LOGINFour Years Later… SOPHIA’S POV I stood quietly at the side while my classmates were busy talking and celebrating with the other graduates. We were all about to graduate with a Bachelor of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (BHMCT)—a course I chose because I love cooking. But I still planned to take another degree after this… Bachelor of Science in Secretarial Administration, if possible. We were all wearing our togas, waiting for the program to begin. “S-Sophia… congratulations. We’re finally graduating,” my male classmate said with a smile. His name was Justin. “Ah… thank you,” I replied softly, smiling back. My eyes wandered around the place. There was always this part of me that felt anxious whenever someone talked to me. I was afraid. Afraid that something bad might happen again… just because someone got close to me. I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt anymore. “Hey, Sophia! We’re having an after-party later. Want to join us?” Kate asked. “Yeah! We understan
SOPHIA’S POV I often heard gossip about me and my husband, but I ignored them. I’ll deal with them later. Speaking of my husband… he has never shown himself. And I don’t want to hear anything about him either. It only hurts me more. I already know he doesn’t care at all. --- “Piyang, E-eth—” “Jerome, do you want coffee?” I quickly cut off Arnie. I made it clear to them—I didn’t want to hear anything about him. Maybe he’s enjoying his life now… now that our child is gone. Are you happy now? While I’m here… suffering. You should’ve taken me with you instead… --- “Maybe she’s a mistress? Not even one member of the husband’s family showed up.” “Are you serious? Look at how grand this wake is. Maybe they’re just busy, or we just didn’t see them.” “Poor baby… so handsome too.” “They’ll probably lose support money now that the baby is gone.” --- I crushed the paper cup in my hand after hearing their whispers. I walked toward them holding another cup of coffee and stopped r
SOPHIA’S POV “My… my baby…” My voice came out as a fragile whisper as I looked at Kuya Eros. The dark circles under his eyes didn’t escape me. He looked exhausted—like he hadn’t slept, like he had been carrying something unbearably heavy. I turned to Mom. Her eyes were swollen and red, as if she had cried endlessly. A sudden fear slammed into my chest. But I pushed it away. No. That can’t be it. “Sophia…” Kuya said softly, but he couldn’t meet my eyes. “Is he okay?” I forced a smile, though my hands were already trembling as I pulled the blanket off me. “Where are you going, friend?” Arnie asked, her voice shaking. “I… I want to see my baby,” I said, still smiling—but my vision blurred as tears filled my eyes. No one could look at me. Not Kuya. Not Arnie. Not even Mom. “You’re not strong enough yet, Sophia…” Arnie tried to stop me gently. My heart began pounding harder. “My baby… he’s okay, right?” I turned to Kuya again, desperate. “Kuya… ple
SOPHIA’S POV I hid my fear in front of Kuya Eros. I felt my whole body trembling because of his voice. The cold way he treated me only made that fear worse. I went downstairs and Ekang handed me my cellphone. “Someone’s been calling you for a while, Ate. But you were sleeping so deeply.” “Thank you.” There were several missed calls. I slipped the phone into my pocket and walked toward Mom. I kissed her on the cheek and greeted her. “Good afternoon.” “How is your pregnancy, hija? Is the baby giving you a hard time?” Mom asked, smiling as she touched my stomach. “No, not really, Mom.” “Oh, it’s probably a girl,” Arnie said. “I think so too. She’s gotten even more beautiful,” Mom added. I just smiled at them. “We’re preparing dinner. Arnie just reheated what you cooked. Your dishes are so addictive.” “Thank you.” “I told Madame she could open a restaurant soon, right?” Arnie joked. “Yeah! You’re right. Just tell me when. I’ll support you 100%.” “Thank you so much.” “You s
SOPHIA’S POV I paced back and forth in my room. I just couldn’t calm down, all this anxiety over Alice. “Girl! Stop pacing or you’ll give birth early!” Arnie said. “I know, Piyang! You’re crazy! She’ll call later anyway. Just rest. Your baby’s tired too,” Emma said, already drowsy. “Rest already, you guys. I’ll follow soon. I’m just not used to this. I couldn’t contact her earlier. Her mom said she still hasn’t come home. It’s already past ten.” “Girl! She has parents. They’ll take action for sure,” Arnie said. “But I can’t help gambling. I won’t be at peace.” “What if you call Fafa Alex? Maybe he can help,” Emma said with a smile. “Ah, there she is! You missed me too, huh?” “What’s wrong? Friends only needing help. So why question, right?” “Haay naku! I don’t know about you! Anyway, Piyang, I’ll sleep after calling Alex. It’s late already. Alright, I’ll go down. Goodnight—shiwaps.” I tried calling Alex. It took several rings before he finally answered. I sat on the bed ne
Sophia's POV I took a deep breath as I walked down the altar. I thought the wedding would be simple, but it wasn’t. The theme was white and beige. Maybe for the wealthy, this would be considered just a simple garden wedding, but for someone like me, it felt grand. We didn’t even have twenty guests. So why spend so much? Arnie helped me carry the end of my gown. Halfway down, Ethan’s father—who now was like a father to me—walked me. “Welcome to the family, Sophia,” he said with a smile. I just smiled back, feeling nervous. Ethan was patiently waiting with Kuya Eros, who was the best man. Alex was also invited. When I reached Ethan, he took my hand, seemingly in a hurry for what was to come. I noticed his eyes looked deeper, his face thinner. He hadn’t visited the house much lately. Kuya Eros and Mommy were the ones spending more time with us. When the Pastor said, “kiss the bride,” he kissed me on the forehead. The ceremony was brief. We celebrated at the same venue.







