《The Love That Passed》


 One

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    ¡°Hubby, can you lend me some money?¡± I asked my husband, Jared. He red at me after hearing it.


    ¡°Why would I give you money? Do you think just because I agreed to marry you, I will give you what you want just like that?¡± he said.


    ***


    That was two years ago, when we had just gotten married. I was really sick and my doctor finally told me that there was a heart avable which waspatible with me. I got excited, I thought I would be able to prolong my life if I underwent the surgery. But there¡¯s a catch: it was expensive. So I asked my husband, but sad to say he didn¡¯t give any. Because he was mad at me.


    I understand his anger though. He was forced to marry me by his mother and his sister. He doesn¡¯t love me, he loves someone else. Stacey, his girlfriend for four years and probably expecting them to get married until I came between them.


    Jared said that he loves Stacey and that there¡¯s nothing I can do to change that. I don¡¯t know if they broke up after our marriage, though I don¡¯t care about it. I was still hopeful that they would. It¡¯s not because I am being selfish, is there anyone who would want their husband to see someone else? I guess none, right?


    For the meantime, I was d that Stacey had note to our door saying she was pregnant with Jared¡¯s child. I don¡¯t know what I would do if that happened. I may not love him, but I respect our marriage and I hope he does the same. Though I know that he wasn¡¯t, as long as he didn¡¯t unt it and no one knew about it besides him and Stacey, everything was fine with me.


    I myself didn¡¯t know why I suddenly agreed with my mother and sister-inw to get married to him. They were very sweet to me though. I get nothing out of this marriage. Well, not exactly nothing. I got a family. Although it wasn¡¯t a normal one, I still have my mother and sister-inw, whom I can call mom and sister. They love me so much, like their own. I can feel how much they cared for me and I know if Jared did something wrong to me, they would get mad and would never forgive him for that.


    I came from a broken family. My mom divorced my dad because he was out of work. Meaning he was broke. I was eight when I heard them fighting over money, money that we don¡¯t have. So I hate money, no matter how shiny or glittery it was and I was 16 when they finally divorced.


    My mom now has her own family and so does my dad. Can you imagine how happy they were finding their second family? You may think I was too, because I never heard them fight anymore. At first, yes, but when both of them forgot about me and didn¡¯t want to take me, I didn¡¯t know if there was anyone who would feel happy about it.


    My mom said she doesn¡¯t want me in their house because I reminded her of how irresponsible my dad was, while dad doesn¡¯t want me with them as well, because I reminded him of my mother and how greedy she was. I was more disappointed with my dad, because I remember, as a child, I was a daddy¡¯s girl. I always go to him for whatever reason.


    So yes, I live alone, by myself. For 8 years, I managed to give myself a contented life. I never asked for anything but to have a roof over my head and regr meals on my table. I study while I work and I was thankful that no matter how corrupt our government was, they still managed to give students like me a free college education. So I study and study, because I want to survive in this world.


    I got my college degree longer than anyone else, but I still feel satisfied. It wasn¡¯t easy to go to college and work at the same time. I never spent money on unnecessary things and buy only those that I needed. Even after I have work, I only focus on that and don¡¯t even look at any man who is trying to get my attention.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    But the world is really cruel. Here I am working for myself fair and square, but when I had my check-up for having difficulty with my breathing, I felt like the world was against me and my happiness. It turned out that I had a weak heart and I had to be careful with everything I did. Dr. Gerard, help me and advise me with everything to ensure that I have my health in check. But it was all toote.


    It appeared that all the time I was having that out of breath feeling and ignored and took it for granted, I was already digging my own grave. Dr. Gerard said that I had 3 years to live unless I got my surgery done. It cost a lot of money so I decided to just ept my fate.


    I married Jared for the sake of his mom, mommy ire. She was a very loving mother, the total opposite of my mom. ?She was sick and I wanted her to be happy, so I agreed with her.


    ?Now, two years ago, after our marriage, I never saw him look at me unless we talked about something not rted to us. We don¡¯t always see each other, even when we live together. He was always out before the sun rose and he went home when I was already asleep. Even if he was still like that, every day, I did my duty as his wife. I prepare everything he needs before going to work and everything. I was happy when he took the suits I prepared for beforehand.


    I prepared his clothes at night before he went home, so when he wakes up, he doesn¡¯t need to look for anything. At first, I still found the clothes I chose for him from where I left them, but after nine months, maybe he got tired of it, so he just wore whatever I prepared.


    Even if he doesn¡¯t eat at home, I see to it that there is something for him to eat when he finds himself hungry in the middle of the night or when he gets home. It happened numerous times when he went home hungry and I found the te of food I prepared for him in the kitchen sink in the morning. It was so little and nothing to brag about, but for me it was big.


    If he epted me after 20 years, that would be fine by me. I would still appreciate it. I was content with everything that happened, I would never ask for more. Jared was enough for me. I would not ask him to love me, it would only hurt him if, after a while, I would have to leave him. It would be fine with me if I was the only one who loved him, at least it motivates me to hold on for the next year left for me.


    I feel lucky that I was able and capable of loving someone. I had been yearning for that for so long after I lost my faith in my parents. I only cared for myself before I got married to Jared. Now I feel alive even if I feel the pain he was giving me emotionally.


    I wanted to hope that he would really change, but I didn¡¯t want to hurt him in the end. So this should be OK, me loving him and him loving someone else. At least when I¡¯m gone, I¡¯m sure he will be happy with Stacey. The woman he yearned and loved.

 Two: Flashback

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    2 years Ago


    ¡°You want me to marry her?¡± Jared said furiously, pointing at Colleen who was seated on a couch in front of him.


    ¡°I have a girlfriend and you know that. Whates to your mind that you suddenly wanted me to marry this woman?¡± he shouted.


    ¡°Jared, you¡¯re shouting at mom.¡± Ingrid, Jared¡¯s sister said. ¡°Can¡¯t you talk properly? And what¡¯s wrong with Colleen? I have eyes and I can see that she was way better than your girlfriend, whose name was, I don¡¯t know.¡± she added.


    Jared red at her. ¡°Tell me, which part of her exceeds Stacey? Do I need a reason to love someone? We had been together for four years, four years, Ingrid, and you wanted me to throw that away.¡± Jared said, now yelling at Ingrid.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I don¡¯t understand about you. You had been with that woman for four straight years and yet you haven¡¯t known her at all. What have you been doing for the past four years Jared?¡± Ingrid talked back.


    ¡°And what about her? How long have you known that you were willing to throw away my four-year rtionship with the woman I love? Mind you Ingrid, THE WOMAN I LOVE.¡± Jared said, stressing thest 4 words.


    ¡°What about her? Did she like it too? Did she like me? For you to say that she was way better than Stacey, she should not have agreed to this. She shouldn¡¯t let me and Stacey separate because of her selfishness,¡± Jared said, now looking at Colleen.


    ¡°Jared stopped it. I don¡¯t want to hear any more of your ruckus. If you don¡¯t want to marry her, then fine. Ingrid would handle everything. Resign from your position in thepany as well,¡± ire, Jared¡¯s mom, said. She stood up and looked at Colleen lovingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry dear if you had to hear everything. I should not have called you out here and you should have rested instead. I didn¡¯t think that my son would burst out like that, that hepletely forgot about his manners.¡± ire told Colleen, apologetically, which made Jared roll his eyes. ¡®Now, it was my fault.¡¯ he thought.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, he was right, we shouldn¡¯t force him into something he didn¡¯t want. Let¡¯s not do this, Mommy ire. I wouldn¡¯t want to be the reason for their break up or separation as well. It¡¯s not right.¡± Colleen said and Jared sighed in relief.


    ¡°Yes, I understand. Just as I thought he wouldn¡¯t. That¡¯s why I am not going to force him into this anymore.¡± ire replied and smiled.


    Colleen smiled as well, thinking ire would not push through with the marriage. ¡°I will have the driver to send you home,¡± ire told her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to, I can go home by myself.¡± Colleen declined her offer. ¡°I insist, I pulled you here so it was only right to send you home.¡± ire said and called the driver, who arrived immediately. After reminding the driver about Colleen, they leave the mansion.


    As Colleen left, ire said angrily, ¡°Ingrid, call for a board meeting. I will appoint you as the CEO and I don¡¯t want any more objections, I have had enough of that from Jared.¡±


    ¡°What??¡± both Jared and Ingrid eximed. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say that I didn¡¯t want any more objection?¡± ire said furiously.


    ¡°Mom, you know very well that I am not really into the business. How about my career?¡± Ingrid said.


    ¡°What about me mom? Are you really going to do this?¡¯ Jaredined.


    ¡°What about you? Why would I think about you? You are well capable of yourself yelling and shouting without thinking I was your mother for the woman you said you love.¡±


    ¡°So you decided to dismiss me from thepany? I worked hard for that and my position.¡± Jared eximed angrily.


    ¡°And I didn¡¯t? Your dad didn¡¯t? It was all you?¡± ire asked him back. ¡°Go to the woman you love, let¡¯s see if she stays with you when you have nothing.¡± ire said and left after she told Ingrid, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to manage thepany, find a professional to handle it for me.¡±


    Ingrid and Jared were left in the living room looking at each other. ¡°This is your fault,¡± Ingrid said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this your fault? You¡¯re letting me marry a gold digger?¡± Jared told her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know Colleen and I myself wouldn¡¯t want her to marry you. She¡¯s too precious for you to deserve her. You really think mom will let you break up with your woman just because she wanted you to marry Colleen? Think again, since when did mom decide for us? If you cannot see what mom and I see, then that¡¯s your problem. I think it would be best to let a professional handle thepany.¡± Ingrid said and left, leaving Jared in the living room by himself.


    He didn¡¯t know whether he would agree or not. It was true that ire had never decided for him in the past. She didn¡¯t even go to see Stacey to tell her to leave her son alone because she believed that Jared would be able to see her, the real her. But to ire¡¯s dismay, he didn¡¯t. They evenst four years now and Jared was fighting for her with his family as well.


    Jared stood up and went to his room. There he thinks about everything. He knew she loved Stacey, but he wanted herpany as well. He worked hard for it to be the best and he was mad with ire that she was putting it aside.


    His Mom and Dad started thepany, because ire was really the one who was the brain of thepany then, so Jared could not me her for saying those words earlier.


    Jared took the phone and called Stacey. He was decided. ¡°Hello, honey,¡± Stacey answered sweetly.


    ¡°Honey, can we talk? Let¡¯s meet tomorrow at our usual ce.¡± Jared said.


    ¡°OK, honey. Is there a problem?¡± Stacey asked after she agreed.


    ¡°Nothing, let¡¯s just talk tomorrow,¡± he said.


    ¡°OK, see tomorrow honey.¡± Stacey said.


    ¡°OK, bye.¡± Jared said and ended the call hoping Stacey would understand after he exined to her. He hoped that Stacey would forgive him as well.


    That night, Jared decided to marry Colleen.

 Three

    Jared¡¯s POV


    I don¡¯t know if Stacey would agree to this but I didn¡¯t want to let her know about the details of my marriage. I decided to tell her that I had to marry Coleen and that¡¯s all. I didn¡¯t want her to think that, because of thepany, I was willing to throw out our four-year rtionship.


    To be honest, our rtionship was too good to be true. We didn¡¯t fight or argue. Stacey was good at handling our rtionship. She never gets mad at me. She was always understanding of all my ws and it was as though she didn¡¯t have any.


    There were times when I didn¡¯t manage to get to her on time and she was in a boutique until it closed. The clothes she wanted were sold to another customer because I waste in getting to her because I was out of the country and my flight got dyed.


    She never gets mad at me, she said she understands and that she didn¡¯t take it against me. I felt so lucky when she said that. If it was another woman, they would have gone wild and initiated the fight. But she didn¡¯t. That¡¯s what made me fall for her.


    She¡¯s not the type to be so clingy either. When I said I couldn¡¯t do it, she wouldn¡¯t force it. She¡¯d let me. Everything between us was running smoothly and I didn¡¯t think that mom would do such a thing.


    Last night I was thinking of many ways of how I should tell Stacey about my marriage to another woman. But I will try to make it up to her if she lets me. Stacey was a very understanding person, as far as I know, and I couldn¡¯t believe that mom and Ingrid couldn¡¯t see how good she was.


    For four years, they didn¡¯t say anything about her. That¡¯s why I was very shocked when they told me that I would have to marry Colleen and break up with her. Though I don¡¯t have any ns on marrying her yet, I looked forward to being her husband.


    I went to the Poppy Hotel where we usually see each other. I n to get us both a vi we could stay in but I always change my mind and end up staying there. Maybe I was too early and I waited for her for more than an hour. I started to get worried when I heard the door open.


    As she came in, I stared at her. I was sad that we had to end up this way. She was smiling and she sat on myp as soon as she neared me. She kissed me and I kissed her back.


    ?¡±I missed you honey,¡± she said. We just met about a couple of days ago and there she is saying she missed me. Yeah, a couple of days. It was natural for us, there were times when we just saw each other once a week. Sometimes it was because of my business and sometimes because she was busy.


    ¡°I missed you too.¡± I decided to reply so she wouldn¡¯t get disappointed. ¡°What took you so long?¡± I asked her. She smiled at me and said,


    ¡°Now I¡¯m sure that you missed me.¡± She kissed me and I kissed her back. We only stopped when we needed air to breathe.


    ¡°What do you want to talk about? I could feel that something was bothering you,¡± she said. I already felt guilty knowing she was feeling uneasy as well.


    I looked at her intently. I didn¡¯t want to break her heart, but I had to do it. I am not the kind of man who took advantage of a woman¡¯s feelings that would continue our rtionship that would destroy her.


    I would rather hurt her than continue what we had and give her a reputation as a mistress. Another thing, I may not be in love with Colleen, but I know how to value a woman. I had my mother and my sister to consider before hurting other women.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Stacey, who was looking at me, smiling, was waiting for my response. So, I dropped the bomb and told her what I needed to tell her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s break up.¡± I said. Stacey was looking at me as if trying toprehend what I had just said. After a few minutes, she asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s break up?¡± and I nodded, sadly. I couldn¡¯t say a word so I just did that.


    ¡°Why? Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you in any way?¡± she asked continuously and I shook my head in disagreement with all her questions.


    ¡°Then, why are you breaking up with me?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Mom and Ingrid have arranged a marriage for me.¡± I told her.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t love her, you love me, right? Why did you agree to marry her?¡± She asked, crying. I was so hurt deep inside seeing her like that.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I cannot say no to them.¡± I just told her.


    ¡°Is she rich? Would she help you with yourpany? Would it expand your business if you married her?¡± she asked again.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s a nobody. She doesn¡¯t have any background at all,¡± I told her. I wanted to tell her that Colleen was nothingpared to her, but I didn¡¯t want to have her hopes up. I don¡¯t want to encourage her. That may lead to my infidelity, which would only ruin her.


    ¡± I¡¯m sorry, Stacey. ¡± I told her. She was crying already and I didn¡¯t want to see her that way, so I stood up and left the hotel. Leaving her all to herself, crying.


    I feel so worthless, I couldn¡¯t defend the woman I love. I hate myself for being so greedy. I know I was so bad that I broke up with her because of thepany and I don¡¯t have a face to look at in the future. I just hope she will be sessful with all her endeavors.


    ?And I think I would forever hate and punish myself for doing this to her.

 Four

    Stacey¡¯s POV


    I was with Derrick making out in his living room when Jared called me. I didn¡¯t want to answer but Derrick urged me to do so. I rolled my eyes at him and he justughed silently, worried that Jared might hear him.


    I answered his call in my sweetest voice so he wouldn¡¯t notice anything unusual. He said he wanted to talk to me tomorrow, so I agreed. He was always so surprised that he would call me out of nowhere and ask me to see him the next day.


    I acted worried and asked him if there was anything wrong. He said nothing and just reminded me. He is at tomorrow¡¯s meeting. I said yes and we hung up the call.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Derrick asked curiously.


    ¡°He wanted to see me tomorrow. We just saw each other about two days ago and yet he wanted to see me. I wonder what it is that he will be giving me.¡±, I told him, and heughed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Jared was that i****, I mean, we had been cheating him from the very beginning and yet he didn¡¯t get any clue. Does his brain work only in his business?¡± Derrick said and Iughed.


    ¡°It was because I am very good at ying with him in my palm. He would do whatever I wanted him to do and I knew for sure that he would fight his family for me.¡± I told Derrick confidently.


    Derrick has been my boyfriend since college. He was a politician, so we hid our rtionship and I needed Jared for that.


    During the campaign, I had to give reasons just to ask Jared for money so I could help him. Derrick was good in bed, how he ate my p**** made me go out of this world and I would do anything so he would continue doing that to me.


    I love how Jared f*** me as well. He was so big and I felt like his d*** was perfectly fit in my p****. But that¡¯s all, I wanted Derrick more and I only saw Jared as my back and f*** substitute when Derrick was not around.


    ¡°So, are you going to see him tomorrow?¡± Derrick asked me as he slowly slid himself down to my p**** and positioned his face. He looked at me as he stuck out his tongue, teasing me. I smiled and slid my panties sideways and grinded my p**** on his tongue.


    ¡°F*** Derrick, I like this so much.¡± I told him as I continued grinding my p**** and creating friction on his tongue.


    ¡°I¡¯m. Asking. You. If. You¡¯re. Going. To. See. Him. Tomorrow.¡± Derrick said in between l****** on my c***. My eyes rolled at the back of my head because of the sensation.


    ¡°Yeeessss¡­. I had tooooo¡­¡± I answered, sensually.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    He stopped what he was doing, so I looked at him. He was looking at me also and said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to ask for money. I needed a fund for charity,¡± he told me and nipped at my c***. I got high instantly and said, ¡°Yessss, f*** yes. Whatever you say.¡±


    ¡°Then you will have a good f*** tonight.¡± Derrick said, and I got excited. He knew different types of extreme s** and I liked it so much. That¡¯s why I wanted him more than Jared. He satisfies me in so many ways.


    Derrick f*** me as hard as he could and in a different position I never thought that I could do. The next day, before going to Jared, we continued what we didst night. That¡¯s why I was veryte for my meeting with Jared.


    I had to reason out when he asked why I waste. I knew him already, just a kiss and he would forget everything.


    When I looked at him as I sat on hisp after our deep kiss, I felt a little worried. I never saw him this distraught before. I was expecting a surprise from him given that he was the one who asked me to see him.


    And as he said what he needed to say, I was so shocked, angry and worried.


    Shocked that he had the courage to break up with me when I knew how much he was into me. Angry that I had expected him to give me an expensive surprise and not the kind he just told me, and worried that my personal bank would be gone from me.


    I acted sad and hurt so he would change his mind. The perks of being his girlfriend were so big and I cannot risk that. Plus, I promised Derrick that I would bring him Jared¡¯s money when I returned.


    I cried and did my best to change his mind, but after hearing that it was his mother and sister who had arranged his marriage, I got furious. I really don¡¯t like them.


    Although they don¡¯t say anything in front of me, I can feel that they don¡¯t like me for Jared. I thought that they would let Jared decide for himself, but I thought wrong.


    I balled my fist as Jared stood up and left me. Out of anger, I broke everything in the room. I don¡¯t care if it wasn¡¯t mine. I just wanted to have something to divert my anger.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it, he broke up with me because his mom and sister told him so. I thought I had him in my palm and put a cor on his neck. I thought wrong. What¡¯s going to happen to me now? He was literally taking care of everything I needed. Derrick had not given me anything besides a good f***.


    No, I wouldn¡¯t allow this to happen. I had to check out who that woman he was marrying. I was already getting used to everything I was having. Even the apartment that Derrick and I were staying in was from Jared¡¯s money.


    I had to know what had happened, that his mother and sister took someone else as his wife and dealt with that woman. How dare she take my bank away from me.

 Five

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    The break up with Stacey angered Jared so much. He pitied her for hurting her and he was sure that Stacey was mad at him now. He thought Stacey loved him so much. That¡¯s why he felt frustrated.


    As for Colleen, the woman he was about to marry, he didn¡¯t know what would happen to them. Marriage is a lifetimemitment for him and he believes in the sanctity of marriage. If there was something in this world Jared was most serious about, it was marriage.


    Jared was now in their library and decided to read to get rid of everything that was happening in his life in his head for a moment. For him, reading was the best medicine to clear his mind. He has been a bookworm ever since and he brought that up to himself until now.


    He was sitting on the couch reading a Tom ncy book when his sister Ingrid got in and got his attention. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked and put down the book on hisp. He was sitting on the couchfortably with a cup of coffee, sitting at the side table that he asked for their maid to bring him. He took it and had a sip as he waited for Ingrid to talk.


    Ingrid was hesitant as she knew that her little brother was upset about everything. She wanted to talk to him about Colleen and their mom, but she made a promise to both of them. ¡°I just wanted to say sorry if you feel that I or we had caged you with Colleen through marriage. However you think, please know that I and mom want only the best for you.¡± Ingrid said, fidgeting her fingers. That¡¯s how she was whenever she wanted to say something but couldn¡¯t.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Jared raised his brow at her. He couldn¡¯t believe that his sister was actually telling him that it was for his best interest to break up with his girlfriend and marry someone else. In addition to that, he threatened him with thepany.


    ¡°Taking out the opportunity and rights of choosing the woman I wanted to marry and threatening to give thepany away was your way of giving me what¡¯s best for me?¡± Jared asked, annoyed. He thought that Ingrid, his sister, was mad for telling him that.


    ¡°I already know what you did. You broke up with Stacey and were ready to ept Colleen. I just want you to know that mom was very happy, not because you chose to marry Colleen, but because you broke up with Stacey.¡± Ingrid told him as she sat on the couch in front of Jared. She took the book in hisp and smiled.¡± You still love to read and this author is your favorite. An espionage and military intelligence novel, you really like working with your brain,¡± Ingridmented.


    ¡°I remember seeing you reading a romance novel as well. I know, now you¡¯re still reading those kinds of books. I don¡¯t think I know any man other than you who reads romance novels. This may be the reason why you were a hopeless romantic,¡± she added.


    ¡± I don¡¯t need your praise for my reading habits, if you have nothing to say other than the crap you just spew, you can start leaving this room.¡± Jared told her and took the book from her.


    Ingrid sighed deeply and stood up, ¡°You will understand in the future. One thing is for sure, Colleen is a very kind soul. Please do not hurt her in any way, physically or emotionally, she doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡± she said and left Jared by, himself.


    For Ingrid, she thought she had done her part to remind her little brother not to be harsh with Colleen. Ingrid really liked her and wanted Jared to be happy with her as much as possible.


    After their talk, Jared leaned back and thought about what Ingrid had told him. He got curious about Colleen because Ingrid liked her. He knew Ingrid was a difficult person to deal with. Not anyone can handle her attitude, even Stacey couldn¡¯t get near her. She was very distant and looked intimidating.


    But, Colleen did. His sister thinks highly of her, so that Ingrid appeals to him not to hurt her. It made him think that Colleen was a very fragile person.


    Stacey, on the other hand, was Colleen¡¯ splete opposite. Stacey was wild and outgoing. She didn¡¯t like boring people. She always finds a way to achieve her happiness.


    Because of that, Jared suddenly felt uneasy and worried. It was because, as he left the hotel, he heard Stacey breaking everything. He never saw her get angry in any way. She was always forgiving and understanding, so knowing she acted that way made Jared think that he didn¡¯t know Stacey at all.


    But because he knew that she was hurt, he set aside that uneasy and worried feeling. He thought anyone who had been dumped by the person you love would act that way or maybe worse. He may have expected her to stay calm, but he was d that at least he knew that Stacey loved him, that¡¯s why she acted that way.


    Jared decided to go to his room. He had lost his mood for reading. Instead of calming him, Ingrid¡¯s presence made it worse. He put the book back on the shelf where he took it and took the cup of coffee he used with him out of the library.


    On his way to his room, he saw one of their maids and handed her the cup and asked her to take it to the kitchen to get washed. The maid took the cup and left.


    As Jared continued walking to his room, he identally heard Ingrid¡¯s voice talking to their mom in her room. He didn¡¯t like to be eavesdropped on but he was curious as to why Ingrid sounded mad.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you lower your voice, Jared might have heard you,¡± ire said and sat on her bed.


    ¡°Mom, you can¡¯t just do everything by yourself. You know that you are not yet fully healed, you have to take care of yourself.¡± Ingrid scolded ire in a low and sweet voice.


    Jared was shocked, he didn¡¯t know that his mom was sick. He couldn¡¯t help himself but barged into his mom¡¯s room.¡± What do you mean she¡¯s not fully healed? When did she get sick? ¡°Jared asked.


    Both mother and daughter looked at him worriedly.

 Six

    Ingrid¡¯s POV


    I wanted to pity Jared for being mad about everything. I didn¡¯t want that to happen and I knew mom as well. When I found out that he was in our library, I gathered myself and went to see him and had a little chat with him.


    As I entered the room, I saw him seated on the couch beside the shelf where his favorite author¡¯s books were properly lined up ording to their date of publication. Yes, from the oldest totest.


    She knew how much Jared liked to read when he was still a kid. I had a feeling that reading calmed him and made him think rationally. That¡¯s why I asked mom and dad to put a library at home. I love my little brother so much. Although it was a bit awkward to call him little brother when he was way taller than me and he even passed as my big brother.


    He was overprotective of me. You think because I¡¯m older than him, that made me domineer over him. But I wasn¡¯t. He was dominating me and our entire family. He is really fit to be the CEO of our multi-billion dorpany which was started by both our parents.


    I think Jared took after our mother. Unknown to others, mom was behind the sess of ourpany. She just let our dad handle it so people wouldn¡¯t think less of my dad. That¡¯s how much mom loves dad. And that¡¯s why Jared was furious. He wanted to have a marriage like our parents. And telling him to marry someone he doesn¡¯t love or know, at least destroys his idea of marriage.


    He asked me what I wanted and I wished I could tell him everything. It was difficult for me as well, keeping secrets from him. I only told him what I wanted to say, especially about Colleen and how he should have treated her during their marriage. I just hope that he will understand and ept everything calmly. I know it was easier said than done, but I still hope.


    Knowing Jared, I knew our conversation would go nowhere, so I decided to leave him in peace. I knew it was hard for him already and I decided not to add salt to his wound.


    After I left Jared alone, I went to mom¡¯s room. I knocked on the door but heard no reply from her. I decided to open the door and look inside. I didn¡¯t see her on her bed so I opened the door wider and went in as I roamed my eyes around her room. I noticed the door going to her balcony was open, so I decided to look for her there.


    ¡°See to it that you have filed those properly. I didn¡¯t want that woman to get near my son again, so make sure you gather all the evidence.¡± I heard her talking to someone over the phone. I leaned on the door and waited for her to finish her conversation. I think I knew who she was talking with.


    As if she felt my presence, she looked around and her eyes widened after seeing me. I smirked at her and she just gave me a sweet smile. How can I get mad at this beauty? I waited for her to finish her business with the investigator before I went to her and gave her a kiss on her cheeks, then hugged her.


    She did the same after I told her, ¡°Come inside, it¡¯s called here.¡± I offered her my hands and she took them, so I led her inside her room.


    ¡°You know you don¡¯t need to do that anymore, they have broken up already.¡± I told her as I guided her to sit on her bed with her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just sit here and watch how that cunning woman ys your little brother,¡± she said angrily. I know why she was like that. It was because of that pretentious woman, Stacey.


    I understand mom, we knew that Stacey doesn¡¯t love or even like Jared at all. She was just using him for money. I wonder why Jared was so dense that he couldn¡¯t feel how fake Stacey was.


    ¡°I told you that I would take care of everything,¡± I told her loudly. She told me to keep it low, afraid that Jared might hear us.


    Still, I scolded her using my sweet voice and reminded her about her health, which Jared overheard.


    He was asking why he didn¡¯t know that mom had been sick. Yes, we keep it a secret from him so he doesn¡¯t need to worry. And as I said, mom was OK now and just needed a lot of rest to fully recover.


    ¡°It was nothing, I just got dizzy and your sister was there, overreacted. I am already old, so I guess it was natural to feel that way. The doctor had already told me to rest but Ingrid found out that I was doing something on my own.¡± mom exined. It was so convincing that even I, who knew the truth, almost believed her.


    I rolled my eyes and mom and looked at Jared, ¡°Please talk to her, she was so hardheaded. The doctor wanted her to have aplete rest so make sure she had that.¡± I said and waved my hand to my mom, indirectly telling him to deal with Jared¡¯s questions.


    ?I went to my room and decided to stay there until dinner time. I opened and turned on myptop as soon as I entered my room. I had been waiting for a report from the investigator I hired to look into Stacey. Yes, both mom and I hired an investigator without each other knowing.


    Based on what I heard, mom¡¯s investigator had gathered a lot. I wonder what mine has aplished. While waiting for the report, I cleaned myself and changed into somethingfortable.


    Just as I was brushing my hair, I received the email I had been waiting for. I opened it while I ponytailed my hair. My eyes widened after I saw a couple of pictures that were just taken a few hours ago. I took my phone and dialed the number, ¡°How is she?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine, though she had some bruises.¡± Dr. Gerard answered.


    ¡°Did you have a medical report?¡± I asked him. ¡°No, not yet. She doesn¡¯t like to,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Please do so, just don¡¯t include her critical illness. If the incident can cause her life, please divert it to other causes rted to the injury she received. It¡¯s for her own good, so please, doctor.¡± I told him.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°Alright. I assumed she didn¡¯t need to know about it, right?¡± Dr. Gerard agreed and asked.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s to be used in the future anyway. And just in case, the one who hurts her causes too many issues and troubles.¡±


    ¡°OK, then.¡±


    ¡°Thank you doctor. Bye,¡± I said, and ended our call.


    As I put down my phone, Jared came rushing angrily. ¡°Did you know what your kind soul did to Stacey?¡±

 Seven

    Jared¡¯s POV


    After my break up with Stacey, I stayed at home. I was feeling guilty towards her and I was afraid I might go and see her if I didn¡¯t distance myself from her. I needed to calm myself and be rational about everything. I didn¡¯t want to have a fight with my mom and sister. They had relied on me ever since dad passed away and he asked me to take care of both my mom and sister, Ingrid. I didn¡¯t want to break my promise to him as I knew he had done everything to protect us as well.


    Now that it was my turn, I had to hold myself so I wouldn¡¯t hate them. I love Stacey but maybe not as much as I love my family. It¡¯s not entirely about thepany, that¡¯s why I decided to agree with them. It was for them as well. We are close to each other and I didn¡¯t want matters like this to break our family apart.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    I went to our mini library and decided to calm myself there through reading. I really need it. I asked one of our maids to bring me a cup of coffee as well. I was in my reading mood when I felt someone. I looked at the door and saw my sister, Ingrid. I was pissed that here I was trying to calm myself and yet, she had to follow me there.


    Ingrid approached me after I asked her what she wanted. She didn¡¯t say anything at first, maybe she was trying to weigh the situation and whether it was good to talk to me or not. She still did her talking and we had a little argument. I love my sister so much and I can¡¯t get mad at her for long and so does my mother. She may not have wanted us to argue anymore, so she backed down and left me after telling me to be good to Colleen and how kind she is.


    I was not in the mood to read anymore, thanks to her. So I decided to go back to my room and think about what would happen next. I took the cup of coffee with me out of the mini library and handed it to one of our maids and continued going to my room.


    Before I reach my room, I will be passing my mom¡¯s room first. It wasn¡¯t my intention, but I overheard her and Ingrid talking. I was shocked to find out that mom was sick. She didn¡¯t tell me and probably wouldn¡¯t.


    Ingrid left mom¡¯s room and I stayed and talked to her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were sick?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said, I didn¡¯t want you to worry. I am fine now, so there¡¯s nothing to fuss about anymore.¡± Mom told me.


    ¡°How did you get sick and are you really well now?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°Jared, how many times do I need to answer your questions? I am fine, I just feel a bit dizzy. My doctor told me to have aplete rest and everything¡¯s going to be fine.¡± she said, and I looked at her. She sighed and added, ¡°Alright, I promise I am going to rest and take care of myself more from now on. Now, go to your room and have your rest as well.¡±


    I decided to believe in mom. I¡¯ve known her for being health conscious, so I hoped there was really nothing to be worried about. I kissed her forehead and reminded her to rest and she smiled at me and nodded. I left her room and went to mine.


    I cleaned up myself and think about what¡¯s in it for me now that I broke up with Stacey. I will talk to mom and Ingrid tomorrow about the wedding.


    I took myptop as I decided to take a look at my mail hoping there was something I could do to focus my mind on. I don¡¯t want to think about the wedding and Stacey anymore.


    I answered a few emails when I heard my phone ring. I took it and answered it, didn¡¯t bother to look or check who the call was. ¡°Jared¡­.¡± I heard Stacey¡¯s voice so I looked at my phone screen, it was really her.


    ¡°Stacey, why are you calling and why are you crying?¡± I asked her after I heard her sobbing. She was a very sensitive and delicate person. Is she affected by our break up?


    ¡°There¡¯s this woman that came to me, she said she was your future wife and she asked me to stay away from you.¡± She said, and now I can clearly hear her crying. I tightened the grip on my phone thinking it was Colleen who did it


    ¡°What else did she do?¡± I asked her, hoping Colleen did nothing wrong or hurt her.


    ¡°I told her that I love you and that you love me as well, she got angry and hit me.¡± Stacey said. ¡°Now I¡¯m in the hospital as I have got some bruises and scratches.¡± Stacey informed me.


    I was so mad, Colleen didn¡¯t have to do that. I thought we could work things out after our marriage. But with her attitude, I don¡¯t think everything will be better between us.


    I still heard Stacey crying so I tried to calm her down, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this Stacey, I didn¡¯t know that she would be doing this. Tell me which hospital you are now and I will go there.¡± I said, and she told me about the hospital.


    I wanted to run to her after we ended our call but I decided to go to Ingrid and confront her. I went to her room and did not bother to knock. I didn¡¯t care whether she was busy or whatever, I just wanted to inform her about what Colleen had done to Stacey.


    ¡°Did you know what your kind soul did to Stacey?¡± I asked Ingrid as soon as I entered her room.


    She just looked at me and did not say anything. I was so mad that she was acting that way, no reaction at all. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± I yelled at her.


    Her forehead creased and she shouted, ¡°Of course I heard you, how could I not if you were yelling at me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re angry now? Why can¡¯t you get angry at that woman who hurt Stacey?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°No matter what I say, you wouldn¡¯t believe me, you would still choose to believe that w****.¡± She answered. I was shocked by her words. I never, in my entire life, heard her say such a word.


    ¡°Watch your mouth, Ingrid, I will never let anyone call her that.¡± I warned her and sheughed at me. I knew our conversation would hurt us both so I decided to leave her and went to see Stacey.


    I drove to the hospital as fast as I could because I was worried about Stacey. The way she cried gives me an idea that she was badly hurt.


    I went straight to the nurses station and asked for Stacey¡¯s room as soon as I reached the emergency room. The nurse looked at me confused, ¡°Sir, Ms. Stacey is over there. There¡¯s no need to confine her and she only had a scratch.¡± The nurse replied and I looked at the bed she was pointing at and saw Stacey with her back facing me.


    ¡°Stacey,¡± I called her and she looked at me. When she realized that it was me, she gave me her sweet smile that I always love to see.


    ¡°Oh, Jared, you didn¡¯t have toe. It¡¯s just a minor bruise and I can handle it. I know you still have some things to settle with your family and I didn¡¯t want them to get mad at you or for you to fight them because of me.¡± She said I was so touched that she was very understanding.


    ¡°Its OK, they were all resting at home. What happened? Are you still hurt?¡± I asked her continuously.


    ¡°No, I am fine. I just didn¡¯t think that she would be doing this to me. I thought we would just talk about you, me and her.¡± She said hesitantly.


    ¡°I actually called her out because I wanted to let her know that I really love you and that you love me too. I asked her if she could just stay back and let us be happy.¡± She added and started sobbing again.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry that it came to this.¡± I told her. ¡°I will tell Colleen to leave you alone. Whatever she does to you, you can tell me and I will talk to her.¡± I added. I saw her face harden for a moment but it was so fast that she gave me a smile I couldn¡¯t resist.


    ¡°Its fine, as long as you¡¯re OK, Jared.¡± She said and I smiled at her. I settled her bill and sent her hometer. I didn¡¯t want to linger too much with her as I didn¡¯t want to give her any idea that we were back together.


    I went home after Stacey got into her house. Thinking about what Colleen had done, I would make sure that she would be punished for it.

 Eight

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    Reading helps me rx and I make sure to do this from time to time. I didn¡¯t want any negativity in life because I don¡¯t have much of that. I wanted to spend the rest of my life in peace and harmony.


    I was now on my small settee and reading when I heard the message alert tone on my phone. I took it and read the message I received. It was from an unknown number but I still read it, thinking it was important.


    ¡°Let¡¯s meet at Lin¡¯s Caf¨¦, this is Jared¡¯s girlfriend.¡± I thought for a moment, how did she know my number? The only contacts on my phone were Mommy ire, Ingrid and my doctor and I¡¯m sure that none of them would just give my number to anyone.


    ¡°OK.¡± I replied. I didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with meeting her. Maybe she wanted me not to marry Jared.


    ¡°3 pmter,¡± she replied. I did not bother texting her back as I already confirmed that I would be going. Lin¡¯s Cafe was just beside the hospital where I was doing my check-up. I might as well visit my doctor and give him a cup of coffee.


    Marrying Jared was something I really didn¡¯t want to do. Mommy ire and Ingrid asked me for help because they found out that Jared¡¯s girlfriend was cheating on him. I didn¡¯t want to believe them at first. I thought they were just making excuses, so I would agree with them.


    I even told them to tell Jared about it directly, but they said they didn¡¯t want him to get hurt because of that. I can understand them though, after what I saw in their mansion, I was sure that he really loved her and was looking forward to marrying his girlfriend. I just hope mommy ire and Ingrid will be able to find a better way to tell him. It will hurt him, but at least he will know that it was reasonable to break up with his girlfriend.


    I live in an apartment by myself. Maybe some would say it was shabby, but to me it was enough. More than enough, to be exact. There¡¯s nothing you can find here that I never use. Meaning, what I own right at night was all just for my daily needs and nothing more.


    Material things were something I had no interest in. If I had extra money, I would just keep it and save it until it was enough for my surgery. Yes, I am hoping for that. After all, life is the greatest gift for us from above.


    It was still morning, so I did all my daily routine, especially for my health. I have a weak heart, so as much as possible, I stop myself from overworking. I eat healthily as well. It won¡¯t do me any good if I eat just anything. I love how my life is now. I may have been waiting for my time toe, but I sure do want to live longer.


    Although I feel like the world had me pinned on the ground with no family to support me in my darkest hour, I still feel happy that, unlike everyone, I know when my creator will take me and give me a chance to do what I wanted to do and a chance to repent for everything I had done wrong.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I answered,¡± it was my Dr. Gerard who called me.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°I would like to remind you that I need to check on youter. Don¡¯t forget about it,¡± he said, and Iughed. He was always like that, keeping and checking me from time to time. Maybe he was feeling guilty that I was his only patient who had been a patient. But, no matter how much I told him that it wasn¡¯t his fault, he still made himself liable for me.


    ¡°Yes, I remember that. How can I forget such an important thing?¡± I asked him, instead of getting annoyed with his constant reminders.


    ¡°So you know, I am keeping on checking whether I have found you a donor or not. So bear with me if I always check on you because I want to make sure that you¡¯re ready physically and mentally when your surgery is scheduled.¡±


    ¡°I know, you already told me about that a million times already.¡± I replied,ughing.


    ¡°You¡¯reughing now?¡± he asked and I imagined him raising his brow.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re fun, I am not a child anymore and I have already made a promise to you that I am going to do everything to extend my life.¡± I answered.


    ¡°OK, as long as you know. See you a bitter then,¡± he said, and ended our call. I guess he was mad at me, he did not even wait for me to say goodbye. I looked at the wall clock and realized that it was almost time for my meeting with Jared¡¯s girlfriend. I hurried and texted Dr. Gerard that I might be a littlete for my check-up. For him not to worry, I told him that I was going to meet someone at Lin¡¯s cafe. I knew that he knew the ce because his friend owns it.


    I came on time and sat in the usual spot I always take every time I visit there. I didn¡¯t know what she looked like so I just waited until someone approached me. ¡°Colleen?¡± the woman said, and I looked at her. She was really beautiful, so I understand why Jared likes her so much.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied and she sat in front of me.


    ¡°You¡¯re the s*** who tried to take my boyfriend away?¡± she asked. I decided to ignore her words even if the people at the table next to us looked our way.


    ¡°Excuse me? I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± I told her. As far as I know, Jared didn¡¯t agree with Mommy ire, so Ingrid will have to handle thepany.


    ¡°You dare deny that you stole my boyfriend?¡± she said and gave me a p. I was shocked for a moment but decided to calm myself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you had a talk with Jared already. Please talk to him first before you use me of something I will never do in my entire life.¡± I told her calmly.


    ¡°You¡¯re a s***! I¡¯m sure you seduced him, that¡¯s why he broke up with me.¡± she said hysterically. I don¡¯t know what happened to them, but I will not let myself be in the middle of their arguments. They had to talk about this and leave me out of it.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said, I have no time to do what you were using me of. I will never destroy myself with something hical or immoral. If you please, talk to the man and discuss it with him along with his family. I didn¡¯t want to get involved in your lives.¡± I told her. That made her even furious.


    ¡°How dare you tell me what to do,¡± she said and pushed me, which made me fall from my seat. The service crew from the coffee shop attended to me as she knew me already.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± the service crew asked worriedly.


    ¡°I am fine, thank you for your help.¡± I told her as I stood up with her help. But Stacey didn¡¯t stop. She lunged at me and hit me everywhere. I was feeling tired already and I didn¡¯t think I would be able to fight back. Thanks to the service crew and other customers that stopped her. And just in time, Dr. Gerard came in.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± he asked angrily. ¡°Colleen, are you alright?¡± he asked worriedly.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Dr. Gerard asked Stacey.


    ¡°She¡¯s a s*** that stole my boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re Stacey, now I know why ire and Ingrid don¡¯t like you. You look like a w****. Compared to Colleen, who looks like an angel, I would choose her a billion times over you.¡± Dr. Gerard told her,


    ¡°What!!! A w*****!! You¡¯re calling me a w****?¡± Stacey eximed furiously.


    ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t look like a w***** but you¡¯re the embodiment of the word w****. Did you think ire and Ingrid didn¡¯t know that you were a w****? That you had a rtionship with Derick?¡± Dr. Gerard said and Stacey¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°You think you would be able to hide it? For the meantime, be thankful that ire and Ingrid have not handed Jared the investigation report since you became his girlfriend. So if I were you, I would start praying from here onwards.¡± Dr. Gerard added as I tried to stop him talking. All the customers were looking at us and I was worried that this incident would reach Jared and that was what ire and Ingrid were trying to avoid.


    ¡°We¡¯re not yet done.¡± Stacey said and pointed at me.


    ¡°Yes, because we will see each other in court and I will make sure to bring all the evidence.¡± Dr. Gerard told her and she left the caf¨¦ faster than I thought.

 Nine

    Dr. Gerard¡¯s POV


    I called Colleen to make sure that she didn¡¯t forget her check-up forter. Although she was very punctual, I always made myself present in her daily life. I always feel like I want to protect her with everything. She was my patient who was about to die in three years if she didn¡¯t manage to have her surgery on time.


    She was alone and her parents lived separately with their new families and none of them knew about her condition. I admire her for being strong and good-spirited. I never saw her lose hope when ites to her situation. She was always positive in her way of thinking and even if she ended up thinking she would die, I never saw her eating sad.


    I remember when I offered her my help. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ept my help?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°You already waived your professional fee for me. I didn¡¯t want you to spend it on my surgery as well.¡± She replied.


    ¡°You will have your own family and the amount of my surgery was enough for you to take care of them and give them afortable life. I would never take that away from them.¡± She replied.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have my own family yet,¡± I tried to reason out.


    ¡°When I end up dying, I will bring the guilt to my grave. The fact that I took something from you will make me sad in the afterlife.¡± She replied.


    I don¡¯t know why she was so hard-headed. I have never seen such a patient as her. Very free-spirited and carefree.


    I was having my break and I decided to go to Lin¡¯s Caf¨¦ter to look after her. I didn¡¯t know who she was going to meet and I wouldn¡¯t be still if I hadn¡¯t made sure she was safe. She had no other friends other than ire and Ingrid and, of course, me, so I had to see who her new friend was if ever.


    I like Colleen very much but she didn¡¯t want to be in any intimate rtionship with anyone, thinking her life wouldn¡¯t take long. She didn¡¯t want the person she would love and love her back to get hurt because she would just end up leaving him.


    ire is one of my friend¡¯s patients whom Colleen gave her organ to and the operation was sessful. That leads to their friendship. Normally, the hospital never let the patient know who her donor was. But because ire was really wealthy, she managed to get Colleen¡¯s information.


    Ingrid is ire¡¯s daughter and after finding out about her mom and meeting Colleen, she instantly likes her and vice versa.


    ire wanted Colleen to marry her son, Jared. It appears that his girlfriend was cheating on him from the very beginning, which angered ire and Ingrid so much. That¡¯s why they wanted him to marry Colleen as well.


    In return, Colleen was able to get money from Jared for her operation. It was the only option ire had because Colleen didn¡¯t want to ept ire¡¯s help as well.


    Ingrid and ire asked me to look after her as well and I really appreciate how caring they are to Colleen. At least there was someone besides me who really cared for her.


    She was determined to seek help only from her family members, but because her parents didn¡¯t want anything to do with her, she had no one to rely on.


    I didn¡¯t expect her to agree, but maybe because she thought she had no feelings for Jared, she didn¡¯t have to think of how he would feel about whether he would get sad when she was gone.


    I spend the whole time with my other patients as I visit during my rounds. I always see to it that I get to see them and check them out for anything that may cause sudden changes to their condition.


    It was 30 minutes before my schedule with Colleen and she had still not arrived. I remembered that she was going to meet someone at Lin¡¯s, so I decided to go there.


    I was wondering why there was amotion in the caf¨¦ when I entered and I couldn¡¯t believe what I saw. Colleen was getting beaten up by a woman and using her of something I knew that she would never do.


    As I realized who the woman was, I got mad and warned her and told her about what she was doing. There¡¯s no way that I am going to let this thing slide.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK, Dr. Gerard,¡± Colleen said, that made me look at her. She looked really pitiful and there were bruises all over her.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that you are not allowed to do extreme things?¡± I scolded her and sheughed.


    ¡°I never thought that I would do that as well.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Here ma¡¯am Colleen,¡± the waitress said as she put down a ss of water in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I didn¡¯t stop that woman on time. I was shocked as well.¡± She added.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK, I am fine. Thank you for the water.¡± Colleen replied, smiling. The waitress left us and got back to her work as I noticed the customers were looking at her.


    ¡°I think I need to check on your bruises. They all look serious,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Really?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes, so if you are done here let¡¯s go to the hospital now.¡± I told her and stood up. She did the same, with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± She replied and we left the caf¨¦ and headed for the hospital. She was myst patient for the day and I really scheduled her this time so I would have a lot of time to assist her if she needed something medical rted.


    As we arrived, I let her sit on a chair as I looked into her data on theputer. I called the nurse and asked her to bring an ointment for her bruises.


    ¡°All your records show that everything was OK so I will have you do a 2D echo test.¡± I told her and she nodded. I smiled at her, thinking she didn¡¯t evenin about the things that needed to be checked on her.


    ¡°Before I forget, I want you to have this.¡± I told her and handed her a smart watch.


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t ept gifts.¡± She said as she gave me back the watch.


    ¡°It has an ECG monitoring feature so it will help you know your condition. So just take it, it¡¯s important.¡± I told her and did not allow her to object or reject my offer.


    The nurse came in and put some ointment on her bruises. ¡°Why do you have all of this? You know you need to take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°I was careless, that¡¯s why,¡± She replied, smiling.


    After the nurse put on some ointment, we proceeded with conducting the 2d echo and U was d that everything was fine. She was happy as well and I¡¯m sure that she went home with a happy heart.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When Colleen left, I called Ingrid and informed her about what had happened. After giving her instructions, we ended our call. ¡°I wish I could be him,¡± I thought.

 Ten

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    Colleen went home after her check-up. She was happy that nothing happened to her. She didn¡¯t know why Stacey acted that way when she thought ire had canceled their arranged marriage already.


    She was at home and was done with her dinner and decided to watch a movie. She likes sci-fi movies, so she didn¡¯t know why she decided to watch an old movie by Mandy Moore and Shane West.


    It was a happy story but had a sad ending, that¡¯s in the eyes of many, because Mandy Moore ends up dying at the end of the story. But for Colleen, it was still a happy ending because they end up being together despite Mandy Moore¡¯s illness.


    She then wonders if she will be able to find someone she will love and love her back despite her condition. She felt like it was wishful thinking because, unlike her, Mandy Moore had her father to support her while she had no one.


    It was gettingte and she remembered Dr. Gerard and what he would tell her if he found out that she was still awake at that hour. She stood up from the couch and went to her room, only to be stopped by the doorbell.


    Colleen looked at the wall clock and she was thinking about who could havee to visit herte at night. She didn¡¯t want people waiting for her, so she went to see who her visitor was.


    Jared was getting impatient as he waited for Colleen to open the door for him and was about to press her doorbell once again when the door opened.


    ¡°Jared,¡± Colleen said after seeing him standing by the door.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk,¡± Jared said and went inside her house. He looked around and he noticed that the house was almost bare even if there were a lot of indoor nts. He thought Colleen liked to nt but had no ce to do it besides indoors.


    Colleen followed him and wondered what Jared was doing in her house. ¡®Did his girlfriend tell him about what had happened between them?¡¯ She thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to offer you but tea,¡± Colleen told him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother, I won¡¯t take long.¡± Jared replied, ¡°Don¡¯te near Stacey anymore. I choose to marry you. You had better stop whatever you¡¯re nning. She only asked you out so she could tell you how much she loves me. You should understand why we had been together for a long time and it was hard for her to let it go just like that.¡± Jared added.


    Confused, that¡¯s how Colleen felt at that very moment. She was thinking why he had to tell me those things when she thought everything was settled. And then he realized what Jared told her. ¡®So he agreed to marry me,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°You have to remember that you were getting married because of mom and Ingrid. I love Stacey and you can¡¯t do anything about that and I will see to it that you will regret agreeing to this marriage. You dare hurt my girlfriend? I tell you this, you have no right to do that. Do you understand?¡± Jared said after he heard nothing from Colleen.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    She wanted to get mad at him for saying things he knew nothing about, but she stopped herself. She didn¡¯t want to fight him as she started to feel tired. She massaged her temple and that didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Jared, who was now eyeing her curiously.


    ¡°Is there anything else you want to say?¡± Colleen asked and Jared stared at her.


    ¡°Are you not going to say anything about what I said?¡± Jared asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to say? You came here thinking the worst of me. You¡¯re not even trying to confirm what your girlfriend told you.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even deny that you hurt her?¡±


    ¡°Look Mr. McLahlin, it was alreadyte and I had to rest. If you want to listen to my exnation, I can give you that tomorrow. This time was not good and I started having a headache.¡± She replied politely. She didn¡¯t want him to think that she was getting infuriated with him. ¡°Another thing, look at me, do I look like I am capable of hurting your girlfriend, who is a lot bigger than me?¡± She added.


    Jared stared and studied her appearance and he just realized that Colleen was really small and was pale. She also had bruises, a lot worse than Stacey¡¯s. No, Stacey¡¯s bruises were nothingpared to hers.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your exnation anymore, I can find out about everything if I wanted to.¡± Jared replied and left after he roamed his eyes around Colleen¡¯s home again.


    Colleen sat on her couch and closed her eyes. She thinks that she added a few years of her age after she heard Jared rant. She had no idea that Jared¡¯s girlfriend was like that. She thought of her as a very nice person because of how Jared defended her to his family. She thought Jared didn¡¯t know his girlfriend well in their four years of rtionship.


    As Jared arrived home, he went straight to Ingrid¡¯s room. He knocked and entered after Ingrid let hime in. ¡°It¡¯ste Jared, what is it now?¡±


    ¡°Did you know what happened? Did she tell you what she did?¡± Jared asked.


    ¡°You know Jared, before you spew nonsense, you had better do some investigation first. I just hope that you haven¡¯t gone to see Colleen yet and tell her things you shouldn¡¯t. We never spoon feed you with anything so find it out yourself.¡± Ingrid replied and Xavier couldn¡¯t say a word. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, because I need to get up early tomorrow.¡± She added andy down on her bed.


    Jared went out of her room. He thought for a moment about what Ingrid had told him as he went to his bedroom. When he saw Stacey earlier, he got mad at Colleen thinking she did that to her. He remembered what Colleen looked like and for a moment he felt guilty. He was never judgmental. He always finds out about everything first before he opens his mouth. Thinking he was mad because of the arranged marriage, he decided to justify his action towards Colleen with that.

 Eleven

    Jared¡¯s POV


    Today, I am going to talk to mom about the wedding. Yesterday was a mess and I didn¡¯t know what I would do if Stacey called again. I should refrain froming to her every time she calls me. It¡¯s not good, even if I was just being forced into this marriage, I still need to respect Colleen.


    We were at the breakfast table and mom was quiet. I was waiting for her to talk but we were almost finished, but she wasn¡¯t even looking at me. ¡°Mom,¡± I called her. ¡°I am going to marry Colleen.¡± I added and she sighed.


    ¡°You have to think about it. I didn¡¯t want Colleen to suffer,¡± Mom said. I don¡¯t know how I should feel concerned, I was his son but she was more concerned for Colleen than me.


    ¡°Why would she suffer? Isn¡¯t it me who will suffer more?¡± I asked her. I was furious but I held myself. I didn¡¯t want to argue with her anymore, especially when I found out that she had been sick.


    Mom looked at me and shook her head. Did I say something wrong? Am I really the one who is at fault here?


    ¡°I already said I agreed, why do you want me to think about it again? It was because of thepany that I broke up with Stacey. What more do you want?¡± I asked her, suppressing my anger.


    ¡°It was because of that. You agreed because of thepany. What if, after marriage, you hurt her? Not only physically but emotionally?¡± Mom replied.


    ¡°Mom, I am your son. Don¡¯t you know me? When did I ever hurt a woman?¡± I asked her in disbelief. Is that how she knows me? She didn¡¯t even think about how she brought me up for her to think about me that way.


    ¡°If you are determined, then I am going to tell you this. Whatever she needs, you¡¯re going to give it to her. She¡¯s not the type to exin things, so you may misunderstand her from time to time. She lives her life all by herself and relies on herself alone.¡± Mom said. I didn¡¯t know that Colleen was like that. Although I saw that she was living a simple life when I went to her housest night, I thought that she was just trying to look humble.


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t ask you for anything without a valid reason, so never say no to her. She didn¡¯t want to agree to this marriage, so don¡¯t think highly of yourself. She doesn¡¯t like you at all. I mean, she doesn¡¯t like to feel anything special involving anyone,¡± Mom added. I was getting curious but I didn¡¯t want to get myself involved with Colleen as well.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, it¡¯s fine by me.¡± I replied, ¡± But she had to stay away from Stacey. She was broke because of our break up so please tell Colleen to stop hurting her already.¡± I told her and I saw mom, making a face. As if I was telling her something that was unbelievable.


    ¡°Whether you believe it or not, Colleen is not capable of hurting anyone. She¡¯s very fragile and couldn¡¯t even hurt a fly.¡± Mom replied.


    I wanted to believe her as well, but I couldn¡¯t. Thinking she was the reason that Stacey and I broke up.


    ¡°Jared, I am not going to ask you to like her or to love her, she wouldn¡¯t like that as well. But please be respectful to her the way you respected me and Ingrid. If you cannot treat her as your wife, at least treat her as a human being.¡±


    ¡°If you are that worried about her, why did you insist on marrying us off?¡±


    ¡°I had my reason, although I cannot tell you about it, not because I didn¡¯t want to but because I am not in the position to tell you,¡± Mom said. Now I am getting curious. ¡°To make everything simple, I like to help her because I owe her my life.¡± She added. I just agree with her, so there will be no more discussion.


    ¡°How about you, Ingrid, is there anything you want to say?¡± I asked my sister. She had been really quiet and I couldn¡¯t even tell whether she wanted to say something or not.


    ¡°Mom told you almost everything as well as the most important, so I don¡¯t need to say anything.¡± She replied and continued eating. My family was so into Colleen so she had better be good, as they say. But the fact that she hurt Stacey, although she doesn¡¯t look like one, I still have this wall against her.


    ¡°Jared,¡± mom said, looking at me, she looked like there was something she wanted to tell me, ¡°Just in case you really can¡¯t ept Colleen, can you stay with her for at least three years?¡± mom asked. I was taken aback for a moment. Is she actually asking me to stay married to Colleen for three years? Is it OK for her to divorce Colleen after three years?


    ¡°What do you mean, mom?¡± I asked, I wanted her to give me an answer, and as I looked at Ingrid, she was looking at mom as well as warning her.


    ¡°I was just saying, just in case you cannot feel anything towards Colleen at all. As much as possible, I didn¡¯t want you to divorce her. You know my stand on that matter. So please try to look at her good side and try to get to know her.¡± She replied.


    Maybe she was really concerned about Colleen. That¡¯s why she was saying that. If that¡¯s what she wants, I can¡¯t me her. I will try to be civil with Colleen at least.


    ¡°Mom, I wanted our wedding to be simple,¡± I told her, and she looked at me.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, you will just sign and register your marriage with no more ceremonies.¡± She replied and I looked at her shocked. Don¡¯t women like their wedding to be grand and be known by their friends and rtives? I looked at Ingrid and I saw no reaction from her either.


    ¡°Is it OK with Colleen?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t like the marriage itself either, so it¡¯s fine with her. She doesn¡¯t like taking pictures and making memories, so no need.¡± She said and sighed. ¡°I was actually forcing her to have that at least but she said no, I was afraid that she would back out. That¡¯s why I agree with it,¡± she added.


    I don¡¯t know why mom would care whether she agreed or not. As far as I can see, mom and Ingrid arranged this marriage because they don¡¯t like Stacey. So any woman would be OK other than my girlfriend, I mean, ex-girlfriend. This concluded that mom and Ingrid liked Colleen so much.


    ¡°Then just tell me when I am going to sign and I will ask my assistant to process the registration.¡± I told them.


    ¡°Just sign and I will be the one who will process it.¡± Ingrid said, does she have no trust in me? ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, I am going to the Civil registrar as well, so I volunteer to do that for you.¡± She said as she noticed the look I was giving her.


    ¡°My friend Loraine asked me to get the forms for her and her fianc¨¦.¡± She added. I know Loraine. They had been bestfriends for years, so I believed her.


    ¡°Before you leave for work, sign the papers so Ingrid can bring themter.¡± Mom said, so it was already prepared. I guess they really like our marriage to be done as soon as possible.


    ¡°OK,¡± I replied. Because I was done eating, I got up and went to our mini library and waited for Ingrid there with the papers.


    I was browsing on Colleen¡¯s social media ount and I noticed that there was nothing to see there. All her posts were a simple ¡°Thank you for life¡± with a smiley emoticon. I don¡¯t think she enjoyed life though. The post may be thankful, but I can feel that she was sad while posting it.


    Ingrid knocked and came in with the papers. ¡°You can sign here,¡± She said, pointing to the part where my signature should appear.


    ¡°Mom said that you would be moving into a grand vi with Colleen. If you need my help to pack your things, just tell me.¡± She said after I signed.


    ¡°Wait, are you throwing me out of our house?¡± I asked and Ingridughed.


    ¡°Silly, why would we do that?¡± She said and the smile on her face was gone and sadness took ce. ¡°Colleen wanted you to live separate from us. I guess she didn¡¯t want us to see if you two were having some misunderstanding.¡± She added. So it was Colleen¡¯s idea. She wanted a house of her own now?


    I nodded at Ingrid, ¡°When are we going to move in there?¡± I asked. Grandiose Vi is not far from the mansion, it was mom and dad¡¯s first house and mom didn¡¯t want to sell it as it holds memories of her and dad as they started their business.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you. Colleen has something to do so both of you can take your time.¡± She replied happily. She left the mini library and I decided to go to thepany. I had to do everything so I could settle early in Grandiose Vi. I already agreed to this marriage so I will just do my part.

 Twelve

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    ¡°Hi sister,¡± Ingrid said as I answered her call. She sounded happy and excited, so I think she had good news.


    ¡°You seemed happy,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Yes, because you¡¯re going to be my sister-inw from now on,¡± she replied. I was stunned for a moment. I never thought that this arranged marriage thing had not ended yet.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Exactly what it means. Jared had agreed and already signed the papers. I am on my way to the civil registrar to register for your marriage.¡± she replied excitedly. Well, I didn¡¯t think that Jared would actually agree to it andst night when he went to see me thinking I had hurt his girlfriend, I was 100% sure that he was not going to agree to this. ¡°Hey, are you still there?¡± Ingrid asked.


    ¡°Yes, I just didn¡¯t expect that he would actually agree,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Well he did. I think he thought about it carefully and made this decision. You know that mom didn¡¯t want to force him either.¡± She said, ¡°So tell me when you¡¯re ready to move into your new home so I can help you pack.¡± she added.


    ¡°OK,¡± is all that I can say. She had already hung up but the phone was still in my ear. I still couldn¡¯t believe that he would actually agree.


    I started to feel uneasy thinking he only agreed because of thepany. Although I told Mommy ire¡¯s Ingrid what I wanted, I was still unsure of the situation. I didn¡¯t have much time left and I wanted to spend it as happily as I could be.


    What if Jared just took me for granted and hurt me in any way he could? I only want to live my life to the fullest, so I didn¡¯t want anymore drama in my life toe my way. I looked into my cell phone again and I remembered that I had to do my regr routine to keep myself healthy.


    I got up and started doing my household chores. Maintaining my house clean was my way of doing my exercise. I didn¡¯t want to be idle, so I made sure to move my body all the time and not put too much pressure on stress. Too much movement is not good for my health either. That¡¯s why I was trying to avoid the fight with Jared¡¯s girlfriend yesterday.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Dr. Gerard answered. I decided to call him and inform him about me getting married to Jared.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°I guess I am getting married.¡± I told him, but after a few minutes, I didn¡¯t hear anything from him. ¡°Dr. Gerard, are you still there?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry. I looked into something on myputer,¡± he replied. I think I called him at the wrong time.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I disturb you when you¡¯re this busy.¡± I told him.


    ¡°No, not at all. You know that I am not that busy when ites to you. I don¡¯t have a patient, I mean.¡± He replied. ¡°So you were saying?¡± He added.


    ¡°I am getting married to Jared now. I hope this will make my life memorable,¡± I told him. I had been open with him, he knew my pain and sorrow. How hurt I was by what had happened to my family. If there was anyone who could understand me, I think it was him.


    There was a time when he offered me his help. But I couldn¡¯t take it. I couldn¡¯t hurt him. I didn¡¯t want him to suffer the pain of losing someone important to him. If I didn¡¯tmit myself to him, it would be less painful for him if I¡¯m gone.


    ¡°Doing what you want to do will make your life memorable.¡± He said after I heard him sigh. ¡°If you are happy with it, then it would be much better.¡± He added.


    ¡°Thank you Dr. Gerard, if there was one thing I am thankful for, it is when I met you. You make everything I carry in life as light as a feather.¡±, I told him, and I heard him chuckle.


    ¡°You realize that now that you¡¯re getting married?¡± He asked,ughing.


    ¡°I realized it even before this. And I am always thankful for that. I just didn¡¯t tell you,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Then you should treat me should I deserve that much, right?¡± He asked, and I agreed with him.


    ¡°You know that I have been wanting to do that. It¡¯s just that every time I have a chance, you always insist on taking it.¡± I replied,ughing, and he did too.


    ¡°Alright, this time is going to be different because you¡¯re going to get married. I will make sure to charge you with your treats.¡± he said.


    ¡°Copy that Doc!¡± I replied happily and weughed together. Life is really beautiful and I started to hate how I needed to leave it sooner than anybody else.


    With that I couldn¡¯t help but pity myself. I wanted to live longer. Before, I always asked my creator why he had to take away the life he gave me this soon. But because I didn¡¯t get any answers from him, I decided to stop questioning his decision.


    Because of that thought, I couldn¡¯t help but sob. ¡°Are you alright, Colleen?¡± Dr. Gerard asked worriedly.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just that I can¡¯t help but ask again,¡± I replied. I know he knew what I was talking about. He was the one who kept on telling me that life is precious no matter how long we spend it. He always tells me that it¡¯s now how long you live that matters, it¡¯s how you live.


    ¡°Are you sure about that, or you¡¯re just trying to escape by treating me?¡± He asked and Iughed at him. I heard him sigh after he heard meugh. I guess he felt relieved that I was not thinking about that past.


    ¡°Thank you for being there for me. I don¡¯t know what I would be right now if I didn¡¯t cross paths with you. If I never met you.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Finally, so the treat continues.¡± He replied,ughing.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s the least I can do for you,¡± I told him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how much it is for me,¡± he said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t take much of your time. I know that there were a lot of patients who were looking forward to your rounds. See you at my next check up, then I will treat you.¡± I told him and ended the call after he said goodbye as well.


    Looking at myself in the mirror, the bruises I took from Jared¡¯s girlfriend were still there. It¡¯s just a day, so I guess it was natural for them to stay.


    Everything was clean in my house when I stopped. I liked how my house was. It was calming and rxing though itcked material things. I wonder how I am going to clean mine and Jared¡¯s house. I wish it wasn¡¯t big so it would be easier for me to clean it up.


    I felt sticky, so I decided to take a bath and clean myself up. I was drying my hair when I heard my doorbell ring. I opened it up and I was stunned for a moment. I didn¡¯t expect her toe and visit me after a long time.


    ¡°So this is where you live?¡± My mother asked. I was just staring at her and couldn¡¯t move. ¡°Are you just going to stand there?¡± She asked again, but I was still shocked to see her.


    Seeing my mother, I think I really am dying. Why is she here though?


    ¡°This should do it.¡± She said afterwards. I don¡¯t know what she was talking about, but I think it¡¯s not good.


    ¡°What should I do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Your sister will be staying here while she is studying,¡± she said. I wanted to scream at her, but I thought of my own health. I didn¡¯t want to die in front of her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember having a sister.¡± I told her and she red at me.


    ¡°You are ungrateful, I am your mother and you can¡¯t even do that for me?¡± She shouted as if I had done her wrong.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember having a mother either.¡± I told her, ¡°Who are you again?¡± I asked her. That made me receive a p from her.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Cely, the olddy next door asked my mother.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get in between us, I am her mother and she was ungrateful not to let her sister live here.¡± My mother yelled.


    ¡°Her mother? Colleen, I didn¡¯t know that you had a mother.¡± Cely told me.


    ¡°Because she was so ungrateful that she never mentioned me to anyone,¡± my mother said.


    ¡°You¡¯re still alive and have another daughter, then why would Colleen live in the street before?¡± Cely asked. That made my mother¡¯s eyes widen.


    ¡°The owner of this apartment saw her on the street and offered her to live here for free. She has no right to let anyone other than her live here. She is not paying for water and electricity either, because we tenants here share that with her.¡± Cely informed my mother.


    Although it was true that thendy offered me to live here for free, when I found a job, I started paying for my rent as well. Cely was exaggerating things as well by telling my mother that they were the ones who were paying for my light and water.


    ¡°She will have to leave if she lets anyone else live with her,¡± Cely added. ¡°I had a feeling that you are not a mother to her, so you had better leave now. You won¡¯t get what you wanted here.¡±


    My mother couldn¡¯t do anything but leave. I feel so sad that she had toe and see me with that attitude. I could have let her daughter live here, but the way she told me that was really painful. I am her biological daughter and yet her husband¡¯ s daughter was more important than me. She didn¡¯t even say she missed me or asked how I am now.


    ¡°You¡¯re OK now?¡± Cely asked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I intervened and said those words. I just don¡¯t like the way she talked to you, she even pped you. How dare she hurt her own daughter, who she hasn¡¯t seen for years.¡± She added, and I looked at her.


    ¡°I know you have been living here for a long time and no one has ever visited you except the man fromst night. I always looked after you thinking you were alone and,¡± She said, I was waiting for her next words, ¡°sick.¡± She added.


    ¡°How?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°It was really obvious. That¡¯s why I was so mad at your mother when she hurt you, even if you looked like that.¡± She replied. I guess I cannot hide anything from her, so I smiled at her and said,


    ¡°Thank you so much for your concern. I really appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re most wee dear.¡± She replied and she went to her own unit. I closed my door and sat on my couch. I looked around my house and I couldn¡¯t help but feel sad. I was remembered by my mother because her husband¡¯s daughter needs housing while she¡¯s studying. She looked at the door to her new daughter¡¯s home to stay while she neglected and forgot about the matter. They divorced and got their own family.


    I couldn¡¯t help the tears from falling down my face. I cried and cried until I thought there was nothing left. I had to be strong. I didn¡¯t want to get mad with my mother anymore and I wanted to spend the rest of my days happily. That¡¯s all I have to think about.

 Thirteen

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    ¡°I thought she was living there by herself.¡± Lucy, Colleen¡¯s mom, talking to herself after she left Colleen¡¯s house. She was annoyed that she thought Diane, her new husband Rick¡¯s daughter, would have a ce to stay while studying for college in the city.


    Diane¡¯s tuition fee was beyond her budget and renting her a house would be too much. She couldn¡¯t afford other expenses because Rick was not working anymore and taking care of him and his kids wore her off. She remembered what Colleen looked like and she felt a little worried about her. Hurting her was not her intention at all, but she was hurt after she heard what she said.


    ¡°Yes, I left her. But I didn¡¯t know that her dad left her as well. If I found out about it, I would have taken her in and Rick had no say about that.¡± She told herself and looked back at Colleen¡¯s apartment and started to think about how Colleen managed to survive all those years. She felt guilty when she remembered pping her, she just realized that she had every right to get mad at her and Colleen¡¯s dad for abandoning her.


    Lucy then walked away and went back home. She saw Colleen a day before when she was looking for an affordable apartment for Diane and followed her. But because she still needed to go home, she decided to return this morning instead.


    ¡°Did you find me an apartment?¡± Diane asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Lucy replied.


    ¡°What?? Then where am I going to stay when I start to attend school?¡± Diane asked angrily. She wanted to yell more but she stopped herself because she knew that Lucy was the one who was running their family now. Her dad was not working and it was Lucy who took care of all their expenses.


    ¡°Study here instead.¡± Lucy replied. She didn¡¯t want to give Colleen a headache by letting Diane live with her and she was nning on looking after her from now on. She really looked pale and she med herself for that.


    ¡°What?? I wanted to study in the city.¡± Dianeined. Lucy has been really sweet with her all these years so she tried to calm herself so she wouldn¡¯t yell at her.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I know, but I cannot take another expense. Renting an apartment in the city was almost our food budget for two weeks. Where am I going to get our food expenses here? How about your little brother who is still in high school? He still has his needs at school.¡± Lucy said, trying to reason out with Diane, who couldn¡¯t say a word anymore.


    Diane left and Lucy didn¡¯t bother following her. She then continued to their room and there she found Rick. ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± he said. Lucy smiled at him. No matter how much she wanted to yell at him, she couldn¡¯t. Rick had been very kind to him ever since. He even offered her to take Colleen but she thought her daughter would be much better with her father.


    ¡°Yeah, I tried to find an apartment for Diane but they were all expensive.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Just let her study here, you don¡¯t need to exert more effort,¡± he replied. ¡°She should be content and thankful for what you can give. Not every stepmother will do what you have done with this family,¡± he added.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Come on and eat lunch.¡± Lucy told him as she supported him with his walking.


    Their house was far from the city and would really take Diane¡¯s time if she insisted on studying there. Lucy just let her be because she really couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    Meanwhile, Colleen started her day with great hope even if her mother¡¯s visit was not pleasant at all. She was actually happy when she saw her and if she hadn¡¯t opened her mouth yet, Colleen would have hugged her.


    The sadness that filled her when she was talking with her mom washed away after Cely talked to her. She was happy that, even if she was not actually talking to her neighbors, they were looking after her as well. She felt blessed when she thought that there were people who were sincerely concerned about her.


    She spent her whole day in her house as she had to let her bruise subside a bit before she went out. The look on Cely¡¯s face earlier tells her that it was really visible. She had a feeling that the olddy wanted to know what had happened to her but decided not to and Colleen was thankful for that. She didn¡¯t want to answer her or have someone to pity her again.


    Now, thinking about that made her realize that she was going to be Mrs. Colleen Mhlin and Jared had already agreed to their marriage. She thought that maybe he really had no choice, so he agreed instead of fighting with his mom and sister.


    Colleen cleaned her entire home again and made a decision. She nned on letting her mother¡¯s step-stepdaughter live in her house if that would help her. At least she was able to do something for her mom before she died. Now that she was going to transfer to Jared¡¯s house, she would not be needing her house anymore. She just hoped that her mother¡¯s step-daughter would take care of it.


    It was really her house now. She managed to somehow pay the owner before she found out about her illness. She only paid it through an installment, so there was really nothing to regret having it after she was diagnosed with a critical illness. She was still thankful that the owner gave her a chance to have her own house despite being alone.


    She was very hard working and because she noticed that something was wrong with her, she decided to apply for an online job but she was not lucky enough tond a job. Instead, she managed to work as a frencer that offers more than the online job she applied for. It was good that she was good at drawing and was now a cartoonist.


    She wanted to make her own cartoon that would be known across the globe but she thought that she wouldn¡¯t be able to make it as she had little time in the world already, so she just enjoyed drawing.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said as she answered the call from ire.


    ¡°Hello dear, did Ingrid call you already?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes mommy ire.¡±


    ¡°Then, when are you going to transfer to Jared¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°I still have some things to take care of. Once I¡¯m done, then I will call you.¡± she replied.


    ¡°No, you have to move in soon. I want you to live with him now,¡± ire told her.


    ¡°Mommy ire, no need to rush anymore. Jared had agreed and Ingrid told me that she had brought along with her the documents for our wedding.¡± Colleen replied.


    ¡± Yes, but still, I want you to move in soon.¡±


    ¡°Alright, maybe after a day or two. I¡¯m sure Jared has not moved in yet,¡± she replied.


    ¡°No, he was already in your house. So you better hurry up and move in as well. Anyway, just tell me when you¡¯re moving in because I will ask the driver to get you. Don¡¯t stress yourself, OK?¡± ire told her sincerely.


    ¡°OK, Mommy ire.¡± Colleen couldn¡¯t help but agree and ended the call. ¡®I guess I was lucky to have ire as my mother-inw.¡¯  She told herself as she shrugged her shoulders.


    She then rxed herself and didn¡¯t think of anything else but the chance of extending her life if possible. She didn¡¯t lose her hope that one day, she would be able to find a donor and she decided to ask for money with Jared as her husband. She didn¡¯t see anything wrong with that if they were really married. Although it was an arranged marriage, they were still married.

 Fourteen

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    Colleen moved into Jared¡¯s house after two days. She thought it was just a simple house that would only fit her and Jared. But to her surprise, it was a mansion.


    ¡°Do you like the house?¡± Ingrid asked.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s huge. Now I know why Jared agreed to live with me. She said it unconsciously.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± ire, who was sitting on the couch, asked her questions.


    I don¡¯t think we will be able to see each other when we live here. I mean, it¡¯s really huge. ¡± She replied, which made Ingrid and ireugh.


    ¡°You are really funny. Of course you will be seeing him; you will be sleeping in the same room, you silly. ¡± Colleen¡¯s smile faded when ire told her. ¡°Why, didn¡¯t you like it?¡± ire asked after she noticed that Colleen suddenly froze.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think Jared will agree to that.¡± she replied, smiling. She was just being realistic. She knew that Jared didn¡¯t like this arrangement at all, so it was natural for her not to expect something like that. She was already surprised that he agreed to live with them, so she had no intention of going any further than sleeping in the same room. Let¡¯s just take things slowly. He¡¯s mad about his situation, so we need to respect that. ¡°I am fine with having a grand roof over my head,¡± she added, smiling.


    ¡°You know that you deserve more than a grand roof over your head. If it weren¡¯t for you, I don¡¯t think I would be¡ª¡± ire said,


    I have no intention of making you feel thankful because of what I did. I freely gave you what is mine because it will make me happy, ¡°she said, cutting ire off.


    I just wanted you to feelfortable and not to worry about anything else. Please make yourself at ease with me and treat me as your mother. ¡± ire said that Colleen was really happy after hearing that. She longed for a mother for so long, and when she met ire, she felt a motherly love from her.


    ¡°I amfortable with you,¡± she replied.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Then why are you refusing the assistance I offered you?¡±


    ¡°Because I am seeing you as a friend, and I don¡¯t extort money from a friend.¡±


    ¡°I am giving it to you willingly.¡± ire rified.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t win with you,¡± Colleen said, smiling. I am happy with what I have now, but I have to tell you that now that Jared is mywfully wedded husband, I am going to ask him for money. ¡°I mean, a lot of money,¡± she added, grinning.


    Jared just got in, and he heard what Colleen had said. He was puzzled, thinking she was talking to his mother that way, and ire was still smiling at him. He thought that his mom was afraid of her or something. That¡¯s why ire can¡¯t say no to her.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± he asked with a stoic face as he approached them. ire was surprised by his arrival, which made Jared think that she was indeed afraid. ¡°Are you threatening my mother?¡± he asked Colleen.


    ¡°No, why would I do that?¡± she replied casually.


    ¡°Why does she look surprised?¡± he asked again. ,


    ire, who was back to her senses, defended Colleen immediately. It¡¯s nothing like that. You didn¡¯t hear the whole conversation, right? ¡± Jared just looked at her and went to his room. Colleen, on the other hand, didn¡¯t know what she would do now that Jared was home. She wanted to talk to him if ever he had anything he wanted her to do during their marriage.


    ¡°Come on, Colleen, and let¡¯s have a look at your room.¡± ire invited her, but she was hesitant to go because she knew that Jared was there as well, maybe changing his clothes.


    ¡°Later Mommy ire, let¡¯s give him time to change at least.¡± She said, and they decided to go to the kitchen. Colleen likes to cook, but because she was living alone and had no things to use, she didn¡¯t actually practice it. She wanted to attend a cooking course, but she needed to save money for her illness, so she just set it aside. She knows what her priorities are, and that¡¯s fine with her.


    When I was young, I really wanted to cook. But because we¡¯re poor, my parents couldn¡¯t afford to send me to a culinary school. ire said as she started showing her the kitchen area.


    ¡°Colleen, this is Betty. She will be helping you out here, along with the other 4 maids. ire said and looked at Betty, who was smiling. ¡°Where are they?¡± ire asked, looking for the other maids she was talking about.


    ¡°They will be here by tomorrow. I will introduce them to Ma¡¯am Colleen when they arrive. Betty replied.


    You can call me Colleen. No need for ma¡¯am, I¡¯m not used to it. ¡± Colleen said, and Betty smiled at her as well.


    ¡°You are thedy of the other mansion, so it was only natural to address you as such.¡± Betty insisted.


    ¡°No, Colleen is fine.¡± S insisted, so Betty had no choice but to do as she said. ire was just watching them, happily.


    Betty is the head maid, but she is also a really good cook. You can ask her to teach you when I am not avable. ¡± ire told her.


    ¡°Really? I like that. ¡± She eximed.


    ¡°I am going to teach you everything I know.¡± Betty replied happily. It was the first time that she encountered such an employer. She came from ire¡¯s mansion, and she had noints about how good they were to her. But she feels that Colleen is a very kind person immediately.


    Colleen was really happy after talking to Betty. She felt her sincerity and she loved that. In her life, most of the people she met were full ofints about life, and they forgot to appreciate what they had. To her, Betty was a jolly person, and she was looking forward to being with her for at least thest three years of her life.


    Despite Jared¡¯s being mad about her being his wife, she was d that someone like Betty would live with them as well. And for her, it was enough to make her marriage to Jared bearable. Of course, along with ire and Ingrid, everything was still perfect and was worth looking forward to.


    Colleen promised herself that she would do everything a wife should do, even if Jared didn¡¯t want it. For her, it was the only thing she could do for him for marrying someone like her and for leaving and breaking off with his girlfriend if he really did.

 Fifteen

    Jared¡¯s POV


    Ingrid helped me pack my things and send them to Grandiose Vi. I wanted to live with mom and Ingrid because we only have each other. But because of Coleen, I will have to live in our old Vi.


    It was beautiful, but my mom and dad¡¯s memories were there and I didn¡¯t want to ruin it because of that woman. I can¡¯t even say her name.


    I came from work and I overheard them talking so I got worried thinking that a woman was threatening my mom but mom immediately denied that. Although I can say that that woman looks really weak, we cannot deny the fact that looks can be deceiving as well.


    I went up to our bedroom and left them there to do whatever they wanted to talk about. Mom likes her so they should be fine.


    Our bedroom was big, it was my mom and dad¡¯s room before, thinking I had to share it with a woman which I don¡¯t know anything about was unusual. Will she befortable sleeping in the same room and bed with me?


    The closet was full of my clothes and I looked at that woman¡¯s side and found that it was full as well and I think they were all new. Did Ingrid and mom buy them for her? I sighed thinking she started to spend our money.


    It¡¯s not that I was being calctive but we just married and yet she already spent that much money. She should have the decency to decline or reject if mom and Ingrid invited her to go shopping. I took my clothes and started to change. That woman maye in and I didn¡¯t want her to see me naked or whatever. I still don¡¯t want to share my privacy.


    Betty, Mom and Colleen were having a conversation in their meal happily when I came into the dining hall. ¡°Jared,e and join us.¡± Mom said.


    I sat down and Colleen took me some food. Mom and Betty are just watching. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that.¡± I said coldly. Mom was going to nag at me but I saw Colleen shaking her head at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± Colleen replied not minding my cold stare.


    I decided to ignore her and eat the food she had offered me. I was going to get another food but I knew that mom would get mad at me.


    ¡°Jared make sure the ref is always full so Colleen can practice cooking for you.¡± Mom said,


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to cook, Betty is here to do that.¡± I replied which earned me a stare from mom.


    ¡°It is going to be her hobby, you don¡¯t expect her to stay here and do nothing, right?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what I meant, all I¡¯m saying is that she doesn¡¯t need to take care of me because I can do it myself.¡± I replied, trying not to be too arrogant. I didn¡¯t want mom to worry about my marriage.


    ¡°Because you already epted this marriage and are living together under one roof, you have to try to live with each other like two civilized people. how are you going to know her better if you are going to push her away?¡± Mom asked. I get her point but I didn¡¯t want to do that yet. I still think that she made me do this and she forced me into this marriage.


    ¡°As you said, we are already married so there¡¯s no need for you to worry. We will try our best to be civil with each other. Let us do that ourselves.¡± I answered.


    ¡°Mommy ire, Jared is right. It¡¯s not easy to be with someone you don¡¯t know and let us handle this.¡± Colleen agreed with me. Mom still looks worried but when Colleen smiled at her, she started to smile again and continue eating. I looked at Colleen who was eating as well and I realized that mom really liked her. She never listens to anyone, even to me or Ingrid but with Colleen, I don¡¯t know what to think anymore.


    We had finished our meal and mom decided to go home. I went back to our bedroom and waited for Colleen to follow. After about thirty minutes that she was not yeting, I decided to go downstairs again and looked for her. I found her in the kitchen with Betty and without them knowing, I overheard their conversation.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am Colleen,¡± Betty said worriedly.


    ¡°I told you to call me Colleen, no need for ma¡¯am. It¡¯s too formal and I¡¯m not used to it.¡± she said, and Betty nodded. ¡°Please promise me that you are not going to tell Mommy ire everything that¡¯s going to happen here. Whatever ¡®s going on with me and Jared, it¡¯s between us and we will settle it ourselves.¡± she added.


    ¡°But Ma¡¯am, I mean, Colleen, Ma¡¯am ire send me here so that¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know, she sent you here so you could report to her if Jared is treating me right. But you must know that it was hard for him as well. It wasn¡¯t easy to end up marrying someone you don¡¯t know when you already had someone in your heart and in your life whom you expect to get married to when the timees.¡± Colleen stopped Betty from talking.


    ¡°I know that Colleen, I was feeling sorry for Sir Jared as well. But he already agreed to it so he had to be responsible for his actions and decision. It wasn¡¯t right to get mad at you when he had a choice.¡± Betty said, I started to feel angry with her but I know that she has a point.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy to let go of thepany Betty, you wouldn¡¯t understand it. But to him who worked really hard so everything in theirpany will be alright, it was a big blow for him. It¡¯s like you adopted a child and love him so much and then after a few years, his biological mother wille and get him and you have no choice but to give them back to them.¡± Colleen exined to Betty. I admire her after I heard her say that, I thought she was selfish not to understand my situation.


    ¡°Will you choose to marry someone you don¡¯t love because of money and leave the one you truly love?¡± Betty asked her.


    ¡°Jared and I are in different situations, if you are going to ask me that then my answer will be biased. Yes, I am going to choose the person I love over money. You know why? Because I hate money. It was the root of every good rtionship and promises to fall apart. I don¡¯t have good experience with money to choose it over the person I love. I am not happy because of money.¡± she replied, I don¡¯t know why but I got curious with her answer.


    She hates money, so why did she marry me? What is she going to attain in marrying me? Is she for real? ¡°Colleen, let me tell you this. I have known Sir Jared ever since he was a kid. He may have his girlfriend but I knew that he didn¡¯t love the woman at all. That¡¯s why he chose to marry you. Sir Jared is a kind of person who cares about the people he loves and ma¡¯am ire knows that. He may be confused with his feelings but I am sure that he would disregard hispany if he really loves that woman. So you better do your part as his wife and continue being a kind person so he will notice and fall for you.¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Colleenughed but not the kind ofugh that sounds happy, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone, so it¡¯s better if we stay civil with each other.¡± she replied.


    ¡°Colleen,¡± Betty said,


    ¡°I am fine and this conversation is between us only, OK?¡± Colleen said and Betty agreed. ¡°Now, can you clean the room beside yours for me?¡± she asked. Betty was confused.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like getting up and down the stairs, it¡¯s too high so I decided to stay down here.¡± Colleen said, I didn¡¯t know why but I feel a bit angry about that. Didn¡¯t she like to stay with me under one roof as well? I wanted to talk to her already so I decided to make a noise to let them know that I aming.


    They were both looking at me when I entered the kitchen totally,¡± We need to talk.¡± I told her and she nodded. I turned around headed to our bedroom, I can feel her following me so I continue walking up.

 Sixteen

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    So, this is the moment. I followed him to our bedroom and saw him sitting on the couch not too far from the bed but I remained standing. It¡¯s not that I am being intimidated, I just didn¡¯t want him to think that I was starting to be at home when I just moved in.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit?¡± He asked so I sat on the couch adjacent to his and prepared my ears for everything that he wanted to tell me. ¡°Just because we are married, it doesn¡¯t mean that I had to look after you. I will do whatever I want and you can do what you want as well. I am not going to force you to be dutiful, I don¡¯t care about that.¡± He said.


    I nodded my head so he¡¯ll know that I understand and waited for him to continue and tell me more about his conditions. ¡°You will be receiving an allowance, but other than that, do not expect more.¡± He continued and I nodded my head again.


    ¡°Everything you need in this house, I am going to ask Betty to buy it. So whatever it is that you want to learn, just do it. But as I¡¯ve said when mom was here, you don¡¯t have to please me.¡± He added. ¡°Most of all, stay away from Stacey and never hurt her ever again. I already rode up with her so she doesn¡¯t need to suffer anymore.¡± He reminded me.


    ¡°Tell me what your conditions are.¡± He told me that I was stunned for a moment. I thought he will never let me voice out what I wanted.


    ¡°As for Stacey, whether you believe it or not, I didn¡¯t do anything to her.¡± I told him and his face hardened. ¡°For the allowance, and everything you will buy for the house, I thank you and I appreciate that.¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± He asked arrogantly. As if telling me that I have no right to make any demands.


    ¡°Do whatever that pleases you and will make you happy, responsibly. Life is short and we never know when we will leave this ce so enjoy it while you¡¯re here.¡± I told him.


    He looked puzzled but I did not bother to borate to him. ¡°Is there anything else you wanted to say?¡± I asked but he didn¡¯t answer. I stood up and decided to go out of his room.


    ¡°About the room,¡± he said, but before he could say another words,


    ¡°I asked Betty to clean a room for me. I am not going to stay here. The clothes that Ingrid bought for me, just let those stay here so they don¡¯t get any idea.¡± I told him and left. My life may be short but I have my pride as well.


    Going down stairs, I started to think if I made the right decision of marrying him. I know that my life will be gone soon so I should have just enjoyed it. Why do I need to agree with mommy ire with this? Did I somehow think that I will be able to have a family I can cherish even if I had to leave them soon?


    ¡°Colleen,¡± I was startled by Betty¡¯s. I looked at her and smiled. ¡°Come, look at your room.¡± She said excitedly so I followed her.


    She pulled me to the hallway which Iter found out that leads to the swimming pool. Before we reached there, we made a left turn. ¡°This is where the maids quarters are, but the end of it was a vacant room and even when they live here, no one stays there.¡± She said, ¡°You wanted some  quiet ce so this is the best spot for you.¡± She added as we reached a dead end.


    Betty opened the door and we walked in. The room was spacious and I liked it. The bed was big and it was clean already. ¡°Look here,¡± Betty called my attention and I looked at what she was showing me.


    It was the curtain which she opened and I saw the pool, it was beautiful. She pushed the ss wall that turns out to be a door. ¡°I liked it here Betty.¡± I told her happily.


    ¡°Then you can stay here. I will forbid the maids toe here and I will be the one who will clean here regrly as well as Sir Jared¡¯s room.¡± She said, smiling.


    ¡°Thank you so much Betty. I really appreciate this. I need sunlight every morning.¡± I told her.


    ¡°Yes, I can see that. That¡¯s why I decided to offer you this room.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s clean here so I am going to bring my things here and unpack.¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s right there.¡± She said, ¡°I was nning on unpacking your luggage and arranging your things in the closet but I thought you wouldn¡¯t like it if people touched your things.¡± She added.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. But I can do it myself so thank you for stopping yourself from doing everything.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Ok, I will leave you here.¡± She said and left.


    I look around the room and I can tell that it was a lot more beautiful than my house. To think that it was only a spare here, life really is something.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    A lot of people had no roof over their heads while there were people who had so much. A lot of people took their lives when I was desperately asking for it. I think life is unfair. And here I am again, self pitying.


    I looked at the corner where my luggage is and started to unpack and arrange all my clothes to the closet. It was big and I only upied a small part of it.


    After I was done, I went outside. I noticed chairs and tables and I instantly thought that I could work there. Jared will be in the office all the time so I guess there will be no problem if I stay here all the time as well.


    The room was spacious and the pool side was refreshing. I¡¯m sure I would be able to work in peace. I should  be thankful to Betty for being nice and kind to me. I just hope that she would never tell anyone about our setup here. I looked at the pool and said to myself, ¡°So this is married life, huh?¡±

 Seventeen: End of Flashback

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    I stayed at Jared¡¯s mansion and didn¡¯t leave my room if it wasn¡¯t necessary. It has been a week since we lived together, the maids arrived and I didn¡¯t face any problem with him. It¡¯s funny, how are we going to face problems when we never see each other?


    As Jared¡¯s wife, I wake up early in the morning to prepare something for him for breakfast. I told Betty not to tell him about it because he may not eat it if he finds out that I was the one who made it. At night, I see to it that he has food to eat when hees home. But he didn¡¯t eat it at all. In the morning, I prepare his clothes for work. At least I can do simple things for him and it was up to him whether he would ept it or not.


    Doing my duty as his wife was difficult in a sense that he didn¡¯t like that I was doing it. I was hoping that he will just cooperate with me and not make any more demands and be civil with each other. We can be friends if not real lovers, after all I didn¡¯t want to hurt him in the end. A friend on the other hand can make the remaining days in my life meaningful.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Months have passed and I have my regr check-up with Dr. Gerard. He was excited when he saw me, ¡°What are you happy about?¡± I asked him enthusiastically.


    He grinned and replied, ¡°I have good news for you.¡± This time in my life, the only good news that I want to hear is that I ampletely healed. But I know that was far from reality so I asked him to cut the thrill that I was feeling.


    ¡°And that is?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even want to guess?¡± he asked and Iughed.


    ¡°You know that I am not allowed to feel so much joy so I wanted to keep my feelings neutral.¡± I answered and he nodded with a smile on his face.


    ¡°I was so s***** to forget that. Anyway, the center for organ donors had called me and said that there was an avable heart that matches yours.¡± Dr. Gerard told me excitedly. I was speechless and for a moment, I didn¡¯t know what I was going to say. I got teary eyes and I finally felt the sun shine upon me.


    ¡°Are you alright, Colleen?¡± Dr. Gerard asked, worriedly. I looked at him and I couldn¡¯t keep my tears from falling down my face with a bitter smile on my face when I remember that I don¡¯t have the money. Dr. Gerard exined to me before that I needed aplete rest before the surgery to condition my mind and body. And of course even after the surgery was done, I needed to stay in the hospital.


    ¡°Hey, why are you crying?¡± he asked again when I didn¡¯t answer him the first time.


    ¡°I remember that I don¡¯t have the money for it.¡± I told him and the smile on his face disappeared and I feel sorry for him that the excitement that was on his face suddenly disappeared. Then Iughed trying to ease her worry.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you get married to Jared so that you can ask him for money?¡± he asked. Now that he said that, I suddenly feel embarrassed and I don¡¯t think that I will be able to ask him for money.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it shameful?¡± I asked himughing and he creased his forehead.


    ¡°Colleen, I am not joking around. Knowing that you told me that you will only ask for money from your immediate family, I didn¡¯t waste time and  rushed to the institute and followed up daily for your donor. Don¡¯t tell me that you have no intention of asking Jared for help.¡± he said trying to confirm what he thought. I nodded and he sighed in relief.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he is going to give it to me.¡±


    ¡°So you will only let this chance pass?¡± he asked and I¡¯m sure that he was trying his best not to show his anger.


    ¡°Dr. Gerard, I know that you have been doing all your best to make me feel better and I was grateful for your effort. You don¡¯t know how much I was thankful that you are my doctor. But,¨C¡± I told him and paused, giving me a smile of appreciation. ¡°This is the decision that I decided to make. Don¡¯t worry, because I will still try. I want to live or extend it for a few more years.¡± I added and I saw him look down and then nod his head.


    Showing that I was feeling sorry for him will only make him feel worse so I had to appear happy, ¡°I promise that I am going to convince him to give me money for my surgery.¡± I told him and he looked at me feeling relieved. Maybe he really wants to see me more.


    ¡°See to it that you do, Colleen. Don¡¯t let my effort go to waste, please.¡± he begged and I smiled at him nodding. ¡°All right, let¡¯s do your check-up now.¡± he said and we started our usualboratories.


    ¡°Every test was all looking good. Now, I want you to have aplete rest just in case we do the surgery. Do I make myself clear?¡± he said and I don¡¯t think he will ever stop unless I give him a possible answer.


    ¡°Yes, Doc.¡± I replied, smiling. He was now relieved. I didn¡¯t want to give him false hope but I didn¡¯t want to see him disheartened. After my check-up, I went home. Although I have a problem with money for the surgery, knowing that there was an avable heart for me, made me really happy and hopeful. Just as I promised to Dr. Gerard, I am going to try to ask Jared. I mean, I have nothing to lose if I don¡¯t expect to. All I need to do is try.


    So here I am, standing in his office door at home trying to gather my courage to disturb him. After a while of deep deliberation with myself I started to knock. ¡°Come in,¡± he said so I did but prepared myself to be scolded or yelled at or whatever he will do to see me.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, so I approached his table and stopped a little away from him. It was so hard that I almost thought that I was in a job interview or something.


    ¡°Hubby, can you lend me some money?¡± I asked immediately before I changed my mind. He red at me after hearing it and said,


    ¡°Why would I give you money? Do you think just because I agreed to marry you, I will give you what you want just like that?¡±


    ¡°It was for something important,¡± I told him, still trying to make him agree. Now that I am standing before him, I will try my best to convince him, not just for myself. But also for Dr. Gerard who exerted so much effort in helping and sacrificing a lot for me.


    ¡°I already told you before that I will only provide you with your monthly allowance and nothing else. Unless it was a matter of life and death, I am not going to give you any.¡± he said. I didn¡¯t know that he was like this.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a matter of life and death. You will be able to help me greatly if you do me this favor.¡± I said, now a little hopeful. I will never get shy at telling him that because I want to live as well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re dying, because I am not going to believe you. And if you do, why not just ept it, after all, I don¡¯t want you here.¡± he said and I was really hurt. Is he even human? How can he say that to me? Even if he was this mad at me, I don¡¯t think it was necessary for him to say those words to me.


    I didn¡¯t want him to see me in my weakest so I tried to collect myself and try harder to hold my tears. I will never let him see me crying. Even if I was going to die today, I am not going to let him see me in a worse state.


    ¡°All right, thank you.¡± I said and he looked at me. But instead of showing him my anger, I smiled at him. The one that I knew he would never think that I was deeply wounded. Then I turned around, but before I could get out of his office, he told me.


    ¡°You can apply for a loan if you really need the money, I¡¯m sure that your monthly allowance will be sufficient to pay it off.¡± I hold the knob tight, trying not to break off. I cleared my throat and turned to look at him and said with a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to avail a loan when there¡¯s no possibility that I can finish paying it, after all, it was my life at stake here.¡± Then I turn to the door and open it. Left his room and I promised myself that I am going to find a way to save myself.


    *** End of shback ***

 Eighteen

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    Colleen didn¡¯t manage to get the surgery and she feels sad about it. Dr. Gerard was disappointed at her thinking she didn¡¯t try to ask Jared. he even told her to ask ire or Ingrid for money but she refused it. He thought that she didn¡¯t care for her life at all. Colleen feels sorry towards him and he decides not to talk to her about it.


    After a few months, Dr. Gerard came back to himself and was very attentive to Colleen during her check up. He was worried for her and he likes her but he can¡¯t do anything for him. He had a feeling that Colleen didn¡¯t want him to worry himself for her and that she was scared of what will happen to him when she¡¯s gone.


    It was their usual check-up and Dr. Gerard was happy to know that everything was normal. He thought that she had been consistently having a normal result with all herboratories so she would be able to have her surgery just in case another donor wille their way.


    ¡°Dr. Gerard,¡± Colleen said and he looked at her waiting for what she was going to tell him. ¡°I had my savings and I don¡¯t think it will be enough for my surgery, but I nned on acquiring a loan but I don¡¯t think that the bank will lend me without a stable ie.¡±


    ¡°And when do you n on getting money for your repayment?¡± he asked. He started to hope for her but he knew him well, he was sure that she would be thinking about the money and on how she could repay it.


    ¡°I already told you that Jared had given me an allowance and I think it will be enough for my monthly installment. But the problem is the approval of my loan.¡± she replied.


    ¡°Then I am going to lend you money,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Dr. Gerard¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop it Colleen, you will be paying through installment as well. With the same bank interest so you won¡¯t have to feel burden.¡± he said, cutting off her protest.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Colleen replied.


    ¡°We still have time, all yourboratories look good and you have done all your check-ups religiously. I am 100% sure that the surgery will be a sess.¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank you Dr. Gerard.¡± she replied. She knew very well the consequences of the surgery. She knew that it would only prolong her life for at least 5 years but with discipline and if she took care of her body she knew that she could go beyond that.


    ¡°No, thank you for not losing hope and for continuing to fight for your life. I just want you to know that I am always here with you, no matter what.¡± he said and that made Colleen smile at him, appreciating his concern for her. ¡°Now, can I follow up on the center for organ donors now?¡± he asked, smiling and Colleen nodded. She decided to extend her life and she wouldn¡¯t let anyone take that from her, even her husband Jared.


    In the meantime, Jared was in his office when Ingrid called him, ¡°Please fetch Colleen in the hospital, mom asked her to get herboratory result.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you do it?¡± he asked in a low voice.


    ¡°I had to go to a meeting with my client and I won¡¯t be able to make it. We never asked you to do this before and as much as possible, we tried not to disturb you with your work when ites to Colleen because we knew how much you hate her. but I really can¡¯t go now and mom was in your house, resting. She said that she¡¯s going to wait for Colleen there.¡± she told him and jared sighed,


    ¡°All right, fine. Which hospital?¡± he asked and Ingrid told him the hospital and ended their call. Jared finished all his work earlier and went to the hospital. He parked his car in the parking lot and started walking to the entrance. He didn¡¯t know where Colleen was so he called Ingrid to ask her in which department he found Colleen.


    ¡°In the surgery department.¡± she replied and Jared ended the call. He was about to ask the information for the surgery department when he saw Colleen walking with Dr. Gerard who had been telling her about a story of another patient. They wereughing together because Colleen knew that particr patient and he was really funny.


    They continued chatting until they left the hospital. Jared felt so furious when he saw Colleen look so happy with another man. He approached them and said, ¡°Colleen,¡± who was now looking at him in shock. She wondered what he was doing there and thought that he was sick so she felt worried for him.


    ¡°Where are the results that mom asked you to get?¡± he asked and Colleen showed it to him and he got that then left her. He was supposed to fetch her but because she was feeling mad, he forgot what he came for in the hospital. He went to his car and drove home.


    ¡°What was wrong with him?¡± Colleen asked, confused.


    ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t like the idea of going here just to get his mom¡¯s result.¡± Dr. Gerard said,


    ¡°I guess so,¡± She replied, ¡°Anyway, thank you so much for your help and I hope that I will be able to get past this.¡± she added.


    ¡°Of course you will. You are high spirited and very kind, there¡¯s no way that you wouldn¡¯t get what you deserve.¡± he replied.


    ¡°And thank you as well for helping me for you know.¡± she said shyly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. I had been offering you this from before and if I had found out that you will agree on a bank terms, I would have offered that to you as well.¡± he replied. A taxi arrived and Colleen get in there after it¡¯s passenger get out.


    In the taxi, Colleen was thinking about Jared¡¯s behavior. She knew that he was always like that to her so she just shook it off her mind. There were other things that she wanted to think about, like what she will do after the surgery and that made her feel excited.


    In the mansion, ire was waiting for Jared and Colleen and when she saw Jared by himself, she couldn¡¯t help but question him. ¡°Where is Colleen?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± he replied and handed her the envelope where herboratory result was.


    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know? Didn¡¯t you go there to fetch her?¡± she asked worriedly.


    ¡°I just took the envelope and left her there, she seems busy talking to your doctor.¡± he replied and went straight to his bedroom. ire was left speechless, following him with her gaze.


    After more than 30 minutes, Colleen arrived and she smiled as soon as she saw ire. ¡°Hi, mommy ire.¡± she greeted her,


    ¡°Hello, dear. Why didn¡¯t youe home with Jared?¡± ire asked.


    ¡°He seemed in a hurry so I didn¡¯t bother him anymore. What brought you here?¡± Colleen replied and asked.


    ¡°Why, don¡¯t you want to see me?¡±  ire asked, pouting and Colleen smiled at her.


    ¡°You know that I always want to be with you. I just didn¡¯t know that you would be here today. I thought I was going to send the result to your mansion.¡±


    ¡°I nned on waiting for the result here and don¡¯t want to bother you and get tired.¡± she replied. ¡°JAred is in your room already. I think he was facing some problems in thepany as he was not in the mood to talk to me.¡± ire told her and Colleen left ire in the living room and went up stairs at Jared¡¯s room.


    She had to go there because ire was there with them and she was sure that JAred understood their situation at that very moment. She was in front of Jared¡¯s bedroom door and she didn¡¯t know whether she would knock already or just wait for him toe out.


    After a few minutes, she inhaled deeply and knocked. ¡°I hate doing this.¡± she muttered to herself.

 Nineteen

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    Jared was looking outside the window when he heard the knock. He knew that it was Colleen because he saw her getting in the mansion. She doesn¡¯t go into his room and stays in her own room all the time and Jared knew that the reason she was there was because his mom was there. Even after two years, ire and Ingrid didn¡¯t know that they were sleeping in a separate room. ¡°Come in.¡± he said without looking and Colleen entered the room.


    ¡°Mommy ire is down stairs, why don¡¯t you send her home first?¡± she said not looking at him either. She didn¡¯t want to look at him when they were talking because Jared didn¡¯t like it as well.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Jared approached her and asked, ¡°Who is he?¡± Colleen was confused so she looked at him identally and she saw him ring at her so she looked away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you were talking about.¡± she replied and went to the couch so she could sit.


    ¡°The man you were talking to earlier, who is he?¡±


    ¡°Dr. Gerard.¡± she replied and Jared was angry that she didn¡¯t want to say anything to him besides that.


    ¡°Do I need to hire a private investigator to get to know him?¡± he asked and Colleen looked at him.


    ¡°Why would you do that when he has nothing to do with you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°And does he has anything to do with you?¡± Jared asked in return.


    ¡°He¡¯s my friend.¡± Colleen answered even though she couldn¡¯t understand why he had to know who Dr. Gerard was. ¡°You can go to mommy ire and I am going to stay here for a while, I will be going back to my room when you leave to send her home.¡± she said to change the topic. She didn¡¯t want to talk about Dr. Gerard in fear that she would burst her anger now that she remembered how he refused to help her for the surgery about two years ago.


    ¡°You¡¯re dismissing me so you don¡¯t need to answer my question?¡± Jared asked.


    ¡°You never asked me about anything before, you never talked to me so I don¡¯t see a reason why you were suddenly interested in my affairs.¡±


    ¡°So you admitted that you had an affair with that doctor?¡± Jared asked angrily and pulled her  to get up from the couch she was sitting on.


    ¡°What are you doing? It hurts.¡± Colleenined but Jared didn¡¯t listen to her.


    ¡°Are you telling me that you had an affair with that doctor?¡± he asked again.


    ¡°What I meant by affair is in general. Everything that happened to me, you never interested before, why would you ask me now?¡±


    ¡°Is it wrong to ask my wife why she was with another man?¡±


    ¡°Who is your wife?¡± Colleen asked which stunned Jared. He doesn¡¯t know why he acted that way, all he knew was he didnt like seeing Colleen with Dr. Gerard. He had a feeling that he liked Colleen, which was true after all.


    ¡°Even if it was just on paper, you are still not allowed to see any man. You have to remember that, and for that to happen,¡± he said and pulled Colleen at the back of her head and kissed her. It wasn¡¯t tender and was meant to punish her. She was pushing him away but Jared was big and she was small and weak and had no strength to protest so she just let him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you with that doctor again.¡± Jared said after the kiss and got out of his room.


    Colleen was nailed where she was standing and couldn¡¯t believe that Jared had kissed her. They never got intimate in their two years of marriage and even if she was preparing everything he needed for office, they never saw each other most of the time. When they do, she would avoid him and go the other way where she knew Jared will never go.


    She couldn¡¯t understand why he had to do that when she told him that Dr. Gerard was just her friend. ¡®Is he thinking that I was cheating on him?¡¯ she thought and she felt furious thinking he had the nerve to think that way when she wasn¡¯t doing anything wrong. She went to the window where Jared was standing when she came in and saw him and ire getting in the car to send ire home.


    Colleen got out of Jared¡¯s room and went to her own room as Betty followed her. ¡°Colleen, are you alright? Did you two fight?¡± she asked, worriedly and Colleen shook her head. ¡°Then why are you looking like that?¡± Betty asked again.


    ¡°Like what? What do I look like?¡±


    ¡°You look like you have been caught in something.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing like that. I came to see Jared in his room and you know that I am not used to talking to him. Maybe that¡¯s why I feel flustered.¡± Colleen replied.


    ¡°OK, do you want to eat? I made a snack.¡±


    ¡°No, I wanted to rest. My doctor said that I needed that now.¡± she replied and went to her bed. She wanted to rest first because she felt her heart beating differently. She was afraid that she would find herself having difficulty in her breathing. She didn¡¯t want that to happen because she wanted to have all herboratories normal so she could have her surgery.


    ¡°You rest then. but once you feel hungry, you have toe and see me, all right?¡± he said and Colleen nodded in agreement. Betty got out of her room so she could rest.


    Colleeny down on her bed and started to think about the kiss that she and Jared shared just a moment ago. She still couldn¡¯t believe that it happened. She thought that he was still seeing Stacey so he won¡¯t have any reason to do that. It¡¯s not as though he was deprived.


    Jared was her first kiss and she couldn¡¯t help but touch her lips. She imagined it to be really sweet when she did that with her boyfriend. Now that she had tasted it with Jared, she confirmed it to be true even if it was for Jared to punish her.  After two years of marriage, they had their first kiss.


    What would happen to her now that Jared had done something he shouldn¡¯t and think about it. Colleen closed her eyes and didn¡¯t realize that she fell asleep with a smile on her face. Deep down inside her, she was hoping that this will be a start of their good rtionship and work things out. It may not be toote for them to have a new beginning.

 Twenty

    Jared¡¯s POV


    Two years had passed and my marriage was still the same as it was before. I never dreamed of having a marriage like this. I admire how my parents were when my dad was still alive. Ingrid and I saw how much they love each other and I don¡¯t know why mom didn¡¯t allow me to have that.


    After I broke up with Stacey and talked thest time in the hospital, I avoided her so I won¡¯t be able to cheat  because even if I didn¡¯t love Colleen, I still value our marriage. I don¡¯t like a broken family.


    Even if it was like that we were able to meet under different circumstances. Like when she told me that Colleen had texted her telling her to stay away from me. The first time she told me that, I confronted Colleen and she denied it. I was mad at her because aside from telling me that she didn¡¯t do it, she never exined anymore. How can I actually believe her when she doesn¡¯t even say anything that will make me?


    At some point being together with Colleen for two years and until now, we are still far from each other even if we were living under one roof because of me. When we talked, I remembered she was about to leave my room when I told her about it and she said that she already asked Betty to clean a room for her. I didn¡¯t object because of my pride when I wanted to tell her that she can stay in my bedroom as well.


    ¡°I told you not to bother Stacey anymore, why did you have to text her?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡± she replied and was about to turn her back to me but I was so mad at that time but I stopped her.


    ¡°This is thest time that I am going to tell you this. You better stop whatever you wanted to do to her. I am not going to just sit and let you do whatever that pleases you.¡±


    ¡°I already told you I didn¡¯t do it or anything to her.¡± she replied casually. She was so calm that I wanted to believe her. But I had been with Stacey for 4 years and she was not the kind of person who will lie about something like that. I still believe that even if she didn¡¯t like the break-up, she would ept it like the decent woman she was.


    We be distant to each other even more after that. We never talk unless mom visits us. Betty did not say anything to mom as Colleen requested, and I am sure that our maid was a bit distant to me as well. I just shrugged my shoulders with that because I don¡¯t mind her at all.


    Until now, she was staying in the bedroom near the pool. It was supposed to be a room for whenever we had some asion, wherein some guests would want to rest there when they feel tired from swimming. I didn¡¯t invite anyone toe and have a pool party of some sort because I didn¡¯t want to disturb her when she was resting at night. She sleeps early, that¡¯s one thing I found out about her.


    She prepares my clothes for work. I rejected that as well in the beginning because she doesn¡¯t even want to sleep in the same room with me and yet she was doing that stuff. Even if Betty was not telling me, I had a feeling that she was the one who prepared my food as well.


    In our marriage, I see to it that I left the house when she was still sleeping and came home when she was asleep. I didn¡¯t want to see her, but I am willing to work things out only if she was not acting like she doesn¡¯t care at all.


    Then I am going to find her talking to that doctor all smiles and she looks lively unlike when she was at home. Does she like him? She shouldn¡¯t because she is my wife, I am not going to let her continue liking that man when she was avoiding me like a gue for two years now. No matter where I look, I know that I exceeded him in all aspects.


    ¡°Mom, who is Dr. Gerard?¡± I asked mom and she looked stunned when I looked at her. We were in my car and I am going to send her home which is not that far from our house.


    ¡°How did you know him?¡± she asked. Is she avoiding my question? Why would she ask instead of answering me?


    ¡°I saw Colleen talking to him when I went there earlier.¡± I replied, I wanted to know him so I will just answer mom.


    ¡°They are friends.¡± Mom replied when we were about to enter the gate. I didn¡¯t reply yet and waited until I stopped the car.


    ¡°That¡¯s what Colleen said, are you his friend as well?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. He was a very fine young man. He likes Colleen and I think she does too.¡± mom replied. I was stunned for a moment. How can she let me marry Colleen when she knew that.


    ¡°Why did you let me marry her?¡± I eximed.


    ¡°Because I know that she will never let herself get too close or attached to him, that¡¯s why.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°Why? If he likes her and she likes him, why wouldn¡¯t they just be together?¡±


    ¡°Colleen didn¡¯t want to hurt Dr. Gerard.¡± Mom replied that puzzled me even more.


    ¡°Exin mom,¡± I said but she just looked at me and smiled.


    ¡°No need, there¡¯s nothing for you to bother about Colleen cheating on you. She will never do that.¡± she said and got out of the car. I stayed there for a few more minutes and let her words sink in my mind. How can she be so confident that Colleen will never do that when she knew that she was liking the man and vice versa?


    I needed to find out about it and Colleen is the only one who can answer my questions. I started the car and went home ready to confront her.

 Twenty-One

    Jared¡¯s POV


    I went back to our house and when I got to my room, Colleen was no longer there. She really didn¡¯t stay there and it annoys me more. Compared to us, she was the one who was showing the most disapproval of us living together and yet she didn¡¯t object. I decided to went down and look for her in her room and meet Betty,


    ¡°Are you going to swim, Sir Jared?¡± she asked curiously.


    ¡°No, I am going to see Colleen.¡± I replied and turned my back on her but she stopped me.


    ¡°Wait, Sir. Colleen is resting and currently sleeping. She looked tired when I saw her so when she told me that she will rest first before she eats, I let her.¡± she informed me. Now that I think about it, she does look pale. Every time that I happen to see her, I notice that she always looks pale and sick.


    ¡°Tell her toe and see me in my study when she gets out of her room.¡± I told her and went to my study. I brought home some office work because I needed to fetch Colleen from the hospital.


    In my study room, time had passed but I didn¡¯t manage to work either as the thought of my wife and that doctor kept popping up in my head. I don¡¯t know what I will do and it annoys me even more. If only I was in my office I would have been very busy right now and would have had no time to think about them. I realized that I won¡¯t be able to work anymore so I got my phone and browsed.


    I was looking for a friend from college¡¯s social media when I received a call from Stacey and I didn¡¯t like it. She had been asking money from me ever since Ipensated her the first time Colleen texted her. I answered the phone to know what she wanted.


    ¡°Hello,¡±


    ¡°Jared, I am really sorry to call you. I know that you are busy in your office now but I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Your wife has been texting me again. Tell me how long do I need to put up with your wife? Can¡¯t you just love her so she could feel secure?¡± she said, sobbing. I know that Colleen was sleeping so I wonder why she would say that? I am going to apologize to her even if I think that it was impossible when I heard a knock, ¡°Come in.¡± and Colleen emerged.


    ¡°Right now, she¡¯s calling me.¡± Stacey said and I looked at Colleen who was approaching my table. She was going to say something but I motioned her to quiet.


    ¡°She¡¯s calling you right now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s on call waiting. Do you want me to answer it for you so you can hear it?¡± she asked and I smiled.


    ¡°OK, put her in so I could talk to her.¡± I replied.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°OK,¡± she replied and then, ¡°She ended it after I answered her call. Maybe she thinks that I am talking to you.¡± she said after. All this time, I trusted her and never thought that she was someone like she was now. She was lying to me all this time and Colleen who really had not done anything to her suffers from my cold treatment and harsh words.


    ¡°I am going to send you money for thepensation.¡± I told her and I heard her sighed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that, I just want to let you know about what she was doing to me.¡± she replied and I smirked in a mocking way. She was not seeing it and I saw Colleen¡¯s forehead creased as she looked at me. I looked away as I was feeling guilty towards her.


    ¡°OK, I am not sending it. Thank you for letting me know. Goodbye.¡± I said and ended the call. I know now that she was doing it so she could ask for money from me. It was just an act that she didn¡¯t want me topensate her for.


    ¡°You asked for me.¡± Colleen said, after I put down my phone. I wanted to talk to her about that doctor but the guilty feeling I have towards her was eating me up. Why didn¡¯t she try to depend on herself when I was using her of something she didn¡¯t do. I know that she said that she didn¡¯t do it but still, she should have insisted and didn¡¯t let me think otherwise.


    ¡°I want to talk to you about that doctor. I asked mom about him and I still didn¡¯t want you to see him.¡± I told her. I still felt annoyed with the truth that she likes that doctor and he likes her too but decided to marry me instead because she didn¡¯t want to hurt him. How is she going to hurt him when she likes him too?


    ¡°I already told you that he¡¯s a friend and if you asked Mommy ire about him, I was sure that she told you that as well.¡± she replied.


    ¡°Yes, she told me that, but that doesn¡¯t mean I will let you continue seeing him.¡± I told her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t, he¡¯s important to me and he can save me,¡± she replied and I got mad at her.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you do as I say? Does your life depend on him?¡± I asked angrily.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Then why can¡¯t you just marry him instead. Why did you have toe in between me and Stacey when you are not ready to leave that man?¡± I asked, yelling. I couldn¡¯t believe that she said yes.


    ¡°There were times where you couldn¡¯t get what you wanted. I didn¡¯t want to hurt him in the end. Another thing is, he will be providing me with the money that I will be needing in the future.¡± she replied.


    ¡°Money again? When we just got married, you asked me for money. Where are you going to use it this time?¡± I was furious. Why does everyone need money? Stacey fooled me for money and now, here she was talking about money as well.


    ¡°For the same reason I told you about when I asked you.¡± she replied. Why does she always answer that way? She can¡¯t say anything she meant in a straightforward manner.


    ¡°Fine, I am going to give you that money.¡± I told her and sheughed. It was the first time that sheughed in front of me and she didn¡¯t look happy. She was mocking me.


    ¡°You¡¯re two yearste. I am not needing it urgently so there¡¯s no need for you to offer it now. I talked to him and we already agreed on certain terms.¡±


    ¡°I am your husband so I should be the one who will provide you with what you need.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the reason why I married you.¡± she told me and my eyes widened. ¡°He had been offering me that money for a long time already and I couldn¡¯t ept it because he is an important friend to me. I only want to ask for a favor from my immediate family, like a husband. But it turns out that it wasn¡¯t the case to you. So I give up.¡± she added.


    ¡°You married me for money?¡± I asked, feeling betrayed.


    ¡°Maybe, but I told you that I am willing to do my duty as my wife so I will feel less guilty, but you didn¡¯t want it.¡± she replied as if it was my fault.


    ¡°My mom knew about this?¡± I asked and she nodded.


    ¡°I have no intention in hiding it.¡±


    ¡°Then you must be disappointed that you didn¡¯t get what you wanted.¡± I tried to mock her, but she just smiled.


    ¡°I guess nothing reallyes for free.¡± she replied. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing you want to talk to me about, I am going to leave now.¡± she said and got up from her seat and turned around. She was on the door holding the door knob when I reminded her.


    ¡°Never see that doctor again. Even if he was your life, I¡¯d rather had you dead than seeing you together.¡± I told her and she continued getting out of my study. I was harsh, I know that. But I was hurt as well when she didn¡¯t even deny her reason for marrying me.

 Twenty-Two

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    I felt relieved when Dr. Gerard agreed to my request. I was hesitant to ask him for such a favor because whether he told me or not, I know that he was disappointed when I didn¡¯t manage to convince Jared to lend me the money for my surgery two years ago. I saw him smiling andughing the way he used to after I confirmed with him about my decision.


    I actually didn¡¯t want to ask him for help but I felt like I wanted to live and enjoy the life that God had given me so I wanted to protect it and do everything I can to save it. Even if I am not happy with my marriage, life is still beautiful and is worth living to see my future.


    I didn¡¯t expect to see Jared in the hospital and I was worried for a bit when I saw his angry face. Well he was always like that so I am getting used to it. But it was different that time and I don¡¯t know what the difference was. He left me so I went home by myself, it was fine though. But when he confronted me in his bedroom, I didn¡¯t expect him to do what he did.


    I went back to my room to think about that but I couldn¡¯t think of any possible reason for him to kiss me. Even if I knew to myself that it was impossible, the possibility of making our rtionship better came into my mind until I fell asleep.


    When I woke up, I left my bedroom and went to the kitchen to eat but Betty told me that Jared wanted to see me. So I decided to go and see him first before I got myself food. I got in his study when I heard him acknowledge my presence and when I got in, he was talking to someone on the phone and motioned me to quiet so I did what he wanted and waited for him to finish his conversation.


    The kiss we shared earlier was in my mind and I thought that we would be discussing that, but we didn¡¯t. He had a lot of questions that started with Dr. Gerard again when we talked until I ended up admitting to him that I married him for money. It wasn¡¯t exactly the case but it appears that way.


    Now, he wanted to give me what I needed just because I told him that I asked for Dr. Gerard¡¯s help. He waste and even if I wanted to live, I still have doubts that the operation will be a sess when the timees. He was furious and angry, he actually yelled at me. But it¡¯s fine, I already admitted to him everything and I have no burden anymore.


    Leaving him in his study was the best thing to do at that very moment so I excused myself. But he warned me before I opened the door. He really didn¡¯t want to see me with Dr. Gerard. Under different circumstances, I would think that he was jealous. But because I know how he feels about me before and especially now, I shook that idea in my head.


    I went back to the kitchen and got my food. If I had known that we would only fight, I would have eaten first before I went to see him. ¡°Are you all right, Colleen?¡± Betty asked and I smiled at him, nodding. She had been a good friend to me and acted as a mother to me. I feel happy having her around.


    ¡°You have to eat a lot. Lately, I noticed that you were paler than before.¡± shemented and I know that. I feel my body weakening day by day, if not for the result of myboratories during my check-up, I would have thought that I am going to die anytime now.


    ¡°Yeah, I noticed it too. I overslept and didn¡¯t get the proper sunlight my body needed in the morning.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Do you want me to wake you up?¡± she asked, concerned.


    ¡°No need, I will do it myself. I couldn¡¯t let anyone do things for me.¡± I replied. ¡°I will rm my phone daily so I will make sure to do it regrly.¡± I added and she nodded.


    ¡°You eat a lot. Those were all healthy and as you noticed, I never cook food with a lot of fats and cholesterol.¡± she said and I appreciate that. At first I was worried that I would have to eat what she would cook. I don¡¯t know if Mommy ire told her about my health but I felt relieved when she always cooked healthy foods.


    ¡°Thank you Betty.¡± I replied and she left me alone. I went to the dining table after I got my food and ate. While doing so, I couldn¡¯t help but think about Jared. I like the kiss we shared and I hope to do it again. Hayyy, what¡¯s wrong with me? Since when did I ever longed for a man in my life?


    I didn¡¯t notice that I was not actually eating and was just ying with my spoon until Jared said, ¡°Are you just going to y with your food? You had been doing that for about five minutes already.¡± I looked at him and then on my te and he was right because my food was spread everywhere on my te.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Just put them in the trash if you didn¡¯t want to finish it or if you didn¡¯t like it.¡± he added.


    ¡°I like the food. It¡¯s healthy and delicious.¡± I told him immediately. I didn¡¯t want Betty to know that I am not enjoying her food. Just why is he here now? Well this is his house but he doesn¡¯t usually stay in any part of the house that I was in. Then Betty came and Jared told her,


    ¡°Please get me my food as well.¡± Betty looked at him and nodded.


    ¡°I am going to bring it to your study.¡± she replied.


    ¡°No, I am going to eat here.¡± Jared said and sat in the vacant chair beside me. I was not the only one who was shocked, even Betty looked at him in disbelief. He noticed that Betty was not moving so he told her,


    ¡°Why is there no more food already?¡±


    ¡°No, wait and I will get yours.¡± Betty replied and hurried to the kitchen. I continued eating and I wanted to finish so I could get back to my room.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to choke if you eat like that. You look like you were out of yourself earlier but now, you look like you wanted to leave the table.¡± he said. That¡¯s what I want to do but I couldn¡¯t tell him that because I was sure that he wouldn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat together, from now on.¡± he said and that literally made my mouth wide open.

 Twenty-Three

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat together, from now on.¡± he said and I was shocked. Just what was going on with him? ¡°What, you don¡¯t want to?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that. I was just flustered.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you why you are flustered.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you why you suddenly want to eat together. Are you not afraid that you won¡¯t be able to swallow your food when you look at me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Where did thate from?¡± he asked, confused.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to see me and you¡¯re angry at me from the very beginning.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Did I tell you that?¡±


    ¡°No, but you make it appear that way.¡± I replied and continued eating. Whatever it is that he wanted, I don¡¯t care about it as I¡¯m sure that he was just out of his mind for a moment.


    ¡°How are you doing in your room?¡± he asked out of nowhere. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that and maybe he was just curious or trying to so I answered him.


    ¡°I had been staying there for two years already so it was good to say that I like it there.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the room is perfect for me.¡± I replied and looked at him. He was nodding so I took it so that he understood.


    ¡°Do you want to transfer to¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. As I¡¯ve said, it was perfect for me. You don¡¯t have to bother yourself with that small thing.¡± I stopped him. I didn¡¯t want to hear anymore because besides the fact that I really like my room, he was already toote if he wanted to make it up to me for the past years that he had been distant with me.


    ¡°You have the habit of stopping me from talking, did you know that?¡± he asked and then I looked at him. I didn¡¯t notice it, just how many times did I do that to him?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± I replied and then ate again. I didn¡¯t want to reply to him anymore but it would be rude if I didn¡¯t. I was living in his house. Although he was harsh and all, he didn¡¯t actually throw me out.


    ¡°Do you like that doctor so much that you keep your distance from me?¡± he asked and I looked at him. He was eating casually but I don¡¯t think he sounded casual when he asked. I wonder why he was asking me about Dr. Gerard when I already told him that he is my friend.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where this conversation was heading to, but one thing is sure, this will only make us angry at each other so we better drop it.¡± I replied and tried to finish my food. I didn¡¯t want to talk to him anymore about Dr. Gerard and it will not happen if he continues to ask those questions.


    ¡°You should stay away from him.¡± he said and that angered me but I had to calm myself. I didn¡¯t want to cause myself a heart attack. I don¡¯t know why we are even talking right now. I was already OK with our daily routine without talking to each other.


    ¡°If you are worried that I am going to cheat on you, then rx yourself. I am not capable of doing that, I already told you that I didn¡¯t want to hurt him and he is just a friend to me and nothing else.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about who he was to you. I just want you to stay away from him. End of discussion.¡± he said and then looked at me. I looked at him too so he will know that I have no intention of following him. Dr. Gerard is my doctor and there¡¯s no way that I am going to change to another because of him.


    ¡°What¡¯s with him that you didn¡¯t want to stay away from him?¡± he asked, trying to control his anger.


    ¡°What is it in him that you wanted me to stay away from him? He was already my friend even before we got married. Your mom and sister knew him very well and they knew that we are not doing anything immoral.¡± I told him. ¡°This is the first time we have talked this long. I didn¡¯t expect it to be harmonious but I didn¡¯t expect it to be like this either.¡± I told him.


    ¡°And how do you expect us to talk?¡± he asked, so I am going to be honest with myself.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I was expecting you to tell me not to bother your girlfriend, stay away from you and don¡¯t ever show my face in front of you.¡± I told him and for a moment he was quiet. He might have not thought that I was going to tell that to him.


    ¡°You see,¡± I told him and he looked at me, as if waiting for me to continue and say what I wanted to say. ¡°If you¡¯re lucky, you will have to put up with me for a year. I am not going to cheat on you or anything. If you please, just let me be around my friends so I can make memories with them and be happy until then.¡± I couldn¡¯t look at him anymore because I was afraid that I was going to burst into tears in front of him. I didn¡¯t want that. As much as possible, I don¡¯t want him to see the weak me.


    dly, I was done eating so I stood up and decided to go back to my room. ¡°I a, going to go back to my room.¡± I told him so he won¡¯t think that I disrespected him.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked as I turned around.


    ¡°Exactly what it means.¡±


    ¡°Then, are you nning on divorcing me after a year?¡± he asked and then I sighed. It was really hard to talk with him. If only I was not sick, I wouldn¡¯t dare divorce him. Whether I admit it or not, I already like him. I have no way of expressing that to him than to prepare everything he needs. Even with that, I can make him feel that I care for him. ¡°I am not going to allow that. I never dreamed of having such a marriage. You will have to deal with me for the rest of your life.¡± he said and then he left the dining room.


    ¡°Yeah, for the rest of my life. It¡¯s a pity that the rest of my life is limited to only a year from now.¡± I muttered to myself. I know that he didn¡¯t hear it anymore because besides I just almost said it to myself, he was already on the staircase when I looked his way out of the dining room.

 Twenty-Four

    Jared¡¯s POV


    Colleen is somewhat different, she dared to tell me that she married me for money and yet she gets nothing besides the monthly allowance I voluntarily gave her. Yes she asked for money when we were just starting our marriage but after that, she never asked again. She said it was a matter of life and death and yet she didn¡¯t ask me anymore.


    In our marriage, there were things that I found out about her, those are only based on what I had observed from her. I didn¡¯t want to waste my time hiring a private investigator because I am 100% sure that Ingrid and mom had done it already. It¡¯s not that they were cautious with every person they met, but they let me marry her so it was only right to assume that they already did.


    They should have told me if Colleen needed the money and the very reason that she asked for it, but they never talked to me about it so I just shrugged my shoulders. I nned on filing a case against her for hurting Stacey the first time but after I did some investigation, I found out that she never did such things. I feel guilty and sorry towards her and if I had found out about it before she asked for money, I would have given her what she needed. But it was already toote for me to make it up to her.


    Our marriage life was far from normal. We haven¡¯t seen each other and if we do, we don¡¯t talk at all. Because I was feeling guilty towards her when Stacey told me that she had been texting her, I decided topensate Stacey instead.


    Colleen prepared my clothes the moment we lived together. At first, I didn¡¯t bother wearing them thinking she will be able to stop doing it in the long run. But after nine months and she was still doing it, plus the fact that I misjudged her with the incident with Stacey in the coffee shop, I decided to wear them already.


    I thought that when she saw me wearing the clothes she would at least feel that we can be civil with each other. But it never happened and even after that, she still stays in her bedroom and never gets out, maybe unless when I was not at home.


    Finding herughing with another man did angered me. I never saw herugh that way before and I thought that she was not the type to do that. Even with Betty who was close to her, I never saw herugh like that. She looks really happy and I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t like it.


    Mom told me about that doctor liking her and vice versa so I couldn¡¯t see the point why they didn¡¯t get married instead. Not hurting that doctor, just what do they mean by that? I got intrigued and for a moment I wanted to do something about it.


    Confronting Colleen about that doctor was hard for me. Imagine, I am not talking to her and yet, after seeing them togehter, I started to make conversations with her. So I didn¡¯t get surprised when she told me that she didn¡¯t expect me to talk to her and most of all eat with her.


    We had been married for a long time now and I think it was about time for us to move forward and be responsible with what we decided to do two years ago. Now, I have decided to be a husband to her so she should be ready to be my wife as well.


    During our meal, she wasn¡¯t even looking at me and when she did, she was either shocked, surprised or angry. She¡¯s angry about making her stay away with her so-called friend. What can I do, I didn¡¯t like her getting closer to that doctor.


    I just asked her to eat together from now on and she was shocked. Is it really that shocking? Didn¡¯t she look forward to it as well? I am an a**hol* for letting our marriagee to this. I understand that most of the fault was mine. I was the one who made it a point that I can never live with her. But years have passed and she should have thought about making our rtionship better. Her, preparing my clothes and meals is not enough for us to have a better rtionship.


    I was the one who approached her now because I am the man. Maybe she didn¡¯t want to get ahead of herself and get rejected by me so I get that. So I was thinking that she would just agree when I told her to stay away from that doctor, but instead we fought over him. I didn¡¯t like fighting over another girl or another man. It was something I despised the most.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    The married life I was thinking of having was full of trust and love. We cannot have both as we didn¡¯t like each other from the very beginning. But at least we should try trusting each other.


    Because she didn¡¯t want to do what I said, I just warned her and left the table. I didn¡¯t want to say anything that may hurt her so it will be the best thing to do and stay in my study. I should have stayed in my bedroom if she was staying there as well and was nning on continuing talking to her.


    I¡¯m sure that she will be going to her room so I will just work in my study room. All this time, I was busy with work and work alone. The time we got married is more than the time that I didn¡¯t bed any woman. I respected our marriage and cheating is not my thing even if I don¡¯t love her.


    That¡¯s why I stayed away from Stacey, I didn¡¯t want to sumb to the temptation she might bring me. But I guess it was all for nothing because Colleen will never appreciate it and will never know about it. I cannot just tell her that I never see any woman the moment we live together, that will be too embarrassing.


    Then I remembered Stacey, I think it was also about time to know her better. After what I found out earlier, I don¡¯t think I will be able to trust her words anymore.


    ¡°Mr. McLahlin,¡± my private investigator said.


    ¡°I want you to look something up for me.¡± I said and then I gave him the details about Stacey. I think mom had done this already that¡¯s why she decided to marry me Colleen instead. I know it waste now, but still, I wanted to know. ¡°I am going to wait for the result.¡± I told him and ended the call.


    Then, I close my eyes and think. I saw Colleen¡¯s face againughing with that doctor. Am I really affected by that?

 Twenty-Five

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    Jared waited for the result of the investigation and it didn¡¯t take long. He found out everything about Stacey and he was furious. ¡°Is this the reason why mom made me marry Colleen before? Why didn¡¯t she tell me about it?¡± he asked himself. He had liked Stacey and even thought about marrying her. But after finding out the truth, he felt relieved.


    He closed his eyes and thought for a moment. He thought that it was really the time to have a good rtionship with Colleen and decided to say sorry about everything he said about her. He went home and looked forward to talking to his wife.


    After his conversation with Colleen in the dining room, he never talked to him again. Not because he didn¡¯t want to but because he couldn¡¯t get the chance to do so. Colleen had been staying in her room every time he was around and only got out when he was in the office.


    She always helped with the household chores, not doing heavy things but only those that her body can take. ¡°Ma¡¯am Colleen, let me do that.¡± one of the maids said and she just smiled at her.


    ¡°No need to worry, I can do this. You have a lot of things to do so this is nothing.¡± she said, she was folding the washed clothes and sorted those that needed to be ironed.


    ¡°OK ma¡¯am, but I will be the one who will iron and put everything in the closet.¡± the maid agreed and Colleen nodded at her. The maid left her in theundry area where she decided to do it, it was near the pool and her room so she feelsfortable working there because Jared didn¡¯t go to that part of the house.


    It was three in the afternoon so the sun was not that hot plus there was a canopy that shades the area as well as the big trees. ¡°Hello,¡± she answered the call from Dr. Gerard.


    ¡°How are you? You¡¯re not overworking yourself right?¡± he asked and she smiled. She understands him because she told him that she was ready to have surgery if she will be given a chance.


    ¡°Of course, I am taking care of myself. I didn¡¯t want your effort to go to waste this time.¡± she replied and put him on speaker. She was still folding some clothes so she had to put down her phone. They were talking and Colleen couldn¡¯t help butugh from time to time. She enjoyed talking to Dr. Gerard because he made it a point not to say anything about things that will only make me feel burdened or worried that may stress her out.


    ¡°Colleen, see you in¡ª-¡± Dr. Gerard said but he didn¡¯t finish it when Jared ended the call. Colleen looked at him and was shocked to see him there.


    ¡°You still have a n on seeing him even after I warned you?¡± he asked angrily. ¡°You look so happy just by talking to him over the phone as if he was the love of your life that you haven¡¯t been able to talk to for a long time now,¡± he added.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Colleen asked, trying to appear calm.


    ¡°Why, don¡¯t I have the right to do that? I am your husband and yet you talked to another guy as if you were having an affair.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. I already told you that Dr. Gerard is my friend and I will never ever stay away from him.¡±


    ¡°Even if I told you that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Even if you told me that.¡± she repeated.


    ¡°I am your husband and I have every right to stop you from talking to him if I want to. Or did you forget it already?¡±


    ¡°I told you that you only need to wait and everything will end. Do what you want and never bother with my business. I already told you that I am not going to cheat on you.¡± she replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care whether you cheat on me with him or not, just stop seeing that doctor. End of discussion!¡± he yelled.


    ¡°You never cared about me before, what happened that you suddenly acted like a jealous husband?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because it was the first time that I saw you talking to him, if I found out earlier that you had been doing this behind my back for a long time now, I would have stopped you then already.¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You should know that we are only married in papers, I don¡¯t care about what you do when you¡¯re not home and never asked you anything about your day as well. Whether you see your girlfriend or any other woman, I don¡¯t care and it doesn¡¯t matter to me. Isn¡¯t it just fair that you leave me out of my own business as well?¡±


    ¡°Now that you say it, I have never seen Stacey or any other woman ever since we got married. So how long do you think that I had been all to myself. Don¡¯t you have a duty to fulfill?¡± he asked, which made Colleen¡¯s eyes widened. Before she could think of the words to say to him, he pulled her closer to him and kissed her.


    The kiss was meant to punish her but Jared couldn¡¯t do it. He made sure to do it gently which made Colleen close her eyes and kiss him back. Although he was surprised that Colleen responded to his kisses, he decided to ignore it and continue what he was doing.


    Jared was so gentle but the kiss was very passionate and burned their bodies with desire. Jared carried Colleen and brought her to her room without breaking their kiss. His hands moved and started to feel her body only to realize that she was so thin. They stop kissing to catch their breath.


    Colleen looked at him with full desire in her eyes and so did Jared. He never thought that he would be able to feel that way towards his wife, ¡°I am not sorry for this.¡± he said and then kissed her again with no intention to stop until he had her.

 Twenty-Six

    WARNING!! MATURE CONTENT!!


    Third Person¡¯s POV


    Colleen felt him deepen their kiss so she couldn¡¯t help but respond. With that, Jared moaned as he liked what she just did. He was still carrying her and for him, he thought he was carrying nothing. She was so light which made him decide to be gentle on her even more.


    He put her on her bed and continued kissing her. Colleen on the other hand likes what Jared was doing to her. She had been waiting for this moment for a long time and all her heartache towards him washed away instantly. She never thought that they would be sharing an intimate moment like what they were doing now that even if she didn¡¯t know whether it was good for her health or not, she still didn¡¯t stop him.


    Jared wanted to do more so he moved his hand and roamed around her body. He realized that Colleen was so tiny that he thought she was a child. If not for the fact that they were married, he would have thought otherwise.


    Slowly, he undresses Colleen and she doesn¡¯t do anything to stop him. He sighed in relief thinking she was letting him do it and that she was ready for him. When she was half naked, Colleen¡¯s body was exposed to Jared for him to feel and touch and taste. Which he did without thinking twice.


    The feeling was something new for Colleen, she never felt that kind of sensation to anyone before and she was surprised that she had felt it towards her husband whom she thought didn¡¯t care about her at all.


    ¡°Colleen..¡± Jared murmured as he l*** the tip of her n***** while his hand was busy ying the other.


    ¡°Ja¨C Jareeeddd¡­.¡± Colleen moaned as she couldn¡¯t help it.


    Jared started to pull down her shorts along with her p*****s and when her womanhood was exposed to him, he didn¡¯t waste any time and position his face in front of her p**** and started tasting her.


    ¡°Ooohh, Jarreeed¡­¡± Colleen muttered and grabbed his hair unknowingly. He had no idea that she was already doing that as she felt like there was no one in this world except Jared and her.


    Jared on the other hand felt proud that she was calling his name. He didn¡¯t know either that that simple thing would be able to give such happiness to him. He continued what he was doing and he knew that Colleen was almost ready. He got up and Colleen opened her eyes worriedly, trying to find out why he left her. Then she saw him taking off his clothes. She felt shy that she didn¡¯t do that for him and Jared noticed it.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine Colleen, you will have more time to do that. For the meantime, let me do all the work.¡± he said while he undressed himself and got back to her. He kissed her hungrily and positioned himself on top of her.


    ¡°Uhm, you¡¯re kind of heavy.¡± Colleen said she had to say it or she will not be able to hold him longer.


    Jared then adjusted himself so she won¡¯t be able to carry his weight thinking how light and tiny she was. Then he thrust himself and he was stunned to know that he was the first man in her life. Colleen was closing her eyes trying to ease the difort she was feeling. ¡°Open your eyes and look at me, Colleen. I want you to see who you are with now.¡± Jared said, which Colleen obliged.


    Jared didn¡¯t know how happy Colleen was, now that they were consummating their marriage. She thought that she had no appeal or not attractive for him at all and that he was with Stacey all this time. After knowing that he had not been with another woman ever since they got married, she started to hope for their future. Now, more than ever, she wanted to have that surgery.


    They cum together. Colleen who had been tired along with the happiness she was feeling suddenly felt a little pain in her chest. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. Jared was still on top of her but was carrying his own weight. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Jared asked when he saw that she was having difficulty with breathing.


    Colleen shakes her head and opens her eyes. She saw the worried look on Jared¡¯s face so she smiled at him to make him feelfortable. She didn¡¯t want him to feel guilty over something he had no idea about.


    ¡°I feel a little tired, can I sleep?¡± she asked and Jared gave her a light kiss on her lips and nodded.


    ¡°Rest all you want, I will be staying here.¡± he said and that made Colleen really happy then closed her eyes. She didn¡¯t want to sleep but she had to rest or she would get worse.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Jared lies down beside herfortably. He didn¡¯t know that he would be able to do it. Although he wanted them to be a real married couple already, he didn¡¯t realize that everything was dependent on him. If he had taken an initiative before, they would have been in so many situations now. He looked at Eunice and found her sleeping soundly. He smiled at the thought of how tired she was when they just started. He promised himself to take it slowly and gently with her next time.


    He then felt sleepy so he decided to sleep with her, ¡°She¡¯s my wife, so there¡¯s nothing wrong with us sleeping together.¡± he thought and let Colleen use his arm as her pillow. He then hugged her and closed his eyes to sleep with his wife after he put aforter on them.


    Betty was looking for Colleen in theundry area and when she didn¡¯t see her there, she decided to go to her room and found them sleeping together. She was so happy to see them together so she hurried out and called Ingrid to inform her about the good news. She thought that it was the beginning of the good marriage between Colleen and Jared.

 Twenty-Seven

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    Jared left for work and I was in my room thinking about what had happened to me and Jared. It has been a week since that incident happened and until now, I still can¡¯t believe that it does.


    That was unexpected. I never thought that it was possible for us to be intimate. One of the reasons was my condition. I was just so thankful that he was gentle.


    Even after that, we still sleep in a separate room. I didn¡¯t want to go into his room on the second floor because I felt like it was too tiring for me. I remember when we woke up that day;


    *** shback ***


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± he asked when I opened my eyes. At first I was disoriented and thinking why was he in my room, then I heard him say again, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you already forget what we just did.¡± then I remember what just transpired.


    Because of that, I got shy and tried to get up but he stopped me, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I need to pee,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Make it fast ande back here.¡± he said then I got up. He was so demanding, why is he so demanding? I went to the bathroom and did my thing. I didn¡¯t know that doing that was messy and until now, there are some of our juices that were dripping down my legs. I cleaned up real fast because I didn¡¯t want him to wait.


    I went out of the bathroom and I still found him lying on my bed. I walked my way to the closet to get my clothes but when I was about to get one, Jared stopped me.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked. He got up from the bed really fast and he was in his birth suit. I know my face is red now.


    ¡°Getting my clothes to wear,¡± I answered looking at him, confused. But instead of saying something, he carried me which made me scream.


    ¡°I am not gonna do anything, I just want us to stay in the bed and talk.¡± he said looking at me. He was handsome, but I never saw him smile. I wonder how handsome he was when he did.


    ¡°We can do that after we get dressed.¡± I replied.


    ¡°I want to see you naked, don¡¯t you want to see me like that too?¡±


    ¡°What??¡± I eximed. Then he put me down in my bed and then joined me. I covered myself with myforter and I heard him chuckling. I looked at him because I wondered why he did that and then I saw the side of his lips raised. Did he just smile?  No it was just my imagination, I think.


    ¡°We should have talked after we did that but you slept on me.¡±


    ¡°I feel tired and whenever that happens, I sleep.¡±


    ¡°Tired for a round. I guess that¡¯s your limit.¡±


    ¡°What limit?¡± I was confused.


    ¡°Just like what we did earlier, after we cum together, you are tired. I guess there¡¯s no round two when we do that again.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that. I am not allowed to do that. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I said I was full of regret. I like the feeling and I myself want to do it over and over again.


    I could feel him looking at me but I didn¡¯t bother looking at him. I know that he was curious. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, I am not healthy enough to, you know.¡± I replied. I heard him sighed and I felt guilty. How can I not, when I cannot fulfill my duty as his wife fully. I think he was disappointed.


    ¡°Are you sick?¡± he asked and then I nodded. I wanted to cry that we are talking about this now and I didn¡¯t want where our conversation was going. I didn¡¯t want to tell him about the money that I was borrowing from him before.


    The way I look at him now made me think that he will feel guilty about it. So no, I shouldn¡¯t tell him that. ¡°Stay in my room from now on.¡± he replied and I can¡¯t do that. I didn¡¯t want to go up and down the stairs.


    ¡°I am fine here, I already told you that this room is perfect for me.¡± I replied and then he looked at me. Now I can see that he was angry.


    ¡°You still want to have a separate room after what has happened to us? I thought that after this, you will not be stubborn enough and agree with me.¡± he said and I looked down.


    ¡°I can follow you but not on certain things. Here, in this room, I get to go out in the morning and get the morning sun I needed. The kitchen is just a few steps away and the living room. Everything was down here.¡± I replied.


    ¡°My room is on the second floor. Isn¡¯t that enough for you to stay there?¡± He asked and I looked down again. After what had happened, I wanted to stay in his bedroom and sleep with him. But it was really tiring for me. I only went to his room when I prepared his clothes for work the following day and after that, I was down here.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I replied, not looking at him. I heard him sighed deeply then he got up and pick-up his clothes and put them on. I was looking down and didn¡¯t want to watch him leave my room.


    ¡°Colleen,¡± I heard him call my name.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I replied, humming but I didn¡¯t hear him talk and I stayed in my position. I was sitting hugging my legs with my forehead on my knees. Then I felt him raising my head.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°You¡¯re crying.¡± he said then without knowing, I touched my face and felt tears on my cheeks. I was about to wipe it when he stopped me and wiped it himself then he kissed me. It was deep and passionate and I responded to him quickly. We were catching our breaths when we stopped. ¡°Think about staying in my room. I will give you time for that.¡± he said and left. I was speechless, but even after giving me time, I know that I will still choose to stay here in my room. I sighed and got up from my bed to get dressed. I should be ready for dinner.


    After that, Jared left the house and didn¡¯t eat at home. I was so hurt because I thought we are OK now, but it turns out not. I had dinner by myself and got back to my room and didn¡¯t say anything even if I saw Betty looking at me.


    *** End of shback ***


    Arrgghhh, it has been a week already and he has not talked to me ever since. I miss him and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. I still prepare his clothes but we haven¡¯t seen each other again, just like before.

 Twenty-Eight

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    I had been hopeful after that night. I thought that we would start to get to know each other and that Jared will give us time for us to make it up to the years that I thought we wasted. But I was wrong, he never talked to me even once which made my confidence depleted.


    ¡°Colleen, do you want to eat already?¡± Betty asked, smiling. It was hard to reject her when she was looking like that so I returned her smile with a nod. ¡°I asked a doctor about food that is good for you but I don¡¯t know exactly what your condition was so I just told him that you didn¡¯t want to get tired.¡± she added as she ced the food on the dining table.


    ¡°You eat them all, I made it cholesterol and fat free. The doctor said that you might have a heart condition, so he told me to prepare something that has zero fats.¡± she said again.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Betty.¡±


    ¡°You are most wee. As long as you¡¯re going to be OK, that is fine with me.¡± she replied.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you join me? Call the other as well. I always eat by myself and I feel tired about it.¡± I told her and I noticed that she wanted to decline my offer but she chose not to. She called the other maids and they ate with me.


    I enjoyed eating and I was happy about it. ¡°I hope that we can do this again, I think I ate a lot because of you. Having a meal is not boring anymore.¡± I told them.


    ¡°Just tell us when you want someone to eat with, Colleen.¡± Betty replied and I nodded. I helped them in cleaning up the table and then I went back to my room after to rest. I was really full and it was the first time that I enjoyed eating. Everyone was fun to be with and I felt relieved knowing they werefortable with me.


    Rest is the next thing in my mind but a call didn¡¯t allow me to. ¡°Hello¡± I answered from an unknown number.


    ¡°Colleen, it¡¯s mom.¡± I was still for a moment. After that incident, I didn¡¯t bother talking or contacting her anymore. Although I still feel sad about ourst meeting, I was d to know that she cared for me even a bit.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked her, I didn¡¯t want her to know that I was happy to hear from her.


    ¡°Can I talk to you for a bit?¡± she asked and I could hear hesitation with her request.


    ¡°What for?¡± I asked instead of agreeing immediately.


    ¡°Please, I am going to tell you when we meet.¡± she pleaded. I didn¡¯t want tomunicate with her because I was afraid that I would get closer to her and leave her in the end. I didn¡¯t want another person to get attached with me only to be hurt in the end.


    Yes, I was hopeful with Jared. Maybe him avoiding me now will be better. I know I love him already, especially after that day. But will I ever want him to feel the same way when there¡¯s a big chance of me leaving him in the end? Just like with my mother?


    ¡°Colleen, please..¡± I heard her say it again and I sighed in resignation.


    ¡°Fine, are you OK to meet now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, where do you want to meet?¡± she replied happily. I didn¡¯t want her to know where I live so I will just meet her near the hospital at Lin¡¯s caf¨¦. I told her about it and she agreed. I got up from the bed to take a bath and got dressed to meet my mother.


    At Lin¡¯s Caf¨¦, mom was there already. She stood up, smiling as soon as she saw me. It was kind of awkward because I didn¡¯t expect her to do that. ¡°What do you want to have dear?¡± she asked and I looked at her.


    For a moment, I felt like my tears were about to fall. It was how she called me back when I was a child. I know that my eyes started to get watery and I know that she noticed it too because she was too.


    ¡°Anything¡¯s fine.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Hi, Ma¡¯am Colleen.¡± The crew greeted me and I smiled at her. ¡°Do you want the usual?¡± she asked and I nodded. Then she took mom¡¯s order as well. The caf¨¦ was a pay as you order style, but when I came there, they always approached me and took my order. I had a feeling that it was because of Dr. Gerard so I just let them.


    ¡°You are known here. Do you always stay here?¡± mom asked and I shook my head.


    ¡°They know my friend, that¡¯s why.¡±  I replied.


    ¡°I see,¡± she replied and then looked at me. I waited for her to say something because it was why we are here. I can see that she was still hesitant and I understand her. Until our order was served, she was still not talking.


    ¡°Uhm, I know this is veryte. For years, I thought you were with your dad. He was your favorite back when you were a kid so I did not bother taking you from him. After we talked that day, I went to your dad and asked him about you. Then it confirmed what the olddy told me about you. I was so mad at your dad but I know I wouldn¡¯t be able to bring back the times that were wasted. I am very sorry dear. I even hurt you when I saw you because I thought you were disrespecting me.¡± she said.


    ¡°It was all in the past.¡± I told her. I didn¡¯t want to think about that anymore.


    ¡°God knows how much I tried to find you when I went back to your apartment and you¡¯re no longer there. I thought you didn¡¯t want me to find you. That¡¯s why you decided to leave your ce so I won¡¯t be able to see you or you to see me.¡± she replied.


    ¡°How did you get my number?¡± I asked her even though I think I already had an idea.


    ¡°With Diane,¡± she replied and I knew it. ¡°Thank you, for letting her stay in your apartment.¡± she said after. ¡°Please don¡¯t think that I only came here because I found out about that. I was really looking for you.¡± she added and I knew it. Diane had been texting me every time she found out that mom had been out for me.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It was fine now. You don¡¯t need to thank me because I offered that to her myself.¡± I replied and then remembered how our conversation went.

 Twenty-Nine

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    *** shback ***


    It was after Jared rejected her request for money when Colleen decided to see her mom the next day. She thought that she will be dying soon so she will have to at least know how she was.


    She knew her mother¡¯s house because she went there only to be pushed away and told her that it would be better if she was with her dad but she insisted on staying there with her. Lucy thought that she was daddy¡¯s girl so she sent her there and told her that she reminded her of her father¡¯s inability to support his family.


    Now that she is in front of her mother¡¯s new family¡¯s house, she can see how they are. It was a small two-storey house that had a smallwn. She could tell that they were having some financial problems as the grass grew in the front yard as if no one was actually paying attention to it.


    She went to the window and she saw her step-dad in a wheelchair and she thought that Lucy was having a hard time. Then I heard them say, ¡°I really wanted to study in the city. I am going to study harder if you let me.¡± Diane said.


    ¡°As much as I want to but I can¡¯t. Your dad needs medication and you still have your little brother. My sry is not enough to get you an apartment there.¡± Lucy replied. They had been talking about that for months and Diane was still trying her best to persuade her.


    For Lucy, she wanted to give Diane what she wanted but she knew to herself that she couldn¡¯t make it. As Colleen heard everything she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for Diane. She felt that she was eager to study for college so she made a decision.


    She waited outside and when Diane went out of their house while her mother was trying to call her back, Colleen hid and followed Diane secretly.


    ¡°Diane,¡± she called her when she noticed that there were no other people around. Diane looked her way trying to recognize her.


    ¡°Do I know you?¡± she asked and Colleen smiled at her, nodding.


    ¡°Can we talk for a while?¡± Colleen asked and Diane agreed. They went to a small park and sat on the bench. There, Colleen introduced herself to Diane and told her about her apartment.


    ¡°Are you sure that you are going to lend me your apartment?¡± Diane asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°Yes. But what are you going to do? You will be alone there and living was really difficult because of the expenses.¡± Colleen told her. She didn¡¯t want to discourage her but she had to tell her about life.


    ¡°I am big now and I can work while I study. I am not a genius but I am studious. I wanted to finish my study and get dad better and mom to rx after. Even if she wasn¡¯t my real mom, she took care of us and tried her best to give us what we needed.¡± she said and Colleen was d to hear that.


    ¡°But, you don¡¯t have to tell her that you were living in my apartment and that I offered that to you and keep it a secret.¡± Colleen said,


    ¡°Why? It will be better if she will know. I¡¯m sure that she will be happy if she finds out that you¡¯re helping us.¡± Diane replied but Colleen shook her head.


    ¡°Please, I didn¡¯t want to have any moremunication with her. I just want to do something that will somehow help her and her family.¡± She replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get you.¡±


    ¡°Just do as I say and we¡¯re good.¡± Colleen said. ¡°All you have to do is make up some stories to go to the city. Text me when you¡¯re there and I am going to hand over the keys to you. Come on, save my number.¡± Colleen instructed. Because Diane really wanted to attend College in the city, she agreed with her. She thought that it would favor her and Lucy so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.


    As Diane epted her offer, she made a promise  to herself that she will try to return the favor to Colleen and study harder than before so she will achieve her goal.


    *** End of shback ***Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You should have shown yourself when you visited us.¡± Lucy told her. ¡°Thank you so much for not getting mad at Diane. She was a good kid, stubborn and hardheaded but definitely good.¡± she added.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that everything was OK with you.¡± Colleen replied.


    ¡°Dear, are you sick?¡± Lucy asked. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, but thest time I saw you, you weren¡¯t like this. Are you not taking care of yourselftely? Are you overworking yourself?¡± Lucy asked continuously.


    ¡°I am fine.¡± Colleen replied.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t want toe with me and you are by yourself so you have to take care of yourself and tell me if you need anything.¡± Lucy told her, sincerely.


    ¡°All right, just rx because everything¡¯s OK with me.¡± Colleen replied. She didn¡¯t want to worry her mom about her condition so she had no n on telling her about her health. They still talk for a few more minutes before Lucy decides to leave. She still had long hours of traveling going back to their house and she was worried for her husband as well.


    ¡°Call me always, OK dear?¡± she said before leaving and Colleen was left alone but not too long because Dr. Gerard came in after.


    ¡°Well, well, well.. what are you doing here?¡± he asked, smiling and then sat on the vacant seat taken by Lucy earlier.


    Colleen smiled at him and replied casually. ¡°I met my mom just now.¡± Dr. Gerard looked at her in disbelief but he was happy that finally, a family member appeared before her.


    ¡°I can see that you are happy.¡± Dr. Gerardmented.


    ¡°I am happy. We get to know and understand each other.¡± Colleen simply replied.


    Dr. Gerard stayed with her and Colleen didn¡¯t notice the time. She was too overwhelmed with the fact that her mom still cared for her. She had been wanting to feel that and actually feeling it gives her even more motivation.


    Colleen was too upied and she didn¡¯t even notice the car that was parked not too far from the caf¨¦ where Jared was with a hardened and dimmed face. He was angry seeing Colleen talking to Dr. Gerard again, happily and full of life.

 Thirty

    Jared¡¯s POV


    My face dimmed when I saw herughing with the doctor again. I received a photo of her with that doctor as well as the coffee shop¡¯s address. I know that Colleen said that he was only a friend to her and that she will never cheat on me. But how can I believe that when she had not smiled at me the way she smiled at that doctor?


    I cannot ept the fact that someone can make her happy who¡¯s not me. In the past two years, there were a lot of things that hade to my knowledge. Although I had no idea about those things before, I still feel guilty at some point. I didn¡¯t give our marriage a chance which should be my first priority as soon as we got married.


    Colleen never med me with that. For distancing myself from her, I never heard anything from her. Now, she looks happy, I don¡¯t think that I wanted to see her like that with another man. Because of that, I got out of the car and entered the cafe. She had not noticed me yet as she was stillughing with the doctor. I stood up in front of their table and they both looked at me.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    For a moment they were shocked but they managed to greet me, ¡°Mr. McLahlin.¡± the doctor said. He knows me, the fact that he knows me made me think that he knew who I am to Colleen. Does he know how we are as well?


    ¡°Are you still not going home?¡± I looked and asked Colleen, not minding the doctor whose eyes were on my wife now.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re almost done.¡± she replied casually and then looked at the doctor. ¡°I had to go Dr. Gerard.¡± she said and stood up. The doctor stood up as well and smiled at her. I didn¡¯t like the way he did that. No doubt that he likes her. He then looked at me and then nodded.


    ¡°I am going back to the hospital now. Don¡¯t forget what I told you,plete rest and do nothing.¡± he said before he left the cafe.


    Colleen walked to the cashier and asked, ¡°How much is my bill Emie?¡±


    ¡°It was already settled Ms. Colleen.¡± Emie replied.


    ¡°Did the woman with me earlier pay for it?¡± she asked again. Who is that woman? Is she the one that sent me their photo?


    ¡°No, though she did pay for it but I didn¡¯t ept it. Dr. Gerard said that if you are going to eat here, we have to put your bill on his tab even if you have someone with you.¡± Emie replied happily. It was as though she was cheering for the two of them.


    ¡°Ahm, Emie,¡ª¡± she said but I stopped her.


    ¡°Here.¡± I said, as I gave my card to Emie. She looked flustered and so was Colleen. Why are they looking like that? Is it wrong for me to pay for my wife¡¯s coffee?


    ¡°No need to put her bill on the doctors tab. I am going to pay for whatever my wife consumed.¡± I told her and then she looked at Colleen who just smiled at her.


    ¡°OK, Sir.¡± she replied and took my card for Colleen¡¯s payment and gave back my card after. ¡°Thank you,e again.¡± Emie said, smiling. With that, I feel paranoid, does she know about me and Colleen¡¯s situation as well?


    ¡°Bye Emie.¡±


    ¡°Bye ma¡¯am Colleen. See you next month.¡± the cashier replied and then I looked at Colleen who was now following me going out. I pointed to her where my car was parked and she started walking there.


    ¡°Sit on the passenger seat.¡± I told her and opened the door for her. She looked at me in disbelief. ¡°What, do you want me to carry you?¡± I asked again when she didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Huh? Ahm, no. I am going to get in.¡± she said and then she did.


    We were both quiet on our way home. ¡°Do you always go to the hospital?¡± I asked and she nodded. ¡°Did mom always ask you to get herboratory results all the time? You don¡¯t have to do that. Don¡¯t go there anymore and I will be the one who will be going there if mom needs anything from her doctor.¡± I added and she didn¡¯t reply. until we arrived at home, she still didn¡¯t talk.


    We walked together going inside and she went straight to her room. I didn¡¯t follow her and I stayed in the living room because I was sure that she would be back soon and confront me.


    Just as I thought, she came rushing. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked and I didn¡¯t reply. I wonder how long she will be able tost asking me when I don¡¯t answer her. She stared at me waiting for my reply and I think she was thinking whether she would ask me again or not because she was just there, standing not too far from me. I took my phone and started to delete her and that doctor¡¯s photo.


    She sighed and turned around. I was stunned. She just asked me once and didn¡¯t bother asking more. I mean, I haven¡¯t replied yet. Is that how impatient she was with me? Wait, is she really impatient? I wanted an answer so I followed her to her room and I found her taking my clothes out of the closet.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked and now she was not answering again. I am tired now. ¡°Colleen, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± I asked, yelling. She stopped and looked at me.


    ¡°I already asked you and you didn¡¯t answer. I guess your response was very expensive or I have no right to question the owner of this house. But this is my room and I didn¡¯t want other people or anyone to invade my privacy even if you own everything in here.¡± she replied. She was calm and her voice was soft and low. I can feel that she was angry but her voice was soothing. How can she do that?


    ¡°I am going to stay here from now. You don¡¯t want to transfer in my room, so I am going to transfer here instead.¡± I told her and her eyes widened. ¡°We are married and it was only natural that we sleep together.¡±


    ¡°I had no n on repeating what had happened to us. You can go back to your room now if that was your intention. If you want, you can go and do that to the woman you love.¡± she replied and it was now I who was stunned.


    Did she just push me away to another woman, or worse, back to Stacey? So, she doesn¡¯t really care at all.

 Thirty-One

    Jared¡¯s POV


    ¡°You¡¯re pushing me away to another woman?¡± I asked her. I won¡¯t rest until I know whether she was serious or not.


    ¡°I was simply telling you that what had happened to us will never happen again.¡± she replied.


    ¡°Why, because of that doctor? You agreed to marry me so you better stay away from him!¡± I yelled at her and I saw her massage her temple. I was worried for her but I am angry too. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with us sleeping together? Is that how disgusted you are to me?¡± I asked again. I don¡¯t see any reason why she didn¡¯t want to.


    Does she only make up excuses about her health that she can¡¯t stay in my room? ¡°Can you just leave first? I wanted to rest because I was feeling tired. If not for someone calling me out, I would have been sleeping and resting the whole afternoon. So please, can you give me this and let¡¯s just talkter.¡± she said, trying to be calm.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you yell at me if you¡¯re feeling mad, why don¡¯t you express your feelings?¡± I asked, I am not going to stop unless I heard answers from her.


    ¡°Jared, I am sick. I already told you that. I can¡¯t get angry or be too happy. So please, just this once, leave me alone.¡± She said looking at me straight in my eyes. I wanted to follow her, but I needed to know what was going on with her.


    ¡°Rest if you like, but I am going to stay here. Go to bed now and I am not going to talk.¡± I told her. I didn¡¯t want to leave her alone and I don¡¯t know why. ¡°Go, I won¡¯t do anything.¡± I added. She was still staring at me, but maybe she was really feeling tired, so she went to her bed andy down and didn¡¯t argue anymore.


    I stayed in her room, which is our room now. I called earlier and told Betty to bring the boxes of clothes in my bedroom to Colleen¡¯s. We haven¡¯t seen each other for a week because I wanted her to submit and stay in my bedroom but days have passed but she¡¯s still not making any move so I decide earlier to transfer to her room than her to mine.


    When I saw her talking happily with that doctor, I felt envious of him. Somehow I thought that we could have been talking that way too. I changed into my house clothes and sat beside her on the bed. When she wakes up, I am going to talk to her about us and our marriage. I wanted a normal married life and since she is my wife, I should have epted that from the very beginning.


    I believe that I am at fault, now that I feel something towards her I am more eager to end our hated rtionship. I didn¡¯t notice that I slept as well and when I woke up, Colleen was still sleeping. I noticed that she looks paler than before, I touched her face exactly the time that she woke up which made her eyes widened.


    ¡°Stay, I already told you that I am not going to do anything to you.¡± I told her and I can see that she rxed a bit. ¡°You slept long.¡± I told her.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sleeping until you sleep.¡± she replied. All those times that I had been watching her she was awake as well.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you talk to me instead?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I told you I wanted to rest.¡±


    ¡°Did you rest well?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I feel better now.¡± she replied and I sighed.


    ¡°How did you get sick?¡± She smiled and couldn¡¯t look at me. ¡°What¡¯s funny?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°The reason why I was sick.¡± she replied. ¡°I ate a lot before. I am one of those lucky people who doesn¡¯t gain weight even if they eat a lot without exercise or anything to prevent us from getting fat. I love oily foods, maybe because I used to work in a fast food restaurant before that¡¯s why.¡± she said.


    ¡°You grew up by yourself?¡± I asked, now I am interested in knowing everything about her. She sat up and had her back on the headboard.


    ¡°My parents separated and they had their own family so I live by myself. I work and study at the same time. I wanted to finished college in belief that I won¡¯t be able to have the kind of family that I had and promised myself that no matter what happened, I am not going to let my husband do all the works to earn for us and at the same time, I  was decided to continue working so we won¡¯tck with money.¡± she replied.


    ¡°What doesck of money have to do with everything?¡± I asked. I have been rich since I was born and got everything I wanted so I don¡¯t understand why many have problems with it while othersck it as well but still happy.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Because weck it, my parents were fighting since I was eight and when they thought that they couldn¡¯t stand it anymore they divorced each other.¡± she replied and I couldn¡¯t say a thing about that.


    ¡°You¡¯re illness?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I already told you that it was because I love oily foods.¡± she replied.


    ¡°You have a heart problem?¡± I asked to confirm what I had thought and she nodded. So that was the reason why she didn¡¯t want to stay in my bedroom, because it was on the second floor and it will be too tiring for her if she will. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. This will be the master¡¯s bedroom from now on.¡± I said, referring to her bedroom.


    She looked at me with wide eyes, still couldn¡¯t believe my decision. ¡°Please don¡¯t object anymore. From now on, we will try to live as husband and wife.¡± I told her and I didn¡¯t hear anything from her. I looked at her and I found her looking down, unhappy. Is it that hard for her to ept me?


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong,¡± she said, ¡°I want to try too. From the beginning of our marriage, I already told myself that if you will agree, I am willing to cooperate and make our marriage work. You telling me this now was surprising but I am d that it came from you but I was afraid of what was going to happen after.¡± she said, still had her head down.


    ¡°We will try it, no we will do it. We are already married and I think everything will be OK now that we are talking to each other.¡± I told her and she nodded. ¡°Good, don¡¯t worry too much because it is not good for your health.¡± I added.

 Thirty-Two

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    I was speechless and I didn¡¯t think that I would be able to hear that from my husband, Jared. All along I thought that until I die, he will be so distant to me. Now, he wanted us to be a real husband and wife and be a couple in a real sense.


    My husband, I like the sound of it. I am officially Mrs. Jared McLahlin, how can this be real? After two years, the family that I had been wanting and looking forward to after our marriage.


    Jared sat beside me when Iy down on my bed. I wanted to sleep but how can I do that when he was there watching me. I turned my back to him so I would feel a little less nervous. He never left my side until he fell asleep too. That was the time when I totally lost consciousness and dozed off.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    When I woke up, it was his face that I saw. He looks handsome and I don¡¯t know, maybe I do have a heart problem because even if the words he told me from two years ago was still fresh in my memory, I still like him. I mean, who will never? He¡¯s handsome, smart and a billionaire. He was kind as well, and yes, before not to me. But for others, he was.


    He told me not to worry too much, but how can I not when we are going to be in a good rtionship from now on. What if he falls in love with me and then I still have to die? How am I going to tell him that?


    We slept together that night and I still woke up to prepare his clothes for work in the morning. I just got up from the bed and went to the closet where some of his office clothes were sorted by Betty yesterday. ¡°I am not going to work today.¡± he said as soon as he got out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist.


    I was flustered at the sight but my curiosity about him not going to work is something I didn¡¯t expect to hear from him. He was never absent. The entire time that we were together I never saw him take a leave from work.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and watch a movieter. For now, let¡¯s go to mom first and tell them about us.¡± he said then I start to worry again? ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked so I looked him in his eyes because I prevented myself from looking down. The scene right before me was making me blush.


    ¡°Nothing, I just can¡¯t believe that you are not going to work today.¡± I just told him. I didn¡¯t want him to think that I was overthinking again or I was thinking about his body and the feeling of being beneath him again. I shook my head and then turned around and thought about what he just said.


    We will go to Mommy ire¡¯s house and that made me worried that Mommy ire will tell him about my condition and I didn¡¯t want that. He will only pity me if that¡¯s the case.


    I wanted us to be close with each other naturally. Just like now that it came from him that he wanted for us to try. I was surprised when he pulled me and faced me. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that it is our wedding day so I had to take a break from work,¡± he said. Come to think of it, our 2nd wedding anniversary had just passed and just like the first year, it came and just went.


    ¡°Huh? OK.¡± I said and turned around again but he didn¡¯t let go of my hand so I was back facing him again. But because I was too nervous about him being half naked, I identally tripped and my face got on his chest. My eyes widened, ¡°You pulled me,¡± I just said,


    ¡°Why are you out of your mind?¡± he asked so I looked at him again.


    ¡°What? I¡¯m not.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Then, why are you not acting like my wife now?¡± he asked and I was more confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s morning and you just saw me, didn¡¯t you have to give me a good morning kiss?¡± he asked and that made my soul leave my body. I was stunned and I couldn¡¯t believe what he just said. Before I could react, he pulled me by my waist and kissed me. It was deep and passionate and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from responding, so I just let it go.


    We both catch our breath when we stop. ¡°Good morning.¡± he said and I remember that I had not brushed my teeth yet. I face palm and I couldn¡¯t look at him anymore. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked and he sounded worried.


    ¡°I had not brushed my teeth yet.¡± I replied and I heard himugh.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine for me. Is it a big deal for you?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s grossed.¡± I replied not removing my hands from covering my face.


    ¡°Are you not going to kiss me too if I had not brushed my teeth yet?¡± he asked and I didn¡¯t answer. It was me who had not brushed my teeth yet. I don¡¯t want to talk to him anymore so I turned around and was nning on going to the bathroom but he pulled me again.


    ¡°Stop it, I said it¡¯s fine. We are married and things like this don¡¯t matter.¡± he said, sounding like he was warning me.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I replied. ¡°I will just go to the bathroom.¡± I added.


    ¡°OK,¡± he said and he let go of me. I went to the bathroom and started taking a bath and did everything I needed to do. I was done when I realized that I had not brought a towel with me. I gathered my courage and slowly opened the door peeping my head and looked for Jared. Just then, a towel appeared in front of me. It was him handing me it even if I had not asked him yet. I took it and closed the bathroom door again.


    After I wiped myself dry, I got out and got my clothes in the closet. Jared was still there sitting on the bed. Maybe waiting for me? ¡°You can get dressed there, I won¡¯t peek.¡± he said after which made me look at him. He was busy with his cell phone so I decided to dress up there as well. He was my husband so even if he peek, it was fine. It was natural for the married couple that we wanted.


    I¡¯m done so I looked at Jared to tell him about it but my face turned red again when I saw him looking at me already. ¡°You said you¡¯re not going to peek.¡± I told him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± he replied and got up from the bed.


    ¡°And what do you think you¡¯re doing? You¡¯re looking when I look at you.¡± I said.


    ¡°I looked but I didn¡¯t peek.¡± he answered and pulled me to the dresser and had me sit down in front of the mirror and thenb my hair. ¡°Do you want me to blowdry your hair?¡± he asked and I smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s that for making up for peeking?¡±


    ¡°I already told you I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡± I replied and he blowdry my hair. I loved the feeling. It was as though he was pampering me.


    ¡°Mom and Ingrid will be surprised.¡± he said,


    ¡°I guess so,¡± I just said but I know that they will be worried for him as well.


    ¡°Done.¡± he said and looked at me in the mirror. It was nicely done. I wonder if he was doing it as well with Stacey that¡¯s why he was good at it. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I already told them that we will be having breakfast with them.¡± he said and pulled me up from the chair and we went to Mommy ire.   So, this is the first day of our married life, huh?

 Thirty-Three

    Third Person¡¯s POVContent is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    They went to ire¡¯s and she was excited to see them together. For a long time, she hoped for them toe and visit her. ¡°Am I going to die now?¡± ire eximed as soon as she saw them.


    Ingrid was happy as well and was still in disbelief but what ire said made her and the couple exim, ¡°Mom!¡± ireughed and approached the couple who was walking hand in hand.


    ¡°It was just an expression. I still want to see these two loving together until everything is over.¡± she said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jared asked and ire suddenly held her mouth with both her hands.


    ¡°Nothing, I mean I am getting old and I want to see you two living a happy married life.¡± she replied casually and Colleen sighed in relief.


    ¡°Either way, don¡¯t ever think about dying yet because Colleen is sick as well and I think I will have to find a doctor for her.¡± Jared replied and he took his seat with Colleen.


    ¡°Have you been OKtely, dear?¡± ire asked Collen and she nodded. She didn¡¯t want to worry ire about her health condition because she was sick as well. But after she talked to Dr. Gerard, she found out that she was getting better and better.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and have our breakfast.¡± Ingrid said and went to the dining hall first. ire, Jared and Colleen followed her. Jared pulled out a chair for Colleen before he sat down beside her while ire and Ingrid were just watching them. They were happy for them and at the same time, they were worried. They knew about Colleen¡¯s condition and they were worried that Jared would be hurt in the end when he invested his feelings for her totally.


    ¡°When this man here called and told me that you will be having breakfast with us, I couldn¡¯t believe it at first.¡± ire said, ¡°And when I believe it, I never thought that I would be seeing you both different from how you were before.¡± she added.


    ¡°We had a talk and agreed to make things work and we will do it.¡± Jared replied as he ced a wheat bread on her te. ¡°Do you have poached eggs?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, when you called earlier telling me about having breakfast here with Colleen, I told the cook to make that.¡± Ingrid replied. ¡°Mom and Colleen almost had the same diet.¡± she added and Jared nodded.


    ¡°Does Betty know about your diet as well?¡± Jared asked Colleen and she nodded.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t tell her about that, she just noticed that I get tired fast so out of concern and worry, she asked a doctor about it and as to what kind of food is good for me.¡± she replied casually and Jared looked at her. She didn¡¯t notice it as she started eating. Ingrid and ire were looking at Jared and they saw that he stiffen, because of guilt thinking Betty noticed her condition while he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Are you just going to stare at me?¡± Colleen asked when she looked at him and found him staring at her.


    ¡°I just realized that I know nothing about you.¡± he replied and Colleen smiled.


    ¡°We still have time for that. For now, eat already before the food gets cold.¡± she replied and continued eating.


    ¡°She¡¯s right Jared, you were just starting to get along well and you still have time for each other.¡± ire said, agreeing to Colleen. She didn¡¯t want him to notice her worry as well.


    ¡°Eherm,¡± Ingrid interrupted them, ¡°Where do you n on going after this?¡± she asked.


    ¡°We will be staying here for a few hours and then I asked Colleen to go to the mall, maybe we can watch a movie and go shopping,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do so much, because she may get tired easily.¡± ire reminded him and he nodded smiling at Colleen who was feeling a little embarrassed with their topic. It was the first time that they were having a conversation like that and she was not used to it.


    Being married to Jared in the past two years was a little difficult for her because he didn¡¯t want to cooperate. But now that he was willing to start over again, she felt hesitant and afraid. She just let him decide for now until she couldn¡¯t think and what was happening has not totally sunk in her mind.


    After their meal, they went to the living room and continued their conversation. Jared and Colleen were seated together while ire and Ingrid were seated opposite them. Jared does his best to get close to Colleen so they will be able to get used to each other sooner and he believes that being together like that will be able to push them together.


    ¡°How is your modeling agency?¡± Jared asked Ingrid. The reason that she didn¡¯t want to handle their business before was because of her career. She was a model herself and just a year ago, she decided to put up her own modeling agency and at the same time, her being a fashion designer, she managed to put her own clothing brand along with the agency.


    ¡°It was fine and getting better. I never thought that my designs would be a huge sess and I never expected that in a year, my brand would be included in the luxury brands which are already well known around the world.¡± she replied. ¡°And I have to thank you for that as well, because you supported me.¡± she added.


    ¡°You are my only sister so it was natural for me to help you in any way I can,¡± he replied. ire was very happy seeing them and when they decided to live after lunch, she told them toe back again and do it from time to time.


    ¡°Of course mom, whenever I have time, I will make sure to visit with Colleen and stay here to talk about anything,¡± he replied.


    ¡°See you again, dear.¡± ire said as she hugged and gave Colleen a kiss on her cheeks which she returned with a smile. She was feeling happy because she felt that she already had a family.


    After her talk with her mother the other day, she felt a little lighthearted knowing her mom regretted what she did. She looked forward to seeing her again and having a good rtionship with her. She wanted to have peace and live happily, especially when she knew that her life would notst long.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Jared said and held her on her waist behind as he led her to their car and opened the passenger door for her before he went to the driver seat. They are both quiet on their way to the mall but Jared breaks that silence. ¡°What do you want to do first when we get there?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t usually go out.¡± she replied. ¡°You can choose, as long as I won¡¯t be too tired, everything is fine with me.¡± she said afterwards. She feels sorry for him because he was making an effort for them but she was so delicate that had a limit with activities she could do.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he replied and they reached the mall. After Jared parked his car, he took Colleen¡¯s hand and they walked hand in hand once again. He watched his steps so she doesn¡¯t need to walk faster and pick up his pace. As much as possible, he made sure to follow her movements.


    ¡°Have you been into an arcade?¡± he asked and Colleen nodded happily.


    ¡°When I was in college a friend of mine was ying tekken and I often watched him.¡± she replied.


    ¡°Him, a guy ssmate?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, he was really good at it and I remember that when he fought on a bet, I put my money on him.¡± she replied happily as she remembered her college life wherein she doesn¡¯t know about her condition.


    Jared brought her to the arcade and they yed together. It wasn¡¯t tiring for Colleen and he saw that she was enjoying it. Then they had a snack after and decided to watch a movie. ¡°I will just go to the restroom.¡± Colleen said as Jared was in line for their tickets. He nodded and he watched Colleen going her way to the restroom not too far from the ticket booth.


    Colleen on the other hand finished her thing and just got out of the cubicle and found Stacey fixing her make-up. They see eye to eye in the mirror but she didn¡¯t say a thing.


    ¡°Well, well, well¡­ Look who¡¯s here. I never thought that I would be able to see you.¡± she said but Colleen ignored her. She had no time to argue with her and she remembered that she had a tendency to hurt her so she was trying to find a way to get out of the restroom.

 Thirty-Four

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    ¡°Well, well, well¡­ Look who¡¯s here. I never thought that I would be able to see you.¡± Stacey said as soon as she saw meing out of the restroom¡¯s cubicle. I didn¡¯t want to fight with her so I will just try to find a way to leave her but she stopped me when I just got out of the restroom.


    ¡°Why, you didn¡¯t want me to see whom you are with now?¡± she asked and smirked, ¡°Will it be that doctor who was always on your side?¡± she asked again. I didn¡¯t want to reply to her so I decided to pass by her but she pulled me in arms which made me turn back at her.


    ¡°I know that you are going to die soon, so I will just let you borrow him.¡± she said and my eyes widened. I didn¡¯t know how she managed to get that information because I was discrete about it. Mommy ire or Ingrid will not tell her about it or even Dr. Gerard.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± I replied casually. I didn¡¯t want her to know that I was feeling threatened that she would be telling that to Jared.


    ¡°You are so good at hiding your feelings. I know you¡¯re shocked that I found out about it. Don¡¯t worry, I am not going to tell Jared because I didn¡¯t want him to pity you and eventually fall for you. He¡¯s mine and he still loves me. We are still seeing each other, you know.¡± she replied smirking and I was sad about that but ignored the feeling. And then I realized that it wasn¡¯t easy for her to find out but not with her lover who was a politician. I smirked and said,


    ¡°I am not shocked, I know who your man is and it wasn¡¯t impossible for him to know anything.¡± I told her and her eyes widened. ¡°I am not telling it to Jared because I don¡¯t really care about it or you.¡± I added. And suddenly, her eyes became watery.


    ¡°I am very sorry, Colleen. I just love Jared so much, but it was true that I am not seeing him anymore. Please don¡¯t make a scene here.¡± she said and I wanted tough at her. She was really good in acting and I would never wonder when passersby would believe her.


    Then I saw her eyes widened, looking behind me. I turned to see who or what she was looking at and I found Jared standing there. Did he hear our conversation? ¡°Jared, I didn¡¯t mean to stumble on her here.¡± she said and approached Jared while I followed her with my gaze then wrapped her arms around his and he didn¡¯t shoved her away so I was a bit hurt while Stacey was smiling at me, mockingly.


    A bit hurt because I thought we already had an understanding. We even came here to watch a movie after our little y in the arcade. ¡°You wait for me on the seat next to the snack kiosk near the ticket booth.¡± he said and left with Stacey. His face was stoic and I don¡¯t know whether he was angry or not.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Disappointed was an understatement with what I was feeling. I thought we are a bit OK, so why would hee with her and leave me alone. Even though that was the case, I still followed what he said and I went to the seat that he was talking about and waited for him. I didn¡¯t want him to give me the idea that I was hurt with that although I started to feel a little ufortable.


    After about 30 minutes, he came back. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked and I nodded. ¡°Come on.¡± he said and walked ahead. He didn¡¯t hold my hand as he walked with me just like earlier but it¡¯s fine and just ignored it.


    It was aedy movie and I was d because it was really good. I alwaysughed every time the lead star would say his part. Then I felt a sudden pain in my chest so I stopped and I felt Jared¡¯s hand but I shoved him. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not used to being touched.¡± I said. Although I wasughing at the movie, I was still hurt by what he did. The movie is not yet done but I think I need to go home already.


    ¡°I want to go home.¡± I told him after and I saw him stand up. I did too and followed him when he started to leave, but this time, he made sure to wait for me which I appreciate. It was dark inside the cinema and I had a hard time seeing plus the pain on my chest is not fading.


    We managed to get out of the cinema and we walked back to the parking lot where his car was. Just like earlier he opened the passenger seat door for me and he went to the driver¡¯s seat after I got in. ¡°Are you sure you are OK?¡± he asked as he started driving. I was not looking at him and had my eyes closed trying to calm myself to at least not worsen the pain I was feeling.


    ¡°Yeah, I just need a rest.¡± I replied holding my chest.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to the hospital now?¡± he asked again.


    ¡°No, I know my body. I only need to rest.¡± I answered. I didn¡¯t want to go and see the doctor with him. I don¡¯t feelfortable and I didn¡¯t want him to know about my real condition. I don¡¯t know whether he heard my conversation with Stacey or not. But I believed her when she told me that he may take pity on me and be extra caring with me. I didn¡¯t like that.


    ¡°OK, but you have to tell me when it feels different. OK?¡± he said and I nodded. I didn¡¯t want to talk anymore because it made me feel like catching my breath even more.


    We arrived at home and I went straight to my bedroom. I can feel Jared following but I decided not to talk to him yet. I feel like I will only get mad if we talk about Stacey. I just hope he will never talk to me about her as well with regards to whatever he heard if there was any.


    ¡°I am going to rest now,¡± I told him and went straight to our bed.


    ¡°Are you going to sleep?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not yet, I will just lie down and control my breathing. I can rx when I am alone.¡± I replied, hoping he will get what I mean.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in my study then.¡± he replied and I nodded. I sighed in relief after he left my room because I don¡¯t know if I would be able to rest or calm myself if he was here. I was really hurt and I guess my heart is acting like this because of sadness. Is it a good idea to agree with him to give our marriage a chance? How long am I going to feel like this? Isn¡¯t I just torturing myself because I know how I feel about him and I know that he will never return that feeling?

 Thirty-Five

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    Jared left the room. I tried not to think about what had happened and the feeling that they gave me. I didn¡¯t want a heart attack at this moment because I still look forward to my surgery. I want to live more and enjoy the time with my mother whom I now know has loved me ever since.


    It takes long but never toote because I am still here capable of making things better. Then there¡¯s Jared, even if he did what he did earlier, I still want to be with him. I am sure of it. Stacey was right, he may have pity me, but at least I made myself happy in myst days. They can be happy all they want when I¡¯m gone. Somehow, doing this, I still achieved my goal. And that is to live my life to the fullest happily.


    I close my eyes and finally, thank God that I feel better now. One thing about my sickness, I had to ept everything if I didn¡¯t want to worsen myself. When I don¡¯t feel hatred anymore, then my heart is at peace. Bath, I think I need to bathe so I got up from bed and went to the bathroom. I needed it to feel refreshed but did it really fast and took a nap after.


    When I woke up, it was Jared¡¯s face that I saw. ¡°How long have you been there? Is there anything you need?¡± I asked him. His face was stoic and I don¡¯t know what he was thinking.


    ¡°You said, you¡¯re not going to sleep. But I had been here for two hours already which means you were already asleep for at least that time.¡± he said. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I feel better. I had no n on sleeping but after taking a bath, I felt my eyes getting heavy and didn¡¯t realize that I was already asleep.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Betty had prepared our dinner, would you like to eat it already?¡± he asked and then I nodded as I got up from the bed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked when he was trying to help me to get up.


    ¡°Helping you get up,¡± he replied casually.


    ¡°No need, I can get up by myself. I am not some bedridden patient and I can still take care of myself.¡± I told him and he distanced himself, ¡°Look, just because I am sick means you need to support me every time I make a move. I am still capable of doing some basic things and have been doing that for how many years already.¡± I added as I didn¡¯t want him to think that I didn¡¯t want his help or didn¡¯t want him to be near me.


    ¡°I understand,¡± he replied. still with a stoic face.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said and then went to the bathroom for a call of nature and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked fine and OK so I got out of the bathroom and headed for the door to go to the dining.


    We were eating when he talked. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about Stacey anymore, I already talked to her.¡± I nodded after hearing that. Because I already decided not to think about her as well, that¡¯s why I was calm and collected. I notice him staring at me.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked him and he shook his head.


    ¡°Nothing, just trying to make sure that you are not going to think about her or anything that is rted to her.¡± he replied and then we continued eating.


    ¡°Colleen,¡± Betty said and handed me an envelope that has my name on it. I took it and looked at her, ¡°I found it in the mailbox.¡± she replied and I nodded. There was no sender and I was sure that it¡¯s not good news. I never used this address because I didn¡¯t want him to think that I was so eager to unt his wealth to my friends or whatever. I put it down and continue eating.


    ¡°Are you not going to take a look at it?¡± Jared asked, he must be curious as I saw him staring at me when Betty gave me the envelope.


    ¡°Whatever is in there, I was already sure that it¡¯s bad news or something that may hurt me.¡± I told him and I continued eating.


    ¡°So you are not going to open it?¡± he asked and I nodded. ¡°What if it¡¯s important?¡± he asked again. I sighed and look at him,


    ¡°Did thise from you?¡± I asked him and he shook his head. ¡°Then it is not important.¡± I said after.


    ¡°Why did you say so?¡± he asked again, I guess he was really curious so I told him,


    ¡°I don¡¯t use this address as my home address. The people who knew I was here were Mommy ire, Ingrid, you and the maids. You said it didn¡¯te from you, I was sure that Mommy ire and Ingrid will never send me this as well because they had no reason not to put their name. And most of all, they knew that surprises are not good for my health.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want,¡± he replied and we  continued eating. When we¡¯re done, we get back to our bedroom and he brings the envelope with him. If he were to ask me, I would just throw it away because no matter what happens, I am not going to open it.


    Two weeks had passed and Jared had not talked to me about what happened to him and Stacey. he didn¡¯t exin to me why he had toe with her when I was with him.


    I tried not to think about it because I didn¡¯t want to have that chest pain again. I had to be more cautious of my health now that mom was back. I wanted to be with her more often and Diane was so happy when the three of us met in my old apartment.


    They wanted to bring me home with them and meet mom¡¯s second husband. Diane said that her dad was the best, that¡¯s why he still found my mom. I smiled at the thought that she appreciated my mom¡¯s effort and I¡¯m sure  and I can see that she was happy now and so am I. This happiness that I am feeling gives me hope. Hope for life that I look forward to because I am going to do everything just to make it happen.

 Thirty-Six

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    It has been three weeks since that incident happened and I was d that I feel myself getting better. I was in our bedroom and was saving my appointment with Dr. Gerard the next day. I was so excited to see him because of what he told me earlier over the phone.


    ¡°I have good news for you,¡± he said and I got nervous.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me?¡± Iasked, never wanting toplete my sentence but I knew that Dr. Gerard understood it.


    ¡°Yes, you guessed it right.¡± Dr. Gerard replied.


    ¡°Really?¡± I still asked in disbelief. For me, a second chance like this was something that is hard to find. Finding a donorpatible with me was hard enough, what more a second one like this.


    ¡°Yes, but I have to tell you this. You are not the only one who was needing it. The patient was still ina and her family was still holding onto her although they were ready. They still want to have time to be with her.¡± he said.


    ¡°I understand. They must have been really sad now.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Yeah, so you better be in good health and be ready for your check-up tomorrow.¡± he said and then I thanked him before we ended our call. I was happy and hopeful again. I won¡¯t be having a problem with money now because I think Jared will be able to lend me now that we are in speaking terms. And if he still didn¡¯t, I have Dr. Gerard and he already agreed to it.


    I was just done with my rm when Jared came in with an envelope that was familiar to me. ¡°For you,¡± he said and put it on the bedside table where the first one was.


    ¡°Just in case you decide to look at it.¡± he said and put the envelope on the bedside table.


    ¡°I guess you are curious. Are you thinking that it has something to do with me that I didn¡¯t want you to know?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°I am not saying that. I already told you, just in case. If you didn¡¯t want to look at it then fine.¡± he replied, but I saw in his eyes that he was thinking that it was rted to me, so I took the envelope and opened it. I didn¡¯t want to do it because I am going to have a check-up the following day. But to make him feel at ease, then I will.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Just as I thought it¡¯s not good. It was a photo of him and Stacey kissing. It must be from when I met her in the mall because they were both wearing the same clothes they were wearing that time. I looked at him and handed him the photos giving him an ¡°I told you so¡± look.


    I saw his face hardened but didn¡¯t say a thing. Well what else can he say when the pictures are clear. They were kissing while Stacey¡¯s arms were around his neck and he was holding hers.


    I feel my chest in pain again. I should have listened to myself and didn¡¯t think about him. So they didn¡¯t really break up. I get to our bed and get my phone as I start to hold my chest. I was hurt but I didn¡¯t want him to see that. Very timely, my phone rang and I saw mom¡¯s number, ¡°Hello,¡± I answered and didn¡¯t mind Jared anymore. He will only hurt me and didn¡¯t even try to exin. Then he went out of our room. To where he will go, I don¡¯t know.


    ¡°Colleen, how are you?¡± she asked. After hearing that, I wanted to cry in her arms. I wanted to tell her how hurt I was and maybe when she hug me I will feel a lot better


    ¡°I¡¯m fine mom, can I just call you back? I was doing something important at the moment.¡± I told her, I feel my chest in pain again and this time it was a lot painful.


    ¡°OK dear, I love you.¡± she said and my heart felt happy. Which is I think not good for me as my chest now was tightening.


    ¡°I love you too.¡± I replied and ended our call. I tried to reach the bedside table where my medicine was. As much as possible I didn¡¯t want to take this, I wanted to prepare my body for the surgery. But what I am feeling right now is different from before. My tears started to fall thinking that I am getting worse. I want to live and be with mom and Jared even for another three years again when I can show them how much I love them.


    ¡°Colleen!!¡± Jared eximed just as I opened the drawer where my medicines are. He approached me hurriedly and opened the drawer for me and got my medicine. ¡°How many?¡± he asked and I motioned 2 with my fingers. Then he gave me what I needed and took it. He handed me water which was always ready for times like this.


    I was still crying about wanting to live as I held my chest. I feel so helpless and  pitiful. Jared  was here because he pitied me, and that hurts me more. ¡°I¡¯m taking you to the hospital.¡± he said and I shake my head, Dr. Gerard will see me and he will get mad at me for making this happen.


    ¡°You¡¯re in pain.¡± he said worriedly but I still shook my head in disagreement. I settled myself and I know what I will do in times like this. It had happened several times in the past already and I just got careless. This is going to pass, it should and then close my eyes and contrate on my breathing. Jared is with me so I should be OK.


    But it still didn¡¯t go away and was getting worse and I couldn¡¯t help but cry. ¡°This is not good.¡± he said and scooped me from our bed and hurried himself to the car.


    ¡°Betty,e with us.¡± he said when he passed by Betty and ran to the garage. She opened the backseat door and he put me there after Betty got in. Then he went to the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Dr. Gerard.¡± I said, so he will know where to bring me. He nodded and started driving. We arrived at the hospital in no time. I heard Jared said Dr. Gerard¡¯s name so he was probably telling the nurse about it.  Then I felt I was on the stretcher and heard Dr. Gerard.


    ¡°Colleen!!¡± Dr. Gerard eximed. ¡°To the ER now!!!¡± he said in a hurry and that was thest words I heard before darkness consumed me.

 Thirty-Seven

    Jared¡¯s POV


    ¡°I am not shocked, I know who your man is and it wasn¡¯t impossible for him to know anything.¡± Colleen told Stacey. ¡°I am not telling it to Jared because I don¡¯t really care about it or you.¡± She added.


    So she knew what Stacey did and did not tell me about it. If she knew about that, then mom and Ingrid knew about it as well. They made a fool out of me. It was the reason why mom married me to her.


    And the b**** that was here now, acting like a victim. I am going to make sure that her politician lover will be put in his ce. I didn¡¯t say anything because of my anger and I still consider Colleen¡¯s condition so I should control myself.


    ¡°You wait for me on the seat next to the snack kiosk near the ticket booth.¡± I told her and pulled Stacey away. I didn¡¯t want her to know what I am going to say to the b**** as well and she needs to know that I am no longer interested in her. But I am going to pretend that I didn¡¯t know about her and that politician yet.


    ¡°Jared, did you hear what she said? She doesn¡¯t care about us whether we have a rtionship or not. Can we go back to how we are before?¡± she asked, almost begging. If I had not known about how b**** she was, I would have believed her. She had me fooled for thest 4 years of our rtionship and thest two years that I had been sending money to her. I am such an id***.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what she said either. I am not going to risk my marriage with her because of infidelity. I will never do that, if you know me well, you should know that when I told you that, we are already done.


    ¡°But you love,¡± she said.


    ¡°Who said that?¡± I asked and her eyes widened. ¡°If I love you, I should have married you instead and let Ingrid manage thepany. But you see, I cannot let go of ourpany so I choose to break-up with you and marry Colleen.¡± she¡¯s a b****, so I need to put her in her ce.


    ¡°No, all this time you said you loved me.¡± she replied, crying. She¡¯s a good actress, I wonder why she didn¡¯t audition to be one.


    ¡°Of course, I will tell you that to you. Didn¡¯t women like to hear that from the men who f*** them?¡± I said, ¡°Never approach Colleen again, I don¡¯t like you dirtying her by letting her breathe the same air as yours. She¡¯s too fragile and I didn¡¯t want anything to happen to her. I love my wife. I hope I made myself clear this time and I don¡¯t need to put up with you anymore.¡± I said.


    She was shocked but she still managed to pull and kissed me. She wrapped her arms around my neck so I had to make her let go of me and when I did, I wiped my lips with my hankie. ¡°I feel dirty, how am I able to hold my wife now?¡± I asked angrily. And I was sure that she was threatened. She walked away and I went back to Colleen.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    I saw her seated on a bench as if thinking. I am still mad at her but I didn¡¯t want to confront her. If I should get mad at someone, it should be with mom and Ingrid. Colleen may have known about it but we are not in speaking terms before and she may have thought that she was not in the position to inform me about it.


    I asked her if she was fine and she nodded so I asked her to go to the cinema already. The movie was good, it was funny and I often hear herughing so I guess she was really fine. We were enjoying the movie when she told me that she wanted to go home. I agreed, thinking she was not feeling well. I cannot touch her so I decided to walk slower so she will have a guide as the cinema was dark.


    We went home and I let her be as she made it appear that she wanted to be alone. She must be angry because of Stacey so I left our room after making sure that she was fine and went to my study.


    I went back to our room after an hour and found her sleeping so I stayed by her side until she woke up. Then we eat dinner. Betty came with an envelope in her hand and handed it over to Colleen. She just put it down after flipping it upside down.


    She continued eating and I was looking at the envelope from time to time so I asked her about it. She said that it was only bad news for her so she opted not to look at it. She exined and I understood. Though I was thinking why she never uses our home address since she was already living here and my wife.


    When we were done eating, we went back to our room and I brought the envelope and put it on the bedside table. I told her that she might want to look at it in the future and just shrugged her shoulders.


    Now that we were sleeping in one room, I tried to be silent when I came home. She was already asleep and I didnt want to wake her up. She might use that to ask me to sleep in a separate room again and I didn¡¯t want that to happen. I finally realized that she needed me now and she needed someone beside her just in case she would feel something.


    We haven¡¯t talked much on the following days until weeks passed. We are civil with each other though I tried to make casual conversation with her, she was the one who was trying to avoid it. I wanted to exin to her about what had happened after I left with Stacey. I didn¡¯t want her to get any bad about me and Stacey. I am done with her after our marriage and the only time that we talked was when she was telling me that Colleen had been texting her and Ipensated her for that. Which now I realized as well, made me a greater fool.


    Then another envelope came, I reminded her that she needed to see it. I don¡¯t know but I was feeling that she was hiding something from me with that envelope. I was thinking that there was something in there that she didn¡¯t want me to know. And I should have just let her do what she wanted, because when I saw what was in there, it was her that I was worried about.


    She gets back to our bed and then her phone rings. Thinking she will be fine, I went out of our room and called Stacey. ¡°If something happened to my wife, I will make sure to make you pay for it once I find out that you are the one that sends her those photos.¡± I told her when she answered and then I ended our call. I needed to be with Colleen because judging from the look on her face, she was not alright.


    I rushed back to our bedroom and I was right, she was not OK. She didn¡¯t want to go to the hospital but I insisted. Then she said that doctor¡¯s name and I didn¡¯t want to argue with her about him anymore so I  just nodded and brought her to the hospital where that doctor was. I told the nurse that was assisting us about Dr. Gerard and he was there in an instant.


    The worry on his face was of someone who was worried about the woman he loves. Then he rushed Colleen to the ER. So he was her doctor, that¡¯s why she can¡¯t afford not to see him. I was jealous of him even more. I now admit, I was feeling jealous the first time I saw them together.

 Thirty-Eight

    Jared¡¯s POV


    I was jealous and at the same time, worried for Colleen. The way I saw her earlier, I¡¯m sure that she was trying to stay conscious until we got to the hospital. After this, I am seeing her in a new view, she¡¯s very brave.


    I called mom and Ingrid to let them know that we are in the hospital then I waited outside of the ER until they arrived. ¡°What happened? Why did she have an attack?¡± mom asked worriedly. I don¡¯t know how to tell them the reason because I know that they will be mad at me even though I know to myself that it wasn¡¯t true.


    We waited long and we rushed to Dr. Gerard when he went out of the ER. ¡°How is she?¡± Ingrid asked.


    ¡°She passed the critical condition but I asked for a certainboratory. We needed to wait for the result first.¡± Dr. Gerard said but I noticed that he was looking at me indifferently.


    ¡°While we wait, we need to transfer her to a room as we need to have a closer look at her. This is not good for her and she knows that. I already told her earlier not to let something like this happens.¡± he said,


    ¡°OK, Dr. Gerard, just do whatever necessary and make sure that she¡¯s safe.¡± Mom said and he left.


    Colleen was sent to a room and there were machines that were attached to her. She looks paler and weak. I had never seen her like this before and my heart breaks knowing I was the reason. I should have not talked to Stacey and left with her instead.


    I was looking at her when mom asked, ¡°What really happened, Jared? I know her, she wouldn¡¯t let herself to be in a situation wherein she will know that will not do her any good. You were together so you should know why it happened.¡± Mom said and Ingrid was just looking at us but sadness was evident on her face.


    I think they need to know so I told them. They look furious and I can see mom holding back her anger. ¡°It was my fault,¡± she said and then I looked at her. I should have told you about her, you¡¯re old now and could handle something like that. I should have not tried to protect you from something you are capable of dealing with.¡± she said and then sat on the sofa.


    Suddenly, she looked older than she already was and I med myself for that. I should be the one who should protect them and not the other way around. I was too upied by Stacey and thepany and I did not bother understanding them.


    For my wife, I do know that she was fine until I decided to make our marriage work. She was healthy and happy, but after we agreed to be a real husband and wife, this happened.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Regretting my decision is something I didn¡¯t want to do because I was happy during that time that we had a truce. If not for Stacey, everything should have been better.


    I don¡¯t know how I should face her, so before she wakes up, I decided to leave the hospital. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ingrid asked.


    ¡°Nowhere.¡± I replied and left. I went home and there I found Betty. ¡°Sir, how is Colleen?¡± she asked and I didn¡¯t want to answer her, but I know that she was worried as well and I know how close they were with each other.


    ¡°She¡¯s still unconscious.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Is there anything she needs there? Tell me and I am going to prepare for it.¡± she said, trying to do what she can for Colleen.


    ¡°For now, nothing. The doctor did a series of tests and we are still waiting for the result.¡± I informed her and she nodded. I had a feeling that she wanted to know how Colleen ended up like that when she knew that she was being careful as well.


    It hurts me that everyone knows almost everything about my wife while I know nothing about her. I just hope that she will get through this and I promised that I am going to do everything I can to make her feel better until she gets well.


    Our room feels empty, I looked around and I remember the first envelope that she didn¡¯t want to look at. Although it was hers, I decided to have a look since she¡¯s not going to do it. It was no longer in the bedside table so I opened every drawer and I found it on the bottom drawer along with many other envelopes. I took them and had a look.


    Everything was my photos with Stacey, her feeling was right that it was not good for her. Then I opened another envelope and I found a fund transfer slip from my bank ount to Stacey. It was already open so I assume that she opened it and that was exactly the reason why she didn¡¯t look at thest envelope.


    Stacey has been sending her all the records of my fund transfer to her along with a letter that we were still in each other¡¯s arms. She never once confronted me with this and she kept it all to herself.


    With everything that I found out, I decided to get even with Stacey. ¡°Hello,¡± my friend Jack answered.


    ¡°I want you to do a thorough investigation with Derick and Stacey.¡± I told him.


    ¡°As in everything?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, everything.¡±


    ¡°OK,¡± he replied and ended our call. I am going to make sure that they will both pay for what they did to me and Colleen. I can forgive them for cheating on me, but I can never forgive them with what had happened to Colleen. I heard  a phone ringing and when I looked in the bed, I found Colleen¡¯s phone and the caller was her mom.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but who¡¯s this? Where is Colleen?¡± the woman asked.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked, I want to make sure that I am actually talking to her mom.


    ¡°I¡¯m Colleen¡¯s mother. And who are you? We just had a talk and she said that she will be calling me back until now she wasn¡¯t calling so I decided to call her again.¡± she said.


    ¡°She¡¯s in the hospital now,¡± I said and she started to cry and worried. She asked me which hospital so I told her. I think they were on good terms now with the way she talked.


    As for me, I stayed in our bedroom and thought about what I should do next. I feel ashamed to show my face there as I knew that I was the reason behind her hospitalization. I heard my phone ringing so I answered when I saw Ingrid¡¯s name.


    ¡°Where are you? Colleen is awake,e back now.¡± she said.

 Thirty-Nine

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    ¡°Where are you? Colleen is awake,e back now.¡± Ingrid said sounded worried.


    ¡°I¡¯m at home, just getting some things for her.¡± Jared replied. She was worried about Colleen even if she was already awake and he didn¡¯t know how to face her. But he knew that he did nothing wrong and he was now determined to exin his side.


    He got a bag and put a few of Colleen¡¯s clothes and everything he thought she would be needing now that she was awake. He had a feeling that she will be staying in the hospital for a little more time and that bothers him most.


    Jared arrived at the hospital and went straight to Colleen¡¯s room and found his mom talking to her. ¡°Colleen.¡± he said,


    ¡°Where were you?¡± she asked, smiling. Mommy ire and Ingrid looked as he approached Colleen¡¯s bed.


    ¡°I got you some things. How are you feeling?¡± he asked and even if Colleen didn¡¯t ask him, she knew and she felt that he was worried for her. She smiled at the thought that she felt his sincerity.


    ¡°Never better.¡± she replied, smiling. He took her hand and she held him as well trying to soothe him as she felt like he was feeling guilty.


    ¡°I can exin about the photos.¡± he said, he knew that she was only trying to make him feel better as well that¡¯s why she replied to him. But she looked exactly the opposite of what she imed she was.


    ¡°I know and it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± she replied.


    ¡°I was wrong when I pulled her away. I was just trying to talk to her for thest time and told her that I decided to work things out with you. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I didn¡¯t cheat on you, I broke up with her before we got married and we didn¡¯t see each other intimately after. I will never cheat on you because that¡¯s how my dad taught me.¡± he informed her.


    Colleen was happy about what he said, although they both distanced themselves with each other, she too didn¡¯t think or look at any other man. For her, it was only Jared. ¡°I should have stayed with you and let her do whatever she wanted to do unless she didn¡¯t harm you,¡± he added.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it anymore, I was careless, that¡¯s why it happened.¡±


    ¡°I should have not forced you to open that envelope,¡± he replied.


    ¡°That b**** is not going to stop unless we do something about her.¡± Ingrid said and they looked at her. ¡°What? She¡¯s the reason why Colleen is here.¡± she added.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, don¡¯t let Colleen hear those words.¡± ire said and looked at her. ¡°Dear, you don¡¯t have to mind Ingrid, you know how she is, right?¡± she asked her and she nodded, smiling.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stress yourself with her, Ingrid. Just let her be.¡± Colleen told her and Ingrid couldn¡¯t do anything but sighed. She didn¡¯t want to worry her either.


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s because you¡¯re nice that¡¯s why she was doing this. But because you didn¡¯t want me to think about her anymore then fine. I will do whatever you want me to do. just make sure that you will be taking care of yourself and don¡¯t believe her anymore. She¡¯s a total andplete liar.¡± Ingrid reminded her and she nodded.


    They wereughing when Dr. Gerard came in, ¡°How are you feeling? Are you hurt somewhere?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, I feel fine and good.¡± she replied happily.


    ¡°I can see that you¡¯re very happy,¡± he replied. Although he was feeling happy that she was, there was a part of him that he wished that he was her reason for that. Then he looked at Jared and started to feel envious of him. ¡°Still, I wanted to remind you that too much is not good for you.¡± he added and Colleen nodded.


    ¡°I want to tell you everything in one go, but as I¡¯ve said, too much of everything is not good for you. For now, I want you to know that all your vitals are fine and are back to normal. But it doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re already fine. You still need to stay here, you passed the critical part but I am sorry to say that surgery will not be possible until we stabilize your condition and have your series of tests done.¡± Dr. Gerard informed her.


    Colleen was a bit sad about being unfit to have the surgery, but it was her fault so she just epted it. She just hopes and prays that she will be able to find another donor that ispatible with her. She had  a feeling that Dr. Gerard was disappointed at her as well because he keeps on reminding her about taking care of herself and yet she let this happen.


    ¡°I understand.¡± she replied casually as she didn¡¯t want to show everyone that she was feeling sad about it.


    ¡°I am going to go back tomorrow for the other results because I am still waiting for thestboratory test. For now, you have to rest and sleep early as usual. Your diet is still the same andst, thank God that you are OK now.¡± Dr. Gerard said.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you are good with your stuff.¡± Colleen told him, smiling.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just tter me but ignore my warnings.¡± he replied, smiling as well. He didn¡¯t want her to think that he was mad at her because he was not. He was mad with what had happened and not to her exactly. ¡°I assume that you will have someone to stay with you tonight, so I am going to take my leave now.¡± he added and left her hospital room after she said ¡°Thank you.¡±.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Are you supposed to have surgery?¡± Jared asked, he wanted to  ask about it as soon as he heard their conversation but he decided not to.


    ¡°Yeah, but it wasn¡¯t scheduled yet so it¡¯s not actually sure to happen.¡± Colleen replied.


    ¡°Is it needed as soon as possible?¡± he asked again. Colleen froze with his question because she badly needed it but she didn¡¯t want him to feel burdened and guilty.


    ¡°Sort of, and anyone with a heart problem would need that, you know.¡± she replied, trying to ease the tension building up inside her.


    ¡°We will do everything to make you better.¡± Jared told her and made a mental note to find a good doctor for her. He intends to talk to Dr. Gerard to know everything about Colleen¡¯s condition so he will know the urgency of her needs. Little did he know that he didn¡¯t need to go and see Dr. Gerard because he was there the next morning to tell them about the results of herb test and condition.

 Forty

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    Jared, ire and Ingrid were in Colleen¡¯s hospital room early in the morning. ¡°I called Betty and I asked her to prepare clothes for you and bring them here. You packed Colleen¡¯s clothes but you didn¡¯t have any for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks mom,¡± he said and took the bag from ire.


    ¡°How are you dear?¡± she asked when she looked at Colleen. ¡°Did you sleep wellst night?¡±  she asked.


    ¡°Yes mommy ire. Jared took care of me.¡± she replied. ¡°I was the one who was actually worried for him and I don¡¯t think he sleeps well either.¡± she added, looking at Jared worriedly.


    ¡°I did sleep wellst night,¡± he replied and sat beside her. They were talking about how Jared was having a hard time sleeping on the sofa because he was tall and he couldn¡¯t fit himself in there when someone knocked on the door and came in.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Colleen eximed,


    ¡°Oh, dear.¡± Lucy said then came in with Diane. She approached her, touched her face and said worriedly. ¡°What happened?¡±


    she asked.


    ¡°How did you find me here?¡± Colleen asked.


    ¡°I was worried when you didn¡¯t call me back, so I called you again. A man answered and told me that you are here. I cannot leave yesterday because I might get here reallyte in the evening so I decided toe here this morning instead.¡± she replied and Colleen nodded and looked at Jared who was nodding at her. Telling her that he was the one who answered her call.


    ¡°Can you tell me what happened now?¡± Lucy asked.


    ¡°Mom was really worried. She called mest night and wanted to be here so I told her that I am going toe with her.¡± Diane said.


    ¡°Thank you, Diane.¡± Colleen said and before she could say a word, Dr. Gerard came in with a nurse.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he greeted and looked at the people there and noticed Lucy and Diane but went straight to Colleen. ¡°How are you? I guess you¡¯re really happy today, you have a lot of visitors early this morning.¡± he said and Colleen nodded, smiling. She was indeed happy.


    ¡°The results are out now and I¡¯m sure that you are brave and prepared, right?¡± he asked and she nodded. Everyone was listening, especially Jared, he didn¡¯t want to miss any information about Colleen¡¯s condition so he didn¡¯t leave her side and hold his hand that¡¯s holding hers as well.


    ¡°You know that you needed the surgery as soon as possible, right?¡± Dr. Gerard asked, he looked very sad and as though he didn¡¯t want to tell her what he needed to say. ¡°It is not going to happen even if we have a donor avable for you.¡± he said,


    ¡°Why not?¡± Jared asked, he doesn¡¯t see any reason why she can¡¯t.


    ¡°Because she¡¯s pregnant.¡± Dr. Gerard said.


    ¡°That¡¯s good news, why do you look sad?¡± Lucy asked. Dr. Gerard looked at her with a questioning look on who she was.


    ¡°She¡¯s my mother.¡¯ Colleen informed him and he nodded.


    ¡°I guess none of you knew exactly Colleen¡¯s condition,¡± he said.


    ¡°Dr. Gerard, can you tell me that to me, alone?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, I want to know dear,¡± Lucy said.


    ¡°Me too, are you hiding something from us?¡± ire asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just I wanted the result for myself.¡±


    ¡°But we are family, we have the right to know.¡± Lucy said, a little hurt.


    ¡°Colleen, they need to know so they can be ready and they can help you decide.¡± Dr. Gerard said, trying to make her understand that she needed her family. She couldn¡¯t do anything but nodded her head in agreement and held Jared¡¯s hand very tight. She was afraid that he would be mad at himself.


    ¡°Jared, whatever it is, promise me that you are not going to leave my side now. OK?¡± she asked and Jared nodded his head too, confused.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°You are pregnant and we can¡¯t do the surgery because of that.¡± Dr. Gerard said,


    ¡°How about after she gave birth?¡± Jared asked and noticed, ire and Ingrid backed out and sat on the sofa.


    ¡°It might be toote for her even if she gives birth via cesarean section. She has less than a year to live.¡± Dr. Gerard. ¡°She¡¯s not allowed to get pregnant to begin with and I don¡¯t know why she let it happen.¡± Dr. Gerard added and looked at Colleen as everyone gasped covering their mouth with their hands. Lucy¡¯s tears started to fall down her face and Jared looked at Colleen, wanting to know whether what Dr. Gerard said was true.


    She couldn¡¯t look at Jared, she was happy that she was pregnant but she was worried for her child, ¡°Doctor, how about my baby? Is she going to be alright even if I am this week?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The baby will be fine and you don¡¯t have to worry about it. What you need to think about is whether you want to go on and continue the surgery or not. But judging the way you look, I already got the answer.¡± he replied.


    ¡°What do you mean? After she gives birth, she can still have the surgery, right?¡± Jared asked.


    ¡°We can¡¯t, she will be too weak by then and the chance of her surviving is really low. If she does, there is no guarantee that she will be able to use her new heart even in a minimum year that it can extend her life.¡± he exined. ¡°Another thing is she had a donor now but I don¡¯t know if she will be lucky enough to get the third one.¡± he added. Colleen holds Jared¡¯s hand really tight, afraid for what he will do.


    ¡°What do you mean, third time?¡± Jared asked.


    ¡°Two years ago, she had a donor as well,¡± he replied. The others were just listening and ire stood up from the sofa.


    ¡°Two years ago, she was already married to Jared, why didn¡¯t she undergo surgery. She should not have any problem with money at that time.¡± ire asked Dr. Gerard who couldn¡¯t answer but looked down. He didn¡¯t want to say the reason himself because of Colleen.


    Lucy was crying as Diane tried to soothe her. When she heard that she was married, she looked at Jared and realized that he was her husband. ¡°Colleen, didn¡¯t you say that you are going to ask Jared for money when the timees? That¡¯s why you agreed to marry him so you won¡¯t get shy and don¡¯t have to burden others.¡± ire said.


    Jared looked at Colleen and remembered the time when she asked him for money and even remembered what he told her. He closed his eyes. He wanted to cry right there and then as he was the reason that Colleen was suffering now.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ire asked.


    ¡°She did ask me.¡±


    ¡°Jared,¡± Colleen said worriedly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± ire asked.


    ¡°She did asked me two years ago but I didn¡¯t give her.¡±  Jared said. Ingrid who was sitting on the couch stood up in shock and Lucy and Diane looked at him as well. They didn¡¯t understand why, but they feel like Jared was the reason why Colleen was in her current state now.


    Then they were more shocked when ire pped Jared. ¡°Mommy ire!¡± Colleen eximed and held Jared¡¯s hand tighter.


    ¡°Whose son are you? I told you and made you agree before you got married. When Colleen asked for money, you should give her that no matter how much it is.¡± ire said usingly. ¡°How can you betray me?¡± she added.


    Jared couldn¡¯t look at ire and Ingrid. He just realized how selfish he was that time and he thought that he was not worthy of Colleen¡¯s love anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said in a low voice. Get down from the bed and kneel before Colleen He couldn¡¯t find a word to say how sorry he was..


    ¡°Jared,¡± Colleen called him and he looked at her. They were both crying but Colleen had a smile on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink about it. It¡¯s my decision and if I had been too eager when I asked you for money, I would tell you, you can¡¯t do anything about it and you will only do what I want. You don¡¯t know how stubborn your wife is.¡± she said. She tried to reach his face and Jared near himself even more then she wiped his tears. ¡°Get up and sit back here. I didn¡¯t want to see my hubby looking like that. I am not dead yet, you know.¡± she added and even if she was weak, she tried to pull him up.


    She is happier now than ever and she will never let her condition be a hindrance to her and Jared¡¯s rtionship.

 Forty-One

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    ¡°I want to tell you everything in one go, but as I¡¯ve said, too much of everything is not good for you. For now, I want you to know that all your vitals are fine and are back to normal. But it doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re already fine. You still need to stay here, you passed the critical part but I am sorry to say that surgery will not be possible until we stabilize your condition and have your series of tests done.¡± Dr. Gerard said,


    I had a feeling that everything¡¯s not going to be alright from here onwards. I know my doctor and he would tell me everything about my condition without hesitation, and him doing that now scares me. I am not afraid to die, what I am afraid of was hurting everyone in this very room. I grew to love them and my mother and I had a good rtionship now after many years.


    How could I hurt them this way? The one thing I didn¡¯t want to do so I stayed away from getting closer to people is happening now and I can¡¯t do anything about it. I had to be strong and brave. I shouldn¡¯t show them that I am scared because of them and with how they will feel in the end.


    My surgery is out of the question now, I epted it right after I woke up and felt my body. Of course, I know my own body. My confidence in getting well is gone, but I still hope and pray that I will still be given a chance at least a little longer to spend my days happily with the people I love and love me back.


    After Dr. Gerard left, I know that Jared has not thought of the worst yet. He was still worried but not as much as now that he found out about two years ago. He looks distraught and defeated. Him kneeling before me was something I didn¡¯t expect him to do.


    You don¡¯t know how stubborn your wife is.¡± I said and tried to reach his face and he brought his face closer so I could touch him then I wiped his tears. ¡°Get up and sit back here. I didn¡¯t want to see my hubby looking like that. I am not dead yet, you know.¡± I added and even if I was weak, I still tried to pull him up.


    He gets up himself and sits back as he was before he found out everything. Hubby, I love calling him that. I tried it the first time when I asked him for money. He didn¡¯t tell me to stop calling him that though. So when I was thinking about him, I called him hubby in my mind. I don¡¯t know if he didn¡¯t notice it because I talked about money.


    ¡°What can we do for now if she can¡¯t have her surgery because of the baby?¡± mom asked. She was in tears along with Diane and everyone looked at Dr. Gerard. I can feel that he was having a hard time as well. He looked at me and smiled, sadly saying,


    ¡°We can abort the bab¡ª¨C¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I eximed. I will never do that. How can I let that happen to save my own life? My baby has nothing to do with my selfishness and stupidity.


    ¡°It was the only way to do the surgery in time.¡± Dr. Gerard said.


    ¡°I am not going to do it. I am not going to kill my own child for my sake. You don¡¯t know how happy I was when you told me about that and I love the feeling.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Just as I¡¯ve said, I already know your answer.¡± he said, smiling. It looked like he already epted my fate. Well, he is my doctor and he knew about my condition more than anyone else.


    ¡°Colleen, I think we have to do what Dr. Gerard said.¡± Ingrid approached me and said. ¡°Jared,e on, don¡¯t be quiet there and say something.¡± she said looking at Jared who was looking distraught.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°Ingrid, please don¡¯t say that. I don¡¯t want to do it.¡± I told her and she sighed. Then I heard Jared.


    ¡°Colleen,¡± he said as he looked me in the eye and I could see that he was teary again. ¡°I am excited to see our baby. I am happy that I am going to be a father soon. But, maybe because I am not seeing her right now so I can tell you this.¡± he told me and I can see that he was having a hard time.


    ¡°Maybe, somehow you are feeling her inside you so you already had a bond with her. But it was you I can see right now and my heart was filled with guilt feelings, hurt and love for you. So even if it hurts me and I know it will more to you, can we go with the abortion?¡± He finally said it.


    I don¡¯t hate him, nor feel disappointed with him. I know that it was difficult for him to choose between me and our child. And just as he said, it was me that he was seeing and didn¡¯t feel our child¡¯s presence at all. Maybe that¡¯s why he said those words. ¡°I wanted to make up for you as well, for everything that I did and made you feel before.¡± he added.


    ¡°Hubby, I wouldn¡¯t trade our child¡¯s life for my own. We are not even sure that the surgery will be a sess or if it can extend my life for at least 5 years. But when I let our baby live, I am sure that she¡¯s going to grow old and will have more years ahead of her and I want to gamble on a winning side.¡± I told him and then looked at Dr. Gerard, smiling.


    ¡°I am not going to abort my baby. I believe that I will still have time to see her, that¡¯s enough for me.¡± I told him and he nodded. ¡°And all of you here, I am still alive and well so stop crying like I was already dead.¡± I added and looked at everyone who started to wipe their tears.


    Then I looked at Jared and gave him a smile trying tofort him. I know that he feels worse than me. After some reminders and prescriptions, Dr. Gerard left and we were all quiet and they all looked gloomy.


    I tried to ease the sad feeling surrounding us and started talking about something I knew will make them divert their attention. We all ate together at lunch time and somehow, I could see that they were starting to ept my decision. In the afternoon, mom and Diane as well as Ingrid and Mommy ire decided to leave and Jared and I left by ourselves.


    No one wants to start the conversation so I just keep it that way. I didn¡¯t want him to feel burdened or guilty once again but I know that he was still thinking about everything that he just knew.  I hope that he will be able to ept our fate wholeheartedly. It¡¯s for everyone¡¯ own good as well.

 Forty-Two

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be OK, we will do everything to make you better.¡± he told me and I smiled. He was holding my hand looking at me and I can see that he was worried.  It was when I was sent to the hospital and woke up. Everyone has left and that makes us two alone in my hospital bed. I told him that he can go home and rest because I know that he still has work the next morning.


    When I opened my eyes, I admit that I was expecting to see him, if not the first face I would be able to look at. But Mommy ire told me that he left and then Ingrid called him. I was a bit sad, but when he came with my things, I felt relieved. He went to me and he does look guilty.


    What Dr. Gerard told us about not being able to have the surgery troubled him and he was somehow anxious that¡¯s why he was telling me that. ¡°I know,¡± I replied, smiling. I didn¡¯t want him to worry too much. Although I know my body very well and I can feel that I am not OK.


    We had a talk about us, how sorry he was for wasting our two years together. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for taking you for granted.¡± he said, ¡°I somehow found out about some things about you and I feel guilty that I misjudged you. I didn¡¯t know how I would approach you or where to start talking to you.¡± he added.


    ¡°So, you decided to use the clothes and eat the foods that I prepared for you instead?¡± I asked him, he looked at me and nodded. ¡°Let us not talk about the things that we regret. We have our now and tomorrow to fill those days that we wasted. It¡¯s not yette and it was never toote.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Thank you for being so understanding,¡± he replied. We have talked about his work, my past jobs. What I had been doing while he was at work. He wanted to know everything about me and he told me about himself as well.


    He told me how jealous he was when he first saw me with Dr. Gerardughing and so lively. He was jealous that I neverughed nor gave him a smile before. I was ttered when he told me that he was jealous. I am a nobody and making him feel that way made me feel really bbergasted. I think that we are closer now afterst night.


    And now that Dr. Gerard had told us about my pregnancy and my condition, he was devastated. I was looking at him and he looked like the world had been thrown on him. I¡¯m sure that he was still thinking about two years ago. I hate seeing him like he is now. Everyone left us so we could talk and I can see that they pitied him. I guess they could feel how hurt and guilty he was as well.


    ¡°Everyone was protecting me, even you.¡± He said with his head down. I gave his hand a squeeze so he looked at me.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You must know that it¡¯s not your fault that I am like this.¡± I told him but he shook his head. ¡°Listen to me, don¡¯t be like that. We¡¯re going to be a parent soon and our baby doesn¡¯t need negativity. I want you to be a strong and brave daddy that she could look up to.¡±


    He smiled and asked, ¡°You like a baby girl?¡± I nodded, smiling too then he touched my face. There were still tears rolling down his face but he wasn¡¯t crying as much as earlier. We were just happy until that revtion and I wish I had forced him to give me what I needed that time. I was so prideful and that is what made me put myself in this situation. Understanding him that time was unnecessary and I should have tried harder in getting closer to him before now.


    I know and I can feel that I won¡¯t be able to hold on to my dear life, no matter how much I or we will try. So more than before, I am more determined to live my life to the fullest.  I want to see my baby as long as I can and I want to see us as aplete family.


    ¡°Hubby,¡± I said and he smiled at him. ¡°I remember the first time I called you that, you never get mad at me.


    ¡°Because I know that I am your husband,¡± he replied. So that¡¯s why, deep inside him, he epted me as his wife.  He was just not ready to be my husband and that was enough for me. ¡°I am going to call you Wifey now.¡± he said lovingly. I am the happiest, if not for my baby in my womb I can die happily now. ¡°Wifey, from here onwards, you will only see your husband and the father of your child. No Jared who has been mean and bad to you.¡±


    ¡°You are not bad, you¡¯re just hurt. But having said that, I am going to make sure that you will look only after me and our baby. Now that we are clear with each other, I want you to know that I am a very jealous woman. I am also possessive of what¡¯s mine, so you better behave yourself.¡± I told him,ughing.


    ¡°I want you to be possessive of me because I am like that too. So stop looking at Dr. Gerard as though he was the most outstanding man you know.¡± he said, pouting. He was really jealous of him.


    ¡°He took care of me and I am grateful for that, don¡¯t overthink about it because he is a friend. A friend that I couldn¡¯t leave without. My love for you and him are different.¡± I told him and he sighed.


    ¡°I love you Colleen, my dear wife. And I am sorry that I took this long before I realized it.¡± he said. He was looking me in the eyes and I could feel his sincerity.


    ¡°I love you too, hubby. I am sorry that I won¡¯t be able to stay as long as I wanted. But you have to know that whatever happens, I am always with you and our baby and will only want yours and her happiness.¡± I told him and we started to cry. I didn¡¯t want to give him false hope that I am going to be better. Because I know that it is not going to happen.


    Making him prepared for what toe is the best thing that I could ever do to him. Realizing we love each other only to be apart was painful and unbearable. But knowing that I am going to die soon, gives me time to do what I wanted to do at thest days of my life with and for him and our child. If God will give me a miracle to extend it, I will be grateful for His grace, forever. So I can only try to wish for a miracle while I ept my fate.

 Forty-Three

    Stacey¡¯s POV


    Jared broke up with me and I can¡¯t ept that. He¡¯s mine, I got used to everything that he showered me with and I didn¡¯t want to lose it. Derrick is a good f*** but Jared is wealthy and gave me what I wanted.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Was I wrong to invest all my feelings in Derrick when I knew that he was also after what I get from Jared? No, I love the way he made me feel when he f*** me and I couldn¡¯t get enough of him as well. But I had to take Jared back or at least I should make him continue to give me what I wanted.


    Learning how everything was going on between him and his wife was easy. I found out that they were not talking and not on good terms because Jared was always at work. I don¡¯t understand why he had to break up with me when he¡¯s not going to take care of his wife at all. He didn¡¯t even f*** her, that¡¯s for sure.


    A month of following Jared and Colleen alternately gives me an idea. I had a feeling that he was still feeling guilty breaking up with me and I don¡¯t think his mother and sister would ever tell him about me and Derrick because if they had, they should have told that to him long ago.


    I tried texting Jared informing him that Colleen texted me about staying away from him. He called me and I smiled when I felt that he was feeling sorry for me. I yed aggrieved thinking he would get mad at his wife more, but what I didn¡¯t expect was when he offered me money so I could forgive his wife for troubling  me. I like the idea so every time I would need money, I would just text him and he would give it to me. I couldn¡¯t ask all the time because I didn¡¯t want him to suspect.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that Stacey, please be patient with her. I willpensate you for giving you such trouble.¡± Jared said and I smiled internally.


    ¡°I can endure it, for you. Because I love you. I don¡¯t know how long your wife is going to torment me when you are already hers and I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. You didn¡¯t even want me to be your mistress.¡± I replied, sobbing. I want him to feel guilty even more.


    ¡°No, when we¡¯re on speaking terms, I am going to talk to her. Right now, we haven¡¯t discussed anything about our marriage. I wanted to take our time and let ite naturally.¡± he replied. If that¡¯s the case, then I had to think of other ways so they won¡¯t be able to get closer.


    So I made it my goal to do everything I can to separate them. In the first 5 months, everything was going smoothly. I send Colleen receipts of Jared¡¯s remittances to me so she will feel that we are still together and I¡¯m sure that she won¡¯t talk to Jared no matter how much he tried. They will only grow apart.


    At some point, I know that I seeded because Jared continued giving me money whenever I told him that Colleen was still texting me. But he never went to see me anymore. Just his remittances and nothing more.


    Derrick asked me for money for his charity events and that¡¯s what I was giving him. He knew what I did and he was happy I managed to find ways to get money from Jared even if we¡¯re not together. I asked for help from him, because I found out that Colleen had been visiting the hospital and I was so happy after I found out what she was going through.


    I didn¡¯t tell him that. I guess he was really st**** or he doesn¡¯t really care about his wife because he should have known about her illness long ago. Either way, I am happy that they were not really talking to each other.


    Until thisst time that I called him. He said that he is going topensate me but until now, he had not sent me any. I even told him that Colleen was calling when I was talking to him but ended the call when I tried to join her in our conversation. I had to know what was going on so I followed him and found him with Colleen in the mall.


    I waited until Colleen was alone and I was lucky that she went to the restroom. I followed and waited for her until she was finished. I pretended that I saw her there but she just ignored me. I didn¡¯t like that so I stopped her from leaving.


    We were outside the restroom and I told her about her condition. She was really brave but I didn¡¯t care about whether she was going to die or not. I didn¡¯t think Jared would follow him and it was a good thing that I was facing where he came from. I acted a victim and approached him, had my arms around him and sob.


    Just as I thought, he pulled me away from Colleen whose eyes were teary because he chose me over her. I smiled mockingly at her thinking I won. But when Jared and I were together, I didn¡¯t expect him to tell me those words. He was only mine and I am not going to give him to that woman even if she¡¯s going to die the next day.


    I had to act now, so I pulled and kissed him. I was expecting that he would kiss me back just like always but he didn¡¯t. Instead, he pushed me away and warned me not to see him again. I was mad and angry after he left. I had to think of another way to get him back.


    I went home and found Derrick in my living room. I wonder what he was doing here because we usually meet at our apartment. He doesn¡¯t go here without a reason. ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± I said excitedly. I sat on hisp and  kissed him. I guess I will have to do with him now.


    He kissed me back and as always, he had me naked. I helped him take off his pants and gave him a head on. He grabbed me by my hair and guided me in pumping my head to pleasure him. He wanted my tongue to y on his tips every time his length was inside my mouth. I do what he wants as he did the same to me as well.


    I can feel that he was going to cum so I stopped to be ready for him, but he didn¡¯t let me. Instead, he stood up while I was still on my knees and he thrust his member in and out of mouth until he cum.


    I got teary eyes as his length chokes me with his every thrust but I didn¡¯t care at all. I already imagined him eating my p**** and the feeling it brings with it. But what I had expected dide as he sat on the sofa and showed me his cellphone.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked while wiping his cum that was dripping from my lips.


    ¡°Your photos with Jared,¡± he replied. And I saw Jared and I kissing. It was from earlier, so he had me follow.


    :I had to do that so I could still get money from him.¡± I told him and I sat back, annoyed after I remembered what had happened.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked. I sighed deeply and told him everything.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s send this to his wife. Let¡¯s see what will happen next.¡± He   told me, ¡°If his wife found out about it, she might have a heart attack and die. Vo, he was free to be with you again.¡± he added.


    I know that he only wanted me to be with Jared because of his money that he too was getting through me. But what he had said was possible. If that woman dies, then there¡¯s no reason for Jared to stop seeing me. So I agreed.

 Forty-Four

    Jared¡¯s POV


    Colleen and I had talked about us on her first night at the hospital. I had a feeling that she was not telling me everything and I would surely find out about it. I was hopeful that she¡¯de to be OK after her surgery even though Dr. Gerard told us that it wasn¡¯t possible as of the moment.


    I got to know Colleen and what she had been through only to feel like an id** for thinking the worst of her. She was so kind and understanding. She had positive views on life, even though I myself thought that it was unfair to her.


    I told her how jealous I was when I saw her with Dr. Gerard and that she never smiled at me the way she smiled at him. I confessed to her that I loved her already. That¡¯s why I asked her to start over again.


    She was happy and I could see that in her eyes. She looks lively and I was d that somehow made her feel that way.


    The following morning, I was ready to call my secretary to look for a doctor that could help Dr. Gerard when mom and Ingrid came. They were really early and not a littleter, Colleen¡¯s mom arrived as well, with her step-sister.


    She briefly told me about her family and that her mother had been good to hertely. I forgot to tell her that I answered her call and told her that she was in the hospital, but I guess she¡¯ll understand it.


    We were having our casual conversation when Dr. Gerard came in. I remember him telling us about the result of Colleen¡¯sboratory test, so I prepared myself. I want to be with her and make her feel that I am always here for her from now on.


    ¡°The results are out now and I¡¯m sure that you are brave and prepared, right?¡± he asked and she nodded. We were all listening, especially me, because I didn¡¯t want to miss any information about Colleen¡¯s condition so I didn¡¯t leave her side and hold her hand.


    ¡°You know that you needed the surgery as soon as possible, right?¡± Dr. Gerard asked, he looked very sad and as though he didn¡¯t want to tell her what he needed to say. ¡°It is not going to happen even if we have a donor avable for you.¡± he said,


    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked. I mean, if she has a donor, then everything¡¯s going to be OK, right?


    ¡°Because she¡¯s pregnant.¡± Dr. Gerard answered. What¡¯s wrong with that? I really need to get another doctor to help him.


    I was overflowing with happiness when I found out that she was pregnant. But that was just for a short moment, because the world had been thrown on me after I heard what Dr. Gerard said.


    Colleen didn¡¯t want Dr. Gerard told us whatever the reason was, but we persuaded her as well as her doctor, saying she needed us to make her decision.


    ¡°Jared, whatever it is, promise me that you are not going to leave my side now. OK?¡± she said, so I nodded even though I was confused.


    ¡°You are pregnant and we can¡¯t do the surgery because of that.¡± Dr. Gerard said,


    ¡°How about after she gave birth?¡± I asked and noticed ire and Ingrid backed out and sat on the sofa.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°It might be toote for her even if she gives birth via cesarean section. She has less than a year to live.¡± Dr. Gerard. ¡°She¡¯s not allowed to get pregnant to begin with and I don¡¯t know why she let it happen.¡± Dr. Gerard added and looked at Colleen as everyone gasped, covering their mouths with their hands.


    I saw her mother. Lucy¡¯s tears started to fall down her face so I looked at Colleen, wanting to know whether what Dr. Gerard said it was true.


    Less than a year. Colleen is dying and I had no idea about that. Then I remember her asking for money about two years ago. I didn¡¯t want to entertain the thought because it would only make me feel worse.


    Then Dr. Gerard said about having difficulty getting a donor the third time. Mom was shocked that Colleen let the first one pass. And just as I had felt earlier, it was really that time when I asked for money.


    What I told her was cruel. Mom was disappointed with me and  I can¡¯t me her, I was too with myself. Mom pped me and that made me feel even worse. My tears started to fall and I got down on my knees saying sorry to my wife.


    She was crying too and yet I could still see sadness in her eyes. ¡°Jared,¡± she called me, and then I looked at her. We were both crying but Colleen had a smile on her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink about it. It¡¯s my decision and if I was too eager when I asked you for money, I would tell you, you can¡¯t do anything about it and you will only do what I want. You don¡¯t know how stubborn your wife is.¡± she said as she tried to reach my face, so I moved closer to her and let her wipe my tears. ¡°Get up and sit back here. I didn¡¯t want to see my hubby looking like that. I am not dead yet, you know.¡± she added, and even if she was weak, she tried to pull me up.


    Hubby, the first time she called me was when she asked me for money. I thought she only called me that because she needed something from me. That¡¯s why I got mad at her. I never thought that that¡¯s what she really wanted to call me.


    I sighed and followed her. I am willing to do anything she asks me to do. That¡¯s a promise to myself. I will only do what she wants me to do and nothing else.


    When we were all calm, Dr. Gerard continues telling us about abortion. I didn¡¯t want it and I¡¯m sure Colleen as well. But it was for his own good. I was torn between saving her and our baby¡¯s life. Is this my punishment for taking her for granted? For being cruel to her?


    Ingrid agreed and asked for my opinion. I looked at Colleen and I knew that she would stick to her decision but I still needed to try. I know I am not in the position to decide for her now, but she¡¯s all that I can see right now.


    I exined to her about how much I love and wanted our baby and told her about what I think as well. She never got angry. Instead, I saw understanding in her eyes. I can see that she was not mad at my decision. But even if it was like that, she had already decided not to have an abortion and I epted that.


    She was looking at me and I nodded in understanding. Whatever happens, I am not going to get mad at her or me her. She said she was selfish, but that¡¯s not true. She was selfless. She said she was st****, it¡¯s not true either. She was smart to choose our baby¡¯s life instead of her surgery that did not assure her life. Now, I admire her even more for being brave and feel guilty for being an a*****e to her.

 Forty-Five

    Jared¡¯s POV


    It was over a week after we found out about Colleen¡¯s real condition. We were in our bedroom, which was only hers before, when I remembered all the mails she emailed and hid on the bedside table¡¯s drawer.


    ¡°I am going to throw all of this away.¡± I told her and she looked at it. ¡°When you were in the hospital, I found all of this and opened it. I noticed that you opened a few and I want to exin that.¡± I added, and she nodded.


    ¡°Stacey and I broke up and nothing was going on between us. The money I sent her waspensation to her so she just ignored what I thought you did to her.¡± I told her and I saw her forehead creased.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to her.¡± She said and I smiled, nodding my head.


    ¡°I know that now. She said that you had been texting her to stay away from me. I only found out about the lies when you came into my study just recently when I was talking to her over the phone.¡± I told her and she nodded. ¡°I never cheated on you, I never then and I never will.¡± I added.


    Colleen capped my face and kissed me. ¡°I know that now and you have nothing to worry about. I only believe you and no one else,¡± She said after.


    ¡°I am going to tell Betty to hand over to me everything that was addressed to you and I will be the one who will look at it so you won¡¯t be able to miss it if there was something important.¡± I informed her.


    ¡°Do what you think is best,¡± She replied. I liked that she was submissive. Now I regret not caring for her before.


    ¡°We are fine now, you don¡¯t need to feel sorry anymore.¡± She said, Am I that transparent that she was able to tell how I feel?


    ¡°But you are going to leave me and our baby.¡± I told her and couldn¡¯t stop my tears from falling once again. She wiped it and said,


    ¡°Everything happens for a reason. I was sad that I had to leave after I felt your love and had our baby. But knowing that I am going to die, I still feel lucky because I was able to do what I wanted to do and enjoy thest of my days.¡± She replied, smiling.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that yet, we¡¯ll find a way to get you better. So you will still see our child growing up,¡± I told her. I wanted to give her hope, but I knew that I was giving myself more than her.


    ¡°That will be better. I will pray that he will give us a chance to be together. With Him, nothing is impossible.¡± She agreed.


    ¡°Before I forgot, Diane will be staying here too. I asked mommy Lucy to stay there as well, but she was hesitant because of her husband¡¯s condition.  But I had already told her that it was fine if she would bring everyone here. This is all I can do for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, but you don¡¯t have to do that if¡ª¡±


    ¡°I wanted it for my wife. I want you to be happy and do not think of anything else that may worry you.¡± I said, cutting her words off.


    ¡°I am overwhelmed. Thank you, hubby.¡± She replied and I liked it, her calling me hubby, so I kissed her. I made it a short one because of her condition. I don¡¯t care if we can¡¯t be more intimate than this. I love her and that¡¯s all that matters.


    Mommy Lucy and her family transferred to our house. I can see how happy Colleen was and now, I feel a little less worried while I was at work because I knew that there was someone who would look after her.


    Betty was there and I trusted her with Colleen¡¯s well-being, but I knew that she would be very happy if she had her family by her side.


    Thepany is doing well even though I had not been there while Colleen was in the hospital. Then I realized that I had never brought her there or she had never been there before. I wonder if I should have a chance to introduce her to our employees and business associates.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Colleen said as I opened the door for Mommy Lucy and he saw her.


    ¡°I just want to check on you, dear. Are you feeling alright?¡± She asked.


    Colleen smiled and replied casually, ¡°I am really fine. Hubby has been taking care of me. I was getting worried about him because he had not gone to his office for a long time now.¡± Then she looked at me and so did Mommy Lucy.


    She was on our bed so I walked there and sat beside her as mommy Lucy was the intended ottoman that I ced near our bed for me to sit just in case I needed to.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine there. Every time I was not there in our room, I was in my studies doing my work, so you don¡¯t have to feel sorry. I can multitask. I just didn¡¯t work here because I didn¡¯t want to disturb you during your rest.¡± I informed her as I took her hand and brought it to my lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you can do that. Just don¡¯t hesitate to tell me if you need to go to your office. I feel much better now, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me either.¡± She replied and looked at Mommy Lucy.


    ¡°Thank you for staying with us. I am happy that I am going to see you from now on.¡± She said,


    ¡°I am happy that we are OK now and that you are giving me a chance to make you feel how much I love you.¡± Mommy Lucy replied.


    ¡°Please feel at home mom, tell Diane and Uncle Rick as well. I wanted to talk to you more but I feel like I¡¯m getting tired already,¡± Colleen said, and I felt worried.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°Then you must rest now. It was 8 pm already, so it was natural for you to feel that way. I will see you tomorrow, dear.¡± Mommy Lucy said and left our room after she gave her a kiss.


    ¡°You sleep now,¡± I told her and she nodded before shey down. She had a smile on her face and I knew that she was happy and content.


    Now, she¡¯s all that matters to me and nothing else. I will do everything and will try anything for her to get better or at least be with me and our baby for a little longer, if not for long, and look forward to our family.


    She¡¯s beautiful even if she was this sick. Maybe because she looks ssy and elegant and the way she brings herself, was far more superior than Stacey. I wonder why I never noticed that before.


    And speaking of Stacey, I think it¡¯s about time to give her and her lover a lesson.

 Forty-Six

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    Jared gets back to work and Lucy, along with Betty, looks after Colleen during the time that he¡¯s busy.


    Coleen understands that Rick, Lucy¡¯s husband, needed her as well because he was sick too. But she was happy that he was getting better as Jared was helping them with all their medical expenses.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I will be able to thank you,¡± Lucy told Jared. They were on the poolside just outside their bedroom.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to, I offered it to you freely. Maybe I was still feeling guilty towards my wife and doing this made me feel a little better.¡± Jared said, sighing.


    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Coleen asked as she approached them. Jared and Lucy looked at her and they were pleased to see her looking good.


    Jared stood up and pulled out a chair for her. ¡°Thank you hubby,¡± Colleen said, and then looked at Lucy waiting for their reply.


    ¡°I was just thanking him for taking care of you and us.¡± She replied as Jared sat beside his wife. He took her hand and brought it to his lips and kissed it.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking good my wife,¡± Jared noticed.


    ¡°I do?¡± She asked if she touched her face with her other hand, as Jared was not letting go of the other.


    ¡°Yes dear, you¡¯re not as pale as before and your cheeks somehow have colors already.¡± Lucy agreed, smiling.


    ¡°It¡¯s because everyone has been taking care of me these days. Even uncle Rick was keeping himself busy trying to attend to my needs.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Mom, please tell him that he doesn¡¯t need to do that. He¡¯s sick as well and needs attention too,¡± Colleen told her mom. Rick visits her at the poolside from time to time to check her out and asks if she is OK or whether she had taken her medicine. He would always remind her to be careful all the time.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡± Your Uncle is fine. He was just confined to his wheelchair but he¡¯s healthy. Thanks to Jared.¡± Lucy replied,


    ¡°I am feeling better now and I¡¯m sure that my baby is healthy too. I made sure to take all my supplements and medicine. I didn¡¯t want all of you to worry, so I had to take care of myself as well.¡± Colleen informed them.


    Jared touched her stomach as she mentioned the baby. He was excited and, at the same time, worried and sad. He knew how long he would be able to see his wife and no matter how much he tried to ept it, he just couldn¡¯t.


    Colleen smiled at his gesture, she knew that he was just trying to be strong for her and he admired him for that. No matter how much she thinks about it, it wasn¡¯t her that will have to suffer is her death. It was the people whom she cared for and cared for who would be left behind. Everyday she was trying not to show her sadness to everyone. She wanted them to be prepared, if not to lessen the pain that it may cause them.


    ¡°I am so happy that I am able to get out of bed now. I really need to at least move around a little,¡± she said.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t over do it.¡± Jared said and she nodded.


    ¡°Later after lunch, I need to go to the office. There¡¯s something important I need to take care of.¡± Jared informed her and she nodded even though she didn¡¯t want him to leave. But she knew that he needed to work as well. ¡°It won¡¯t take long, I will be back before you know it.¡± Jared added, as though he read her thoughts.


    ¡°Do everything you need to do at work and I will be fine here,¡± she said, to make him feel relieved. Jared smiled at him,


    ¡°I will leave you two here and enjoy each other. I need to make sure that Rick has taken his medicine already.¡± Lucy said after she got up from her seat and left after both Jared and Colleen nodded in agreement.


    ¡°You have your check-up with your OB the day after tomorrow, I am going toe with you.¡± he said and she smiled, nodding her head.


    ¡°You¡¯re that happy?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course, you just don¡¯t know how much. Imagine how our baby will be very happy when she finds out that her daddy was with us when we go for a doctor¡¯s check-up.¡± she replied, ¡°Dr. Gerard said that the baby will be able to sense her environment. She was able to take what I ate and feel how I felt. So I wanted to feel happy all the time so she¡¯d know that you and I love her.¡± she added.


    ¡°You think it¡¯s a baby girl?¡± Jared asked, his eyes were sparkling seeing how happy Colleen was. He believed her because he was being influenced by her happy aura radiating from her.


    ¡°A boy or a girl, it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m sure that I am going to love our baby because she¡¯s ours,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Shall we buy her things now?¡± Jared asked excitedly and Colleen couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°It¡¯s still early, we didn¡¯t even know the baby¡¯s gender,¡± she replied.


    ¡± When are we going to buy them?¡± he asked impatiently.


    ¡°You¡¯re really Mommy ire¡¯s son, you¡¯re so impatient and so is Ingrid.¡± Shemented. ¡°Will our baby inherit that from you?¡± she asked, curiously.


    ¡°I want her to be like her mother, kind and sweet and easy to love,¡± he replied with teary eyes. He really feels regretful for the time he wasted not being able to grasp all the remaining days she had when he met her.


    ¡°Can¡¯t she get her dad¡¯s arrogance? I want her to be confident too,¡± she added. ¡°As well as her dad¡¯s good looks. Pointed nose,¡± she said as she ran her forefinger on the bridge of his nose. ¡°Sharp eyes,¡± then kiss his eyes, ¡°soft and smooth face.¡± she added and pinched his cheeks but not enough to hurt him.


    ¡°Am I that good looking to you?¡± he asked, although he knew how he looked, it still ttered him knowing how Colleen admired his physical appearance.


    ¡°More than good looking, no one canpare to you.¡± she said,ughing, and Jaredughed as well.


    ¡°Then you will have to tell me what you wanted so I will be able to bring it hometer. My wife ttered me so much, so I had to at least give her something.¡±


    ¡°Just kiss me as soon as you arrive.¡± she replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s already a given, my wife. Whether you like it or not, you will be receiving that from me,¡± he told her and she blushed. Recently, she had been too worried that they couldn¡¯t get too intimate. Jared was worried that it may take a toll on her body if they tried to make love and he didn¡¯t want to take a risk, so he satisfied himself by just kissing her.


    ¡°Jared,¡± Colleen said after, ¡°If our baby is a boy, can you name him after you?¡± Jared looked at her, worriedly.


    ¡°Of course, and you are going to call his name when the nurse brought him to us,¡± he replied. He didn¡¯t want to think that she was starting to make some request with the thought of not being able to be there anymore when she gave birth to their child.


    ¡°Of course, I am nning on teaching him how to woo a girl because his dad was so handsome that he didn¡¯t experience wooing anyone.¡± she replied, although it was a bit exaggerated, Jared felt relieved that she wanted to stay as well.


    ¡°I am already learning. I promised myself to woo you for the rest of our lives.¡± he replied,


    ¡°But I already love you, so that was different,¡± she replied, pouting, and Jaredughed at her.


    ¡°Nevertheless, I will woo you continuously¡± he said, then kissed her real quickly. Colleen sighed because she wanted more but she knew that they had to be careful.


    ¡°I want to get better,¡± she said, after which made Jared look at her, confused. ¡°I want to feel you again, just like the first time.¡± she said. Jared couldn¡¯t help it but kissed her again. This time it was a little deeper. He wanted her to know that he wanted her too.


    ¡°You just don¡¯t know how many times I have made love to you in my mind, my wife,¡± he said huskily.


    ¡°I am going to take care of myself so I will be able to do my duty as your wife.¡± she said, Jared¡¯s forehead was on hers now.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about trivial things,¡± he said, ¡°I want you but I love you more than I want you, so everything is fine. I am content and satisfied with what we have and what we can do. You have been doing your wife¡¯s duty from the very beginning,¡± he said, and then kissed her again. Colleen closed her eyes and felt his gentle kisses that made her feel his unwavering love for her.

 Forty-Seven

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    Just what Jared had told Colleen, he went to his office after lunch. But not to work, but he needs to meet Ellie, the private investigator who happens to be a friend of his friend, Noah. He asked his friend to find out everything about Stacey and Derrick. After the first investigation he asked for, he concluded that he needed to do it again in a private matter, so he asked for Noah¡¯s help.


    ¡°Man,¡± his friend greeted him and they all sat on the couch. They were inside his office and he had told his assistant to cancel all his appointments for the day.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± he asked. Noah looked at the man beside him, who was Ellie, the private investigator.


    ¡°The report you gave me was very useful, which made it easier for me to find out about Derrick.¡± Ellie told him and handed him the envelope where the results were. He took it and had a look, then started reading it.


    ¡°So did they use my money?¡± he said, and Noah nodded.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you didn¡¯t bother to look into this before,¡± his friendmented.


    ¡°I was so content with our rtionship because it wasn¡¯t stressful and she was very understanding. I just realized that she was way too understanding,¡± he said with his eyes still on the files in his hand.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way that women will be so understanding. They should feel jealous and whine from time to time,¡± Ellie said, and he nodded.


    ¡°Even my wife, whom I thought didn¡¯t care about me at all, still feels hurt. I even get jealous when I see her happy with another man.¡± Jared said, massaging his temple.


    ¡°What do you want to do to them?¡± Noah asked, and he looked at them.


    ¡°I want them to pay for what they did to Colleen. It almost cost her her life,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then we should destroy the lovers¡¯ careers and let the people know their rtionship,¡± Ellie said.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Jared said,


    ¡°Man, don¡¯t get me wrong or tell me that I went overboard. But I asked Ellie to look after your wife as well.¡±, Noah said, and he looked at him confused.


    ¡°She¡¯s very brave. She had been battling with her illness for years but she never loses hope. She goes to her regr check-up and maintains good and bnced health in the hope of surgery when the timees.¡± Ellie said and then gave him another envelope which Jared already knew was all about his wife.


    ¡°Many wanted to be friends with her. She didn¡¯t actually shove them away, but she didn¡¯t let herself get too attached to them. She was worried that she would only leave them and hurt them in the process. Dr. Gerard likes her. He even offered to help her financially with her surgery but she didn¡¯t agree. She didn¡¯t want to burden anyone,¡± Ellie added.


    Jared opened the envelope and started reading everything about his wife. He was shocked to find out about how she lived while she keeps herself so na?ve and innocent. She was into different jobs from when she was in high school until she graduated from college. She never had a boyfriend or any intimate rtionship with the opposite sex and focused on her studies.


    She usually has pain relievers with her due to chest pain and he thought it is already the beginning of her illness. He closed his eyes and tried to stop himself from crying. He had never paid attention to her before because he already had an idea that his mom had already done some background check on her. He was just mad that his family never told him about that.


    They should have informed her so she should not have been so cruel to her. He remembered how she told Colleen about letting herself die because he didn¡¯t want her. ¡°You still have time, man,¡± Noah said and he looked at him. ¡°You will get through this together. You have to be strong for her and your baby.¡± he added.


    ¡°I was cruel to her. I don¡¯t deserve her. From what I had told her before, she still loves me. She was selfless.¡± Jared couldn¡¯t help but tell his friend about his feelings. He had tried not to show it to Colleen because he didn¡¯t want her to worry about him. He knew that she would feel sad about him feeling guilty about everything that had happened.


    ¡°To make up to her, we will do our best to destroy Derrick and Stacey¡¯s rtionships as well as their career.¡± Noah said and he nodded. Ellie and Noah left his office but Jared stayed there for a little more time. He wanted to calm himself so Colleen wouldn¡¯t be able to tell how he was feeling. Making her worry is his top concern. He didn¡¯t know what would happen if she had another attack. That¡¯s why, as much as possible, he tried to be careful and cautious with all his words and actions.


    After he calmed himself, he went home and found his wife in the living room with her mom, uncle and step-sister and step-brother. They were all looking happy and I felt relieved thinking she was getting better than in the previous weeks.


    Colleen noticed him and gave him a smile as she motioned him to go. He walked closer to them and sat beside her, ¡°What are you all happy about?¡± he asked after he kissed her on her cheek.


    ¡°Uncle Rick was telling us about how mom was very feisty when they met,¡± Colleen replied, and Jared looked at Lucy.


    ¡°Yes, I was like that. But he didn¡¯t get mad at me and he justughed at me while I was furious. Imagine how I was so problematic and there he was teasing me.¡± Lucy said.


    ¡°She was so ugly that time, that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t help butugh at her,¡± Rick said after. ¡°But even if you¡¯re like that, I still love you.¡± he added.


    ¡°He told me, you don¡¯t have a husband anymore and you don¡¯t have money. Why don¡¯t you just be happy to make everything feel a little better?¡± Lucy said, looking at Rick. Colleen understood now why she never left him, even if she was having a hard time. ¡°For him, money is just money, it shouldn¡¯t affect anyone¡¯s happiness fromcking it.¡± she added.


    ¡°I am going to find someone who¡¯s like dad.¡± Diane said,


    ¡°He¡¯s already mine,¡± Lucy replied, grinning.


    ¡°I am going to grow up like dad.¡± Marcus, Diane¡¯s younger brother, said.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my son,¡± Rick said, and they allughed.


    Jared was just looking around them and then at Colleen, he was d that they had time like this and he was sure to treasure this moment. He decided to tell his mom to visit their house more often.


    The following day, big news was all over the television and newspapers as well as all the social media tforms.

 Forty-Eight

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    ¡°This can¡¯t be!¡± Derrick told Stacey. They were in their apartment and were having breakfast when they were bombarded with different chats and messages trying to know the truth about them. ¡°Did you tell anyone about us?¡± He asked her angrily.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Stacey eximed. ¡°We already talked about this and we have been like this for a very long time now. Why would I tell about our rtionship to the world?¡± She added.


    ¡°Then how did they ever find out about us?¡± He asked with wide eyes when it almost came out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I swear I never told anyone about anything rted to us.¡± She replied with confusion. In their long rtionship, Stacey never unts it or tells a single soul about them. She was very cautious, especially when they went out. She didn¡¯t even tell her family. What they knew was Jared was her boyfriend and they were nning on getting married.


    ¡°Then who the hell exposed us?¡± Derrick asked angrily. Derrick is the youngest senator in the country. Because of his good looks and s*x appeal, many citizens, young and old, admire him. He was always present at all charity events, showing how generous he was and how concerned he was about his people. He was nning on running for president in the next election. That¡¯s why he was extra careful.


    ¡°You make sure that this is not of your own doing, Stacey. Because if you do this, I am not going to let this slide.¡± he warned her and took his phone and called his assistant. ¡°Find the hell out who exposed us and I need the result NOW!!!¡± he yelled, stressing thest word. He ended the call and looked at Stacey furiously. He thought that he should have ended whatever they had the moment she and Jared broke up.


    ¡°I should have let you go when Jared broke up with you,¡± he said, ring at her. ¡°I could only take a few thousand bucks from you the moment you broke up and I could not gain anything other than that.¡± he said angrily. Stacey was really furious at what she heard.


    ¡°After all the money I gave to you because of Jared, you¡¯re telling me this?¡± she shouted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you f****** dare shout at me!!!¡± Derrick shouted back. ¡°I did gave you a good f***! Isn¡¯t it the reason why you are still hooking up with me even if Jared can give you that together with his money?¡± he added, ring. He brushed his fingers on his hair and walked around the living room of their rented apartment.


    ¡°This shouldn¡¯t happen because of the uing election. Everyone had started filing their candidacy and I was just making people give me a little push so it would look like they were the ones who made me decide to run.¡± he said as he massaged his temple thinking about how he would be able to get through the issues. He already had his campaign manager and he had a feeling that he would be calling him now and he didn¡¯t know what to say to him either.


    Another is his wife. Everyone knew that he was married to a daughter of one of the senators and he was worried because of that. He didn¡¯t like his wife because she was not as beautiful as Stacey. She was fat and he was ashamed of showing her to the public. That¡¯s why he never brought her on any of his trips abroad. But here in Croas, he made sure to bring her along to all charity events, as people admire him even more whenever he unts his wife to them.


    They thought that he was a true leader as he was proud of what his wife looked like. Everyone looks up to him, especially those who are not confident about their appearance. He only married his wife, because he ran for senator and he needed his wife¡¯s father¡¯s poprity in addition to his to ensure his winning.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s Jared,¡± Stacey suddenly said, and Derrick looked at her.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked.


    ¡°He warned me back when we talked in the mall. He told me not to harm his wife and he would make sure to make me pay.¡± she told him and Derrickughed.


    ¡°Are you an id***? We had been cheating on him ever since and he didn¡¯t find out anything. Why do you think he will make an effort to spend over something like this just because you argued with his wife whom he never love from the very beginning?¡± Derrick asked, annoyed.


    ¡°He said he loved his wife,¡± Stacey told him and heughed even more.


    ¡°Do you think love was like that? I had been married to my wife longer than his marriage with that pathetic wife of his to but I never felt anything towards that shameful woman. I didn¡¯t even fall in love with you, even if you are so sl***y and I can f*** however I want!¡± he told her, which made her eyes widen.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°What!! You don¡¯t love me?¡± Stacey asked furiously. She thought he loved her, that¡¯s why he was staying with her.


    ¡°Wait, are you thinking that I really love you? When did I ever tell you that when we are not f******?¡± he asked, ¡°I only tell you what women want to be here when they get f*** and nothing else. I will still choose my wife over you if you ever do something stu***.¡± he added.


    Stacey was really furious with what she had just heard. He had loved him ever since. That¡¯s why she used Jared so he could have everything he needed and wanted. Hearing that from him hurts her so much and tears start to fall on her face.


    ¡°Stop crying!!¡± Derrick shouted and then his phone rang. ¡°Hello,¡± he answered, looking at crying Stacey.


    ¡°You shoulde to your home now because Senator Dean was looking for you,¡± his campaign manager, Leo, said.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ming home.¡± he replied and went to their bedroom to change. He looked at Stacey who was still crying when he was in the front door and said, ¡°You better not show your face in public for the time being.¡± then opened the door and went out.


    Little did he know that people and reporters were already in front of their apartment building and he was weed by shes of cameras and mics from the reporters who were now starting to ask him questions about the issue. He didn¡¯t know how they knew he was there and started to feel angry. He didn¡¯t ask any of his bodyguards every time he and Stacey were seeing each other.


    ¡°Senator Derrick, is it true that you had an affair with a woman named Stacey for years already?¡± one of the reporters asked and followed by another,


    ¡°Is it true that you only used your wife so you could win the senatorial test election?¡±


    ¡°Can you exin to us why you are here when it was your wedding anniversary yesterday?¡± with that Derrick thought for a moment and it was indeed their anniversary. He forgot that his wife always prepares a surprise party for them yearly.


    ¡°Everything is not true, it was all a political strategy to make me not run in theing presidential election. I only knew Ms. Stacey is back in college and after that nothing,¡± he replied. He was about to push them so he could pass and go home when the elevator suddenly opened and Stacey emerged. The reporters went to her and asked her questions as well. She didn¡¯t know what to do, so she looked at Derrick asking for help.


    He took it as a chance to be freed from the questions, so he left Stacey with the reporters, who still didn¡¯t know what to do, so she just went back to the elevator. But it was now close, so she ran to the stairs and went back to their apartment and never left. She was furious as well as scared about what had happened. Her father will surely disown her once he finds out about this, because he hates homewreckers just like what her mom did to them.


    In Jared¡¯s office, he was very happy seeing how the news spread like wildfire. He is not done yet as he nned on ruining everything they have so far so there still more toe.

 Forty-Nine

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    I am happy, I may die, but I am going to die happy. Many won¡¯t be able to understand. I should have been crying or self-pitying but I couldn¡¯t. I felt so blessed with my family around me.


    Although I am worried about Jared, ever since I was discharged from the hospital, he was always busy with something even if I didn¡¯t see what he was doing. But I can feel it. He was happy and sad and angry. I don¡¯t know why he was angry and whom. I didn¡¯t want him to feel that way because it might harm him or it could make him do things that may hurt him.


    Jared, my husband, is very handsome. Every time he looked at me and gave me that smile, it made me wish to see that longer. I am not a hypocrite, I am sad about the fact that I am dying as well as scared. But, I already give my life to my creator, so I only want to do things that can make me and my family happy and have memories that I could bring when I leave them.


    Last night, we had our family bonding in our living room. Jared went to his office and Mom with her new family asked me if I wanted to bond with them. Just a little story telling about what everyone had been through, so I agreed. It was not to let her know how hard it was for me when I was alone, but to know how she managed to live as well after she and my dad divorced.


    I was surprised to find out how she was though. I thought she led a good and happy life, but no, it was never like that. Uncle Rick made me realize how impatient my dad was for mom, who had been helping him as well when they were still together.


    Uncle Rick was very understanding and patient with my mom as he justughed about all her ruckus. When he lost the ability to work, he was devastated and mom was there for him. That¡¯s why Diane loved her as well. I found out from my step-sister before that mom would always tell them about me. That¡¯s why it was easy for me to forgive and ept her again in my life.


    When Jared arrived, he looked different. It was as though something good happened or was going to happen. He stayed with us and told us about his own story and how Mommy ire took care of him and Ingrid. How happy their family was until his dad passed away. It was the reason why he didn¡¯t like the idea of our arranged marriage. He wanted a family just like them which he thought he would only get when he and his wife loved each other.


    ¡°I never thought that I am going to love this petite woman beside me. I mean, she¡¯s fragile but brave and strong and I guess she took her hardheadedness from Mommy Lucy.¡± he said,ughing, which made us allugh as well.


    ¡°She did her duty even if I was just ignoring all her efforts. I know that even if I didn¡¯t see it or Betty didn¡¯t tell me, she was the one who was preparing my food too. She did a really good thing in taking care of me.¡± he added, looking at me, so I smiled at him and gave his cheek a light pinch.


    ¡°Big brother Jared, big sister Colleen cook really well. If I were to have a wife like her, I would surely love her as well,  because I love to eat and we will never run out of food every day.¡± Marcus said, which made everyoneugh even more. He was really into food and really loved to eat.


    ¡°Is food all in your mind?¡± Diane asked him,ughing.


    ¡°I am just a kid, so yes, I only think about food,¡± he replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a kid anymore, you are already a teenager and should have thought about what you want to be when you grow up.¡± Diane told him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be an adult just yet. I still like to enjoy being a kid. I can see how much Mom and Dad had to work for us and I don¡¯t think i will be able to be as strong as them.¡± he replied.


    ¡°Marcus, when you grow up and you have people you love that you want to protect, you will be able to do anything you thought that you couldn¡¯t. You will go beyond your limit thinking they need you.¡± Uncle Rick told him, which I agreed.


    ¡°And yes, because you¡¯re still young, all you have to do for now is enjoy yourself and do not think of anything that we adults should be thinking.¡± Jared told him,


    ¡°So you study first as it is your responsibility to yourself because it is your stepping stone to give your loved ones a better life,¡± Diane added. We stayed there for a little more until Betty called us for dinner. I was d that I could join them during meals and not like after I was discharged from the hospital when I only stayed in our bedroom.


    We continued our conversation but it wasn¡¯t about Marcus¡¯ future anymore. He told us about what had happened to him at school and how much he enjoyed it. He was d that, even though he was a transferee, his ssmates weed him. Jared excused both of us after dinner and took me to our bedroom. I knew that he was still worried about my health, so I just followed him even if I still wanted to talk to them.


    ¡°I am going to work tomorrow, so I¡¯m sure that you have a lot of time to talk to them. You have to rest now and follow your doctor¡¯s instructions,¡± he said, smiling.


    ¡°I know that, you don¡¯t need to remind me,¡± I replied.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But I can see in your face that you still want to stay there.¡±


    ¡°Well yes, but I know that it¡¯s not possible, so you don¡¯t have to exin to me about this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± he said and kissed me. We had a little talk for a while until I felt my eyes heavy. I am sleepy and he lets me sumb to my slumber.


    In the morning, Jared left a littlete for work. ¡°I only want to stay with you, you know. If only it was fine not to go to work anymore.¡± he said, and Iughed at him.


    ¡°Go now, Mr. McLahlin. You have been absent for so many days already because of me.¡± I told him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not because of you, it was because of me. I want to see you always. If only I can take you to my work, I will surely do that.¡± he said, pouting and he was so cute, so I gave him a quick kiss. ¡°You get yourself better so I can bring you to work, OK?¡± he asked after, and I nodded my head in agreement.


    ¡°I would love that,¡± I replied. He went to his office and I was left in our room. I decided to turn on the TV  and look for a movie or something that could entertain me while I waited for others to be avable. I identally pressed the news channel and what I saw shocked me.


    Stacey and her politician boyfriend were caught. There were reporters and I saw how the senator left her. Just what had happened? Does Jared do that to them? If so, for what reason? Did he find out about their rtionship and she wanted revenge? I don¡¯t think so, he looked happy before he went to his office early. I surely felt that he loves me now.


    Did he do that because of me? Because of what happened to me after I saw their photos? Then, does he love me so much that he resorted to that? If that¡¯s the case, how is he feeling now? Is he just trying to hide from me the pain and sadness of losing me in the end? I don¡¯t know what I am feeling now, but it hurts me knowing I was hurting him that much too.


    And I started to me myself. I should have been more eager to live. I should have forced him to give me money for my surgery two years ago. My tears started to fall thinking how much pain it may cause him in the end. I am fine and I already epted my fate, but, did he ept it too?

 Fifty

    Jared¡¯s POV


    I watched as the news spread throughout the country. Did they actually think that they could get away with what they did to my wife? I am not going to stop until they are totally ruined. I knew Stacey¡¯s father and he was very strict when it came to rtionships. Her mother left with another man, which made her dad curse homewreckers. I was sure that she wouldn¡¯t be able to go back home now. If she decides to go to her mom¡¯s, I don¡¯t think that she will be able to stay there for long with the way she has been living for the past few years. Her mother and   step-father were poor as her dad filed a case against them and had to pay a huge amount of money.


    As for Derrick, I know who his wife was. I was acquainted with Senator Dean and met his daughter Mia. She was kind and gullible, but no one wanted to befriend her because she didn¡¯t like to dress up well or didn¡¯t know how to take care of her physical appearance. Maybe she likes Derrick. That¡¯s why Senator Dean agreed to their marriage even if I knew that he knew that Derrick only wanted his poprity.


    ¡°Hello, we are done with n A. Move on to the next n.¡± I told Ellie the private investigator and hung up. Noah is really good at finding people and everything about people. He said Ellie is his friend, but I¡¯m sure that he does some side jobs there as well. In time, I will make him meet my wife and I¡¯m sure that Colleen will be very happy.


    I kept myself busy with office work while I waited for the second wave of scandal for Derrick. I want to make sure that he will have nothing in the end. I am stingy that I couldn¡¯t take the fact that I unintentionally financed all his projects. And that is because of that woman, Stacey. I am really stu*** and I just remember how Ingrid told me about not actually knowing Stacey at all.


    They could have just told me why they had to hide it from me. I am not a child anymore. But I can¡¯t me them. Look at what I did with Colleen after we got married. It must be because of thepany that I chose to break up with Stacey and I should thank mom for using that to make me agree.


    I was thinking of calling Colleen to make sure that she would have her lunch but she beat me to it, ¡°Hello, my wife,¡± I said, as soon as I answered her call.


    ¡°Hubby, have you had your lunch?¡± she asked and I chuckled. I was the one who was about to call her to remind her and yet here she was reminding me.


    ¡°Not yet, but I was about to.¡± I replied, I didn;t want her to worry about me. ¡°How about you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m in the kitchen now, watching Betty with her cooking. I wanted to help her but she didn¡¯t want to, so I decided to just watch.¡± she replied.


    ¡°Is it almost done?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mom is preparing the table now,¡± she replied. ¡°The kids are at school until after lunch, so we will be eating without them.¡± she added.


    ¡°OK, how have you been the whole morning? Did you feel any pain or difort somewhere?¡± I asked, worriedly. Due to her pregnancy, she had suffered morning sickness and had headaches or dizziness.


    ¡°I have been fine the whole morning, so you don¡¯t have to worry,¡± she replied, and I sighed in relief. ¡°How about you, how are you this morning?¡± she asked and sounded worried.


    ¡°I am very fine, although I have a lot of paperwork and more toe this afternoon.¡± I informed her and I heard her giggle.


    ¡°I can say that the life of a billionaire is boring,¡± she replied.


    ¡°It is, but because you called me, not anymore.¡± I told her. ¡°You make me feel like going home every day. Unlike before, I almost want to sleep in my office so I can work.¡± I added.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that I¡¯m missing you already.¡± she said,


    ¡°Shall I go home now?¡± I asked, teasing her. It would be great if she would tell me to go home now.


    ¡°You¡¯re working and I didn¡¯t want you to ck from work because of me.¡± she replied, suddenly feeling guilty.


    ¡°You just don¡¯t know how much I wanted to go home already. I was just worried that you would take it the wrong way and me yourself again.¡±


    ¡°I am not going to make youe home now, but be sure to stay with me tomorrow the whole day.¡± she replied.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me that because I already nned to do just that.¡±


    ¡°OK, hubby, the table is set up and we¡¯re going to eat now.¡±


    ¡°Alright my wife, I will have my lunch now too, so we technically eat together.¡± I said, ¡°I love you,¡± I added and waited for her reply,


    ¡°I love you more,¡± and I am the happiest man on earth. I am not going to exceed her love confession because she will only rebut and it will never end.


    ¡°Bye, my wife. Enjoy your lunch,¡±


    ¡°You too, bye.¡± she said and ended our call. It feels great. Talking to her like that and I didn¡¯t want to end it. If only I had more time to be with her. I am willing to trade everything just to extend her life and stay with me for a long time. But I know it will never happen. At times like this, I can¡¯t help but feel guilty and me myself again. I know that when she found out about it, she would only get mad at me because she didn¡¯t want me feeling that way.


    It was hard for me to be with her . What had happened two years ago keeps on repeating in my mind, which causes me to feel the heaviness of my heart. I heaved a deep sigh and closed my eyes. I had to stop thinking about it and ruin the atmosphere between me and herter at home. I had to condition myself so I stood up from my chair and went out of my office.


    I had to eat lunch just as I¡¯d told my lovely wife. I have to tell her what I ate so she will feel at ease at home too. I ended up in a restaurant and ate in peace and I wanted to call Colleen but decided not to because I knew that they were having their conversation there as well.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    My assistant was already in my office when I got back and handed me the files that I was going to bring hometer. I have already informed him about my working schedule and he understands it. He will be preparing everything that I can do at home when I just go to the office for urgent matters. I wanted to stay with Colleen more because I knew that she was not going to stay with me for long either.


    In the afternoon, the news that I had been waiting for was aired. ¡°Senator Derrick, a corrupt official?¡± says the headline. Let¡¯s see what you can do about it. Two scandals in a day, how¡¯s that? I stayed in the office a little more time because I didn¡¯t want Colleen to notice that I had done something like that. I don¡¯t want to give her something I know that she will think about and feel guilty about.


    Although I  don¡¯t think that what I did was wrong, Colleen might have taken it the other way, so I just celebrated with myself in the office before I went home, where my lovely wife was waiting. I wanted to have dinner with her and I felt guilty that she had to eat without me again. Of course, I had to tell her that I wouldn¡¯t be able to go home early so she wouldn¡¯t worry.


    Now, Stacey and Derrick, what are you going to do?

 Fifty-One

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    The citizens have been furious about the news. There were a few who were still favoring Derrick but most of them were angry at him. They were mad at how he treated his wife, especially when they found out that he was with another woman on their anniversary.


    Senator Dean first weed him as he arrived home. He was furious seeing how much his daughter cried because of the news. ¡°How dare you hurt my precious daughter!!¡± Sen. Dean shouted after.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Mia eximed, she was shocked to see her sensible father hitting and shouting at someone. She knew her father to be calm and cool.


    ¡°I am very sorry, my princess. I don¡¯t know whates to my mind that I let you marry him. I thought he was nice and sincere to him. It is all my fault.¡± Sen. Dean told Mia.


    ¡°Everything on the news is not true,¡± Derrick said, trying to gain his trust again.


    ¡°You can tell that to anyone who will believe in you, but not to me. You better get out of my sight now before I forget that my daughter still needs me.¡± Sen. Dean replied and looked at Mia, who had stopped crying. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, my princess. Lets get you a divorce.¡± He added and hugged his daughter.


    ¡°Dad,¡± Derrick said, but Sen. Dean looked at him angrily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call me dad, you b******! You¡¯re going to pay for what you did to my daughter.¡± He said and called the guards to throw him out of his house.


    Derrick went to his house and stayed there to think about what he should do about the scandal. He didn¡¯t know how his rtionship with Stacey came out. He believes that she was not the one responsible for it so he was determined to know who it was.


    ¡°Derrick,¡± Stacey said as he answered her call. ¡°I can¡¯t leave the apartment, the reporters are still down here.¡± she informed him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave there yet, there is food there so you will be fine for a few days.¡± he told her.


    ¡°Why is this happening? Who did this to us? I made sure no one knew about us, really. My dad hated homewreckers so much and  when I called him he said he doesn¡¯t know me.¡±


    ¡°Can you shut up? Just do as I say for the time being. Don¡¯te out yet and I am going to send someone there if ever you needed anything.¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Stacey asked,


    ¡°Home, Sen. Dean wanted me and Mia to divorce,¡± he told her.


    ¡°What?¡± Stacey eximed. ¡°Then people will think that you had an affair. That shouldn¡¯t happen. What about the presidential election? It was almost sure that you were going to win,¡± she added.


    Derrick knew that, that¡¯s why he nned to do something just to stop Sen. Dean to file that divorce. He decided to talk to his wife and he knew that she loved him, so he would persuade her not to agree with her father.


    He had nned everything and the only thing he needed to do was to see his wife. But how can he do that when Sen. Dean was preventing that from happening. He doesn¡¯t let Mia answer his call and he throws his cell phone out of frustration.


    ¡°Whoever you are who did this, I will make sure to make you pay!!!¡± He shouted as he started to lose his cool. He couldn¡¯t think straight now that his candidacy for president was at stake.


    Staying in his house is what he could only do at the moment. He couldn¡¯t show up at any ce because he knew that reporters would surround him and would surely ask him about Stacey once again.


    He was in his living room so he turned on the t. v. only to get surprised once again. ¡°A well-known senator that has been caught cheating this morning will now have to face a graft and corruption case.¡± The news anchor said.


    ¡°Arghhhhhh¡­¡± he yelled and threw the remote on the television and had it broken.


    ¡°Who the f*** are you??¡± He asked angrily to no one. He was feeling frustrated that he couldn¡¯t do anything at the moment.


    ¡°Tell me Stacey, is this your own doing? Because I told you that I don¡¯t love you, you did this to me?¡± He asked angrily.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m still in our apartment and can¡¯t leave at all. The reporters were still outside the building,¡± Stacey replied. She wanted to get angry at him because of what he told her, but she was still thinking about her dad.


    ¡°Then who the hell is doing this to us?¡± Derrick asked angrily.


    ¡°I already told you, I didn¡¯t tell anyone about us.¡± She said in a low voice. She had been crying all day and she didn¡¯t want to think about what her dad would do to her.


    They think of a possible person who could do that. Stacey strongly believed that it was Jared, but because Derrick didn¡¯t want to believe it, she didn¡¯t push through with that thought.


    ¡°Just stay there and don¡¯t ever get out.¡± Derrick said after, and ended their call to make another one.


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± The man answered.


    ¡°You better find out who did this to me and I want the result as soon as possible.¡± He said. He didn¡¯t need to exin to the man what he meant because news about him was all over the news and he had a feeling that it was all over the inte as well.


    ¡± OK, Sir.¡± The man replied immediately. Without Stacey knowing, Derrick had some men who worked for him dealing with some illegal activities. It pissed him that he had just started about 2 years ago and the threat of taking it down was evident.


    ¡°You need to find whoever he was or we will get busted. I don¡¯t know if he or she knew about us so we need to stop him before that happens.¡±


    ¡°Copy Sir,¡± the man replied and they hung up. Derrick had his back on the couch and closed his eyes. The organization he had dealt with was not something he could offend. He started to worry about his life, thinking someone knew about his dealings with them because he was sure that they would erase him from the face of the earth.


    Meanwhile, Jared didn¡¯t go home and called Colleen instead, telling her that he would being home a littlete. Noah and his team were executing their n. He was happy thinking that they would be able to help the country in making Derrick¡¯s acts exposed.


    Jared was in his office when Noah called him, ¡°Tomorrow morning, we will expose his illegal dealings.¡± He said.


    ¡°I had been waiting for that,¡± he replied, and Noahughed at him.


    ¡°He had to deal with them one at a time but we didn¡¯t want him to think of a solution,¡± Noah replied.


    ¡°I want him totally broke, Noah.¡± Jared told him.


    ¡°And that¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do. I don¡¯t think that the organization  he had dealings with will leave him off the hook once he gets busted.¡± Noah informed him and that was enough for Jared. ¡°You¡¯re not home yet?¡± He added.


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t want Colleen to think too much.¡± He replied,


    ¡°You love her that much now?¡±


    ¡°I think I have been in love with her for the past two years already, but I just ignored it. She was kind and she looked beautiful when she smiled andughed with Betty. She just didn¡¯t know that I was watching her.¡± Jared said, ¡°Seeing her smiling andughing with Dr. Gerard made me feel threatened and jealous. She had never smiled at me like that and she gave it freely to that doctor.¡± He added.


    ¡°Then make the most of her remaining days. I didn¡¯t want to make you feel down, but I want you to be ready. You are lucky that you still have time to make it up to her.¡± Noah told him and he went quiet. He didn¡¯t want to think about Colleen¡¯s condition because he couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty.


    ¡°And man, stop feeling guilty already. I¡¯m sure your wife didn¡¯t want you to feel that way either.¡±


    ¡°Thank you man,¡±


    ¡°All the time, and be ready for tomorrow¡¯s surprise,¡± Noah said, and ended their call.


    Jared was left thinking about his wife and started to feel sad once again. From time to time, he had this kind of feeling towards Colleen that hurt him. He regretted his arrogance 2 years ago and he was sure that he¡¯s going to bring it to himself for the rest of his life.

 Fifty-Two

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    After we had our lunch, I told mom that I wouldn¡¯t be able to stick around because I wanted to rest. I am going to have a check-up tomorrow and I want to be ready physically and emotionally. I stayed in my room and, from time to time, I looked at the television not too far from our bed. Because I was so curious, I turned it on and watched the news.


    It was really all over the news. I still can¡¯t believe it. I wonder how Jared would react to this. Or maybe he already knew about it. Did he feel hurt? I guess not. The way he talked to me before lunch was good and I don¡¯t sense any kind of jealousy in his voice. I turned off the TV and decided to rest. I want to be healthy for tomorrow because I didn¡¯t want to cause my baby any trouble.


    The sound of my phone ringing wakes me up from my nap. I didn¡¯t notice that I had slept already. I took my phone and I smiled after I saw Jared¡¯s name, ¡°Hello,¡± I answered.


    Maybe my voice was a little husky from my sleep, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I woke you up.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, I was already awake when you called.¡± I replied, to avoid him feeling guilty again.


    ¡°Have you had your snack and vitamins?¡± he asked,


    ¡°I¡¯m about to. I told you I was already awake when you called and was about to eat and take my vitamins.¡±


    ¡°OK,¡± he said, ¡°I might not be able to eat with you at dinner because I still need to do something in the office. I don¡¯t want to work tomorrow after your check-up and n on staying with you at our house or if you want to go somewhere.¡± he added. I guess he was exining to me why he needed to stay longer in thepany and it was fine with me. Not just fine, but extremely happy. It only means that we¡¯re going to be together all day tomorrow.


    ¡°Alright, everyone will be here by that time, so I have someone to eat with. How about you?¡±


    ¡°I will just ask my assistant to buy meter,¡± he replied. ¡°OK, my wife, you eat now and I am going to continue working,¡± he said after.


    ¡°OK, see youter.¡± I said and ended the call. I didn¡¯t wait for his reply anymore because I knew that he was busy. I needed to pee too, so I rushed to the bathroom and left my phone on the bed.


    I was about to leave the room when I heard my phone ringing, so I looked for it, ¡°Hello, did you forget to say something?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I thought something happened,¡± he said, then my room door opened. Mom and Betty were there looking worried,


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, what¡¯s going on? I asked.


    ¡°Jared called,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°I am talking to him now,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Then I just asked him,¡± Mom replied, and went out after I nodded.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked Jared.


    ¡°Well, you just got out of line and when I called again you didn¡¯t answer, so I got worried and called Mommy Lucy.¡±


    ¡°I went to the bathroom,¡± I replied,


    ¡°Don¡¯t hang up like that, I thought you would get mad because I am not going to be with you at dinner.¡±


    ¡°I am not, I just needed to pee so I did that. I¡¯m sorry to make you worried.¡±


    ¡°You wait for me to say I love you before you end our call, OK?¡± he asked and I felt touched.


    ¡°OK,¡± I replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I worried you.¡± I told him again, ¡°Now, can I eat now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, and don¡¯t forget your vitamins and medicine.¡±


    ¡°Yes, hubby.¡±


    ¡°I love you,¡± he said, and I wanted him to know that I wasfortable with him, so I replied,


    ¡°I love you too, bye.¡± Then I ended our call and went out to have my snack. Then at dinner, I wish that Jared had been with us. Although I love that my mom was with me, I still miss him. I didn¡¯t want to worry everyone, so I tried to hide my feelings. It¡¯s not as bad as hurting myself, it¡¯s just it would be a lot better if my husband had been with me during dinner.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    I waited for him in our bedroom and even though I was starting to feel sleepy, I still tried to stay awake because I wanted to see him. But because I was already used to sleeping early, I couldn¡¯t help myself from sleep.


    I felt warm lips on my cheeks and, because I am a light sleeper, I opened my eyes and saw my husband. His face was close to mine, I smiled and asked,  ¡°Did you just get home? Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?¡±


    Jared smiled and said, ¡°I came about 30 minutes ago. You were sleeping like an angel so I freshened up and was going to give you a good night kiss but you woke up instead.¡±


    ¡°I was actually waiting for you,¡±


    ¡°You should get back to sleep now. We didn¡¯t want our baby to be sleepless either, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I replied and hey down beside me. I squeezed myself into him because I really missed him. The whole day that I didn¡¯t see him made me realize how much I missed him.


    ¡°You missed me?¡± he asked,


    ¡°Uhmm..¡± I hummed and he chuckled. Maybe he never thought that I was actually admitting it to him.


    ¡°I missed you too,¡± he replied, and I smiled. My face was on his chest as he hugged me and I went to him. I¡¯m sure that he can¡¯t see me but he probably felt my lips when he said,


    ¡°You¡¯re happy that I missed you?¡± I nodded my head and I felt him kiss me on my head. I love this feeling. ¡°Sleep now my wife, tomorrow we will be together the whole day, sigh¡± he said, and I heard him sigh. I could feel his hardness on my stomach and I was sure that he wanted me but he couldn¡¯t because of my condition. I feel sad that I am unable to provide him with his physical needs and I felt frustrated as well.


    Before I got back to sleep, I made a mental note to ask my doctor if it was safe to do that with him. I wanted him to be happy in that department as well. ¡°I love you, my wife. Goodnight.¡± he whispered. I closed my eyes and squeezed myself even more. I think I am going to have a really good night¡¯s sleep.

 Fifty-Three

    Jared¡¯s POV


    ¡°The baby is fine,¡± Dr. Chin, Colleen¡¯s OB Gyne said, after her check up. She underwent a lot ofb tests and Dr. Chin was satisfied with the result. ¡°Make sure to take care of yourself all the time, your pregnancy isplicated and you know that, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied and I nodded. I looked at Colleen¡¯s happy face and I couldn¡¯t help but get influenced by her. I admire her for being a brave and positive thinker despite the fact that she¡¯s going to die. With that thought, I couldn¡¯t help but feel sad again.


    ¡°Hubby, are you alright?¡± she asked and I smiled at her. Dr. Chin was looking at me as well as t warning me not to make my wife feel upset.


    ¡°Yes, I was just thinking about if we could buy our baby¡¯s clothes already?¡± I replied, scratching the back of my head. Colleenughed and so did her doctor.


    ¡°Mr. McLahlin must be really excited.¡± Dr. Chinmented and I nodded.


    ¡°Very, I couldn¡¯t wait to see our baby that looks like my wife.¡± I said, ¡°I want her to be like her mom, sweet, kind, brave, smart and beautiful.¡± I added.


    ¡°I am not an angel, hubby.¡± Colleen said.


    ¡°But, you are, to me,¡± I replied, and then I saw her sweet smile that I was already used to seeing.


    ¡°It¡¯s because my husband is very loving and responsible,¡± she replied as she took my hand and intertwined our fingers. She looks pale but her happy feeling was overtaking that look and I can say that she¡¯s blooming.


    ¡°You look really happy now, Colleen.¡± Dr. Chin said and we both looked at her. ¡°Dr. Gerard is a friend of mine and I always see you every time you have your check-up. Although you were always smiling, I can tell that it wasn¡¯t as pure and as real as now.¡± she added.


    ¡°I am going to make sure that it stays that way.¡± I told her and she nodded, smiling.


    ¡°I look forward to that,¡± she replied and then looked at Colleen and said,


    ¡°You can go to Dr. Gerard now, I¡¯m sure that he was eager to know whether you were taking care of yourself or not.¡± Dr. Chin said and we went to Dr. Gerard next.


    I know that he likes my wife, but I am not going to take it the wrong way. Colleen is in love with me already and that¡¯s all that matters. Anyone could like her, even I did. She¡¯s the best thing that happened to me and I can¡¯t me Dr. Gerard if he was smitten by her character and grace.


    ¡°It was nice seeing you having a check-up with someone.¡± Dr. Gerard said as soon as he saw us. He was smiling and looked happy, but I knew deep down, he was sad for Colleen and for the fact that he wouldn¡¯t be able to have her when Colleen and I were already happy together. I definitely admire her for being such a good doctor to my wife. I know because when I asked about him, all his patients praised him for being one. He was fair with all his patients and just because he liked Colleen, it doesn¡¯t mean that he took care of her the most. He¡¯s not like that and he ismitted to his profession.


    ¡°How are you, Dr. Gerard.¡± Colleen asked and greeted him.


    ¡°Very fine and I don¡¯t think I needed to ask you when I already saw the answer,¡± he replied, smiling. Colleen sat on a chair in front of him and I sat beside her.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He looked on hisputer and showed us the results of herb tests from her Dr. Chin. ¡°Everything looks good with the baby so we need to make sure that you are healthy.¡± he said and called a nurse, ¡°Michelle, please assist Colleen with all these tests.¡± he said and handed her the request he had just written. Michelle took it and helped Colleen. She took a wheelchair but my wife didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°You need to get in a wheelchair, we can¡¯t let you tire yourself with continuous walking around.¡± Dr. Gerard told her and she sighed and sat in the wheelchair. Michelle was about to push it but I took it from her. She smiled and handed me to and let me do it. Then we followed her to wherever Colleen needed to go.


    After all of those tests, we waited for the results. I was hopeful that everything was fine and that Colleen would be better. We were sitting in the lounge when Michelle called us. I got up from my seat and offered Colleen my hand for her support in getting up and we followed Michelle again in Dr. Gerard¡¯s room.


    We sat together and were both ready, ¡°So you are really doing good, all the results were outstanding. Jared must have inspired you, right?¡± Dr. Gerard said, still smiling.


    ¡°He always reminds me of all my vitamins and medicines. There were times that he didn¡¯t go to work and take care of me, just like now.¡° She replied ¡°My mom and her family are living with us now, so you can imagine how much they reminded me about everything.¡± she added and weughed. She must have been feeling frustrated when Mommy Lucy asked her about her medicines when I just asked her the same thing.


    ¡°It was good that there were a lot of people who looked after you. You will need them especially when you give birth to your child. That will be a critical part of your pregnancy and health.¡± Dr. Gerard said, but it didn¡¯t scare Colleen. I felt worried but she was still smiling and replied happily,


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, giving birth to my child is the most wonderful thing that will ever happen to me.¡± her smile reaches her eyes and I¡¯m sure Dr. Gerard saw it too, because his smile widened as well.


    ¡°I know that there are a lot of people around you that will remind you all the time, but still, I will do the same so you won¡¯t forget.¡± Dr. Gerard said, ¡°Your vitamins and medicines are important, so take those religiously. To you and to the food you eat is where your baby gets nutrition from, so you eat healthily. And thest thing, sleep on time.¡± he added and Colleen nodded. ¡°OK, see you again next month or don¡¯t hesitate toe back if you feel something unusual.¡± I stood up and was about to take her hand when she said,


    ¡°Can you leave Dr. Gerard and I for a minute?¡± she asked me and I stared at her. I don¡¯t know what she wanted to tell the doctor but I wanted to hear it. ¡°It¡¯s nothing for you to worry about, I was just too shy to ask him in front of you.¡± she said with her face turning red. I had my forehead creased but I still followed her. I left the room and gave them time together. It didn¡¯tst long and she left the room with a smile on her face. I wonder what it was that she asked her doctor about.

 Fifty-Four

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    ¡°Is it?¡± Colleen asked again. After Jared left the room, she looked at Dr. Gerard and asked him about her concern. She was shy about it but she really wanted to know because she wanted to at least please her husband.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect that you would be asking me that. I mean, you¡¯re married, so it is fine if you are worried about that matter. But, I think Jared will never force you to do that.¡± Dr. Gerard said,


    ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you so that I can offer it to him. I mean, I wanted to, you know, make him feel that he had a wife.¡± she replied shyly.


    ¡°Colleen, Jared knows about your condition and I¡¯m sure that if you are about to be intimate with him, he will worry about you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I want to know if it would be fine if we did it again. I mean, he was gentle when we first, you know, uhm,¡ª¡± she said with her head down, as she couldn¡¯t look at Dr. Gerard.


    ¡°Alright, you can. But with caution.¡± Dr. Gerard replied. He was really shocked to hear Colleen asking him about her trouble and he was a little hurt. He has liked her for a long time already, but if she chooses Jared, it was fine with him as well. ¡°You will be able to feel it, but you don¡¯t need to insist on doing it when Jared doesn¡¯t want to. You have to understand that he is worried about you as well, OK?¡± he added. Colleen smiled shyly as she got up from her seat and said goodbye.


    She went out of the room with a smile on her face and found Jared waiting for her. He stood up as soon as he saw her and walked towards her and took her hand. ¡°Done?¡± he asked and she nodded. He wanted to ask her  about what they had talked about but he stopped himself. He thought that she didn¡¯t want him to know, maybe because she was shy about it.


    ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± he asked her again. Colleen thought for a while and said.


    ¡°Home,¡± Jared looked at him, trying to make sure if it was really what she wanted. Because she was all smiles, he was sure that she really wanted that. Colleen thinks that they should just go home and not do anymore activities because of the n she was making in her head forter at night.


    She decided to rest so she would be ready when she initiated her n. Although she was nervous and shy, she was confident that Jared would want to do it too. She did so he should too, she thought.


    In their room, Colleen was on their bed and was looking at her phone when Jared sat beside her, ¡°My wife,¡± he called her, so she looked at him and waited for him to say what he wanted to say. ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡± he asked.


    Colleen was curious why he asked her that and, with a creased forehead, she replied and asked, ¡°Yes. Why don¡¯t I look OK?¡±


    ¡°I was just wondering why you had to make me leave the hospital earlier. Is there anything you feel that you don¡¯t want me to worry about?¡± he asked, worriedly. Although he saw her smiling, he was thinking that she must have been faking it so he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her.


    ¡°Nothing. Nothing at all, why did you say that?¡± she answered immediately. She didn¡¯t think that he would be feeling that way, which made her feel guilty. She didn¡¯t want him to think about her that way, as much as possible, he wanted him to see her getting better day by day.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that, I thought you were keeping something from me. Wife, I want to know everything about how you feel. If there¡¯s something that bothers you, you have to tell me about it. Don¡¯t over think and if you can¡¯t help it, you have to share it with me to lessen your burden.¡±


    Colleen smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. Knowing that you love me, keep me at peace and I have already told you that I will only believe in you. I promise that if there is something I need to clear with you, I am not going to hesitate to ask you about it.¡± she replied and Jared sighed in relief.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said and touched her face. ¡°I want to have a date with you after your check-up but you wanted to go home. You must be feeling tired, so you take your rest now and put down your cell phone already.¡± he added in a low voice, looking at her with so much love.


    She held his hand that was touching her face and smiled, looking at him, ¡°It must have been hard on you,¡± she said. Jared wondered what she meant but he still replied,


    ¡°Never, loving you was never hard. With you, I feel alive and good. Never think otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Uhm,¡± she said, nodding.


    ¡°Now, rest.¡± he said, smiling, and sheughed. Then suddenly, she decided to gather her courage and look at him in his eyes and said,


    ¡°Hubby,¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± he replied, looking at her eyes as well. He had a feeling about what Colleen wanted to tell him. He could feel it with the way she looked at him.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she said,


    ¡°I love you more.¡± he replied and, slowly, Colleen moved her face closer to his as he waited for her lips to touch his as well. When they do, Jared closes his eyes and feels all the love that Colleen was trying to convey with the kiss.


    He responded to her gently because he knew that she was not allowed to have too much and excessive movements. They both took it slow but Jared stopped and looked at her, ¡°Will you be OK with this?¡± he asked,


    ¡°I asked Dr. Gerard earlier and he said yes. Just not the way other couples do it.¡± she replied shyly, and Jared¡¯s eyes widened when he realized why she stayed behind on her check-up. He smiled and then he was the one who started kissing her. He wanted her so much but he knew that it would be difficult for her and was worried that it might give too much stress on her. That¡¯s why he never tried to initiate it. Now that she was the one who wanted it and was confident, he still needed to be careful and gentle. After all, Colleen is his fragile wife.


    ¡°I love you so much, my wife.¡± Jared told her after their gentle love-making.


    ¡°I love you too, hubby,¡± she replied, and gave him a light kiss on his lips again. They slept hugging each other as always, but they were both extra happy with what had just transpired. Colleen and Jared felt their love for each other had gone deeper and were both satisfied.

 Fifty-Five

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    Jared is still sleeping and I feel happy about doing something for him. It saddens me thinking I  won¡¯t be able to stay with him for a long time, but I can¡¯t just choose my life over my child. Last night was fantastic, although I know that what we did was nothingpared to what other couples do. I can only do it once, even though I still feel how much I want him.


    I can¡¯t take care of him as a dutiful wife anymore. Everything that I promised myself to do for him was now a promise that has been broken. I couldn¡¯t give him a wife that was there for all his needs. Instead, I was a burden that he was carrying already. I heaved a deep sigh after that realization.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°That¡¯s too deep,¡± Jared said and opened his eyes. I was startled and I didn¡¯t know how long he had been awake. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, and I didn¡¯t know how I would answer him.


    He faced me and capped my face with his hand as he caressed my cheek with his thumb, ¡°Last night was great. If you are thinking that you¡¯recking, forget it. You¡¯re far from that. You are more than enough, especially when you¡¯re carrying our baby. Don¡¯t think that you are no longer worthy of my wife or you are insufficient to fulfill my needs.¡± he said, and I couldn¡¯t help my eyes to water.


    ¡°It¡¯s just, I told you that I am going to do what a wife should do and yet¡ª¡± I said, but he interrupted me,


    ¡°Shhh,¡± he said as his thumb was now gently rubbing my lips. ¡°You did and every good wife has to do. You even did more. I know that it was hard for you, but still, you wanted me to be a father. You could have chosen your life but you were determined to give our baby a chance to be with us. You are the bravest and dutiful wife I have ever met in my life.¡± he added, and the tears that I was trying to hold on burst like a running stream.


    ¡°Stop crying my wife, it¡¯s not good for you, please.¡± he said, worriedly. I tried to smile so he wouldn¡¯t worry and tried to stop myself from crying. I can¡¯t be this emotional. I¡¯m sure he will think about this when he is alone and would probably feel guilty.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I still want you and yet, I can¡¯t have you again.¡± I said, pouting, which caused his chuckle.


    ¡°I do too, but I am content with what we can do. Making love is no longer important to me, but you still kiss me and feel this happy.¡± he said and kissed me, ¡°Our first time is the most memorable, butst night was remarkable.¡± he added, and I creased my forehead in confusion. I don¡¯t understand why he said that. I mean, what¡¯s the difference?


    ¡°Our first time was how we started our marriage,st night. That is you, showing how much you love me. That¡¯s why it was remarkable. You risk your life for that to happen.¡± he said, ¡°And because of that, I want you to know that I love you so much and I promise you that I will only love you and our baby, forever.¡± I almost cried. I love what I heard but I know that I am going to leave him and I want him to be happy, so he has to find someone who will be staying and will take care of him and our baby in the future.


    But, I cannot tell him that. I know how emotional he was now and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to voice it out. ¡°I love you so much, too, remember that.¡± I said instead, with a smile.


    He hugged me and I squeezed myself into him. It feels good to be engulfed in his embrace and I will make sure to remember this forever. ¡°Are you not going to work?¡± I asked him after a few more minutes if we would stay that way. I didn¡¯t want him to leave, but, of course, I know that he has some responsibilities to do, as well as, I know how important thepany is to him.


    ¡°Later after lunch, how am I going to leave you here like this?¡± he replied and I smiled. My lips were on his chest, so he may have felt it when he said,


    ¡°You¡¯re smiling, are you happy that I will only leave for workter?¡±


    ¡°I want you to stay here the whole day. I am not going to deny that,¡± I said when I looked up and saw his reaction. He was smiling as if very happy to know that. ¡°But, I know that you needed to go, there were people who depend on you and yourpany.¡± I added.


    ¡°Thank you for being understanding. Just to let you know, I want to be with you all the time too.¡± he replied. ¡°Let¡¯s have 10 more minutes like this before we get up and have our breakfast,¡± he added, and I nodded. Then I felt him hug me a little tighter, but not enough to hurt me, it rather made me feel secure and loved.


    After lunch, Jared left for his office and I stayed in our bedroom recollecting what had happenedst night. I know that it was nothingpared to others, but just as Jared said, that is my love that I conveyed to him and I am d that he appreciated it.


    I decided to watch T. V. When I remembered the news about Stacey and Derrick, I felt relieved that Jared had no lingering feelings towards her. Him telling me that nothing happened to them after we got married made me happy.


    The news about Derrick being a corrupt official was all over the news. I thought it was only the scandal between him and Stacey, but it turned out he had some illegal activities as well. Is Jared behind everything? Did he intentionally expose all of this? I couldn¡¯t help but feel worried about him. What if Derrick and Stacey found out that he was the one who brought those matters to the media? My heart clenched at the thought that something might happen to him.

 Fifty-Six

    Jared¡¯s POV


    I don¡¯t think bringing Colleen into my office is a good idea. She was seated on the couch in the receiving area of my office, scrolling on her cellphone and here I am, watching her. After lunch, I didn¡¯t want to leave her still, so I decided to take her with me after she made sure that she was feeling fine.


    My wife is very simple. I want to think that it was because of her condition, but I had a feeling that it was because of what she and her family had been through. Her parent¡¯s separation scares and hurt her and pained a feeling of abandonment when none of them took her after.


    Despite that fact, she grew up to be a very sensible, kind and good person. What¡¯scking in her is not a hindrance to doing what she wants to do. Although they were all simple things as well.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to finish what you need to finish if you keep on staring at me like that.¡± I heard her say something which made me smile at her. She was not looking at me and was still scrolling at her cell phone.


    ¡°You secretly look my way, though.¡± I replied and she chuckled before she put down her phone and looked at me.


    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t, when you are so handsome sitting there?¡± she replied, smiling. She¡¯s so beautiful, how could I not have noticed it before? Maybe because we never really had a chance to get acquainted with her and didn¡¯t talk much. I regret how I did not make a move to get close to her before and could have had more than a year to spend with her.


    ¡°Since when did you notice your handsome husband, huh?¡± I asked, teasing.


    ¡°Since the first time I saw you. You were very angry and yet you looked so hot and sexy.¡± she replied, teasing me back. She said that incident casually. Did she forget about that already?


    ¡°You already have the hots for me then?¡± I asked and I saw her stand up and approach me. I waited for her and saw what she would do because it looked to me that she was going to act boldly. I sit back and look up to her as she stands right in front of me.


    She sat on myp,ughing and I could see that she was shy, but she tried to fight it and made herselffortable on top of me. Her hands were on my shoulders and I held her to her legs and waist. ¡°You just don¡¯t know how much, hubby.¡± she replied while she caressed my cheeks and I couldn¡¯t help but moan. She was smiling when I opened my eyes and she continued,


    ¡°If I was not sick, I would have yelled at you to just agree.¡±


    ¡°But you agreed with me instead and left.¡± I told her and she nodded.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to force you. I don¡¯t have the power of persuasion and I was thinking that even if you do, you will still hold it against it. I thought everything was OK when I left. That the marriage was not going to happen, so I was surprised when I received a text message from Stacey asking me to see her.¡± she said and then stopped. She looked at me in my eyes before she continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt her then,¡± I already knew about that, so I stopped her by putting my thumb on her lips,


    ¡°I already know about that. I had it investigated because I was nning on taking action against Stacey but it turned out that she was only acting.¡± I informed her, ¡°I feel guilty especially when I realized that I rejected your request for money.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to think about that anymore. I want us to continue what we started and forget everything that hinders us from being together,¡± she said, and then kissed me. I responded while trying to keep my tears from falling. I didn¡¯t want her to see that and worry. I hugged her tight in fear that she was going to leave me.


    She was still caressing my face when we stopped, ¡°Your skin is so soft, did you know that?¡± she asked and I felt a little shy. I know I¡¯m handsome, many women wanted me for themselves but hearing that from her was somewhat refreshing. I never heard herpliment me in that way.


    ¡°You¡¯re making me blush, did you know that?¡± I asked, and she startedughing. She looked so happy and I couldn¡¯t help butugh with her too.


    ¡°I think you need to work now if you want to finish everything. I will go back to the couch now.¡± she said, and was about to get up, but I pulled her so I could kiss her before she went back to the couch.


    My table was full of my paperwork, so I followed her advice and started working. After an hour and a half, I decided to transfer to the couch and work beside her. She was leaning on me and helped me read the contract that needed my attention and put some notes on uses that were unclear. I was amazed at how smart she is, because she was able to understand the contract and distinguish its advantages and disadvantages.


    ¡°Sir,¡± my assistant Rodney greeted me as soon as I let hime in, ¡°Mr. Smith¡¯s assistant wants to follow up the renewal of their contract.¡±


    ¡°OK,¡± I replied and reached for the folder that Colleen had looked into and handed it to him, ¡°There¡¯s a note in there, so make sure that adjustments will be made before we sign.¡± I added.


    ¡°Do you want me to order food for you and Ma¡¯am Colleen?¡± he asked,


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied and he left after I told him what we wanted to eat.


    ¡°We could order that ourselves and you don¡¯t need to ask someone to do that for us.¡± Colleen said as she put down the folder she was holding and looked at me.


    ¡°He was excited, so I let him.¡± I told her, ¡°He had never seen you before and it was the first time that I let a woman stay in my office while I worked.¡± I added,


    ¡°How about Stacey?¡± she asked, curiously.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°She never stays here, I just want to work when I am in the office and her being here will only distract me with herints and whining.¡±


    ¡°And me being here?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a good distraction, you even remind me to get back to work, instead of just cuddling. Help me read through these contracts and make some notes and inputs. What¡¯s there not to like you here?¡± I replied, ¡°Plus,¡± I continued and kissed her, ¡°The sweet kiss that boosted me to work harder.¡± I said after.


    She giggled and I liked the sound of it because it was like music to my ears. ¡°You¡¯re ttering me,¡± she said.


    ¡°I only say the truth.¡± I replied and I received a quick kiss from her. I got back to work because I wanted to finish them already. Rodney came back with our food and had our break. I feel extra happy while I work and I don¡¯t think that I will be able to forget this moment for the rest of my life.


    It was almost seven when we finished and we were at the exit door going to the parking lot when reporters rushed to us. ¡°Stacey denies her rtionship with Senator Derrick and tells us that you are engaged to her.¡±

 Fifty-Seven

    Jared¡¯s POV


    Stacey is never gonna stop and even include me in their mess. My phone vibrated in my pocket so I took it and found her name calling. I answered it with my eyes not leaving the reporters and holding Colleen. I was worried that she¡¯d run away soI should hold onto her.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said, then put her on speaker phone and let the reporters hear what she had to say.


    ¡°Thank God you answered, I need a favor. Can you tell the reporters that we are dating and had a n to get married already? I didn¡¯t want the reporters to know about Derrick and I, my dad¡¯s going to kill me if he found out.¡± She said worriedly then I look at the reporter as I ended our call and said,


    ¡°She¡¯s been my wife for more than two years now. My one and only wife and no one else.¡± They took Colleen¡¯s photo so I covered her with my body as I led her to the parking lot. The security came and stopped them from following us.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that. I should have taken care of them head on. I just did not expect Stacey to include me in their mess.¡± I told her when we were already settled in my car.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she replied in a low voice. I looked at her and got worried thinking she was affected by the incident and I didn¡¯t want that.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, she shook her head and replied.


    ¡°No, nothing.¡± She paused and I waited for what she had to say.. ¡°Are you the one who exposed them?¡± She was looking right in my eyes as she asked that and I can¡¯t lie to her. I nodded and answered,


    ¡°I did it to them for hurting you. It was Derrick who sent you mine and Stacey¡¯s photos at the mall. At first, I was only thinking of exposing their rtionship. It turns out that Derrick has been doing illegal activities as well so I decided to expose them as well. He was, after all, a public servant.¡±


    ¡°What if they do omitting to you because of that?¡± She looked worried when she asked me and I couldn¡¯t help but fall in love with her again.


    ¡°I am ready with whatever action they will try to do when they find out that I was behind these expose. Rest assured that I will be able to face and fight them fairly.¡± I replied and again, worry shes on her face.


    ¡°Hey, wife,¡± I said with both my hands capping her face as I gently rubbed her cheeks with my thumbs trying to soothe her. ¡°You have nothing to worry about. I had nned everything beforehand.¡± I added.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get hurt. If everything in the news were true then Derrick will do everything you get back at you. Or worse, those organizations that work with him wille and find you.¡± She replied and I started to get worried because she was crying. I know that it is not good for her so I had to calm her.


    ¡°Shhh, my wife. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you, our baby or me. So please, don¡¯t worry. My investigator had worked with the police and they knew that they don¡¯t have to say where the report came from.¡± I informed her. ¡°Another thing, we are already under police protection and there were police officials who were not in their uniforms looking after us wherever we go, even in your very moment.¡±


    Her round eyes were on me and I can see that it started to water. How can she be so worried for me when all I did was hurt her? I feel so lucky having her as my wife and remembering how she will leave me soon made me feel worse. There were times when I wanted to yell at her. Ask her why she made me fall in love with her only to leave me in the end.


    I know that it¡¯s not the time to think about that, but I can¡¯t help it. Thinking how much I love her and feeling how much she loves me is heaven and at the same time, tormenting. I want to be with her for a long time more.


    ¡°Promise me that you¡¯re not going to let anything happen to you. I won¡¯t be able to take it if you¡¯ll get hurt.¡±


    ¡°I promise, my wife.¡± I replied, smiling and giving her a light kiss on her lips. She closed her eyes and I know that she was trying to make herself believe that I am going to be OK. Why is she like this, when she was the one who will be leaving me in a few months? I want her to promise me that she¡¯s going to stay too, but I know I can¡¯t. I¡¯m sure she will be thinking about it everyday and I didnt want that.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home?¡± I asked and started the car after she nodded her head. We went home and had dinner with Mommy Lucy and the others. I called them earlier saying that we will be eating dinner at home so they waited for us.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Everyone was happy as I told them about Colleen working. Mommy Lucy said that she was smart ever since she was a kid. She often heard her dad bragging about her aplishments at school and I couldn¡¯t help but feel proud of her too.


    Today was hectic and even if we encountered an unexpected incident, I was d to know that she loves me too. Her worry for me made me realize that it was not only me who cared for her, but she was too. I don¡¯t think that I am going to lose her no matter how much I tried to prepare myself and ept her fate, but I still feel my heart clenching in pain just by thinking about that.


    It was hard for me, how much more with her who had just started to feel the love of a family she yearned for all this time? Every night, all I do is watch her in her sleep like tonight. I wanted to memorize everything about her. The way she sleeps, she yawns and changes position fromying t to hugging me and squeezing herself to me when she feels me hugging her. The way she rubs her face to my chest like a kitten and how she smiles whenever I kiss her on her head when she does that.


    I just love everything about her.

 Fifty-Eight

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    It was clear that Jared was behind that scandal and that worries me. With everything on the news, it appeared that Derrick was not good at all. Many adore and admire him for being a kind and loving person. He was always in the news about his charity events along with his wife, Mia.


    She is Senator Dean¡¯s daughter, who was known for being a humanitarian. Both father and daughter were loved by many and everyone looked up to them. That must be the reason why Derrick approached her. I remember that they got married before the election and everyone was moved, including me, that he prioritized his wedding over the campaign itself.


    Now that we get to know the real him, I feel sorry for those who almost worship and fight for him. He was a fraud and no matter how much he denied it, the truth was screaming to the people that he was not what we thought he was. It had been a month since that incident and it was still a hot topic on the news and on social media. The government has assigned amittee to pursue and focus on his case.


    Stacey, on the other hand, was disowned by her father. It was all over the news when she was founding to Derrick¡¯s house but was being thrown out by him as well. She was crying and in a total mess after that as her friends didn¡¯t want to get associated with her either. Everything that she and Derrick worked hard for is gone and I don¡¯t think that she will be able to get back on her feet unless her father epts her again.


    For my husband, I just hope that Derrick won¡¯t be able to get into the bottom of what has happened to him. I didn¡¯t want anything to happen to Jared, not when I already love him so much. There were days when all I did at home was think of him when he was in his office. Even though he assured me that the police had assured him that he would not be exposed, I still couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    Later, I am going to visit my doctors for my monthly check-up and was excited to know how my baby is after myst month¡¯s check-up. I don¡¯t know if Jared will be able to make it because he was at thepany for a meeting. He didn¡¯t want to attend it but I told him to go and just try to follow me there.


    My phone rings and a smile slips on my lips when I see his name on the screen. ¡°Yes, hubby.¡± I answered,


    ¡°My wife, I¡¯m on my way home. We will go to the hospital together, OK?¡± he said and, of course, I love that.


    ¡°I will be here, waiting.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be right there in no time. I love you, bye.¡±


    ¡°Take care, I love you too.¡± I replied and I liked the feeling, showing it and letting us know how much we love each other. I don¡¯t know about Jared, but I feel regret from time to time thinking I could have tried to reach out to him before and we could have more time to love each other. I had been too stubborn as well, which drew him away from me.


    Just as he said, he arrived home after about 15 minutes. I didn¡¯t wait long, he might have been on his way when he called. ¡°Ready, wife?¡± he asked, smiling.


    ¡°I was born ready..¡± I replied and heughed. He is very handsome and I am d that I could live and die seeing him like that.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± he said as he took my hand and we walked to his car.


    We arrived at the hospital and went straight to Dr. Chin. I can¡¯t wait to hear about our baby¡¯s development after ourst month¡¯s check-up. Jared¡¯s hand was around my waist as we walked to the clinic, ¡°I¡¯m sure that our baby is healthy because you always take care of yourself and I am always reminding you about your health. She¡¯s lucky to have a parent like us, right?¡± he said, and I chuckled. I know that he only said that because he wanted me to be calm.


    ¡°I am alright, hubby. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± I told him,


    ¡°That, I know already,¡± he said, grinning.


    ¡°So it was really you who was nervous.¡± I said, rolling my eyes at him and then heughed. The unwary smile that I wanted to see from him. Whether he talks about it or not, I can feel and see that he is worried about me and the baby. He looks restless, that¡¯s why I am always telling him that everything is going to be OK and that there¡¯s nothing he needs to worry about.


    ¡°Hi, Colleen,¡± Dr. Chin greeted me as we entered her clinic. ¡°Mr. McLahlin,¡± she added when she saw Jared and motioned us to sit down. I took my usual seat and so Jared and the nurse started to take my vitals.


    She started asking me about my diet and how I felt when the nurse left. I answered her truthfully because I know that my baby¡¯s health is at stake. She asked me if I ever felt any pain or something that may give me difficulties in the future and I said no.


    ¡°Always keep your health in check and be weary of the food you take as always. You already know that your baby is getting nutrition from you, right?¡± she asked, and I nodded. ¡°Mr. Mhlin surely gives you everything you need so you can stay healthy. Make sure to listen to him as well.¡± she added.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a choice but to do that,¡± Jared said as he held my hand. Dr. Chin smiles and gives him an additional list of reminders about taking care of me and the baby and he was listening as though he was at ss and wanted to be on top.


    ¡°Thank God that you and our baby are healthy.¡± he said as we walked our way to Dr. Gerard¡¯s office. I am not hoping much from this check-up with him because I know my body pretty well. Still, I wanted everything to be OK for the sake of our baby.


    ¡°Hello Dr. Gerard,¡± I greeted him, smiling when I entered his clinic. Jared was behind me and I knew that he was still jealous of him even if there was nothing to be jealous about.


    ¡°Hi, Colleen. How are you?¡± he greeted back with a smile on his face, as usual. Every time I had a check-up with him, he was always like that. I don¡¯t even know whether he has been worried all this time because, just as I¡¯ve said, I never saw him wearing a weary face.


    Jared and I sat down and so did Dr. Gerard. ¡°I am d that everything looks good with you.¡± he said, then his face turned serious and he asked, ¡°Have you talked to Dr. Chin about your delivery?¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡± Jared asked worriedly.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°She wanted to have a cesarean section in her 7th month of pregnancy.¡± Dr. Gerard answered.


    ¡°Is that necessary? I mean, why that soon? Is it not risky or dangerous for her?¡± Jared asked continuously. Dr. Gerard looked at me first before he answered Jared.


    ¡°Basically, it is. But Dr. Chin is confident that Colleen can handle the stress and she has not had any episodes of her illness so she will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Then, what¡¯s the rush?¡± Jared asked, confused.


    ¡°She wanted to be with you and the baby a little longer.¡± Dr. Gerard replied and Jared looked at me. I saw his face harden for a moment, but he might have realized that he shouldn¡¯t let me see that, so he looked down immediately. He was holding my hand and I could feel him gripping it a little tighter.


    I didn¡¯t want toin because I knew that it was hard for him too. ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡± I asked when I noticed that he was not moving at all.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, nodding his head. ¡°Can you exin to me why you had to do that?¡±he asked after. I looked at him and smiled,


    ¡°It was exactly what Dr. Gerard said, ¡°I wanted to be with our baby a little bit more so I want to have a CS earlier.¡± I told him and his face was saddened. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, I also decided to do that in the hope that I would still have a chance for surgery.¡± I added and then he looked at Dr. Gerard tried to confirm if it was possible.


    Dr. Gerard nodded and said, ¡°I already said that she wouldn¡¯t be able to get surgery when she¡¯s pregnant, so she had to give birth first. Although we don¡¯t have a donor yet, I can still try looking. If she did the CS, she would have recovered already and prepared her body for a possible surgery.¡± Dr. Gerard, exins. ¡°But, I am not saying that it is going to be a 100% sess, as I¡¯ve already said before in herst episode, which caused her to be confined, her body is weakening.¡± he added.


    ¡°For now and until I give birth, even after I wait for the donor, I am going to continue recuperating. I wanted to stay more and be with the people I love and love me back.¡± I told him and I saw him nod his head. He may have thought that he had no choice than to agree with me because he didn¡¯t want us to argue or for me to get mad.


    My check-up was done and I noticed that Jared was not the same as earlier. He looks like he has a lot on his mind and it worries me that he is worried about me. Until we¡¯re home, he isn¡¯t talking. I followed him to our bedroom and as soon as I got in, he hugged me. It was so tight that I felt his sorrow. Then I heard him sobbing. He¡¯s crying!

 Fifty-Nine

    Jared¡¯s POV


    With so many things that happened in my life, I was always in control. With business, I made sure to get the best and with mine and thepany¡¯s interest. Once I focused myself on something, victory and profit were guaranteed.


    I thought I could do anything and nothing was impossible. I think highly of myself that I was brave in taking risks with all of the business decisions I ever made. But now, meeting and getting to know Coleen, made me realize that I am nothing but a fool and a coward.


    I never take risks when ites to my life, but Colleen was so brave to choose to fight for her and our baby¡¯s life. She¡¯s faced her illness by herself for many years and never lost hope.


    Even if she was weak, she made herself appear fine and strong. Our baby will be brought to this world because her mother is a very strong-willed woman who was caring, loving and selfless.


    After hearing what she wanted to do and attain, I fell in love with her deeper than I already was. I was listening to her reason for the cesarean section and I was d to know that she was fighting really hard and giving the best that she can to win.


    I was quiet the whole time that I was driving home. I can feel her looking at me from time to time and I¡¯m sure she wanted tofort me. I wanted to cry even when we were still in Dr. Gerard¡¯s clinic but I didn¡¯t want her to worry.


    We arrived home and I went straight to our bedroom and I felt her following. As soon as she got in, I hugged her. She was shocked but she hugged me back. Then, I let it go. My feelings that I was holding on ever since I found her condition. I couldn¡¯t help and stop myself from crying anymore.


    ¡°Shh, everything¡¯s going to be alright.¡± She said, while she gave my back a light tap repeatedly. I was acting like a child that had done something wrong and she was my mother who understands me.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for letting you down.¡± I added, now full of agony. I felt her chin on my shoulder and I didn¡¯t want to see her face because I was sure that the moment I looked at her, my heart would be flooded with guilt. And I didn¡¯t want her to see that because she¡¯d worry for sure.


    ¡°You are already forgiven. How many times do I need to tell you that none of these were your fault?¡± She asked in a low voice. I know that she has been telling me that many times over and for a long time already. But what else can I do when it is how I feel?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel that way,¡± I told her. I couldn¡¯t hide it from her anymore. I was hurt and guilty at the same time. Everything could have been different if I had lent her the money she was asking before.


    ¡°Everything happens for a reason. That¡¯s one thing I am aware of. There¡¯s no need for you to repeatedly feel guilty towards my condition. If there was someone who was responsible for myself, it was none other than me.¡± she replied, ¡°If you feel guilty about this, how much more do you think I will need to feel about it as well?¡± she added.


    My tears that had been flowing continuously were wiped away by her. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to see you like this, hubby.¡± she said. I nodded my head because I didn¡¯t have a choice. How can I let her worry about my own feelings as well when she is already in a situation wherein she will lose everything?


    ¡°From now on, let us live our life with no worries or even feeling guilty. We both know that I may not have much to spend, so we might as well spend the rest of my life with so much love and happiness.¡± she said. I nodded and decided to agree with her and I saw her smiling. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said and gave me a kiss.


    She was about to stop but I didn¡¯t allow her. I still wanted to feel her lips on mine, so I pulled her closer. I had my forehead on hers after and stayed that way. She smiled and said, ¡°Why do I have a feeling that you want me now, as much as I want you?¡±


    ¡°You just don¡¯t know how much, wife.¡± I replied and hugged her tight. ¡°You¡¯re the best thing that happened to me. You and our baby.¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°Same here, hubby. You made me want to live even more,¡± she said, and for a moment I saw her face saddened. It was only for a brief moment because she looked at me with a smile on her face again, ¡°Before, I only wanted to get things over with. But after I feel how important you are to me, I suddenly want to stay longer and be with you and our baby a little more.¡± she added.


    I can feel her sadness, but she was so strong that she tried to hide it from me. Her voice was low and hoarse and it didn¡¯t take a genius to realize that. ¡°Let¡¯s be happy for now that we found out that our baby is healthy and does not affect you in any way.¡±


    ¡°The baby does affect me,¡± she said and I looked at her worriedly. ¡°But in a good way,¡± she added, looking at me and I smiled, ¡°Our baby made me want to live more and fight to extend it.¡± she continued. Thank God that she really is a strong willed person.


    ¡°We will go and find a way to make that happen, wife. I promise you that.¡± I said,


    ¡°Yes, we will.¡± she replied with her eyes full of hope, looking at mine. Then I kissed her once more and she responded. Making love with her is the most genuine and pure I ever had.


    ¡°As much as I want to have you now, but I have to consider your condition so I will only let myself be happy with just kissing.¡± I told her,ughing.


    ¡°And that made me even more thankful. You are so understanding,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Of course, as I already said, I love you more than I want you.¡± I reminded her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have you only to have to lose you sooner. I never felt this kind of love before and you made me feel it. You made me experience a rtionship that is bound by real love and lust was not necessary. Just pure love and I like it.¡±

 Sixty

    Jared¡¯s POV


    I had been too emotional and I was thinking that I had made Colleen worried because of that. As much as possible, I didn¡¯t want to give her any more trouble and showing her that side of me worries me. I was d that she was strong and understood what I had been going through.


    The days and weeks passed and I started to settle everything in the office. Colleen was now in her fifth month of pregnancy and I wanted to stay by her side all the time.


    ¡°Sir, we can start the interview for the secretary position.¡± Rodney said as he peered into my office after he knocked. I gave him a nod and I was sure that he understood what I meant, so I got up from my chair and followed him to the interview and testing room.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    As I got in, I found 5 applicants consisting of 3 males and 2 females. I would want to choose all males, but I didn¡¯t want to discriminate, so I will just do the interview and grade them ordingly. They will be working with Rodney so I guess I need to ask his opinion as well in the end.


    They all got up from their seats when they saw me and Rodney get in. I motioned them to sit down so we would be able to start. Rodney asked them as well after they answered mine and I asked kind of like the way the interview went. They had been very attentive and although I only needed three of them, I was actually thinking of hiring the five of them. It would be a waste if I let go of the other two.


    We ended up in a panel interview because of Rodney and the way everyone answered and responded was really overwhelming. Rodney¡¯s interference brings out the best in their answers. They even managed to make a team decision in one of my questions and because of that, I decided to absorb them all. That is after I discussed it with my assistant.


    We let them leave for now and informed them that they would be called in a day or two. I guess Rodney will be able to work well with them, especially when I am not around. ¡°Follow me into my office.¡± I told him as we went out of the interview and testing room.


    I sat on my chair and I motioned him to sit in front of me. He was looking at me and I guess we were both thinking the same thing about the applicants. ¡°Tell me what you think about them,¡± I said, and he cleared his throat before he started telling me his points of view. I nodded from time to time and all his points were taken.


    ¡°I think you already know what to do.¡± I told him and he nodded, ¡°Do it as soon as possible.¡± I added before he left my office and I continued working. Somehow, I feel at ease that everything will be OK in thepany. After I totally settle everything, I will have to talk to Ingrid and make here and see thepany for me for the time being that I will be unavable. I¡¯m sure that she¡¯s not going to say no to me if it was for Colleen¡¯s sake. She loves her so much.


    What I like about my sister is that she was always with me and very supportive of me. The only time that I didn¡¯t have her was when she was with mom, trying to make me marry Colleen. Even with that, I realized that what she and mom did was really for my own good. I can¡¯t imagine how my life would be if I ended up marrying Stacey and the fact that she had been cheating on me from the very beginning was clear proof that she¡¯s not good for me at all.


    Now, thinking about the time I wasted, I am happy that I still have time to spend with my wife, no matter how short it is. The greatest bonus was, we would have our baby soon and she was fighting for their lives. I was hoping that our baby would be able to take after her mom, who was brave and strong. I cannot promise that I will be a good father to her, but one thing is sure. I am happy that I am going to be a father to Colleen.


    I make my to-do list when I am with Colleen. I want everything to be memorable for her and for myself. I will be left behind for sure, so I should make a lot of it so I will be able to think about them whenever I miss her. I sounded stupid, right? But the hell do I care? With only a few months left that we have to be together, I don¡¯t have time for bullsh**s thinking about how things don¡¯t fit me at all.


    Only Colleen matters and our baby. I leaned back and had my eyes closed. I wanted to cry but I know there¡¯s no point in doing that. What I need to do now is to be strong for my wife. Yeah, it was easier for her to say that everything was going to be alright when she was the one who was living. I will be the one who will be left alone and will be the one who will be missing her for the rest of my life.


    But I know that it was hard for her. How she managed to have people gather around her only to leave them was painful enough. How much more when you knew that a life was in your womb and was about to see the world yet you will have to grow up without your mother to guide and support her in everything she would want to be? Yes, I am still here. But I cannot guarantee that I will be able to give her the kind of love that Colleen could give her.


    I saw my mom struggle when my dad died. She was in a mess and maybe she was as strong as Colleen because she managed to handle everything when she needed to take care of both me and Ingrid. Will I be able to do that when the timees? I sighed heavily at that thought. Then I remembered my mom and decided to go to her.


    It was a little early so I still had time to visit her and somehow ask her what she did to survive. I need her now more than ever. With that thought, I got up from my chair and ready myself for home.


    Mom¡¯s mansion was near ours and I would have to pass by hers, which made me thankful because I didn¡¯t want anyone to see me go there before I went home and tell Colleen, which might cause her to worry. I parked my car on the porch and walked my way to the main house. I¡¯m sure mom was in her garden this time because it was well shaded there and she could have a good rest.


    Just as I thought, she was sitting on a rocking chair like every old woman does. Well, my mom is not that old, but nevertheless, she was in her rocking chair. ¡°Mom,¡± I called her and she looked at me. She was shocked to see me there because I normally asked her and Ingrid to visit me and Colleen and not the other way around.


    ¡°Jared,¡± she said, and I walked closer to her and gave her a kiss on her cheeks. She was all smiles and I can say that she was looking good and healthy. Actually, day by day, she always amazed me at how the colors on her face started toe back. ¡°Are you with Colleen?¡± she asked and I shook my head, then she offered me a seat.


    ¡°You want to cry?¡± she asked and I nodded. She got up from her chair and hugged me. That¡¯s when I couldn¡¯t stop my tears from falling. ¡°It was hard for you, I know,¡± she said calmly and I continued crying. ¡°To make things a little lighter for you to carry, think that Colleen is an angel that you managed toe across with.¡± she continued.


    ¡°It was hard, mom¡­¡± I said in between crying. My shoulders were shaking and I felt mom was crying as well. Maybe because she took pity on me, ¡°You have to be strong no matter how hard it was. I remember telling Colleen that her dad had a hard time dying because he was worried about us. I told her that he was in so much pain because he had to leave us.¡±


    I looked up at her and she looked at me with a smile on her face, ¡°But, do you know what she told me?¡± she asked and I shook my head as I continued sobbing, ¡°She said that I was the one who is, and will be in so much pain.¡± she added. I gave her a curious look. I didn¡¯t get why Colleen said that,


    ¡°She said that your dad had died and won¡¯t be able to feel or see how we are. While I am still here taking care of both you and Ingrid, I miss him so much.¡± I was stunned for a moment and I knew she had a point. ¡°Every day I miss your father and I can¡¯t do anything about it. Everyday I was in pain thinking how much I love him and he had to leave me first and see him in you and Ingrid.¡± she exined and paused,


    ¡°It is going to be very hard and tough for you in the future, the fact that your baby is still very young makes it even harder. But I want you to know that me and Ingrid are always with you to help you with everything that you will need, so don¡¯t hesitate toe to us whenever necessary.¡± she added and I nodded my head, she smiled at me and hugged me once more. I guess mom was still missing dad and was still in pain. After dad¡¯s death, she never looked into another man and just focused on thepany as well as me and Ingrid.


    I guess I will have to face everything with Colleen and be strong for her and our baby so she doesn¡¯t need to worry about me and everyone. Mom didn¡¯t lessen the pain I was feeling. She only made it worse by telling me that she still misses my dad every day. But what she indirectly told me is that it¡¯de by. The pain will never lessen or will never go away, but I will get used to it in the process and in the long run. Dad was still in my mom¡¯s heart and that, Colleen would be, to me.


    What mom had told me was a little unclear, but I am sure that just as she said, she and Ingrid are with me whenever I need them, especially when it will be forever painful for me.

 Sixty-One

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    ¡°Colleen, dear, why are you still here?¡± Mom asked when he went to our bedroom and found me sitting on a chair by the poolside. The sun was almost down and a cold breeze of wind brought chills to my body when I never wear a sweatshirt over my clothes.


    ¡°I want to wait for Jared here. Lately he had been going home a littleter than normal and I was worried that he was facing some problems in thepany.¡± I replied and I saw him sigh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t over think about everything. I¡¯m sure that if he has some problems at thepany, he will be able to handle them just fine.¡± she replied.


    ¡°How can you tell?¡±


    ¡°I never saw your husband¡¯s face being too stressed whenever hees home. If ever, he may have thought more of you and nothing else,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Is he having a hard time because of me?¡± I asked worriedly,


    ¡°Of course not! You know that it¡¯s not the case. Yes, I am not going to sweet talk you. As your mother, it was painful knowing your condition and I know that Jared was hurt as well. He may have thought about exchanging ces with you, but even if it was like this, I know that he is not seeing it as having a hard time.¡± she answered, but no matter how much she rephrased everything, the truth will only hurt me and us.


    ¡°It¡¯s painful but never hard. Because when you love someone, nothing is hard. You feel pain and it is natural. Loving someone was not always heaven, you know, but it doesn¡¯t mean that it was hard. You only make it hard for yourself and that makes it hard for Jared as well,¡± she added.


    ¡°You need to be strong. I know it was easier said than done, but you have to. If you think you can¡¯t, think again. Because you are the strongest and bravest person I ever know.¡± she continued, and I felt touched. I smiled at her and let her hug me. I was thankful that Jared brought her and her family to our house, which gives us time to be together like this.


    The mother¡¯s love and affection that I thought was lost is now found and in full swing. Having Diane and Marcus as well as Uncle Rick in addition to our family made it even more meaningful.


    ¡°Now, get up and let¡¯s get inside. You wait for Jared inside your room. He will worry if he finds you here.¡± she said and helped me get up from my chair.


    ¡°It¡¯s not good for you to overthink, so it will be fine and better if you ask Jared what worries you.¡± she added and I nodded as we both got inside our bedroom. ¡°When Jared is home and dinner is ready, I am going to call you two, OK?¡±


    ¡°OK, mom. Thank you so much.¡± I said and she left our bedroom after she gave me a kiss on my forehead and then I waited for Jared.


    It was 30 minutes past 7 when he arrived and he looked really tired. I weed him with a smile and a kiss. He hugged me so tight and said, ¡°I missed you so much, wife.¡±


    ¡°I missed you too, how¡¯s work?¡± I asked, hoping he would tell me if he was tired or worn out so I could help him rx.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine and I have already hired some secretaries to help Rodney when I am not around.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you be around? Are you going somewhere?¡± I asked,


    ¡°I nned on staying with you more than in thepany. Rodney will only have to report to me or if Ingrid agrees, she will have to go there and look after things that I should look after.¡± He replied.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to-¡± I was trying to object but he stopped me.


    ¡°I want to do it, because I want to be with you, especially when your 7th month of pregnancy is approaching. I can¡¯t work properly as well when my mind is here with you.¡±


    I felt touched and it made me feel special. Although I was feeling like this, I still have a lot to thank for. One of those is this. I never expected him to make such a decision but here he was, willing to do everything he could so we would be able to spend more time together.


    ¡°How can I be this lucky?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Because you have a handsome husband?¡± He asked, teasing, so I smiled.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°That and a lot more than I can count.¡± I replied and heughed.


    ¡°No, wife. I was the one who was lucky and I must have saved the world in my past life for God to grace me with you.¡± he replied, capping my face with both his hands. I like it whenever he does that. His thumbs caressing my cheeks and that brought shivers to my body which made me want him.


    Though I was trying to control myself because I knew that he wanted me too, he knew that we can¡¯t indulge ourselves with so much intimacy. He had been very careful and I appreciated that.


    ¡°You make it appear that I am worth everything in this world.¡±


    ¡°No, you are a priceless wife. You are not just one in a million, but the only one in this world.¡± I giggled after he said that.


    ¡°You¡¯re happy?¡± He asked, smiling, and I nodded immediately. I wanted him to know that he just made me super happy. ¡°That¡¯s good, because I only want you to feel that way.¡± He added.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to the diner and have our dinner already? We must be very hungry to give each other so manypliments.¡± I told him and he let go of me, then freshened up before we went out of our bedroom and joined mom and the others for dinner.


    Everyone was seated when we got there and Jared pulled a chair for me to sit on and he sat beside me. ¡°I enjoyed eating with everyone during breakfast and dinner. It was fun and very lively.¡± He said as we started eating.


    ¡°You must have been feeling lonely during lunch in your office,¡± Mom said, and he nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I always want to bring Colleen with me, but the incident with the reportersst time prevented me from doing so.¡± He replied.


    ¡°I already told you that I am fine and I didn¡¯t bother thinking about it.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Still, it could have given stress to you,¡± he said.


    ¡°But it didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Enough of that, I personally understand Jared. I was worried as well when we found out about it after you got back home.¡± Mom said, which everyone agreed, which made them allugh and so did I.


    The dinner was fun just as Jared said. We went back to our bedroom after that and, because we were not sleepy yet, he decided to pull the chairs from the poolside near our bedroom door and we sat there.


    There was a canopy that covered the sky from where we were positioned, so even if we wanted to see some stars we couldn¡¯t. We just sat there while I leaned on his chest as he had his arm wrapped around me. He tucked me in a quilt so I wouldn¡¯t get cold and talk about what we had done the whole day that we were away from each other.


    It was just a repetition of what we talked about over the phone but we still happily talked about it again as though it was the first time that we heard from each other.


    I wanted tough at our craziness, but I guess that¡¯s what makes us love each other even more.


    We wereughing and even when I was already sleepy, I did not bother telling him that because I knew that he was going to carry me to our bedroom when I ended up sleeping, which I knew was going to happen soon.


    I want to do this every night so I can get a good night¡¯s sleep and the possibility of having him in my dreams is going to be great. I am going to call this our sweet time. With that thought, a smile slipped over my lips as my eyes closed and sleep finally visited me.

 Sixty-Two

    Jared¡¯s POV


    I carried Colleen as she was already asleep. I sighed when I noticed that she was so light in spite of the fact that she was 5 months pregnant. I put her down on our bed and, just like the other nights, I stared at her beautiful but tired face.


    She was having a hard time, I know that for a fact. Who wouldn¡¯t? Anyone who was in her shoes would feel that way aside from the hurt and pain she was probably trying to fight.


    While I was struggling to fight the loneliness that I was feeling because of her inevitable passing, she was fighting her own sorrow as well, thinking she was going to leave the family she had started to have.


    I touched her face and I couldn¡¯t help but smile when I saw her smile too. She¡¯s like a baby that has been yed by her angel in her sleep.


    Even if there were dark circles around her eyes, it was still sparkling whenever she looked at me. The colors on her face that I thought were starting to get back have started to fade again.


    I touched her on her arm, which was so thin and it broke my heart. All the time that I was doing this, I felt my heart clenching thinking I couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    She really looked fragile and even if I didn¡¯t want to, I couldn¡¯t help but worry that I was going to wake up one day and she was no longer with me without even giving birth to our child.


    Then I touched her tummy. She was scheduled for a check-up tomorrow, but I can say that it¡¯s not as big as what a 5-month-old pregnant woman should be. Her doctor assured us that the baby was healthy at herst check-up and if it was still the case tomorrow, I¡¯m sure that she will be very happy to hear that.


    I got up and closed the door and the curtain before I went back to lie down beside her. I will surely miss hugging her in our sleep when she leaves me. I was already used to her, squeezing herself into me when she felt my arms around her. And that alone was enough for me to get a good night¡¯s sleep.


    In the morning, I woke up early. And just like what I did before I slept, I stared at my wife¡¯s face. Touched her face and felt her warmth.


    ¡°Good morning to you too.¡± She said and slowly opened her eyes, then smiled at me.


    I kissed her after I smiled at her too, ¡°How was your sleep?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It was so good because I dreamed of you.¡± She replied.


    ¡°And what was your dream about me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna tell, I want it for myself only.¡±


    ¡°Then I am not going to tell you about my dream either.¡± I said, pouting. She chuckled and said,


    ¡°It must be something good, judging from the look on your face.¡±


    ¡°You bet it is, but I still won¡¯t tell.¡±


    Colleen giggles and I like the sound of it. It was lively and I believe in her now, that she had a good dream with me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat at the poolside.¡± I suggested and she agreed by nodding her head continuously. ¡°Then let me set up the table as you freshen up.¡± I said and helped her get up and walked through the bathroom.


    ¡°I can freshen up myself, go and set up the table.¡± She said when we were in the bathroom. I nodded and left her there. I took my phone and called Betty asking her to take our breakfast by the pool.


    It didn¡¯t take long and the breakfast was ready right after she was done. ¡°Chadaaannnn!¡± I said with my hand spread, asking for both my hands. Sheughed when she saw me and then looked at the table.


    ¡°I think I am going to eat a lot today. You¡¯re very energetic and the food was very appetizing.¡± She said as she sat on the chair that I pulled out for her before I sat on mine.


    ¡°Eat now before the food gets cold,¡± I said, and got started to dig in. She said she was a heavy eater. But because of her condition, she had to control her food intake.


    ¡°What time are you going to work today?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going. I invited Ingrid because I wanted to talk to her about what I had told you.¡± I replied and she nodded. ¡°You had your check upter, so going to work wouldn¡¯t be a good idea because I might not make it in time and I didn¡¯t want that to happen. I wanted to be with you throughout this and I want to see our baby¡¯s development.¡± I added.


    ¡°She will be very happy when she finds out that her daddy loves her so much.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so certain that our baby is going to be a girl?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I asked God to grace me with a baby girl.¡±


    ¡°And you think that He is going to answer your prayer?¡± I asked, and she nodded.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Of course, Yes!¡± She replied happily. ¡°It was an exchange for my life, so I guess He is not going to deprive me of my prayer.¡± She added, smiling. I just stared at her and I couldn¡¯t believe that she had just said that with a smile on her face. She¡¯s not bitter or angry at all.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s because you are kind, forgiving and loving,¡± I told her.


    ¡°You think so?¡± She asked and I nodded.


    We continued eating until Ingrid came. She greeted my wife and kissed her on her cheeks. She said she was done with her breakfast with mom, so I did not insist on making her eat and asked her toe to my study room instead.


    ¡°I will have to leave you for a while, wife. I am going to go back soon.¡±


    ¡°No need to rush, you will just go to your study room on the second floor and discuss what you need to discuss.¡± She replied, ¡°I will be staying here and talking to Lory, I¡¯m sure that she will be here a littleter for herundry.¡± She added.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, and we went to my study.


    ¡°What do you want to talk about that you didn¡¯t want Colleen to hear?¡± Ingrid asked as soon as we entered my study.


    ¡°She knows what we will be talking about,¡± I told her and she smiled.


    ¡°I am happy to hear that.¡±


    ¡°I want to ask you to see thepany for a while. I want to be with Colleen in the next months to prepare for her CS.¡± I told her and she was just looking at me, so I decided to continue.


    ¡°I know that you didn¡¯t like it but I wanted to have time with Colleen. I don¡¯t know until when she is going to stay with me or with our baby after she gives birth, so I wanted to  stay by her side from here onwards.¡±


    ¡°It must be very difficult and painful for you.¡± She said, then hugged me. I didn¡¯t want to cry because I was afraid that Colleen would be able to notice it when I came back, but still, my tears cut down the lines on my face as I hugged Ingrid back.


    ¡°Give all your time to Colleen and your baby. I promise to take care of thepany for you. But promise me one thing.¡± She said and I looked at her. ¡°You have toe back and manage it yourself when the timees.¡± She added, and I nodded.


    I know why she said that. She wanted to make sure that I was not going to let myself drown from sorrow when Colleen was gone. ¡°Thanks a lot.¡± I replied and calmed myself.


    We discussed other things and told her that she could call me or ask me anything she didn¡¯t understand and I was going toe and help her.


    ¡°Just focus on Colleen and don¡¯t worry about thepany. I can handle it, myself.¡± She said before she left and I went back to where I left my wife.


    We stayed at the poolside a little more before we went to the living room and had a talk with mommy Lucy while we waited for lunch and started to prepare for the check-up.


    I just hope that both Colleen and our baby are safe and sound. With just that, I will be very happy.

 Sixty-Three

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    ¡°How are you?¡± Dr. Chin asked me again, I don¡¯t know if I am going to tell her how I feel about Jared with me. I didn¡¯t want him to worry but I was worried about my baby as well.


    ¡°I want to say that I am fine,¡± I said and they both looked at me, concerned. ¡°Lately, I have been feeling sad. It was the first time that I felt sorry for myself. Will it affect our baby?¡± I added as Jared held my hand. He looked at me and I could feel that he was feeling sorry for me too. I didn¡¯t want to see his emotions anymore so I looked away first to look at my doctor whom I was sure was sorry for me too.


    ¡°It was natural for you to feel that way,¡± she said. I guess she knew how tofort her patients. ¡°Anyone in your shoes will feel like that, even Jared. But you have to be strong because your baby is observing your emotions as well. You have to feel happy so the baby will be able to rx.¡±


    ¡°My wife,¡± Jared called me so I looked at him, ¡°If you wanted to cry, just tell me. I am going to let you, so you feel a little relieved. Don¡¯t try to restrain it and just let it go. I am going to be strong for you and our baby. I am going to be a husband you can rely on and a father that our baby could count on.¡± he said, I smiled at him and squeezed his hand that was holding mine.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me being sad or whatever, seeing you being fine was enough for me to feel better. We are going to get through this, together, with the help of both our mom¡¯s, sisters and families as well as Dr. Chin and Dr. Gerard. We are all here for you.¡± he added,


    ¡°Thank you for being with me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me, you are my wife and it was my responsibility to make you feel safe and secure. It was me who should be thankful because you epted me. Thank you, my wife.¡± he replied and my tears started to fall down. He wiped them off and we both looked at Dr. Chin who was now smiling.


    ¡°Now that you are fine already, and I can see it, I want to ask you if you want to know the baby¡¯s gender.¡± Dr. Chin said, ¡°While we are waiting for the result of yourboratory, we can do the ultrasound.¡± she added so Jared and I nodded happily.


    We agreed to find the baby¡¯s gender beforehand. I didn¡¯t want it at first but he said he didn¡¯t want to take the risk of surprising me so I just agreed. Dr. Chin asked me to lie down on the bed near the ultrasound machine and Jared helped me. He was always ready to give me a hand with everything and I was already used to it.


    When he told me about asking Ingrid to look after thepany while he was with me, I felt excited and happy at the same time. When he was at work, I wanted to go and visit him there because I missed him so much. Everything he does to me when we are together keeps shing on my mind which makes missing him intensified.


    ¡°I had a talk with Dr. Gerard after yourst check-up and he was happy to tell me that you are doing great.¡± Dr. Chin said as she prepared the machine. ¡°He said that he was sure that your baby is going to be very healthy.¡± she added while she lifted my shirt up to under my breast. She put a jelly thing on the head of the handle like a thing which I had no idea about then gently rubbed it on my stomach.


    ¡°Wow, I guess your baby is going to be good and kind. She made us see her immediately.¡± Dr. Chin said, happily. She points at the monitor and exins everything that we see. ¡°She¡¯s really a baby girl just like what you wanted.¡± she told me and I was smiling from ear to ear.


    ¡°Super happy, my wife?¡± Jared asked and I nodded my head so fast that I almost felt dizzy but I didn¡¯t care. Just as I prayed for, He did give us the baby girl that I want.


    ¡°I think you will be very busy thinking about her name.¡± Dr. Chinmented,


    ¡°We¡¯re going to call her Corrine,¡± Jared said, ¡°Because just like her mother, she¡¯s going to be the kindest and loving person anyone would meet.¡± he added.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t argue with that.¡± Dr. Chin agreed.


    I was full of joy when we left Dr. Chin¡¯s clinic, and even if Jared won¡¯t admit it, I¡¯m sure that he was too. I can see it in his eyes so there¡¯s no point denying it. The smile on her face that reached his eyes was clear proof. We asked Dr. Gerard if it was fine if we stroll around the mall and buy something for our baby since we already know the gender.


    Dr. Gerard gave it a go but he said to be careful and not to do so much and unnecessary movements. He talked to Jared and exined to him and reminded him to always observe me as we shop because I might feel too overwhelmed which is not good for me. Because of that, I promised myself that I am going to take care of myself so I won¡¯t affect the baby and Jared and the others will be less worried.


    We went to the mall after my check up and because Ingrid likes to go shopping, she followed us to the department store when she found it out through Betty. She helped us choose the best baby dress and other baby¡¯s stuff. She was more excited than me and Jared and she was calling Mommy ire as we roamed around. I could hear that Mommy ire was very happy after Ingrid told her the baby¡¯s gender.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You know what, we could have had a baby shower and reveal the baby¡¯s gender there, but you two are so excited to buy things for my pretty little niece.¡± Ingrid said, while we were waiting for our food. We decided to eat our dinner in a restaurant before we went home.


    ¡°You are the most excited. I couldn¡¯t believe that you would be able to meet us in such a short time after you called us.¡± Jared said,ughing and both my sister-inw and I did too.


    ¡°I am really excited, I wonder how she will be able to make our home lively.¡± Ingrid replied and I agreed with her. Although I didn¡¯t know whether I was still alive when our baby started to walk or even crawl, or say her first word, I could already imagine the mess she¡¯s going to make that would irritate her father. So I had to warn my husband to be patient with our little girl.


    Our food was served and we started eating. I was definitely happy but worried at the same time. I look at both Ingrid and Jared who were very happy talking about how she¡¯s going to spoil our baby just like how she spoiled Jared who was denying that. It feels like everything was in slow motion, seeing my husband having a happy conversation with his sister about our daughter. I suddenly think, will I ever see him happy again, bragging about our little baby girl and family? I want to see him do that more, even if it was only with Ingrid.


    I want more time to be happy with the people I love, I want to do more things with our daughter, I want to see our baby grow with my husband, I want more time with Jared and I want to live more.

 Sixty-Four

    Jared¡¯s POV


    Colleen was very happy when we found out that we would be having a baby girl. She prayed for it and just like what she had told me, God did answer her prayer. Why can¡¯t she just pray for her recovery instead? I am not really into the baby¡¯s gender. As long as they are both safe, everything is fine with me. I mean more than fine and I will be forever grateful.


    As the days went on, I started to feel scared. Not for myself but for her. I could see that she was having difficulty with her condition. If only I could carry her burden, I would dly do it. But I think God is unfair, He made someone like Colleen suffer like this. Or He is greedy, that He wanted her for himself to be the kindest person.


    I didn¡¯t want to me Him for everything that¡¯s happening now. I know for a fact that I too, have a fault. I deprived her of the chance to extend her life. But I am not God, but He is. He could do anything he wanted with just a snap of his fingers. He could make my Colleen better if he wanted to.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Colleen asked. We were just outside our bedroom near the poolside. I think I am going to make this habit every night. Have a time for me and her like this, talking about us before we sleep or until she sleeps and I am going to carry her to our bed.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I replied. She was looking at me, smiling as she stroked her tummy. She¡¯s really thin and if I was the only one to decide, I would rather have our baby aborted. Don¡¯t get mad at me, I know to my heart that I love our baby. But I wanted to give my wife a chance to live and experience everything that she was deprived of for a long time.


    ¡°You need to tell me what was going on in your mind,¡± she said. I sighed and thought that I couldn¡¯t really hide anything from her. I think she feels what I feel.


    ¡°I was just thinking about what had happened in the past.¡± I started talking and she rolled her eyes at me. ¡°I know that you wanted me to take those things out of my mind. But whether you admit it or not, you know that it is hard.¡± I said before she could butt in.


    ¡°You will only feel worse if you continue to think about it,¡± she said. She may be carrying something like mine. Maybe it was the fact that she had to live. But I know that  she didn¡¯t want to leave either. She tried to borrow money from me, so I knew that she wanted to live.


    ¡°Yeah, but I couldn¡¯t help it.¡± I replied,


    ¡°Did I make you feel that way?¡± she asked. My eyes widened,


    ¡°No way!¡± I eximed. ¡°There¡¯s no way that you will be able to make me feel that way. It was entirely because of me. It was because I wascking,¡± I replied.


    ¡°You are notcking, you are enough. More than enough.¡± with that, I looked at her,


    ¡°Let me tell you something,¡± he said, facing her. She nodded, so he started talking,


    *** shback *** (NOTE: This is Jared¡¯s POV when Colleen asks him for money. From here onwards, you will be seeing a lot of shbacks that happened in the past two years.)


    ¡°Come in,¡± I said, and Colleen came in. I was looking at the current financial status of thepany and, because I was too upied with the current events in my life, I failed and neglected my duties. Thepany suffered a bit. I was working on solving some problems and she caught me in a bad mood.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, and saw hering closer hesitantly and it started to annoy me. I didn¡¯t want someone who had no confidence in her or himself the most. And her being my wife, she should have been full of that, because she was married to me.


    ¡°Hubby, can you lend me some money?¡± She asked, even if I wanted to, I red at her. I was here trying to solve some problems and there she was asking for money. Even if she said that she wanted to borrow it, I didn¡¯t take it lightly.


    ¡°Why would I give you money? Do you think just because I agreed to marry you, I will give you what you want just like that?¡±


    ¡°It was for something important,¡± she replied, and she was determined to make me agree. But because I was still on hiatus with the thought of being forced into our marriage, I replied roughly.


    ¡°I already told you before that I will only provide you with your monthly allowance and nothing else. Unless it was a matter of life and death, I am not going to give you any.¡± She may have thought that I was too stingy, but I cannot take back what I said even if I saw pain in her eyes. I felt guilty, but then I remembered how we got married.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a matter of life and death. You will be able to help me greatly if you do me this favor,¡± she replied,


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re dying, because I am not going to believe you. And if you do, why not just ept it, after all, I don¡¯t want you here.¡± I replied without thinking. I was in a hurry. I know that. But at that time, I didn¡¯t know what to think anymore.


    ¡°All right, thank you.¡± she replied, smiling, and then turned her back at me. I was thinking that she would start to nag at me after what I said and I was ready to talk back. But her doing that kept me in a trance. She was at the door when I finally got back to my senses, so I told her,


    ¡°You can apply for a loan if you really need the money. I¡¯m sure that your monthly allowance will be sufficient to pay it off.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to get a loan when there was no possibility that I could finish paying for it. After all, it was my life at stake here.¡± she replied, and I was quiet. She silenced mepletely and she was out of my study room for a few minutes already, but I was still looking at the door.


    ¡®What is she talking about?¡¯ I asked myself. I ran my fingers into my hair as I realized what I had just told her. I couldn¡¯t believe that I said those words to her. I wanted to get up from my seat and follow her. I want to tell her that I was sorry for saying those words and that I didn¡¯t mean them. But my pride overpowered my guilty feelings. I was ashamed of myself because what I acted was not so manly.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    To lessen my guilt, I added more to her allowance, so if she ever changed her mind and decided to take a loan, she would be able to pay it off. I understand that she was worried that she couldn¡¯t pay them, so I am going to help her that way. I feel d that she¡¯s not the type who would go for different loans and spend on something not important at all.


    *** End of shback ***


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for venting my frustrations to you about thepany matters at that time, my wife.¡± I said,


    ¡°Hmm,¡± she hummed. I looked at her and found her eyes closed. She must have been very sleepy and was trying to fight it,


    ¡°Sleep now, my wife.¡± I said as I pulled her closer to me, then tucked her in the quilt that I covered her with. I wanted us to stay that way for a while. I looked into the sky, closed my eyes and whispered to myself, with my tears falling, ¡°Can you make her stay with me for a long time?¡±

 Sixty-Five

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    I wanted to cry that very moment that he was telling me about what had happened two years ago. He was facing a problem then and I didn¡¯t do anything to help him. I got mad at him without knowing that he was in a tight situation as well. I can feel his sincerity when he said he was sorry and what he said before I was totally out in my sleep.


    He wanted me to stay longer. He wanted me to be with him and our baby. I tried not to cry, I didn¡¯t want him to know that I was still awake and had heard everything. Although it was his confession, I still didn¡¯t want him to feel a burden. It must be his way of lessening the weight on his shoulders.


    It was three days ago, and every time I look at him, I can¡¯t help but feel sorry for both of us. But, I didn¡¯t want to think that way anymore. Starting that night and following nights, he had been telling me about him and what he had been doing after we got married.


    It made me feel that he was filling me up with information about him that I didn¡¯t know which I should, because he is my husband. At night we do that, talking about ourselves. He was happy when I told him about what I think whenever I saw him.


    He was in the swimming pool. Because I told himst night that I watched him swimming the night before and that he had a sexy body, so he decided to swim now and show me his body.


    *** shback fromst night ***


    ¡°I want to tell you something,¡± I said,


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the time when you went for a swim at night?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t tell me¡ª¡± he replied and then heughed, so Iughed too. Yes, that was funny. ¡°You could havee out, I would have invited you.¡±


    ¡°No way, even if I want to, I am not going to jump in the pool with you.¡± I replied,


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I am going to do with you.¡± I replied and he creased his forehead, ¡°You are in your swimming trunks looking so hot. I was just peeking but I already feel differently.¡± I added, and then I saw his eyes widen and realized what I had just said. Out of shyness, I covered my face with my hands. He wasughing so hard so I looked at him,


    ¡°You¡¯reughing, huh?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, because I am very happy. I just wish that you really woulde out and swim with me.¡± he replied,


    ¡°If I do that, our first time will be that night. You want that?¡± I asked without thinking,


    Then I saw his face get serious, ¡°Yes,¡± he replied and I saw sadness in his eyes again, ¡°So I would be able to find out about your condition earlier and you will be able to have your surgery with your second donor and our daughter will be healthy and you didn¡¯t have to suffer this much.¡±


    Yes, it could have been that way. But what if it¡¯s not? How can he be so sure about that? ¡°What¡¯s matter now, is that we are together and happy like that,¡± I told him. I didn¡¯t want to ruin the moment we had just now. He nodded and smiled at me,


    ¡°Do you know why I was swimming during those nights?¡± he asked, looking at the sky. I followed his gaze and asked,


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I was restless and thinking. I wanted to approach you and talk to you but I didn¡¯t know where and how to start.¡± he answered and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°I was thinking if you left the house, where are you going and who are you with? What time did you leave ande back?¡± he added. ¡°I keep asking that to myself.¡± he continued and looking at me,


    ¡°I never left the house unless it was time for my check up or when Ingrid and Mommy ire asked me toe with them.¡± I told him,


    ¡°You should havee out more often. Spend more whenever you are with Ingrid, she¡¯s a shopaholic.¡± he said as he chuckled.


    ¡°Yes, I know that. She likes to buy everything. When I told her that she already had the bag that she wanted, she would tell me that it was old and needed a new one as a recement.¡±


    ¡°Mom had been warning her about her spending but she wouldn¡¯t listen.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Mommy ire would start finding a wealthy husband for him.¡± I saidughing and he did too. ¡°What could be her reaction when that happened?¡±


    ¡°She loves mom so much, so she would probably follow her. But if ever she objects, I am sure that she will being to me seeking help,¡± he said.


    ¡°And what are you going to do if that happens?¡±


    ¡°I am going to tell her to just follow mom because she chose the best one for me.¡± he replied and kissed me. That was heaven. I loved it when he was this sweet. So cheesy, but I don¡¯t care. Not every husband could tell that to their wives because they were ashamed to show their emotions. But my Jared is different, he showered me with sweet nothings and I am sure that those were not because I am sick. It was because he loved me so much.


    *** End of shbacks ***


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking about me again?¡± My super hot and handsome husband asked. I nodded before I replied,


    ¡°Yes,¡± then I roamed and feasted my eyes on his body.


    ¡°You can touch me if you want,¡± he said, winking.


    ¡°Yeah right,¡± I replied as I got up from my seat and handed him his robe. He took it and wore it, then I motioned him to sit so I could dry his hair.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that,¡±


    ¡°But I want to. This is not tiring, so I will be fine.¡± I replied and then he let me. I started drying his hair and once I was done, I did what I wanted to do to him for a long time. I had him from behind. My arms were over his shoulders, touching his chest and my cheek on his. I closed my eyes and felt him, then I felt him holding my arms, so I opened my eyes. He led me to hisp, so I sat there, not breaking our eye contact.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time that you did that,¡± he said.


    ¡°I have been wanting to do that ever since.¡±


    ¡°I want you to know that I liked it so much,¡± he replied and kissed me, and I kissed him back. He was always gentle, so I didn¡¯t have to catch my breath. He was very careful about that. Then he touched my now bigger tummy.


    ¡°You and our baby are the most important people in my life,¡± he said. I smiled and nodded. I understand what he meant because I can feel what he was feeling now. I love him and he loves me. That¡¯s all that matters now.

 Sixty-Six

    Jared¡¯s POV


    ¡°Hi Colleen!!!¡± Ingrid greeted my wife happily and of course she greeted her back with the same enthusiasm.


    ¡°Ingrid,¡± she said, and epted the kiss my sister was giving her. I invited Mom and Ingrid over. It was Saturday and I decided to make every Saturday of Colleen¡¯s life filled with memories of the people she loved.


    ¡°Hi, son.¡± Mom greeted me. I don¡¯t know, but every time we see each other, I always see sadness in her eyes. Maybe because of our situation, so I think I have to talk to her about that. I didn¡¯t want her to worry about us, either.


    ¡°Hello, mom. Thank you foring over.¡± I said as I gave her a sincere smile, then she went to sit with Colleen. I followed her after I finished setting up the grill.


    ¡°Wow, big brother Jared, this is so fun,¡± Marcus eximed as soon as he arrived, as he helped Diane push Uncle Rick¡¯s wheelchair. Mommy Lucy was in the kitchen with Betty getting the other food.


    ¡°Did you like it?¡± Ingrid asked with a broad smile.


    ¡°Yes, big sister Ingrid. I wish that we could do this often. I like to see everyone and big sister Colleen looks happy as well,¡± he answered, and we all looked at my wife, who was indeed happy. Her eyes were sparkling and her smile reached her ear and eyes.


    ¡°I am always happy whenever I see you and everyone happy,¡± she replied. Just a littleter, we are all at the poolside with the food and all of us. We were all happy, especially my wife. I never left her side and even if Ingrid was asking me to join them in the pool, I declined and she understood.


    ¡°My body is for my wife¡¯s eyes only.¡± I told her and they allughed. Even Colleen, even if her face was all red. We had been more than intimate twice and after the second time, I decided not to do it with her anymore. It¡¯s not because I couldn¡¯t take her anymore, it was because I knew to myself that day by day, her body was changing. Her pregnancy had taken a toll on her body and I didn¡¯t want to add more stress to her.


    The whole afternoon was full of fun and mom left with Ingrid after dinner. I had already told them about every Saturday activity and they agreed. So Colleen should look forward to more.


    Just like on other nights, we were by our room door facing the pool and seeing the night sky. I asked someone to remove almost half of the cover so we would be able to do stargazing at night. Well, if you call it that way. Colleen¡¯s upper body was leaning on my chest as I wrapped my left arm around her while my right hand was holding hers.


    ¡°Did you ask everyone toe here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, did you like it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very much.¡±


    ¡°We will be doing that every Saturday, so you won¡¯t say that you only see my handsome face all the time.¡± I told her,ughing, and she did too.


    ¡°I like looking at your handsome face.¡±


    ¡°I thought so. Every time we are together, you are always clinging to me. That¡¯s why I thought that my decision was right. You wanted me to be with you and I wanted the same,¡± I said, looking down at her.


    ¡°So, what are you going to tell me today?¡± she asked,


    ¡°You¡¯re excited to know how much I was smitten by you?¡± I asked as I pinched her nose while she nodded. ¡°OK, this was when you met Stacey in the coffee shop,¡± I started,


    ¡°After I left your house, I went home. I was angry that I thought you hurt Stacey while I had already broken up with her. I felt guilty towards her because, as you already know, I married you so I¡¯d stay the CEO of thepany.¡±


    ¡°You must be feeling frustrated at that time,¡± shemented,


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m the worst person in the world. Imagine, I was telling you and mom and Ingrid that I love Stacey, but I cannot let go of thepany for her sake.¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you know that there were a lot of people who were relying on you and thepany. You never know what others will do if you let them handle it.¡±


    ¡°The truth is, I was never thinking about the employees at that time. All that was in my mind was the fact that I am not  going to be the CEO of thepany that I work hard for and give my everything and exert my effort. I was thinking more of what people would say if that happened.¡± I told her and I felt her squeeze my hands. ¡°I already got over it so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± I added, thinking she might think about that too.


    ¡°Back to Stacey and the coffee shop incident.¡± I told her, ¡± I started to feel guilty towards you two monthster. I felt like I was the most stupid person in the world when I decided to investigate that. She had called me about you texting her, as I already told you, so I nned on giving you a lesson. I investigated the incident to find evidence against you, but the truth shocks me.¡± I added,


    ¡°You know what happened, so I don¡¯t need to tell you what I found out, right?¡± I asked,


    ¡°Uhm,¡±


    The funny thing is, you already looked really pale at that time, but I still choose to believe her. I don¡¯t even give her the benefit of the doubt. I didn¡¯t bother looking after your background because I knew that mom and Ingrid had already found out. That¡¯s why I never tried to find out anything about you. I was confident that mom would never let me live with someone I cannot trust.¡±


    ¡°But you still didn¡¯t want me,¡± she replied and said


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that, my wife. I was too blind  to see that time. So, after I found out what Stacey did to you, I was too ashamed to even look at you. I mean, I went to your house and warned you  but it turned out that I was barking at the wrong tree.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I never tried to exin to you either, that¡¯s why you are misled as well.¡± she said, maybe to console me.


    ¡°It¡¯s still not right to jump to a conclusion, I should have listened to you as well.¡± I sighed deeply and looked at the sky. ¡°My feeling that time was beyond what I could understand. After I refused to help you, financially, I found out about that and that made me feel even worse. I thought that I should have just given you what you wanted.¡± After I said that, I felt her trying to get up so I looked down at her,


    ¡°I wanted to sit down.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to console me, I was already done with that feeling. I am only telling you this because I want you to know that I still care even if you didn¡¯t know.¡± I had a feeling that she would sit up so she could hug me. I liked that but I wanted her to rest and, as I already told her, that past was nothing to me now.


    ¡°Jared, what you have been through was hard, very hard and no one in their right mind would want something like that to happen to them. I want you to know that I understand you and your decisions. You may say that it was because you chose me and thepany, but  believe it or not, I admire you for being honest with me now and I am happy that you are my husband and the father of my child.¡± she said and I smiled widely.


    ¡°And I am going to make sure that you will always feel proud of me. You and our baby girl. I promise you that.¡± Ir replied,


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied before she yawned.


    ¡°You must be sleepy. If you want, we could go inside now.¡±


    ¡°No, I want to sleep here just like the other nights. I like the feeling of you carrying me.¡± she replied, giggling.


    ¡°Then I am going to carry you,¡± I replied and got up to my seat with her in my arms. I like to carry her as well, because I was able to find out how her body changed. And I noticed that she started to get lighter.

 Sixty-Seven

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    Weekends have never been happy until thest few weekends that me and the rest of my family shared. Every Saturday, Jared made sure to have everybody gathered in our house and that extended my life every time. Well, that¡¯s how I feel even if I know my body. Nevertheless, I am happy about it.


    ¡°Hi, wife..¡± Jared said as he sat beside me, I¡¯m in the 6th month of my pregnancy and I just had my check-up. The baby was very fine and although she was a little underweight, she was still healthy. Dr. Chin said that it was pretty normal considering my condition.


    I know Jared is excited but scared. He knew that on the 7th month, I was going to undergo the CS and we didn¡¯t know what would happen after. I myself was just trying to be courageous and strong for our baby and him, along with the people I love.


    ¡°Hi, husband,¡± I replied,


    ¡°Tell me what you want to eat,¡± he said. We went home after the check-up because I wanted to stay at home with him. I like how our daily routine goes and I don¡¯t know if he knows it. I just hope that he is not overthinking anymore.


    ¡°Why? Are you going to cook for me?¡± I asked, excitedly.


    ¡°I hope that that¡¯s the case, but you know how bad I am in the kitchen, so I will just let Betty, the expert one on that matter,¡± he replied,ughing.


    ¡°Then why are you asking me?¡± I asked again as Iughed at him.


    ¡°Well, because I know that you will answer fruits and I am ready to peel and slice some for you,¡± he replied, grinning.


    ¡°I love fruits, our baby loves them too.¡± I said and he instantly stood up and went to the kitchen. After a while, he came back with the fruit and we shared it together as we watched a movie. Even if we were watching an interesting movie, I can¡¯t help but think of him and thank God that he lets me feel this. His warmth, care and love.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°Wife,¡± he said as the credits of the movie were shing on the screen.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I am scared,¡± he said, so I looked at him. ¡°I am. But I know that I am going to make myself strong for you and our baby. I want you to know that you can count on me when you need me most. I can be and I want to be your strength when the timees, as you are to me already.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I replied, ¡°I already got my strength from you and our baby. You don¡¯t know how much you cheer me up that I wanted to fight giving my all,¡± I added.


    ¡°We will face this together. We will try everything so we will be able to stay together for more time¡± he replied, and I nodded at him, smiling. We are full of enthusiasm and hope, and we both know that even if everything ends up differently, we will still feel happy. We have a tacit understanding that we have already epted our fate.


    ¡°Dear husband. Thank you so much for your love. My happiness is beyond the clouds because of you and our baby.¡±


    ¡°Same with me, now I understand what mom was talking about. Her and dad¡¯s love for each other I have admired ever since I was a child, I am finally experiencing it now.¡± he replied, smiling sincerely.


    ¡°I never thought that this was going to happen to me, I was ready to leave the world with the pain and sorrow I had been through. But God is so good that He let me marry you.¡± I told her, ¡°You see, I actually have no reason to marry you. I don¡¯t see the point, because I already know what will happen to me in the near future. But I ended up being Mrs. Jared Mhlin and eventually fell in love.¡± I stopped and smiled at him. He smiled too and he was so handsome that I couldn¡¯t help but pinch his cheeks.


    ¡°I mean, who wouldn¡¯t? Anyone who wears a skirt will definitely love to be with you. Now, you are mine and are going to be the father of my child. I can never be this happy.¡±


    ¡°You made it appear that I am so exceptional, but it was actually you. You made me realize what love really means, you made me experience love in the true meaning of it, despite the time we will be spending together. He took my hand and brought it to his lips and kissed it, ¡°Mrs. Mhlin, care to have a dance with me?¡± he asked. My eyes widened, how could he think about that?


    ¡°As in?¡± I asked just to make sure.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied and got up from his seat with his cell phone in his hand and a song started to y. He looked at me smiling and offered me his hand, which I dly took.


    My hands were on his shoulders while his were on my waist. He guided me as we swayed together with our eyes locked on each other. His smile was so warm that it made my heart flutter.


    Song continues ying¡­


    All my life,


    I will carry you through all my life.


    Between each hour of the passing days


    I will stay with you


    There was a time


    That I just thought that I would lose my mind.


    You came along, and then the sun did shine


    We started on our way


    I do recall


    That every moment spent was wasted time


    But then I chose toy it on the line


    I want this all my life, I want this all my life


    I want this all my life, I want this all my life


    I want this all my life, I wanted this all my life


    As the music faded, he told me, ¡°Thank you foring into my life,¡± his forehead was on mine and I could feel his pain that he was trying to hide from me.


    ¡°No, thank you, for making me feel the happiest person in the world. I will never, ever trade my life and the path that I have walked on with anything. Because no matter how hard and painful it was, I knew that at the end of that road, there was you and our baby, waiting for me. And that is worth my life.¡±


    His tears were falling so I smiled and wiped them for him. I didn¡¯t want to see him cry, but thinking it was for me, I somehow felt his love for me on a new and different level. ¡°I love you, Colleen. Thank you for continuing walking on that hard and painful path for me. Because of that, I too, experienced an evesting love with you. I love you so much, Mrs. Colleen Mhlin,¡±


    ¡°And I love you too, Mr. Jared McLahlin.¡± I replied and kissed him. We shared the sweetest kiss we ever had because this is the moment when we surrender ourselves to each other.

 Sixty-Eight

    Jared¡¯s POV


    I felt lost after that moment. I know that Colleen doesn¡¯t need any more worry, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I¡¯m just d that she didn¡¯t take it differently, crying in front of her again. Sometimes, I feel weak. Whose man ever cries over a woman? Not many, right? People who love deeply only get hurt. I think it was tragic.


    Thinking about my wife now, I had to be strong for our baby too. I don¡¯t know what will happen when Colleen really leaves us after. How am I going to be a good father to our daughter? I promised that I would always make her feel proud of me, but as to how am I going to do that when she is not around anymore?


    ¡°Jared,¡± I looked at my sister, who looked worried. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I had to ask you toe with me. I know what you have been through but I really need your help,¡± she exined. I smiled at her and said,


    ¡°No worries, Ingrid. It¡¯s really fine.¡± She asked me toe to the office because of some problems that she couldn¡¯t understand. It was only a minor problem and could be settled after some meetings. I believe in her and then in Rodney as well as the other 5 new secretaries we hired. We were just waiting for the reply from the client, which I¡¯m sure was positive and everything will be OK.


    Colleen overheard our conversation so she pushed me to go. Well, even if she didn¡¯t, I would stille. I promised Ingrid that she could call me if ever she faced problems she couldn¡¯t handle.


    ¡°But I took your time for your wife,¡± she replied,


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, she wouldn¡¯t like it if I was noting here either. You know her, she doesn¡¯t like to be a burden to anyone.¡± I said and she nodded,


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how she is.¡± Ingrid and Colleen were close along with mom. I don¡¯t know how they get along because they were a total opposite of each other. They¡¯re supposed to be like oil and water. I mean, Ingrid is loud, outgoing and wild, while my wife is soft spoken and gentle.


    ¡°I remember when I first saw Colleen,¡± she said, and that caught my interest. I wanted to know more about her. ¡°Mom was so hardheaded, you know that,¡± she said and I nodded. ¡°It was after her check-up and I found out that she needed surgery. She didn¡¯t want to because she was afraid that something might happen. Just like what had happened to dad.¡±


    ¡®I didn¡¯t know that,¡± I said. She nodded her head with a smile and continued,


    ¡°Mom was scared and thought that she was going to die already. She didn¡¯t want to yet, because she wanted you to get married to a nice and decent woman first. You already know that we knew about Stacey, I guess?¡± I nodded with my head down,


    ¡°Colleen was sitting on a bench in the hospital. She had just finished her check up and didn¡¯t want to go home yet. She said there was no one who was waiting for her, so she might as well have someone to talk with, even if it was another patient.¡±


    *** Ingrid¡¯s shback ***


    ¡°Mom, you have to do it.¡±


    ¡°No, I already told you that I wouldn¡¯t do it.¡± Mom replied,


    ¡°It¡¯s for your own good, how are you going to get better if you are not going to follow your doctor¡¯s advice?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather die, I mean who would want to undergo check-ups and surgery if they knew that they would still end up dying?¡± she replied as she sat on a bench opposite to a woman who happened to be Colleen and was looking at us.


    ¡°I am still attending my check-up, I just finished it a while ago and was eagerly hoping for surgery.¡± she said, interrupting us. We looked at her and we found her smiling at us.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re still young, that¡¯s why you are saying that.¡±


    ¡°I have less than four years to live,¡± she told us, and both our eyes widened. What shocked us was the fact that she was smiling when she said that. I don¡¯t think I will be able to smile at that kind of dilemma. ¡°Well, unless I get heart surgery,¡± she added.


    ¡°You want to undergo surgery?¡± Mom asked and she nodded. ¡°What if it only makes you weak?¡± she asked again,


    ¡°What if it will extend my life?¡± Colleen asked instead, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to think about what if it failed. I am going for surgery to extend my life and not to think about failure,¡± she added.


    ¡°Who are you with?¡± Mom asked,


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Why are you alone? Where are your parents? If you¡¯re in that condition, you should have someone with you, right now.¡± I said,


    ¡°Oh, my parents separated years ago and they have their own family.¡± she replied, ¡°And I think they forget about me,¡± she added, scratching her head and still smiling. It wasn¡¯t even a fake smile. It was full of light, that it was so bright and mom and I were both speechless. How can such a tiny person as her be that strong? I can face poverty alone, but I don¡¯t think I will be able to smile at her burden. What¡¯s more, withstand it.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel pity, it was because I am careless that I am in this condition. There was no one to me for what had happened to me, but myself,¡± she said. She may have seen sympathy in our eyes.


    ¡°Then, you have toe with me during my check up.¡± mom said out of nowhere.


    ¡°No problem, just tell me when.¡± she replied, and that was the start of us being together, being friends.


    *** End of shback ***


    ¡°Mom investigated her, of course. She wanted to make sure that she was not a con. Many con artists use emotions to get their victims affection,¡± Ingrid said after.


    ¡°She¡¯s the most honest person I know.¡± I told her, and she agreed.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Rodney said when he entered after he knocked, ¡°Everything¡¯s good. Mr. Davidson agreed to the proposal and he will be sending the new contract tomorrow morning¡± he reported, smiling.


    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± Ingrid said, with a sigh of relief. ¡°That yboy almost gave me a heart attack,¡± she said. I was sure that she was pissed because she was the one who talked to Mr. Davidson at first, I was confident that she would be able to pull everything, because she was really good at business as well. So I wonder what happened to their meeting. But looking at her now, I think I already had an idea.


    Mr. Davidson was known to be a yboy, but I never heard, even once, that he forced someone. Ingrid is the kind of woman who hates yboys. I cannot me her because our dad taught her how she should be treated by men and dad taught me how to treat a woman.


    Rodney left so I made some reminders for my sister with regards to thepany. She had a bad temper and I actually warned Rodney and the others about her. I was d that nothing happened and that they worked in ¡°harmony¡± as she said.


    ¡°Give my regards to my dear sister-inw.¡± she said when I got up and got ready for home.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied and left the office. Now that I was alone, my mind was now with Colleen. It has been a natural urrence for me these past months, actually. She would constantlye to mind with her smiling face. And that made me feel excited about going home.


    I got in my car and started it before I put on my seatbelt. I nned on texting Colleen to inform her that I was going home now, but changed my mind. I would just surprise her. I was about to go when I received a text message. I thought for a while about whether I was going to read or just do it at home. But thinking it was my sister, maybe she forgot to say something, I opted to read it first,


    ¡®Do you think I won¡¯t be able to find you? Well, you thought wrong. Because, I will make sure that you will pay for what you did.¡¯ the text message said. My eyes sharpened and I started to think about who could possibly send me that text.


    I didn¡¯t fight or anger anyone, so who could it be? I don¡¯t think I will be able to go home like this, so I just stay for a while. Then I heard my phone again. I looked at it and found out that it was an email. I opened it and it only angered me, at the same time, scared. The emails were all Colleen¡¯s photos and there are some that I have with her.


    My beautiful wife was smiling in all the photos and whoever sent this to me, threatened me with such beauty. I have to find him, or her. And the only people I have dealt with in thest months were Derrick and Stacey. They better not harm her, because I don¡¯t know what I am going to do to them when they do.

 Sixty-Nine

    Jared¡¯s POV


    I went home and looked for my wife and I sighed in relief after I found her in the kitchen with Betty and Mommy Lucy. ¡°Hi, wife,¡± I greeted her and kissed her on her temple as I hugged her tight.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, hubby? Is there a problem?¡± she asked worriedly. Betty and Mommy Lucy were looking at me, worriedly too. I smiled at them and said,


    ¡°No, nothing. I was just uhm, felt relieved.¡±


    ¡°Why, is everything OK in the office now?¡± Colleen asked and I nodded.


    ¡°Mr. Davidson had made up his mind. Maybe Ingrid had pissed him off and had their argument. You know my sister, right?¡± I replied and she nodded, smiling.


    ¡°She had a bad temper, that¡¯s why I asked you to go with her. You will be able to think better because you¡¯re calmer than her,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I am so lucky to have a wife like you,¡± I said and she rolled her eyes at me and we allughed.


    ¡°Now, dear, your husband is here now, so you two had better go somewhere else and not here in the kitchen. Let Betty and I do everything here, OK?¡± Mommy Lucy told her,


    ¡°I am not even holding a spat,¡± sheined,


    ¡°Yes, but you keep on saying, ¡°Is that necessary? Oh, you have to do this first, that first¡± and so on and so forth.¡± Betty told her and we allughed. ¡°I thought I was the one who taught her how to cook, but she was making it appear otherwise.¡± she added.


    ¡°OK, OK, we will leave you here.¡± she said and took my hand, so I led her to our bedroom.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to get us something to eat.¡± I said, and I looked at her,


    ¡°I will go get it while you change your clothes,¡± she said, but I shook my head,


    ¡°No my wife, your hubby is here, so you just stay put and let me do it. I already told you that when I¡¯m around, you don¡¯t have to do anything.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you change first,¡± she replied and went to the couch, where we usually sit when we watch a movie together. I went to the closet and got a change intofortable clothes.


    ¡°I will go and get our fruit, wife.¡±


    ¡°OK, what movie do you want?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you like,¡± I replied, smiling, and went out.


    Mommy Lucy and Betty were still in the kitchen preparing for our dinner. ¡°Did you forget something?¡± Mommy Lucy asked,


    ¡°I will just cut some fruits for Colleen,¡± I replied and went to the refrigerator and got some fruits and washed them. I was peeling the apple so I took the time to talk to them, ¡°Did a maile this morning?¡±


    They looked at each other and shook their heads, ¡°Why are you waiting for something?¡± Betty asked,


    ¡°If something came or was delivered to Colleen in any form. May it be letters or gifts or anything. Don¡¯t give them to her and keep them until you are free to give them to me.¡± I replied,


    ¡°Why? Is there something going on?¡± Mommy Lucy asked. I didn¡¯t want to tell them either, but if I didn¡¯t, they would continue to ask me about it and I¡¯m worried that it may reach my wife.


    ¡°I received a text message before I went home to threaten me, then I received photos of Colleen through email.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Betty and Mommy Lucy eximed,


    ¡°Don¡¯t inform my wife about it so she won¡¯t worry. Although I am always here, unless, all the time, just like today, when I need to go to the office, do not let her leave the house alone.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but how about you? Surely the threat was intended for you,¡± Betty asked,Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Whoever he or she is, they won¡¯t hurt me, unless they use my wife against me. I will make sure to find them before they get me.¡± I replied after I was done with the fruits. I got them and brought them to our bedroom where my beautiful wife was waiting.


    ¡°We only have a few fruits left, I am going to ask Betty to buy them tomorrow.¡± I said and put down a bowl of sliced fruits.


    ¡°I can go and buy them, no need to ask Betty for them.¡±


    ¡°No, my wife. I want you to stay here and don¡¯t tire yourself. Remember that baby is going toe out soon.¡± I replied, I knew that she was not going to insist because of the baby. She loves her so much and was spoiling her already. ¡°And you know Betty, she wouldn¡¯t let you, too.¡± I added,ughing, and she did too.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s hardheaded.¡± she replied, ¡°So, what happened to thepany again?¡± she asked,


    ¡°Well, Ingrid and Mr. Davidson had a misunderstanding, knowing my sister, I knew that she said something to him that may have offended him or just wanted to give Ingrid a lesson,¡± I replied,


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Davidson is a yboy and you know that Ingrid hates those kinds of men,¡± I told her and she giggled,


    ¡°Maybe they were intended to be together, and Mr. Davidson was just testing her, you know.¡± she replied,


    ¡°Watching too many romance movies?¡± I asked as I fed her with the fruit.


    ¡°With Ingrid¡¯s character, I am sure that her love life will be as wild as hers,¡± she said,ughing after she swallowed her food and I couldn¡¯t help butugh with her. I was looking at her happy face and the thought that someone might hurt her scares me.


    I am not going to let anything happen to her and our baby. I had already suffered enough thinking about how she was going to leave me soon and knowing that she might get hurt because of me, I don¡¯t know if I will ever forgive myself.


    In the past months that we were together, every day, I came to know her even more. She¡¯s different from the women I met and she¡¯s the strongest and bravest, but has the softest heart. She told me that she worked hard so she could attend and finish college and I know that it was all true. I had her investigated before and when it came to her past, I surrendered to her.


    Ingrid was right, even I could survive poverty alone, but not her condition and with a positive point of view. If I was in her shoes, I would me everything on the one up there and that I would surely think that He gave me that burden. But she¡¯s different. She never mes anyone but herself. Despite her suffering, she allows what God wants to happen to her.


    ¡°Are you still going back to work tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°No, I already gave Ingrid some kind of reminders and warnings. She shouldn¡¯t take it personally, because Mr. Davidson is a business partner. It¡¯s not as though he wanted to fu** her, right?¡± I replied,


    ¡°Your words, hubby. Ingrid is your sister!¡± she eximed and Iughed really hard, my ever innocent wife.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about her,¡± I said,


    ¡°And what do you want to talk about? Are you going to confess something to me?¡± she asked, anticipating my answer.


    ¡°You liked it so much that I am telling you about everything that happened to me after we got married?¡± she nodded her head, smiling.


    ¡°Very well, did you know that I wanted to wear all the suits that you prepared for me?¡± I asked,


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I thought that you would be very happy and I wanted you to think that I didn¡¯t care.¡± I replied, but she was still looking at me, waiting for me to continue. ¡°I thought that I had already lost to you when I agreed to marry you. Wearing those suits will only make me feel worse. I couldn¡¯t ept the fact that I let someone else decide about my marriage. It was a lifetimemitment so I wanted to choose the woman I am going to be with.¡± I added.


    ¡°I know that you have been battling with yourself. Whose man would want to be with someone they barely know,¡± she replied,


    ¡°Even with women¡ª¡± I said,


    ¡°I am different, I didn¡¯t care about you at first, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± she stopped me, ¡°I never thought that you were so handsome and so manly. Every time I see youing in and out of work, I am always watching you. The way you walk and carry yourself, you are so confident. I didn¡¯t know that I started to like you.¡± she admitted. Of course, I am happy about that.


    ¡°Did you know when I started wearing the clothes you prepared for me?¡± I asked,


    ¡°About 9 monthster?¡± she replied.


    ¡°You mean, that¡¯s when you started seeing me wearing them, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡±


    ¡°I started wearing them 2 months earlier,¡±


    ¡°What? How? Every time I prepared them, I always saw thest one in the same ce where I put them.¡± And I started tough thinking how I was able to full that off. I saw her forehead creased,


    ¡°OK, whenever I knew that I was going home early, I took them to the office and changed there. When I was about to go home, I changed again and asked Rodney to have themundry so I could bring them back home,¡±


    ¡°What??¡± she eximed and thenughed very loudly and I couldn¡¯t stop myself fromughing too.¡± How could you do that? It was really hard, I mean, Oh, hahaha. I couldn¡¯t imagine it.¡± she said,


    ¡°Yeah, it was very hard and I know that Rodney has been wondering as well. So, I decided to just wear them because I wanted to after two months of crazily doing that routine.¡± I replied and kissed him,


    ¡°How about the food?¡± she asked and I stopped and thought.


    ¡°Well, I brought them the next morning at work and had them during lunch.¡±


    ¡°Since when?¡±


    ¡°After I found out the incident in the caf¨¦ was a fraud.¡± I told her and her eyes widened. ¡°Betty actually caught me but asked her not to tell you.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the reason why she was suddenly hopeful about us?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, at first she was mad at you, then suddenly, she was telling me that everything was going to be OK. Something like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was just so stupid not to make a move earlier.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s worth it,¡± she replied, ¡°We value our time now more than ever. We consider every second our best memory together.¡± she added when she saw me confused. And yes, we truly value our time now, especially me. I never wanted a second to go to waste because our time together is limited.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s really worth it.¡± I agreed, smiling and kissed her on her forehead.

 Seventy

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Stacey asked Derrick.


    ¡°I thought you said that,¨C¡±


    ¡°Forget what I said!¡± he eximed, and everyone in the visiting room looked at them. ¡°I asked one of my trusted men to look into it and he confirmed it. I am going to make him pay for ruining my career. I am not going to make him live happily with his wife. He did it for his wife, then I am going to make his action worthless.¡± he added,


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Stacey asked and her eyes widened when she realized something, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, no, stop it Derrick. The woman was already dying. She wouldn¡¯t evenst for a year.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what makes my revenge sweet, he thinks he still has less than a year to be with his wife,¡± Derrick replied crazily. Stacey was just looking at him in disbelief. She may have been a sl*t and she used Jared, but she can¡¯t be a murderer, especially to someone who was already dying.


    ¡°Look, I was angry at Jared as well. He talked to me with a loud speaker, enough for the reporters to hear everything that I was telling him, but hurting the woman is too much,¡± she said.


    ¡°Are you chickening out?¡±


    ¡°No, I wanted Jared to be punished for selling me out. But the woman did nothing to me at all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting Stacey, is that what I taught you?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want the woman to get hurt, Derrick.¡±


    ¡°Are you an idiot? That woman loves Jared already! If something happens to that ba****d, I am certain that it will also cost her her life. And killing your ex just like that is not enough for the suffering that I have been through here and maybe even when I get out of this hell. The image that I tried so hard to build up was ruined instantly by that ba****d!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Just leave me out when ites to the woman,¡± she said, and was ready to go.


    ¡°Don¡¯t back out on me now, Stacey. Because one way or another, I am going to involve you in this.¡±


    ¡°Whatever Derrick,¡± she said and left. She wanted to take her revenge on Jared, but she already knew why he did what he had done. It came to her knowledge that sending her photos of Jared almost cost her her life and that was also the time that they started to get along well.


    She was torn about whether she was about to continue to take her revenge or not because she also couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that her dad disowned her. At the moment, she was staying at one of Derrick¡¯s houses and she had nowhere to go. That¡¯s why she just said yes to everything he wanted.


    Derrick, on the other hand, went back to his cell. He was furious whenever he had to get back to that small room after he epted a visitor and he knew that Stacey was staying with him because she had nowhere else to go as well. He knew that her father never talked to her after the news about them, and he took that as a chance so that he could still have someone he could ask to work for him other than the men he had from the organization he was with.


    When his illegal activities came out, their leader got worried and had nned on killing him because he thought that he was the one that ratted them out. But then, Derrick exined to him and promised that he was going to find whoever it was that exposed them.


    While he was in jail, his men constantly visited him and gave him reports about their investigation. He didn¡¯t want to believe them at first, but because all their reports pointed at one person, that¡¯s when he was certain that it was Jared who brought him down. Since then, he promised to find a way to make him pay. He then asked his men to follow him wherever he went and then he found out everything about him.


    He thought that Jared was unlucky because of his wife, who was dying. What brought him more joy was the fact that she was pregnant and thought that Jared¡¯s sufferings would be unbearable for him when he killed Colleen.


    ¡°Fu****g Stacey,¡± he eximed, ¡°Now, I have to think about that woman too. If she didn¡¯t want me to hurt his wife, then I was going to go straight to him.¡± he said to himself, ¡°How would he feel if he wasn¡¯t able to make it to his wife¡¯s operation? A, sweet life.¡± he thought again andughed.


    In Jared¡¯s mansion, he was in his study room and was making a phone call. He was certain that the text messages he received were from Derrick and Stacey and had kept on receiving them. He just felt relieved for a moment that they had not sent anything to Colleen.


    ¡°Hello, mom,¡± he said after he answered his phone.


    ¡°Come to the house now,¡± ire said,


    ¡°Why? Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Juste here and don¡¯t take Colleen, tell her that I am going to discuss business with you.¡± she answered.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said and got up from his chair and went to their bedroom where Colleen was, just to find her sleeping. He decided not to disturb her anymore but decided to inform Lucy and Betty before he left and drove to his mom¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°Why are you here? I never thought that you would actually discuss business matters with me,¡± he said as soon as he entered his old mini-library.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°Take a seat.¡± ire said, and that¡¯s what Jared did. He looked around and noticed that Ingrid was not around.


    ¡°Our private investigator informed me,¡± said his mom, which made him sigh heavily.


    ¡°I clearly told him not to let anyone know about that,¡± he said.


    ¡°You think that he is not loyal to me?¡± ire asked angrily. ¡°How is Colleen?¡± she asked again, worriedly.


    ¡°She¡¯s at home, sleeping. She doesn¡¯t know anything about it either and I hope you are with me on this.¡±


    ¡°Of course! But you have to be careful. What if they just barged into your house and hurt her and everyone in your house?¡±


    ¡°He is not going to do that because he won¡¯t be able to enter ourmunity. You know the security here¡± he said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t be toocent. You don¡¯t know what those goons could do just to get what they wanted.¡±


    ¡°I know that, I have already asked a few people to help me out. And they had a feeling that Derrick would probably try to escape just to get even with me.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± ire asked worriedly,


    ¡°We will take that time to get him.¡± he answered,


    ¡°You make it sound easy, son.¡±


    ¡°I know that it is going to be hard and life threatening, but I cannot let him have his hands on my family.¡±


    ¡°If I aren¡¯t able to stop you with whatever ridiculous n you have, let me help you by sending someone to look after you and Colleen. In a week¡¯s time, she¡¯s scheduled to have her cesarean section. It won¡¯t be good for her and the baby if we give her depressing things to think about.¡±


    ¡°I know mom, that¡¯s why I am being careful. I didn¡¯t want anything to happen to her and our baby.¡± he replied,


    ¡°Call your father¡¯s friend, Gen. Anderson.¡±


    ¡°I already did, mom, that¡¯s why I am confident about this.¡± Jared replied and ire sighed in relief.


    ¡°I am not going to let anything happen to any of us. I promise.¡± Jared assures her and that¡¯s when she hugs him.

 Seventy-One

    Jared¡¯s POV


    After I talked to mom, I went home and found Colleen still sleeping. I was thankful because she wouldn¡¯t be asking me about the reason for my visit to mom and I didn¡¯t have to lie to her. As much as possible, I want to say everything to her and I feel guilty when I am hiding something from her just like now. It was for her own good. Still, I am notfortable. That¡¯s why I let everyone at home know so they could help me protect her.


    I went back to my study room and started to polish my n. I knew that this was going to be very dangerous but it was the only thing I knew to trap Derrick. I didn¡¯t want anything to happen to anyone in my family, especially Colleen. And Derrick threatening me is making me feel paranoid all the time. I was already like that because of Colleen¡¯s condition. Her illness is like a ticking time bomb that could take her anytime.


    Everyday, I pray to God to give us more time to be together. Not for me but for the goodness of Colleen¡¯s heart, she needed to be rewarded for being such a good person and I hope that God is not blind to seeing that. I pray to Him to extend her life even for a year, even though I know that if that happens, I will be very greedy to pray to Him again for an extension.


    There are only a few things that I regret in my life and the one that I couldn¡¯t move on with is with my wife. There were a lot of ¡°I should have,¡± ¡°what if¡±, that I wanted to turn back time with but I knew that it was impossible. Colleen leaving me, maybe inevitable, just like the others or me. It¡¯s just we know when she will be leaving us, and that¡¯s why it hurts so much.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Some would say that I am lucky that I know when she¡¯s going. I can still do many things for her and won¡¯t hesitate about giving them to her as long as it makes her happy. But it only made me feel worse, because no matter where I looked at it, it was like I was only waiting for the day she would leave me.


    Yes, I could make the best of the days she¡¯s with me, but it will only add up to many things that I am going to think about and remember her for. Everywhere I look and go it will only remind me of her, which will be the most painful because it was only in my memory and the only time that I am going to forget about it is when I lost it. But even if it was like that, I know that there wille a time that I will be able to remember her and feel the pain once again.


    Whenever I am by myself like this, I can¡¯t help those thingse to mind. I actually didn¡¯t want to think about it but, just as I¡¯ve said, I couldn¡¯t help it. If I had known that someone like my wife woulde my way, I would surely wait and protect her the best I could. It¡¯s just such a waste that I started investing my emotions in the wrong person.


    I remember the time when Stacey asked me to meet her in a bookstore. She said her dad asked her to buy something there and, because I know her dad loves to read, I believed her. It was also the same bookstore that we often meet, so I know the ce perfectly. I was always early into everything, so going there is not an excuse even if we already broke up. I was about to turn to the next shelf when I heard Stacey¡¯s voice,


    ¡°Please, you already got married to Jared, why don¡¯t you just leave me alone?¡± Stacey said,


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Colleen asked,


    ¡°Stop texting me already because Jared and I are not seeing each other anymore.¡± she said,


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, I am not texting you or anyone else. Are you sure that it was me?¡±


    ¡°Is there any other Colleen that is married to Jared? Please don¡¯t deny it anymore, it was a good thing that we identally saw each other here so I can clear that with you. Jared and I broke up and that¡¯s it.¡± Stacey said, and I thought that I shouldn¡¯t just stand there and watch them, so I went in between them.


    ¡°Jared,¡± Stacey said, and as always, she wrapped her arms around mine as Colleen followed her movements with her eyes before she looked at me,


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do whatever she was saying just now.¡± Colleen said, looking down. I thought that she couldn¡¯t look at me, so she must be lying. But because I was feeling guilty about their first encounter, I decided to set that aside and take Stacey away from her instead. I believe she will be able toe home and doesn¡¯t need me to take her back.


    Stacey and I went out of the bookstore and went to a coffee shop. I told her to tell her whenever Colleen was texting her or whatever and I would justpensate her. ¡°But Jared, I want you toe back to me,¡± she said, instead. It was the total opposite of what she told Colleen. Maybe that was the reason why Colleen texted her, because she knew to herself that Stacey wanted me back.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I am already married and you know my side when ites to marriage.¡± I replied,


    ¡°So you will just continue living with her even if you don¡¯t love her?¡± she asked, I didn¡¯t say anything because it wasn¡¯t entirely true. I started to like my wife. That started when I found out about my wrong judgment about her and saw her talking to Betty and the other maids looking happy and beautiful.


    ¡°Are you willing to sacrifice your own feelings for your belief?¡± she asked again,


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just can¡¯t.¡± I told her and left her there after I paid for our order and totally forgot about the reason why I came there. Since then, I have tried to avoid her calls and whenever I happened to answer them, I made some excuses like being busy at work. Which was entirely true because I spent almost all of my time at thepany that time.


    Now, thinking about those times that I wasted, believing Stacey, I even feel more guilty. I sighed deeply and thought, if only I could turn back the time, I would definitely do it.


    ¡°That was deep,¡± I looked at where the voice wasing from. It was my wife standing at the door and was now walking closer to me, smiling. ¡°Do we have a problem?¡± she asked, and I smiled at her. She was always like that. Even though it was actually my problem alone, she would always say that it was ours because we are married and share the burden.


    ¡°Not, really. I was just thinking that your schedule for your CS was approaching and I was thinking about if Ingrid would ask me to manage thepany again after.¡± I said, and there was my lie.


    She creased her forehead as she stood in front of my table looking at me intently. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s the case?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah, why?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I just thought that you were thinking about something and was having a hard time finding some solution, so I just want to let you know that I can try to help you out.¡± she replied and I smiled at her. I took her hand before leading her toe to me and sat her on myp and hugged her,


    ¡°Ingrid is the only one who will be able to help me, and that is if she will still agree to stay there even after you have given birth.¡± My sister has already told me that I will have all my time and she¡¯s going to take care of thepany, but it was the only reason I cane up with and I¡¯m sure that my sister will help me through it. Then there she goes with her smile again.

 Seventy-Two

    Colleen¡¯s POV


    I didn¡¯t notice that I had overslept and I looked for Jared the moment I woke up. I asked mom where he was and he told me that he was still in his study room, so I went up. I didn¡¯te up here because the stairs were really high, but because I wanted to see my husband, I would do it. I knocked before I got in and found him in deep thought. I can tell because of the way he sighed, does he have a problem?


    I made him notice me and he looked at me. He smiled and, oh, he was so handsome. I don¡¯t think I am worthy of him if I am going to look at myself. I am so thin and pregnant, I¡¯m sure you can¡¯t imagine how I look too. I asked him whether we had a problem while I got closer to him. He said it was just about his sister agreeing to manage thepany even after I gave birth.


    He made sure that it was nothing after I asked her again and he had me sit on hisp. I love to be sitting on him, but the way I weigh now, it makes me feel conscious. He hugged me and, of course, I did the same. Then he told me about Ingrid again, so I decided to believe him. I know that he didn¡¯t want me to worry. That¡¯s why he was so secretive and I am not going to take it against him.


    ¡°I was actually thinking about the time when you identally met Stacey in the bookstore,¡± he said. I thought for a moment and remembered.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t identally meet there.¡± I said and his forehead creased, so I massaged it for him as I continued. ¡°She called me out, just like in the coffee shop. She said that she had important things to say to me, so I went and saw her.¡±


    ¡°She hurt you at your first meeting. Why did you have to see her again? What if she hurts you again?¡±


    ¡°I was with Dr. Gerard.¡± I told him and I saw his face harden, ¡°You know that I like to read and so is he. From time to time, we will go to that bookstore and read.¡± I added,


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I see him?¡± he asked,


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he came to me after you left with Stacey. I told him beforehand that he didn¡¯t need to show himself if we were just talking.¡± I replied,


    ¡°So the important thing that Stacey wanted to tell you was?¡± he asked again,


    ¡°She told me to divorce you. Then all of a sudden, she told me about not texting her anymore when I never texted her. She changed her number when she called me, so I guess the one she used to text me for the coffee shop meeting was no longer active. I asked her when I ever texted her but she just spewed nonsense.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Then you came, so I thought she was making a scene that you would actually see that would make you angry at me.¡± I exined,


    ¡°I am not angry at you. But I thought that time that you actually texted her,¡± he replied,


    ¡°You are very handsome and maybe, if I were not sick, I would do that to her. Look how sexy and hot she waspared to me. But I know that I am not healthy, so there¡¯s no point telling her to stay away from you at all.¡±


    ¡°I took her away because I didn¡¯t want her to make any more scenes. I just felt that she would never stop talking if I chose to bring you with me.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was because you believed her and that you two were still together,¡± I said with my head down.


    ¡°I grew up with a happy family. My dad was very responsible and loved my mom so much. I am not going to be some kind of jerk that would turn my back on my decision and file for a divorce. I didn¡¯t like that,¡± he said,


    ¡°I know that now,¡± I replied, and kissed him. He kissed me back and oh, I wanted him. But I had to stop thinking about that because I am going to give birth through CS in two weeks and it¡¯s not going to be OK if I am going to over exert myself.


    We stopped kissing and he smiled at me before he rubbed my stomach and talked to our baby. ¡°Don¡¯t be too stubborn, my baby princess. You have to take care of Mommy too.¡±


    ¡°I bet she would. Seeing her daddy taking care of me, I don¡¯t think that she won¡¯t do the same.¡± I assured him.


    ¡°There are a lot of misunderstandings in our past and I promise that there will be no more in the future. I will only believe in you and I am going to make myself clear with you so you don¡¯t think anything other than I love you.¡± I feel touched to know that I love you thing, and I know for myself, as I have already told him that, he is the only one that I am going to believe in him and no one else. He is the only thing that matters to me and even if he only hurts me in the end, I still won¡¯t care and it still doesn¡¯t matter because I love him more than he thinks I do.


    Without him knowing, I always prayed to God to give me more time to be with him, just what he wanted. Not for myself, but for him. So his prayer would be answered and that he wouldn¡¯t think that everything was his fault and me himself in the end. I wanted him to look after our baby and I¡¯m afraid that because of his guilty feelings, he would forget about the fruit of our love and drown himself at work and never think about being happy anymore.


    I¡¯m afraid that he would punish himself thinking he was the reason why I was no longer there for them. As much as possible, I wanted him to feel guilt free about everything. I wanted him to be happy even if I was no longer around. With that, I will be very happy and in peace leaving them, because I know that he is fine and can look forward to a new happiness that maye his way. I hope he will still wee a new life and allow himself to love again.

 Seventy-Three

    Jared¡¯s POV


    Colleen is getting weaker as the days go by, her pregnancy is taking a toll on her body and I am sure that she is having difficulty carrying our baby. Sometimes I wanted to yell or shout at her for being so stubborn and chose to have our baby in her condition.


    I love our baby so much. Even if she was not yet in this world, she already had a space in my heart. But she¡¯s hurting Colleen without her knowing and I can¡¯t do anything about it. Sometimes I regret the fact that I made love to her. If that never happened, she should have undergone her surgery already and would probably be recuperating by now.


    There¡¯s no point regretting it now, yes. But I couldn¡¯t help it when I could see her looking like how she is. I love her so much that I always think about how I am going to survive life without her. I started to feel scared, thinking she might not make it through her operation. It¡¯s normal for me to feel this way, right? But all I can do is keep it to myself so she won¡¯t worry or think about me. Knowing her, she was probably thinking about what she could do to ensure that everything was going to be alright.


    I asked Dr. Chin to check her up before her date of delivery to ensure her health. That¡¯s why, the following week, we will be staying at the hospital. I like her OB and Dr. Gerard to have a closer look at her.


    While I was still busy with Derrick and Stacey¡¯s case, I needed to make sure that they couldn¡¯t get their hands on my wife. Mom and Ingrid agreed to have some security in the hospital for our safety. I am going to inform Dr. Chin and Dr. Gerard about that as well. I¡¯m sure that they are more than willing to help. After all, they both liked Colleen as well.


    She had been sleeping a lottely saying she wanted to rest, so I just let her. While I stayed in the study room asking for a report about the n, I followed up on Gen. Anderson about Derrick¡¯s organization too. I¡¯m sure that they wanted me dead because of that expos¨¦ I made.


    ¡°Hello, General.¡± I said after I answered his call, hoping that everything was going ording to n. He had asked someone to act as a prisoner and was staying in the cell next to Derrick.


    ¡°Jared, everything is set. Derrick took the bait and we are ready.¡± He said and I sighed happily. I am going to make sure that this is going to be the end for him along with the organization that was helping him.


    ¡°How about Stacey?¡± I asked. She had texted me. She talked about Derrick¡¯s n for Colleen and me. It seemed that she didn¡¯t want him to do anything to Colleen, but he insisted so he could get back at me


    ¡°I had someone tail her as well. If we manage to get Derrick and his boss, she¡¯s going to be our valuable witness,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Thank you so much, General.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°No problem, we will be eliminating big organizations. But, are you sure about your part in the n? It¡¯s going to be very dangerous. You know they might have someone following you as well.¡±


    ¡°I am going to be fine. I am not going to let them seed.¡±


    ¡°Very well, I will have to back you up so nothing is going to happen to you. I didn¡¯t want to give your mom something to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re most wee.¡± He replied before we ended our conversation. I put down my cell phone and leaned back to think. I hope everything¡¯s going to be OK and the n will really go ordingly.


    I looked at the time and found out that it was already 4 in the afternoon. I left my study room and went to the kitchen to prepare a snack for Colleen and found Betty.


    ¡°Is there anything that you want?¡± She asked. I preferred doing it myself so I just smiled at her before saying thank you. Then I took wheat bread and milk. I got an apple then washed it before I cut it into small pieces and put it in a small bowl. I ced everything in a tray and went to our bedroom.


    ¡°Hi, my wife.¡± I greeted her when I saw her sitting on the bed when I got in. She wasbing her hair with her fingers and she looked at me when she heard me and smiled.


    ¡°Is that all for me?¡± She asked, pointing to the tray of foods in my hands. I nodded and said while I walked to her


    ¡°Yep! I¡¯m sure that you and our baby princess in your tummy are hungry.¡± She looked down at her stomach smiling and gave it a gentle stepmother hand, saying,


    ¡°You see how much daddy loves us, sweetie?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure our baby princess already knows that by now, and I hope you do too.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Only the blind can¡¯t see that.¡± She said, ¡°And my eyes are not blind, so is my heart.¡± she replied and that made me happy. I sat beside her after I pulled a stool near the side of the bedside table. I get it in here so I could have something to use for something like this. I wanted to face her when she was eating, seeing how she likes what I prepared for her and our baby.


    ¡°Did you know that you are very beautiful when you¡¯re smiling?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said,ughing, and Iughed too.


    ¡°Kidding aside, my wife.¡±


    I am not kidding. I know that for sure. Many have told me about it during school days.¡± she replied, stillughing.


    ¡°Anyway, there was this one time when I got home early. I went straight to my bedroom because I needed to put on the suits you prepared for me, as I already told you.¡± I said and she nodded, still smiling. It was really funny how I was able to pull that up. ¡°I didn¡¯t get changed at first, so you¡¯d think that I had just got home from work if you¡¯d see me as I decided to go to the pool side. Then I saw you with Betty and Ana as you were helping each other with theundry and you wereughing with them. You look really happy that your eyes were shining like a bright star.¡± I continued.


    She was still looking at me. I know that she didn¡¯t know about it or any idea about that day because she didn¡¯t have to catch me. ¡°I wanted to see you smile like that, always. Your smile sends a calming feeling to my heart that thaws my frozen heart. I want to see your smile every day, before I go to work and when Ie home and every time you are with me.¡± I added.


    ¡°You know that I am a happy person, so you will be able to see that smile all the time. And you being with me, is another reason for me to continue smiling and face everyday happily.¡±


    ¡°Me too. I am the happiest man alive and, yes, let¡¯s be happy together,¡± I told her. Now that I have already confirmed to gen. Anderson our n, I waspletely at ease. I was sure that nothing would happen to her when we went to stay in the hospital next week.


    Colleen agreed to stay there when I told her about it. Maybe she really was having a hard time already and she didn¡¯t want to tell me. Her worries now are more about our baby than in her own condition. While I worry about them both, I pray to God that He will give his grace to them and to me. Because I was going to be the happiest husband and father when I knew that they were both out of danger after her operation. For now, I can only look forward to her sessful CS.


    .

 Seventy-Four

    Colleens POV


    I had to stay in the hospital since my scheduled CS is a week from now. The first time Jared told me about it, I was relieved. I know my body well and I was already having difficulties. As much as possible, I didn¡¯t want to stay in the hospital. But, I am not going to risk my baby¡¯s health with my fear.


    Sometimes Jared left the house telling me that he would just check in the office or just buy something. Although I believe him, there¡¯s still doubt in me that he was doing something he didn¡¯t want to let me know. And that worries me. What if he was doing something dangerous? I don¡¯t think I will be able to take it if something happens to him. He and our baby are my source of strength now and knowing he was hurt will definitely hurt me the most.


    Like now, he said Ingrid had asked him to check on the financial report fromst month, so he left early that morning. It was almost noon and he had not called me yet. I wanted to do it but thinking he was busy, I was afraid that I might disturb him from his work.


    ¡°My wife,¡± I heard him call, so I looked to see where his voice wasing from. I was by the pool and he came from our room.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, waving my hand at him when he finally emerged from the door. He was smiling and he looked really happy, so I guess nothing serious had happened.


    ¡°How are you this morning?¡± He asked after he gave a kiss on my cheek. He smells like he just got out of the car.


    ¡°Good, and so like our baby,¡± I replied, while he sat on a chair beside me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t call because I want to go home before lunch and eat with you and our baby.¡± He said while he stroked my tummy with his hand gently, and that washed my worries away.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I also think that you¡¯re busy, so I didn¡¯t bother calling you, thinking I might just disturb you.¡±


    ¡°You can always call me whenever you want, you have all the rights to disturb me.¡± He replied and I felt happy about that.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how much I wanted you to do that. There were times when I couldn¡¯t work because I was thinking about you.¡± He said, which surprised me. I never thought that it had happened to him. All this time, I thought that he was happy working because I was not there.


    ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I was thinking, why are you not calling me? Why are you noting to the office announcing yourself as my wife? I thought before we got married that you would be doing that to ensure that I was not doing anything or cheating on you.¡±


    ¡°I never think that way. At first I thought it would be fine with me if you still saw Stacey,¡± I admitted. He looked at me seriously and I looked down. ¡°Although I know to myself that it will hurt me, as your wife. But I know as well that I cannot give you every wife¡¯s duty.¡± I continued. ¡°I was afraid that you would end up getting mad at me once you found out that I am not going to be the kind of wife who will be able to support you but a burden instead.¡± I added in a low voice. Then I felt him hugging me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I gave you so many worries and insecurities. I am an a**hole, but one thing I can assure you is that I never cheated on you with Stacey or any other woman.¡± He said, which made me even happy. Knowing that made me feel at ease. At least, I know that he has been faithful even if he doesn¡¯t like me. And for that, I am very proud of him.


    I was happy the whole afternoon that I was with him. At night, before we sleep, he prepares everything that we will be needing for the hospital. I told him that I was going to help him but he stopped me. He just let me watch him doing everything.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    The next day, we went to the hospital and got admitted. I was scared, but I tried not to show him because it was the least that I could do for Jared. I knew that he was already hurting and letting him know about my fear will only add up to that.


    As much as possible, I wanted him to see me being happy and rxed, so he would too. We are each other¡¯s strength and I was thankful that our family is there to support us.


    ¡°Are you feeling alright Colleen?¡± Dr. Chin asked after I was settled in a private room. I looked at her and, with a smile, replied casually.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine and ready.¡± She smiled at me before she looked at Jared who was just listening to us.


    ¡°I assure you that we will be looking after her and the baby to make sure that everything will be alright. I have already formed my team for the operation and Dr. Gerard will be there as well to monitor her condition.¡± She told him and my husband nodded. I know that he is nervous because after he heard what Dr. Chin had said, I caught him sighing.


    ¡°Thank you Dr. Chin.¡± He replied.


    ¡°We will be starting to monitor her and the baby and I have already asked someone to ce another bed for you. I¡¯m pretty sure that you won¡¯t be leaving her side.¡± Dr. Chin added.


    After some instructions, she left us and Jared started to sort our things in a cab and, of course, he didn¡¯t let me help him.


    Every day, mom, mommy ire, Ingrid and even Betty and Lotte to visit me. Especially in the morning because Jared goes to the office andes before lunch.


    He told me that it was all he could do to help Ingrid and I understood him. He never left without someone to rece him in looking after me, though.


    I got used to the routine and everything was fine until the day before my CS schedule. Jared left in the morning but it was already night and I never saw him yet. Mom was with me and she just told me that he arrived when I was sleeping.


    I didn¡¯t argue with that because I understand that he was needed in thepany too. I didn¡¯t want to worry because the way I looked at mom, she was pretty rxed.


    ¡°Mom, did Jared call already?¡± I asked. She was getting ready for bed.


    ¡°Not yet, but Ingrid told me that he will be back tomorrow before your operation.¡± She replied casually.


    ¡°Nothing is happening, right?¡± I asked, worried.


    ¡°I guess so. Ingrid was pretty normal when she talked to me. Although she had beenining about a certain supplier of some sort.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it was the one who wanted to cancel their contract,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Other than that, did she say anything else?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°No,¡± she answered, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°I was just feeling uneasy. I had not seen Jared the whole day and I was worried.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but answer.


    ¡°He must have wanted to do what he needs to do so tomorrow, he will be here for you and he doesn¡¯t need to leave anymore.¡± Mom said, ¡°For the meantime, you have to rx because tomorrow is your D day. You will be a mother and I am going to be a grandmother.¡± She added happily. I smiled and nodded at her in agreement. I followed her and got ready to sleep, looking forward to seeing my husband before my scheduled CS.

 Seventy-Five

    Jared¡¯s POV


    I¡¯m so thankful that Colleen has been admitted to the hospital. In that way, I can act more rxed so that I don¡¯t have to think that she might suspect the reason why I leave every day. I know these past few days she¡¯s been thinking about something and I don¡¯t want her to do that. I often find her deep in thought, which is why I can¡¯t help but worry about her.


    I need to leave the house every day on a regr basis in order to let Derrick know that I am often away from home and go to the office so that his attention will be diverted to me in case he thinks of retaliating against me through Colleen. I don¡¯t want her to be hurt anymore because our time together was limited and I might not be able to stop myself from killing Derrick if he ever decided to hurt my wife and daughter.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Stacey informed me about Derrick¡¯s n. So even though I was angry at her, I set that aside because of the information she was giving me. But it doesn¡¯t mean that I have already forgiven her for what she did to my wife. The photos they sent her caused her to get hospitalized and made her condition unstable.


    Derrick had been nning to kill me and had someone watch over my wife in the hospital, so Gen. Anderson made it a point to have someone to look after her and Mommy Lucy. They were military people in civilian clothes, so Derrick wouldn¡¯t have been able to know that they were being watched as well.


    Yesterday, Stacey emailed me, she said that I would get target on Colleen¡¯s operation. How dare they! They didn¡¯t even want me to see my daughter? I would make sure that they would not seed and inform Gen. Anderson about it instantly. But he was extra cautious, so he decided to have someone look after me as well. He thought that Derrick might have changed his mind or Stacey might have given me false information.


    ¡°I have already sent someone to your office. He will be following you, don¡¯t worry, he is one of my best men.¡± Gen Anderson said,


    ¡°Thank you,¡±


    ¡°All you have to do now is to be very careful. Your wife will have her delivery tomorrow, so you should be ready and prepared for anything. Those people want you dead and they are willing to do anything to make that happen.¡±


    ¡°Yes, General,¡± I replied.


    ¡°My men in uniform will be stationed in your wife¡¯s room and in the operating room to make sure that only her doctors and nurses and rted individuals will onlye in and out of her room.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± I said, and ended our call after he gave me a few more instructions. It was almost lunch time, so I decided to leave thepany. I was in my office all the time while Ingrid was doing everything. Maybe Rodney and the secretaries were wondering why I wasn¡¯t doing my job when I was here already and letting my sister handle thepany. I didn¡¯t want them to know anything about our n but I kept Ingrid informed. If anything happened, she would be the only one who would be able to make some alibis, so Colleen wouldn¡¯t know about anything.


    My sister will know what to do and I trust her with everything. I got ready to go back to the hospital and went out of thepany building. Because I wanted to show myself to whoever was watching me, I parked my car in the outside parking lot. In this way, they would easily know my schedule. I had just got out of the building exit door when I identally bumped into someone.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, and I was about to say fine when I felt something hot just below my chest. I had a look at it and I saw blood. A man approached me and said,


    ¡°Sir,¡± he must be the one Gen. Anderson told me about it. I saw the man who bumped me checking himself and then he looked at me and he was shocked.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± he eximed, I guess he had nothing to do with it. Then people started to gather around me after I heard the General¡¯s man calling for an ambnce.


    ¡°Jared!!¡± I heard my sister shout, but my eyes were getting heavy and I was having a hard time holding myself up. Thest thing I heard was the sound of a siren before I saw total darkness.


    ***


    Beep¡­ beep¡­ beep¡­


    Jared¡­.


    beep¡­ beep¡­ beep¡­.


    ¡°Doctor, do everything you need to do. Just save him.¡±


    beep¡­ beep¡­ beep¡­


    Is that Ingrid? What was happening?


    beep¡­ beep¡­ beep¡­


    Then I opened my eyes and found myself lying on our bed. I looked around and couldn¡¯t find my wife, so I got up. I looked at the door to the swimming pool and started to walk there.


    ¡°My wife,¡± I said when I saw Colleen sitting in our usual spot just outside our room. She looked at me and the smile she gave me was something I never thought that I would never see again,


    ¡°Hubby, you¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°Of course, were you waiting for me?¡± I asked,


    ¡°Hmm,¡± she hummed, she was smiling like an angel and all the colors on her face were back. She looked lively as though she was not sick at all. I sat beside her and she leaned on my shoulder while I took her hand and intertwined our fingers. I don¡¯t know but I feel relieved doing this. It was as if something happened that worried me and I thought that I was never going to see her again.


    ¡°Did you know that I love you so much?¡± she asked, out of nowhere. I know that already because she told me about it many times and I can see it in her eyes every time we are together.


    ¡°Did you have to ask? Of course! I am this happy because of that.¡± I replied and I heard her giggle. The sound of it was music to my ears and I want to hear that all the time.


    She looked up at me and we stared at each other for I don¡¯t know how long, until she said, ¡°Thank you for making me the happiest woman on earth. All that I have been through was nothingpared to what I have been with you. There¡¯s no amount of time or money that I am going to trade the days I spent with you.¡± I was feeling confused about why she was saying that. I know her condition but I didn¡¯t want to think that she was starting to say goodbye to me.


    ¡°I was worried that I was not going to tell you how much I love you, but still, I have this time. Do not me anyone else, or yourself, especially yourself, for what has happened. I am happy and contented with everything that we had. Knowing you love me is more than enough for me to be grateful. But giving me the chance to be a mother is God¡¯s grace.¡± she continued and stood up, giving. I looked up at her before she looked at me and smiled. I was mesmerized, it was the kind of smile with no fear, anger, regrets. It was so warm and bright just like how I saw her before, which soothes and calms me.


    ¡°Please take care of yourself as you take care of our daughter. Find it in your heart to love again and be loved. Give everyone a chance to take care of you. In that way, I will be watching you happily.¡± she added, before she started walking away from me.


    ¡°My wife,¡± I called her out, but she didn¡¯t look, so I shouted because she was far away from me already as the light started to blind me,


    ¡°Colleeeeeeeennnn¡­..¡±

 Seventy-Six

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    ¡°Colleeeeeenn¡­¡± Jared shouted, which made Ingrid and ire rush to him, crying.


    ¡°Jared¡­ huhuhu¡­.¡± ire said, ¡°You¡¯re finally awake,¡± she added. He looked at them and said,


    ¡°Colleen? Where¡¯s my wife?¡± he asked in a hurry and started to roam his eyes around andnded on the bed next to him. His eyes watered when he saw Colleen with a tube in her mouth. He tried to get up but Ingrid and ire tried to stop him but he didn¡¯t. Instead, he went to Colleen¡¯s bed and looked at her,


    ¡°What happened? Why is she like this?¡± he asked and his tears started to run down his face.


    ¡°My wife,¡± he called her in a hoarse voice. ¡°My wife, I am here,e on, wake up now,¡± he added. Ingrid couldn¡¯t help it anymore so she decided to call her doctor instead. She didn¡¯t want to see Jared in that state and she knew that he would be broke when he found out about his wife¡¯s condition.


    He tried to wake up Colleen repeatedly but she didn¡¯t make a move. Lucy and Betty came in and were heart broken when they found Jared. ¡°Jared, calm yourself. You¡¯re not better yet.¡± ire said as she stroked his back gently.


    ¡°Our daughter, where¡¯s our daughter?¡± he asked,


    ¡°She¡¯s in the incubator now, but she¡¯s fine. Dr. Chin assured us. You have to have a check-up to make sure that you¡¯re fine as well. You didn¡¯t want Colleen to worry about you when she woke up, right?¡± ire continued. Jared looked at him and nodded. She wanted to break down as well, but she tried to be strong because she knew that her son needed him. Especially when he found out about Colleen¡¯s current condition.


    ¡°Get back to your bed first,¡± ire said, and she helped him. Betty and Lucy approached him and gave him a smile.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be OK so listen to your mom. Do not make her worry about you as well, because she has been crying a lot,¡± Lucy told him. Jared knew that she was in pain too because of Colleen, but he was d that she was holding on for the sake of his family. He felt relieved that everyone was making an effort to lighten their burden and help them get through with everything.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    After a few more minutes, Ingrid met her with her doctor and nurse. ¡°How are you feeling now, Jared?¡± his doctor asked,


    ¡°I feel fine.¡±


    ¡°Are you hurt somewhere?¡± he asked again and Jared shook his head.


    ¡°I am going to take a few tests on you just to make sure that you will bepletely fine. What you have been through was really hard and I tell you, not everyone can manage to survive it so consider yourself lucky.¡± The doctor continued and left after he gave instructions to the nurse on what Jared needed to do.


    ¡°How long is she like that?¡± Jared asked after the nurse took all the necessaryb tests for him.


    ¡°During her operation,¡± ire said, ¡°Dr. Chin was very confident a day before her CS, she said everything was fine and looked good. All her vitals were normal and she was certain that nothing would go wrong.¡± She added.


    ¡°But when night came and she had not seen you, she started to get worried. I told her that you hade by while she was taking a nap in the afternoon, even if you didn¡¯t. It was only what Ingrid had told me because I went home and she was the one who looked after her.¡± Lucy informed him, he was the one who told Ingrid even before he was shot. He knew that it was very dangerous for him so he talked to his sister and asked her to improvise a story or anything believable so Colleen would not worry before and during CS.


    ¡°At night, before she slept, I heard her crying so I talked to her and promised her that I was going to wake her up when you arrived.¡± Lucy added. ¡°Maybe she was still thinking about you. That¡¯s why she had an attack during her operation. It was a good thing that Dr. Gerard was there and helped her stabilize,¡± she continued. Jared nodded and once again he med himself for making Colleen worry.


    ¡°How long has she been like that?¡± he asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Two weeks,¡± ire replied,


    ¡°I want to see our daughter, but I can¡¯t, mom.¡± Jared said in a broken voice. He didn¡¯t know but he was feeling a little off,


    ¡°Don¡¯t me your daughter for everything, Jared. She doesn¡¯t know anything about any of these and yet, she was in the incubator holding on for her dear life as well.¡± ire said as she began to understand Jared¡¯s feelings. She was thinking that he may not like the idea of their child being alive at the cost of Colleen¡¯s life. ¡°I know what you are thinking so I want you to be rational about all of this.¡±


    ¡°I know that mom, but I couldn¡¯t help but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop it Jared, don¡¯t hate your daughter.¡± Lucy voiced it out and gave him a sharp look. ¡°Colleen will never like it, don¡¯t forget that she had been neglected by me and her father.¡± she added, which made Jared¡¯s eyes widen. He had just realized that he was starting to give his daughter a life that Colleen had been through. He started crying again out of helplessness.


    Ingrid was sitting on the couch with Betty and was crying too as they hugged each other. She pitied Jared for everything that was happening to him. She knew that Colleen was good for him and she saw how happy Jared waspared to when he was with Stacey.


    Everyone was sad for him and Colleen, as well as their daughter, but they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. They couldn¡¯t extend Colleen¡¯s life and they knew that she was ready for it too. Jared looked at his wife again and prayed sincerely to give them a chance to see each other. To be with each other even a little more so he could say sorry and promise her that he would be taking care of their daughter so she coulde in peace. ¡®Please, give us time.¡¯ he thought before his tears cut down his face once again, as he looked into Colleen¡¯s colorless face.

 Seventy-Seven

    Third Person¡¯s POV


    Jared was looking at his wife, who was still lying on the hospital bed unconscious. He had been doing that for three weeks after he woke up and more than a month since Colleen was in aa. Everyday his heart breaks as he sees him almost lifeless. He misses her smile, her voice and her love. He tried to be stronger than the other day and give himself hope that she would wake up soon.


    After he woke up that day and had calmed himself, Ingrid told him about what had happened after he got shot.


    *** shback ***


    ¡°Gen. Anderson¡¯s man called the ambnce and brought you here.¡± Ingrid said, ¡°You were out and getting colder and I thought we were going to lose you. It was a good thing that the bullet missed your heart.¡± she added,


    ¡°I bumped into a man before I got shot, maybe that¡¯s the reason,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah, the man was so frantic. He was shocked that he thought he had been shot as well.¡± Ingrid replied, ¡°As I brought you to the hospital, the man who was supposed to be watching you as well as the others searched around the perimeter and found the spot where the sniper was located. Gen Anderson was so good that he added CCTV¡¯s around the area so they managed to find the gunman and eventually pointed to Derrick and the boss of the organization.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they get rmed when the gunman was found?¡± he asked,


    ¡°Gen. Anderson moved quietly. Because no one knew about the CCTV, they didn¡¯t manage to tap it. All the CCTV around the area was dismantled and broken but not the one they installed.¡±


    ¡°So, the gunman told them everything?¡±


    ¡°Yes, apparently he knew Gen. Anderson and his elite men. I didn¡¯t know that he was known for his brutal torture in the underground and that¡¯s why many of them tried not to get caught by him. I guess Derrick and his boss thought that everything was fine since they got you. What they didn¡¯t know was the fact that we have Gen. Anderson with us.¡±


    ¡°So they are both in jail now?¡±


    ¡°No, Gen. Anderson and his men made sure that they would never go to trial. He was sure that they would get back to you even if they were put behind bars. I am pro life but thinking about how Derrick managed to do this to you if he was in the cell, scares me. Just how many people he had asked for help so he could take his revenge against you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why the media is quiet and I have not heard anything about them?¡± he asked again, and Ingrid nodded.


    ¡°After the gunman pointed out their locations, Gen. Anderson started to make a n. They didn¡¯t announce that they had captured him, so their n was very effective. Even the people who were watching you from the hospital had no idea about what they were doing, so I guess that¡¯s the reason why they decided to lower their guard.¡±


    ¡°They should have something to show to the media, otherwise, they will be targeting the police once that exposed,¡± Jaredmented.


    ¡°Gen. Anderson managed to get more information from them which made him raid another hideout of one of the biggest syndicates in the country. That was announced in public,¡± she replied, as Jared nodded.


    ¡°I can feel at ease now, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes and all you have to do is to look after Colleen and my niece. Don¡¯t worry about thepany, I can handle it well.¡± Jared nodded and said,


    ¡°Thank you so much,¡±


    *** End of shback ***


    He looked at Colleen again and took her hand and brought it to his lips before he kissed it with care. Dr. Gerard went to check on her every day and tried to make Jared feel better. He knew that there were no words that could pacify his feelings or lessen the pain that Jared was going through right now, but he knew that hope would give him strength to continue looking after his wife.


    ¡°Baby Corrine can be transferred to the nursery. She was strong like her mother. Everything was normal and even Dr. Chin couldn¡¯t believe it either.¡± he told Jared, who just looked at him and smiled, ¡°Believe me, I know that you feel worse but I want to let you know as well that Baby Corrine needs you as well.¡± he added before he left him. Jared started to cry, thinking he was already neglecting his daughter unknowingly. He had never left Colleen¡¯s side ever since he woke up and had not looked into their daughter ever since.


    When Lucy arrived, Jared stood up and told her that he would just go and look at their daughter. Lucy smiled at him, nodding her head happily. She was already feeling sorry for her granddaughter because of what Jared had been doing. She started to think that he didn¡¯t want to see their baby and was ming her already for Colleen¡¯s condition.


    Jared arrived at NICU where baby Corrine was. He put on a hospital gown, mask, gloves, head and shoe cover before he got in. Baby Corrine was awake when he looked at her and he started crying again. He felt guilty for his daughter after he realized that he was being unfair to her that he even thought of aborting her before. He inserted his hand in the hole and took the baby¡¯s hand. He felt calm when baby Corrine grabbed his thumb and held it tightly.


    Jared wiped his tears and said, ¡°Thank you for being strong, mommy and daddy are very proud of you.¡± he said as the baby Corrine¡¯s lips started to get pointed and make a round shape as if she understood him and wanted to talk. Jared saw this and gently caressed her tiny hands, saying, ¡°I promise you that I am going to love and give you everything I can to protect you. When the timees that you will be able to understand things, I am going to ask for your forgiveness for what hase to my mind these past few weeks about you and I hope you¡¯ll forgive.¡±


    Baby Corrine¡¯s hands and legs were now making unnecessary movements as she looked at him. Her little mouth continued to make a round shape as if saying something. He stayed there for a few more minutes because he was not allowed to stay there any longer. He went to Dr. Chin and talked about their baby so she introduced him to her pedia to exin to him more about the baby Corrine¡¯s condition.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Jared said thanks and went back to Colleen. He sat on the chair beside her hospital bed and took her hand to engulf it while Lucy was following him with her gaze. ¡°Hey, wife, our daughter is so beautiful. I just saw her and I think she was very talkative with the way she opened her mouth and made that round shape as if she wanted to scold me.¡± he said. Lucy, who was just listening to him, felt relieved.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that getting rid of her came to my mind before. Thank you for not letting that happen. When she grows up, I am going to apologize to her and I hope that she will forgive me. Do you think she would? I am scared, so please, wake up so you can help me exin to her and tell her, you understand me, right?¡± he said in a hoarse voice and was still crying. Lucy didn¡¯t want to see him acting like that, so she decided to leave him alone with Colleen.


    She was heartbroken too and feeling sorry for Jared and she understood himpletely. She too wanted to let the baby go so Colleen would be able to get the surgery that she needed. After that incident, she realized that Colleen was more of a mother than her. She already loved and was willing to risk her life for the baby who was not yet fully grown in her womb when she left Colleen and had not looked after her if not for the fact that she needed a house for her stepdaughter.


    ¡°I am no better than Jared,¡¯ she told herself as she sat on the chair just outside Colleen¡¯s hospital room. Tears ran down her cheeks, she knew that Colleen would be leaving them sooner orter and the fact that they were only waiting for that time hurt her even more. Yes, they were only waiting, the chance for Colleen to wake up was so small and she knew Jared knew it too. That¡¯s why he never left her side.


    ¡®My only regret is that she never got the chance to see the life that she gave her life for.¡¯ she said to herself and closed her eyes and prayed deeply. ¡®Lord God, if you are going to take her already, please give her a chance to see and feel her daughter.¡¯

 Seventy-Eight

    Jared¡¯s POV


    I know my wife¡¯s condition but my mind and heart didn¡¯t want to ept it. I still give myself hope and no matter how little it was, I will still hold on to it. I am never going to give up on my wife, and let the best thing happen to me slip out of my hands. Yes, she¡¯s the best thing that ever happened to me. And every day that I see her lying on her hospital bed is killing me.


    All this time, she was all in my mind and I felt guilty when I saw our daughter. I have neglected her without knowing it and the pain that engulfed me after realizing that was unbearable. When she held my thumb, I felt something. That must be what Colleen felt when she found out that she was pregnant. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t agree to an abortion.


    ¡°My wife, are you not yet tired of sleeping for so long?¡± I asked her as I wiped her clean. Mommy Lucy wanted to do this for her but I didn¡¯t let her. I want to take care of my wife so she will love me even more when she finds after she wakes up that I took care of her sincerely. I do this every day and I never get tired of it. I can do anything for my loving wife.


    ¡°Baby Corrine will being hereter so I wanted you to look beautiful. She would be very happy if she saw her mom as pretty as her.¡± I told her. I always do that, talking to her even though I know that I will never get a reply from her. Dr. Gerard told me that even if she was in that state, she could still hear everything. That¡¯s why I always tell her how much I love her and tell her about our daughter. I was hoping that it would help her toe to us.


    Daily, I asked the nurses to bring baby Corrine to her room so she would be able to see her and me as soon as she opened her eyes. I¡¯m sure that she¡¯s going to be very happy when that happens.


    ¡°Hi, wife. Guess what, it¡¯s our dear baby¡¯s 2nd month old. Later, the nurse will bring her here so you will be able to see her.¡± I told her as usual.


    ¡°Hey, sis.¡± Ingrid said happily, ¡°You don¡¯t mind me crashing in my pretty niece¡¯s 2nd month, right? You don¡¯t know how many presents  I bought her.¡± she added, and we allughed. My mom, mommy Lucy and even Betty are here to celebrate. They were always here, but not like today when they all came at the same time. They would usually do it alternately on a regr basis. I guess they have started to get used to our daily routine though I still see their teary eyes whenever they look at my wife and daughter.


    ¡°You know that my wife doesn¡¯t like to overspend. I didn¡¯t want her to think that I was spoiling our daughter.¡± I told my sister,


    ¡°You know me my little brother, I even spoiled you.¡± she replied, and we shook our heads. She was really hopeless when it came to her hardheadedness and always did whatever she thought would make her happy without thinking about the consequences. Anyway, what she said was true, I was spoiled by her.


    We all talked to Colleen and we made sure that we sounded happy. We are because of baby Corrine but notpletely because she was still unconscious. Mom needed to rest so she had to go home. I asked Ingrid to go with her so she had someone to look after her as well. Betty decided toe with them because Mommy Lucy decided to stay a little longer. Uncle Rick was with Diane and Marcus. They wanted toe too, but there was no one who would look after their father, so they had to stay at home.


    ¡°Jared, I will just go to the pharmacy and buy Rick¡¯s medicine.¡± Mommy Lucy said and I nodded my head, she smiled before she went out of the room. I was carrying baby Corrine and was ying with her as I sat on a chair beside Colleen.


    ¡°You say wake up to mommy,¡± I told my baby and faced her to my wife, ¡°Mommy, wake up. Daddy and I miss you so much¡± I said again, and ced baby Corrine¡¯s hand in hers. Then there was silence. I only heard the sound of the beeping machine that was attached to Colleen as I looked at her face. I kissed baby Corrine¡¯s forehead and then hers. They are my family, my beautiful family.


    I hold her hand with our daughter¡¯s hand in between and I feel the love we have for each other. ¡°Coo¡­¡± baby Corrine said. It warmed my heart and I never thought that hearing her could make me feel this way. I smiled at the thought of how much she could bring happiness to me and my wife.


    I repeated what she said and we exchanged ¡°coo¡¯s¡± with each other. We were still holding Colleen¡¯s hand when her hand suddenly moved. I stiffened. I looked at her ad and then back to her hand to make sure if she really moved it.


    ¡°I thought mommy had moved, baby princess.¡± I said and got back to ying with her.


    ¡°Coo..¡± baby Corrine said again, so I parroted her and saw her smile. She looks very beautiful when she does that, just like her mom.


    ¡°My pretty baby princess, you really look like your pretty mommy.¡±


    ¡°Coo¡­¡± I think she agrees with me.


    ¡°My wife, did you hear that? Our baby princess agrees with me and she¡¯s happy that she looks like you.¡± I said, but my eyes were still on our daughter. I cannot take my eyes off her because she was looking at me too.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Are you that happy to know that baby princess?¡± I asked and she smiled again,


    ¡°Look, my wife, she¡¯s really happy¡ª-¡± I said when I looked at Colleen. I was stunned. I couldn¡¯t move. My eyes got teary and I didn¡¯t know what I was going to do as the overwhelming happiness consumed me.

 Seventy-Nine End

    Jared¡¯s POV


    ¡°She¡¯s still not in good condition. I didn¡¯t want to give you false hope and I want you to be ready for anything, anytime.¡± Dr. Gerard said,¡± I was shocked when I saw Colleen looking at me. She wasn¡¯t sad or mad or angry. Even if she couldn¡¯t smile because of the tube that was in her mouth, I could still see that she was because of her eyes. She must have been listening to me and baby Corrine, that¡¯s why.


    ¡°But, she¡¯s already awake, can¡¯t we do the surgery already?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s already weak and her body will not be able to make it.¡± Dr. Gerard answered, ¡°She wakes up, yes. But it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that she¡¯s fine. The surgery will take a toll on her body and it may shorten her life. There¡¯s a possibility that she may, you know, be on the operating table,¡± he added. I felt so helpless and looked at Colleen who was now sleeping.


    When I saw her eyes open, I called Dr. Gerard immediately and, thankfully, Mommy Lucy came back so I handed her over, our daughter. She was very happy when she looked at Colleen and found her looking at us. She took the baby and took her back to the nursery and came back to the room afterwards.


    I knew that she was about to go home after she bought the medicine but because Colleen woke up, she decided to stay and ask Diane to get the medicine instead and give it to her father.


    We never left the hospital anymore and no matter how much I told her to go home and rest, she didn¡¯t want to. Dr. Gerard left us and will being back from time to time to check on Colleen.


    ¡°Jared, I know that it is getting hard for you.¡± Mommy Lucy said, full of sadness in her eyes. I know that she was feeling pity towards me, but she knew that I didn¡¯t want anyone to feel that way for me as well.


    ¡°After knowing what awaits my daughter when she wakes up, I wish that she may not as might. At least when she was like that, I can still see her and talk to her.¡± She continued,


    ¡°Now that her life is at stake as she opens her eyes, I feel scared that she¡¯s going to leave us for good.¡± She added. Her tears run down her cheeks and so am I. Because deep inside, I know what she means.


    I looked at my wife and saw her sleeping soundly. Her face was pale but I still saw a hint of happiness on her lips. She was indeed happy and was trying to smile even though she was having a hard time with the tube in her mouth.


    ¡°Mommy Lucy,¡± I said as I looked at her. ¡°Colleen might leave me and us and it pains me, really. Knowing I knew that it wasing and yet, I couldn¡¯t do anything about it is the most painful and the hardest part. But I didn¡¯t want to send her off with a face full of sorrow. As much as possible, I didn¡¯t want her to see me to the extent that she couldn¡¯te in peace and still worry about me and our baby. The only thing that I wanted her to see in the remaining days of her life was how much I loved her. And that I am going to take care of our dear daughter.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much for loving her. For taking care of her and for giving her happiness.¡± She replied, still crying.


    She didn¡¯t go home and so was I. Maybe she was feeling that my wife was really leaving us any time soon.


    In the morning, I asked the nurse to bring baby Corrine so Colleen would be able to see her. I am going to give them time to be together.


    In the past few days, that¡¯s been our usual routine. When mommy Lucy came in the afternoon, I went to the chapel located on the first floor of the hospital to pray.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    I saw different people but praying the same thing, and that is to make our loved ones better. Here, no one prays for other things like money, jobs or rtionships. Just like me, I only pray for Colleen¡¯s life. To extend or and give her a little more time to be with me and our daughter and nothing else.


    Here, I can cry freely without worrying that my wife will see me. I begged Him to give Colleen a peaceful departure.


    As much as I wanted to me Him for taking my wife this early, my guilt stops me from doing so. I had a chance to help her extend her life but I didn¡¯t.


    Everyday I do this, and everyday my heart feels heavier and heavier. Colleen was still the same, the only difference was that she opened her eyes.


    ¡°Jared, it has been two weeks since she woke up but nothing has changed about her condition.¡± Dr. Gerard said, ¡°If ever you had to be prepared,¡± he added sadly. I looked down because my eyes started to water. Then I looked at my wife and found her looking at me as well.


    She motioned for me toe and so I did and held her hand. She pinched mine and I gave her a smile. She¡¯s not letting my hand go, as though she was trying to tell me something.


    ¡°What is it my wife?¡± I asked, ¡°Is there anything you need?¡± I added and she pinched my hand again.


    Dr. Gerard approached us and asked, ¡°Do you want to see Baby Corrine?¡± And her head nodded slightly as her eyes smiled.


    Mommy Lucy, who was watching us, went out of the room immediately and came in no time with our daughter. She handed her to me and let Colleen hold her hand.


    I saw how she rubbed baby Corrine¡¯s hand with her thumb and then her tears fell. Seeing her like that breaks my heart and I couldn¡¯t help but cry as well.


    Then we heard a fast beeping of the machine that was attached to her. I got worried and looked at Dr. Gerard, as Mommy Lucy, took baby Corrine from my hand.


    ¡°My wife,¡± I called her, and she was still looking at me. She was holding my hand so tight that my heart clenched, seeing how she tried not to show me her fear. I started crying and calling her name as the memories of her shed through my mind.


    Her smile as I watched her at the poolside talking with Betty and Lory.


    The happiness on her face when we are gathered together.


    Her sadness when I didn¡¯t lend her the money for her surgery. Her reaction when I went to see her because I thought she hurt Stacey.


    I started to remember how good she was with everyone.


    Her face whenever she tells me how much she loves me.


    I saw Dr. Gerard, along with the others whom I didn¡¯t bother to look at, were trying to revive her.


    I didn¡¯t notice the long sound with t lines on the machine monitor that I only heard and saw in the movie. I was just standing there trying to get to her as the nurses were trying to stop me so the doctors and everyone else could do their job.


    Mommy Lucy, who was holding baby Corrine, was in the corner and they were both crying.


    I want to throw everything, shout and yell at God because I know that He is going to get my wife away from me and our daughter for good. He never gives us a chance to talk, so I could ask her to forgive me. So I could tell her that she has nothing to worry about. But even if it was like that, I want to ask her how I was going to live without her?


    ¡°Colleen¡­..¡± I called her name as tears rolled down my face, ignoring all the looks that everyone was giving her. I was hurt and in pain. The sorrow that was filling up my heart had started to take over me as well. Just as I thought I was in deep agony, I saw a tear fall from her eyes. She was hurt too, so I couldn¡¯t say anything. Then there¡¯s nothing. I guess my dream about her leaving after she told me what she wanted me to do was ourst conversation.


    *** 5 yearster ***


    Colleen left me and our daughter and now, I still me myself for what happened to her. The memory of me refusing her request was like a broken yer that continued ying in my mind, which made me not forgive myself.


    I punished myself by working harder than before and got home only when I was already tired and Ingrid would constantly scold me because she thought that I was not giving Corrine my time.


    She would always remind me how I promised Colleen that I was not going to do everything that I was doing now. Because of that, I will start to feel guilty again thinking I couldn¡¯t keep my promise and cry.


    All this time that she left me, I was always in pain and feeling hurt. I wanted to hug my daughter every time I came home from work, but they looked exactly like each other and I couldn¡¯t help but remember her through Corrine. All these years, I saw how our baby started to feel aloof with me around me. There were times when I yelled at her and that hurt me too.


    Colleen would be very disappointed if she knew about this and, thankfully, I was back on myself and remembered all the promises I made to her. I am now in my study room, leaning back. I was looking at Colleen¡¯s photo. I sighed deeply and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry my wife, for being such an idiot all these years after you left. From today onwards, I am going to look after our baby princess the way you wanted.¡±


    Then I heard a knock on the door and saw our baby princess peeking at her head, hesitantly. I smiled at her and said, ¡°Come in, princess.¡± a smile appeared on her face and maybe Colleen was helping me to get through this because I saw her face on our daughter. The way it lights up and shines bright like a sunrise.


    Corrine ran to me and I weed her with my arms wide open. Engulf her in my embrace and I heard her say, crying, ¡°I missed you daddy,¡±


    ¡°I know, princess. I know.¡± I replied and hugged her tightly, wanting her to know that I was ready to move forward for her, for me and for her mom whom I know, deep in my heart, was watching us. I closed my eyes and said, ¡°We¡¯re going to start over, my princess.¡± I looked forward to a happy father and daughter, and a bright future. Just what Colleen, her mom, wanted.


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