Morning had arrived. The air felt cool and damp.Rebecca woke up early, preparing a simple breakfast for herself, Samuel, and Reno. Samuel sat at the dining table, helping Reno put on his socks.“Reno, don’t forget to always study diligently, okay? And remember, don’t be naughty. Don’t show your abilities—no one should know that you’re a genius,” said Rebecca while pouring milk into a small glass.Reno looked at her with his innocent eyes. “I’m not naughty, Mommy. I’m a good boy.”Samuel smiled faintly. “A good boy, but when he plays games, he forgets everything. And listen to what Mommy said—no one should know that Reno Barra Castillo is a genius.”Reno immediately pouted. “Okay, Mommy, Daddy, don’t worry. Reno will keep it a secret.”Rebecca chuckled softly at his expression. “Alright then, let’s eat first. After that, you two can go.”Samuel glanced at his watch. “I have to be at the office by nine. There’s an important meeting.”Rebecca nodded while placing a plate on the table. “
That night, heavy rain poured down. The sound of it struck against the apartment windows, accompanied by flashes of lightning that split the sky from time to time.Samuel, who had been asleep on Rebecca’s lap, slowly opened his eyes. The flashes of lightning made the room flicker between light and shadow. He blinked slowly, then heard a soft voice beside him.“Samuel…” Rebecca’s voice was gentle, almost a whisper.Samuel turned to see her pale face. He knew—ever since the beginning, his wife had always disliked thunderstorms.“Are you scared?” he asked softly, lifting his head from her lap.Rebecca gave a small nod, her eyes fixed on the window where the lightning kept flashing. “I don’t know why, but I’ve never been able to stay calm when there’s thunder.”Samuel smiled, then moved closer to her. “How many times have I told you, there’s nothing to be afraid of? Thunder is just the sound of nature—it can’t hurt you.”Rebecca hugged a small pillow in her hands. “I know… but still, I al
The night grew late. Reno was already asleep in his room, the blanket neatly covering his small body. Rebecca made sure he was comfortable before closing the door quietly. She walked to the living room, where Samuel was still sitting on the sofa, looking tired but showing no sign of wanting to sleep.“Still not sleepy?” Rebecca asked as she approached.Samuel turned to her and smiled faintly. “Not yet, my love.”Rebecca sat down at the edge of the sofa. “You’ve been working since morning, and you’re still not sleepy?”Samuel sighed, then shifted his position, lying down and resting his head on Rebecca’s lap. He looked up at the ceiling, then closed his eyes for a moment.“This feels so comfortable,” he said softly. “If only I could rest like this every night.”Rebecca smiled faintly, her hand gently brushing through Samuel’s hair. Her touch was soft — full of the warmth they had both longed for.“Yes, because you used to do this too,” she murmured. “Every time you came home from work,
Eight o’clock in the evening. Rebecca — now living under the name Ellya — sat on the sofa, staring at her laptop screen while typing her college assignment.Her phone chimed softly. Rebecca turned her head and saw Aric’s name appear on the screen. She sighed before answering the call.“Hello, Aric.”Aric’s cheerful voice came from the other end. “Hi, Ellya. Sorry to bother you this late. I just wanted to talk a bit about the engagement party.”Rebecca frowned instantly. “Engagement party?”“Yes, Ellya,” Aric replied casually, as if it wasn’t a big deal. “I’ve already started preparing it. But I wanted to hear your opinion.”Rebecca was silent for a few seconds, trying to keep her voice steady. “Aric, I’m sorry but I…”“But what?”“I really can’t. I have a lot of assignments and my final project. I don’t want to talk about anything else right now.”On the other end, Aric let out a long sigh. “Alright, if that’s your reason. I won’t push you. Well, I just hope you’ll like the concept I’
At the Wilson Group office, Samuel walked into his room with a serious face. His black suit looked neat, his hair slicked back perfectly, but the look in his eyes clearly showed that he wasn’t completely calm.“Mr. Samuel, the meeting with the finance team is scheduled for ten o’clock,” said Bani, his personal assistant, handing over several documents.Samuel nodded without saying much. “Alright. Make sure all the reports for this month are complete. I don’t want any more mistakes.”“Yes, Sir,” Bani replied quickly.Samuel sat down at his desk, opened his laptop, and began reviewing the reports one by one. He tried to focus on the numbers and data, pushing away the image of Jennifer’s face that kept appearing in his mind.“I have to stop thinking about her,” he muttered softly, pressing his temple.He stared at the large window in front of his desk. The view of tall city buildings did nothing to calm his thoughts. Still, working was the only way he knew to distract himself from things
The next morning, Jennifer sat at her dressing table with her laptop open in front of her. Her hair was loosely tied, and her eyes were fixed on the screen.Her fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard, typing in the search bar:“Samuel Wilson, Personal Profile.”A few seconds later, a list of results appeared. Jennifer scrolled slowly until her eyes stopped on a local article showing a photo of Samuel with a small boy.The name beneath the photo made her smile faintly.“Samuel Wilson with his son, Reno Barra Castillo.”Jennifer read quickly, her voice soft as if talking to herself.“Six years old… how adorable.”She scrolled further down and found a line that made her freeze for a moment.“Samuel Wilson’s wife, Rebecca Cathy Castillo, was reported to have passed away a few months ago.”Jennifer stared at the screen for a long while, then leaned back in her chair. “So it’s true… he’s a widower.”A slow smile formed on her lips, but it wasn’t a warm one — more like a calculated smile.