POPPY:Sebastian’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.“Why am I not sure?” he asked back. Because it was my insecurity talking. I looked away and gave him his phone. “Nothing that matters.”I hated feeling this way. If only I had the guts to ask him about his baby, then it would be so much easier. But the question was, would he tell me the truth or not? Or will he like my ex-husband who denied he was having an affair with his officemate until I only found out about this a few years after? I bet the answer would be the latter.He won’t.“It’s Olivia,” he said. “This woman had been trying to call me a thousand times.”I shifted my gaze back to him, waiting to see if he had the guts to answer the phone while I was with him or not. I was certain he was like Nolan who would hide in some corner and answer the call. Why do you always compare Sebastian and your husband? They were different people, Poppy.I knew. But I couldn't help it. Especially if he kept on making me remember the pain I
POPPY:It was too painful. More painful than my separation compared to my ex-husband. My heart was crying, but I could not let it get through my eyes. Crying a bucket was out of the equation. I must carry myself well and pretend I am not hurting inside since I will be eating with Sebastian's parents. I have no strength in answering questions right now. The servants greeted me when I saw them in the hallway. "Good morning, Miss Poppy."Nodding, I continued sauntering towards the dining room, knowing that Arnold was already waiting for me there.No one had to know that I was breaking apart. Was Sebastian done talking to Olivia? I wondered what they had convened. “Miss Poppy!” someone called followed by hurried footsteps. Glancing over my shoulder, I realized it was Mr. Willis calling me. Sweat was all over his forehead as he kept on wiping it. I stopped. “Oh. Did you call me, Mr. Willis?”He stopped in front of me, catching his breath. “I’ve been calling you more than once, Mi
POPPY:"Poppy and I are working on the baby, Father," Sebastian explained, with a different smile painted on his lips. Was that smile even real? For all I know, maybe he was probably thinking about his child with Olivia. "Isn't it right, honey? We plan on having a child, right?"It sickened me how he could lie like this. Pretend, Poppy. Grabbing a napkin on my side, I wiped the corner of my lips. "Yeah, yeah. We will be hoping to have a baby, Daddy. I hoped it would be sooner," I lied while my hands were on my lap. Satisfied, Arnold beamed at us and watched Beverly. "Did you hear that, dear? Another member of our family will be on the way.""That's marvelous.""Mr. Willis will help us take care of the child to prevent some unfortunate things from happening like when I was young," Sebastian announced and sipped his wine on his glass. Beverly’s smile was instantly wiped away from her mouth. “Son…”“What’s the harm in saying those words, Father? I merely blurt them to make everythi
POPPY:I lifted my gaze and searched for something in his eyes. Anything that would make me understand why he was acting like this. I mean why was he like this? He was confusing to me.Why would he go this far as to ask me what was wrong with me? I can’t help but fall for him even more. But sad to say this would always be one-sided. “Poppy. What is wrong with you? Tell me,” he asked softly. “Like I said a couple of days ago. You can tell me whatever you want.”I gathered my courage and looked him in the eyes. “What will you do if the child is yours, Sebastian Holding?” He was taken aback by my question. “How many times will I tell you that the child is not mine?”“What if it is yours?” I pressed. I just wanted to know. “If you are not ready to answer the question, you can choose to ignore it.”He clenched his fist. His silence alone was enough answer. Ha. What am I doin
POPPY:Did Sevastian think that I also wanted a divorce? No. I did not want my child to remember her mother had been changing men as if she were changing her clothes. I wanted this relationship to continue until our last breath. Sebastian became my comfort and having another man was like repeating the next process. Exhausting. Redundant and cyclical. “I hope that’s okay with you. The co-parenting, I mean. That’s the only thing I could think of at the moment. However, if Olivia would give the child to me, would you be willing to take care of the child with me, Poppy?”Who would say no to a baby if he was already in our hands? A baby was one of the greatest blessings.But could I take care of a child who was not my own? Could I love him without feeling the hate?As much as I knew that the child was innocent, I hoped God would not allow me to hate an innocent baby. “Honey? Please in your mind now. I don’t like it when you’re like this.” I could feel the nervousness in his voice. Heavi
POPPY:I held my breath as Sebastian kept on staring at me, not even stopping the wind as when my hair danced along with it. The feeling of the rough texture of the sand entering my shoes tickled my feet.“Poppy. Do you want to spend your life with me?” Sebastian asked again when I did not answer.I wanted to scream yes! I would definitely say yes! I’ve been loving this man for quite some time now and now that he was offering an eternity with him, who was I to say no?An opportunity to spend the rest of our lives together? That would be fantastic. But what about Olivia Green? Images of her heavily pregnant belly while tears rolled down from her eyes flashed in my mind. It felt like tiny needles were being stabbed in my chest.Yeah. Olivia Green. Getting drunk with Sebastian’s offer to be with him was already too good to be true. Accept him, Poppy, my mind urged. How long will you keep on thinking about someone else’s happiness, Poppy? Why can’t you think of your own happiness, hu
POPPY: The rest of the day flew fast.Kelly and I enjoyed the resort a lot. Sebastian never left my side and did not even glance at his phone for any updates from his secretary. And if someone was calling him, I would remind him to answer the phone since he would only let it ring. But then he will just kiss me and say that it can wait. He wanted to focus his time on us and added that today was a family day. He won’t allow anyone to waste this time over some unimportant things.For Sebastian Holding, work was always important but when he said it could wait, my heart was filled with overflowing happiness. “And they lived happily ever after,” I said, reading the book which I bought. Kelly was already fast asleep. After reading for almost an hour, she was fast asleep. I was able to finish three books in a row when she was not yet satisfied with one book alone.Kelly stirred in her sleep and the blanket fell below.I pulled it upward until it reached her chin, then pressed a kiss on her
Warning: Sexual content ahead.------------------POPPY:We are free to do whatever we want, huh?Pinching the bridge of Sebastian’s nose, I asked, “Do you know that you sounded like a devil right now tempting me like this?”The corner of his lips lifted.“Am I? That’s my plan, Poppy.”“Yes. Why are you tempting me like this, Sebastian? Is it really true that I’m the only woman you brought here in this—”The words died in my mouth when he suddenly kissed me fully.I groaned as I tasted the strawberry taste of his lips against my mouth. Sparks exploded between us. Lips against lips. Mouth against mouth. It seemed like our lips were battling and no one wanted to lose. Using my lips, I showed him how much I longed for him. My longing for him was evident in how I kissed him. How I snaked my arms around his neck, bringing me closer to my body. Hardness against softness. He was all muscles while I was the complete opposite.My hands found his hair and pulled him toward me.“Give everything