Chapter 109 The Truth

Chapter 109 The Truth
Moments later, she heard his approaching footsteps, dry leaves and wood crunching underfoot.

“H-Hi,” he greeted softly.

She turned to him, her face serious.

“You again? What are you doing here?” she asked, voice rising slightly.

“Y-yes. But don’t worry, I’m not here to beg you to recognize me. I just want to say something. May I? Since you said you don’t know me anyway, I’ll just sit here while I talk.” He pointed to the ground where he stood. “Please?”

He stared at her, waiting for her answer. She didn’t say anything, but he sat down on the ground anyway. His hands rested on his knees, his gaze still fixed on her.

“I already know the real reason why that happened to you.” He looked down at her legs.

“I didn’t lie to you, baby, I mean, Daphne. I wasn’t the one who sent that message to you,” he continued. “I never planned on bringing Amber into our home. I made a promise to myself that I’d never bring another woman into our house. Believe me or not, that word doesn’t even exist in my vocabulary. No woman could ever replace you. I love you so much, baby. I couldn’t bear to lose you, so I wouldn’t have done anything to make you that angry. Yes, I was playful before. But I made sure I was safe, safe enough not to get anyone pregnant. My only mistake was lying. I got scared you might leave me. And of course, I didn’t want to live with regret if that child really was mine, but baby, he’s not. That child isn’t mine. Even if he were, I would never let him live in our house because I respect you. I had a DNA test done right after the child was born, and that’s when I found out the truth. Amber tried to manipulate things, but she failed. I submitted tests to three hospitals, places she had no connections in.”

Her fists clenched at what she heard. Her body began to tremble.

She kept a straight face. She knew he still had more to say.

“On the day you had your accident… I’m sorry I wasn’t there. But no one told me anything. Your message was deleted. I knew nothing. All I knew was Emmanuel was with you, even though you didn’t leave together. You know what? I was about to surprise you that day when Amber threatened me.” He pulled something out of his pocket and stood.

She followed him with her eyes as he walked closer. Her hand twitched slightly. He noticed.

“Relax. I won’t touch you. I’m just handing this to you.” He raised the card he held.

What kind of card was that?

“This was the surprise I had for you.” He placed it on the empty seat beside her and smiled.

“There’s someone waiting for you there. I hope you’ll visit… one of these days.”

She stared at the card. Her hand flew to her chest. Her heart pounded wildly in that moment. She was curious about what her husband meant by that someone was waiting for her.

BK was already gone, but her eyes remained fixed on the card he left behind. She wanted to pick it up, but she hesitated.

She looked up again as the motorcycle roared to life. Her husband even smiled at her before driving away.

She wanted to believe him, but she wasn’t about to fall for anything now. She needed to find out the truth. Was it really Amber who sent that message?

By chopper, she left Cordillera and returned to Manila. Without delay, she and Emmanuel went to Chavez Medical Center, where her husband said someone was waiting for her.

She turned over the card. A name was written on the back. Mirielle. No surname. She figured maybe it was a doctor.

She adjusted her walking aid and stood.

Her knees were shaking with nerves.

“H-Hi! I’m here for…” She read the name on the card. “Mirielle.”

The woman at the information desk looked at her closely.

“Your name, ma’am?”

“D-Daphne. Daphne Frost Hernandez,”

The woman nodded and picked up the phone. She spoke briefly to someone on the other end to inform them of Daphne’s arrival.

A few minutes later, she was guided to the hospital’s executive elevator.

She was in a wheelchair as they moved down the hallway the receptionist had indicated. It was a private floor, the woman said. Not a soul in sight. She glanced at Emmanuel, who nodded and smiled reassuringly.

She turned to him nervously as they reached the door of a private room.

Emmanuel stepped forward to knock. Moments later, it opened.

A chill ran down her spine when she heard the sound of a baby laughing from inside.

Doc Nikki’s smiling face greeted her. Next to her was BK’s father, holding a baby in his arms, wearing a tentative smile.

Her heart pounded as Emmanuel wheeled her inside.

“W-Who is Mirielle?” she asked nervously.

Doc Nikki looked toward the baby in BK’s father’s arms.

“She’s Mirielle. Mirielle Frost Hernandez. Our miraculous patient.”

She gasped at the baby’s full name.

Tears welled in her eyes, even though she wasn’t yet certain what this meant.

“H-how did this happen? My baby’s been gone for nearly a year. Please don’t joke like this… I’m too tired of being hurt.” She covered her eyes, trying to stop the tears.

“It’s not our story to tell, anak. BK knows everything. Please talk to him. Just listen, Daphne,” her husband’s father pleaded.

She looked at the smiling baby. Her heart was breaking all over again.

“C-can I hold her now?” she asked shakily.

BK’s father nodded and walked toward her.

“Oh, God…”

Daphne broke down crying when the baby suddenly buried her face into her chest and gripped her right breast.

Her heartbeat changed the moment she held her. She felt that the baby was hers. There was no denying it. Her blood called to this child.

She couldn’t help but kiss the baby’s forehead.

“We’ll leave you two alone for now.”

“Thank you so much,” she said to the doctor. She smiled at BK’s father as he touched her shoulder in farewell.

No joy could compare to the happiness she felt holding her baby.

She looked around. The room felt more like a nursery than a hospital room, decorated lovingly.

She smiled when her baby slapped her chest.

“Oh, are you hungry, baby?” Her breasts hadn’t started producing milk yet.

Emmanuel stepped out to ask how to prepare the formula for the baby.

She didn’t know how long she’d stayed beside her child. The baby fell asleep after feeding, and she lay down beside her until she, too, drifted off.

She was waiting for her husband. She had so many questions. But BK’s father had said he was already on his way to the hospital.

She awoke to a gentle caress on her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open as she searched for the one who touched her.

“I’m sorry. Did I wake you?” her husband asked softly, pulling back.