Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Masked Stripper is my Wife. : Kabanata 151 - Kabanata 160

Loretta Five years later “Mom! Mom! Help me!” Adrian’s voice echoed through the room, half scream, half laugh, as he sprinted toward me. His tiny legs moved so fast, it was almost impossible to catch him. Right behind him, Adriana dashed, her face a mix of frustration and determination. Adrian skidded to a stop and ducked behind my leg, peeking out at me with wide, mischievous eyes.“He ruined my painting, Mom!” Adriana yelled, waving her hands dramatically, her cheeks flushed with anger. She grabbed the shoe nearest to her, ready to give him a little smack. I quickly reached out, gently stopping her before she could hit her brother.I knelt down, gently pulling Adrian out from behind me. “Adrian,” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm, “why would you ruin her painting?”He looked up at me with that innocent, cheeky grin that somehow made it hard to stay mad. “Because she wouldn’t listen to me, Mom,” he said proudly. “I told her we should add brighter colors, more fun colors, and sh

Loretta I stood in front of the mirror, studying the simple dress I had chosen for tonight’s meeting with Mr. Hayes, the art collector who had called a few days ago. Nothing flashy, just neat, comfortable, and presentable. I picked up my jacket, feeling the slight chill in the air, and slipped it on over my shoulders.As I walked into the living room, Tonia and the kids were sprawled on the couch, absorbed in a cartoon. Tonia glanced up, her face lighting up as she stood and came toward me. “You look so good, girl,” she said warmly. The kids finally noticed me, their little faces curious. “Mom, are you going out?” they asked in unison.I shook my head with a grin. “Nope, I dressed up just so I could go upstairs and sleep,” I said, and we all laughed together, the sound filling the room. “That’s not fair! I thought we were spending the whole day together,” Adrian protested, pouting as he stared at me.“I will be back soon, baby,” I said gently. They didn’t respond, just turned back

AsherToday was another high-profile business associate event, a fundraiser packed with people who wore smiles as easily as their designer suits. After I finished my speech, the room erupted in applause. I climbed off the stage, but all I wanted was to leave, go back to my office, and bury myself in work until everything else faded away. Still, appearances mattered. I had to stay long enough to greet a few key people before making my exit.The moment I stepped down from the stage, Mr. Charles, the host, a man in his early sixties walked up to me.“Hello, Asher. Thank you for honoring my invitation,” he said warmly.His wife joined us, greeting me as well. We exchanged a bit of polite small talk, the usual compliments and pleasantries, nothing that truly held my attention.I didn’t bother returning to my table afterward. Since the main event was over, it would be easier to slip out quietly. I headed toward the exit, stopping in the middle of the room to exchange a few words with other

LorettaIt had already been a whole month since we moved to this new place, and honestly, things weren’t going well at all. The kids really hated it here, and they made no effort to hide their feelings. Every day when they came home from school, they were full of complaints. They said the other children in their classes weren’t friendly, that they felt out of place, and that they didn’t like the school at all. Their unhappiness made the whole house feel heavy and tense.Even we, the adults, were struggling to adjust. Finding a job turned out to be much harder than we expected. We had been searching for weeks, going from one place to another, submitting applications, attending interviews, and hoping for good news but nothing seemed to work. Days turned into weeks, and we still hadn’t managed to secure any kind of work. It was exhausting and disheartening. Living off the money we got from selling our previous house wasn’t exactly easy either. Every day felt like a constant reminder that

Asher“What’s going on here?” I asked, my eyes flicking back and forth between Grandma and Miss Jenna. My voice carried more tension than I intended. Something about the way they were sitting, stiff and uneasy, told me this wasn’t going to be a simple explanation.Grandma cleared her throat, her fingers nervously fidgeting in her lap. She avoided my gaze for a moment before finally speaking. “She, she is your wife’s mother,” she said, her voice low, almost a whisper.My heart skipped a beat, Miss Jenna hadn’t been lying all along. But even knowing that, I still didn’t understand what was happening. Why was she here now? Why had Grandma never mentioned her before? A storm of questions whirled in my mind, making it hard to think clearly.Miss Jenna shifted in her seat, crossing her arms and giving a small, uncomfortable sigh. “I have been trying to reach my daughter,” she said, her voice calm but tense. “I had no idea she was married to you, that is, until I read about it on a gossip bl