Novels by Miners

DaisyThe days that followed were a beautiful chaos. My tiny room at Aling Sonya’s house, once just big enough for me, now overflowed with the joyful noise of three newborns. Diapers, bottles, and tiny clothes were everywhere. Sleep became a luxury, but every exhausted moment was filled with an indescribable love. Aling Sonya, Lila, and even Manang Ising, came to my aid, their hands always ready to help with a feeding, a diaper change, or just a comforting hug.“They’re so small, Daisy,” Lila whispered one afternoon, watching in awe as I tandem-fed two of them. “Like little dolls!”“Little dolls who eat a lot and make lots of noise,” I chuckled, but my heart was full.My biggest task now was to name them. Dr. Reyes had filled out temporary birth certificates, but she insisted I finalize their names soon. I wanted names that were unique, special, just like them. Names that carried hope and strength, but also sounded lovely in our simple setting. And since their father’s name was Augus

DaisyThe next few months flew by in a blur of anticipation and preparation. My belly grew to an almost comical size, a testament to the three little lives thriving within me. Aling Sonya and her family had become my family, embracing me and my growing brood with open arms and endless support.“Easy there, Daisy,” Aling Sonya chuckled one sunny morning as I struggled to tie my shoes. “You’re wobbling like a duck these days!”I laughed, a genuine, joyful sound. “I feel like a whole flock of ducks, Aling Sonya! A very heavy flock.”Despite the growing discomfort and the sheer size of my belly, a profound happiness had settled in my heart. The fear of Augustus still lingered, a faint shadow at the edges of my mind, but it was largely overshadowed by the overwhelming joy and excitement of becoming a mother. Not just to one, but to three.Dr. Reyes had given me a list of exercises safe for pregnant women. She called them “gentle movements for expectant mothers.” So, every morning, as the

DaisySix months. Six months had passed since I fled Manila, since I saw Augustus Caesar’s chilling smile. San Isidro had become my refuge, the small bakeshop my anchor. The landlady, Aling Sonya, had given me more than a job; she’d given me a home, a semblance of peace. The scent of warm bread and brewing coffee had replaced the suffocating smell of stale noodles and fear. My small bump had grown, a constant reminder of the life blossoming inside me, a secret I guarded fiercely.“Daisy, sweetie, are you sure you’re okay?” Aling Sonya’s voice, gentle as ever, cut through my thoughts. She was kneading dough with practiced hands, her movements rhythmic and soothing. “You’ve been staring at that wall for five minutes.”I blinked, pulling myself back to the present. “Just thinking, Aling Sonya. About… about things.”She wiped her hands on her apron and looked at me, her eyes kind and knowing. “Still thinking about that fiancé of yours? The one who went on a long trip?” This was the

DaisyThe jeepney rattled and swayed, a metal box carrying me further into an unknown future. The city lights blurred into streaks of color, each one a fading memory of the life I was leaving behind. My heart still pounded against my ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage. Augustus Caesar’s smile, that cold, predatory curve of his lips, was burned into my mind. He knew. He had let me go. But why? The question echoed in the confines of the noisy jeepney, a chilling melody that promised more trouble.I clutched my backpack tighter, my knuckles white. Inside, my meager savings felt like a joke against the fortune he commanded. But it was all I had, all I could rely on. I was Daisy, a simple girl from a sari-sari store, and I was running from a man who could buy and sell cities. The absurdity of it all almost made me laugh, but the fear was too potent, too real.The jeepney dropped me off at a crowded bus terminal. The air was thick with exhaust fumes and the chatter of a thousand voic

DaisyThe rain poured outside, a drumbeat against the corrugated iron roof of our tiny sari sari store. Each drop felt like a tiny hammer, pounding on my already aching head. My hands trembled, the cheap plastic spoon rattling against the chipped mug. Coffee, black and bitter, did nothing to clear the fog. My stomach churned, not from the coffee, but from the fear that coiled tight in my gut.“Daisy, Hija, you okay?” Grandma's voice, soft like a worn blanket, came from the back. She was probably sorting the dried fish, humming a old kundiman.I swallowed hard, the bitterness of the coffee a welcome distraction from the taste of dread. “Just a bit tired, Grandma. Long day.” A lie. The day had barely started, but the night, ah, the night had been an eternity.I pushed away from the counter, the smell of stale soap and dried noodles suddenly suffocating. I needed air. I needed to think. My eyes, swollen and red, caught my reflection in the dusty mirror. A stranger stared back, pale and

AMBERThe morning after the divorce hearing, the headlines were filled with photos of Mark Thorne standing by my side. The Thorne family name was dragging in the mud, and the public was hungry for more. But while the lawyers were busy arguing over bank accounts, I had a much more personal debt to collect. I had not forgotten the woman who helped my husband leave me for dead. I had not forgotten Jade.I sat in the passenger seat of Mark’s SUV as we drove toward the quiet, expensive neighborhood where Jade lived. Behind us was a large white moving truck and a car carrying two private security guards. My heart was steady. I didn't feel the fear that used to choke me. I felt like a judge going to deliver a sentence."Are you sure about this, Amber?" Mark asked, his hands firm on the wheel. "Evelyn will see this as a direct declaration of war.""The war started a long time ago, Mark," I said, looking at the folder in my lap. "She just didn't realize I was a soldier. Besides, I am not doing

AMBERThe courthouse was surrounded by a sea of people. Cameras flashed like lightning, and reporters shouted my name as I stepped out of the car. The world was watching the Thorne family fall apart, and I was the one leading the way. I wore a sharp, charcoal-grey suit and kept my head high. I did not wear a veil or hide behind sunglasses. I wanted everyone to see that I was not afraid. I was not the broken girl they remembered.Inside the courtroom, the air was cold and smelled of old wood and floor wax. Justine was already sitting at the front table. He looked different than he did a week ago. His expensive suit was slightly wrinkled, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He didn't have his usual smug smile. Beside him sat three men in dark suits. They were the most expensive lawyers in the city. Evelyn had clearly spent a fortune to make sure her son did not lose a single penny in this divorce.I walked down the aisle. The sound of my heels on the marble floor was the only no

AMBERThe morning after the arrest was bright and sunny. It was a strange contrast to the dark and rainy night I had just survived. I was sitting in a small hotel room far from the Thorne estate. I did not want to be near that house. I did not want to breathe the same air as Evelyn. I had my laptop open on the small desk. My eyes were tired but my mind was sharp.I watched the news on the television. Evelyn Thorne was standing in front of the police station. She looked perfect in her black suit. She did not look like a woman whose son was in a jail cell. She looked like a queen who was annoyed by a small problem."My son is innocent," Evelyn said to the cameras. "This is a tragic misunderstanding. Amber is a grieving woman who is not thinking clearly. She has created a story out of her pain. We will prove that Justine was never at that lake house and that the video has been edited to hurt our family name."I leaned back in my chair and watched her. She was good. She was very good. She

AMBERThe rain began to fall just as I reached the edge of the town. It was a heavy and cold rain that washed over my windshield. I could barely see the road ahead. My heart was still racing from the events at the lake house. I had left Justine screaming in the dark. I had given Mark the location of the man who betrayed us both. I expected to hear the sound of a gunshot echoing through the trees. I expected to see fire in my rearview mirror. But as I pulled over to the side of the road to breathe, there was only the sound of the storm.I sat there for several minutes. I was waiting for the police or an ambulance to pass me. I was waiting for the world to explode. My phone was still buzzing with notifications from the live stream I had just ended. The internet was on fire. The name Thorne was being dragged through the mud by thousands of strangers. I should have felt happy. I should have felt like I had won everything. But inside, I felt hollow. I was a mother without a child and a w

AMBER I gripped the steering wheel so hard my hands hurt. I kept thinking about Jade’s face when I threw her against that red car. I kept thinking about Evelyn’s shocked expression in the restaurant. I had won those battles, but the war was still happening. My heart felt like a drum beating inside my chest.I looked at the rusty key sitting on the passenger seat. Who sent it? Who knew about the accident? Who knew about the lake house? It felt like someone was watching me from the shadows, playing a game. But I did not care. I needed the truth more than I needed to be safe.The lake house was a place Justine and I bought three years ago. We used to go there to hide from the world. It was supposed to be our happy place. But after the baby died, we never went back. Justine told me he lost the keys. He told me it was too painful to go there because it reminded him of the future we lost."Liar," I whispered to the empty car. "Everything you said was a lie."I turned onto the dirt path th

AMBERThe cold wind hit my face as I drove toward the one place I promised myself I would never go. I did not care about the speed limit. I did not care about the tears blurring my vision. All I could see was the red car parked in the driveway of the woman who stole my life.Her name was Jade. She was my husband’s brother’s wife. She was supposed to be family. Instead, she was the person who watched me bleed on the side of the road and kept driving.I pulled my car behind her red sedan, blocking her in. She was already outside, dressed in a fancy silk dress, holding a designer bag. She looked like she was heading to a party while I was heading to a funeral."Not now, Amber," Jade said as she saw me get out of the car. She rolled her eyes and tried to open her car door. "Can't you see I am in a hurry?""Why?" I asked, walking toward her with heavy steps. "You are off to see Justine again, aren't you? Didn't he leave your bed just now? Oh, you think I do not know? You really cannot get

MAYAThe sun had gone down hours ago but the house felt colder than the air outside. I sat on the edge of the sofa with my hands gripped together. Every time a car drove down the street my heart jumped. I knew the conversation with Sarah would not stay a secret. She was too honest to hide it and Liam was too connected to her now.Lovely was sitting in the armchair across from me. She had stayed because she saw how much I was shaking. She had brought me a glass of water but I could not drink it. My throat felt like it was closing up."Maybe you should go to bed, Maya," Lovely said softly. "You are exhausted. You can talk to him tomorrow.""No," I said. "I can't sleep. If I close my eyes I just see Sarah’s face. I have to wait for him."At nearly midnight the headlights of Liam’s truck swept across the living room walls. The engine cut off and the silence that followed was terrifying. Then came the sound of the front door opening. It didn't just open. It hit the wall with a bang.Liam w

MAYAThe morning sun was too bright. It felt like a cruel joke. It felt like the world was trying to be happy while I was drowning in a sea of gray. I could not stay in that house anymore. The smell of Liam’s coffee was still in the kitchen but he was already at his restaurant. He was busy feeding strangers while I was starving for a single kind word from him.I called Lovely. She was the only friend who still picked up my calls. Most of our old group had drifted away after the news broke. They did not want to be near the mess. But Lovely stayed. She did not agree with what I did but she did not want me to die alone in my guilt."Are you sure about this, Maya?" Lovely asked as she helped me into the passenger seat of her car. She folded my walker and put it in the back. Her voice was full of worry."I have to see her," I said. "I have to talk to her. Liam is with her every night. He is slipping away from me. If I can just get her to understand. If I can just ask her to let him go.""

MAYAThe house was too quiet. It had been six months since the metal of the car crumpled like paper. Six months since the world I built out of lies fell apart in a spray of shattered glass and screaming tires. I was the one who survived. I was the one who woke up from the coma. But sometimes, when I look at the empty space in our bed or the way Liam looks at his phone, I think the wrong person died that night.Mark was gone. Sarah’s husband was buried in a cold plot of land on the edge of town. He died instantly. I, on the other hand, had drifted in a dark ocean of sleep for weeks. While I was sleeping, the truth was waking up. While I was unconscious, the doctors were telling Liam that his wife had been in a car with another man. They were telling him that we were traveling to a hotel two towns over. They were giving him my phone, filled with messages that proved I was not the woman he thought I was.I sat at the small kitchen table, staring at a cup of tea that had gone cold. My le

MAYA The air in the garden felt heavy, like the sky was about to drop a thousand tons of rain, but the clouds just hung there, gray and stubborn. My legs felt weak. I leaned heavily on my metal walker, the cold aluminum digging into my palms. Every step was a reminder of how much I had broken not just my body in the accident, but my entire life.I watched the taxi pull away from the curb. Inside was Sarah. I had spent the last ten minutes pouring my soul out to her, trying to explain the unexplainable. I wanted her to know I was dying inside from the guilt of what I had done with her husband. But as the car vanished around the corner, I knew my words were just noise. You can’t fix a shattered vase by whispering "sorry" to the pieces on the floor."Maya!"The voice hit me like a physical blow. I didn't have to turn around to know it was Liam. My husband. The man who used to look at me like I was the only light in a dark room. Now, his voice sounded like jagged glass.I turned slowly