Chapter 70 Chapter 24.1
HEAVEN’S POV
I wanted to go home to my family, but I knew Desmond would only follow me there. I couldn’t see him, not now, not with the wound still raw and bleeding.
The moment I saw that photo of him and Macie in bed, something inside me shattered in a way I couldn’t put back together.
The tears wouldn’t stop. They slid down my cheeks like they had no end, as if grief itself had taken root inside my chest.
Would this pain ever fade?
Would there be a day when my heart would breathe freely again?
My baby was gone and now my husband had betrayed me.
I didn’t know if forgiveness even existed between us anymore. If he had at least waited, if he had given our loss time to breathe, maybe I could have tried to understand if he went back to Macie.
I always knew a part of him still loved her. But never did I imagine he would run back to her this quickly. It hasn’t even been a week since we lost Daryl. How could he lie in another woman’s bed? How could he touch her?
Did he feel any pain at all for our son?
Or am I the only one mourning?
I stared blankly out the window, numb and hollow. A part of me wished I could follow my baby, just disappear with him. I didn’t want to wake up anymore. But I knew my family would be destroyed if I gave up completely.
“Stop crying now, dear,” Mommy Shiermy’s voice was gentle as she drove, bringing me to their family villa in Cavite. “Let me be the one to apologize for what my son did to you. I can’t believe he would do that. I really thought you were the one he loved. I didn’t know he was still meeting Macie behind our backs. I already warned that girl to stay away, but she meant every word when she said she wouldn’t let you have Desmond.”
She paused. “How did you even find out they were together last night?”
“Someone sent me their picture,” I answered quietly.
I didn’t have the energy for anything more.
“And you’re certain it wasn’t edited?”
“Desmond didn’t deny it,” I said, my voice hollow. “He just told me he was too drunk to remember. That alone proves they were really together.”
Mommy Shiermy let out a long exhale, disappointment, anger, and frustration blending together.
“Don’t worry, dear. I’ll deal with him. I will not tolerate what he did to you.”
I didn’t respond. My mind was far away, lost in the memory of my baby.
If Daryl were still here, maybe I could survive losing Desmond.
But without the two of them… how was I supposed to continue breathing?
By the time we arrived at the villa, exhaustion was pressing down on my bones. Mommy Shiermy carried my luggage herself.
“Marie, are you there?” she called.
A middle-aged woman opened the door, surprise lighting her face.
“Shiermy, dear! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“It was sudden,” Mommy Shiermy replied. Then she gestured toward me. “This is my daughter-in-law. She’ll be staying here for a while, until things settle between her and my son. Take care of her. She still has fresh stitches, so don’t let her do any housework.”
I bowed politely. Marie offered me a warm smile.
“Nice to meet you, dear. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” I whispered.
“If Desmond calls asking about Heaven,” Mommy Shiermy instructed firmly, “tell him you don’t know anything. No one can know she’s here.”
Marie nodded obediently. They continued talking, but their voices soon blurred into background noise.
My world felt muted, muffled like I was underwater.
When Mommy Shiermy left for Manila, I finally lay down on the bed. All I wanted was to rest, to forget, to disappear.
I longed for Desmond’s arms even though his betrayal burned like acid in my veins.
It hurt more than anything I had ever felt, worse than the physical pain of childbirth, worse than the loss of blood that nearly took my life.
I had every right to feel jealous. We were married. He had sworn himself to me.
The ache in my chest returned, sharp and suffocating. I wished time would move faster, if only to dull the agony.
I called my family to assure them I was safe. They respected my space. After that, I locked myself inside the villa, refusing to step out.
I barely spoke.
I barely ate.
Marie tried her best to care for me, but I had nothing left to give, not even tears.
Days passed, yet I remained inside. Empty, quiet, aching.
Once I return to Manila, I will ask Mommy Shiermy for Daryl’s ashes.
I want to keep him with me. I never saw his face. The only memory I have of him is the dream I had in the hospital, a glimpse of the little boy he could’ve been.
I never got to hear his first words.
Or see his first step.
Every time I think about it, my heart twists painfully.
I wish I hadn’t woken up that day.
I wish I had gone with him.
My phone lay untouched beside me. I had not opened it since I left our house.
What was Desmond doing now? Was he fine?
Probably.
He had Macie, after all.
The thought made me laugh bitterly.
Still… with trembling hands, I turned on my phone.
Notifications flooded in.
Missed calls, countless.
Messages filling the screen.
Desmond’s name dominated everything.
He had been looking for me nonstop.
Why?
What else did he need from me when Macie was already there?
Hadn’t he hurt me enough?
“Please, I’m begging you. Tell me where you are.”
His messages trembled with desperation.
I stared at them for a long moment.
Should I see him?
Could I face him again?
Was my heart strong enough to withstand whatever came next?
I didn’t know.
But maybe… maybe I had to decide soon.