Weeks passed, and the weight of my decision finally settled on my shoulders as I signed the Non-Disclosure Contract Elizalde handed me. This was my life now—pretending to be a mother to Koleen, his child. Though the arrangement felt like a chain around my neck, I convinced myself it was temporary. It had to be.
But life, as always, had other plans.
One ordinary afternoon, the call I received from our housekeeper sent a shiver down my spine. Koleen was rushed to the hospital. The words struck like lightning, leaving me frozen for a moment. Her asthma had flared up again, they said. I didn’t think twice. I grabbed my things and hurried to the hospital, my heart pounding against my chest with every step.
When I arrived at the Emergency Room, the sight of the red sign flashing “No Entry” felt like a slap. I tried to reason with the nurses, begged them to let me in, but they wouldn’t budge. I was Koleen’s mother—or at least, I was supposed to be—but even that didn’t give me the right to be with her. The irony stung more than I cared to admit.
Minutes turned into hours as I sat in the cold, sterile waiting area, helpless and worried sick. When the doctor finally approached me, the look on his face was enough to send a chill down my spine.
“I’m afraid Koleen’s condition is more serious than we thought,” he said, his voice calm but firm.
“W-Wat do you mean?” I asked, my throat tightening.
“She has kidney failure,” he said, his words sharp and unyielding. “It’s rare for her age, but we suspect it’s linked to a pre-existing condition. She’ll need immediate treatment and lifelong monitoring.”
“K-Kidney failure?” I repeated, my voice barely a whisper. “But… how? She’s just a child. She only has asthma… how did this happen?”
He explained how her condition might have been developing silently for years, worsened by stress and her frequent asthma attacks. But his words barely registered. I couldn’t get past the thought of Koleen—so full of life—now facing something so grave.
As much as I wanted to stay by her side, the hospital’s rules wouldn’t allow it. So, with a heavy heart, I left her in the care of the nurses. My heart ached as I walked away, knowing she’d wake up without me by her side.
But there was something else gnawing at me, something that refused to be ignored. Elizalde. He needed to know.
I drove straight to Winston Corp.— the Pharmaceutical company. the anger bubbling in my chest threatening to spill over. Koleen was his daughter, and he needed to act like it but we called and texted him for a couple of times but NO ANSWERS. And as I pushed open the heavy door to his office, I froze in my tracks.
There he was, tangled in an embrace with Brittany Jones. Her hands clung to him, her lips pressed against his like she had every right to be there. Brittany—my ex-best friend. Now, the investor on his business.
The sight tore through me, a jagged edge cutting deeper than I thought possible. My feet moved before my mind could catch up, storming into the room with a fury I didn’t know I had.
“Seriously, Elizalde?!” My voice echoed in the spacious office, sharp and cold. “Your daughter is in the hospital, and this is how you spend your time? With her?”
Brittany pulled away, her smug expression quickly replaced by one of mock surprise. “Oh, Anastasia, I didn’t see you—" she said but I cutted her off, her voice dripping with condescension.
“I’m not talking to you,” I snapped, turning my attention back to Elizalde. “I called you, texted you about Koleen. Do you even care that your daughter is sick, huh? Or are you too busy playing house with this… this investor?”
Elizalde’s eyes darkened, but he didn’t say a word. Instead, he calmly walked to his desk, pulled out a folder, and placed it in front of me.
“What is this?” I demanded, my hands trembling as I picked it up.
“A divorce contract,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion. “I think it’s time we end your relationship as Anastasia Jermanó."
My breath hitched as I stared at the papers in disbelief. “Y-You can’t be serious.”
“I’m very serious,” he said, his tone firm. “Sign it, Anastasia. It’s better for everyone involved.”
Everyone involved? His words echoed in my mind, twisting like a knife in my chest.
Brittany’s laughter broke through the tension, her voice light and mocking. “Oh, Anastasia, don’t look so surprised. You had to know this was coming. In fact, you're just nothing but a... richy bitchy!"
I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to wipe that smug smile off her face. Instead, I grabbed a pen from Elizalde’s desk and opened the folder. I could feel their eyes on me, watching, waiting for me to give up.
NOT FOR KOLEEN.
But I wasn’t about to let them win.
I held the pen over the dotted line for a moment, letting the tension build. Then, in one swift motion, I tore the papers in half.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Elizalde demanded, standing up from his chair.
“I’m not signing anything,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “You think you can just replace me? Replace Koleen’s mother? Think again, Elizalde.”
Brittany’s smirk faltered as she exchanged a glance with Elizalde. Good. Let them squirm.
“I know what this is about,” I continued, my gaze never leaving Elizalde’s. “You married me for what? For my money, huh? Now you had a relationship with her? F-For how long have you been in a relationship with... her?"
