"Mom!" I cried out softly. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" she asked, surprised. "Ken and Dyson called me ugly," I reported. "Let them think whatever they want. You're beautiful, don't believe them," she said, gently stroking my hair. I nodded in agreement and released the hug, heading upstairs to rest. I often feel drained, easily tired even when doing nothing. "Raven!" I called out to him. Unable to sleep, I lay there scrolling through my phone. "Why are you shouting?" he asked. "Dyson and Ken said I'm ugly," I said tearfully. "Hahahaha, they said that?" he chuckled. "Yes. Am I really ugly?" I grumbled. "Hahaha, they're just joking. Let me talk to them. You're beautiful," Raven reassured me. "Your husband called!" I informed him. "Yeah, hahaha, we're together. He wants to see how you handle things," he chuckled again. I frowned even more hearing them laugh at me. Am I truly so unattractive? Alone, I stood before the full-length mirror. My body had grown larger, my cheeks a
"What the hell, Ice? How long are you going to stay drunk like this?" Meriam sermonized to Miguel. Since their engagement was announced, they've been living in the same house. Whether they like it or not, there's nothing they can do. They canceled the wedding because Meriam didn't like the man she didn't know well, so the solution was to live together as husband and wife. Since Miguel doesn't see Aira, he gets drunk, spends four hours in the office finishing all his work, then heads to his ex-boyfriend's bar. There, he drinks excessively and sleeps with multiple women. If he has three in one night, he forgets about it the next day. As soon as he approaches one and touches her, he immediately takes her to the VIP room. He returns home to their house and ignores his housemate. "Can you see yourself? You have bruises and mixed lipstick on your lips," Meriam whispered. "Why you? Do you want it too?" Miguel offered to the interlocutor. Meriam slapped him. "Your face is thick. You hur
**Warning: SPG content** "I'm too drunk now. Can we go home?" Miguel asked the woman he was with. "Your place or mine?" the woman asked. "My place. Can you drive for me?" Miguel asked his girlfriend. "Where is your place, babe?" the woman asked again. "Use my car; there's a GPS," Miguel answered simply. Miguel staggered to his feet but managed to walk. The woman couldn't support him as she was holding his ruined clothes. He covered himself. "Can I have a towel?" he asked, but no one noticed him, so he left. She drove Miguel to his mansion. They entered the guardhouse and parked in front of the mansion. Supporting him, she kissed him on the neck. The kiss was passionate, but not on the lips, down to the broken clothes of the woman in his future. They cried, walking into the mansion. Miguel picked up the girl. If Miguel moved, it seemed he wasn't drunk. Before they entered the mansion, falling flower vases caught their attention. "Aaaah!" "What's your problem?!!" Miguel shout
I continued with my daily routine, distracting myself by reconnecting with friends. Mom and I discussed returning to the Philippines whenever I felt ready; they never pressured me, especially Dyson and Ken, who were accustomed to life in Korea. Mom and Dad understood Ken's decision to work abroad, away from the family business he couldn't handle. I avoided discussing topics with him that I knew he wasn't comfortable with, especially concerning our parents. "Mom!" I called out from outside the door. "Why are you shouting? What's the matter?" Ken asked, approaching with a spoon in hand. "Nothing, just hungry!" I replied with a smirk. "I thought you were on a diet. Where do you get all this energy to eat?" he teased, but stopped short when Mom shot him a look, and I frowned. "I'm not interested—" "Oh, come on! Mom cooked something special," Ken interrupted, nudging me towards the kitchen. "Really!? I'm in!" Dyson exclaimed, rushing ahead into the dining area. "Hurry up! We're runn
"Are you sure about this?" Raven asked as we walked towards her car. Raven had picked me up from the airport upon my return from the Philippines. Mom and Dyson had left first to avoid being seen with me; Dyson, being a secret agent, couldn't afford to have ties to someone like me, whose life was a tale that spanned across continents. As expected, there were numerous cameras and people posing as regular passengers. That's how the media operates. They thrive on sensational stories, and the return of Villanueva was a major headline. Speculation about the pregnancy of an heir to a major corporation swirled, and the man in question had disappeared. The pregnant man was the son of their business rival. Thus, the rumor mill churned, with many asserting that I was the pregnant woman who had left the country to give birth. It had been seven months since I left without a trace, leaving them to speculate. The plane ticket Miguel's father had provided wasn't used by me; I returned via a differe
"Let him through! We need to talk!" a woman shouted from outside our gate. She was yelling at our guard to let her in, causing a scene in our exclusive subdivision. After five minutes of commotion, I decided to intervene. "What's going on here?" I asked as I approached them. "This lady says she needs to talk to Sir because ma'am has disappeared. Is there anything you know about this?" our guard explained. "What do you want with my husband?" I asked the woman. "Husband—" "Yes, my husband! Wait, aren't you the woman Miguel brought here last week?" I cut her off. "What's your problem? You've been losing it for a while now! Aren't you ashamed? You're the side chick making a scene?" I added, frustration evident in my voice. My head was spinning. "Why? Are you married?" she retorted. "We're not married, but we live together under the same—" "I'll steal him from—" "If you can, go ahead," I shot back sternly. My thoughts turned to Miguel. Despite living under the same roof, our re
"Moooom!" I called out excitedly as we arrived at Mama's farm. Miguel had sent everything he thought might be useful, though I wasn't really ill. At the time, I didn't want to believe it and I offered to make tea, but he declined. "What a morning to arrive!" Mom greeted us warmly as she watered her plants in this remote province of the Philippines. "He's been looking forward to seeing you. Thought you were a boy who wouldn't give up," Dyson teased, earning a playful smack from me. I hugged Mama tightly as she approached. Raven, Ken, Dyson, and Angela were chatting animatedly nearby. "Have you eaten yet?" Mom asked us. "Not yet! We've been missing your cooking. Aira hasn't eaten because she knew we were coming home. Come on, Aira, what's with that?" Dyson exclaimed, dodging a few pebbles I tossed his way. Mom, Raven, and Ken burst into laughter at our antics. Angela, meanwhile, was admiring the flowers as if seeing them for the first time. "You really are like siblings!" Mom rem
We recently spent three days at Miguel's mother's farm, which now feels like my own. It was a delightful vacation, and like any getaway, it's always hard to return to reality. Since having my son, these transitions have become particularly challenging for me. I find myself constantly anxious about losing my partner and more emotionally sensitive than ever before. **FLASHBACK** *Third-person POV* Five months ago... "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" "Huhuhuhuhuhu waaaaaaaaaaaah!" Aira cried out in pain. She woke up to find her bed soaked in blood, the crimson spreading from her waist down to her feet. She sobbed and screamed even louder, thoughts of her son overwhelming her. "Why? Aunt Mich! Oh sh*t! Ken!" shouted Ken, her brother, rushing into the room. He was frantic, not knowing what to do, but his concern was solely for his brother and the blood loss. "My baby, Ken, I lost my baby!" Aira cried out tearfully. "Dyson! Car! Hurry!" Ken sh
**Miguel’s Point of View**I don't know if I should be happy that Aira agreed to marry me, even though we won't be getting married this year. Her parents want a grand wedding since it’s also a celebration of the merging of two major companies, the Villanueva Group of Companies and Santiago Enterprises. What can I do if that’s what they want? They also don’t want any negative comments about our wedding because of Abby’s post about our supposed wedding. That would get more attention than our actual wedding.“Don’t be sad! We’ll still get married, not now but I’m sure I’ll marry you and no one else,” Aira cheered me up.I smiled at her. “Just promise me you'll marry me and no one else, okay?” I reassured her.She raised her hand with the ring. “This is not just a simple ring. This is a promise ring. This symbolizes our promised wedding.” She kissed me, probably to stop me from worrying.Aira and I are currently at a resort in Palawan. We have the island to ourselves, so we have plenty of
**Miguel's Point of View**Aira and I were lying on my bed. She was resting her head on my arm as I gently stroked her hair. I never imagined I would feel this way again. I never thought we would reach this point in our lives again, where we could be together without worrying about other problems.Some people might say our relationship is too typical. Coming from feuding families, both products of broken homes, and both children born out of wedlock, but none of that became a hindrance. Instead, it allowed us to understand each other better."How many children do you want?" Aira asked me while looking at me.I smiled at her and thought for a moment. "I want more than four, I think. I want them to have many siblings so they won't feel lonely and will have playmates. I want them to be each other's best friends," I answered happily.She frowned, making me raise an eyebrow. "I already told you that I don't want to have many children. Besides not being sure if my womb can handle it, I don't
**Miguel's Point of View**I was happy to go home after bringing Abby to a facility. I took her child to her mom. I didn't tell Aira what was happening because I wanted to surprise her.Auntie was shocked when I arrived with Abby's child. They thought I had taken the child without permission, so they immediately went to check on her. Auntie was very thankful because, finally, her daughter came to her senses. She chose to get better and free herself and others.Even though it was a bit difficult, I was always thankful that it was finally over. Now, all I need to focus on is my dad's company. I don't know what's going on within his family. The only thing Cheska told me was the frequent fighting between Daddy and his wife, and even she doesn't know the reason.Dad prepared everything before he surrendered to the police. He also arranged to transfer his shares to my name. Cheska was also left with some shares. Dad's buildings, farms, and small businesses were divided among us. Dad left ma
**Miguel Ice's Point of View**"Finish that later, eat first," Abby said as she entered my office at her house.I didn't want to, but for my mother's peace of mind, I did what she wanted. Mama has a soft heart, especially for children who beg."I'm not hungry." Since I started living here, I couldn't even look at her. She could touch me, but I wanted to push her away, yet I couldn't because of pity.She's fine at home, attentive, and caring for her child. I used to enjoy playing with her child, who she introduced to me as "Tito-Daddy." Playing with the child made me happy, but when I married her because of her threats, their affection for me disappeared. Let's just say the child shouldn't be involved, but he's a significant reason why Mama pleaded with me."How long will you be like this? I'm your wife, but you treat me like a mere pawn!" She started arguing again.She's often like this, but I ignored her. I let her say whatever she wanted."You won't talk to me again, and then what?
**Aira Jane’s Point of View**After what happened between Miguel and me, we haven't seen each other again. I left that night while he was asleep and didn't say goodbye to Mama."What if your half-sister finds out? It'll just cause more trouble, Aira!" Raven told me. I had a headache when I arrived at work; it's tough pretending everything is okay."How would she know if no one tells her? Miguel probably won't say anything either," I replied, resting my head on the table."Oh, come on! You never learn! If you're not going to fight for Miguel, then stop giving in to your feelings. Honestly, you're being unfair.""Why me? Why am I the one being unfair? Isn't it him?" I asked her, surprised."Tsk." Raven rolled her eyes, leaving me confused about what she meant."Imagine, you just accept their explanations without expressing how you feel inside! Do you think that's right? Do you think that's not unfair to Miguel? He's fighting and doing what he can to solve the problems. While you, you ju
**Aira Jane’s Point of View**I didn't go back to the mansion. They wouldn't look for me anyway. I'll sleep here at Mama's house. She doesn't have anyone with her, and besides, we were both tired from shopping and wandering around the mall. It was already 11 PM when we got home."Sigh, this is my third day in this room, the second time I'll sleep here," I whispered to myself as I flopped onto the soft bed."Aira, dear?" Mama knocked on the door of the room. I got up, but Mama had already entered the room. "I just want to know if you're going to eat. If you are, I'll cook something for you. What do you want? Miguel is coming home, and I cooked some soup since he called drunk." I quickly sat up."Ma, can I go home?" I asked Mama."Why? Are you avoiding Miguel?" Mama's question left me speechless. I didn't know, but I couldn't be with Miguel when someone else was watching. I felt like Miguel and I were using them to deceive Abby, which I didn't want. I didn't want to use others just to b
Aira Jane’s Point of View“What time is it?” I heard Miguel ask.“It’s afternoon, almost five. How did you sleep? Are you hungry?” I asked with concern.I dozed off while watching him, but the heat made it hard to sleep again. Miguel, on the other hand, was deeply asleep; he looked exhausted. “I’m sorry if I disturbed you,” he said, asking for my forgiveness.“It’s nothing, just make sure this doesn’t happen again.” I stood up from the tent, but he stopped me. “Sit down first; let’s talk.” I looked at him and started to sit back down.“Can you go home and stay with Mom?” He surprised me with that question.“Why? Did something happen to Mom?” I asked worriedly.“Nothing happened; I’m just worried she’s alone there. I’m always at work, and when I come home, it’s usually to Abby's house. You know her, right? She always exhausts herself.”“Sounds like you.” I whispered, raising an eyebrow at him. “Alright, I’ll try to bring her to the condo. I’ll do my best.” I replied simply.“Thank you
**Aira Jane’s Point of View**“It looks like you’re in a good mood today. Have you and Miguel reconciled?” Meriam asked me with enthusiasm.I continued walking towards the dining area, ignoring her because I didn’t want any commotion to disturb my beautiful morning. I woke up feeling light, as if all my worries had vanished. I wasn’t sure if it was because I realized Miguel truly loves me and I’m still his safe haven, or if it was because I had spent almost the entire night with him.“Did you know you’re trending again? Ever since you started dating Miguel, you’ve never left social media. You’re always the topic of conversation.” She followed me while saying all this. I turned to her and replied, “You know, Meriam, after all this time we’ve been living, aren’t you used to being talked about by others? Their opinions don’t matter to me, unlike yours.” I said it sharply without even looking at her.“Really? What if the topic now is your boyfriend marrying his fling? Doesn’t that matter
**Aira’s Point of View**Three weeks later,"What did you say?" I asked Ken again. He had shared some news that I could hardly believe."Yes. My brother-in-law left the company to help his sister Cheska run their own business because their father surrendered to the police. I don't know the other reasons, but one thing is certain: my brother-in-law has left us," Ken said sadly."I can't do anything about that. If he wants to go, then let him be. It might even be good for him; he knows a lot about our company that he could use for theirs or to undermine us.""That's not how my brother-in-law is, ate. You know that!" I shrugged and walked out of the mansion.He has no gratitude. After being fully accepted by Dad, he just leaves for the person who caused our problems before. I might be trying to forget what happened, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven him. They say you can’t truly forget until you learn to forgive."Here you are again," Raven commented when she saw me in the bar."As far