CHAPTER 1: The Wolf and The Sheep

Nicholas Sparks: "There are moments when I wish I could roll back the clock and take all the sadness away. But I have the feeling that if I did… the joy would be gone as well…"

⚠️ Content Warning ⚠️

This story contains sensitive and potentially triggering themes, including emotional distress, substance use, sexual content, and abuse. It may depict situations involving trauma, unhealthy relationships, and intense emotional experiences.

Some scenes may be difficult to read for individuals who have experienced similar situations.

Please proceed with caution and prioritize your well-being. Take breaks if needed.

Reader discretion is strongly advised.

Ethan’s POV

“Fuck me harder!! Oh God!!” The woman I’d just met in a club last night was practically screaming on my bed. I was starting to feel turned off. She was way too loud.

I moved faster to finish. I hate noisy women in bed—it kills the mood. It wasn't my cup of tea. When I reached my climax, I immediately got up and tossed the condom aside. Straight to the shower. After bathing, I dressed.

“When are you coming back?” She approached me, sliding a finger over my chest. I caught her hand and removed it.

“I think you already know what kind of man I am,” I said, adjusting my suit.

“Oh, come on! It’s been two years since Sabrina tricked you—haven’t you moved on yet?” she teased.

Sabrina… fuck that name!

“Don’t mention her. Ever… again,” I said firmly. “Whatever happened between us ended there.” I finished dressing and left the condo, hopping on my Ducati Streetfighter.

I met Sabrina when I was twenty-five, and she was twenty-one. She was beautiful, smart, and could satisfy any desire—my first serious love. After a year of our relationship, she betrayed me… in our future home, with someone close to me.

I had given her everything: jewelry, designer shoes and clothes, cars, my time, my heart, my soul… everything. And she threw it all away like it was nothing.

Her excuse? My family couldn’t accept her because her father had been caught as a corrupt mayor. Mom and Dad opposed it immediately.

Mom and Dad are kind and generous. Mom has countless charity beneficiaries—from babies to the elderly, churches to individuals. Dad has countless scholars, like my brother. Both are politicians widely respected for their generosity.

So it didn’t matter to me that they didn’t like Sabrina. I hoped she would fight for us, turn her back on her father. If she really loved me, she would have tried to fight for me like I did for my family. I blamed Mom for a while, saying it was Sabrina’s fault. If she hadn’t told me to hide our relationship from the public, none of this would have happened.

But Mom had a point. If she really loved me, she’d have been willing to endure, but she didn’t choose me; she chose not to hurt herself. After we broke up, she even asked Mom for money to stay quiet and prevent the press from knowing what happened. Fortunately, Mom saw her true nature immediately.

As the days passed, memories flooded back. Every memory was about Sabrina. And because of that, I could never return to who I was before.

I stopped by a bar I’d been frequenting in recent months. A woman approached me, in her early thirties. She wrapped her hands around my neck and kissed me.

I opened my mouth, allowing her tongue in. We kissed intensely. She smiled seductively.

“I need my happiness,” I said. She understood immediately.

“Then get it,” she said, guiding my hand into her front pocket. Slowly, I slid my hand down. She smirked.

I felt the small plastic inside her pocket, but before I grabbed it, I let my hands play with her clit and pushed her against the wall. She moaned and bit her lip.

“Can I have your happiness too?” she whispered, kissing my nape up to my ear.

We kissed again and entered a room. She hurriedly prepared foil and a lighter.

Once set up, we shared the drugs—our version of happiness. It made me feel better than usual. My mind stopped obsessing over Sabrina being with another man.

Feeling that sensation, I pushed her onto the bed violently. She kept moaning and gasping. I stripped off my clothes.

There… I saw Sabrina… lying there.

“Sab…” I approached her, tearing her tiny dress apart.

“Yes!! Please…” She moaned loudly as I grabbed her breasts, leaving tiny bites on her nipples.

“Fuck me!” she shouted.

I grabbed her neck, forced her back onto me, and spanked her hard. She moaned again.

“Say my name! Who’s fucking you, Sab?!”

“Ethan! Fuck me, please Ethan!!”

I thrust hard, punishing her for hurting me. I wanted her to feel the pain I endured. Slapping her and grabbing her neck wasn’t enough. The emptiness no one could fill lingered.

Even the bite marks I left weren’t enough. My climax came, and I grabbed her hair, forcing her to take it. I pushed her again onto the bed, sat down, and smoked a cigarette.

The emptiness repeated in my life.

Eventually, I dressed and left, unnoticed that I’d left two cigarette sticks and foil scattered. The girl touched my chest from behind.

“I can be your Sab anytime you want,” she whispered.

I removed her hand and buttoned my shirt.

“No, it has to end,” I said. I knew I was sinking too deep into that darkness. I took some cash from my wallet and left.

The drugs were just a thrill, a replacement for the excitement Sabrina once gave me before sex. But when she left me, I was lost.

I couldn’t escape. Especially when I saw her with another man.

After wandering around, I went home and found my younger brother there. He’s three years younger than me.

“Hey, it’s late,” he said.

“I’m just wandering. Why are you still awake?”

“Work left undone,” he smiled. “You really idolize Dad. At 28, you’re a mayor, following his footsteps.”

Sudden conscience hit me. Why am I such a coward, Ethan? You have a wonderful family. Why are you destroying yourself?

“And you… you followed Mom’s footsteps, a brilliant businesswoman,” he tapped my shoulder.

“That’s what I wanted.” My conscience pricked me. If only they knew what I was up to these days.

“Go rest. Early tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, bro.”

“Goodnight.”

I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I have everything, yet I’m not content. Happiness can’t be bought. There’s always something missing. Maybe Sabrina broke something in me, something that can never be restored. I fell asleep with a heavy heart, knowing tomorrow would be long.

Sophia’s POV

“Thanks, friend!” I said to my loyal friend who always buys my goods.

“No problem! Double work for your studies and siblings you have to support. But your abnormal father!! I just can’t accept him,” Emma ranted.

She wore faded short jeans and a mint-green spaghetti strap top.

“That’s why. Dad changed after Mom died,” I said, wrapping the banana cue she was buying.

“No! He should have worked instead of leaving Mom to do everything alone. He should’ve helped, not drank! If he regretted it, he should’ve taken care of you, not leave your Mom!” Emma’s eyes almost rolled from anger.

Emma has a fair-skinned, probably due to whatever she uses on her body. I’m taller than her. Curvy, with blonde hair down to her shoulders, highlighted red.

“Emma, someone might hear you!”

“Oh, come on! You’re such a good daughter. I hope your crazy dad realizes it someday.”

“Just sell my goods quickly so I can go home,” I said jokingly.

“Alright then,” she said, pulling out her wallet. She’s a G.R.O, but a good person. Like me, she has responsibilities. But her parents are kind.

“Just put me in your work, then,” I joked.

“You fool!! Stop! You’ll just get hit on by club guys. That’s a huge sum in the club, but I don’t want you to be like me. Hard life, friend,” she said, leaving the doorway. Many guys were interested in her for her beauty, but she had no boyfriend in our neighborhood.

“I know, I’m just joking. I won’t agree, I’ll manage it properly. Don’t be upset,” I said.

“I’m used to it, friend. This is my choice; don’t follow me,” she replied.

Emma is three years older than me—22 while I’m 19. I met her selling banana cue. I’ve learned so much from her, good advice from experience.

“Alright, I’m going home. I still have class.” I adjusted my faded dress and pants from a thrift store.

“Bye, little one. Your friend will sleep now.”

I left for home. From afar, I could hear Dad raging.

“Stop it!!” I ran when I heard Rebecca scream.

“Hurry up, Piyang!! Your shameless drunk father again!” shouted our neighbor. We were squatters in Novaliches, so everyone could hear Dad’s daily abuse.

“Dad, stop!!” I blocked him as he swung at my younger sister, Vanessa. I took the hit instead. Better me than them; they’re too young.

“Go ahead, fight amongst yourselves, useless people!!” he yelled, striking everywhere.

“Dad, stop!!” Becca screamed, holding his hand. I handed him money to stop the abuse.

“Why did you give it, Ate? He’ll just drink it. You need it for school,” Esang said tearfully.

“Sorry. I can’t see you get hurt by Dad,” I cried. Becca hugged me.

“We can endure it, Ate, as long as you study. So we can leave here. I don’t want Dad anymore.” Becca is ten, Esang 14. I had to protect them.

I could do nothing but cry. Even if I wanted to be mad at Dad, I couldn’t. Maybe he hurt because Mom left. I still believed he could change, like Mom did.

Jerome, my close friend, arrived with Arnie, a flamboyant friend.

“Friend!! Are you okay?! Where’s your father?!” Arnie exclaimed.

“He left,” I wiped Becca’s tears.

“You have many bruises,” Jerome said, holding my arm.

“I’m okay. The important thing is my siblings weren’t hurt,” I said, lowering my sleeves.

“Have you eaten?” he asked.

“I gave Dad the money. We have nothing left,” I sighed. Jerome dug into his pocket, gave Arnie some cash.

“You handle it, Arnie. Buy something for Esang and Becca,” he said.

“Thanks. I’ll manage,” I said, getting ready for class. I took a shower, dressed. Almost all my decent clothes were from Emma. I couldn’t afford new ones.

I kissed my sisters and received 200 pesos from Jerome before leaving. I didn’t want it, but I needed it.

“Thanks. One day I’ll repay all I owe,” I said.

“I’ll wait for that day,” he smiled. I boarded a jeep to my university.

In a hurry, I almost ran into someone.

“Hey!! Are you blind!” a woman shouted.

“S-sorry. I’m in a hurry,” I replied nervously. The woman was tall and beautiful, like a model from billboards.

“Leave her, babe,” a handsome man beside her said.

They got into a car. The woman was Sabrina Noels, a fourth-year student graduating this year. Famous on campus for her beauty and daughter of a former mayor. Unfortunately, her father was proven corrupt.

“Too bad about Sabrina, huh?” my friend Alice said. We were both second-year students.

“Why do you say that?” I asked, curious.

“You’re always behind on the news. Her boyfriend is rich and handsome. She lived in luxury… then got replaced by another. Jeez!” Alice explained.

“They look fine together!” I thought, holding my book.

“Fool!! That’s what I mean! He’s still handsome, but I heard the other guy is even better.” I tugged Alice.

“Enough! Let’s go inside. I’m late.” We hurried inside, starting another long day, facing judgmental classmates. Thank goodness I had a decent friend.

To be continued...