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31
I fell asleep right away after I placed my head on my pillow. And maybe because I had been under a lot of stress lately, I didn’t have a deep sleep. Dreams started to float in my mind, troubling my usual dreamless sleep.
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The Tough Five
Ara: Girls, listen. I met a friend today. She said she has a friend who offers an accounting job in
Japan. Would you mind telling me if you are interested?
Julie: Really, girl? Tell her I’m interested. How much is the rate?
Ara: Speaking of rates, OMG! Higher than you can imagine. I’ll send the details to your email.
Vilma: That’s great, Ar. You may use the experience in applying for another job in the future. Could you send me the details also?
Ara: @Vilma, sure. Right now.
Stacey: The Tough Five should go. How’s that, ladies?
Yen: I’m in!
I then saw myself squealing with my
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SINFUL INDULGENCE BOOK 2 32
I felt like I waited an eternity for the sun to rise so thatI could go to Maezy's house and see her mother. Sleep eluded me already after all those bothersome dreams. I had the feeling that those were not mere dreams but memories because I didn't have a deep sleep. I could even hear the sound of the cars that passed by."Want to take a walk?" Zed asked as he sipped his coffee and me on my milk."No. I'll go to Maezy's house.""Is it something urgent that you can't wait until you see Mr. Moriin the office?"I shook my head and knitted my brows, reminding me of my guilt."It's not him, but Maezy.""Okay. I'll take a round. Then, I'll prepare your dress for work."That statement moved me again. I realized Zed did all the household chores since I started working, including the laundry. I couldn't even help in cleaning the house, or in preparing our meals. Zed was like a superman who did everything, yet I never heard him
SINFUL INDULGENCE BOOK 2 33
My heart broke when I saw how Maezy treated her mother. After threatening to report her to the police, Nag Zabeth bolted away faster than a flash of lightning. My shoulders also drooped in frustration, but I swore I wouldn't stop until I get what I want.I could have asked my parents directly about it, but I didn't want to. I wanted to blast their minds with the news that I had already discovered their secret. I never felt bad at them -- and what right did I have if I would? They picked me up from wherever I was and loved me as their own. My only wish was to know why my mother gave me to someone else."I don't want you to talk to my mother because you will only confuse her," Maezy's voice broke into my thoughts.I got startled. I didn't expect she was still there because my attention was on Nang Zabeth, who fled before me."I don't understand," I said, giving her a smirk afterward. "Why would I confuse her?"She got tongue-tied for a while, throwin
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“Dear, are you alright?” Zed’s voice cut into my train of thoughts.I blinked and stared at him, wondering for a second if he was still a part of the scene in my mind.“You looked unwell. What’s wrong?” Zed sat beside me and pulled me close to him. “I wonder what takes you so long, so I come here to look for you.”I smiled and glanced at him. “Nothing. I’m just tired.”“Because you lack sleep,” he said, rubbing the edge of my shoulder. “I’ll go back and get the car so that you won’t have to walk.”I thought so, too, so I nodded. And while I rested my mind by closing my eyes, I suddenly heard the sound of someone jumping in front of me.“Ta-daa! I’m back!” Nang Zabeth happily exclaimed. “I tricked Maria Zenaida into thinking that I went away, but the truth was that I hid behind a house. Do you really want to trea
SINFUL INDULGENCE BOOK 2 35
I called the waiter right away to order some coffee. And only when she took a sip did she continue speaking.“Maria and I were best friends, and we were both working for Mr.& Mrs. Williams. She’s as lovely as you. And do you know that you’re her replica?”“No,” I answered, trying to control my emotion and my anger due to her delay. However, she enjoyed the suspense like it was leisure to put me on a cliffhanger.“One time, he had a one-night stand with Maria out of his drunken state and she got pregnant. She tried to hide it from him, but eventually, Mr. William knew about it. He let her raise the child and let her continue working for his family. He even asked his wife to adopt the child as their own because they were childless.”“Does Mrs. Williams know that I am his daughter?”“Yes, after she gave birth to you. She got so angry that she filed charges against her fo
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Are you holding a fault against me?” He lifted my chin and looked into my eyes.“No. I want to know the truth.”“The first time happened when I was drunk, and the second time happened after she forced herself on me while I was also drunk. And believe me, nothing happened after that.”I scoffed, half-amused, for being jealous of Kim while he assumed Zed and I did it many times as a married couple.“It doesn’t matter.”“Really?” Kim laughed, then pulled me over for a kiss.“By the way, when did you stop investigating my case?” I pulled myself upright so that I could look straight into his eyes.“When I learned that the last video footage showed Zed taking you out of the room.”I froze. That’s exactly how I saw it on Maezy’s video.“What could that mean?” My voice turned hoarse suddenly.“The fact that Ze
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“Please, excuse me.” I looked at Kim, then at the man who sat in front of us. “I have something to take care of.”Kim gazed back at me, and he looked like he was worried at my reaction.“I’ll walk you to your office,” he said, standing up ahead of me.“No need. You’re in a meeting.”“Your need comes first before others," he said, giving me a zipped smile.“How sweet! I'm surprised that the love six years ago has never waned," said the man in front of us, chuckling afterward, and Kim glared at him.“You knew about this ever since, did you? Or else, I wouldn’t have invested much In finding the culprit of her misery,” Kim said, bending over so that only him could hear what he said.“Of course. I’m sorry that you haven’t found any evidence yet.”“Not yet for now,” Kim already hissed.The man scoffed a
SINFUL INDULGENCE BOOK 2 38
"Her urinalysis shows she has a urinary tract infection," the doctor explained after she flippedthe pages of the chart. “And that explains her chills and fever.”“Is stress the cause of the infection?” I asked, having nothing else in mind to blame for her illness.The doctor looked at me and smiled, and her eyes fell on my abdomen afterward. I wondered if an obstetrician can tell if a woman is pregnant or not by just looking at you, but that gaze she threw at my lower abdomen suggested that she thought I was one. However, she didn’t say anything about it but answered my question instead.“Pregnant women are at increased risk for UTIs because of the changes in the urinary tract. Since the uterus sits directly on top of the bladder, its increased weight over time can block the drainage of urine from the bladder, trapping bacteria inside it. And that causes the infection.”I nodded and smiled, subconsciously ru
SINFUL INDULGENCE BOOK 2 39
“I know my husband more than anyone else. So don’t fret me with your lies.” I raised my brows and smirked, ignoring Maezy afterward.“I hope you won’t come begging at me in the future for some evidence,” she replied, giving me a leering look. She then slammed the door shut, and I felt my eardrums bursting afterward.Worse than the stressful incidents I had been through, this revelation about Zed bothered me more. I could never accept that the kindness and thoughtfulness of Zed had some darkness behind it. It hurt me even deeper to know that his major flaw was not only his sexual incapabilities for having Erectile Dysfunction Syndrome, but also for being the mastermind of my emotional turmoil.I hurried to leave Ara's house and went directly to the hospital to bring some things she might need. But because she was asleep when I arrived, I did not disturb her anymore. I just touched her forehead, and seeing that she’s
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