Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Marcus Ledesma…

Naomi came to her senses when the bouquet of flowers she was arranging suddenly fell apart. She didn’t know which to pick up first—the scattered flowers or the newspaper that jolted her entire system. The pounding of her chest was something she couldn’t explain.

She was shaking inside. The man in the photo was said to be Marcus Ledesma. But her former boyfriend was Marco Ledesma—who looked exactly like this man, now engaged to another woman.

In the end, after taking a deep breath, she decided to pick up the newspaper with her trembling hand.

Naomi lifted the paper and studied the smiling man carefully. He was wearing a tuxedo. His hair was longer than usual, but he was still undeniably Marco Ledesma—the father of her child!

The Billionaire Marcus Ledesma is…

She felt herself shrink in disbelief. Did the man win the lottery, become a billionaire, then fake his death just to leave her for good?

She clenched her teeth. Most likely. Maybe leaving her had been his plan all along. Maybe even back when he was still in the province, he had already won the lottery and planned to fake his death.

Naomi’s anger toward the man intensified, especially when she looked at the face of the woman who was almost clinging to Marco. Marco changed his name from Marco to Marcus after winning the jackpot. Money really can change everything.

“Oh my God!” Aliyah exclaimed from behind her, making Naomi quickly turn around and lower the newspaper. Her friend was staring at the bouquet.

“What happened to the world?” Aliyah added.

“I–It fell,” Naomi said as an excuse, swallowing hard. She didn’t know whether to tell her friend what she had seen or just keep it to herself.

“It fell?” Aliyah asked with raised eyebrows. “You’re not this clumsy, bestie,” she said, her eyes drifting to the newspaper near Naomi’s waist.

“What’s that?”

“Newspaper!”

“I know, right.”

Suddenly, Aliyah snatched the newspaper, leaving Naomi no chance to stop her. Aliyah looked at what was printed and her eyes widened as well.

“My God! Is this for real? I–Isn’t this Marco?” she asked in shock, pointing at the man in the photo. “Oh no, it says Marcus. Marco… Ma-Marcus? But they’re both Ledesma. I’m getting dizzy, bestie.”

Aliyah held her head. She knew Marco very well too, since they used to take him along whenever his mom—who worked at the Water District—couldn’t pick him up.

“Is this reincarnation, bestie?”

“There’s no reincarnation,” Naomi finally answered, while Aliyah continued to stare at the man.

“He’s getting married. We’ll steal him back!” Aliyah said firmly, as if it were the easiest thing in the world to say they would take Marco back.

Naomi took a deep breath and lifted her chin.

“That’s the life he chose, bestie. There’s nothing to steal. I truly believed he was dead—turns out, he’s with another woman,” she said, forcing herself to hide the pain she felt, though her heart felt like it was being crushed—for her child.

It was a good thing her parents were well-off, had jobs and salaries. Otherwise, they would have been poorer than Ileana’s chicken.

“Please fix the flowers, bestie. I’ve lost my appetite.”

She marched away. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes, so she went straight to the powder room.

She locked the door and sank onto the edge of the sink, her reflection blurred by the sudden tears. Her hands trembled as she traced the outline of her own face, as if searching for a version of herself that hadn’t been broken by Marco’s disappearance. Every memory—his smile, the way he tucked Ileana’s hair behind her ear, the small promises he had made—came crashing back like waves she couldn’t hold back.

Marco is damn alive and kicking. What is this feeling—like being stabbed in the heart—at the realization that he was cradled in another woman’s arms while she was alone, suffering from pregnancy to childbirth? She stayed up alone taking care of their child. It had been such a long time. She thought she had already accepted Marco’s loss, but now, like a ghost that had suddenly gained a body, the pain was far worse than before.

Her lips trembled as she whispered to herself, “Why now… why like this?” The newspaper lay folded beside her, mocking her with the image of his happiness she was no longer a part of. Her fingers clenched into fists, nails biting into her palms, as a burning mix of sorrow, anger, and helplessness surged through her. She had survived this long, raised Ileana alone, and yet seeing him again—so alive, so untouchable—shook the very foundation of her heart.