**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
**Eumerriah's Point of View**I’m so frustrated with Gabrielle. In every meeting, with every idea that comes out of his mouth, I feel my temper rising. I can’t deny it—he knows what people want. He knows how to showcase, how to capture the attention of clients. But why him? Why did fate have to push me to work with this man?As he explained his latest pitch, I forced myself to focus on what he was saying. It was hard to concentrate, especially when he stood in front of the presentation board and everyone’s eyes, including mine, were glued to him. “Eumerriah, what do you think?” he asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. I cleared my throat and tried to compose an answer as if he wasn’t the reason for my distraction.“It’s good. I think it will attract clients,” I replied, because, in truth, he’s brilliant. I’m annoyed with myself because, no matter how much I dislike him, I can’t deny that I need to listen to him. I have to follow him, for the sake of my father’s company.But even thou
Eumerriah's Point of ViewFor so long, Gabrielle and I had been at odds. I couldn't understand why he needed to distance himself from us. All the truths had come out—their marriage to Kristine and how his life had unfolded with Paul. He regretted his choices, and even Paul seemed to notice his mistakes."You really don’t understand me," Gabrielle said, frustration lacing his voice."Then explain it to me!" I shot back, unable to hold back any longer."Okay, let me ask you this. Why did you choose to distance yourself and hide, huh? Fifteen years! Fifteen years I haven't seen or been with my child, and then I find out he's legally Shaira’s child! How do you explain that to me, huh?" he questioned, filled with anger and disappointment."Listen to me!" I said, barely able to contain the pain in my voice. "Shaira lost her child because of your marriage! What do you think I should do? Of course, I thought about our child's safety. If I hadn’t done that, we might not have a child anymore. S
Eumerriah's Point of View“Where is he?” I asked Kate, my curiosity evident.“If you want to know, follow me,” she replied, getting into her car. I nodded, but instead of driving my own car, I hurried into the passenger seat of hers.She furrowed her brow and gave me a questioning look. “Why are you too lazy to drive?” she asked, a hint of irritation in her voice.“I just want to ride in the car of the girl who used to really like me,” I said, trying to make a joke to lighten the tension.“Tsk! If it weren’t for Kuya Gabrielle, I wouldn’t like you,” she retorted, but a playful smile was on her lips.“What do you mean?” I asked, a bit confused, but I knew she was hiding something.“Secret,” she replied, laughing as she drove.I looked out the window, but I couldn’t help smiling. I never thought that the cheerful little girl who used to cling to me, who liked me so much, would turn into a woman who was now even more assertive in front of me.Behind her teasing and boldness, I was please
"Eumerriah!" Kate called out to me, her voice filled with concern.I turned to face her and saw the serious expression on her face."Do you still think about him?" she asked, her voice full of worry. "Do you ever wonder how he’s doing?"I stood silently, trying to block out the people around us. A heaviness settled over me. I thought of Gabrielle. Despite everything that happened, he still held a place in my heart, but I didn’t know how to face him now."What are you trying to say?" I asked, struggling to hide my emotions."I just wanted you to know," Kate began, her voice serious, "that even back then, he struggled with the thought of losing you like that. And now that you’ve suddenly come back, he feels like he failed you, like he didn’t even try to look for you."As I absorbed her words, it felt like a sharp pain erupted in my chest. I could feel Gabrielle’s anguish over the years I was gone, but I couldn’t ignore how he had avoided me and chosen someone else during those times.We
"Another movie you slay!" Shaira greeted, hugging me tightly."My mom is really amazing," Justine complimented. He was now dressed like a young man, his hair neatly styled, and his suit covering his whole body. He looked at me with great admiration, as if he had learned all these things from me."You always look pretty, Mommy," said Dustine, who, despite being young, had simple words that could warm my heart. He smiled at me, his eyes full of happiness and love."Beautiful and endlessly talented," Jayson praised, standing beside me, his eyes full of respect.We had just finished the premiere night of one of our most successful movies with Jerome. The story was filled with emotion, and I never imagined it would turn out like this. After weeks of hard work and exhaustion, this moment brought joy and success to us.We were in the middle of guests, media, and fans who were all celebrating our achievement. Cameras kept flashing, capturing our photos, but my eyes wandered to the loved ones
Eumerriah's Point of ViewFor six months, everything was in order. No fights, no drama, even though I worked closely with Jerome more often now."Is it still him?" Jerome asked."What’s it to you?" I replied, my tone sharp.It was as if he didn’t care about what happened in the past, like he wasn’t the man I once went crazy for."If you had just kept being crazy about me, maybe I could have learned to love you," I teased."Whatever you say," he responded, seemingly indifferent."You’ve become so tough now, like you weren’t once crazy over me," I pressed."It’s been 17 years, and still? Haven’t you moved on? You couldn’t even fight for my best friend, the first man you loved. So why would I expect you to fight for me, when you just used me?" His words stung."It wasn’t my fault my family couldn’t accept him.""It’s your fault you led him on and didn’t truly love him.""And what do you know about real love?""Well, what about you? What do you know? We’re not kids anymore. If you think y
Eumerriah's Point of ViewThree months have passed since Gabrielle’s sudden disappearance, and no one has heard any news from him. Everyone is worried—even Kristine and Kimberly are confused about what’s happening. I don’t know how to tell them that even I have no idea where he is or when he’ll return.Despite everything, Shaira and I have slowly resumed our daily lives. I continue to work for our family, while Shaira stays home to handle the household chores and take care of Justine. The days have flowed smoothly, but the weight of unanswered questions remains ever-present."Has there still been no word from Gabrielle?" Shaira asked as she arranged Dustine's toys on the floor.I shook my head, feeling the sadness settle in my chest. "Even Kristine has been asking me. She said things are chaotic at their company because of his sudden disappearance. Some employees have also asked me if I know anything, but I have nothing to tell them."Shaira paused and sat down beside me. "Anyone woul
Eumerriah's Point of ViewJustine has recovered from his illness, and despite everything that has happened, I am deeply grateful to Gabrielle. His support for us is something I will never forget. However, after our meeting and discovering that his close friend Paul is Kimberly’s real father, it was as if a heavy burden was lifted from him, but I still cannot fully explain what he's truly feeling.It's been two weeks since I learned the truth, but I haven't heard from Gabrielle since. He’s disappeared, and no matter what I do, I can’t find him. His absence feels like a new torment added to my trials.Amid all this, Jayson has been visiting our house more often. Justine refuses to be bathed by anyone else, so we chose not to hire a personal nurse. Sometimes, I see Jayson hiding his true emotions, trying to act like everything is normal, but I know it’s not easy for him.Because of what happened, I had to change my plans. I no longer accepted new jobs and instead started working from hom
Gabrielle's Point of ViewI don’t know how I managed to leave everything behind. Sometimes, it feels like all of this is just a dream—the life I left, the family I destroyed. But this is the reality I created for myself, and with each passing day, it becomes clearer how big a mistake I made.Kristine, the woman I spent so many years with, the mother of my daughter, Kimberly. We built a family together, a family I once dreamed would be happy and whole until the end. But now, that’s gone. And it's my fault.It all started when Eumerriah came back into my life. I never expected to see her again, never thought I’d feel the emotions I had long buried. I thought everything between us was over. I thought I could forget her and move on with my life with Kristine and Kimberly. But when I saw Eumerriah, all those feelings suddenly came rushing back—feelings I never thought would resurface.That’s when my confusion began. I no longer knew what was real or what should be. I started looking for wa
Serenity's Point of ViewI never expected Gabrielle to come back into my life. It’s been a long time since we last saw each other, and so much has happened between us. Yet now, it seems he’s slowly finding ways to reenter my life, even though we don’t share the same roof.It all started with small things. Sometimes, I’d suddenly receive a message from him. They were simple questions like, "How is Justine?" or "Don’t work too hard; you need rest, too." These messages were straightforward, but I couldn’t help but feel a strange warmth in my chest whenever I read them. I never expected to get such messages from Gabrielle, especially since we haven’t been together for a long time.Justine often asks about Gabrielle as well. I know the child struggles to understand our situation, so I just tell him, "He cares about you." But every time I say that, I feel a pang in my heart. Why does Gabrielle still care? What’s the reason?Whenever Gabrielle visits to see Justine, he always brings the chil