“You’re losing weight.”
Demani halted mid-step on her way to the bathroom, startled by the unexpected observation. She turned around and planted her hands on her hips, standing completely bare before her husband, who was reclining comfortably on their bed. One of Van’s arms was propped behind his head while a thick comforter covered him from the waist down.
It was still early. The sky beyond the curtains was faintly gray, a sign that the sun was only beginning to rise. She had gotten up to make breakfast, assuming Van was still asleep. Perhaps he had woken up when she moved his arm off her waist to slip out of bed.
“Really?” she asked, glancing down to examine her own frame.
Van’s brows furrowed as his eyes scanned her figure wit
There, she could no longer hold herself back. The words slipped out and so did her tears. She couldn't stop them from falling."Me? You're blaming me again?""Isn’t it true? If you truly considered my family as your own, you wouldn’t think this way about them. If you saw my cousins as part of our family, you wouldn’t react like this. You didn’t even ask me why I did it!""Fine! Then tell me. Why did you do it, Demani? Because your cousins once again pulled on your heartstrings?""Jimmy’s business was on the verge of collapsing, and it was stressing Maureen out! She’s pregnant, and if I didn’t help, she might end up giving birth and living on the street!""This is Jimmy’s fault, Demani! Even if you hadn’t said it, I already knew this happened because of his gambling. He should be the one
Demani removed her apron the moment she heard the sound of her husband’s car pulling into the garage. Perfect timing. She had just finished cooking and setting the table for dinner.She tossed the apron onto the clean kitchen counter, stepped into the small restroom attached to the kitchen, and quickly checked her reflection in the mirror. Once she was satisfied with how she looked, she walked out and headed toward the front door to greet Van.Just as she reached the door, it opened.She immediately put on a wide, welcoming smile— but the moment she saw the blank, unreadable expression on Van’s face, her smile vanished.Van walked in, holding his coat in one hand. He gave her the briefest glance before walking past her without a word, head
“I still can’t believe you actually hired me to work here in your company,” Lily said, shaking her head with a small, incredulous laugh. She stood by his desk, arms crossed loosely, her eyes scanning the office in amusement and mild awe. “Honestly, I thought you were just joking when you offered me the job.”Van glanced up from the papers he was signing, the corners of his mouth lifting into a small smile. There was a glint of fondness in his eyes; half amusement, half nostalgia, as he looked at her.“Well,” he said, setting the pen down and leaning back in his chair, “I figured you needed something to keep you occupied while you’re here in the country. And maybe a little structure, too. You always did get bored too easily.”Lily laughed, brus
Just as she expected, everyone looked for Van.The whole family already knew that their trip to Palawan didn’t push through, so no one bothered asking why he wasn’t with her.As she usually did whenever her husband couldn’t attend family gatherings, she simply told them that Van had something important to do. Which was true. But lately, she had started feeling uncomfortable answering all their questions about him.So that day, to avoid the barrage of questions from her relatives, she quietly slipped into her grandmother Grandma Val’s room. Despite her old age and recurring illness, Grandma Val still managed to get up and greet her with a warm embrace. Her grandmother had been watching a drama series on TV, which she paused upon seeing her arrive.
The next few days went back to normal for Demani and Van. They were happy again, and everything seemed to be falling back into place.Or so she thought.Well, that was what Demani wanted to believe.But no matter how much effort she put into restoring the closeness they once had, it felt like there was now a wall between them. Something intangible, but undeniably there.Now, she found herself hesitating before doing or saying things around Van, constantly gauging whether her words or actions might upset him again. It was as if she had to walk on eggshells, carefully checking whether what she wanted to say or do was acceptable to him.She had become overly cautious; not out of fear, but out of desperation to avoid conflict.And even though Van would still smile at her and try to show affection, something sti
It was ten o’clock in the evening again when Van came home. That, too, was nothing new. Somehow, she had gotten used to him returning late at night. She had stopped asking questions because he always gave the same answer.“I went out with some clients.”And she believed him. Of course she did. She knew her husband would never lie to her.“Would you like something to eat?” she asked as he entered through the front door. Unlike the past few nights, Van didn’t smell of alcohol. And he didn’t seem upset.He even gave her a faint smile.“You waited up again,” he said.She tightened the belt of her silk robe. She had been cold for a