Chapter 51Marinel's POV “DOC, thank you for the free medicine,” said Nelia.“It’s nothing. Just take care of the baby, okay?” I gently led her out of my office. Once she was gone, I returned to my desk and started sorting the health records of the kids I had seen today.Moments later, Nica knocked before entering my office.“What’s your drama today?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.“Huh? What do you mean?” I replied, confused.“Your schedule’s fully booked, Nel. And now you’re even taking on special tutorial classes for Clayd? What are you eating lately?” She burst out laughing.I chuckled. “Nothing special. Is it bad to stay busy?”She shrugged and stared at me with suspicion.“Are you hiding something from me?” she asked. I immediately lowered my gaze.“No!” I said quickly.“Nel…”“I swear, nothing!”“Marie!” she said firmly. I froze. She rarely called me Marie—and when she did, I knew she was serious.“I saw Caldwill…” I whispered. Tears suddenly fell before I could even stop them
Chapter 50 Caldwill Enzo POV TWO WEEKS LATER… “Oh! Caldwill! That’s it!” I stopped kissing her, my hand frozen on her chest. “F*ck!” I cursed when Marinel’s face suddenly flashed in my mind. "Get out!" I growled and backed away from her. She was nearly half-naked, and the look on her face screamed frustration and disbelief. “Go!” I barked again. “Bastard!” she snapped before storming out, slamming the door behind her. It burst open again—and in came Andy. He casually leaned against the wall, arms crossed, smirking at me like he’d been expecting this. “How many women have you left hanging these past two weeks?” he asked as he took a seat on the couch across from me. I let out a breath. “I’m not counting.” Andy raised a brow. “It’s Marinel, isn’t it?” My jaw tightened. I didn’t answer. He chuckled. “Of course. She’s not the reason you’ve been skipping work. She’s not the reason you’ve been sleeping with random women trying to erase her from your head. And definitely not t
Chapter 49Marinel's POV THE EVENT was adjourned, and we headed straight to the other reception hall. "Where's Bill and Clayd?" I whispered to Anne, who was already digging into the food. "They're fine, Marinel," she said. "I texted Bill not to bring Clayd in here. Don't worry, we'll take him home." I breathed a sigh of relief. She always knew what to do. I was lucky to have two such good friends."Doc. Sison," someone called out. Anne and I both stood up."Hi! It's nice to see you here, Doc. Ynes," Anne said. Doc. Ynes?"Well, I had to come." She turned to me. "Oh my God! Mrs. Villaraza! How are you?" She hugged me, and I awkwardly returned the gesture."How are you, Doc.?" I said."Good! Wow! I thought you were just a nurse. You're a pediatrician now?" I smiled. "Yes," I replied simply. I wasn't surprised she knew I was a pediatrician. I was wearing my ID, after all. "Wait, where's your husband? Oh, there he is." She rushed over to Caldwill. "God, Anne! Ninja moves!" Anne laugh
Chapter 48~Beginning of Book 3…Marinel's POV THREE YEARS LATER..."Slowly! Got you!"My son’s giggles filled the room as I tickled his sides."Mama! No! Stop it!" he squealed, squirming away with a pout."You love Mama, right? Then give me a kiss!" I teased, leaning closer.He rolled his eyes. God! Why does he look exactly like his father?"I’ll kiss you but stop poking me! It hurts, Mama," he grumbled, crossing his arms."Alright, alright. No more poking. Now give me a kiss, Clayd!" I coaxed him again.He sighed like a little old man before giving me a loud, playful smooch. I cupped his cheek, my hand trailing down to his tiny shoulder where my fingers brushed against the silver cross pendant on his necklace—Caldwill’s pendant. I took it with me the day he forced me to leave. Now, our son is wearing it."Ma?" Clayd's voice pulled me out of my thoughts."Yes, baby?" I smiled down at him.He pouted. "Mama, I don’t want to go back there anymore.""Where? School? No way! You have to g
Chapter 47Caldwill Enzo POVTHE coffee on my desk had long gone cold, untouched. I’d been staring at the same paragraph on my laptop for the last ten minutes, but my mind refused to focus. Something was off—my gut told me so.A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.“Sir, Miss Moana is here,” my substitute secretary announced since Marinel is not here. “She says it’s urgent,” she added.I frowned. Moana? What the hell did she want now?“Let her in,” I muttered reluctantly.Moana walked into my office like she still belonged in our lives. Her smile was fake, her eyes calculating—just like I remembered. She hadn’t changed at all.I knew her well enough. She was Calvin’s ex-girlfriend. The one who played with his emotions, left him hanging, then came crawling back the moment he moved on. I remembered all the nights Calvin drank himself numb because of her. I remembered the bitter arguments, the guilt he drowned in, and the emptiness she left behind.She was toxic. And now she was
Chapter 46Marinel's POV AFTER WE bathed, we decided to take a walk while waiting for the sun to set. The place was serene—nothing but the sound of the river and the rustling of leaves around us. Caldwill held my hand as we wandered deeper into the woods, following a barely visible trail covered in fallen leaves and wildflowers."Where are we going?" I asked, curious.He grinned. "I don't know. Just walking. As long as you're with me, anywhere's fine."I rolled my eyes, but deep down, my heart fluttered at how sincere he sounded. After a few more minutes of walking, we stumbled upon a small, weathered hut nestled between thick bushes and towering trees. The roof was partly covered in vines, and the wooden door creaked as Caldwill gently pushed it open.“Looks abandoned,” he said, peeking inside.Dust covered most of the surfaces, but it wasn’t filthy—just forgotten. There was an old woven mat on the floor, a small window with tattered curtains, and a makeshift bench by one wall.“Cre
Chapter 45Marinel's POV CALDWILL returned moments later, his eyes narrowing as he saw my puffy eyes and red nose. “Did Andy say something stupid again?”I shook my head and gave him a soft smile. “No. He’s just… Andy.”He stared at me for a long moment, like he wanted to say something but decided not to. Instead, he handed me a cold bottle of water and sat beside me, gently taking the book from my hands and placing it on the table.“Take a rest. You’ve been reading for hours.”I was about to protest, but he already pulled me into his arms, my head resting on his chest. I didn’t fight it. I needed this too. His heartbeat was steady beneath my ear, calming. Safe.“You're always too hard on yourself,” he murmured.“Because I have to be,” I answered, my voice barely a whisper“You don’t,” he said, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “Not anymore.”I closed my eyes. Those words… They were heavy, yet comforting. Like a promise I wasn’t sure he even realized he made.“I’m scared,” I adm
Chapter 44Marinel's POV I KNOCKED, but there was no answer. Hesitantly, I opened the door, the darkness inside a stark contrast to the soft light of the hallway. I almost stumbled in the gloom, catching myself on a small table just in time to prevent the tray from crashing to the floor. Fumbling for my phone, I used its light to navigate the room, finally locating the lampshade.The light revealed Caldwill, lying in bed, shirtless, his face pale and drawn. I reached for the blanket, intending to cover him, but he grasped my hand, his touch surprisingly feverish. Instinctively, I placed my hand on his forehead. He was burning up. "You have a fever," I murmured, attempting to withdraw my hand, but he held on tight, his grip surprisingly strong."Caldwill," I protested, but he only tightened his grip."I hate you," he rasped, the words a low, guttural growl.My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You're just sick," I replied, trying to gently disengage my hand. "Do you have selective
Chapter 43Marinel's POV I WAS startled by Caldwill’s sudden outburst. My heart pounded, and my hands trembled uncontrollably as I saw the blood staining Candice’s lips and chin.“Andy, help Doctor Ynes prepare the operating room,” he ordered firmly. Andy didn’t even nod—he just ran.Everyone was panicking—everyone but Caldwill. He was calm, sharp, terrifyingly focused.“Focus, Marinel! Replace the dextrose and give me her vital signs!” he commanded. I quickly set aside the bloodied blanket and fumbled with the IV stand, biting down on my lip to keep from crying harder. My fingers shook as I checked her pulse—weak and thready—and her blood pressure was dangerously low.“She’s hypotensive! 70 over 40!” I shouted.“Push normal saline—fast drip. We need to raise her BP before she goes into hypovolemic shock,” Caldwill said without looking up. He was already removing her blood-soaked clothes and checking for any external bleeding.“Move faster, Marinel!” he snapped, making me jump. I dro