“Maybe the time will come. But for now… I don’t want to go back to him.” Mariane shook her head.Anastacia shrugged. “It’s okay. Take your time. And your wounds will be healed. Focus on your son first, and your career as well. Love can wait.” Anastacia smiled to comfort her daughter.Anastacia went out of the room without Mariane. She let her daughter rest and promised to send her food to her room. In the hallway, Anastacia saw David going to the kitchen.“David,” Anastacia called.David turned at her. “May I have a word with you?”David wondered why Anastacia wants to talk with him, but after what happened to him with Mariane earlier, he thought it might have something to do about it.“Sure,” he replied and smile.Anastacia led the way and they went to the balcony. “Mariane told me about what happened between you and her three years ago.” Anastacia started, making David stunned.But now that Anastacia already knew about what he did to Mariane, it was now time for him to apologize.Da
George and David were on the trampoline and were jumping while they were having a staring contest when Jacob called.“Daddy!” Both George and David turned to look at Jacob.“What is it, buddy?”“What is it, son?”Both of them spoke in unison.“Daddy,” Jacob ran towards David, making the latter smirk at George.‘See that? I’m his dad and not you. So don’t turn as if you are his father.’ He thought with a smug look on his face.David wanted to say it out loud. But he chose not to. As his son was just around and David doesn’t want Jacob to hear ill words from him. He carried Jacob out of the trampoline.“What is it, son?” he asked Jacob.“Daddy, I want to swim in a pool. Can I swim?” Jacob pleads, with his eyes twinkling.“Of course! You can. Wait, I’ll change my clothes first. Then, let’s swim.” David was about to get inside the house when Jacob stopped him.“But I want Daddy George to join me.” Jacob pouted.“Oh, okay,” David muttered.Jacob’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Daddy!” David got
“What the hell is happening right now?” David gritted his teeth and asked Stacey in a low voice.He wanted to curse them all, but the reporters were there and they were in a live telecast. David tries to control his anger. He didn’t want to ruin his reputation with the public as it will drag his business down. People will also hate him because Stacey is people’s apple of the eye.“Now that we’re televised, it’s a wonderful opportunity for your business and my career. Do you like my surprise?” Stacey asked, with a smile plastered on her face.“If you don’t want to get humiliated in public, tell the reporters to go out. Or I will declare this engagement was ridiculous.” David warned her with a stern look on his face.David was not happy with the surprise that Stacey and his mom had prepared for him. And now he regretted coming with his mom.‘If I should have known, I wouldn’t dare to come here with her. Dammit!’ He cursed in his mind.Stacey scoffed and glared at him in disbelief before
David arrived at the villa with his brows frowning. He looked around and noticed no one was in there. ‘Where are the people?’ he wondered.He opened each room and saw nothing. David clenched. ‘Dammit. I shouldn’t have left them.’“John! John!”John hurried over to David. “Yes, Master?”“Get the car ready. We’re heading to George’s house.” “But, Master… It’s already midnight. I think they are sleeping already.” John reasoned out.“I don’t care! I will get Mariane and Jacob from him.” David sternly said.John had no choice but sighed helplessly. He’s exhausted from driving here and there, following his boss’ orders and all he wants was to lie on the bed and have a good night's sleep. But now, he thinks that he’ll not be able to get his sleep as they will go to George’s house, which was a four hours of ride from where they were right now.With the heavy foot, John went to the garage and prepared the car they will be using. He turned on the engine and waited for David to come when sudden
Mariane went to the kitchen to think of helping her mom to prepare their breakfast. But she got stunned when she saw George preparing food for them.“Good morning,” George greeted with a smile, which makes Mariane feel a bit awkward.“George? Why are you doing that?” Mariane was talking about him preparing breakfast early in the morning.“I want to make breakfast for you,” George smiled.“Oh,” Mariane muttered.“Where is everyone? My mom and Jacob?” She asked.“They are in the garden. Jacob is playing there. Oh… Can you help me with these? Let’s bring this food into the garden.”Mariane took the pancakes, hotdog, and ham and brought them into the garden.“Good morning, Mommy!” Jacob greeted her, and he ran towards her.Jacob hugged Mariane. While Anastacia took the tray from Mariane, so she could hug her son back. She mouthed thanks to Anastacia and hugged Jacob.“Good morning, baby,” Mariane greeted back, which made Jacob stop and glare at his mom.Mariane looked at her son, confused
Mariane, Anastacia, and Jacob arrived at their house. Luckily, it was already midnight, and no one recognized them. They still lived in a crowded place. Three years ago, David went to Anastacia and gave them a house near his villa. But Anastacia did not accept the home that David offered to them. And when Mariane left, Diego had changed. He worked as a contractual construction worker, which his friend recommended. While Anastacia still sells her rice cakes and accepts laundry from the neighborhood. And they gradually renovated the house. Now, it has a second floor and a bathroom. Mariane put her son, Jacob, on the bed. “Thankfully, our house had been renovated before you and your son arrived,” Anastacia stated. Mariane looked around. From a wooden house, now it turns into a stone house. “It looks nice and bigger now that we have a second floor,” Mariane said. “Yeah. It is. David offered us to live in a village he bought near your house. But I rejected it. I don’t want to be a burde
Dr. Zachary Smith, also called Zach, is the best neuro-oncologist in the country. And he got an award as one of the top five best doctors around the globe. At the age of twenty-five, he became the head of surgeons at Camella Hospital. Aside from that, Zach was Mariane’s childhood boy-best friend. They lost communication after Zach and his family migrated to another country.“Hello. Is this Doctor Smith?” Mariane asked.“Yan-yan! Yes, it’s me. Zach.”Mariane frowned in confusion. ‘How did he know me?’ She wondered.“H-how’d you know me?” she asked.“Isn’t this Mariane Ramos? Your father is Diego Ramos, right? Doctor Lopez mentioned you to me.”“Uh, yes?” Mariane answered. Her brows furrowed as she doesn’t know how a doctor knew her nickname. Only a few people knew about her nickname, Yan-yan. Mariane looked at the screen of her phone and checked the number if she was right.“It’s me, your childhood best friend, Zach.” Mariane gasped as she remembered who she was calling.“Zach? The Zac
After Mariane prepared the papers for the transfer of David to Camella Hospital, Mariane immediately called Zach to inform him about their transfer. David arrived at the hospital to talk with Mariane. But Anastacia blocked his way.“David, please. I am begging you as Mariane’s mother. Mariane has a lot on her mind right now. Please don’t bother her anymore. About your divorce, Mariane informed me that you already have the divorce papers she signed a long time ago.” Anastacia said.“But I’m still her husband and the father of our child. And I just want to lend a hand to your family. I want to help. I know someone who can help Mr. Ramos cure his illness.”Anastacia shook her head. “You don’t have to worry about us. We can handle ourselves. Someone will help us already.” Anastacia informed him, which made David frown quizzically.‘Who could it be?’ he wondered.“Mrs. Ramos, may I know who helped you?” He asked.“He is Mariane’s old friend,” Anastacia said.“He? So he is a guy?” David ask
“Am I pregnant?!”David frowned at Mariane’s reaction.“Why do you look surprised? Didn’t you know?”David looked at her in the eye trying to figure out if Mariane was telling the truth about her not knowing their pregnant. But Mariane couldn’t stand to lie to him. She bit her lower lip and winced.“I was about to tell you after our wedding as my wedding gift, but it seems like you knew about it now.” Mariane pouted disappointedly.David sighed. “Love, you don’t have to be disappointed. Don’t worry. I will act like I never knew about your pregnancy.” David smiled while trying to comfort his wife.“By the way, who else knew about this matter?” she asked, alarmed.“I haven’t told anyone yet, except for Stacey.”“Oh,” Mariane suddenly felt sad and frightened upon mentioning the name of the person who cause her wounds in the cheek.David held her hand. “Don’t worry about her. She said sorry and will turn herself in at the police station. I also called some reporters to clear out your name
‘She’s pregnant,’ David kept on thinking about what the doctor had just said. And he couldn’t help but worry about Mariane’s condition as well.‘I should have known in the beginning. So, I could protect them.’ Suddenly, he remembered what Stacey did to Mariane.‘Stacey, you will pay for what you did.’ he thought.His grip on the steering wheel tightened as images of Stacey smirking at him appeared in his thoughts. David stepped on the gas to accelerate his speed. He was on his way to the abandoned building where they found Mariane. As soon as he arrived at the building, John immediately welcomed him.He remembered after knowing that Mariane was pregnant, he immediately called John to stop torturing Stacey. Because he wanted to do the punishment by himself.“Where is she?” David asked.“She’s on the top floor, Sir. Like what you said, we did what she does to Madam.” John informed him.“That’s good. You can have your rest. I can take it from here.”“But, Sir.-”“It’s alright. I’m okay.
If you wish to find your beloved lover alive, you better look for her now. Finder’s keepers, baby.“Who the hell send this message to you?!” Kim asked exasperatingly.After David received those cryptic messages from an unknown number, he immediately contacted Anastacia, Geneva, Kim, and John. But since Anastacia needs to take care of her husband, Diego, Anastacia needs to stay with him. So, to get her involved in the conversation, David called her and put the phone into a speaker phone.“I don’t know yet. But I have my investigator investigate the photo. Let’s wait for his call.”“Do you know where to find her now, son?” Geneva asked worriedly. “If you do so, don’t worry about Jacob. I will take good care of him,” she added.“I’m still waiting for the investigator’s report. Once we find out her location, we will immediately rescue her.”“I want to come!” Kim volunteered.“Are you nuts? What if something happened to you? Dr. Smith will kill me.” Mark butted in, which made Kim roll her
‘Where am I?’ She wondered.After a while, his stomach suddenly started to boil. Only then did he remember that he had not eaten lunch and had only eaten biscuits in the morning. His throat was also parched with thirst. In addition to that, Mariane is no longer comfortable in the gown she is wearing because apart from being heavy, she is also starting to itch and the fabric is sagging around her chest.Mariane tried to feel the surroundings while she tapped her foot to figure out if the floor was cement, wood, or on a road. Mariane tried to turn around the post but then she suddenly felt nervous as her heart stops from breathing when she tapped her foot and could feel nothing.‘Why is there no floor? Did they hang me up?” she wondered.Trembling Mariane, makes Stacey chuckle. Mariane becomes alert upon hearing the voice of a laughing woman. Just seeing her rival struggling makes Stacey happy.“Hmm!!! (Who are you?!)” Mariane hummed as she couldn’t speak properly.From giggling, Stacey
It was a traditional church with wooden pews on each side of the aisle but because of this special occasion. They covered the entrance and down the aisle with vines and festive candles lighting the way to their future. Their chosen flower arrangement group elegantly designed the inside of a church. They created an arc at the entrance with mixed chrysanthemums and pink and white roses. People and media groups who got invited to the wedding of the century gathered inside the church.The media groups were busy preparing their camera at the back, following the other guests invited to the wedding. The wedding coordinator talked to the entourage about their position as they walked down the aisle later. Jacob fell asleep in the chair while Geneva took care of him. Next to Geneva were Anastacia and David. David was constantly blowing his breath while rubbing his hands on his knees. The groom must have been feeling anxious because of his wedding.“Are you all right?” Anastasia asked.“I don’t
After David left her alone in the room, the make-up artists and the wedding planner came to check on her. She needs to get ready, as the ceremony at the church will start soon. The make-up artist and the hair stylist started doing their assigned job. And it was too late for her to cover up the lovebite David made on her neck.‘Dammit!’ Mariane cursed in her mind.“Good morning, Miss Mariane,” the crew greeted her. But they turned all their eyes on her neck that had a love bite, and they all went silent as they looked away.Kim entered the room and was about to greet her friend when she noticed the mark.“Good morning- oooh… Seem like someone just sneaked around.” Kim teased as she walked in Mariane’s direction.Mariane rolled her eyes as she tried to hide the embarrassment she felt. Her cheeks were now as red as tomatoes. Kim suddenly held Mariane’s chin and tilted it sideward, which made Mariane slap her friend’s hand.“Stop it, will you?”But the best friend of the year grinned. “Wh
Everyone is busy with the arrangements for the wedding to be held today. David is in their house and is preparing for his wedding, along with his mother Geneva, and his son, Jacob.Since Geneva apologized to them, she has recovered from her grandson Jacob. he always borrows the child from them. At first, Mariane was hesitant to lend Geneva to their son. But when he saw a grandmother's love for her grandson and a sign of sincerity in asking for forgiveness, he allowed her to borrow his son. And now they can't stop the grandmother from spoiling the child to buy toys and food.“Mom, you can go now. But can you bring Jacob with you to the venue? I have something to do here first.”Geneva frowned as she noticed David was taking deep breaths as if he was confused and restless. He was even pacing back and forth as he was feeling nervous.“Oh-okay. Are you sure you’re okay, son?” she asked worriedly.“Y-yeah, Mom.”Geneva raised her brow while scrutinizing her son in disbelief. “I thought you
After David announced his marriage to Mariane in a press conference, the media did not stop Mariane. Everywhere Mariane goes, there are paparazzi who are following her and she even beat a famous actress because she is always in the news. Even their son Jacob can no longer attend school properly, because of the reporters and the inquisitive parents of his classmates.One day, Mariane and Kim went out to the Salon to pamper themselves. Because it will be three days before the wedding of the century happens. Mariane and David’s wedding. But as soon as they come out of the said Salon, the reporters suddenly popped out and started asking them questions.“Ma’am, can I request your interview about your upcoming wedding with a well-known businessman, David Cruz?” “Excuse me. We don’t want to get interviewed.” Kim interrupted them, but the stubborn reporters didn’t listen and continued asking Mariane some questions.“How does it feel to be married to a David Cruz?”Kim tried to cover up Maria
One year later,Mariane’s wounds healed, and she could walk properly without anyone’s help. They went back to their everyday life. Their son, Jacob, is now a grade-one student at a prestigious school. Mariane started to build her new accounting firm with the help of David. And David is back to being a workaholic aside from special occasions and holidays. He often went home late and went on business trips now and then.After a year of living together, Mariane and David’s relationship is fine. David asked Mariane to marry her for the second time. At first, Mariane refused when she let David stand up. The people around them turned silent as they thought Mariane would reject his proposal.“Why do we have to get married… again?” Mariane asked when David proposed to her while they were having a family dinner.“Because you deserve to have a proper wedding,” David explained.“But we’re already married. Plus, preparing for the wedding is just,” Mariane sighed. “Stressful and expensive.” Marian