Audrey hastily sat up when she heard a series of knocks on the door. Her hand automatically grabbed something around to wipe her tears. She stared at the wet part of the pillowcase and sighed.
*knock* *knock*
“Coming!” she yelled to let anyone know outside that she’s on her way to open the door. She swallowed a lump in her throat before pulling the door inside to see who was disturbing her sentimental moments. As much as possible, Audrey didn’t want to face anyone but in the back of her mind, she was hoping that the person behind the door was Shane who was ready to apologize and tell her that it was all an act. She would forgive him of course, and everything should go back to the way they used to be during their honeymoon trip.
Her anticipation dropped from 101 to 0 when she found the housekeeper standing outside the room, holding a phone in her hand with a worried expression painted on her face.
“What is it?” Audrey asked, glaring at the phone the housekeeper was holding. She thought it might be Shane who was calling and asked the housekeeper to let him talk to her. Well, after she turned off her phone when driving back to the Villa after the press conference was over, Shane would have really wanted to call her, and unfortunately couldn’t reach through.
“The young master called to check if you’re home now. He was worried when he couldn’t contact you,” Rebecca said and slowly handed the phone. “He wanted to speak with you, Miss Audrey.”
Audrey couldn’t help but scowl at the phone instead of taking it to talk with her husband from the other line. After a good two minutes, she grabbed the phone and gestured the housekeeper to leave. She took a deep breath and closed the door as she put the phone on her ear.
“Hey,” she mumbled as nothing happened. She married a superstar and some things were better to get clarified first before jumping to a conclusion. Audrey was giving him a chance to say what he needed to tell her. She only wanted him to be honest with her, and she could always be patient and understanding.
“Baby, are you home? I tried calling you but your phone seemed to be off,” Shane said. He sounded concerned.
‘Baby? Hah. Me or the fetus on Stephanie’s womb?’ Audrey thought. She wanted to say it out loud but was afraid it will complicate things. She. Need. To. Hear. Him. Out. First. Is she kept boring in her mind.
“Is something wrong? Did I disturb your sleep?” Shane asked when she didn’t reply and let silence have its way. “Baby?”
“I’m fine, Shane. My phone’s turn off,” she muttered after some time. “Aren’t you going home?”
Home. Audrey dreamed of having a home for both of them to go back to at the end of the day after the long endless work they have to finish. If all he said on the press con were lies, Audrey knew she could still enjoy her dream life with him and that’s what she was hoping for. Shane just had to say it was all for an act. But even if it was, the plot didn’t make Audrey happy. Who would be glad to know that your husband impregnated someone else and announced it to the public while she, the legal wife was hidden to protect her from the chaotic circle where her husband belonged.
It was Shane’s turn to be quiet. When he hesitated to answer right away, Audrey knew something big was hindering him. And she wished it was not what she thought it was.
“You can’t go home, is that it?” she confirmed her speculation. “It’s fine but can you tell me the reason? Why can’t you go home, Shane? Did something happen, perhaps?” Audrey was crossing her fingers as she sat down on the edge of the bed while facing the window.
“Audrey… I have some matter to discuss with someone and my presence is necessary to fix this problem. I… I don’t want to be away from you as well. It may take a few days or a week. I don’t know,” he mumbled like he was about to burst into pieces due to the difficulties he was going through.
“What is the problem?” Audrey’s body started to shake when she asked the question. Since she wanted to hear him out, she had to bear with the pain in case the truth wasn’t in her favor. “You can tell me, Shane. Am I not your wife?”
‘And do I have to remind you that we’re married? That we can share our thoughts and compare, solve problems together, and live the way we wanted? Why are you contemplating now? Don’t you trust me? Have you ever thought that it hurts the most when you hide anything from me?’
“Shane, you’re here. I want to eat clams, can you get me some?” Audrey heard a familiar voice speaking from the background. “It looks like the baby wanted to have it as well. Look, he’s moving to my side. Did you feel it?”
A bitter smile curved on Audrey’s lips when she recognized that voice. It was Stephanie Solis. Shane’s ex-lover and rumored girlfriend for a month. Right, she didn’t know what exactly happened to the two of them in detail when they were said to be ‘dating’ before she married the actor. Maybe he slept with her and got her pregnant? Audrey’s thoughts were a mess, and she wished she could simply jump off a cliff and let the wind blew away her worries and doubts.
“Audrey, I’ll call you later. Please have a rest and eat on time. I have something to do now,” Shane said in a panic, but he tried to leave a kissing sound from the other line. Usually, Audrey would giggle because of it but at the moment, she felt betrayed. “See you,” he added before hanging up the call.
‘He even hanged up,’ she thought. Audrey weakly laid down with the phone on her chest. “Why can’t you say it to me, Shane? Are you planning to make me a fool again?”
Audrey remembered getting up all of a sudden and rushed outside to Shane’s car. She left the villa without saying anything to anyone in the house. She drove to Nathan’s apartment since she had nowhere to go. Or if she tried to go somewhere else, she might not be able to come back again. Audrey didn’t want to rush her decision and before she could decide on something she might regret in the future, she would endure it on her own quietly until she gathered all the courage she needed to face reality. The reality that her marriage life might be over too soon.
“Auddie? Someone’s looking for you outside. Should I let him in?”Audrey woke up to Nathan’s gentle pat on her cheeks. She could also hear him calling her and mentioning someone who was looking for her. She opened her eyes slowly as they seemed to protest her idea of waking up already. Her head was feeling fuzzy with a few memories from a few days ago haunting her in sleep. Audrey felt restless when she realized she couldn’t settle her mind at ease even while sleeping.The thick blanket fell on the floor when she pulled herself up while rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands. “Nathan? Were you calling me?” Audrey asked softly. She sounded sleepy though she didn’t yell at the blond after waking her up.Nathan nodded his head while looking at her wearily. Audrey could tell something was the matter, but she only heaved a sigh. What else could be the problem other than any
Audrey subconsciously raised a brow upon hearing what her husband called her. She couldn’t help but pull a sneer at him when their eyes met. ‘Baby?’ she thought.“How many babies you have?” Audrey blurted out. “I heard you’re expecting a newborn baby seven months from now,” she added.Shane looked tired and devastated, for whatever reason why he was like that, Audrey had a very tiny interest. “Baby, I can explain…” he muttered with his begging eyes. He was dressed so well like he always did but still looking like a mess. “Can… Can we go somewhere else?” He suggested as he peeked behind her. Audrey moved her head slightly to the side and noticed Nathan and Francesca through her peripheral vision. She sighed and nodded to Shane before leading the way.She used to walk behind him as she enjoyed looking up at his back. It didn’t
“Stephanie is indeed pregnant,” Shane confirmed after Audrey asked him about the singer’s pregnancy scandal. They just finished having a sumptuous dinner when her husband led the way to the other side of the garden where the city lights could be seen, like glittering mountains of treasures in the night. The view was breathtaking but the atmosphere in them was only getting more intense.Audrey didn’t waste any time and started a conversation about the actor’s involvement in Stephanie’s pregnancy. She started shooting him questions she badly needed to be answered. “She just started her acting career, and we’re under the same company. Her pregnancy would ruin her whole career, and I was tasked to help her out. It was the company’s request, Audrey,” Shane added.“I never thought you’d be so dedicated to the company to the extent that you’ll neglect your wife’s feelings over the said ‘problem’ you need to handle. But it's okay. I guess it’s fine as long
“Damn!” Shane kicked the stone from where he stood when he could no longer see the lights from his car which Audrey drove to get away from him. He was so mad that he intended to throw anything that caught his attention. The flowers and other ornamental plants in the pots ended up scattered on the ground as he kept breaking them. He was close to losing his mind when his phone started ringing. Shane checked who’s calling and was relieved it his manager and not Stephanie. Ever since he agreed to play along with the company, the latter would always call him to check his whereabouts like a demanding wife.“Lucy,” he muttered when he answered the call.The person on the other line didn’t respond which confused him. Lucy would always start with her award-winning yells whenever he did something without informing him. And having a press conference a few days ago after he came back from his honeymoon was one of those things he did without letting her manager
The melancholic song played in the car’s stereo filled was Audrey’s companion during the night drive. After parking by the roadside for almost half an hour to cry her heart out and compose herself, Audrey decided to go back to Nathan’s place instead. She thought of something important she needed to tell the other regarding her newly started business. Audrey realized she needed a break. The leisure moments she had for a week with Shane seemed not to be enough. For her, those merry days felt like it happened decades ago.She had been driving for more than an hour and was entering the city borders when her phone kept ringing. Audrey moved her hands around to grab her pouch sitting on the passenger’s seat with her eyes still on the road. The car accident years ago hadn’t completely faded from her memory yet. It would occasionally remind her to be careful when she’s in front of the steering wheel. After struggling to reach her pouch, Audrey pulled over the car to the sid
“Audrey?” It was the same as the old times. The voice that Audrey missed for so long.“Nanny? Yes, it’s me, Audrey.” She tightly held on the rails for support. Other than her parents, Audrey had been dependent on her Nanny Esther. The old maiden spent her youth taking care of her mother and later, she was there for her when her parents weren’t around.“Oh my! I received your wedding invitation but I’m too old to travel. Have you received my gift? I’m missing you so much and my days are numbered now,” Nanny Esther laughed on the other line. She still cared for her despite her old age.“I missed you too, Nanny. The wedding went well and I just came back from a short vacation with my husband,” Audrey told her. Her nanny was the first person to find out that she had a crush on Shane when they were younger. And the elder would tell her mom about it.“It was Shane, right? I’m so happy that you ended up together,” Nanny Es
The swift wind blowing Audrey’s hair tickled her neck. She smiled as she held on to the dark coffee-colored hat she was wearing. It was around 7 in the morning and the sun was gradually rising, gracing the earth another pleasant sunny day. A small smile curved on her lips as she headed out to the arrival area and gazed around to find anyone familiar. Her face lightened when she saw the elder woman standing in the corner while holding a placard with her name written on it. Audrey chuckled at the scene.“Nanny!” Audrey waved her hand as she pulled her suitcase and walked towards an elder woman. She watched her turned in her direction and with an unbelieving happy smile, the elder waved her hands back at her.“Audrey, you’re here. I was so worried to send anyone else to pick you up, so I did. My nephew tends to joke around, and I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable around him,” Nanny Esther said, clipping the placard under her arm and sought her for
Two weeks had passed and Shane still couldn’t get away from Stephanie’s grasp. He was forced to stay under the same roof with her by the company’s arrangement. The situation was getting out of hand each passing day. Shane kept his lips sealed while ‘acting’ as Stephanie’s lover. After all, the DNA test result said he wasn’t her baby’s father. He wanted to tell that in her face, so he could break free and chase after his wife, but the singer had always something up in her sleeve. She would threaten him to kill herself once he left her which he shouldn’t really care about as he knew she wouldn’t do such a thing. However, he noticed how stressed she was recently, and knowing that he’s the only one she could rely on, Shane quietly clenched his jaws and played along. He asked someone to find out the man who impregnated Stephanie but with so many men involved with her, even his detective had trouble to confirm it.Lucy, on the other hand, convinced the company to save Sha