CLARISA:When they arrived home, she first invited Anton inside. She saw their gossiping neighbors whispering again, probably because she was with another man, but she didn’t care about that anymore. Anton was her friend. He had helped her a lot, and that was something their nosy neighbors didn’t know. She didn’t feel the need to explain anything to them.“Who is he, my child?” her mother asked when they entered their house. Her mom and dad were waiting for her return.“This is Anton, Mom... He helped me escape from that rapist’s place before. He knows that the video that rapist is spreading is not true.”“Good morning, Auntie...” Anton greeted her mother.“Good morning to you too, Anton... Thank you for helping our child,” her mother said.“So, what happened in your conversation with Sir Reed, Clarisa?” her father asked.“He still doesn’t believe me, Dad... And Diana is already at their house... his ex-girlfriend who is also pregnant... I saw them doing something inside our own room.
CLARISA:“ Maria!! Huhuhu... how is Blue?” Her tears flowed again upon seeing her child’s nanny. They hugged each other tightly.“Blue is doing well, Ma’am... Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him as much as I can. I don’t believe you could do what they’re accusing you of in that video...” Maria said, also in tears.“Thank you, Maria... that means a lot to me... You take care of Blue for now... I’ll come back for him when the time is right. All I want is for him to be safe in the hands of Reed’s new girlfriend...”“I’ll take care of him, Ma’am. No matter what happens, I won’t leave Blue. Here’s my cellphone number... call me so you’ll know what’s happening here in the mansion.”She cried again at Maria’s words. She never expected her to help her. “Thank you again, Maria... it means a lot to me that you and Mang Isko believe I couldn’t do what Reed is accusing me of. If possible, let’s keep this a secret... we don’t know what’s going on in Reed’s mind... he might kick you out if he find
She shifted her attention back to the view outside the window.She remembered her friends Loren, Patrick, and Cyena... They hadn’t spoken since everything happened. The events unfolded so quickly. She had no way to contact her friends; Fernando had her phone. She hadn’t made a social media account yet... Did she really want to prioritize that over her problems? Her friends probably saw the video that Fernando spread, and they were likely worried about her... She felt sad for her friends. As much as she wanted to inform them about her situation, she had no way to do so... She didn’t want to go to the hospital where her friends worked... She didn’t want to be seen wandering around; the video was still too fresh in the public eye.Surely her friends would understand if she didn’t reach out to them... For now, she needed to focus on herself.Suddenly, tears started to flow again... She thought of her child, Blue... She hadn’t even been able to see or hold her baby in the last moments befo
"So you really plan to get back together with that Clarisa?"He was startled... it was Diana speaking from behind him. He thought she had left after taking Blue."Why are you still here?" he asked Diana, not answering her question."Can't you see, Reed? Your wife is fooling you! Are you really going to be that stupid? What will people say about you? That you're an idiot?""I don't care what people say... all I need is my wife!"That's bullshit, Reed! I'm here for you! I've loved you all along! Clarisa has already forgotten her love for you... she's practically in a daze, but you still love her? And now this... there's clear evidence, isn't there? It's right in front of you, and you're still blind to it!""You have no say in my decisions! I will choose my own path, not you!""Fine, I won't interfere with you, but you need to stand by your child... he needs a father too!""Didn't I tell you to provide proof that he’s really my son?" he said angrily to Diana."S-Sure, I'll get a DNA test
He had been waiting outside the emergency room for almost two hours when the doctor finally emerged. He quickly stood up to meet the doctor. "Doc, how is my grandfather?" "He's doing well, Mr. Villaruel. He just needs some rest. If possible, he should avoid stress..." "Okay, doc..." "In a little while, he can be moved to a private room to rest more comfortably," the doctor added. After the doctor left, he sat back down in the waiting area, feeling a weight lift from his chest. Thank goodness his grandfather was okay. He could finally relax. Moments later, his phone buzzed. It was Jon calling. "Hello, bro?" he said as he answered. "Pre, just to confirm... the guy we had locked up is out. His name is Fernando, and he lives in Laguna. I went to his house, but he wasn't there. There were broken bottles and blood all around. That's where they took Clarisa... that's the place from the video." His jaw clenched at what he heard. He wanted to kill that Fernando. "Whose blood is it? C
He had been waiting there for almost two hours, but Clarisa, Nanay Celia, and Tatay Kardo were still nowhere to be found. Where could they have gone? he wondered to himself. He stood up from his seat and entered Clarisa's room. A few clothes were scattered on her bed—probably what his wife had taken off earlier. He opened her dresser and was shocked to find the jewelry he had given her. Why was it there? He thought it was supposed to be at their house. He took the jewelry and tucked it into his pocket. Then he headed to the room of Clarisa's parents, feeling increasingly anxious. He hoped that what he feared wasn't true. The room of her parents was neat, but he noticed a folded piece of paper resting on the table. He picked it up and read: "Dear Don Miguel, I hope this finds you in good health. We apologize for not being able to inform you that we have left the estate. Our daughter has been deeply hurt by what Sir Reed did to her. Our daughter got almost raped by the g
CLARISA: She woke up to the conductor's shout... They were already in Quezon Province... She glanced at her mother and father, who had fallen asleep during the trip. "Mom, Dad, wake up. We're almost there," she gently nudged her parents. They immediately became alert. "Sir, we’ll get off at the next stop," she told the conductor. "Are we almost there, dear?" her mother asked. "When we get off, we'll still need to take a jeepney, Mom. The place we're going to is in the barrio." "Oh, is that so... it really is far, isn't it? We've been traveling for hours." "It's good that it's far, Mom... no one will recognize us there." "That's true, dear... this is where we'll start a new life." She felt sad again. "I wonder how my baby is doing? Maybe he's hungry by now." "Don't worry about your child for now... I'm sure Sir Reed is taking good care of him. Plus, Maria is there to look after Blue." "You're right, Mom. I'll call Ate Maria later... I'll check on my baby." "That's up to you
REED'S POV:Reed returned home with a heavy heart, carrying milk for Blue. He wasn't sure if he had bought the right one—Clarisa always knew about these things. Today, he realized just how lost he was without her... It felt like a huge part of his life was missing."Sir Reed, you're back. How is Don Miguel?" Isko asked."Grandpa is doing fine,He just needs plenty of rest.""That's good to hear, sir. By the way, your girlfriend stopped by earlier."His face suddenly brightened. "Really? Clarisa came? Where is she? Is she inside?""Oh no, not Ma’am Clarisa, sir... It was Diana."Reed's jaw clenched at the mention of her name. She was another source of trouble in his life. If only she hadn’t come into his room, Clarisa wouldn’t have gotten so angry with him."Why would you say she's my girlfriend, Isko? She's not. I have a wife, and that's Clarisa!""My apologies, sir... It's just that Ma'am Diana’s been acting like a queen here since she found out Ma’am Clarisa left. A-and I saw the two
Reed breathed a sigh of relief when Diana and Jorge finally left. He never thought this moment would come. Kiel was not really his son—Jorge was the true father. Diana had only made him take responsibility for the child to avoid the shame of being a single mother. Though he wanted to be angry at Diana, he was just grateful that everything was over. He was finally free to be with Clarisa again, and she would no longer be jealous of Diana.He quickly went to the bedroom where Clarisa was. She had no idea what had just happened because she hadn’t left the room since they arrived. He knew she was upset with him because of Diana’s rudeness.When he reached the door, he knocked. “Sweetheart… can you open the door, please?” There was no response. He knocked again, but still, no sound came from inside. He decided to use the key—perhaps Clarisa had fallen asleep.When he opened the door, she wasn’t on the bed. He heard the sound of running water from the bathroom and smiled. Just in time, he t
"I believe you know each other, Diana?" Reed said emotionlessly."What is he doing here?" she asked back."He just came by... He introduced himself as Kiel's real father.""You jerk!!!" Diana shouted at Jorge."Why did you do that to me, Diana? You ruined my life! You made us all believe that Kiel was my son, and because of your lies, my family was further destroyed!" Reed accused her."You don’t understand! I love you, Reed!""Stop it, Diana! Stop this bullshit right now! You've already caused so much trouble! Jorge is here, and he truly loves you. Why don't you give him a chance? Fix your family!""I don't love him… I love you!""You don't love me! You're just obsessed with me. Fix your life. Think about Kiel…"She suddenly remembered her son. She turned to Jorge. "Where is my child, Jorge?""At home. You can come with me if you want. Please give me a chance, Diana. I'm sorry for what I've done.""Go with him, Diana, and stop bothering me and Clarisa." Reed dismissed her.His words
"Where are we going, Dad?" the child asked. His father had just put him in the car."You will stay at my house for now, my child. Since your mother is hurting you, I will take care of you.""But what if Mommy gets mad, Dad?""It's okay. I will deal with your mom. What's important is that you're safe… Do you want to eat some ice cream?" he asked his child to change the subject."Yes, Daddy!!!""Okay, we will buy lots of ice cream and toys," he said and kissed his child."Yehey!"He felt sorry for his child. It seemed like he was deprived of a good life. He needed to talk to Diana about Kiel's situation.They stopped by the mall first and bought things and toys for Kiel. He wouldn't return his son until Diana changed her ways and stopped hurting their child.After shopping, they went home to his house. He lived alone with only one housemaid. All his siblings were in America, and both his parents had passed away."Who is he, son?" asked their maid, Ate Doris, who had been working for the
***********DIANA's POV:Her emotions were in turmoil as she drove home to her condo. Her rival had returned to Reed’s life once again. She hadn't even succeeded in her plan to marry Reed yet! And now, everything was ruined again… because of that Clarisa! Why did she have to come back? Why couldn't she have just disappeared forever or died?She was furious… What would happen to her and Kiel now? What about her child? Was she really doomed to be a single mother forever? She had to find a way to get rid of that Clarisa again!When she arrived at the condo, she threw herself onto the sofa. Her mind was exhausted from thinking about ways to regain Reed’s attention."Mommy! Mommy!" Kiel shouted as he ran toward her, about to hug her. But she pushed him away."Don't touch me!" she screamed at the child as he fell to the floor. "You! This is all your fault! If your father hadn't raped me, I wouldn't be in this mess! You're nothing but a burden in my life!!!" she shouted at Kiel, who was now
When they went out, her parents and Grandpa Miguel were already waiting at the dining table. Tita Grace and Blue were also there, busy watching Cocomelon on his tablet. They walked hand in hand, and the elderly people smiled as they approached. At first, she didn’t know why they were smiling. Then, she remembered that she and Reed were holding hands, and she was about to pull her hand away. But Reed didn’t let go. She had no choice but to just go along with it. "You’re here, my grandchildren... come, the food is waiting," Grandpa Miguel said. They both just nodded. She was still a bit shy. Reed helped her sit down, and then he sat next to her. "So, what’s your plan for your relationship, children?" Tatay Kardo asked. "Ahm, I’m going back to America, Tay... I’ll just finish my vacation here," she replied. "Why are you going back to America, my dear? Your husband can take care of you. And your hacienda is big enough... Isn’t that enough for you?" her mother asked. "Lolo... I have
After they ate, they walked around the hacienda. They walked hand in hand while their child ran around the wide lot of their house.A little while later, their maid, Nene, approached them. "Ma'am Clarisa, someone is looking for you... They said it's Anton.""Anton is here?" she said in disbelief."Who's Anton?" Reed asked, raising an eyebrow."Ah, he's a friend of mine... He was the one who helped me when Fernando kidnapped me. Just wait, I'll go see Anton..." she excitedly replied. It had been a long time since they last saw each other. Her mother was the one who told her that Anton visited their hacienda whenever he wasn’t busy. She didn’t have social media, so he couldn’t contact her."Anton!" she shouted as she saw him talking to her father. He smiled as he waited for her to reach him."I’ll leave you two for now. I still have a lot to do..." Her father said as he said goodbye."How are you, Ma'am Clarisa? Long time no see!" Anton greeted her happily."Didn't I tell you not to cal
It was already evening when they finished eating. They spent a long time at the dining table because of their endless stories. They missed each other. Her parents and Don Miguel were talking about the mango plantation, while she was busy taking care of her child, feeding him. After they ate, she took Reed to the room where he would be staying. Blue, on the other hand, would sleep in her room. "Sweetheart, why can't I sleep in your room? Aren’t we okay now?" he asked, pouting. "It's embarrassing to Mom and Dad if we sleep in the same room... We just got back together!" she explained. "That's actually better. They might even prefer it. Besides, we’re married. It’s normal for a married couple to sleep beside each other... And what about my promise to you that I’d take care of you later?" "Shhhh! Be quiet! Someone might hear you! You're so shameless," she scolded her husband. "Why? What's wrong?" he asked, feigning innocence. "Just shut up!" she said, clearly losing patience in tr
They walked together into the mansion. Blue was in between the hands of his parents, while Reed and Clarisa walked hand-in-hand, following them. She didn’t really want to hold hands with him. She was shy because their staff at the hacienda were staring at them. She tried to pull her hand away, but Reed didn’t let go."Why? Are you ashamed of me? I’m handsome, aren’t I?" he joked."It’s embarrassing, they’re staring at us.""Let them look. I want you by my side always..." he whispered in her ear and then put his arm around her. She felt a thrill from what he did; it was like they were back to courting each other."By the way, Reed, Clarisa, Don Miguel is here too," her father said."Grandpa Miguel? What’s he doing here?" Reed asked in confusion. Both of them were surprised that Don Miguel was there. Before her parents could respond, they saw the old man approaching."Well, here you are, my grandchildren?" he happily greeted them."Grandpa!!!" she shouted and ran to him. She hugged him
Here we go again... the topic from two years ago is being brought up again. She didn’t want to talk about it anymore. She didn’t want to revisit it because it still hurt, but she had no choice but to listen because she was driving. She couldn’t pretend to sleep. She couldn’t silence Reed with what he was saying either... She had no choice but to listen to his explanation."God knows how much I regret not believing you. I looked for you back then, but I couldn’t find you.""Is what happened with Diana also just an accident?" she asked, almost sarcastically. She didn’t believe it was an accident."I don’t know, sweetheart, how she ended up in our room. She gave me a drug to drink... before I knew it, she was holding my manhood, but please believe me, sweetheart, I didn’t want that. You’re the one I love..."She glared at him again to hide the pain in her chest. She felt her eyes starting to water, threatening to cry. She could barely see the road. She stopped the car on the side. Thankf