I woke up early to have time to drop off my child at school before heading to work. I’ll make up for lost time as much as I can and while I have the chance.After dropping him off in his room, I went straight to the faculty room to check on him with his teachers.When I entered my child’s classroom, I thought I could hide for a moment behind the door. It was amusing because he was sitting at his desk, chatting with his classmates. But I was shocked when I saw Gabrielle sitting beside my child’s desk, attending to him. Gabrielle looked serious, as if telling my child about something that happened to him. This scene filled me with a worry I could no longer control.“Gabrielle!” my voice echoed through the room. The children, including my child, turned to look at me, and he quickly stood up from his seat. Gabrielle’s face was hard to read—whether he was surprised or startled.“Yumi,” he replied calmly, but I knew this wasn’t the time for calmness. “I didn’t know you were coming here.”“W
**Gabrielle’s Point of View**It’s been almost a month since Eumerriah discovered my attempts to get closer to the children. Eumerriah and Shaira’s children are kind, and deep down, I know that Justine is my child. My older brother Jerome is infertile, and our entire family knows this, which is why my parents can’t accept the situation."Shairaa!" I called out to Shaira when I saw her exit the gate of Justine’s school. She looked around, probably checking to see if anyone was watching us."What are you doing here? Can you please leave the children alone? Eumerriah is furious!" she snapped at me as soon as she got into my car. "I can’t stay long, Gabrielle. I don’t want Yumi to think the worst of me! Leave us alone, leave the children alone. No matter what happens, Yumi won’t allow you to use her children.""What do you mean? Justine is Yumi’s child too?!" I asked in shock."Of course! Justine and Dustine are both our children! Now, get out of here. Eumerriah will be coming out of that
**Eumerriah’s Point of View**I couldn’t sleep properly last night because of Gabrielle’s words. I don’t understand how he can say such things. I had prepared myself for this moment; I knew the day would come when Gabrielle would seek his child and not believe any of my explanations, as he would only listen to the call of his own blood.“Oh? What’s that look? You look like you didn’t sleep,” Shaira greeted me.I sighed. “I had a hard time sleeping.” That’s all I said. I wasn’t ready to tell her what Gabrielle knows or his suspicions about his child, Justine. I knew it would only hurt her more and bring back the trauma of an event she never wanted but left a lasting impact.“What are you cooking?” I asked her. We had met in the living room but walked into the kitchen together. I grabbed a cold glass of water from the fridge while she went straight to the stove. I felt as if I had been drunk last night, and my throat was itching from dryness.“Corned beef with egg. Justine requested it.
Eumerriah's Point of View I hurried into the office because Daddy had something for me to do. According to his secretary, I needed to attend a meeting where a new business partner would be introduced. I couldn’t understand why I was assigned to this, especially since I had asked for two days off. I was annoyed, but there was nothing I could do—I had to comply. Wearing my two-inch heels and mini skirt, I headed to the office, rushing towards the elevator."Hold on, hold on!" I shouted, trying to keep the elevator doors from closing. When I finally got in, I was surprised by what I saw. Gabrielle was alone inside the elevator."Oh, what are you doing here?" I asked him, my eyes widening in shock."Why? Am I not allowed to be here?" he retorted, with a hint of sarcasm."It’s not that you’re not allowed, but why are you here? What do you need? Didn’t I tell you to stay away from us—stay away from my family!" I snapped, irritation creeping into my voice."Your family?" he asked, seemingly
Eumerriah's Point of View I was surprised to see Gabrielle sitting at the other end of the conference table. It felt like a cold splash of water as I tried to process the situation. I had expected our encounter in the elevator to be a brief one, but here we were—working together on the same project.I didn’t understand what Daddy was thinking, including Gabrielle in this. Didn’t he know everything that had happened between us before? Or maybe he did know but chose to ignore it? I had no idea. All I knew was that I wasn’t ready for this.I noticed Gabrielle looking at me from across the table, a slight smile on his lips. I felt irritated by that smile—it seemed like he knew what I was going through and was enjoying it. I couldn’t help but frown, but I quickly looked away before he could notice."Dad," I said, trying to keep my voice natural. "What’s this project we’re discussing? And why is Gabrielle here?"Daddy looked at me, seemingly surprised by my sudden question. "Eumerriah," he
**Eumerriah's Point of View**When I got home, I could barely let go of my bag as I hurried into the living room. I found Shaira playing with the kids on the sofa, but she immediately noticed my restless demeanor."Yumi, what happened?" she asked right away, approaching me. "It looks like something happened at work."I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, but I couldn't stop my hands from trembling. "Shaira, you have no idea what I went through today," I began, rubbing my forehead. "Gabrielle, Shaira! Gabrielle is our new business partner."Shaira paused, her brow furrowing for a moment before a smile slowly spread across her face. "Wait, Gabrielle? As in, your ex, Gabrielle?"I nodded, sitting down beside her, feeling the frustration I had been holding back. "Yes, him. And not just any business partner, Shaira. We'll be working on a major project together. I’ll be seeing him every day!"Shaira smiled, seeming even more excited than I was. "Wow, Yumi! Could this be fate? It soun
**Eumerriah's Point of View**While we were in the middle of a discussion about the project, I quickly noticed that Gabrielle and I were not on the same page about the direction we wanted to take. We both had strong opinions, but it seemed like the tension grew with every word we exchanged."This can't work, Gabrielle," I said, trying to explain my side. "If we push through with what you want, the essence of the project will be lost. We need to do this the right way, and this is the correct approach."He took a deep breath, clearly holding back his frustration. "Yumi, I understand your point, but you're missing the bigger picture. If we don't revise this, the project won't be sustainable in the long run."I shook my head, even more irritated by his tone. "You're not listening to me, Gabrielle. This project isn’t just about numbers or sustainability. It’s about the people we’re trying to help. We need to focus on its impact on them."He suddenly crossed his arms, visibly annoyed as wel
**Gabrielle's Point of View**I couldn't help but smile as I watched Eumerriah from the other end of the table. Despite everything that had happened between us, here we were, together again on a project. I wasn't sure what she thought about it, but me—I was happy. I was happy to work with her again, even though I knew the situation was complicated.Why was I happy? Maybe because I knew that with every moment we spent together, there was a chance I could get closer to her—and to the truth. I don’t believe what she said about our child being dead. For a long time, I convinced myself it was true, but now, I don't. My instinct tells me that Eumerriah is hiding something, and despite everything, I know I'm close to discovering it.This project will be my way in. Even though I don't like how we ended up working together again, I know this is my chance. If Justine isn’t our child, then who is he? What is Eumerriah hiding? I know that with every conversation we have, with every meeting, a par