Side story 02

Flame Stephan was staring at the family portrait hung on their wall. He heaved a heavy breath at the thought of remembering how he almost thought of breaking off the marriage a week before their marriage, but his fiancee changed into someone else. 

"It was as if she's no longer Aileen," he murmured to himself. He recalled how their relationship started rosy just like any other couple but turned static and cold as Aileen prioritized her career over him. For him, their marriage was only for the sake of the years they've been together, but one day the lady became innocently sweet.

"Buddy, you may laugh at it, but I think I just fell in love deeper with your mom while hesitating to marry her back then. I thought I had fallen out of love, but it looks like we only needed to start a new journey to find our way back to love," he said to a two-year-old son, their third child.

He put his son on the sofa and asked, "Who's that cutie in the picture?" 

Then the baby simply giggled while staring at the picture. 

"That beautiful lady is mommy. Next to that goddess is me, your father. Come on say... Daddy."

Flame blinked his eyes and waited for his son to utter the word, but the latter said otherwise.

"Mommy."

He brushed his palm against his face and tried his luck once again as he uttered, "Dada"

"Mama"

He closed his eyes and unconsciously let his frustration escape his mouth, saying, "What the hell."

And, to his surprise, the kid was able to say, "What the hell."

Aileen, who had entered the sala had heard her son curse. She squinted her eyes and lifted her baby to ask, "Who taught you that word, baby?"

"Daddy!"

"So, the bad guy is this mister. How should I scold this bad guy, huh?" Aileen uttered.

~Dingdong~ Dingdong~

"I think it's mom and dad. I better open the door. Ciao!" Flame immediately flows off the scene, excusing himself before his wife pinches his ears.

Aileen chuckled, and her eyes suddenly shifted to their family picture. She felt it was surreal. It was as if yesterday when she exchanged bodies with the real Aileen, but now she finally owned the life with Flame.

"I wouldn't be 'Aileen' if it wasn't for you. Thank you for choosing the hard way. I hope you also find your happy ending, my lady," she murmured to herself as she recalled her encounter with her ladyship's soul.