She had just finished getting dressed when someone knocked on her door. It must be Albert. They startled each other when she opened the door."You look stunning, honey...""Hmph, flatterer... Let's go before we're late.""Let's go..." he replied, holding her arm. She wanted to shake him off, but she was afraid he might get mad and say she was being difficult. Lately, he had been getting touchy with her. She didn't want anyone touching her, especially not a man. She still had a phobia of men, probably because of Fernando, who almost raped her.When they arrived, there were already a lot of people in the convention hall where their convention would be held. Albert stuck closer to her, holding her at the waist. He was acting like a boyfriend. She was annoyed, but there were media people around, and she didn't want to embarrass Albert."Good morning, Dr. Smith! Can we interview you?" a reporter asked Albert."Sure! Sure!" he replied, smiling. She didn’t want to join in, but he tightened h
“Dad, where's Mom?” Blue greeted him, waiting for him at the gate of their house with Maria.“Sorry, son, Mom is still at work, so she can't come home yet. But I promise you I will bring her here, okay? Don't be sad…”“Promise?” he asked sadly.“Y-yes, son…” Even he was unsure of his answer. He didn't know if he could keep the promise to his child. But he didn’t want to see his son sad. Blue had been waiting a long time for his mommy. He hoped that Clarisa would at least think of them too.“Let’s go inside…” he said, taking the child's hand. They walked into the house in silence. Blue still looked sad. He felt helpless to cheer him up; only his mommy could make him happy that day.As soon as they entered the house, the phone rang.“Maria, please answer it,” he instructed Maria, suspecting it was another prank caller who never spoke whenever he answered.Maria quickly walked over to the phone to answer it.“Hello?”“Maria, this is Clarisa.”“Ma’am!!!” Maria exclaimed in surprise.“Don’
He spent the whole day at home. Maybe once he left, Blue and Ate Maria would leave too.He shouldn’t lose sight of the two of them. He couldn’t let them slip away.It was nearly five o’clock. He saw Maria talking on the phone earlier, but he didn’t ask any questions. He pretended he hadn’t noticed. He knew it was Clarisa. She must have told her where they would meet.Blue and Maria were still in the room. She was dressing the child. They were probably getting ready to leave. Maria had already informed the driver to take them later. He didn’t want to get involved in their plans; he had his own plans.He just wanted Maria and Blue to leave peacefully to meet Clarisa, and then he would show up.As soon as Maria and Blue came out of the room, Blue approached him to say goodbye.“Daddy, we’re just going to meet Mommy, okay?” his son said, holding a bouquet of roses. He had asked his yaya to buy it earlier to give to his mommy.“Aren’t you going to come with us?”“Maybe next time, son…”“O
“Daddy!!!” Blue shouted as he broke free from her and ran to his father, asking to be carried.“Daddy, look! Mommy is already here!” Blue exclaimed, pointing at her.“I can see that, son…” he replied softly, his gaze never leaving her. She remained with her head down.“Maria…” she turned to the nanny. “Didn’t I say it should just be us?” she whispered.“Yes, Ma'am... I didn’t know Sir would follow us,” the nanny replied, looking a bit nervous. She hadn’t expected to see Reed there.“It’s not Maria’s fault, sweetheart. Don’t blame her,” Reed said, having overheard their conversation.“Daddy, let’s sit here next to Mommy,” their son said, still in Reed’s arms. The table was quiet, with no one wanting to break the silence. They were all just feeling each other out.“Um, I’ll leave you two for a moment, Ma'am Clarisa, Sir Reed,” Maria said, standing up. She didn’t wait for their response, not wanting to interrupt but wanting to give them time alone as a couple.“How have you been? You loo
“Hey, honey!”Their attention turned to the person speaking behind them. It was Albert. She suddenly frowned. Why was he here again?He had followed her despite her telling him not to. He was so annoying... it was irritating!And he even called her honey in front of her child and Reed! She shot Reed a glance, and his jaw tightened upon seeing the man.“Who is he, Mommy?” Blue asked, frowning.“Mommy? You call her Mommy?” Albert said in surprise at what he heard from Blue.“Who are they, honey?” Albert asked her.“Don’t call me honey, Albert! How many times do I have to tell you?” she replied firmly.“Who are they?” he asked her again.“T-this is my baby Blue and my ex-husband…” she introduced, not wanting to explain further. But she knew Albert well. He was persistent and wouldn’t let her go. She also didn’t want to deny her husband and child in front of him.“Husband... not ex-husband!” Reed corrected her. She just raised an eyebrow at him.“Are you the one who was with my mommy on T
REED:His jaw tightened as he watched his wife with another man holding her. He wanted to run over and punch him... No one could take his wife away!“Daddy? Is he Mommy's boyfriend?”“No, sweetheart... didn’t Mommy say he’s not her boyfriend?”“Why didn’t you kiss Mommy earlier? Are you two fighting?” Blue asked him. He never thought his child would be so observant at such a young age.“Mommy is a little upset with me, sweetheart... because Daddy did some bad things in the past... but Daddy won’t do them again...”“You should say sorry to Mommy, then!” his child insisted.“Okay, sweetheart, I will do that, but you have to help Daddy!”“How?”“Convince your Mommy to come back home and live with us, and not go back to America...”“She’s going back to America? She’s going to leave us again?”“Yes, so you need to make her promise not to leave... you’re the only one who can stop her. She loves you so much that she can’t say no to you.”“Okay, Daddy, I’ll do what you want as long as Mommy d
CLARISA:She was getting ready to sleep when suddenly, there was a knock on her door. She frowned. Who could it be? She didn’t order room service, and she and Blue had already eaten at the restaurant earlier.She checked the peephole before opening the door. It was Albert, and he looked drunk.She opened the door slightly but kept the chain lock in place, allowing only a small gap. If he tried anything inappropriate, he wouldn’t be able to enter her room.“What are you doing here, Albert?” she asked.“Let’s talk, Clarisa! You led me on... I thought you just weren’t ready to answer me, but it turns out you’re married and have a child?!” he exclaimed, raising his voice due to his drunken state.“I never led you on, Albert. Not once did I give you any reason to think you had a chance with me! You don’t know my reasons for keeping my marriage and child a secret, so you have no right to talk to me like that!” she retorted angrily.“But you know I love you, Clarisa! I’ve loved you for so lo
REED: Reed was excited to see Blue and Clarisa together again. He was determined to join them this time. In his mind, he kept thinking about how much he wanted to see his wife again. He had already talked to Blue, who promised to help him convince Clarisa not to return to America. He just hoped she’d agree and give him another chance to win her back. He had been chatting with his wife earlier, pretending to be Blue so she would respond. Every time his phone chimed, his heart fluttered, knowing it was Clarisa. God, I missed her so much! Even though they had just seen each other yesterday, he wanted to run to her and hold her tightly. For two years, he had lived in worry and search, unsure if she was alive or dead. Why had it never crossed his mind that she might have returned to America? He recalled seeing her for the first time yesterday... He was speechless. She was even more beautiful now. Her once straight hair was now curly. He didn’t mind—it suited her. But there was somethin
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
The next morning, they were awakened by the noise of their child, who had gotten up before them."Yehey! We're in the same bed! Mom, Dad, and me!" the child exclaimed happily. Reed was right last night—if their child found out they weren’t sleeping together, he would be upset. It was a good thing she listened to her husband."Good morning, baby," she greeted her child. Reed also woke up from the noise."Good morning, Mommy," the child said, planting a kiss on her lips."Good morning, Daddy," he added, kissing his father on the lips too."You both kiss Mom and Dad," the child commanded, giggling."L-later, sweetheart. Mommy's breath smells bad," she tried to reason."It's okay, even if Mommy smells bad, I'll still kiss her," Reed teased before kissing her on the lips. "Good morning, sweetheart," he said softly, making her blush again."Yehey!" Blue cheered with excitement."Mommy, didn’t you say we’re going to visit Grandpa and Grandma today?""Yes, sweetheart. We’re leaving today. You
She went to the closet to grab something to wear. She didn't bother opening her luggage since it would only be a hassle to reorganize it tomorrow when she and Blue left.Once she was dressed, she was about to leave the room to check on her child."Where are you going?""To Blue's room. I'll sleep there.""No need. I'll bring him here so the three of us can sleep together.""Are you kidding me? Why would I do that?" she snapped at him."Suit yourself. But if your son wakes up and we're not sleeping together as a family, he'll get upset again," he said nonchalantly. She suddenly fell silent."You stay here; I'll get Blue," Reed said, standing up and walking out the door. She was left sitting on the sofa.When he returned, he was carrying their sleeping child. She quickly stood up to greet him and take Blue from him. She flinched when their skin accidentally brushed against each other.Get a grip, Clarisa! Acting like a virgin just because of a little touch? she scolded herself.Once she
"Your dad's room is bigger, sweetheart... can he just stay there? We might not all fit in your bed," she tried to convince the child again. She still couldn’t fully grasp the idea of sharing a bed with him."Then let’s just stay in your room with Dad, Mom. I’ll move to his room as long as we’re all together," Blue replied."That’s right, baby. Let’s stay in our room with your mom so you can roll around. Our bed is big enough, right? Back then, your mom used to roll around on it too," Reed chimed in from behind them, carrying his luggage. They hadn’t noticed he had followed them. He meant something else entirely, but she chose to ignore it.She shot him a sharp look for joking around with their child. Had he and Blue already conspired on this before she even arrived at the mansion?"Mom, let’s go to Dad’s room!" Blue exclaimed enthusiastically, tugging her out of the room and leading her to Reed’s bedroom.At first, she hesitated to enter, but Blue gave her a little push, urging her in
They sat in silence in the car as he drove. She didn’t say a word either.“H-how have you been? I’ve been looking for you for so long… you and Nanay Celia and Tatay Kardo. I even went to the mango orchard, but you weren’t there anymore.”“We hid in a place where no one knew us, where no one could mock me because of the video that spread back then,” Clarisa replied, her face blank. There was no trace of her true emotions.“A-about the video… I just want you to know that I believe you now. I’m sorry for not trusting you right away back then, sweetheart,” he said to his wife.He saw her tears begin to fall. The brave front Clarisa had put up crumbled, and she started crying. He quickly pulled the car to the side of the road to comfort her.“Don’t cry, sweetheart. It breaks my heart to see you like this. Please forgive me for what I’ve done to you. I still love you…” he whispered to her. Her sobs grew louder until she buried her face in his shoulder.He kissed her to try and stop her tear