As Sandra stepped into the elevator heading up to her condo, her mind was already racing with possible excuses. She examined her reflection in the mirrors on the elevator, specially to her neck and chest, she’s concerned that Arnaldo might have left any kiss marks. When the elevator doors opened, she made her way directly to her unit. Just as she expected, Tim was already there, sitting on the sofa with a grin as she walked in. “Come here, sweetheart!” He stretched his legs out and patted the seat beside him, inviting her to sit close. Sandra sat down next to him, smiling sweetly before giving him a playful kiss to steer the conversation away from any questions he might have. “Hi, sweetheart! Have you been waiting long? Lucky I managed to get away from that woman quickly,” she said, referring to Veronica. “Honestly, if it weren’t for Veronica making it impossible for me to put Arnaldo in his place, I wou
They finished bathing after a fierce fight. Sandra breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that her partner’s anger had subsided. He was extremely jealous of Arnaldo, and for good reason; Arnaldo was indeed very handsome and had a fantastic physique. His clothing showcased his well-toned body, indicating he was dedicated to the gym. When they returned to the room to get dressed, Tim came out and prepared drinks for them. He immediately called Sandra to join him. She quickly got dressed and followed him to the living room. “Sweetheart! What’s your next plan? Did you convince Arnaldo that something happened between you two?” Tim poured alcohol into Sandra’s glass. Sandra took a sip from her drink before answering, “I think he really believed it. I spiked his drink pretty strong, so he was out cold last night. So, sweetheart, don’t think too much. We’ll just end up fighting over nothing.” She continued to tease he
AMELIA :I can't understand how i feel right now. I’ve been feeling unwell for several days since my friends spiked my drink that night. My joints hurt as if I have a flu. Especially in the mornings, I feel intense dizziness, and sometimes I even feel nauseous. Maybe I have an upset stomach.Grrrrrr, I’m really annoyed thinking about what my friends did to me. I feel like I want to shave their heads. But I still think about the guy I was with that night. Who could he be? It’s frustrating because I can’t remember his face very well. I planned to go home early and meet up with Ian and Sophia; I want to give those two a piece of my mind. We’ve also been busy with work. There’s a lot of work here at the office that I can’t leave behind; I’m one of the ones relied person in term of monitoring the financial status on the company. So even though I have a fever, I still go to work.I’ve been feeling this way for several days. I’m not a fan of taking medicine. I just do water therapy whenever
Ian and Sophia also ate the pizza and burgers. They loved the chicken wings that Sophia bought. They couldn’t stop chatting and laughing, with Ian sharing all the crazy things that had happened to him in the past few days. That’s why he had often been missing from their house—he was busy dating a new boy he had met.Amelia couldn’t settle down every time she smelled the chicken wings that Sophia brought. She felt like they smelled bad. She didn’t want to get close to them because it made her stomach churn. She didn’t say anything to her friends for fear they’d call her dramatic. Ian offered her some chicken wings, noticing that she wasn’t taking any, even though it was her favorite.They noticed a change in Amelia’s mood regarding food; she looked a bit pale, which worried them.“Are you okay? You still seem unwell!”“Have you been to check-up? Didn’t you say you’ve been feeling bad for a few days?!”“I’m fine, maybe it’s just stress from work,” Amelia replied to her friends.“Are you
Amelia was pacing back and forth, anxiously waiting for the result of her pregnancy test. She couldn’t settle down. Outside, her friends were waiting for her to open the bathroom door. Ian and Sophia were watching the door intently. “Sis, I feel guilty about what we did to Amelia. Why did we agree to those guys? We don’t even know them,” Sophia said sadly. “I feel guilty too, sis. Why did we drag Amelia into our mess?! Our friend might be pregnant, and her child won’t have a father!” Ian sighed in frustration. “Do you think she’s pregnant?” “Because, sis, from what I see, Amelia has all the signs like my sister Marineth did! Didn’t she say she’s been feeling dizzy and has had acid reflux for days? It sounds like morning sickness!” “Yeah, I noticed she looked pale too.” After 30 minutes, they started to wonder why Amelia hadn’t co
Amelia suddenly burst into tears, crying over the results. Her friends comforted her. “It’s okay, sis! Everything will be fine,” Sophia said sadly. “Huhuhu! What will I do, sis?! I’m so confused. What do I do now?! Huhuhu,” she continued to cry. “We won’t abandon you, sis! We’re here for you,” Ian assured her. “Yeah, sis. We’ll help you. I’m so sorry! If it weren’t for our foolishness that night, none of this would have happened to you. Huhuhu!” Sophia cried, unable to hold back her tears from the guilt she felt. Amelia kept crying, but when she saw her friends blaming themselves, she felt compassion for them. Her friends were good to her. They had always been by her side, especially on the day her parents were murdered, which remains an open case in the investigation. The motive behind the killing was still unclear, and the suspects had not yet been caught. Ameli
Amelia and Ian went directly to the OB-GYN clinic her friend had recommended. Only Ian could accompany her this time, as Sophia was busy with work. They planned to meet later that evening at home, where Sophia would join them for dinner.They entered the clinic with excitement. It was spacious and well-lit, with plenty of child-friendly decorations near the entrance before reaching the receptionist desk. This was a private clinic, and Dr. Renata, a renowned doctor in the field, was highly respected. With such a reputation, it wasn’t surprising that check-ups here were pricey, though the website reviews were overwhelmingly positive. Ian, who had promised to cover Amelia’s medical expenses, had arranged everything directly with Dr. Renata, as she was not only his sister’s doctor but also a family friend.Ian had also scheduled an appointment in advance for this visit.“Hi! Good morning, we have an appointment under the name Amelia Montemayor!” Ian told the receptionist.The receptionist
Amelia and Friends“Sis! Look, baby is so cute!” Amelia proudly showed Sophia, as she repeatedly stared at the ultrasound picture the doctor had given her. The baby’s embryo was still small but visible in the scan.“Wow! Sis, it’s really there! It’s all real now!” Sophia replied.“Girl, we should start buying baby stuff! I’m so excited to find out if it’s a girl or boy. We can put the crib right here! And we should get a little swing to put there!” Ian said, practically acting like the baby’s mom, eagerly planning what to buy for Amelia’s baby.“Haha, sis, you’re more excited than the mom!”“How are you going to handle work now?” Sophia asked, gently touching Amelia’s belly.“I already talked to Ms. Isabel. She gave me a week off, and I’ll just stay updated through email,” Amelia replied.“Oh, that’s good, sis! At least Ms. Isabel knows. Because of that, you’re not allowed to stay up late, and no stress for you! Don’t worry about the household expenses; Ian and I will take care of it.
“Oh, you silly girl! Don’t worry about it. Consider it done,” Veronica said reassuringly, pulling out her checkbook from her bag and writing the amount. “Here, dear, 100 million—good as cash! You can withdraw it tomorrow.” “Thank you so much, Mommy!” Sandra exclaimed, hugging and kissing Veronica. “But please, Mommy, don’t let anyone else know I asked you. They’ll be mad at me.” “Of course, dear. It’s between you and me. Now go and rest—it’s getting late,” Veronica said, dismissing her with a smile. Sandra excitedly reported everything to Tim that night, including the fact that she could pay Mr. Kim 100 million as a down payment. The next morning, she went straight to the bank to withdraw the money while Tim eagerly waited at their condo with his men. When Sandra returned with the money in suitcases, Tim met her at the parking lot, grinning widely. “Thank you, sweetheart. You never let me down!” Tim said, kissing her passionately as he admired the suitcases full of cash. “S
“Alright, alright, I agree! But you have to make sure that judge keeps his mouth shut about this to the Alcantaras. Otherwise, you’ll be in trouble too, Sandra,” Tim finally relented, calming down. He knew his men were right—if he couldn’t pay Mr. Kim soon, the man would surely kill them for the huge amount they had embezzled. Worse, their families would also be dragged into it. “We still have another problem, Tim,” Sandra said seriously, just as they resolved one issue. “What now?” Tim asked irritably. “Amelia.” “What’s with her now? Sandra, if it’s not urgent, can we not talk about her right now?” “Tim, listen to me. We need to deal with her as soon as possible. I was at Eunice’s office earlier—the HR manager at Arnaldo’s company,” Sandra said seriously. “They must not meet, Tim. I found out from Eunice that Amelia is set to be the next head of their Finance Department. If their paths cross, everything we’ve worked for will be ruined.” Tim stared at her, processing what
AT TIM’S CONDOSandra headed straight to the condo she shared with Tim, leaving him a message that she’d be waiting for him there.POV: TimMeanwhile, Tim was in the middle of a major transaction when his phone kept ringing incessantly. Checking the caller ID, he saw it was Sandra, but he couldn’t afford any distractions now. This deal was too important, so he turned off his phone, ensuring nothing could interrupt. The contraband they were handling was bound for Cebu, and his contact had just arrived. The deal was high stakes — both sides were heavily armed, with guards stationed outside the abandoned warehouse to prevent any interference. The drugs they were handling were worth 500 million pesos, and they took every precaution to avoid law enforcement.“Charles!” Tim called his trusted associate, who handed him the suitcases containing the drugs.One of their contact’s men approached, each group keeping a respectful distance. The leaders
AT ARNALDO’S COMPANYSandra called her friend, who was the head of the HR Department, and arranged to meet with her in person. This time, Sandra didn’t use the VIP elevator but instead took the staff elevator, avoiding a direct encounter with Arnaldo. Her main concern was dealing with Amelia first.When Sandra reached the HR Department floor, she walked confidently to the HR Head’s office. People around her greeted her, but she ignored them, striding smartly without even a glance.Before she reached the door of the HR Head, her friend Eunice came out to meet her with a big smile and a warm greeting.“Hi, Sandra! It’s been so long since you visited! It’s great to see you!” greeted Eunice, the head of HR at SB Group.Sandra kissed her on the cheek. “Yes, Eunice! I missed you too!” she replied, her words dripping with fake sweetness.Eunice laughed. “Sandra, I know that look! Come inside,” she said, inviting her in.Eunice offer
Inside the bathroom, Sandra carefully took Arnaldo’s comb and placed it in a small bag. She needed it for the DNA testing, and she kept glancing at the door to make sure he wouldn’t suddenly come back into the bathroom. She felt relieved when she finally managed to secure the comb in her bag and saw Arnaldo leaving the mansion.She then looked for the right moment to excuse herself from her in-laws because she needed to meet with Tim at a coffee shop far from their subdivision.Tim greeted her at the door, and together they went straight to the counter. They ordered cake and cold coffee for Sandra. While they were waiting for their order, Sandra handed Tim the plastic bag with the comb inside. She placed it on the table, and Tim quickly took it. Sandra assured him that she wore gloves when she took the comb.Tim smiled at her with admiration for executing the task so well, lightly tapping her cheek in a playful manner. Sandra then happily ate her cake, whi
When Arnaldo entered their bedroom, he saw Sandra seated on the plush sofa by the bed, watching a movie.“Sandra, if you’re not too tired, would you like to go out for dinner with me?” he greeted her.Sandra was taken aback by the sudden change in his behavior. Arnaldo rarely initiated conversations when he came home from work; he usually headed straight to the bathroom for a shower, then disappeared into his study room connected to their bedroom. He would only come to bed when it was time to sleep, settling on a small bed he had set up separately.“Oh! Hi, Arnaldo. I’m not tired; I don’t have anything going on. Sure, I’ll just change quickly,” she said, leaping up eagerly. Like a child, she rushed to get dressed, afraid he might change his mind. After all, this was a rare occurrence. Actually, in their entire time together, this was the first time he’d invited her out for dinner.Arnaldo also changed into something casual to feel comfortable. He
Tim greeted the doctor with a sly smile and casually sat on the couch beside her desk, crossing his legs as if he were in his own home. The doctor knew he had an agenda; her receptionist had been nervous when calling to announce his arrival. Not wanting any trouble, she had calmly instructed her to send him straight to her office. “Yes, Tim, what can I do for you?” the doctor asked professionally. “I heard Sandra has a problem with the baby,” he began. “I don’t want any beating around the bush. Sandra can’t have an MRI because then the Alcantara family will find out about the issue. They must not learn that there’s something wrong with the baby. Or, are you even thinking?” he said arrogantly. “If Sandra gets an MRI, there’s a chance they’ll discover the baby isn’t Arnaldo’s. You know Sandra has to safely deliver that baby! There’s something I need to know from you!” he said in a commanding tone, as if talking to
When she returned to the mansion, she was with Kenzo. She showed her in-laws the things she bought for her baby boy. She lied to them, saying her baby was healthy. She even showed them an ultrasound picture given by her doctor. Since they didn’t really know how to interpret the ultrasound results, Sandra simply showed them the image of her baby from the ultrasound. They were pleased that the gender was very visible. The elderly couple thanked Kenzo for always accompanying Sandra during her check-ups, as well as on her other errands.“Mom! Kenzo and I, along with some other friends, are having a get-together tonight because Olena is throwing a farewell party—she’s getting married to her fiancé from Canada!” Sandra explained to Veronica.“Oh, is that so, dear! No problem. I’ll have the driver pick you up when you’re ready to come home. Which hotel are you meeting at?”“Oh, no need, Mom! It’s going to end late. We’ll be staying over. I’ve been getting a bit restless here at home, and Arn
Sandra left her check-up feeling restless. Dr. Renata had also given her a request for an MRI, which only added to her worries. “Bestie, Mommy Veronica cannot know about the baby’s condition. They might realize he isn’t Arnaldo’s.” Sandra’s mind was a mess, and she hadn’t moved from the doorway of Dr. Renata’s office. “If I get an MRI, that’s the end for me,” she muttered. Kenzo comforted her, though he was equally unsure of what to do. He felt sorry for the baby, knowing the potential issues that could affect its development. He took Sandra’s arm to support her, but then he noticed something in the hospital lobby. Sandra, lost in her own thoughts, hadn’t seen it. “Hey! Isn’t that the woman you caught in Arnaldo’s room?” Kenzo pointed at Amelia with irritation. He remembered her because she usually wore glasses at the office, but now she wasn’t. “Where?” Sandra’s attention snapped back, her interest piqued by Kenzo’s words. “There, sitting over there,” Kenzo pointed to where Amel