All Chapters of THE MAID I MARRIED: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

DARIUSI let out a breath I felt like I had been holding for months, my shoulders slumping as every ounce of tension that had coiled tight within me finally began to unravel. The sharp, burning anger that had flared up moments ago drained away completely, leaving behind only a quiet, heavy certainty—one that had been growing in the dark corners of my mind for far too long. I could not wait another minute. I could not stand by and watch her carry every burden alone, while I stood on the sidelines pretending I did not care, pretending that pushing her away would somehow protect both of us.I walked quickly down the long hallway, my footsteps echoing softly against the polished floors, taking the back stairs two at a time toward the west wing where Akia had run off to. Every step felt like I was chasing after something I had already let slip through my fingers too many times before. I had spent so long building walls around myself—brick by brick, lock by lock—convincing myself that being

DARIUSI gripped the steering wheel tighter than I needed to, my knuckles turning white, trying to focus on the road while my mind kept drifting back to the sound of her voice—soft, unsure, like she still could not believe what had just happened. I had said it was my duty as her husband, but duty was the last thing I felt right now. Duty was cold, something you did out of obligation, a weight you carried because you had no other choice. What I felt for her burned hotter than that. It was fear, sharp and unrelenting—fear that I would break her before I learned how to hold her right; guilt, heavy and thick, for every harsh word, every command, every time I’d made her feel small and unseen; and something so bright it scared me half to death, something I’d spent years burying under layers of control and silence, something I’d never thought I was allowed to have. Sinulyapan ko siya sa gilid ng aking mga mata. Nakatingin siya sa labas ng bintana, ang kanyang mga kamay ay tahimik na magkah

AKIAAs I gazed at myself in the mirror, I couldn't help but smile. The beautiful necklace he had placed around my neck shimmered beneath the soft light of the room — tiny pearls that looked like drops of moonlight fallen to earth and turned into stone. I traced them gently with my fingers, and the warmth of his touch seemed to linger still against my skin. Hindi talaga ako malapit sa mga lalaki. Kaya nga wala akong boyfriend hanggang ngayon — hindi ako sanay sa atensyon, hindi ako sanay na may tumitingin sa akin nang ganoon, na parang may nakikita siyang iba. Ngunit pagdating kay Darius… nagiging iba ako. Sa tuwing nandiyan siya, tila may nagigising sa loob ko na matagal nang natutulog. Lumalabas ang pagiging babae ko — ang pusong matagal nang sarado, unti-unting bumubukas. "Pwede bang pumasok?" Narinig ko ang boses ni Reina mula sa labas ng pinto. Mabilis kong inayos ang aking sarili at humarap sa kanya. "Oo naman," sagot ko. Dahan-dahang bumukas ang pinto at pumasok si Reina.

AKIA I noticed the shift in him long before I could name it. Ever since that quiet conversation we’d had, Darius had withdrawn behind walls higher and thicker than before. The brief moments of understanding we had shared, the faint glimmers of something softer beneath his cold exterior—all of it vanished, replaced by a silence so heavy it felt like a physical weight pressing down on the entire house. It was as if we had snapped right back to where we started: two strangers bound only by a contract, by the wishes of people who had never asked us what we wanted. He had locked himself in his room all day. From where I stood in the hallway, I could hear his restless footsteps pacing back and forth, or the sudden, sharp silence that stretched on for hours at a time. Once, I heard something strike the wall—hard—followed by a ragged breath that made my chest ache with worry. I knew I should stay away. I knew I should respect his space, remember my place, and wait for him to come out on his

AKIA Nakakagulat kung paano biglang nagbabago ang lahat—parang agos ng tubig na humihinto bago mo pa man namamalayan na nasa pampang ka na. Nang dumating si Reina, unti-unti ring nabawasan ang pagiging malambing at madikit ni Damon sa akin. Wala na ang mga biglaang yakap, ang mga biro na tila may ibang kahulugan, at ang mga tingin na dati’y nagpapagulo sa isip ko. Noong una, akala ko ay naintindihan na niya—na nakita na niyang hindi ko siya tinitingnan nang katulad ng pagtingin niya sa akin. Ngunit parang may napupunan agad ang puwang na iniwan niya, at sa pagkakataong ito ay mas mabilis pa at mas maingay. Eithan is Darius’s cousin, the one who just came back from Canada, and ever since that morning I stumbled out of my room in those silly Hello Kitty shorts—my face burning so hot I thought I’d melt right there on the spot—he hasn’t taken his eyes off me. Every time I turn around, he’s there. When I’m wiping down the dining table, he leans against the wall making small talk. When