KATE looked up when she heard the door open. Her secretary came in afterwards.
“Yes?”
“A certain Winona Sison is here to see you, Ma’am. She said she has a personal appointment with you.”
“Oh.” She closed the folder. “Send her in.”
Kate pulled her mirror out of the drawer and checked how she looked. She was always conscious whenever she and Winona met.
Soon Winona came in. She was wearing the trendiest outfit worn mostly by models and celebrities. Kate then left her seat and met her halfway.
“Katherine,” Winona greeted upon reaching her.
“I… uhm… I thought we’ll gonna see each other at the coffee shop.” Kate cleared her throat and gestured to the visitor’s couch. “Have a seat.”
Winona sauntered towards the couch and sat there with her legs crossed.
“I dropped by to see how you’re doing here.&rdq
KATE was too busy that day; she did not even get a hold of her phone the whole day. When she checked it after getting off from work, she saw a few missed calls from Fernan and his mother. She still hated him, so she ignored his calls and called his mom instead.“Mom… I’m so sorry for not answering your calls. I’m busy today and….” She heaved a sigh. “Well… honestly, I chose to be this busy.”“I know, Katherine. And you don’t have to apologize, okay?” said her mother-in-law.“Thank you for understanding.”“Anyway, Fernan told me that you said you won’t be attending Jan’s funeral. Are you really not going to change your mind?”“Mom… I… kinda feel bad attending my husband’s funeral when I’m still hoping that he’s alive.”“Well… you are right, Katherine. It really feels weird, but
“JAN…”Fernan heaved a deep sigh and looked at everyone inside the chapel. He was now standing at the pulpit to deliver the eulogy for his brother.“We grew up together. We shared a lot of things and memories. He’s not just a brother but also a dear friend. We were almost like twins.” He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “When I learned that my brother has gone missing, it kinda felt like I lost half of me. I felt totally devastated, wishing it was all just a dream, and soon I’d wake up and find him standing in front of me. Brother… wherever you are right now, I hope… you’ll find peace.”Kate’s fists clenched. Suddenly, she felt it hard to breathe. So, she decided to leave her seat and ran out of the chapel. She knew she caught the people’s attention. But the hell she cares about what they would say about her. She just wanted to stop hearing the eulogy. Kate could no
KATE could not explain what she was feeling at that moment. She was sure that there was a meaning behind Jan’s father’s gaze. And the more she waited for him to speak, the more she felt anxious.“Katherine, have a seat.” Her father-in-law gestured on the couch.She felt her knees trembling as she sauntered towards the couch. Kate almost lost her balance. Good thing she propped her hand on the couch’s armrest for support.“Are you alright, Katherine?” Jan’s mother asked. It seemed that she had noticed her.“O-oh, y-yeah.” She cleared her throat and straightened her back. “So, what is this all about?”Kate clasped her hands above her lap.“You know you’re Jan’s successor.” Jan’s father tapped his fingers on the table. “So, I want to know if you have plans to marry again.”Her mouth dropped open.“I…&rdquo
Four years later…KATE’s gaze reverted to the door when she heard the hinges creak. Her office door opened slowly, and a small pair of feet came in. A smile immediately curved on her lips. She left her seat and met her visitor halfway.“Mommy!” said Angelique’s little voice as she rushed towards her.Her daughter squealed when she picked her up. She showered Angelique’s plump cheeks with kisses.“Did you knock on mommy’s door, Angel?”She turned in Fernan’s direction when he came inside her office.“So, she’s with you.”“Hm.” He beamed. “The nanny called and informed me that the car at home broke, so I picked her up from the daycare. I brought her here because she said she missed you.”“Oh, that’s so sweet of you, darling.” Kate planted a kiss on her daughter’s forehead.
SAMUEL rushed to Mara immediately when she saw her carrying the crates of wine on her own. He got it from her and took it inside the warehouse.“You’re not supposed to do this alone, Mara. And this kind of work is not for you,” he told her.She just smiled at him and dried his sweat with her handkerchief.“Y-you don’t have to do this. I—”“Samuel…” Mara said somberly.“Mara, please… we talked about this—”She exhaled deeply and shook her head.“Just tell me why you couldn’t love me back, Samuel….”Mara was sweet and caring. Not only that, but she was also very thoughtful as well. But he could not love her. He could not allow himself to do that until he did not know who he really was. So, until his memories were not coming back, all he could offer her was friendship.“I…” he ran his fingers thr
“HAPPY birthday to you… Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday, dear Angel… Happy birthday to you….”Everyone cheered as her daughter blew the candles on her birthday cake. They gave her a round of applause afterwards.“What’s your wish, sweetie?” Kate asked as she planted a kiss on her daughter’s temple.Angelique clasped her hands and looked at her with dreamy eyes.“Will you make my wish come true?” her daughter asked with a wide grin plastered on her face.“Hm… it’s negotiable,” Fernan butt in.He even wrapped an arm around her waist that made her straighten her back. If only there were no guests around them at that moment, she would distance herself from him. She felt quite uncomfortable, for some reason. Kate diverted her attention to her daughter instead of thinking about it too much.“Tell us your wish,” she told Ang
“OH, here they are….” Jan’s father beckoned them to come closer.He was with a bunch of businessmen close to the family.Fernan wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Of course, they had to act lovey-dovey in front of everyone. Kate immediately forced a smile. If only it was Jan… she did not have to do that.“So, this is your soon-to-be daughter-in-law?” one of the guests asked.“Well, technically, she was her daughter-in-law from the start,” the woman beside Jan’s father countered. “Don’t you know that she’s Jan’s wife?” There was this smug look on the woman’s face that she tried so hard to ignore. “And now after he disappeared, she’s to marry his brother. Perhaps she’s after something—”“Excuse me,” Fernan cut the woman off. She felt his grip tighten on her side. “I don’t th
“THIS island is the perfect getaway. If we acquire this property and build an exclusive private resort—”Winona raised a hand and beckoned her secretary to stop talking.“Miss? Is there something wrong?”She did not respond to the question and remained looking at the man unloading crates from a truck a few meters away from them. The man looked like Jan! She was unsure if she was seeing it right or her vision was playing tricks on her.Winona was aware that there could be a slight chance that a stranger may look like someone she knew. However, her instinct kept telling her that could not be wrong. She had been friends with Jan for a long time, and she had feelings for him. There was no way she would not recognize him. Winona would recognize him by just seeing his back and the way he walks.“Miss?” Her secretary grasped her arm. “Are you alright? Do you want me to get you something to drink?”