Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Ruben, want one?" Esteban offered a pack of cigarettes to Ruben, the owner of a small eatery at the construction site—one of the businesses owned by Anna’s family.

Ruben took one, smiling and shaking his head.

"Don’t you ever get tired of what you’re doing?" he asked as he pulled a lighter from his pocket and lit the cigarette.

He stared blankly into the distance. Esteban sighed, took a drag from his cigarette, and played with the smoke.

For the past three years, Esteban showed up at the back of the construction site every day—rain or shine—early in the morning. After a few weeks, Ruben began to suspect something about Esteban’s identity but chose to keep it to himself.

Every family has its sacred truths that are hard to speak of. The son-in-law of the Lazaro family was considered trash by all of Laguna. Maybe he didn’t want anyone to know who he truly was.

"Why would I get tired if I’m happy doing this?" Esteban replied with a chuckle, glancing over to where Anna was. Despite struggling with work, she was determined. He suddenly felt irritated when he saw other men staring at her.

Ruben admired Esteban deeply. For three years since their marriage, Esteban silently watched over Anna every day at 4:30 p.m. to ensure she got home safely. He would observe her and had even asked Ruben to keep an eye on her too.

"When are you planning to pick her up from work instead of just hiding here?" Ruben asked seriously, arms crossed.

Esteban looked at the company door and grinned, "It’s not time yet, Ruben."

"And until it is, you’ll keep hiding?" Ruben asked, frowning.

"Because I have to…"

"I don’t think you’re just some ordinary guy like everyone believes. Why did you choose to stay with the Lazaro family?"

In Ruben’s eyes, Esteban was different. He couldn’t quite explain what he felt, but he believed Esteban shouldn’t waste himself on those people. No one could fully understand Esteban's thoughts or movements—he was always careful, always mysterious.

"I’m just an ordinary man who sometimes can’t even afford three meals a day," Esteban laughed.

"You know what I mean," Ruben said, hesitating.

"I endure a lot of criticism. But if someone’s going to fall, it won’t be me—because I’m nothing but trash to Anna’s family..." Esteban smiled. As trash and an abandoned child, he was married off to Don Placido’s granddaughter. Anna’s world crumbled when they were wed, but she stayed strong. That’s why he couldn’t afford to fall just because of what others said about him.

In most people’s eyes, Esteban endured shame. But to him, Anna had endured far more ridicule than he ever did.

"The pain I feel is nothing compared to hers…" Esteban whispered, clenching his fist. His eyes suddenly turned cold, something Ruben didn’t miss.

Ruben sighed and just patted his shoulder, choosing not to comment when he noticed it was already five in the afternoon.

As soon as Anna left work, Esteban excused himself as usual and rode off on his old motorcycle. Anna stood at the company’s door until Esteban disappeared from view. For three years, Esteban had waited for her after work every day. And every day, Anna waited for him to leave before taking a tricycle home.

When Anna got home, her mother was waiting with her father beside her.

‘Papa must’ve told her about the meeting earlier,’ she thought.

"Anna, have you lost your mind? Have you even thought about how we’ll survive if your grandmother kicks us out?” her mother screamed hysterically. "Don’t you realize your cousin Frederick is setting you up so the Lazaro family will finally throw us out?!"

"Because Lola won’t agree to give Papa his share of the inheritance unless I contribute something to the family! I don’t know what to do anymore, Mama… How long must I suffer for a sin I didn’t even commit? I’m a victim too…”

Isabel sank to the floor, her husband rushing to support her after hearing what their daughter said. Her face turned pale with rage.

"But you didn’t have to agree to what they wanted. They couldn’t do it, so they used you instead. From the start, they planned to push us out of the family like we owe them everything!" she shouted, crying.

Anna was confused. She didn’t know if she had made the right choice by following Esteban’s advice. The challenge she faced was too complicated—it wasn’t just her and Esteban’s lives at stake, but her parents' as well.

‘Because Papa married Mama, Lola disapproved. Then I was married off to Esteban by Lolo, which made Lola even angrier. That’s why we’re considered the lowest in the family—because we didn’t choose wealthy partners who could help the company.’

If Doña Agatha ever kicked them out, they wouldn’t receive a single cent or even have a house to live in.

"Ma, don’t you trust me?" Anna asked.

Isabel clutched her chest, "How can I believe you, when your father’s relatives are behind all this..."

‘Why?’ Anna asked herself. She didn’t even know why she agreed to all of this—except for the message she received from Esteban. They hadn’t had a proper conversation in three years. She’d constantly scorned him, yet deep down, she trusted he would never harm her.

"Mama, you should trust him. I’m sure Anna can do this," Esteban said, having just arrived. He walked straight to Anna’s side.

"And who are you to butt into this conversation? How dare you! What do you have to do with this? If you hadn’t joined our family, my daughter—so beautiful—could’ve married into a wealthy family. You ruined her life, our lives!" Isabel screamed, eyes blazing.

Esteban didn’t say a word. He turned his back on the three in the living room and began preparing dinner. He filled a glass with water and took a drink.

"How can you be sure I can do this, Esteban?" Anna suddenly asked, following him into the kitchen.

Esteban quickly turned to face her.

"Because I believe in you," he said softly.

Anna’s cheeks flushed. "W-what?"

Esteban just smiled, quietly observing her reaction. Not once had he expected they’d have a conversation like this. He took a step closer to her but stopped when he saw her mother approaching.

Isabel’s nostrils flared as she realized something.

"Did you have anything to do with my daughter’s decision?!" she asked, confused.

Anna suddenly panicked. She knew that if her mother found out Esteban had influenced her decision, she would not be pleased. She would surely shame Esteban and might even kick him out of the house.

Anna saw Esteban’s lips begin to part—everything felt like slow motion.

"Ma, here’s what happened. I made the decision—it had nothing to do with Esteban," Anna quickly defended. She only realized what she’d done too late. She bit her lip and avoided her mother’s gaze. 

Isabel's gaze shifted repeatedly between Esteban and her daughter, seeing an expression she had never seen before—Anna’s cheeks were flushed, and there was joy in her eyes.

“You’ve clearly fallen for this trash and actually believe what he says. You’re going crazy,” her mother scoffed.

Isabel gripped Anna’s shoulders tightly. “Wake up, Anna. You're not the type to fall in love with a worthless piece of trash like him!”

“M-Ma, you're hurting me…” Anna tried to pry her mother’s hands from her shoulders.

Esteban couldn’t stand what he was witnessing. His expression turned cold as he saw his wife in pain at the hands of her own mother. He grabbed Isabel’s wrist and forcefully pulled her away from Anna.

“What kind of mother hurts her own child?” he said furiously. “And you don’t even trust her abilities?”

Isabel was shocked. In the past three years, he had never spoken up—but now, his grip on her wrist was so tight it felt like it could break at any moment. ‘When did this trash learn to fight back?’

“Let go of me, you animal! You have no right to speak to my family like that!” she screamed, struggling to break free.

Esteban stared at Isabel coldly, still not letting go. For the first time, he felt strong in front of the Lazaro family.

As Esteban looked into Isabel’s eyes, guilt crept in. She was just a mother hoping for a better life for her child.

Sensing something was wrong, Alberto quickly stepped in.

“Esteban, let go of Isabel. You can’t solve a problem by creating another,” he said firmly.

“Esteban…” Anna gently touched Esteban’s back, and only then did he release Isabel.

“I’ll go make dinner,” Esteban said softly to Anna and looked away quickly.

Isabel clenched her teeth while staring at her reddened wrist, still unable to believe what had just happened.

“This isn’t over. I’ll do everything I can to drive you out of this house,” she hissed.

“Ma, that’s enough!” Anna scolded her.

Isabel’s eyes widened at her daughter’s tone. She blamed Esteban—her daughter had learned to fight back.

Isabel didn’t join them at the dinner table. Alberto spoke at length to the couple about the Montecillo business. He was deeply afraid. If Anna failed the trial, he had no idea what would happen to them. They needed the Montecillo wealth.

After dinner, Esteban took a bath and returned to the room where he found Anna sitting on the bed, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

Esteban sighed before speaking. “The owner of Desmond Estate Corporation… he was my classmate.”

“Oh!” Anna replied simply and didn’t press further, though she was confused. How could Esteban, who claimed to be poor, have a classmate from such a prominent family? She glanced at him as he arranged his bedding on the floor at the foot of the bed. In all their years of marriage, he had never once tried to touch her, despite it being expected of him as her husband.

She lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Suddenly, her mind replayed what had happened earlier—how Esteban’s demeanor changed when her mother hurt her. She remembered his cold, fierce eyes like those of a wild beast. ‘Does he have feelings for me? I know he heard me when I said I love him… but he never said it back.’ Her heart ached at the thought that she might be the only one who had fallen.

“Don’t wait for me behind the company anymore,” she said, covering her face with a pillow.

Esteban was stunned—he didn’t expect that Anna had known all along that he had been waiting for her for three years without saying a word. “Okay…”

Anna bit her lip at his answer. She was hoping for an explanation, a reason why he did all of it for her. She had always thought it would be easy to divorce Esteban—but when her mother mentioned it yesterday, she realized she couldn’t do it. Just the thought of it felt like being pierced by a million needles. This man, no matter how worthless people said he was, had stayed by her side for three whole years. She had said many hurtful things, but he had never retaliated. No matter how cold or cruel people were to him, he always smiled warmly in front of her. She realized her heart wasn’t made of stone—it beat for Esteban.

“Pick me up in front of the company… and don’t hide in the back anymore,” she said hoarsely.

It was as if lightning had struck Esteban. He looked at her back as she lay on her side, and his heart swelled with joy.

Anna didn’t see Esteban’s expression, nor did she hear his answer after a few minutes of silence.

“If you don’t want to, just forget it,” she said irritably.

Esteban sat up, thrilled by the tone in her voice. “Y-yes, I do. I mean… s-sure, I’ll pick you up.”

Anna could feel his excitement and chuckled softly when he stammered. Her mind went back to the past three years and how she had treated him. Her chest tightened at the thought of how he endured all the hurtful words—alone—from her, from her family, from her parents. She felt the warm tears roll down her cheeks.

“These past three years… I’m sorry, Esteban.”