C17“Where are you going now?” Heart asked when they reached the door of her classroom.Lux looked at her, seemingly thoughtful.“To the office, of course. Where else would your handsome husband go?” He grinned, but inside, he was concerned.He worried that her classmates might continue bullying her.“How did you meet my classmates?” She asked, curious.“Who? Celeste Madrigal, Anelyn dela Peña, Joan Dondonilla, and Jessica Hernandez? Pom-pom girls, they call themselves? They are the thorns in your life causing you stress. I’ll eliminate them.”Heart’s eyes widened, “Eliminate? Oh my. Just leave them be,” she said, but it seemed like he didn’t want to agree.He shook his head. He couldn’t let it go because they might persist in their actions.“Lux…” she said, and he nodded.“Okay, first offense indeed. I’ll go now. I’ll continue the meeting with the franchisees. If you need me, don’t hesitate to call. That’s also Mama’s instruction.”“Okay. Goodbye. Take care,” she said with
C18Heart confidently left the classroom after her exam, believing that even if she didn’t achieve perfect score, she was close to it. Despite the rule imposed by her instructor, she remained undeterred, determined to give her best. Regardless of her pending exam results and grades, she faced each challenge head-on, knowing she wouldn’t be defeated.As she headed to the Guidance Office, she bid farewell to her friend Jeck, who wished her luck. “Take care, Ate Heart. Good luck.”“Thank you,” she replied, then walked away, paying no mind to her other classmates.Unfazed by the distance created by rumors surrounding her personal life, Heart refused to force herself into societal expectations. Her true comfort always lay with her family.The assistant opened the door for her, and she entered, greeting Miss Collins. This woman was a topic of gossip, too: how did she become a Guidance Counselor when her partner is allegedly a lesbian? Does a person's ability to be a counselor depend on th
C19HEART’s heart skipped a beat when she entered the restaurant and saw Silvana inside. Aiza, whom the woman was talking to, immediately glanced at her when she appeared at the entrance.Her focus was on Silvana.Oh no. What is this woman up to again?Insecurities surged as soon as Heart saw this woman. She didn’t know the reason, but it hit her all of a sudden.She continued walking towards the counter, trying to resist her feelings and casually approached.She caught Silvana’s attention. She couldn’t tell if Silvana was smiling or what. She wasn’t sure if Silvana knew about the rumors spreading.“Oh, here you are!” Silvana exclaimed as if they were close friends. She approached, hugged her, and kissed her cheek.“Aren’t you going in?” Silvana asked cheerfully.She just shook her head, “the exam is over,” she said, glancing at Silvana, “How are you?”Silvana shrugged, and she went to the counter.“Here, moving on.”“Is it really over? It’s a waste of several years.”“He
C20Thank goodness World War 3, which he feared, didn’t happen. He quickly retaliated against the slap of pain he saw on Heart’s face earlier.Hopefully, Silvana won’t go to the restaurant so they won’t meet again.They are currently inside the 3VP room. Lush is awake and eating ham.“I don’t know if I’ll pass this semester,” Heart told her, causing her to pause in chewing.“And why is that so?”“But I feel like I’ll pass. I explained my side well. I told the counselor it’s unfair if they judge my efforts based on my status. I made it clear that my student life is separated from my personal situation. I feel like I convinced her.”“Uh-huh,” he nodded. “It’s only fair because she might lose her job.”“Lux!” Heart scolded him, but he was smiling.“Mimi, call Daddy Bibi, not Lats. You call him Bibi,” Lush sided with him, making Heart smile as she pinched their child’s cheek.“Yes, I call Daddy ‘baby.’”“That’s right, son. High five,” he said, giving his child a high-five before
21Lux returned to his office after dropping off his family at home, just as he mentioned. Funny how a billionaire like him lives in a two-story house, he thought, not as vast as his mansions and doesn’t contain fifteen rooms.That’s the home we built, he mused, reflecting on the indoor balcony, spacious living room and kitchen, two guest rooms downstairs, and four bedrooms upstairs. The expansive backyard, adorned with landscaping and trees, provided a refreshing feel of being in a province despite being in the city of Manila.There has been no change in Heart’s life even though they are living together. She works hard on her own, and Lux is truly impressed. She doesn’t indulge in million-peso shopping sprees for bags and shoes. Occasionally, she brings home a bag worth six hundred pesos only.When Lux buys her things worth millions of pesos, she says he must’ve just saved it for Lush’s future. But when it comes to expensive perfumes, she remains silent. Heart loves perfumes; that’s
C22Heart observed Lux intently as she arranged the grilled hotdogs and kebabs on the platter. She finished her task and walked slowly toward her husband, who was engaged in a serious conversation on his smartphone.Despite knowing that he was just working, jealousy crept into her thoughts. It’s not that she doesn’t trust him; she’s just wary of other women vying for Lux’s attention. She wasn’t blind; she could see that Lux attracts attention from women wherever he goes. While she accepted it because her husband was undeniably handsome, she also knew he respected her and didn’t entertain others, especially when they were together.Just try looking at someone else, and she’d give him a peace of mind, forever by leaving him.But today, he seemed sad and preoccupied. Could the investigation he initiated have yielded results? Was there bad news that affected him, leaving him downcast and troubled?As they were about to eat, she decided to approach him. She wanted to talk, especially sin
C23Heart emerged from the tent after fixing Lush. Their child was already asleep, and now she headed towards her husband, who was sitting, immediately locking eyes with her. He had been smoking several cigarettes since earlier, and she was familiar with Lux’s behavior.It wasn't just a cigarette. There were days when she didn’t see him take a puff for quite a while, but today, it seemed like he had already had about three.She felt a strong emotion. She smiled at him, and he returned a faint smile. Instead of sitting beside him, she sat on his lap.He quickly embraced her waist. “What’s up? Can you handle it?” she teased, but she was afraid of what he might say. It could be her last laugh that night.He took something from the pocket of his shorts, a folded paper. “Open it, baby. I want you to see it,” he said, and she nodded, her lips slightly open as she took and unfolded it.At the top, she saw the doctor’s name, address, and contact number. What she saw next were names of women—
C24Heart woke up feeling sad. Both she and Lux spent the entire night in silence, holding onto each other as if one would escape. She fell asleep like that, and he did, too. They were sensing each other’s emotions.Today was their community service for the school requirement. Monday and Tuesday are still counted . After that, they would have a vacation. Heart picked up her smartphone and checked her messages. Her mother had greeted her, and she realized she hadn’t replied, or more accurately, she hadn’t read it since she was not in the right state of mind. She read the chaTofrom Lexus and Lexi in the notification panel. It turned out it was their semestral break, and her siblings were thrilled. As an older sister, she was even more pleased because her siblings were doing well in school. Her hard work at work was worth it.She replied to her mother, explaining that she had fallen asleep and that Lux was investigating the people spreading rumors about them.Despite after sending a