. Her father had always accompanied her whenever she went to the village near the sea where the plane crashed. They had asked numerous people whether they had seen her husband by showing them his picture, but to no avail.That was her daily routine for the past three weeks. She would wake up early in the morning and do everything she could to search for her husband, yet every time they would go home, she’d feel devastated knowing that there wasn’t any progress at all.Even the search team found it hard to search for Ethan’s body.It actually became her biggest hope...If there was no body that could be found, it was possible that he was still out there, alive and probably recovering somewhere else. She thought she just needed to double time and find him sooner.Michelle didn’t want to give up. She didn’t want to think that Ethan wo
AS SOON as they went home, Michelle rushed upstairs and vomited in the bathroom.Her tummy didn’t feel well after having a fight with her dad on the way home. She could feel the dizziness in her head. After sitting next to the toilet for a couple of minutes, Michelle gathered her strength, forcing her feet to stand up and wash her face in the lavatory.She looked at her reflection in the mirror. All she saw was the face of a woman who had obviously turned into a mess. The dark circles under her eyes were a constant reminder that she hadn’t been able to sleep well after the accident. Her hair was a mess, like it hadn’t been touched by a comb in so long. Her lips, which used to be scarlet, turned pale and chopped. She was aware she had lost weight too.But the worst thing ever... she almost felt like she was losing herself every day that passed that she couldn’t find Ethan.She shut her eyes. Tears started to fall down her cheeks. Michelle wasn’t that numb to ignore the searing pain ins
AFTER two weeks…"Mrs. Steinfield, can we get your statement regarding the painful death of your husband?" one of the reporters asked her as she exited the familiar company building.Michelle had to come to a company meeting to hear the plans of the board and the temporary CEO. They wanted to make sure that the business was still operating as expected, as the market value had been bearish since the disappearance of Ethan Steinfield.She didn’t answer any of the questions coming from the reporters who were chasing her and wanted to hear a word from her. No words could explain how she felt about her situation. All she knew was that it was damn painful, unbearable and was like a living nightmare for her.Michelle bumped and swerved through the crowd of reporters. Flashes of cameras and microphones pointed at her were blocking her way until a pair of arms held her shoulders and swiftly guided her all the way to her car.The next thing she knew was that she was already sitting in the passe
DESPITE the anxiety coursing through her, Michelle ran inside the hospital, worried that something bad had happened to Marsha.She quickly went to the information desk and asked for her daughter’s room number, and then entered an elevator afterward. Jacob was there beside her, trying to calm her down. But she couldn’t. Michelle felt so scared at that moment.Before she went into the company that morning, Marsha already had a mild fever. Her little girl’s temperature went back to normal before she left the house, and hearing the news from her father over the phone freaked her out.She should’ve stayed at home. Marsha needed her the most and yet she left her to sit in the conference room hearing the absurd comments and plans of the board members of the company. She should’ve stayed with her little girl and been a responsible mother.She was all to blame.When they entered Marsha’s room, Michelle burst into tears, seeing her daughter sleeping on the hospital bed. There were machines on b
MARSHA squealed on the bed as Jacob tickled her tummy as they played.Michelle was fixing her daughter’s things while sitting on the couch. Her gaze followed the laughter coming from the hospital bed, and a smile of relief escaped her lips as she saw that her daughter was getting better.They had been in the hospital for two days. Marsha underwent observation from her doctors and today they were only waiting for her nurse before they went home.For the past two days, Jacob stayed with them and had been a great help. Michelle was pregnant and still having anxiety attacks, so there were times she was having trouble moving around inside the hospital. During those times, Jacob became her support and made her feel that she wasn’t alone in her battle.She couldn’t thank him enough for his kindness. Marsha regained so much energy because Jacob was there to brighten her little girl’s mood. She didn’t even ask for her father anymore. Michelle wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not."Great
"HI," Michelle greeted the camera recording her video.She licked her lower lip, unable to say a word afterwards as she was having second thoughts about that thing she once thought she had to do.It had been two months since Ethan went missing. While all the people around them accepted that he might have been dead in the depths of the sea, Michelle remained hopeful that one day he’d come back and their family would be complete again.She was sitting on the floor next to their bed, facing the camera. Earlier that morning, she stumbled into Marsha’s baby things when she cleaned the room. She saw those videotapes she recorded before when she was pregnant with her firstborn, in hopes that one day Ethan would watch them to make him happy.Her second pregnancy was crucial. The baby in her womb was sensitive compared to how Marsha grew inside of her. Michelle religiously followed the instructions of her OB-gene as she didn’t want her baby to face another problem. Even if it meant doing it al
“YOU should have fun, Mich.”Those were Megan’s last words that lingered in her head after their phone call that morning. Her best friend checked up on her and wanted to know how she was, especially since she was going through a sensitive pregnancy journey.Michelle didn’t know how the hell she’d have fun in the four corners of her bedroom. In fact, she wasn’t sure if she could still be happy at that point in her life.She was barely alive, barely breathing, yet she was trying to live for her children because she had made a promise to Ethan. Regardless of what her emotions were, Marsha and the second baby were her top priority.Fun. Michelle looked for a fun thing to do while Marsha was playing with her grandfather.Michelle sighed heavily. Her feet guided her to the garden. The beautiful flowers in the little garden next to their house had bloomed over the past painful weeks. While the rest of her world had crumpled after the disappearance, this part of their home remained colorful.
"THE VICTIMS were sent to the hospital for proper treatment," the cops told her the moment she arrived in the area where the accident happened. Michelle could not stop crying and asked the policeman which hospital her husband had been brought to, driving immediately as soon as she got the answer she needed. She dialed Megan’s phone number and informed her best friend about the name of the hospital so she could follow because she knew that Andrew also needed her. When she arrived in the hospital, she felt nothing but the dreadful feeling coursing through her. She wanted to compose herself, but her mind was already haywire because of all the worry she had for her husband. It felt like the rest of the world stopped revolving, and all she did was run and run... "Two victims of a car accident were sent to this hospital. Where are they?" she managed to ask the front desk officer. "How are you related to the victims, Ma’am?" "I am the wife of one of them," she answered, taking a deep bre
MICHELLE walked down the stairs with Marcus in her arms. She just finished breastfeeding him and now wanted to hang out with the people in the garden.The Steinfields, her father, and Megan were all out there, preparing for the New Year’s Eve that they would celebrate that night. They all came together to welcome another New Year, and she could not be more thankful that these people came to their house to join them for another chapter of their lives."Look at that little pumpkin. He has gotten bigger, Mich," Gregory commented and immediately took his grandson from her arms.Michelle giggled. "That baby loves to sleep and eat every single time.""He looks definitely like you when you were a baby.""I believe he definitely looks like Ethan. See those marble gray eyes, Dad?"Gregory chuckled. "Well, eyes won’t lie, I guess.""Of course, Dad."She could not help but smile seeing her father try to make Marcus giggle by making faces. It was such an adorable sight, and she felt honored to wi
SHE glanced around the men's boutique, her curious eyes efficiently trying to find good clothes or anything she could give Ethan as a gift for their year-end party. Ethan already had anything; name it and anyone would find it in his vast walk-in closet. That being said, Michelle was having difficulty deciding on the best gift she could give him—that one thing that would make him smile and surprise him."There are so many designer shoes at that corner. But I don’t know which one is good for Andrew," Megan stated, and it was followed with a sigh of defeat. "God, why is it so hard to find gifts for men?"Michelle laughed a bit. She could relate, as she was having difficulty choosing too. It just so happened that they both married men who had everything, so every year they’d end up cracking their heads trying to get them nice gifts."Are you able to choose anything?" Megan curiously asked her.She shook her head, pouting her lips. "Not yet. I don’t think work suits would be a good gift. H
HE brushed his fingertips over the soft angles of his wife’s face and could not help but adore every feature she had. It was his morning routine whenever he got to wake up first in the morning, and he would find his wife still sleeping soundly next to him.Needless to say, he’d become easily addicted to her and to this kind of morning with her. Her strawberry scent that kept him enticed every single day, her soft skin that kept him warm at nights, her laughter and soft touches that kept him sated and content, and her presence that made his world colorfulHe had no idea that a man like him, who had amnesia, could be in love so hard; madly and deeply. However, he wanted to treasure that moment at all costs. This kind of beauty in his life needed to be protected and kept.Michelle’s forehead formed a knot as she lifted her head. A soft moan escaped her closed mouth, which made him smile. Seconds later, she slowly opened her eyes and met his intent gaze."Good morning," he murmured under
"YOU’RE making me crave for sex," Ethan said, kissing her neck and sucking her skin sensually.Michelle’s lips parted. She was in deep pleasure, and whenever Ethan would say things like that, a big lustful part of her was getting more aroused.Her hands traveled around his firm back. She touched the muscles he had there. A moan escaped her lips when Ethan bit her neck firmly, making her dig her nails over her bare skin. She bit her lower lip and shut her eyes, but when Ethan claimed her lips again, everything went so fuzzy.It didn’t take long before the man was able to strip her naked. The cold air brushed against her skin, making her shiver. But when Ethan pulled up to stare at—admire—her naked body, she felt the scorching heat go to her. He looked at her as if she were a piece of beautiful art. The gleaming desire to take her was evident in his marble gray eyes, and the smile of contentment that curled in his lips gave her more confidence."You’re beautiful, Mich..." Ethan said bre
The ring of her cell phone jolted her awake. With a forehead crease, Michelle rose up and quickly turned off the alarm on her cell phone. It was already 6 o’clock in the morning. She hadn’t been able to sleep for at least six hours, but she had to get up and follow the "mom on call" schedule to better take care of her little sunshine—none other than Eionn Marcus.It had been what? A month had passed when she gave birth to their second child, and Michelle could still feel the excitement getting through her whenever she would walk into the nursery room, open the curtained windows to let the sunlight lighten up the entire solemn place, and wake up her little one by planting kisses on his fluffy cheeks.It had been her morning routine. She was strictly following the "mom on call" schedule because it wasn’t only giving her much time to bond with her baby but also making sure that Marcus’ health was always a top priority."Good morning, my little sunshine..." she greeted her baby with a hea
THE CAR was filled with her whimpers, cries and screams. Her nails dug over the leather seat in the passenger seat. She was lying down there, making a few deep breaths to relax herself but the great amount of pain consuming her entire body was making her ballistic and a mess.Beads of sweat had formed on her forehead. Her legs and belly were both getting numb as the minutes passed by. Ethan was driving the car so fast, completely alarmed by her situation. He was panicking so much, and so even she was in great pain, she reminded him to drive carefully as she didn’t want them to get into some road accident.“Oh, my God...” she murmured, crying. “I think I’m going to die. He’s coming out. Faster, Ethan!”“Uhm, you just told me to slow down a bit,” Ethan said nervously.“Fuck. I swear this will be the last time you’d be able to impregnate me!” she screamed on the top of her lungs and made a push before she took a few deep breaths again. “I really swear to God—““Calm down, Mich! We’re on
AFTER A MONTH, "WILL you be fine without us?" Michelle looked at her father. At first, she thought that the old man was teasing her, seeing how he curled his lips downward, but she realized that he was actually worried, seeing the worry in his eyes. Still smiling, she took a deep breath and softened her expression as she looked at her father, who she hadn't realized had become more frail as time passed. She was so busy with her life that she wasn’t able to watch out for her father. Distracted by what life had thrown her way, she didn’t notice that her father was really getting older. "I’m going to be fine." She checked over her shoulder and found Ethan, who was fixing a chandelier’s light bulb in the living room. "Ethan will be here, so you shouldn’t worry that much. I hope you and Marsha would enjoy hanging out." Her old man laughed heartily, shaking his head. He and Marsha would go to the school where they enrolled the little girl. It was going to be Marsha’s first day in her ne
"GOSH, you have to calm down, Mich!" Megan said.Michelle shook her head, pacing back and forth in the living room. Her mother-in-law called an hour ago, saying that they would send Ethan back home. Selene did not mention whether the result of the surgery turned out well or not, so she could not calm down a bit even though the people around her were telling her to do so.Megan and Andrew came to visit as they were excited to find out how the surgery went. All of them were in the living room, waiting for her husband to arrive. Holding her pregnant belly, she didn’t stop walking around, getting very impatient as she wanted to know how the surgery turned out for Ethan."I don’t understand why Mom didn’t tell me how it went," she said and stopped in front of them, biting her fingernails. "Do you think it went bad and that’s why she couldn’t tell me?""We can’t assume, Mich," her father said, sipping on his coffee."Your Dad is right. We can’t assume unless we see it personally," Andrew ad