No strings attached |(UNDER REVISION)

Chapter 40- Trapped love

I won't break.

Not in front of him. Not for him.

I reached for the bottle of wine and poured myself another glass, my hands trembling slightly. The red liquid swirled in the glass, much like the storm raging inside me.

You're my wife. Act like it.

Adrian's words echoed in my head, but they meant nothing to me. He could control my life, my choices, my freedom-pero hindi niya kailanman makukuha ang puso ko.

Because my heart... it never left her.

It still belonged to Mikha.

It always would.

I took a deep breath and downed the wine in one go, letting the burn settle in my throat. She's happy now. Ganun ba talaga? Ganun ba kadali para sa kanya?

Hindi ko alam kung anong mas masakit-ang makita siyang may iba o ang realization na wala na akong lugar sa buhay niya.

Five years. Five fucking years. I had endured it all-loneliness, heartbreak, the suffocating weight of this life I never wanted-all for her.

Para lang maprotektahan siya.

Para lang siguraduhin na hindi siya masasaktan ng mga taong nanakit sa akin.

But now, standing here in this empty room, I couldn't help but wonder-

Did I make the right choice?

Or did I just destroy the only love I ever truly had?

I felt a small tug on my dress.

"Mommy?"

I quickly wiped the unshed tears from my eyes before looking down. The little girl stared up at me with wide, curious eyes, her tiny fingers gripping the fabric of my dress.

I forced a smile. "Yes, baby?"

She tilted her head. "Are you sad?"

My throat tightened. Was I that easy to read?

I crouched down to her level, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "No, sweetheart. Mommy's just tired."

She pouted, clearly not convinced. "But your eyes look like you wanna cry."

I exhaled softly, cupping her small face. "Sometimes, even grown-ups feel sad. But it's okay."

She wrapped her little arms around my neck, pulling me into a hug. "Don't be sad, Mommy. I love you."

A sharp pang hit my chest.

She was innocent-oblivious to the reality of the world she was born into. She didn't know about the lies, the sacrifices, the pain I carried every single day.

She didn't know that the love I had given up everything for... wasn't the one I found in this life.

I held her close, shutting my eyes as I whispered, "I love you too, baby. So, so much."

And for now, that had to be enough.

I tightened my arms around her, letting myself drown in the warmth of her small embrace. For a fleeting second, it almost felt real-like she was mine.

But she wasn't.

She was never mine.

"Aurora," Adrian's voice cut through the moment like a blade.

The little girl-Aurora-pulled away and turned to him with a bright smile. "Daddy!"

My stomach twisted as I watched her run into his arms. He lifted her effortlessly, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead, his expression shifting into something softer, something almost... human.