"Are you really not going to Manila anymore?" Vangie asked. She and Bert were on the rooftop, drinking alcohol. The sky was transitioning from light to dark, and the surroundings were slowly being enveloped by darkness. Vangie felt the cold, as her clothes didn't have sleeves. They were sitting side by side on a reclining chair, with a clear view of Bert’s vast farm.
After eating, Vangie insisted on cleaning up. Bert didn’t want her to, but she was persistent, so he gave in.
Bert shook his head after taking a sip from the can in his hand.
"No. I don't want to leave you here. This doesn’t happen often."
Vangie raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Bert smiled and looked at Vangie. "Yes. You always give me the cold sho
Vangie's heart broke as she listened to what Shane said. The emotions overwhelmed her. She quickly left Bert's house. Carrying her bag, she walked toward the street to look for a tricycle. She didn’t care that her face was soaked with tears. All she wanted was to get away from that place.So many questions ran through her mind. How could Shane be pregnant? Why was Bert the father? Didn’t Bert say he and Shane had broken up long ago? Did that mean Bert had been lying to her? Vangie cried harder. She could barely see the road the tricycle was taking.Damn it, Vangie! Why are you even crying? she scolded herself mentally. She tried to calm down. But Shane’s words kept repeating in her head like a broken record:“Yes, Mom. I’m pregnant. And Bert is the father.”Vangie cried again. “Damn it!” she said angrily.Before she knew it, she had arrived home. She quickly went inside and locked the door. She went straight to her room and collapsed on the bed, sobbing like a child.When she met Bert
“Wait, Vangie!” Bert called out to the leaving Vangie. He was about to run after her, but Lucia, standing by the kitchen door, stopped him. “Ma!”“What did Shane say? That she’s pregnant?”Bert froze. He took a deep breath, shut his eyes tightly, then opened them again and shook his head.“I don’t know what she’s talking about, Ma.” He tried to pull his arm away, but Lucia was holding it tightly. “Ma! I need to follow Vangie!” Bert said in panic. Vangie was already out of sight—she had left the house.Lucia stared straight at Shane’s belly. Her breathing was heavy after hearing the news. She knew Bert and Shane had broken up a long time ago. Her son had nearly ruined his life because of it. He even had a new girlfriend now. And yet, here Shane was, claiming she was pregnant.“Banjo!” Lucia shouted. “Banjo!” she called again when he didn’t show up.“Ma! I have to go after Vangie! Who knows what she’s thinking right now?” Bert pleaded, pacing anxiously. He was very worried—he had seen V
“Are you ready?” Bert asked Vangie.Vangie nodded and lightly brushed the hem of her dress. They were heading to Bert’s house. It was his mother Lucia’s birthday. Vangie didn’t really want to go because she was shy, but Bert said his mom specifically requested her presence. She couldn’t say no, so she agreed.Early that morning, they went to town to help with the party preparations. Vangie helped decorate the yard. They hired a catering service, so they didn’t need to worry about cooking.Vangie and Bert went back to the farm to change clothes. Bert had bought Vangie a dress that fit her perfectly. It was yellow, plain, and knee-length, but it looked beautiful on her. Bert wore black slacks and a polo shirt with the top button undone.“I really feel shy, Bert. Do I really have to go?” Vangie asked as they walked out of the house.Bert smiled and put his arm around her. “Why would you feel shy?”Vangie sighed. Bert’s parents accepted her, but she didn’t know the rest of his family. Sti
Vangie just kept her eyes closed while they were traveling. She lets the cold evening breeze hit her face. They were just like this, and without Bert saying anything, her mood lightened. The warmth of his body seemed to be a source of joy for him. The beating of his heart was like music to her ears.For him, the beating of his heart was like music to his ears. Moments later, Bert turned off the motorcycle engine.A few moments later, Bert stopped the motorcycle engine. Vangie's forehead furrowed, and she opened her eyes. Her eyes slightly widened when she saw that they were in the middle of the forest.His eyes slightly widened when he saw that they were in the middle of the forest. "Are we at the farm?""Are we at the farm?"Bert nodded and pointed to the area behind them.Bert nodded and pointed to the part behind them. Vangie followed it and saw the farm gate.It seems there is no text to translate. Please provide the text you'd like me to translate."Why are we even here? It's alr
Vangie couldn’t stop crying after Marta left her house. She shut the door and locked herself in her room. She didn’t even care whether her small store was open. She ignored the voices calling out from outside and didn’t bother to respond.Her cheek was swollen, but what hurt more were the painful words her former mother-in-law had said. She had always known the woman looked down on her, but it still hurt. It felt like something was breaking inside her chest—far more painful than the swelling on her face.She had done everything back then. When Fredo found a job in Manila and started earning, she didn’t complain when he decided to give money to his parents. Every 15th and 30th of the month, she handed his mother two thousand pesos. And yet, Fredo only sent her five thousand in total. They didn’t even have their own house; they lived with his parents. On top of that, she had to help with expenses and even did laundry for neighbors to make ends meet.After their separation, she decided n
Every day that passed in Vangie’s life brought her joy. She felt at ease now that Bert’s parents had fully accepted her. Just like his mother promised, they treated her like a daughter. Once a week, she and Bert would visit his parents’ house to eat dinner—a request from Lucia.That evening, Vangie was cooking their dinner. Bert had requested shrimp sinigang. He even went home at noon just to bring her a kilo of giant shrimp. Each piece was as big as her palm and bright red, making her stomach growl just from looking at them.“Mom, how’s your schedule?” Marica’s eldest child asked Vangie over an iPad call. “Are you done with everything?”Vangie paused and turned to her child. She had almost forgotten about her medical check-up.“Not yet. But I already scheduled it.”“That’s all we’re waiting for now, Mom. After that, you’ll go for biometrics.”Vangie sighed. She stared blankly at the sinigang she was cooking. She hadn’t told Bert yet about her plans to leave. Shouldn’t she be happy th