Her Unwanted Marriage | MikhAiah

Chapter 7

CAIUS'S POV

The sound of the waves filled the quiet evening air. From a distance, I saw her—sitting on the sand, her back slightly hunched, as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. Even from afar, I could tell she was crying.

I don't usually concern myself with other people’s emotions. It's not my style. But there was something about her that made it impossible to just walk away. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit ako narito. This wasn't part of my plan, yet here I am.

WTH Caius?

Lumapit ako nang dahan-dahan hanggang sa makaupo ako sa tabi niya. Tahimik lang, hindi siya tumingin. She didn't need to. I could feel her sadness hanging heavily in the air, pressing down on both of us.

She looked out at the ocean, her tears falling quietly down her cheeks. Her eyes, though red and puffy, held a kind of strength I couldn't ignore. Fragile yet unyielding. She was a contradiction I couldn't look away from.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees as I watched the waves crash onto the shore. Words didn't feel necessary right now, but the silence wasn't comfortable either. It was heavy, filled with unspoken emotions I wasn't used to dealing with. Nang naramdaman kong kumalma na siya ng konti tyaka ako ng salita.

"Wag mong hayaan na umiiyak ka... Hindi bagay sa mga mata mo ang lumuha." hindi siya sumagot, nanatili lang siyang tahimik at nakatingin sa dagat na malayang nakakagawa ng maliliit na alon.

I thought about everything I'd learned about her. How her family treated her, how she ended up in this loveless marriage with Mikhael, how she buried herself in her work as a model. Sa lahat ng nalaman ko tungkol sa kanya, isang bagay lang ang malinaw—she deserved better.

I took a deep breath, staring at the horizon. My mind was conflicted, but one thought stood out. I wanted to know more about her, to understand the pain she was carrying.

Tumingin ako sa kanya ulit, and for a moment, she glanced back at me. Those eyes—vulnerable yet fierce, full of questions yet refusing to ask—held me in place. Hindi siya nagsalita, pero parang mas may sinasabi ang katahimikan niya kaysa sa mga salitang naririnig ko sa araw-araw.

Napangisi ako nang bahagya, kahit sa sarili ko. Not a mocking smile, but a realization. I wasn't just curious about her anymore—I was invested. And that was dangerous.

"Bakit palagi akong umiiyak?" she whispered, her voice breaking. Hindi niya ako tinatanong, pero parang hinayaan niya akong marinig ang tanong niya para sa sarili.

Hindi ako sumagot. I didn't have an answer for her. I just let her be, sitting there as the waves kept rolling in, trying to wash away whatever it was she couldn't let go of.

I leaned back, resting my hands on the sand, my gaze fixed on her profile. "What would you do, Mikhael, if you knew I was interested in your wife?" I thought to myself. It wasn't a game or a challenge. This time, I was serious.

Hindi ko alam kung anong mangyayari pagkatapos nito, but for now, being here felt enough. And for once in my life, I was willing to wait and see where this would lead.

Tahimik lang kaming dalawa, pareho naming pinapakinggan ang alon na parang nagkukuwento ng mga bagay na hindi namin kayang sabihin. Hindi ko alam kung gaano katagal kaming nagtagal nang ganito, pero sa sandaling iyon, parang sapat na ang presensya ko sa tabi niya.

Bigla siyang nagsalita, boses niya mababa, halos mahirap marinig sa ingay ng dagat.

"Sa tingin mo… Caius..." she hesitated, her voice trembling. "...deserve ko bang mabuhay sa ganitong mundo?" she asked innocently but full of pain. Darn.