Chapter 6: Excuses

"I KNOW you're looking for my friend." Danica's voice sounded both calm and angry as she talked to Steven.

Steven stared at his girlfriend intently. Somehow, he felt a conscience for her as her boyfriend. She did nothing but love him and his sister. He didn't have time for her too, and now she even finds out that he is looking for that woman.

He felt guilty, she stayed by his side despite what happened between him and her best friend. She was right, he was searching for Nicole. He just wanted to make sure she didn’t get pregnant. If she gets pregnant, he will not be able to allow the child to be a bastard and grow up without knowing him as the father.

"I know you didn't like what happened between you two because she confessed to me." Danica referred to Nicole.

"Where is she?" Steven asked quickly. According to his assistant, the woman has not entered the company since the day something happened between them.

"She didn't want to let me know and her parents had kicked her out of their house already."

Steven's forehead furrowed because of what he heard. He could not quite imagine that there are parents like that.

"You don't know Nicole. She's ambitious and can't be content with what she has. This is not the first time she wanted something from me." Danica said sadly.

Steven felt pity for Danica when he saw in her eyes how much she had been hurt by the woman whom she believed her true friend.

"She's mad at me for letting you make her leave that day. She expected me to choose our friendship over you." The sadness on Danica's face became even more noticeable.

Steven felt that she carries a lot of weight in her chest as she recalled what had happened. He quickly comforted her while she tried to hide her tears from him.

"You know how much I value friendship, Steven. You witness my love for your sister even though we've been apart for a long time." She continued with a little reproach.

"I'm sorry," Steven said and he felt guilty. He was sorry not because something had happened between him and her. But because her friendship with that woman was ruined because of him.

"No, it's not your fault. I'm the one to blame because I've let her do this kind of thing to me ever since. I let her get used to being forgiven as always."

"I don't want to add to your resentment, but I need to find her. I have to make sure what happened to us didn't result in pregnancy." He explained to her even though he is not obligated to do so.

Danica tried to keep the sadness on her face even though she suddenly felt pissed. In his words, it seems that she was compatible with him, thus he thought that she could get pregnant. Something has happened between them for three times, but he never thought she could get pregnant.

"Knowing Nicole, I'm sorry, but she certainly won't give you the child without anything in return. And I'm sure it's your freedom that she would demand for. She's very cunning." She continued to slander Nicole.

Steven frowned, he didn't like what he heard. No one can dictate him what to do. If she can't agree with some nice deal, then he could choose something harsher.

"All I need is my child and she's excluded. I will take the child, whether she likes it or not."

Danica smiled when Steven was no longer in front of her. She quickly left and returned to her office. It's nice that she recorded the last words he spoke. She thought of sending the record to the person she assigned to watch over Nicole. She can't go there personally because someone might follow her. It has been a month since she left Nicole there. She was updated on all of the happenings, her room also had CCTV to make sure she wouldn't do anything bad just to escape.

Nicole was losing hope of getting out of Danica's hands. She is only forced to eat because she is pregnant. She didn't want the child to die with her. She was aggrieved to think that she might have to leave the baby to Danica's care. She feels that Danica will not let her go while she's alive after she gives birth.

"Ma'am Danica has another surprise for you." The maid smirked at Nicole as she entered the room.

Nicole's mouth remained shut and she didn't plan on talking. She was tired of begging her to let her go and feel sorry for her future child.

Soledad opened her cell phone and showed Nicole what Danica had sent her. She adjusted the volume so they can clearly hear what is in the video.

"Hello, Dear. How is my child in your womb?"

Nicole clenched her fist seeing the face of the woman she considered a friend and family member. She seemed happy with what she was about to tell her.

"It's okay for you to be mad at me, I forgive you." Danica's smile was teasing as she looked straight at the camera. 

Nicole quickly averted her eyes from the video, but Soledad pulled her hair and forced her to look at the cell phone screen.

"Steven already knows you're pregnant because I told him. You'll definitely be happy so I'll let you know what his reaction was." Danica picked up a cell phone and played something from there.

"All I need is my child and she's excluded. I will take the child, whether she likes it or not."

Nicole gritted her teeth because of the anger she felt. She didn't know the man's personality that well, but she could recognize his voice even though she couldn't see his face. Same as Danica, he has no heart. Now she thought that perhaps what happened between them was not just an accident. He could be Danica's accomplice and they both only want the child.

Just in case she escapes, she will make sure Steven can't find them. She will forget everything, even her family, just so that she won't be separated from her baby. She didn't want the child to experience a life like hers. Growing up deprived of parental love.

Nicole knew there was a camera focused on her inside the room. She needs to think of a way so that the two do not succeed in taking the child away from her when it comes out. Right in this moment, she has no one to rely on but herself. Her parents would probably not bother to search for her. Kanor, on the other hand, must be having a hard time looking for her because he had no idea that this would happen to her. Maybe he doesn't think good of her anymore because she suddenly disappeared.

Danica watches the reaction on Nicole's face from the CCTV. She was pleased to see that she was hurt by what she heard.

Donya Asuncion had given up the search for the woman who was with her grandson when she heard that he was also looking for her. Like what Steven thinks, the child is important to them.

Danica went to Nicole's house before Steven's people could come.

"Danica, Hija! It's good that you pay us a visit. I thought you do not plan on coming anymore because of what Nicole did." Rox welcomed her goddaughter with a hug.

"You know I can't do that." Smiling, she hugged her godmother back.

"Come inside, your Godfather Joey will surely be glad to see you!"

Danica gladly followed Nicole's mother. The house has not changed, it is still spacious and has many equipments. When her godfather saw her, he also hugged her.

"I hope you have forgiven our daughter for what she did to you, Hija." Rox said with hope.

"She's one of the reasons I came here." A gloomy aura clouded Danica's face. With how she looks like in front of them, the couple really feel guilty for her to the extent that they didn't want their daughter anymore.

"If we can help, just tell us," Joey said.

"First of all, I'm sorry, but I can't afford to lose Steven. I can't afford to give in to Nicole's request to leave my boyfriend to her because she's pregnant." Tears kept falling from Danica's eyes. She looks like she's overly struggling with the whole situation.

Rox covered her own mouth with her palms. She could not fully imagine that her daughter is able to take advantage of someone's kindness. They did not lack financial support or anything for her to want something from other people.

"I didn't think she will take advantage of my illness." Her cries rang out and she covered her own face with her hands to hide her miserable life.

Rox quickly approached her seat and hugged her. As a woman, she understood how she must have felt.

"How could she do this to me? Instead of feeling sorry for me because I have a problem with my ovary, she took advantage of that to try to snatch the man I love the most! She knows that Steven's family wants a child but I can't give it to him yet."

"I didn't know you were going through such hardship right now, Hija. I understand you and I don't like what my daughter did. Even if she is pregnant, we will not tolerate her just to fulfill her selfish dream." Rox also burst into tears out of pity for Danica. If Nicole is there right now, she would have surely hurt her and made her kneel in front of her friend.

"I'm having a hard time convincing her. She's hiding now and doesn't want to give the child to Steven if he won't marry her. Godma, what will I do when Nicole succeeds? All my life you know I've just been asking for attention. You know that I want to have a whole family and I only love Steven like this. Where else can I get strength if I have little chance of having children and then I lose the man I love?"

Even Joey burst into tears because he felt sorry for Danica. He touched her shoulder, which was shaking from crying so much.

"We won't let that happen, Hija. Don't worry, we'll talk to her when she comes back. If Steven accepts the child and you're the mother-to-be, he probably won't leave you." Joey comforted her.

"Your godfather was right, Hija. If you want, we will talk to Steven so that he will not trade you for the sake of the child. We will take care of Nicole so that she can give the child to you and you will be the mother."

Danica felt like she was floating in ecstasy as she listened to what the couple was saying. But she had to suppress the joy at the moment. Her tears grew louder and she thanked them with all her heart.

"Did your Mom and Dad already know what happened?" Rox asked sadly. Her parents are in the province, they prefer to live there with their animals. Danica lived with them from the time she graduated from high school to college.

Danica shook her head. "You know they have no interest in my life even before."

Rox was sad for this young lady. Danica came to love her dearly because Rox loved her more than her own parents. She doesn't know why Dolores says Danica is a rebellious child.

"Don't be sad, I and your Godfather are here to support you. I will have people to find Nicole and convince her. I know there is still goodness in my daughter's heart and she will also feel sorry for you."

Danica didn't like the last thing Rox said. That's what she hates the most, to get something out of pity. She closed her eyes tightly to hide the frustrations.

After Danica left, the couple immediately ordered their men to look for their daughter.