Chapter 82 - Faith’s Misconception

Chapter 82 - Faith’s Misconception
Faith’s POV

Three months passed by quickly. My belly has grown noticeably now—I’m already four months pregnant. Despite everything, I’m happy. Austin hasn’t been able to find us, and for now, that’s the most important thing to me.

I’ve already gotten through the hardest months of pregnancy. The dizziness, vomiting, and extreme exhaustion are gone. My only battles now are sudden cravings and overwhelming sleepiness. It feels like my body is finally making up for all the suffering I went through before. Thankfully, Kim—Ate Elvie’s daughter, who’s a nurse—has been with me. I’m only a year older than her, but she’s like an older sister when it comes to taking care of me. She was the one who hooked me up to IV fluids whenever I got too weak from nonstop vomiting back then.

I was also able to push through with buying a small property, and Ate Elvie and I managed to put up a small eatery near a school. Even though the place is a bit hidden, sales are good, so I’m slowly saving up. I need to prepare for my delivery—there’s a chance I might need a caesarean section. I don’t even know if I can deliver normally, considering I’m carrying twins. Yes, Austin and I are going to have twins, which is why the anxiety in my chest never really goes away.

One afternoon, while Ate Elvie and I were closing the eatery, a news report on television immediately caught my attention. According to the report, a well-known business tycoon had been shot in Palawan. The reporters quickly mentioned his name, along with some details of the incident.

Why was he there? Is he still looking for us? my mind asked, filled with worry. I felt my chest suddenly tighten until I couldn’t stop myself from crying.

But fear and concern were quickly replaced by pain and disappointment when the TV showed a photo of the woman who was also shot with him—the same woman I had seen with him before at the mall in Zambales.

“So it wasn’t because he was looking for us that he got shot… maybe he really doesn’t care about us anymore,” I whispered as I wiped the tears from my cheeks.

Still, no matter how hard I tried to be angry, I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened to him. I just hoped he was okay… because the news didn’t say whether he was in critical condition or not.

I sat down on a chair, still crying—tears of worry for Austin’s safety, and tears of disappointment. Moments later, I felt a hand gently rubbing my back.

“Faith, be strong. The only thing we can do now is pray for him,” Ate Elvie said as she handed me a glass of water.

“Thank you, Ate… I hope he’s safe. And the woman who was with him too,” I replied, trying to steady myself even though my voice was still shaking.

“Do you want us to ask Jaecob for updates?” Ate Elvie asked after a few seconds of silence.

“Yes, Ate. Thank you,” I answered softly, wiping my tears.

Five days passed, but there were no further updates on TV about what happened to Austin in Palawan. It was as if that chapter had suddenly been erased. Maybe his family stopped the release of information. Even on social media, there wasn’t a single update.

Then a Messenger call suddenly caught my attention—it was Jaecob. I had created a new account, used a different name, and didn’t put any photo of myself. I hesitated for a moment before answering.

“Your husband is perfectly fine, so stop thinking about him. Just focus on your babies there,” he said, in a tone I couldn’t tell whether he was being concerned or just mocking me. I didn’t reply; I just stared at him with a frown.

Moments later, he turned his phone’s camera toward what was behind him. He didn’t say a word, but what I saw was enough to understand what he wanted to show me.

In the frame, I clearly saw Austin eating together with Daphnie and a little boy who looked exactly like him. They looked like a happy, complete family. I held my belly, my heart aching. I felt pity for the children growing inside me, because they would never experience a scene like that with their father.

Silently, I ended the video call without saying goodbye to Jaecob. That was enough to slap me with the truth.

I will never let Austin know that we have children.

I let out a deep breath as I wiped the tears that had been flowing down my cheeks. This was the last time I would cry over him—I promised myself that. I gave a bitter smile and gently caressed my swollen belly.

“Hang in there, my children,” I whispered, holding back another wave of tears. “Even if it’s just me and Kuya Jairee who’ll be with you when you enter this world, I’ll do everything I can to give you everything you need… especially love.”

As I said those words, I felt a gentle movement inside my womb for the first time, as if they were responding to the promises I was desperately making through the pain.

I cried again—but this time, they were tears of joy. Because I felt them. Those tiny movements seemed to tell me that I could do this… that we could do this.

“I love you, my children,” I whispered as I stroked my belly. They didn’t move again, but that was okay. What mattered was that I felt them. That was enough to give me strength again—to keep going with life, for their sake.

I kept myself busy at the eatery the entire day.

While I was serving food to a customer, I noticed him taking photos of the place. I froze for a moment when I realized his phone was pointed directly at me.

“Ate, I’ll deliver this order,” I told Ate Elvie as I took the tray.

“Are you sure? You might not even see where you’re going, Faith,” she reminded me. My belly was already big, and what I was carrying was quite heavy.

“Yes, Ate. I can handle it. They ordered two cups of rice over there,” I replied with a smile. I had heard someone from the other table call out earlier, so I moved quickly.

“Ehem… excuse me, sir. Here’s your order,” I said, carefully placing the tray on the table to get the man’s attention.

“Thank you, Miss Beautiful,” he replied with a smile. He was good-looking, but to be honest, he didn’t look trustworthy.

“Sir,” I said calmly, “may I ask why you’re taking photos? If you’re planning to upload them on social media, I kindly ask that you don’t include any photos with my face in them,” I said directly.

“Oh, I’m a food blogger,” he answered with a soft laugh. “I want to post my reaction to your cooking here, miss… or should I say, Mrs.?” He smirked slightly, then continued, “Why, don’t you want to be seen on social media? With your looks, it’s like you’re hiding something.”

His tone sounded like a joke, but I could feel the hint of insult.

“It’s not like that, sir. First of all, you should ask permission before taking photos, especially if someone’s face is included. It’s my right as a person to agree or refuse. Right now, all I’m asking is that you don’t post my face. I hope you respect that,” I explained at length—calm, but firm.

“Fine. I won’t post any photos here. Can I eat now?” he replied irritably, sounding rushed and slightly mocking.

“I-I’m sorry,” I said, then walked away to continue my work.

“Faith, is there a problem?” Ate Elvie asked when she met me. I explained what happened, and she immediately turned her attention to the man.

After he finished eating, Ate Elvie spoke to him herself. He got slightly angry, but in the end, he was forced to delete all the photos he had taken right in front of her.

I thanked her for what she did. But before the man finally left, he looked back at me and smirked—a smile that felt like a threat. A chill ran through me, and fear crept in from that simple gesture.

Even after we got home, what happened earlier stayed in my mind. The uneasiness wouldn’t go away. I whispered a prayer for our safety, because I had a strange feeling I couldn’t explain—as if danger was quietly approaching.