CHAPTER 3

‘Six weeks ago? When we got married? Or before that? Is that why he arrived late while we were preparing for the wedding?’

"No. Nothing happened between us. Someone called him before something happened to us," the woman replied.

Zelena seemed to breathe a sigh of relief upon hearing that. She shook her head and left.

"It’s all about you today," she muttered with a frown before driving off.

When she got home, she collapsed onto the sofa in the living room. She glanced at the large wall clock and saw that it was already ten at night.

"Zelena, how was the place you went to?" asked Tina, who had just come out of the kitchen.

Zelena looked up.

"Where’s Dylan, 'Nay?"

"He’s already asleep. I sent food to his office earlier. I asked if he was going to follow you, but he said he was still busy."

Zelena bit the inside of her cheek and then stood up. Tina supported her when she noticed she was feeling dizzy.

"Haven’t you eaten yet, dear?" she asked.

"Not yet, ‘Nay. I just lost my appetite there," she answered as they walked toward the dining area.

Tina immediately took care of her.

As she chewed, thoughts of embarrassment crossed her mind again and how she had avoided Charmee’s gaze back in high school because Charmee used to bully her.

She paused slightly when Tina handed her a tissue, causing her to look up.

"W-why, ‘Nay?"

"You’re crying, dear," she said, looking at her with concern.

Zelena touched her cheeks and realized they were indeed wet.

She quickly wiped them away and drank some water.

Tina sat down in front of her.

"What happened, dear?" she asked worriedly.

Zelena gave a weak smile.

"A lot has happened. And I was upset that Dylan didn’t come, so my classmates embarrassed me, which they’ve been doing since high school. I was hoping for Dylan to come."

She sniffled.

"You know I wasn’t a perfect student in high school; I did a lot just to get noticed, but I didn’t realize until now that they still think of me that way," she added.

She couldn’t continue eating and wiped away the tears that fell again.

"You don’t need them in your life, child. What matters is that you’re still you. You know yourself," Tina advised her.

Zelena nodded.

"That’s true too. The people I need in my life, I still seek their attention. It’s funny because I act all dramatic, but I’m still trying to get noticed by Mommy and my husband."

Tina stood and hugged her. Zelena held back her tears.

"I’m okay. Thank you. I can’t afford to be weak; Mommy will get mad."

"I’m proud of you, Zelena. Even though your mother has done many bad things to you, you didn’t rebel," Tina said gently.

Tears fell as Zelena couldn’t help but recall how much her mother had made her suffer since she was a child.

The next day, Zelena woke up around nine. Her eyes were puffy as she rubbed her forehead, checking for a fever. She sighed with relief, feeling fine.

She had just left her room when her phone rang.

She swallowed hard when she saw it was her mother calling.

"Yes, Mommy?"

She touched her head as pain hit her.

"You didn’t go to the shop. I’ll just tell you that we’re having dinner later with the Romano family. Dorothy spoke to me and invited me to come with you and your father," her tone was strict.

"With Dylan?" she asked, blinking.

"Of course, your husband is coming," her mother replied.

She almost stopped walking when she saw Dylan at the end of the hallway, only a few steps away.

‘He’ll probably find another excuse not to come later.’

She looked away and kept walking.

"Okay, Mom. Just text me where we’ll meet."

She looked at her phone and ended the call as she walked.

"Hey," Dylan called softly as they passed each other.

It was the first time he had called her.

She ignored him, frowned, and closed her eyes briefly as a headache returned.

Because of what happened last night, she didn’t want to talk to him yet—especially after learning he had a fling with another woman before their wedding.

She heard Dylan stop walking, but she kept moving to avoid him.

At around 6:30 p.m., Zelena arrived at the restaurant owned by her parents. Her husband didn’t come with her because she didn’t know if he would show up.

"Zelena!"

As she got out of her car, she saw Dexter, Dylan’s older brother.

She smiled and waved as he approached.

He was taller than Dylan, wore eyeglasses, and looked very much like his brother, except with a darker complexion.

"How was your month together with my brother? I mean, how is Dylan’s attitude?" he asked.

Zelena laughed.

"Same as always. He’s still a womanizer but cold toward me. Funny, right?"

He nodded.

They walked inside the restaurant together.

"I went to your coffee shop yesterday, but you weren’t there. I also went again this morning," Dexter said.

Zelena smiled and glanced back as they walked.

"Really, kuya? You've already come to my shop? Lucky you! By the way, I’ll tell my employees to give you drinks on the house," she said cheerfully.

[Kuya is a term for older brother, or a man older than you.]

"Thank you. I think I’ll be there every day if that’s the case."

They both laughed.

They headed to the garden area where their parents were already seated.

Zelena stopped laughing and was startled to see Dylan there, looking seriously at her and Dexter.

She looked away and smiled at Dexter as he pulled out a chair and helped her sit.

She still ignored her husband sitting across from her.

They started eating while Zelena listened to the conversation between her parents and Dylan’s.

"Dylan, aren’t you considering having children?" Arlene asked.

Zelena choked on her food and was given water.

She glanced at her mother. She was sitting next to her father, who was on Zelena's right side.

When she looked at Dylan, he was seriously sipping his wine.

His parents smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Dylan. You’re not young anymore. Maybe it’s time for our businesses to merge," said Dorothy, Dylan’s mother.

Zelena swallowed hard at what they were saying.

"Didn’t we just agree that I was marrying Zelena so you could have something to hold onto while we pay off our debt? Why is having children with her on the table now?" Dylan said seriously, staring deeply at Arlene.

Zelena looked away, a sharp pain in her chest.

"Why not? We all know Zelena is kind, especially toward you—"

"Why don’t you do it instead? I’m not interested in her. This is just business for you, isn’t it?" Dylan cut off Dexter, who was watching him seriously.

Zelena bit her lip, trying not to cry. They were talking as if she wasn’t there, ignoring her feelings.

She slowly stood up but was pulled back down by Dexter. She glanced back, and he gestured for her to stay seated.

"Dylan, you’re not very practical, are you? I wouldn’t be surprised if your businesses collapse because of you," Zelena’s mother commented.

Zelena looked at Arlene, who was sipping wine.

"It’s so easy for you to say, but you don’t want to agree. Why? Because you’re still a womanizer?" she added.

"Mommy!" Zelena scolded.

Dorothy also looked at her.

"I think we should discuss this next time. I will also talk to my son," Dylan’s father, Maximo, said in a deep voice.

Arlene smiled.

"Sure. We’ll leave first. Thank you for your time."

She stood, grabbed her bag, and was followed by Alex, Zelena’s father.

Zelena sighed and hurried to follow her mother.

She caught up to her in the parking lot.

"Mom, why did you say that to him?" she asked, frowning.

Her mother looked back after signaling Alex to start the car.

"If you’re struggling, I’ll find another way!" her eyebrows furrowed as she said this.

Zelena clenched her fists.

"Mommy, you know how important Dylan is to me. I’ve tried everything I know to keep him, but I still fail. I don’t want to force him to love me—"

"Love? Who said he has to love you to give you a child? I’m just reminding you of your role—you’re just a pawn," Arlene interrupted.

Zelena froze, her face going blank.

"You really have a hard heart, Mom. You want to insist on everything you want, even if it’s difficult. That’s why Dad just goes along with you because you don’t listen to him either. I wonder why he stays—"

Tears welled up in Zelena's eyes as her mother slapped her hard. She glanced at Arlene because that was all she could do.

Not far away, Dylan stopped walking toward his car when he saw the scene.

"I won’t tolerate your bratty attitude! Fix what you did and do as I command! Don’t talk back to me, because you are just my daughter!" Arlene said, pointing at Zelena.

Zelena couldn’t speak. Her mother left immediately, got into the car, and drove away, leaving her behind.

A few seconds after her parents left, she couldn’t hold back any longer and bowed her head, crying.

She covered her mouth to stifle her sobs.

Dylan swallowed hard when he saw her and stepped closer, but stopped at once when Zelena stood up and hurriedly got into her car before speeding away.

When Zelena got home, she continued crying in her room.

"W-Why am I doing this? This is no longer for me; it’s for Mommy. I’m not even ready to have a child yet," she sobbed.

"I feel like a worthless person, forcing Dylan and Mom to love me. Bullshit!"

She hugged her pillow tightly and took a deep breath.

‘I’ve been crying for days. Just because I’m protecting Dylan’s feelings, even though he doesn’t care about me.’

The next day, Dylan didn’t go to work; he decided to finish his leftover paperwork at the office instead.

He was in the dining area having coffee when he heard Tina on the phone in the kitchen.

"Katee, hija, why did you call?" she asked while cooking.

"’Nay, I’m busy right now. Can you check on Zelly for me?" Dylan overheard Katee say, as the call was on speaker.

Dylan looked toward the kitchen, though he couldn’t see Tina.

"Okay, hija. She hasn’t come downstairs yet," Tina responded.

"She has a fever. I called her last night; she was crying. ‘Nay, she’s not allowed to cry for long,’ said Zelena’s friend."

Dylan frowned.

"Why, hija? I didn’t know that," Tina said.

"She’ll get a fever if she cries too much."

"Alright, I’ll check on her right away. Thanks, hija."

Tina ended the call and hurried out. She even greeted Dylan as he passed by.

When she entered Zelena’s room, she found her still lying down.

She immediately touched her forehead and felt the heat of a fever.

"’Nay, I’m hungry," Zelena murmured.

"Come down now, I’ve cooked. Look at you, child, your eyes are still swollen."

"I’m struggling, Nanay," Zelena said as she sat up.

"Where?"

"Mommy wants Dylan and me to have a child. I love Dylan, but I can’t force him. And he hates me even more because of what Mommy did," she whispered.

"I can’t interfere, but I hope your Mommy realizes that you won’t agree to everything," Tina said.

Zelena nodded.

"I don’t know what to do anymore."

The two of them went downstairs so Zelena could eat.

She was slightly surprised to find Dylan having breakfast.

Tina served her food. She remained silent, remembering what happened the night before.

Tina stood quietly at the side of the table, watching them.

"Your child will probably be adorable," she said.

Zelena choked on what she heard and her eyes widened as Dylan slid a glass across the table. She looked at him, but his gaze wasn’t on her.

She drank quickly and nearly choked again, so Tina gave her water.

"So bitter!" she complained about the drink Dylan had given her. It was coffee.

She drank the water, then looked at Tina as if asking a question.

"Eat first, hija, so you can take your medicine."

"No, it’ll probably go away later. I just need something to wake me up," she replied.

"Alright, I’ll cook some chicken soup for you," Tina offered.

"No, I need alcohol."

She stood up and left the room ahead of her husband, who remained behind.

She took a shower, then went to the farthest room down the hallway.

It was a small bar for them. She turned on the light and took a deep breath while looking at the drinks inside a large fridge.

She grabbed a beer and drank it immediately.

She frowned when the door opened. Because she was facing away, she didn’t see who had entered.

She saw Dylan’s reflection in an ice bucket on the bar counter.

She wondered why he was there since he was usually busy at his office at this hour.

Zelena glanced at the wall clock while drinking and saw it was only eleven in the morning.

She took another beer and drank it.

She almost choked when Dylan sat beside her and looked into the fridge.

She moved aside and put the beer down on the bar counter.

"Did you fight again? Why is your right cheek red?" Dylan asked gently. He wasn’t looking at her.

That was the first time he had asked her a question.

Zelena was confused and wondered why he asked that since he hadn’t seen her leave the house.

"I-I just slipped and hit my face on the wall," she lied.

"That was disgusting," Dylan said, then faced her, making her step back and swallow hard.

"D-Disgusting?"

"When you were seducing me," he answered seriously.

Her mouth dropped open.

"S-Seducing? Seducing you? I’m your wife, and I’m not trying to tempt you."

"I know what you did. I thought you knew what kind of person I am. You’re even proud that you know me so well. But why didn’t you think maybe I’ve already tasted what you gave me to drink?" he asked with a smirk.

Zelena couldn’t speak, stunned by his questions and the expression she was seeing on his face for the first time.

"I-I don’t…"

She couldn’t finish her sentence and froze when Dylan took the beer she was drinking from the bar counter and finished it in front of her.

Dylan took a few steps back and then turned around.

Zelena let out a relieved breath.

Her eyes suddenly widened when Dylan faced her again and pushed her, causing her body to press against the bar counter.

"Is this what you want?" Dylan asked softly as he leaned in, bringing his face close to Zelena’s. His hands were planted firmly on the bar counter, trapping her between them.

Zelena’s heart pounded so loudly she thought she might go deaf.

She swallowed hard and looked away, but Dylan gently held her chin, making their eyes meet again.

"W-What are you doing?" she stammered.

Nervous, she tried to pull away, but Dylan gripped her jaw tighter, freezing her in place.

She cursed inwardly several times.

She could feel Dylan’s breath against her, their bodies pressed closely together.

He traced his thumb along Zelena’s lips, sending a shiver through her.

Dylan moved his face even closer.

"Fuck. Your scent. You always smell like vanilla," he whispered as they stared into each other’s eyes.

Zelena’s skin prickled at his seductive voice.

Her breath nearly caught when she felt Dylan’s lips against hers.