Chapter 54 CHAPTER 53

Chapter 54 CHAPTER 53

I slowly eased my daughter Amethyst's small, warm hand away from mine, careful not to wake her. It was a holiday, and there was no school today, so I wanted to let her sleep peacefully for a little longer. Only after I quietly slipped out of the room did I finally release the breath I had been holding.
"Sigh... Thank goodness my little princess didn't wake up," I murmured to myself.
I headed straight to the bathroom and took a shower, letting the cool water wash away the exhaustion and heaviness weighing on my chest. I needed to start the day with a positive mindset.
For Amethyst.
Today, I will pour all my energy into my online business.
"Lilith, why are you already awake? I thought you were supposed to rest today?" Manang Hilda asked worriedly when she saw me fresh from the shower, drying my hair.
I forced a smile to hide my lack of sleep.
"It's already eight in the morning, Manang. I slept for almost ten hours last night. That's more than enough. I need to process my orders before customers start canceling them."
"Hmm... You're always neglecting yourself. Fine, I'll prepare breakfast for you."
"Thank you."
I stared at my reflection while brushing my hair. Dark shadows lingered beneath my eyes, but I ignored them. Soon, I made my way to the kitchen, where I found Manang carefully placing freshly cooked food on the table.
"Eat well. You'll need your strength," she said.
"Why don't you join me, Manang? Food always tastes better when shared," I invited, trying to sound cheerful.
She nodded and sat across from me. We began eating, but every bite felt unusually heavy.
"Only two days left before Amethyst's Family Day at school," she remarked. "Is your friend really coming?"
My spoon froze midair.
I slowly looked up at her.
"Yes. They might arrive tomorrow."
"Are you really not going with your daughter? You know how important events like that are for children."
My shoulders sagged. Guilt stabbed at me, and I shook my head.
"I want to go, Manang, but I can't. I'm still new at work. It would be embarrassing to take leave so soon."
"But weren't you planning to resign?" she pointed out.
I sighed deeply.
"I'm having second thoughts. The people I work with are incredibly kind. It's hard to find that kind of environment these days."
"But you don't have to stay trapped in the corporate world, Lilith. If you focused on your online business, you could easily earn the same amount or even more."
She looked straight into my eyes.
"That's actually one of the reasons I'm considering leaving."
"Think about Amethyst," Manang continued, her voice carrying both concern and wisdom. "She needs a mother who can guide her, especially now that she's growing up. Do you really want your daughter to experience the same childhood you had? Growing up with only nannies around because your parents were always busy?"
Her words pierced my heart.
I nodded, barely able to speak.
"You're right."
"Think carefully about what I said. No amount of money can buy back the time you lose with your child."
With that, Manang turned away and quietly left to tend to the store.
As I sat alone, chewing food that had suddenly lost all flavor, memories of the past resurfaced.
Every word she said was true.
I had been raised by household staff because my parents spent their entire lives chasing money and expanding their business. That was why I knew nothing about housework, everything had always been handed to me. From an early age, I became accustomed to luxury. We never ran out of money, and every mistake I made could be erased with a check.
But the price of that comfort was becoming a child who knew nothing about real life.
"I don't want my daughter to feel the loneliness I felt. I need to be here for her."
After breakfast, I exercised for a few minutes to relieve some of my stress. Just as I was finishing, I heard familiar tiny footsteps approaching.
Amethyst.
"Good morning, Mommy!"
She ran toward me, her innocent face like that of an angel untouched by the burdens of the world. She wrapped her arms around me tightly and kissed my cheek.
Instantly, the weight on my chest melted away.
A genuine smile finally appeared on my lips.
"Good morning, baby. Did you sleep well?"
"I slept really well, Mommy!" she replied enthusiastically.
"Hmm... that's my good girl. Let me prepare something delicious for you."
I gently pulled away from her embrace, fighting back tears brought on by the overwhelming love I felt for her, and prepared her breakfast.
"Mommy, you know what? I had a beautiful dream last night," she said between cheerful bites.
"Really? What did you dream about, sweetheart?" I asked while facing away from her.
"I dreamed about Daddy."
A sheet of ice seemed to run down my spine.
The smile vanished from my face.
I froze before slowly turning around.
"H-how did you know it was your daddy?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice steady.
My hands trembled.
I had never shown her a single photograph of Aeros.
I burned them all.
There was no way she could know what that man looked like.
"Yaya said I look like him. She said I look just like my daddy. So when I saw him in my dream last night, I knew it was him."
She smiled brightly.
"He had huge wings, Mommy. He's an angel now, right? He came down from heaven just to see me."
My blood boiled.
My chest tightened with bitterness and fury.
An angel?
No, sweetheart. Your father is a demon.
If only you knew what he did to me, you would never think of him as an angel.
"Maybe you should stop watching so many cartoons," I said coldly, desperately changing the subject. "That's probably why you're having such strange dreams."
"Mommy... I want to visit him someday. Can we go see Daddy at the cemetery?"
She looked up at me with hopeful eyes.
My heart twisted painfully at the sight of my daughter.
But stronger than my sympathy was the fear and hatred I still carried toward the man who had nearly destroyed my life.
"Sweetheart, your daddy's grave isn't there anymore," I lied smoothly. "The cemetery was turned into a subdivision. There's nothing left for us to visit."
My nails dug into my palms as I spoke, struggling to contain the storm of emotions raging inside me.
"Okay, Mommy..." she replied sadly.
Her head lowered, and she absentmindedly played with her food.
Every trace of disappointment on my daughter's face felt like poison slowly consuming me from within.
“Finish your food so you can take a bath. We’re going to the mall,” I told my daughter.
Her smile widened instantly, as though it was the best news she had heard all week.
“Yay! We’re going to the mall!” she squealed happily, clapping her tiny hands together.
I forced a smile as I watched her eat with excitement, but deep inside, something heavy weighed on my chest. I didn't like the dream she had last night. The words coming out of her mouth now terrified me.
I didn’t want her looking for her father again.
I didn’t want her asking questions about the man who had destroyed my world.
She hurried through her meal, as if afraid I might change my mind. Afterward, I gave her a bath, dressed her in her favorite outfit, and carefully fixed her hair.
“And where are this beautiful mother-and-daughter pair heading?” Manang Hilda asked with a smile when we came downstairs.
“Mommy and I are going to the mall! Would you like to come with us?” Amethyst invited cheerfully, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Manang Hilda shook her head and gently stroked the little girl’s hair.
“Oh, I have plenty of things to do here at home, dear. I still have to watch over the store. You two just be careful, okay?”
The store Manang Hilda managed belonged to her. It was a small business born out of gratitude. I had given it to her as a birthday gift, building the stall and investing over fifty thousand pesos to stock it with merchandise.
It was a small gesture compared to all the love and care she had given us.
“Okay.”
Amethyst hugged her tightly and showered her cheeks with kisses before we finally left.
We got into the car. As I drove, my hands gripped the steering wheel tightly while I tried to push away the ominous thoughts clouding my mind.
Half an hour later, we arrived at the mall.
Amethyst practically dragged me toward the arcade. At first, I stood at the side, watching her laugh and jump every time she won a game. But when she tugged at the hem of my dress and begged me to join her, I eventually gave in.
Before long, we were both having fun, temporarily forgetting the ghosts of the past.
“Mommy, I want to make a cake,” she said sweetly when we passed a familiar booth.
The mall had a small baking station where children could learn how to decorate and make their own cakes. Amethyst never missed the chance whenever we visited.
She wasn’t the only one who had learned from it. Even I had developed a love for baking there, despite never taking any formal bread and pastry courses.
“Alright, we’ll make one,” I replied, gently stroking her cheek. “But let’s eat first, okay? Your tummy has been growling for a while now.”
“Yes, Mommy!”
I took her small, soft hand in mine.
“Let’s go!”
“Okay, Mommy!”
Hand in hand, we walked toward her favorite fast-food restaurant. She was probably already imagining herself devouring fried chicken and spaghetti.
But when we arrived, her shoulders slumped.
“Mommy, it’s full inside... there aren’t any seats left,” Amethyst said sadly.
“Then let’s eat somewhere else, Baby. Where would you like to go?”
She quickly brushed away her disappointment and looked up at me with an understanding far beyond her years.
“That’s okay. Anywhere is fine, as long as they have spaghetti and chicken.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
I took her to an expensive restaurant on the upper floor. The prices were painful enough to make my wallet cry, but I didn’t want my daughter to feel disappointed.
She deserved a good meal after spending so much time in the arcade.
We were seated in a quiet corner, waiting for our orders while Amethyst excitedly talked about her favorite games.
Then the peaceful moment shattered.
“Excuse me, Ma’am.”
I looked up in confusion. The waiter stood before us carrying a tray.
“Yes?”
He placed two glasses of juice and a slice of expensive cake on the table.
“A gentleman from the other table asked me to give these to you,” he whispered, subtly gesturing behind me.
I turned around.
And in a single glance, it felt as though the world stopped spinning.
It was as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured over me.
The color drained from my face.
Aeros.
The man who haunted my nightmares was sitting there, staring directly at us.
A chill ran through my entire body.
Summoning every ounce of strength I had left, I forced myself to smile.
“Sorry, I don’t know him. Please take it back,” I said coldly, struggling to keep my voice steady.
“Alright, Ma’am.”
The waiter nodded and carried the food back to Aeros.
My heart pounded violently against my chest, threatening to break free.
As I looked at Amethyst, fear consumed me.
I wanted to stand up, grab my daughter, and run as far away as possible.
But I knew Aeros.
If I suddenly left, he would only become more suspicious.
And he would chase after us.
“Mommy, are you okay?” Amethyst asked worriedly, noticing the sudden change in my demeanor.
I nodded, forcing back my tears.
“Yes, Mommy’s fine.”
“You look pale, Mommy. Does something hurt?”
“I-I’m just hungry, Baby,” I lied, while beneath the table my hands were clenched into tight fists.
Thankfully, our food began arriving one dish at a time, distracting Amethyst.
But every bite tasted like ashes.
And my ordeal wasn’t over.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Aeros rise from his seat and slowly make his way toward our table.
Each step he took felt like a death sentence.
“Hello,” he greeted when he finally reached us.
That voice.
The voice I had spent years trying to erase from my system.
I froze.
I ignored him completely, keeping my eyes fixed on my plate as though my life depended on it.
But Amethyst, naturally friendly as always, turned toward the stranger and looked up at him.
At that moment, I could barely breathe.
Panic gripped me.
I was terrified that with just one look at Amethyst’s face, Aeros would see himself reflected there.
That he would realize this child carried his blood.
Please don’t suspect anything.
My God, protect my daughter.
Aeros smiled, but his eyes were sharp and observant, carefully studying every reaction I made.
“May I know your name? I feel like... I know you from somewhere,” he asked, his gaze shifting from Amethyst to me and back again.
I said nothing.
My expression hardened even more as I buried my fear deep inside and continued to ignore him.
“Mommy, he’s talking to you,” Amethyst whispered, tugging gently at the hem of my dress.
I immediately turned to my daughter and widened my eyes in warning, silently telling her not to look back.
Holding my breath, I asked, “What... what did Mommy tell you?”
“Don’t talk to strangers,” Amethyst replied carefully, as though she had sensed the sudden tension between us.
“Very good. Just keep eating, baby,” I said with a forced smile, even as my hands trembled beneath the table.
I ignored Aeros’s presence. I remained silent and rigid until I felt him finally give up and walk away.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
I would never allow him to learn the truth. Never.
Our appetites had completely disappeared. We barely touched the food we had ordered, so I asked for everything to be packed up and taken home. To distract myself from the fear clawing at my chest, I brought Amethyst to a baking shop where customers could decorate their own cakes.
I tried my best to bury Aeros’s presence in the back of my mind, and I was deeply grateful when I realized he hadn’t followed us all the way home.
Exhausted from both the day and the emotional strain, Amethyst fell asleep in the car. I carefully carried her to her bedroom and tucked her into bed. Afterward, I stood before the mirror, quickly changed my clothes, took a deep breath, and turned my attention to my laptop so I could begin accepting orders.
I needed to keep myself busy.
I needed to forget.
“You should have some coffee first. You’ve been punishing yourself for hours,” Manang Hilda said gently as she placed a steaming cup beside me.
I paused and drew another deep breath, feeling the heaviness in my chest.
“Manang Hilda... did you tell Aeros where I am?”
She immediately shook her head, shock written all over her face.
“No! Didn’t we both destroy our SIM cards back then so he would never be able to contact us again?”
I nodded heavily.
“We saw Aeros earlier today, Manang.”
“Really?” Her eyes widened as she slowly approached me. “How did he find this place?”
“I don’t know...” My voice began to tremble as tears gathered at the corners of my eyes. “My life has finally been peaceful, Manang. Why does he want to disrupt it again?”
Manang immediately took my trembling hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
“Just ignore him, child. Don’t let him affect you. If your paths ever cross again, pretend you don’t know him. Stay strong.”
“That’s exactly what I did earlier,” I admitted, my chest tightening painfully. “But I know Aeros. It felt like he didn’t believe me.”
“Then don’t pay any attention to him. Stop filling your mind with worries. It won’t be good for your health or your work,” she comforted, gently rubbing my back. “I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you or Amethyst.”
Slowly, I nodded and wiped away the tears that had escaped.
“Thank you, Manang. Thank you.”