The CEO’S Orphan Wife

“Why did you head home so soon? Don’t you still have two days left there?” I exchanged a meaningful glance with Rachelle. She parted her lips, as if deciphering my thoughts, and then signaled that we should talk later.

“Later. Heather and I need to rest first,” I replied while carrying my child, who was visibly exhausted from the long trip. I took her to our room. As I laid her down on the bed, she immediately hugged me.

“I’m sad, mommy. Please, hug me.”

I hugged her closely, aiming to provide solace through the embrace. Suppressing my tears, I demonstrated strength and resilience for the sake of my child.

After thirty minutes, she finally drifted off to sleep. However, with various concerns on my mind, sleep remained elusive. I rose and draped a blanket over my child to shield her from the brisk air conditioning. Purposefully, I adjusted the temperature to ensure she slept soundly.

Before starting work, I got dressed and packed my laptop. I couldn’t afford to be idle; I had to keep going. My determination was driven by dreams and plans for our family, and I couldn’t let someone like Ivan distract me.

I’ve long moved on from him. His influence shouldn’t disrupt my peace. I wish him happiness. May he be engulfed in joy!

***

Upon waking up in the morning, Heather still felt a lingering sense of dread. Lucinda took her to the shore to engage with some of the staff’s children, but their return occurred in less than an hour. Heather appeared disinterested in playing.

Observing Heather in the living room, Rachelle suggested, “If I were you, I’d confront Ivan. He gave the kid false hope!”

With a heavy sigh, I focused on the glass of juice in my hand and replied weakly, “Let it go. He’ll regret it when he’s older.”

Facing him seemed pointless; I might seem silly in the end. If Maureen’s sway was stronger than its effect on his child, I couldn’t do much. He stuck to his powerful beliefs, and I couldn’t change that.

Heather maintained her silence until we concluded dinner. In an attempt to lift her spirits, I retrieved some ice cream from the freezer.

“Do you want some ice cream?” I offered.

She glanced at me with a melancholic expression and then shook her head. I went up to her and gave her a soft hug.

“How about visiting Myrrh tomorrow?” I suggested.

A faint smile graced her rosy lips. “Really, mommy?”

Her smile broadened as I nodded in approval.

“Yes, baby. We’ll go there at eight in the morning,” I confirmed.

“Yes! I’m going to sleep now.” She rose from her seat and motioned for me to follow her upstairs. “I’ll set the alarm for five.”

“Isn’t that too early, baby?” She wasn’t accustomed to waking up that early.

“Okay, make it six then.” She adjusted the settings on my cellphone.

“We didn’t purchase anything for her, Mommy. We should have bought something for her while we were still in Manila.”

“We bought some toys that you haven’t opened yet, right? And I also bought some clothes. Some have the same design but different colors.” She happily nodded in agreement.

We brought a few of them back when we returned because the clothes and toys her father bought for her were left in his unit. Before we left, we placed everything Ivan gave her in his unit. It was Heather’s idea; that’s how hurt she felt about her father.

After putting the things we planned to take tomorrow into eco-friendly bags, Heather rested on the bed. After she fell asleep, I went downstairs with the intention of working outside for the night.

Rachelle was on the balcony, absorbed in her laptop, but her eyes were focused on the round, shining moon. I tapped her, interrupting her deep thoughts, and she turned to look at me.

“Are you okay?” I inquired.

She initially nodded but then shook her head. I offered her a subdued smile, refraining from prying into details as she wasn’t inclined to share. Recently, she often appeared lost in thought. I couldn’t determine whether it was related to business, her husband frequently being out of the country, or perhaps something else.

“What’s your plan?” she asked, still gazing at the sky.

“No plans. Just go with the flow?” I wasn’t certain if it pertained to Ivan, but ideally, I wished their paths wouldn’t intersect with Heather’s again for the time being. Perhaps later, when she’s of the right age and more cognizant of reality.

“What if he didn’t go to Maureen?” she inquired.

“Chelle, how can you say that? And where could he be?”

“Perhaps he’s truly occupied with work at the company, you know? He’s not just a regular employee with a standard eight-to-five or nine-to-six schedule.”

“I’m not sure, Rachelle. I’d rather not dwell on it. I don’t want to think about him anymore.”

“Okay. If a miracle happens, that will be the time I’ll give you advice.” She smiled and gave a reassuring tap on my shoulder.

I stayed up working until 2 a. m., then got three hours of sleep before waking up at 5 a. m. to get everything ready for our trip to the nearby island.

After delivering our monthly supply assistance, I thought of bringing soup ingredients this time, as they were well-stocked in the pantry. Since there are many native chickens on the island, I planned to buy some to enhance the soup.

***

At six in the morning, the eager child was already awake, and I was delighted to see she was no longer lethargic. Although it wasn’t yet eight in the morning, we set off for the other island.

As the people there saw our boat approaching, they gathered on the shore. When they saw us, they were happy and greeted us warmly. Myrrh and Heather hugged, and I gave Mira, who was busy making vibrant bracelets from painted shells, a kiss on her cheeks.

“I thought you’d be visiting next week…” she remarked while arranging a small table beside her, transforming it into a makeshift workstation.

“Heather was feeling down, so I thought of bringing her here,” I explained.

She looked at Heather and asked, “Has something happened?”

I sadly smiled.

“Indeed, something did happen. So, how was your encounter with your cheating ex?” she inquired, shaking her head.

I began recounting the events. As I narrated, Mira winced and clenched her fists in frustration.

“That’s audacious! Guys like that should have their dicks cut off! If it were me, I might have crushed his balls!” I simply smiled. It took a while before we continued.

“If he pursues and woos you, make it difficult for him,” she advised after a few minutes. She sighed and massaged her temples, shaking her head as if vividly replaying something in her mind.

“If the day comes when you meet your ex, discover you have a child, and he tries to win you back, would you accept?” I curiously asked.

Her eyes turned cold. “No. Twice was enough,” she sighed. “And I’d ensure we never meet again. I’ll grow old and die here. I’ll make sure he will never meet our child.”

I acknowledged with a nod, recognizing that it wasn’t my place to deliver a lecture. I grasped the intricacies of her situation and honored her decision as a mother.

Together, we crafted a nourishing soup, extending the warmth of our meal to the locals. Heather, immersed in joy, engaged in playful moments with Myrrh and the indigenous children.

The children were also thrilled with the new toys they received. We left out the clothes as we were two sets short. We only have six sets, while there are eight little girls here.

We bid our farewells at half-past four in the afternoon. We had to head home because I needed to send an email on my laptop by six.

“We’ll visit them, mommy, okay?” Myrrh insisted to her mother. The mother and daughter had visited there several times before. However, now that more people are aware of Rachelle’s island, they have discontinued their visits.

She steered clear of crowds, anxious that someone might identify her, and her ex-husband might trace her.

We exchanged glances and waved as the boat started its journey, gradually drifting away.

***

Heather, fatigued from the day’s activities, promptly retired to bed upon reaching home. I, too, indulged in a short nap. Yet, with pending work demanding attention, I roused myself at ten in the evening. Descending to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, I discovered Rachelle diligently working on the sofa, and I joined her.

“Lucinda?” I inquired, realizing I hadn’t seen her yet. Earlier, she had left a claim that a lone foreigner had landed on the island. I allowed her to explore, worried she might blame me if she couldn’t find a partner within a reasonable time.

“Speaking of the woman,” Rachelle whispered as Lucinda stepped into the house, still trying to catch her breath.

“Why the heavy breathing? Did you snag a big catch, girl? Looks like you’ve been fooling around on the beach, huh?” I chuckled at Rachelle’s comment.

“Pure wishful thinking,” Lucinda replied, taking a deep breath before turning to me with a serious gaze.

“What I wanted to say is Ivan!”

My eyes widened, and Rachelle raised an eyebrow. Even before Lucinda could finish speaking, it appeared Rachelle had already grasped her message.

Before Lucinda could utter a word, Ivan entered. A staff member accompanied him.

“Ma’am, Sir is looking for you.”

There was a trace of anger in Ivan’s eyes as he glanced at me. I was momentarily stunned, but as I regained my composure, I calmly met his gaze.

“I thought you still had a few days in Manila. Why did you suddenly leave without informing me?”

I maintained a stoic silence, stubborn and with no intention of responding. However, Rachelle and Lucinda couldn’t resist chiming in.

“Why are you even asking?”

“Acting innocent, huh?”

His jaw clenched. “Did I do something?”

“Don’t know? Suffering from amnesia again? Got hit on the head?”

Ivan glared at Rachelle in irritation, but my friend didn’t back down.

“Tell me… I was taken aback when the receptionist informed me you had left. Why? Is it because you no longer want me?” His voice trembled.

“Ivan, playing the innocent card once more?” Rachelle commented, irritated.

“You’ve hurt your family once more, especially Heather. We were expecting you, along with Heather, but you didn’t appear. Later, we learned from the news that you went to the hospital because Maureen had an accident,” Lucinda recounted.

I refrained from interjecting into their conversation with Chelle. It was becoming tiresome to explain things to someone who was feigning ignorance continually. Just like at this moment, he’s pretending as if he’s completely unaware.

“What now? Are you going to deny that you didn’t visit Maureen?” Chelle demanded.

Ivan sighed and shook his head.

“I didn’t visit her. I was in a meeting. Didn’t I text you? Didn’t you receive it?” He took out his phone and showed me his message.

“I have ample evidence that I was in a meeting until three in the morning.”

“Three in the morning? Impressive dedication!” Lucinda and Chelle sarcastically applauded.

“Please, please, can you allow my wife and me to have a proper conversation…” He appealed to the two women.

“Okay.” Lucinda stood up.

“We’ll be in the kitchen,” Chelle said.

After they withdrew, Ivan cautiously came toward me. He knelt at my feet, his eyes red, clearly suppressing tears. The edges of his eyes glistened.

“I didn’t visit her. I promised you. I refrained from going to her even when she called and pleaded, and even when her parents begged… To assure you, I’ll request CCTV footage, including the route the car took before I returned to the rented apartment. I didn’t see her yesterday either. I swear!”

I took a deep breath. “Explain things to Heather. You’ve hurt her once again.”

He nodded, reaching for my hands and bringing them to his lips.

“You made me worry. Thankfully, I managed to persuade Lucinda.”

“Do you two communicate?” I asked with wide eyes.

He smiled subtly and shrugged. That woman, pretending as if nothing happened! She’s in trouble with me.

“Don’t scold her. She just wants us to be happy and have a complete family.”

Was it only Lucinda who desired that?

“I really want us to be okay,” he whispered, his tone filled with tenderness and longing.

“I don’t know, Ivan.”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

He nodded understandingly. “I can wait. I’m ready to make amends. I took a leave from the company. One month.”

“What about your job?”

“For the time being, my dad and brother will handle it. They like having me around and hope we can make up. They really miss Heather and mentioned they miss you, too.”

I miss them too. They became my second family when I lost my parents. They treated me like their own child, and Ivan’s siblings regarded me as their younger sister. Except for Ivan, who made it clear he didn’t like me from the beginning. I felt ashamed in front of his parents, fearing they might think I no longer value them because I moved away because I took their grandchild away.

“Mommy? Mommy!”

We looked upstairs upon hearing Heather’s voice. She woke up and was taken aback to find her daddy there.

Ivan stood up and swiftly climbed the stairs. Heather remained unmoved. It was evident that she refrained from embracing her father, and her lingering resentment was palpable.

In hushed tones, Ivan shared something with her, tears flowing down his cheeks. After a brief pause, our daughter too started weeping.

Ivan gave her a warm hug and whispered. He was explaining and saying sorry to our upset child.