"You never told us you were coming, Frank," was the first thing his father said when he suddenly appeared at their mansion.
"Yeah, sorry, it was too sudden; I didn't even get to bring you both any gifts," he replied.
"What made you decide to come home?" his father asked.
He didn't answer right away—his phone buzzed with a new message.
"To settle some things," he finally said.
"Hmm? Is it about a woman?" His father probed.
He stayed silent for a moment, catching the reaction on his mother's face.
"Hey, Mariely's taken now, and I think she's happy," Becca added.
"Oh? Is she really happy, though?" he asked in return.
"I have to go—there's somewhere I need to be," he said abruptly.
"O—Okay, just be careful," his father replied.
He had only arrived yesterday, staying first at his condo to rest before coming home to the mansion. He had spoken to Andrew, who told him that his girlfriend had already paid for Nathan's surgery.
Frank sighed heavily. He drove aimlessly as the evening deepened, hoping—just maybe—he'd see Mariely tonight.
Traffic. He muttered the complaint in his head and glanced around idly—until something made him freeze.
Faith.
His chest tightened. She wasn't alone—there was a man with her. He watched in shock as the man roughly grabbed her hand and pulled her into a secluded spot.
Frank immediately searched for a parking space nearby, heart pounding. Once he'd stopped, he got out quickly, walking closer until he could hear their voices. He peeked at them from the shadows—then flinched at the sharp sound of a slap.
His hands trembled. He forced himself to stay calm. He needed proof. Pulling out his phone, he began to record.
"You didn't tell me you had money? And you fully paid it—really?" the man accused.
"I—I didn't expect Veron to lend me the money. And you—you haven't even been paying me back. You drained the savings from my debit card! That was my money, the money I worked so hard to earn!"
"Oh, so now you're talking back to me? You want to get hurt? This is payment for all the patience I've had with you! I stayed with you even though you disgust me."
"If I disgust you so much, then let me go! Let me out of this hell you've made of my life! We've been separated for a long time, but you won't let me go—because you keep telling lies to my family, to my brother." Tears streamed down her face. "You've ruined my name, and now you've taken advantage of my brother's troubles too. My debit card is empty, isn't it? Give me back my ATM card!"
Frank saw him shove her, saw her stumble and fall, and then kick her while she lay defenseless on the ground.
"I'll stop when you apologize to me," the man sneered.
She didn't answer, only groaned in pain as she looked up at him. Frank's entire body shook. He thought that if Faith saw him now, she might avoid him, so he quickly pulled on a face mask and cap. He stopped recording—what he had was enough evidence.
"You're not going to apologize? You're worthless! Just because you didn't give me half of it before—you think some guy will actually love you? You're a stupid woman! Stupid!"
Frank created a distraction—a small commotion that made the man stop hitting her. The man adjusted his clothes and threw something down in front of her—her ATM card.
"I know you'll get more money. I know your password," he said coldly before storming off.
They crossed paths briefly, the man glaring at Frank before leaving.
Frank stayed hidden, listening to Faith's quiet sobs. When she finally emerged, wiping her tears, he noticed fresh cuts and bruises on her. She was in uniform now, a jacket pulled tightly over her, walking stiffly as if every step hurt. She sat in a quiet hallway, away from the flow of people. Tears started falling again.
Frank's chest ached. Seeing her like this—trying to hold back the tears—was unbearable.
He approached.
"Hey, miss, Are you okay?" he asked gently.
She looked up at him, startled, not recognizing him at all. He pulled out a handkerchief.
She hesitated before taking it.
"Th—thank you," she murmured.
"I—it's none of my business, but why are you crying here?" he asked softly.
She shook her head, saying nothing. Frank stayed beside her in silence. After a while, she let out a deep sigh, her eyes unfocused.
"C—can I tell you a story?" she asked suddenly. He was caught off guard.
"If you're comfortable with me, that's fine," he replied.
"You don't even know me," she said with a small smile. "They say it's easier to talk to strangers." She gave a weak laugh, even as tears kept falling.
Frank didn't respond, letting her set the pace.
"Why is it that I'm never lucky in love? All I ever wanted was to be loved," she began, her voice trembling. "You know, there was a man I truly loved since we were in high school. We met again five years ago, but he didn't love me back. I respected his decision—I understood his reasons. Because I loved him, I had to let him go… He didn't meet my standards… no, I didn't meet his." She gave a bitter laugh.
Frank's jaw tightened as he listened.
"We were in a relationship—or at least, I thought we were. For him, it was fake. Even if it was fake to him, I treasured it. We broke up, but I didn't realize that the so-called six-month rule to move on doesn't always work. For over a year, my heart still kept looking for him. I told myself I was happy for him when he was in the States."
She drew in a shaky breath.
"Then came my next relationship. At first, I didn't want it because I still loved my first love. But… I learned to love him. He showed me how important I was—or so I thought. And once again, I made the wrong choice."
"I'm such a fool," she said, tears glistening in her eyes. "I just want to love and be loved. Why can't I have that? Am I really cursed in love? I keep getting hurt over and over again."
Her voice hardened.
"Everything he showed me… it was all just to get money from me. Whenever we fought, my family—especially my big brother—always took his side. I was always the one at fault. I never told my brother everything because he has a family now. So I endured it all. Even when my friends lent him money, I was the one who paid them back. I don't understand why I let it happen."
Frank kept listening in silence, each word cutting into him. His conscience screamed to take her back into his life.
"The man was right—no guy will ever take me seriously," she said with a dry laugh. "Whenever I think about seeing my first love, I feel like I have nothing to show him… like he'd just laugh at me." She wiped her tears.
"But still… I don't know why, but I think of him in moments like this. I tell myself that maybe I shouldn't have confronted him about cheating back then. I just wanted to stay by his side, even if it was fake for him—because with him, I never experienced the kind of pain I have now. Maybe I shouldn't have done it… even if I was lying to myself."
She breathed deeply, more tears spilling.
"Why do I always end up hurt like this?" she whispered.
Frank's thoughts roared—Can you keep listening? Can you really stop yourself from holding her right now?
"Y—you still want to see your first boyfriend?" he asked quietly.
She nodded. "Y—Yes… I really want to see him, but I don't know if I can face him."
Frank simply nodded back.
"I'm sorry for unloading all that on you—and thank you. Oh, and your handkerchief is full of tears and snot now," she said with a small laugh.
Her eyes were swollen from crying. "I—it's getting late; I should go home now. Thank you."
"Wait—let me drive you home. It's not safe at this hour, especially when you're still shaken."
She studied him for a moment.
"You sound just like my first love… It's silly, but I feel so comfortable with you. Maybe it's because of your voice."
Frank stayed silent. She blushed at her own words. "I—if that's okay with you," she added.
She followed him to his car—it wasn't the one he used to pick her up in before. She sat quietly in the front seat.
"Are you sure it's okay to drive me? My place is kind of far," she said.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it," he replied.
She nodded.
"Please keep everything I told you to yourself… It's embarrassing, the way I cried."
He didn't answer. Instead, he searched for the right moment to remove his disguise and let her see that he was back in the Philippines.