I couldn't believe it at first and I asked for proof. Denver looked so pissed because of that but he also did what I requested. At mas lalo naman akong nasaktan nang ibigay niya sa akin ang gusto ko.

I cried as I looked at the proof in my hands. It's a photograph wherein my man looked so happy with another girl, his ex, in a wedding dress. Sa kabilang kamay ko naman ay ang marriage registration nila, isa pang patunay na kasal na nga siya.

In the end, he also gave up on me. Pero hindi ko naman siya masisisi, deserve naman niya iyon...ang tahimik at masayang buhay. He doesn't deserve to be with a criminal like me.

I want to be happy for him but I just really can't. Masakit sa akin, mahal ko siya e. And I feel sorry for my child, kasi hindi ko na maipapakilala sa kanya ang ama niya. Hindi ko na siya mabibigyan ng kumpletong pamilya.

"Told you already." Denver sighed and seconds later, he wrapped his arms around me. "I'm sorry. I'm here, just let it out."

As if on cue, my tears fell harder.

Days after that, I find it so difficult to continue living. I wasn't on my mind, I couldn't speak, I became mute. My state went on for more than a month until I gave birth.

Akala ko pati si Denver ay susukuan na rin ako. Akala ko iiwan din niya ako. But I'm glad he didn't. He stayed with me, fed me, held my hand, and hugged me whenever I cried.

When I gave birth, he was the one who went with me inside the delivery room.

No'ng unang beses na marinig ang iyak ng aking anak, I felt my energy surging. I had another ray of hope in my life.

Giving birth wasn't easy and going through rehabilitation after that was like hell. I also had postpartum depression which was made worse with the flashbacks regarding what happened to me. But whenever I see my daughter looking at me with her gentle and beautiful eyes, all my doubts and pain seem to dissipate.

Astraea Luna became my inspiration to start my life anew. Nang dahil sa kanya, sinikap kong magpagaling at ayusin ang buhay ko.

I smiled while looking at the healthy baby girl I was carrying.

She's already months old and whenever I look at her, I can't help but feel the connection that I have with Alaric.

I gently touched her chin and she immediately giggled, earning another smile from me.

"Ang ganda-ganda talaga ng baby ko." I uttered and showered her face with kisses.

Agad naman akong napalingon nang makarinig ng pagtikhim sa likod. I smiled when I saw Denver.

"You're home! Gusto mo ba ng coffee?" I asked and put Astraea back in bed.

Agad naman siyang umiling. "Hindi na, I already drank coffee on the way."

Tumango ako. "Okay then, any request for dinner?" I asked again. Because I just really want to help.

It has been months since I left the hospital at simula noon ay dito na ako nakatira sa kanya, in his condo. Sa loob din ng ilang buwang kasama ko siya ay mas lalo ko siyang nakilala.

I guess he's not that bad at all.

Nalaman ko rin na kaya siya napadpad sa Germany ay dahil nirequest siya ng kanyang lolo bago ito namatay. And while he was there, he decided to enroll at a law school. Akala ko nga uuwi na siya ng Pilipinas but whenever I ask him ay iisa lang ang sinasagot niya.

He's still not done here, may mga kailangan pa siyang asikasuhin, including the wealth that he'll be inheriting from his late grandfather.

Funny how I thought na mahirap lang siya noon but it turned out that he's not. He's an heir to a rich and influential family too.

"Nothing. I'm skipping dinner tonight." He casually answered before entering his room.

I pouted as I remember him saying na hindi free lahat ng tulong niya sa akin pero hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin niya sinasabi kung paano ba ako makakabayad sa utang ko. And I was also trying to serve him para naman makabawi kahit papaano, but he always turn down my efforts. Nakakahiya na nga e, nagbubuhay prinsesa pa ako dito sa condo niya, binigyan pa ng katulong.

I know I've already said it to myself na hindi na ako magtitiwala but for someone like him who helped me despite the way I treated him back then and he who never left my side during my worst and when I had no one, I guess I have to treat him as an exception.

Habang tumatagal din ay napapalapit na ang loob niya kay Astraea. No matter how stressed or tired he was in school, he would still find time to play with her. Tuwang-tuwa naman ang bata dahil doon.

"Da-da!"

It was Astraea's first word and I was also surprised. Nakangisi namang bumaling sa akin si Denver like he just won a lottery. Nakakaselos pero deserve naman niya kasi hindi naman kami mabubuhay ni Astraea kung hindi dahil sa kanya.

Akala ko noon okay na sa akin ang gano'ng buhay. Ang nakakulong lang sa loob ng bahay kasama si Astraea habang walang alam kung ano ang mga nangyayari sa labas, pero mahirap din pala ang gano'n. I started wanting to go out to catch some fresh air, I started wanting to have something to do aside from being a mother again, I had the urge to know what's happening again, and it was so greedy of me.

"Wanna enroll in a school?" Denver suddenly asked, days after Astraea Luna turned a year old.

My eyes widened. Did he see through me?

"I can't..." I answered and shook my head.

Paano naman ako mag-aaral? I can't even use my name! Because I have a criminal record. That's the fact that I couldn't escape in this life.

"Do you actually believe that you killed her?" He asked and leaned closer, looking at me in the eye.

I shook my head.

He smiled and ruffled my hair. "Then you don't. Just try treating that as nightmare, like it didn't exist at all."

"P-Paano..."

Nilingon niya ako. "Marry me and I'll give you a new identity."

"H-Huh?" I uttered in surprise.

He smirked. "Naniningil na ako."

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Why? Will marrying you do any good for you?"

Ipinilig niya ang kanyang ulo at tumango. "Yes, I can only claim my inheritance if I get married."

His offer was tempting. Kapag pakasalanan ko siya, Astraea will grow up with a father figure, and I will also have my own identity. Pero...

"Bakit ako?" I asked.

He chuckled and held my face. "Bakit hindi ikaw?"

I smiled. Right. Just like me, he's also kind of anti-social. He rarely gets along with people and has weird ways of dealing with problems. Ayoko nga ng mindset niya noon pero hindi ko ipagkakaila na matalino nga siya.

"Deal, then. I'll marry you." I answered.

The day after that, the preparation for the wedding immediately started.

"Penelope Schmidt. That will be your name from now on. You studied in the US for almost a decade and now you're finally back in the country to marry me, following our meeting in California a year ago." Denver explained, in order for me to get to know the identity of the person I am going to assume.

I listened to everything he said and made sure not to miss any details. A month after that, we got married.

"Thank you," he whispered as he enveloped me in an embrace.

"Salamat din," I replied and buried my face on his chest.

Life is indeed unexpected, I've never thought that the person I hated the most way back in college will become my savior.

Months after we got married, I enrolled in a med school to continue the career that the real Penelope has. And I didn't expect na magugustuhan at mamahalin ko pala iyon. Because of what I did, I realized that what I really want wasn't really to become a lawyer but to become a doctor.

The following months were okay. I was doing well in school and Astraea was growing up...just right. Maayos naman kami ni Denver, we treat each other as friends at home. We were happy.

And I didn't expect that such a day would come that I would feel content with what we have. It was after finishing in med school that I've finally decided to settle down for good and finally move on from the past.

Denver and I both agreed on that, as we both know that platonic or not, we love and treasure each other. A year after that, I gave birth to a healthy boy, Dane.

"Come here, baby!" Denver calls Astraea as he carries Dane. Nakangiti naman akong pinagmasdan sila.

My lovely family.

"Daddy! Pasalubong?" Astraea asked and her eyes immediately beamed when Denver took out a set of watercolor from his bag.

"Omg! I love you, Daddy!" Tuwang-tuwa sabi ni Astraea at hinalikan ang ama sa pisngi.

"I love you!" Denver replied and gave her a hug.

Pagkatapos nun ay dumiretso naman siya sa akin at masuyong hinalikan ako sa labi.

"I missed you," aniya at pabirong kinurot ang pisngi ko.

I rolled my eyes. "Luh, miss daw? Late ka nanaman ngang umuwi. 'Yon ba ang miss?"

He chuckled and leaned closer to me. "Sorry na, babawi nalang ako mamaya, okay?" He smirked, agad ko naman siyang hinampas ng dala-dala kong sandok.

"Nyeta ka! Kumain ka na nga muna! You're always skipping meals because of work and it's not good." Pagsermon ko.

"Opo, boss!" He replied with a grin.

Our daily routine was always like that. Minsan nag-aaway kami but we didn't have any major fight. Maayos din kami sa career namin. He's a full-time lawyer and I'm a doctor.

We lived happily for ten years at wala na akong balak bumalik sa nakaraan. Not until one day, when I heard a shocking news.