Cherry looked down, hiding the flicker of emotion in her eyes. "May binisita lang po akong kaibigan," she said softly, forcing a smile. "Wala pong malala."
Grandma Mathilde didn't speak right away. She studied Cherry's face for a long moment, as if weighing the truth behind her words. Her grip on Cherry's arm tightened just a little,firm, but gentle.
"Hija…" Her voice lowered. "Don't lie to me."
Cherry froze. Her throat tightened again.
"I may be old, but I'm not blind. You look like you haven't slept. You've lost weight. And your smile," the old woman paused, brushing a thumb lightly across Cherry's cheek,"isn't your real smile."
Cherry blinked quickly to stop herself from crying. She had fought so hard not to break. Not now. Not in front of someone she promised to stay away from. "I'm just tired, Grandma," she whispered. "But I'm okay."
"No, you're not." Grandma Mathilde looked at Miss Carol and gave a small nod. The nurse walked a little away to give them space. "You're hiding something. What happened?"
Cherry opened her mouth, then closed it again. She clenched her fists at her sides. Her mind screamed at her to walk away. To keep her promise. But her heart,her tired, aching heart,was pleading for comfort.
"It's Luke…" Her voice broke.
Grandma Mathilde's expression instantly changed. "Your brother? What happened?"
Cherry couldn't stop the tears now. They streamed down her cheeks as she looked at the woman who had always treated her like family,maybe even more than her own had. "He… he got into an accident. A hit-and-run. He's in the ICU. I haven't slept. I haven't eaten. And I don't know how long I can keep doing this."
"Oh, my God." Grandma Mathilde pulled her into a warm embrace. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? My poor, sweet girl…"
Cherry sobbed into her shoulder. "I didn't want to bother you. I didn't want anyone to think I was using you."
"Nonsense," the old woman said with finality. "You are not using anyone. You are family, Cherry. And I will not stand by while you carry this burden alone."
"But Gilbert," Cherry suddenly pulled back, remembering the promise she had made. "He said,he asked me to stay away from you. He thinks I only came close to you for… for money."
Grandma Mathilde's face hardened. "That boy can think what he wants. But I know your heart. I've known it from the moment I met you." She looked her in the eyes. "And if he has a problem with me helping someone I care about, then he can take it up with me."
Cherry swallowed hard. "I don't want to get you in trouble…"
"You won't," Grandma Mathilde said. "You've done nothing wrong. Now come. We're going to your brother."
Cherry looked at her, shaking. "But my promise,"
"Let me worry about Gilbert," Grandma Mathilde said firmly, cupping her cheek. "Let me be the grandmother you need right now."
And for the first time in a long time, Cherry nodded,slowly, hesitantly,but this time with hope.
Cherry placed her cup down, her fingers trembling slightly. She tried to keep her expression neutral as she nodded along to Grandma Mathilde's stories, but her mind was drifting,worrying about Luke, the hospital bills, and the promise she had made to Gilbert's secretary.
"Hija…" Grandma Mathilde's voice broke through her thoughts again, softer now. "You've always been polite and sweet, but this isn't like you. You're not even touching your pastry."
Cherry looked down and gave a weak smile. "I'm just a little tired, Grandma."
"Don't lie to me again, Cherry," the old woman said gently, not unkindly. "You've always been a brave girl. Whatever it is, you can tell me."
Cherry took a deep breath and looked out the window, blinking away the sting in her eyes. "I promised someone I wouldn't come near you anymore."
Grandma Mathilde's face softened further. "Was it Gilbert?"
Cherry didn't answer, but her silence was enough. She could feel the weight of the old woman's gaze, and it only made her heart ache more.
"I knew it," the old woman said with a quiet sigh. "That boy may be smart, but he's still a fool when it comes to seeing what truly matters. He thinks he's protecting me from people who might take advantage… but you're not one of them."
"I never wanted anything from you," Cherry whispered, voice cracking. "Not the money, not the help. I just," she paused, swallowing the lump in her throat, ",I just didn't want to be a burden."
"Cherry." Grandma Mathilde reached across the table and took both of her hands firmly. "Do you think love means keeping score? Do you think I'd treat someone like a granddaughter and then turn away just because she's in need?"
Tears rolled silently down Cherry's cheeks as she looked away. "Gilbert already thinks I used you. That I only married him because of money."
"Did you?"
"No," Cherry said with conviction. "I agreed because your health was declining, and I knew how much it meant to you. But I never wanted anything in return."
Grandma Mathilde smiled, but there was sadness in her eyes. "Then you don't have anything to be ashamed of. You honored me, Cherry. You gave me peace before I left for California that year. And you brought light into that cold house."
Cherry looked back at her. "But he'll hate me more if he finds out I saw you."
"Let him hate," Grandma Mathilde said gently. "But I won't turn away from you,not now, not ever."
Cherry bit her lip and finally gave in to the quiet sob she'd been holding back.
Just then, her phone buzzed. It was her manager again: "Come in early today. I'll have the cash advance ready."
Cherry took a breath and wiped her eyes quickly.
"Thank you, Grandma. But I really have to go now."
"I understand." The old woman gave her one last squeeze. "But don't hide from me again. You have more people who love you than you think."
Cherry nodded with a small, tired smile and turned to leave.
She didn't notice the discreet man at a nearby table lowering his newspaper,Gilbert's assistant, who had seen everything.
Cherry's heart dropped. She couldn't move, couldn't speak. All she could do was nod slightly as Gilbert's hand remained tightly around her waist, like a warning she could feel in her bones.
She glanced nervously at Grandma Mathilde, who looked at them with gentle confusion,oblivious to the storm brewing between them. "You two go on and talk, hmm?" the old woman smiled. "It's been a long time since you saw each other."
Gilbert's grip tightened once more before loosening, only slightly, enough to play it cool in front of his grandmother. "Yes, Grandma. We'll just… catch up."
Cherry forced a smile and bowed politely. "I'll… see you soon, Grandma Mathilde."
Without another word, Gilbert turned and led Cherry down the hallway with Liam quietly following behind. They walked in silence until they turned a corner,out of sight and earshot of the old woman.
Then he stopped.
His smile vanished.
"Are you out of your mind?" he asked, his voice calm but deadly cold. "I told you to stay away from her."
"I didn't plan this," Cherry replied quickly, her voice shaking. "It was an accident. I was just on my way out."
"You were sitting with her. Laughing. Smiling. What the hell do you call that?"
"She saw me first," Cherry insisted, trying to stay composed. "I didn't want to be rude. I was about to leave when,"
"When I walked in?" Gilbert cut in sharply. "So you decided to keep lying until the very end, huh?"
She stepped back slightly. "I didn't mean to lie, I just," she stopped. What was the point of explaining? He'd already made up his mind.
He looked down at her, jaw clenched. "You think I won't find out what you're doing behind my back?"
"I'm not doing anything," she said, her voice quieter now.
"Then prove it," he said coldly. "Move out of the apartment. Today."
Cherry blinked. "What?"
"If you want to act like a stranger, then be one. Don't take the allowance. Don't live in the condo. Don't go near my grandmother. If you're so noble and independent, prove it."
Cherry's lip trembled, but she held his gaze. "Is that what you want? To erase me like I was never part of your life?"
Gilbert stepped closer again, lowering his voice. "You were never supposed to be part of it."
The words hit her like a slap.
He started to walk away, but Liam,who had been pretending not to listen,finally spoke. "Sir, maybe this isn't the place for this. You have a meeting."
Gilbert paused.
Cherry looked down, blinking back tears. "I'll move out by tonight," she said quietly. "And you don't have to worry. I'll never see your grandmother again."
Gilbert didn't reply.
He just walked away.
But he didn't feel triumphant.
He felt something else,something he refused to name.
The car ride was suffocating. Not from the lack of air,but from the thick silence between them.
Cherry sat stiffly, her fingers trembling as she gripped her bag tightly on her lap. Gilbert hadn't spoken a word since he barked at her to shut up. He didn't even look at her. He just stared out the window with that expression she had learned to fear,ice-cold, jaw clenched, eyes dark and distant.
The city passed by in a blur. She had no idea where they were heading. Her thoughts raced,was he going to bring her to the mansion? To some private place to scold her? Would he drop her off somewhere and finally discard her completely?
She shut her eyes and took a silent breath.
"I didn't mean to see her," she whispered, trying not to shake. "I was just leaving the hospital when she saw me. I didn't plan it."
Gilbert finally turned to her, slowly, like a storm gathering. "Do you think I'm stupid?"
Cherry flinched at the coldness in his voice.
"You think just because you flash those innocent eyes and play the victim, I'll forget what kind of person you really are?"
"I didn't,"
"You lied to me. Again," he cut her off. "After everything I said. You just keep pushing it. What were you trying to do this time, huh? Win her heart so you could go crying to her when I finally throw you out?"
"That's not true!" Cherry's voice cracked. "I never asked her for anything. I've never asked you for anything either,"
"But you keep taking," Gilbert snapped. "You took my name. My house. My grandmother's kindness. And now what? You want sympathy too?"
"I didn't ask for your name," she said quietly. "It was your grandmother's wish. I just did what she wanted because she was sick. I thought I was helping."
Gilbert let out a bitter laugh. "Helping? You don't even know the damage you've done. You're just like the rest of them."
The car screeched slightly as it pulled to a stop in front of his private condo building. Cherry looked out, confused. "Why are we,"
"Get out," he said, already opening his own door.
She hesitated. "Gilbert…"
"I said get out."
Cherry stepped out with wobbly knees, unsure whether to follow. But when he walked ahead, she had no choice. She trailed behind him silently, fear blooming in her chest again.
Inside the condo, Gilbert slammed the door shut behind them.
Then, suddenly, silence.
He stood with his back to her, shoulders rising and falling from restrained anger.
"Gilbert," she tried again, gently, "I'm sorry if I disrespected you. I only talked to Grandma because I didn't want to be rude. She was so happy to see me and,"
"Stop saying 'Grandma' like she's yours," he snapped, turning to her. "You don't belong to this family. You were never meant to."
Cherry's throat tightened.
"If it weren't for that damn will, I wouldn't have even looked at someone like you," he added.
That finally shattered her.
Cherry's voice broke. "Then why did you let me stay? Why didn't you just end the marriage and walk away?"
He didn't answer. Not right away. He was glaring at her,but something shifted in his eyes, something she couldn't read. Pain? Regret? She didn't know.
Then he looked away.
"I should've," he muttered, almost to himself.
Cherry clenched her fists. "You're right. You should've. And maybe I would've finally been free from this... whatever this is. I never asked to be trapped with someone who looks at me like I'm filth."
Gilbert turned back to her sharply.
"You think you're the victim?"
Tears were already running down her cheeks. "No," she whispered. "I think we both are."
That silenced him.
For the first time, Gilbert didn't know what to say.
But before anything else could be said, his phone rang. He didn't even look at her as he answered it and walked to the other side of the room.
Cherry stood there for a moment, heart breaking, then quietly walked to the guest room and shut the door behind her.
She had no more tears left to cry.
Gilbert took another step forward. The sharp sound of his shoes against the gravel echoed in Cherry's ears louder than anything else. Her back was now pressed to the concrete wall of the old park, the cold seeping through her clothes, but it was nothing compared to the chill creeping into her chest.
"You keep saying it's a coincidence," Gilbert said, his voice dangerously low, "but everything about you feels planned."
Cherry's lips quivered. "I'm not lying..."
His hand slammed against the wall beside her head, not touching her, but close enough to make her flinch.
"You think you can just smile and act helpless, and everyone will fall for it?" he sneered. "My grandmother. My staff. Me."
"I never," Cherry's breath hitched. "I never used your grandmother. I respect her more than anyone else in this world."
He scoffed, his eyes scanning her face like he was trying to catch a lie in real-time. "Then why didn't you walk away? Why didn't you tell her the truth about our annulment?"
"Because she's about to have surgery!" Cherry cried out, finally raising her voice. "She told me how scared she was. She said seeing me was her happiness. How could I ruin that for her?"
Gilbert froze.
The fire in his eyes flickered.
For a moment, neither of them said anything. The wind rustled through the trees, leaves scraping against pavement like whispers too soft to hear.
"I... I'm not your enemy, Gilbert," Cherry said, softer now, trembling. "I didn't ask for this life. I didn't want to marry a stranger. I didn't want to lie to your family. But I stayed because your grandmother asked me to."
Gilbert turned his face slightly, jaw clenching.
"You think that makes you noble?"
"No," she said, eyes glistening with tears. "But it makes me human."
Another pause.
He took a small step back.
His hand fell from the wall, but his eyes stayed locked on hers. "Why didn't you tell me she saw you?"
"Because you don't listen," Cherry whispered. "You just... punish me."
That word cut through him.
Punish.
Was that how she saw him now?
He turned away and ran a hand down his face. The anger hadn't fully left, but something else crept in,an ache he couldn't admit.
Without another word, he walked back to the car and slammed the door shut behind him.
Cherry stood frozen for a few seconds, her back still against the wall, knees shaking. Then, slowly, she followed and climbed into the passenger seat.
The silence was different this time.
Still cold, but heavy with everything unsaid.
Cherry's heart pounded as Gilbert's car rolled to a stop in the middle of an empty, overgrown park. The place was eerily quiet,no children, no footsteps, only the rustling of dry leaves and the sound of her own nervous breathing.
"Get out of the car," Gilbert said flatly, his voice colder than she'd ever heard.
Cherry's hand trembled as she unbuckled her seatbelt. Something about the look in his eyes told her this wasn't just about their accidental meeting with Grandma Mathilde. This was deeper,older wounds he never talked about, now boiling over and aimed at her.
He stepped out too, his towering presence casting a shadow across the gravel. Cherry's back tensed as he stood in front of her, his arms crossed, jaw tight.
"You expect me to believe that was a coincidence?" he asked.
"It was," she said, forcing herself to meet his glare. "I didn't even know she'd be there. I was leaving the hospital after staying with my brother."
Gilbert narrowed his eyes. "So you just happened to run into her. And of course, she greeted you like a long-lost granddaughter."
Cherry winced.
He took a step closer. "Do you realize what would happen if she found out we're annulled? What it could do to her health before her surgery?"
Cherry's lips parted, words caught in her throat. "That's why I didn't tell her. I didn't want to lie either, but,"
"But you did," he interrupted. "You always do."
She felt that. Deep in her chest. Like a bruise she didn't know was still there.
"I'm not lying to you," Cherry whispered. "I'm just... tired of having to prove I'm not your enemy."
Gilbert stared at her. For a second, his harsh expression flickered. Just a second. Like he was re-evaluating everything he thought he knew.
"You're not my enemy," he finally said. "But you're part of a lie I never agreed to."
Silence fell between them, thick and suffocating.
"I didn't choose this either," Cherry replied, voice breaking. "But I tried to make it right. I tried to protect your family the only way I knew how."
Gilbert stepped back.
The anger on his face was slowly replaced with a mix of something else,regret, guilt, maybe confusion. His shoulders dropped slightly.
"I didn't bring you here to scare you," he muttered. "I brought you here because I didn't know what else to do with this... whatever this is between us."
Cherry looked at him, eyes wide. "Then tell me. What do you want from me?"
"I don't know," Gilbert admitted, turning his back to her. "But I do know I'm tired of being lied to. Even if you mean well."
He took a long breath.
"Get in the car. I'll take you home."
Cherry stood there for a moment, stunned. She expected punishment. Yelling. Maybe even more cruel words.
But maybe,for the first time,he was letting go of the armor.
She followed him back to the car without a word.
And for the rest of the ride, neither of them spoke. But somehow, the silence wasn't as cold as it was before.
Cherry's body trembled as she looked up at Gilbert Ace Carter. His face was unreadable, stone cold under the muted sunlight. Her heart raced with fear,not just from the way he dragged her out here, but from the growing realization that she meant nothing to him but a problem to be handled.
She dropped to her knees, shoulders shaking, tears falling freely. "P-Please…" she sobbed. "Don't hurt me, Mister Ace Carter. I'm begging you. I,I didn't mean to upset you. Please…"
Gilbert remained silent. His gaze bored into her, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. For a terrifying moment, Cherry thought he really might lose control.
Finally, he spoke,his voice cold and sharp. "This is your last warning. If I ever catch you near Grandma Mathilde again,if you defy me one more time,I won't be so forgiving."
He turned to leave, his polished shoes crunching against the dry gravel.
But Cherry scrambled up and reached for his arm, desperation overtaking her shame. "Wait,please," she cried. "I need help. My brother's in the hospital, and I,I can't afford the bills. I didn't know who else to turn to…"
Gilbert yanked his arm free, eyes narrowing.
"I'll pay you back," she continued quickly. "I'll work, I'll do anything you ask, I promise. Just don't turn your back on me now. Please…"
Her voice cracked. Her face was streaked with tears, but she didn't care. She was past the point of pride. All she cared about was Luke,her little brother who might not survive without proper care.
Gilbert stared at her for a long time. The coldness in his eyes didn't waver, but something in his jaw twitched,just slightly.
"I don't give money out of pity," he said eventually, his voice low.
"I'm not asking for pity," she replied, choking back another sob. "I'm asking for a chance to save my brother."
Silence hung between them.
Then, with a sigh, Gilbert finally said, "Get in the car."
Cherry froze.
"I didn't say yes," he added. "But I'm not finished with you yet."