"Happy birthday, Grandma," Miguel greeted Cordelia, who was now seventy years old, and kissed the old woman on her cheek."Miguel, I thought you wouldn't make it," his grandmother embraced him warmly, earning disapproving glances from their extended family."Is that even allowed, Grandma? I was just late because I had something important to attend to. But I won't let this day pass without seeing you on your birthday.""You know you're the one I always look forward to on my birthday." The old woman smiled and lovingly caressed his cheek.He smiled back. His grandmother's smile was always enough for him, even if nothing else was going right in that gathering.Ever since the death of her husband, Simeon Villareal, almost ten years ago, Cordelia's birthdays had been celebrated privately. On that day, only their family was present in the large Villareal mansion. But their extended family wasn't small; they were already in the fourth generation."Can we start the party now, Mama?" Leonard,

Lara missed Migo, but she suppressed her feelings.To distract herself, she engaged in various activities, such as visiting an orphanage and bringing supplies for the children. However, at the end of the day, she still went home feeling lonely. Unable to talk to anyone about her emotions, she decided to visit Lena's grave the next day and repeatedly apologized."I didn't mean to, big sis!" she cried. "I don't love him yet. I mean, I've always loved him as a big brother. But lately, I'm thinking about him more than I should. I'm confused. I don't want this. Sorry, big sis!"She sat in front of Lena's grave, burying her face in her knees, feeling overwhelmed with guilt."I feel so bad… I'm an awful sister to you! I promise you, I won't let this feeling grow. I can't hurt you, big sis. I don't want to hurt you!"She spent another hour there before leaving the mausoleum. It was getting dark, but she didn't want to go home. Instead of heading home, she asked to be taken to the mall owned b

Lara didn’t die.She didn't know whether to be thankful or what. Because one moment, when she thought she was already catching her breath, she was mentally preparing to reunite with Lena. But then she heard Miguel’s voice, pulling her back to reality."Stay with me," he said.After approximately twenty-four hours, Lara woke up in a hospital bed. The first person she saw was Auntie Rosette, who was tearfully relieved to see her conscious. Auntie Rosette called the doctor, who promptly examined her."You scared all of us," Auntie Rosette said afterward."I was scared too," she admitted. It was true; she genuinely thought she wouldn’t make it out alive. "Is my wound that bad?" she asked, looking at her arm, which was wrapped in bandages and immobilized."You underwent surgery. Thankfully, they managed to prevent your arm from being amputated. Aside from the fact that we almost lost you due to blood loss, your condition is stable now," Auntie Rosette replied, wiping her tears."Don't cry,

Lara didn't find another chance to talk with Tasya. Migo had asked her friend to leave after dinner. He didn't tell her to leave directly, but he said that it was getting late and Lara needed to rest. Being sensitive, Tasya bid her goodbye and promised to call the next day.Lara was torn between feeling grateful for the temporary escape from Tasya's questions and being frustrated because Migo made the decision for her.But she couldn't argue with him, so she remained silent, even though she wanted to reprimand him for his coldness towards her friend."I need to fly to New York tomorrow," Migo said as they climbed the stairs to the second floor, where her room was located. "I'll be gone for two weeks straight.""Hmm," was all she managed to say. She felt a pang of sadness, but she reminded herself that every moment away from Migo was a moment she needed. It was challenging for her to see him regularly, especially when he was being extra caring. It was too dangerous for her vulnerable h

For the longest time, Miguel had maintained a private life. No pictures of him can be found online.But in just one night, the internet was flooded with news of his upcoming marriage. And several hours later, nothing was done to take it off. That made Lara believe it was true. She knew Migo; he could easily remove the news if he wanted to. But he didn't."Madam, what are you crying about?" Nurse Beth asked, her tone a mix of concern and curiosity. "Auntie Rosette is looking for you. She might come up here. It's like she doesn't believe it when I told her you were just too lazy to come down."She didn't want Auntie Rosette and Uncle George to see her like that. So she had instructed Nurse Beth to make up an excuse for her.The nurse had been convincing her to eat. But she didn't feel like eating anything. All she felt was pain. It felt like she was awaiting her death sentence.Maybe Migo would call her to say the news was true. What would she tell him then? Congratulations?The weigh