Chapter 7 

Affair

Quinn was the only one there to comfort me as I mourned the loss of my unborn child. It wasn't Javi, my husband—the one person I expected and needed the most. 

For that, I hated Javi with a passion I didn't think was possible. I hadn't felt this much resentment toward him even when I first heard the rumors about him and Alaine. But now, after everything that had happened, it was as if my anger had nowhere else to go but toward him. 

Pakiramdam ko, pinabayaan niya ako nang mawala ang anak namin. Worse, I couldn't help but wonder: did Javi blame me? Did he hate me for losing our child? But was it my fault? Hindi ko nga rin alam na buntis na pala ako. The miscarriage wasn't something I could control. It happened because I was stressed—because of him and Alaine. 

So no, he didn't get to blame me. He had no right. 

Ang kapal ng mukha niya kung sakali. Para isisi sa akin ang pagkawala ng anak namin, when he had done nothing to ease my burdens or comfort me during the worst time of my life. 

Instead of being by my side, grieving with me, he buried himself in work. He acted as if nothing had happened, as if the loss of our child didn't matter. 

After the miscarriage, I stopped talking to him altogether. There was nothing left to say. 

I moved to the guest room. I couldn't share a bed with him, not when every glance at him reminded me of his absence when I needed him the most. 

Walang alam ang parents namin. Neither of us told them about what was happening. I kept my feelings about Javi to myself, and I'm certain he didn't breathe a word to his family either. On the surface, we looked fine. But behind closed doors, we were anything but. 

One night, he came home drunk. It wasn't the first time, but this time, he was more than a little drunk—he was completely out of it. The driver and one of our household staff had to help him up to his room. 

I stood at a distance, watching. 

There was no concern in my heart, only anger. I didn't help him. Why would I? Why should I? If he cared so little for me, why should I care for him? 

Instead, I instructed the staff to look after him and went back to the guest room, where I had been staying. 

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't rest. 

The faint smell of alcohol lingered in the air, but that wasn't the only scent clinging to him. There was another smell—familiar and unmistakable. A perfume I knew all too well. 

It was Alaine's. 

Napakagat ako sa labi ko, pilit pinipigilan ang pag-init ng dugo ko. 

Had he just come from seeing her? 

They must have spent time together. Drinking. Talking. Laughing. And then what? What else had they done? 

Meanwhile, here I was. Stuck in this house. Grieving the loss of our child. Mourning alone. 

It struck me then that I had never seen Javi mourn. Not once. 

He never cried for our child. He never expressed sadness, regret, or even guilt. He simply carried on as if nothing had happened. 

For that, I hated him even more. 

I couldn't find it in myself to feel anything else for him. No love, no compassion—only anger and pain. It was as if my heart had been consumed entirely by resentment and bitterness. 

Wala na akong ibang maramdaman para sa kaniya kundi galit at hinanakit. 

And as I lay in the guest room that night, staring blankly at the ceiling, I wondered if this was all my marriage had become—a cold, loveless bond held together by broken promises and shared grief. Only it wasn't even shared. 

It was just mine.

Then I started going to work as well. Nagsimula na rin akong magtrabaho sa kompanya ni Daddy, hoping that immersing myself in work would distract me from the emptiness I felt. Just like Javi, I buried myself in my responsibilities, avoiding emotions I wasn't ready to face. 

After a long day at the office, I met Quinn. 

"Quinn!" I called out, waving at him as he stepped out of his car and walked toward me with a smile. 

"Reese," he greeted warmly. 

We chose to sit outdoors at a quaint café. It was a cozy little spot, and the round table for two made it feel like an intimate escape from the chaos of my life. 

"Kanina ka pa ba?" he asked as he sat across from me. "I thought I was early. Sinadya kong umalis nang mas maaga sa training." 

I shook my head, smiling slightly. "It's all right, Quinn. Maaga rin akong natapos sa office, at halos kakarating ko lang din dito. I didn't wait for you that long, so don't worry." 

He nodded, relief washing over his face as he returned my smile. 

We ordered our food, and when it arrived, we chatted as we ate. For a moment, I felt lighter, as if the heaviness in my chest had lifted. The meal was simple but satisfying, and I realized I might not even have dinner later—I was already full. 

As we talked, Quinn's expression shifted, his brows furrowing with concern. 

"Have you been eating well, Reese?" he asked softly. 

The question caught me off guard. My smile faltered. 

"You look like you've lost weight," he added, his voice filled with worry. "Have you gone back to your doctor yet?" 

I tried to reassure him with a weak smile. "I'm fine, Quinn. Don't worry about me." 

But I wasn't fine. I knew it. 

I wasn't eating properly or sleeping well. My body felt weak, and my mind was in shambles. Mourning the loss of my child consumed me. Every day felt like a battle just to get through. 

The concern in Quinn's eyes lingered, but he didn't press further. 

When we finished eating, we decided to head home since it was getting dark. Together, we walked to the back of the café, where our cars were parked. 

He insisted on walking me to my car. As I glanced at him, memories of Javi and Alaine came rushing back. The familiar scent of her perfume on my husband was still fresh in my mind, a painful reminder of his betrayal. 

Anger swirled inside me, and before I could stop myself, I blurted out a question. 

"Quinn, do you still like me?" 

He froze, his lips parting in surprise. My question hung in the air, and I suddenly felt foolish. I let out a small, awkward laugh and looked away, but then he spoke. 

"Yes," he said firmly, his voice steady. "I still like you, Therese. No—I've always liked you. Ever since..." 

His words made me smile, though it wasn't the same reaction I had when he first confessed his feelings for me back in California. Back then, I was shocked, unprepared for the possibility that he saw me as more than a childhood friend. I had always been so comfortable with our friendship that I never thought about anything beyond it. 

But now, standing here in the quiet parking lot as the evening breeze blew softly around us, I felt different. 

The air was still. The sun had set, and the dimness of the surroundings made the moment feel both intimate and surreal. There was no one else around—just us. 

Silence stretched between us as we looked at each other, the weight of unspoken words filling the space. 

And then it happened. 

I leaned in and kissed him. 

I rose slightly on my toes, pressing my lips against his. Quinn was tall—he always had been, being a basketball player—but at that moment, I didn't care. 

He stiffened at first, clearly shocked, but then his lips began to move against mine, hesitant but responsive. 

It caught me off guard, but instead of pulling away, I let my eyes flutter shut. 

A single thought crossed my mind. 

Am I cheating now?

Am I having an affair?

But then another thought quickly followed. 

Javi's already having an affair with my best friend.

If he could betray me, then wasn't this... fair? 

It was a crazy thought. Irrational. Self-destructive. But in that moment, it felt like justice. Like revenge. 

And I didn't stop.

Read more updates on Patreon or VIP! For only $3 or ₱150 a month, you can access all the updates for this story and my other exclusive stories on Patreon and VIP. To join, kindly message me on Facebook at Rej Martinez. Other membership promo sales are also available. Thank you, and happy reading!