Chapter 3

"Give me back my ring whoever you are! Shit! This day really sucks!" Jacob said annoyingly while he was driving his car. "I am going to put you behind bars when I catch you! Thief!"

Jacob drove his car faster but the speed of the tricycle he was chasing also sped up. "Damn! You are dead when I catch you!" he growled.

Jacob suddenly slowed down when he remembered the reflection of the woman who got his ring in the glass door. 

"F-Freya?" He stopped talking and shook his head. "Is there something wrong with me? I also saw her earlier in the Supermalls. Shit! I think my conscience is haunting me! I already saw her face twice today!" he murmured.

Jacob remembered the night where he and Freya had became slaves of lust and flesh. He didn't realize that he was already smiling. "I need to confirm if it's really her." He sped up his car again.

The tricycle driver immediately showed his skill on driving when Freya said that she would triple her payment. She is desperate. She must avoid that man at all costs. Freya and Yael held each other tightly when the driver drove the tricycle at full speed. Freya looked at the ring on her finger.

'What if this ring is really meant for me? What if it was not a coincidence? What if …'

Freya gasped when she suddenly heard her son's voice.

"Mom, I'm scared! We might crash if the driver drives this fast. The street is still dark! What if an accident happens?" Yael let go of the handle of the tricycle and hugged her mother tightly.

"Don't worry son. Our driver is careful. Right, sir?" Freya assured.

"Yes, ma'am. I drive carefully because I'm afraid of going to jail. I also have a family to feed so I always drive with extra caution," the driver replied.

They have already traveled a long way. Just a few more barangays and Freya and Yael will be able to return to their little home, unscathed. They couldn't stay up late because they will have an early flight the next day.

"Yael, you can sleep on my lap if you are sleepy. Mommy will watch over you," Freya said.

"No mom. I'm afraid something might happen if I close my eyes. I'll watch over you too, mommy," Yael said gently.

"Ma'am, your son is kind. You raised him well," said the tricycle driver. He smiled when he saw the narrow road. He came up with a good plan to mislead the man who was chasing them.

"Ma'am, let's go to that alley, get off for a while and walk to its end. I'll wait for you there," said the tricycle driver.

"Are you serious? That alley is so dark! Maybe later, my son and I will get hurt," Freya commented.

"That's the only way I can see so that the man who's chasing you can't follow us anymore. By the way, who is he? Is he your ex-husband?" the driver said out of curiosity.

Freya raised an eyebrow. "He's not my ex-husband. My son's father is already resting six feet underground," she answered with emphasis.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Condolences," the driver said sadly.

Yael hugged her mother tightly.

"Mom, when we come back from Escueza, let us visit dad's grave. I'm seven years old already but I never come to visit him. I want to see him … even if it's just his grave," he said while crying.

Freya was speechless. She felt sorry for her child. She didn't want to lie but that was the only way to protect her son from her cunning ex-boyfriend. She would rather tell a lie than seeing her son suffer. She wanted Yael to think that his father is dead rather than be hurt by the fact that he abandoned them. She is still annoyed every time she thinks that Jacob didn't even look for them, after she left the ultrasound result in front of the door of his condo.

Before things got out of hand, Freya decided to get off the tricycle and follow the old driver's advice.

"Mom, are you okay? I'm sorry. I know you miss daddy as much as I do," said Yael.

"I'm fine, son," Freya replied sparingly.

"Who is it that is chasing us? Also, why is he following us? Is he a kidnapper? Is he a bad person?" Yael asked.

Freya stopped walking and bent down to look Yael straight in the eyes.

"He's a bad guy so we need to run as fast as we can. Do you understand Yael?" She needs to say it so that they can walk faster. She held Yael's hand again.

When Freya stood up, she could see Jacob's angry face from the opening of the alley they entered. Due to the adrenaline rush, she immediately picked up Yael and ran to the end of the alley where the tricycle driver was waiting.

Yael was surprised by what Freya did. He was only four years old when his mother carried him like that. He smiled and held tightly to his mother.

"Sir, let's go," said Freya.

The driver quickly started the engine of his tricycle. Freya breathed a deep sigh of relief when she no longer saw Jacob's car tailing them. She was still panting because she carried Yael while running.

"Mom, you're my superhero!"

Freya ruffled Yael's hair and then hugged him. She also kissed her son on his forehead.

Meanwhile, Jacob was running out of air when he exited the alley. His left hand was clutching his chest while his right hand was resting on his knee. He looked in both directions of the street. The girl he was chasing was nowhere to be found.

"Fuck!" said Jacob while kicking the light pole. He limped back to his car. "I lost it! I have wasted five million pesos on that ring! Damn it!"

Jacob was not in the mood to answer his ringing cell phone. Diana, her stepsister, was calling her.

"What do you need?" he said rudely while turning on bluetooth and looking for his earbuds.

["How sweet of you!]

"Diana, I'm not in the mood to play with your jokes. What are you up to? Why did you call?" When Jacob saw his earbuds, he hastily put them on and started driving back to their hotel.

["We're going to Escueza tomorrow morning. Show up on time. You'll miss the flight if you wake up late.]

"So, Mr. Clinton accepted my invitation. Okay. Send the flight details to me via email. I'll be busy tonight. I'll revise my proposal," Jacob said seriously.

["No thank you at all?"]

Jacob ended the call without saying thank you to his stepsister. 

Diana was very annoyed on the other line but that was nothing new to her. She just hoped that there might be a change in his older brother's behavior.

"Escueza, wait for me. I'll make sure I will win you over my arrogant brother, Jackson," Jacob said earnestly.