All Chapters of In love with the Cougar: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

“What’s she doing here?” Bert asked Fernan with a frown. They were sitting outside on the terrace, facing a long table. From where they sat, they could hear loud music coming from the barangay court.Fernan shrugged. “I didn’t know she was coming.”Bert shook his head, uneasy. He didn’t want Vangie to misunderstand anything. He downed the alcohol in his glass and stood up.“Wait.” Fernan grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?”“I’m leaving.”“What? Come on.” Fernan looked at Shane walking into the house, followed by some of their old classmates. “Just ignore her. I’ve got your back!”Bert sighed. “I don’t want trouble, Fernan. You know what happened before.”“You’re being a killjoy.” Fernan pulled Bert back down. “Forget her. We’re here to have fun!” He refilled Bert’s glass. “Drink up! Don’t think about those women.”Bert had no choice but to stay. He didn’t want Fernan thinking he was avoiding Shane. He planned to leave close to midnight. As time passed, they drank more. Bert’s head

Vangie’s heart felt like it was breaking as she peeked through Sheila’s bedroom window. She saw Bert knocking on the door. She held her hand over her mouth, trying not to cry out loud. She wanted to go down, to hug him, but her feet wouldn’t move. She just stood there frozen until Bert finally left Sheila’s house. Her mind and heart were torn—should she run after him or not?She saw the pain on his face. She thought he no longer cared for her because he never showed up the night before when she waited. She cried quietly upstairs for a while before pulling herself together. Her medical exam was tomorrow—she had to go.She forced herself to take a shower. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a tank top, layering it with a crop top that barely reached her waist. That’s when she realized—she hadn’t brought any shoes or even sandals.“Sheila, I’ll borrow these,” she said, picking up Sheila’s red sneakers. She planned to return them once she got back. Besides, they were going to meet in Manila a

Vangie was nearly deaf from the booming music blasting from the giant speakers. The dance floor was packed—no space even for a needle to fall. Sheila had dragged her to a bar in BGC, and they found a spot in the farthest corner of the bar. Anton had gone off to get their drinks.“Sheila, why are we even here? We don’t belong in places like this anymore!” Vangie half-yelled just to be heard over the music.Sheila shook her head. “What do you mean we don’t belong? Look at those people dancing—we’re way hotter and sexier than most of them!”“Still—” Vangie didn’t get to finish because Sheila shushed her by sticking a finger to her lips.“Nope. We’re here to forget about that man! Look

“Bert!”Vangie snapped out of her daze the moment she heard Shane’s voice shout his name. She’d been so overwhelmed with longing for Bert that she had completely forgotten they weren’t alone at the farm. She quickly wiped her tears and pulled away from his embrace. But Bert held onto both of her arms and stared at her intently. Vangie’s knees nearly gave out. They’d only been apart for a few days, but it felt like she hadn’t seen him in years.I miss you, Bert. So much, she thought silently.“Where have you been, Vangie?” Bert asked, his face soaked with tears. He looked at her like he was memorizing every detail of her face. “I waited for you.”“Oh, come on, Bert. Seriously?” Shane snapped, her voice full of resentment. Watching them embrace in front of her felt like she was being shattered into pieces. She couldn’t believe they had the audacity to hug like that right in front of her. Her hatred for Vangie flared even more.Bert wiped his face and briefly turned to Shane. Then he loo

“What happened, Bert?” Lucia asked her son. They had decided to go back home first because June couldn’t be calmed down. It was better to keep Bert away from the three for now.Bert sat silently on the sofa, his head in his hands, staring blankly at the floor. He could hear his mother’s voice, but the words barely registered. His body might have been here, but his mind was with Vangie. Across from him, his parents watched him with deep concern written all over their faces.Boyong sighed. “Did you hurt Shane?”Bert quickly looked up and shook his head. “You know I’d never do that, Pa. I’ve never seen you do that to Mama—not once.”“Then what happened? Why did Shane end up in the hospital again?” Lucia asked.Bert exhaled heavily. “Vangie came to the farm. Shane happened to be there too,” he replied softly.“Did they argue?”“No, Ma. Vangie’s not like that. Shane just can’t accept that I love Vangie now.”Lucia closed her eyes tightly and took a long breath before opening them again.“D