Chapter 48 CHAPTER 47

Chapter 48 CHAPTER 47

It was already ten o’clock at night when I arrived at the mansion. But the moment I stepped into the grand hall, Manang Hilda’s worried face immediately greeted me.
“Lilith, thank God you’re finally home,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
“Why, Manang?”
“Sir Aeros is furious. He’s been raging upstairs... drinking since earlier. No one wants to go near him.”
I swallowed hard.
“Maybe... he had another fight with his wife.”
“Most likely. Please, go straight to your room. Don’t let him see you. He might take his anger out on you.”
“Yes, Manang.”
“Lilith!”
The thunderous shout made my entire body freeze.
I looked up toward the second floor.
There stood Aeros on the terrace, his hair disheveled, a glass in his hand, his sharp eyes fixed on me.
My knees trembled, but I forced myself to speak steadily.
“Good evening, Sir Aeros.”
“What do you think of yourself?” he snapped.
He began descending the stairs, each footstep making my heart pound faster.
“Do you still think you’re the boss of this house, coming home whenever you please? Have you forgotten what you are in this household?”
I lowered my head, nervously twisting my fingers.
“I’m sorry, Sir Aeros.”
“Come with me. We need to talk. Right now.”
His command was cold and absolute.
I glanced at Manang Hilda.
She held my arm, sympathy evident in her eyes.
“This is exactly what I was afraid of,” she whispered. “Just stay humble, child. Accept whatever he has to say.”
I nodded, fighting back tears.
“I’ll go.”
A chilling sensation crawled down my spine as I walked toward the guest room.
My heartbeat thundered in my ears.
I knew he was angry.
Angry because he had seen me with Tomas.
Angry because he had discovered that I had lied to him.
When the door opened, I saw him sitting at the edge of a sofa, one hand pressed against his forehead.
At the sound of my footsteps, he slowly raised his head.
His eyes were red from alcohol... and from rage.
“S-Sir... why did you want to talk to me?” I stammered, remaining near the doorway.
Without a word, he stood.
Slowly, he approached me.
The smell of alcohol surrounded him.
Before I could step back, he seized my arm.
A startled cry escaped my lips.
He pulled me against him, trapping me in an embrace that felt more like a cage.
But before I could say another word, he captured my lips in a harsh, painful kiss.
There was no tenderness in it.
Only anger.
Jealousy.
Possession.
Gathering every ounce of strength I had, I shoved him away and struck him across the face with my trembling hand.
“What are you doing? You’re hurting me! Let me go!”
Tears streamed down my cheeks as I struggled to catch my breath.
He inhaled deeply, touching the spot where I had slapped him.
Then he gave a bitter smile.
“What is it? You don’t like my kisses anymore because someone else is kissing you now? Does my kiss taste different from that man’s?”
“Tomas and I only went on a date!” I cried. “Nothing happened between us! Nothing at all!”
“Do you love him?”
The question sliced through the air like a blade.
I looked directly at him.
“Are you jealous, Aeros?”
“Yes! I’m jealous!”
His shout echoed through the room.
“I’m the one who should have the right to kiss you! I’m the one who should claim you because I bought you!”
The word bought struck me like a whip.
“You don’t own me, Aeros!”
“Have you forgotten our agreement? Our contract?”
“No! I haven’t forgotten how desperate I was when I came here! But you never bought my soul! You don’t own me! I have the right to live my own life... and I have the right to love someone else!”
“So you do love him?”
The anger slowly disappeared from his face, replaced by something darker.
Something frightening.
“Is that why you lied to me? Because you love him?”
I met his burning gaze in silence.
“I don’t have to answer that.”
I turned away.
I had barely taken a step when I felt his hand grip my shoulder.
Pain shot through me.
He pulled me back.
The room spun around me.
A moment later, I found myself thrown onto the bed.
The night that followed became a nightmare I wished I could erase.
When it was finally over, he left me alone in the darkness.
Slowly, I sat up.
Every part of my body ached.
Under the cold moonlight filtering through the window, I gathered the torn pieces of my clothing from the floor.
“You don’t love me,” I whispered into the silence, my hands trembling.
“You only want my body, Aeros.
And that’s what hurts the most.”
The next morning, I went to the kitchen to help with the household chores.
“Manang Hilda... has Sir Aeros come home yet?” I asked softly.
She stood by the sink, chopping vegetables for lunch.
She paused briefly but did not look at me.
“No. He still hasn’t come back since last night.”
A heavy sigh escaped my lips.
“He’s still angry with me,” I murmured, more to myself than to her.
“Maybe he’s on a business trip,” Manang Hilda said gently.
Finally, she turned toward me, concerned about filling her eyes.
“Your father used to be like that too, remember? Whenever there was a misunderstanding, he wouldn’t come home to the mansion for days.”
“Maybe,” I replied.
I quickly adjusted my hair, trying to hide the bruises on my neck.
“Why? Do you miss him already?” she asked.
“No.
Never.”
Manang Hilda stopped chopping.
She set down the knife and approached me seriously.
Taking both my hands in hers, she spoke softly.
“Lilith, I don’t say much, child. But I’m not blind. I see Sir Aeros entering your room every night.”
It felt as though a bucket of ice water had been poured over me.
I immediately looked away.
The shame that consumed me hurt even more than the bruises.
I felt filthy in front of the only person left who felt like family.
“You know, I’ve worked for your family since you were a little girl,” Manang Hilda continued, her voice breaking.
“I witnessed your family’s wealth, and I witnessed your hardships. That’s why I think of you as my own daughter.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“I know you and Sir Aeros have feelings for each other. But you know it’s wrong to be involved with a married man, don’t you? No matter how you look at it, you’ll be the one who loses.”
I nodded as the tears I had been holding back finally fell.
“Manang Hilda... I’m sorry... I have nowhere else to go... I don’t know what to do...”
The older woman drew a deep breath and pulled me into a tight embrace.
“I’m not approving of what you’re doing, Lilith, because I know you’ll be the one who gets hurt in the end. But as long as I can protect your relationship from his wife and from other people... I will. Because I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
I buried my face against her shoulder.
All the tears I had been holding inside poured out.
“Manang Hilda... Thank you. Thank you so much.”
She gently patted my back, crying quietly herself.
“There... you stubborn child. Stay strong.”
I pulled away and wiped my face, trying to gather what little strength I had left.
“I’ll help you with the cooking.”
“All right. You can peel and slice the potatoes.”
I nodded and began cutting.
“Lilith! Manang Hilda!”
The silence in the kitchen shattered at Beka’s hurried call. Both Manang Hilda and I turned toward her at once. She was wearing a wide smile, as though she carried not a single burden in the world.
“You look happy,” I remarked with a forced smile, trying to hide the sadness weighing on my heart.
“I have a date tomorrow for Valentine’s Day!” she confessed, practically glowing with excitement.
“Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day already?” Manang Hilda paused for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. “I've been so busy around this house that I don't even notice the days anymore. They just pass by as if nothing is happening.”
“Oh, come on, Manang Hilda. Even if you remembered, it’s not like you have a date,” Beka teased, trying to lighten the mood.
“You little brat! Such a sharp tongue!” Manang Hilda snapped.
She raised a hand as if to smack her, but Beka quickly dodged and burst into laughter.
“I’m only telling the truth, Manang. But Ma’am Lilith...” She turned to me, admiration shining in her eyes. “I’m sure countless men are asking her out. With a face like hers? There’s no way they aren’t lining up.”
A bitter smile was all I could manage.
No matter how many times I asked Beka not to, she still insisted on calling me “Ma’am.” In fact, all the household staff did. They only changed their behavior whenever Sir Aeros’s legal wife happened to be around.
“I don’t have a date tomorrow,” I replied shortly, returning my attention to the vegetables I was slicing.
“What? Why not? You're beautiful!”
“I’ll just work. Work is easier to deal with than dating.”
It was easier to pretend I was busy than to face the truth that the person I wanted to spend that day with would never truly be mine.
“Well, as for me, I’m definitely celebrating Valentine’s Day tomorrow!” Beka declared. “Manang Hilda, can I take the day off? Please?”
“Our boss isn’t here right now. How are you supposed to ask for leave without permission?” Manang Hilda reminded her, concern evident in her voice.
“Oh, come on, Manang Hilda. Sir Aeros trusts you the most around here. Just tell him I’ll switch my day off. This is my first Valentine’s date in years. Please, please let me have this one.”
She clasped her hands together in exaggerated pleading.
“I’ll try texting Sir Aeros, but I can’t promise what his answer will be,” Manang Hilda finally relented.
“Thank you, Manang Hilda! You’re the kindest person in the whole world!”
With that, Beka hurried away, carrying her hopes with her.
Manang Hilda merely shook her head, regret written all over her face.
“That girl never learns. She’s always the one paying whenever she goes on dates. Too soft-hearted. Just watch after tomorrow, she’ll be broke again and cry to me.”
I simply nodded, struggling to keep myself from falling apart.
Soft-hearted.
The word felt like it was aimed directly at me.
Wasn’t I even more pathetic?
At least Beka still had something left of herself. I had spent every last coin of my dignity.
I stayed silent. If the conversation turned toward me, I was afraid I might finally break down in front of Manang Hilda.
When I finished helping in the kitchen, I practically rushed back to my room.
It felt as though I couldn't breathe.
I picked up my phone and stared at Aeros’s name on the screen.
I wanted to call him.
Desperately.
I wanted to ask where he was.
But suddenly, I hesitated.
My hands turned cold.
Was he still angry at me?
Was that why he refused to come home?
Was his silence his way of punishing me?
After spending the entire night together, he had left without saying goodbye, not even to Manang Hilda.
I knew what I had done was wrong.
But all I wanted was to fix my life.
I couldn’t remain his mistress forever.
I didn’t want to drown in sin for the sake of my love for him.
That was why, as much as it hurt, I had been trying to pull away.
Even if my heart shattered over and over again.
I was in the middle of speaking with an online client when a violent wave of dizziness suddenly hit me.
The room spun.
My vision darkened.
I grabbed the edge of my desk for support.
Forcing myself through the pain, I finished the transaction before ending the call.
The moment the client left, I stood up to get some medicine.
But before I could even take a step, my stomach rebelled.
A powerful surge of nausea hit me.
“Shit...”
I leaned against the wall, a cold, paralyzing fear wrapping around me.
“Am I pregnant?”
The whispered question made my entire body tremble.
My menstrual cycle has never been regular because of my PCOS. I was used to delayed periods.
But this felt different.
A strange fear crawled into my chest.
I remained inside the bathroom for nearly ten minutes, staring blankly into space before finally stepping out.
Exhausted, I collapsed onto the bed.
Even then, the ceiling seemed to sway before my eyes.
What would I do if I really was pregnant?
How could I raise a child whose only identity in this world would be...
the child of a mistress?
An hour later, I heard a gentle knock on my door.
Despite the dizziness and weakness threatening to overwhelm me, I forced myself to get up.
I didn’t want Manang Hilda to worry.
“Manang Hilda? What is it?” I asked, trying to sound cheerful.
She frowned immediately.
Her eyes searched my face with concern and suspicion.
“What’s going on with you, Lilith?”
“N-Nothing. I’m fine.”
I looked away, unable to meet the gaze that seemed capable of uncovering every secret I had.
“You look pale. Are you sick?”
“I’m—”
I never got to finish the lie.
My stomach twisted violently again.
I barely made it back to the bathroom before collapsing to my knees on the floor and vomiting repeatedly.
“Ma’am Lilith... are you pregnant?”
I froze.
The question exploded in my ears like a bomb.
She had followed me inside.
Now she stood behind me, sadness and shock written all over her face.
“No,” I insisted, wiping my mouth. “Maybe I just ate something that upset my stomach. I’m really fine, Manang.”
But my body betrayed me.
I vomited into the toilet again.
Without a word, Manang Hilda came closer.
She knelt beside me and gently rubbed my back.
The warmth of her hand shattered the last of my restraint.
Tears spilled from my eyes.
“Go lie down on the bed,” she said softly. “I’ll buy a pregnancy test from the pharmacy. Then we’ll know for sure. We’ll know the truth.”
“Please don’t, Manang...” I begged, clutching the edge of her skirt.
I was terrified of seeing those two lines.
Terrified that my nightmare would become reality.
“I just need some rest. I’ll be fine tomorrow.”
Manang Hilda looked at me with eyes full of compassion.
“You don’t have to hide the truth from me, Lilith. I’ve seen how much you’ve suffered in this house. Whatever the result is... whatever happens... I’m on your side. I won’t abandon you.”
The tears finally flowed freely.
The crushing weight inside my chest eased slightly with every sob.
“Thank you...”
After I had calmed down and washed my face, Manang Hilda guided me back to bed.
She tucked the blanket around me before hurrying out to buy the test kit.
I was left alone in the silent room.
My gaze drifted toward the ceiling as my hand slowly moved down to rest on my stomach.
Please...
Dear God, please don’t let me be pregnant.
The prayer echoed silently in my heart as tears streamed down my cheeks.
I counted every second until Manang Hilda returned, while fear and darkness slowly consumed my heart.