“Shane, you’re here!” Mrs. Vargas ran to his son to hug him. “Your dad’s condition isn’t getting any better,” she said in between sobs. “I’m glad you decided to come,” she added and tightened her embrace.“Mom,” Shane mumbled as he rubbed her back. “Calm down. You don’t want the old man to worry about you too, do you?” He sighed when his mother shook her head and clutched his clothes tighter. “Is he asleep now?”That was when the elder woman let go of the hug. She shook her head in response. “We were just talking earlier before you came in,” she told her son. “Honey, Shane is here to see you.” Her eyebrows met when she turned to see his husband who pretended to be asleep.“Ah.” Shane massaged the bridge of his nose. “He seems fine to me. Should I go back instead?” He watched as his father’s eyes twitched. “It’s been a while but are you not going to talk to me, Dad?”“Hmp!” The elder man scoffed. “Who would want to talk to a son like you? Look at what you made Audrey do. Who in the rig

A couple of days later, Mr. Vargas’ condition improved and he was discharged from the hospital though he could no longer go back to his busy schedule like before. They had a small party after that and Audrey joined in with Asher. The elderly couple was glad to see their grandson and his parents who seemed to be getting along again, not knowing what exactly happened between the two. Nevertheless, the relationship between Shane and Audrey was civil. Shane didn’t try to pursue Audrey again after their conversation in the coffee shop. He could tell that she was really desperate for peace of mind and it was something he couldn’t give her. Although he didn’t plan to easily let go, he managed to conceal his feelings at some point and chose to get along with her instead. He may no longer be her husband but just like what she told him, he was still their son’s father. As for Audrey, she felt even better recently. She could sleep at night without having to worry whether Shane would barge into

“Oh!”Tristan knew he would be rejected and what he did was not a smart move at all. When he saw the news involving Audrey, he felt the need to make a move, so he thought about marriage.“I'm sorry,” he said. “I shouldn't have said that. So unromantic, isn't it?”Audrey sighed. “It wasn't about being romantic or not, Tristan. I just recently found peace and I don't want to ruin it. I'm better off living without a man in my life,” she said. “I mean... I never felt so free and relaxed. Of course, it's starting to crumble now that my picture with my ex is all over the internet,” she continued. “And marriage can't solve it, Tristan. I liked it when we can talk casually like this. Once we take another step forward, we don't know what lies ahead. I'm so tired of life filled with uncertainties.”“I get it,” Tristan said. Then he continued, “I may need to leave for now. You should get some rest too.”Audrey looked away for a moment to collect herself. Finally, after a few seconds of silence,

“Kyaaaah!”Flora’s screams filled the room. Her face turned red as she watched how cool Shane was in the press conference. “Oh my god! I can’t believe he’s going to say that, Miss. What do you think?” The maid turned to Audrey who was speechless after hearing what her ex-husband said on TV.“Nothing, Flora. It’s better not to expect anything from him,” Audrey replied. “To me, he’s been long dead,” she whispered.Audrey didn’t expect Shane to tell the world about her or his feelings for her. She thought he’d save his career instead like he always did in the past. Audrey was touched by the gesture. Even so, she wasn’t very happy about his proclamation of wooing her again. Shaking her head, she returned Flora’s phone to her. “He’s indeed a good actor. People would easily believe it if he said it like that. Right?” She commented, believing that Shane was not sincere about his public confession. “It feels weird,” she mumbled under her breath. “Even if it was all a setup, it’s surprising.”

Another week passed and Audrey remained unconscious. Everybody was worried about her condition, but the doctor kept assuring the family that she was fine.It was then that Shane began to realize something. In the last few years, Audrey had been through so much pain and sorrow— all she wanted was for it to end. She wanted the nightmares and fear to be behind her. And in a way, she had found a way to achieve that – by slipping into an unconscious state.Deep down inside, he knew that maybe Audrey didn't want to wake up again. It seemed like her only escape from the reality of what life had become for her. She just wanted peace, away from all the pain and trauma of the past weeks.Shane couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by sadness and helplessness as he watched her lay still in her hospital bed, suspended between life and death. He wished he had been more present in her life. Maybe then things would have been different for Audrey and better for their family as a whole.He held on tight