BEATRICE:It was already three o'clock in the afternoon. I was already late in fetching Grayson at his school, but I could not leave the baby alone without her mother. I've been trying to reach Jamie Finnerty, the baby's mother, through the phone but still there was no sign of her. She said she would be back in the afternoon, but now… she won't answer her phone which she never did, especially if she was not with her daughter. I hoped Jamie was safe.If she took longer than what she had promised to me, I hoped she was fine wherever she was.I stopped thinking when the baby reached my hair, as if silently telling me that there should be nothing to be worried about. Cassandra Finnerty. The baby did not look after her mother. Even if I did not see her Dad, I had an idea that the child took after the father. I smiled when the baby reached my hair. I had no problem if Jamie would take longer than what she had promised to since the baby was already well-feed. I had given her smashed po
BEATRICE:Drake did say that he won’t leave in the morning. He did what he had promised. My chest tightened as I continued to watch the two. Grayson…there was no hesitation on him as he played with Drake. It seemed that he already felt that the man he was with was his real Dad. Cassandra flapped her tiny hands wildly as if she was trying to reach out to Grayson and Drake. “Gray,” she said.“Yes, Cassandra. That's our Grayson. And he will be playing with you later when we get home, okay? Do you like that?” I coed. She squealed in happiness as if she understood what I asked. My gaze went back to Grayson and Drake as the latter pushed the swing back and forth. I sighed as I continued watching the father and son. They easily jived as if this was not the first time that they were playing like that. And my son’s happiness was plastered all over his face. Would he be able to smile even more if I told him the truth? Realization hit me hard.He was looking for a Daddy’s figure and no
BEATRICE:How could Grayson ask things like that with my ex-husband listening? I did not want Drake to get weird ideas. He might think that I wanted to have another child coming from him which was not the case. I loved children, don’t get me wrong. But right now, Grayson was already enough in my life. For now. If I ever have to have another child, it would be from someone who would never blackmail or divorce me. It would be from someone who loved me with all his heart. How would I be able to get impregnated when I didn't even have a man in my life? It was ludicrous. Plus the way Drake was watching me was unsettling. It looked as if he was curious about my answer too. I would never give him the satisfaction. "Mommy's not going to get pregnant, Grayson. If Mommy wants to have another baby, it will take a long time. Right now, there are a lot of things that need Mommy's attention." Like paying my mountains of bills and a lot more to come. Having a man in my life was not something I ne
BEATRICE:I hated Drake. I even vowed not to be friends again with him. Was I partly to be blamed if I could not stop myself from getting angry at my ex-husband after everything he did in the past?You cannot blame the child for asking. He did not know what happened between you and Drake. If you want him to understand, why don't you tell him the truth that the man whom you are with is his Dad?Grayson tugged my hand. "Mommy?"I locked gazes with Drake, and there was no fury in his eyes; instead, there was shame. He knew that he was to be blamed for everything that happened. He could not force me to tell Grayson the truth. "I'm not angry, Grayson. Mommy is just tired today.”His eyes softened, understanding evident in his eyes. My son had already matured and in a couple of years, someone would be protecting me from assholes. "You may take a rest when we reach the house, Mommy. I will clean the house for you, okay? Cassy and I will play so that you may rest. You see, Mommy? You're a
BEATRICE:Of course, it was meant to be a joke, stated in a serious tone, but the way I see it, Drake was buying my statement. His face darkened which I had a fun time watching. On a serious note, why was he angry when it was clear he gave all those assets to me? Was it because he did not expect I was capable of wasting his money on other men aside from him? “Don’t joke like that,” Drake stated.I snorted. “Am I? What if I am telling the truth? Would you get mad at me for spending your money on men you don't even know?”He heaved a long sigh. “It was a conjugal property, Beatrice. I also said that you are free to sell those properties if you want,” he declared through gritted teeth. “Though, I did not like what I heard. Those men…those assholes were only after your money.”I scoffed. “I’m glad you remembered them. Whatever happened, you don’t have any say in them anyway.”He opened his mouth but closed it again.“Beatrice…” He was buying my statement? “Those properties cost a few
BEATRICE:"Tell me that you're lying, Beatrice.""I am not lying, Christina. You can see it for yourself. My ex-husband is here and I need you to be here to guard the kids while we buy groceries.""What. The. I thought we talked about this?”I chewed on my bottom lips. “We did, but—”“Don't tell me he is paying for the groceries.""He will," I mumbled. "Why? Why? I can pay for it! As long as you don't accept that jerk's money."She had the money to do so, but how could I tell her that I was already embarrassed as I continued accepting her help? If you're that shy, what difference did it have with your ex-husband? The difference was that this was my first time accepting his offer. The first and the last. Which I hoped I would be doing. "I already accepted it." And I could save a lot. Just this once. I did not have any choice but to accept his money. I heard her mutter endless curses that I felt made my ear bleed. I could not blame her. She was the one who had witnessed how I suffe
BEATRICE:"You've been sighing a lot, Beatrice. Did Christina's statement bother you?" Drake asked as he drove me off towards the grocery store. It was only a couple of fifteen minutes away from my apartment. Sometimes, I would usually take a taxi, and sometimes, Christina would drop me off so that I could save time. Of course, everything happened behind my brother's back.I threw my gaze at the mirror and sighed again. "Did you know what she said?"He shook his head. "I did not. She whispered it to you. May I know what she whispered? It sure drags your energy away.""It does not concern you, Drake," I lied.How could I fall for this jerk again? I was not that foolish. Loving someone for the second time even knowing that he would leave me in the end? No, thank you. I would rather be alone with my son than be with a man who would only stress me out. "Sorry if I pry, Beatrice. It only bothered me that you've been affected that much."Clenching my fist, I stated, "This will be the last
BEATRICE:I chuckled. He was always like that. Always telling me that he missed me. Every time we saw each other. It had been what? A couple of years since we met. When Grayson was only a year old, I was able to have a part-time job in this grocery store for a week and then resigned after Grayson became sick."Oh, come on," I declared and engulfed him with a hug. He smelt of the burning sun, but I did not care about anything at all. Zack was the most responsible man I ever knew. We broke away and his gaze darted to the car where I came from. "You have a boyfriend?""Oh, no, no, no," I retorted automatically. "That's not my boyfriend at all. I don't have the time for that. My focus is on my child." He pulled out his hat from his head and used it as a fan. "You mean to say I still have the chance?" he said, grinning from ear to ear. This man was so open to saying he liked me, despite me having a child. He added that he accepted my child and would love him like how he loved me. I did