The CEO’S Orphan Wife

Heather remained motionless.

“Heather, baby?” Her father gently caressed her cheek, planting a kiss on her head before lifting her. Despite her lack of resistance, Heather remained silent. Observing her joy upon her father’s arrival, I detected it in the way she looked at him while they descended the stairs. Tears welled up in her eyes, and I felt a deep sympathy for our child, who was deeply affected by our situation.

Letting out a sigh, I tried to shake off the bitterness that surrounded me.

Ivan and I exchanged glances. A faint smile adorned his lips. I simply looked at him, concealing the bitterness within. I refused to reveal any vulnerability.

“Are you still upset with Daddy?” he gently inquired, his fingers tracing the contours of our daughter’s cheek. Heather pouted, her nose and cheeks still red from crying.

Ivan explained, ” I didn’t visit that woman because Daddy was working overtime. I won’t meet her again, as I don’t want to break my promise or hurt Heather’s heart. Daddy also doesn’t want to hurt Mommy again; he loves you and your mommy. ”

Heather’s delicate lips trembled, holding back words. In silence, tears gathered beneath her eyes, slowly amassing until they gracefully cascaded down.

” Daddy loves you and Mommy dearly. I desperately want you back in my life. Please don’t be mad at Daddy. I promise not to make Mommy or Heather cry again.”

Heather responded, “I saw it on the news. Your girlfriend was in the hospital.”

Ivan let out a groan. It was clear our daughter was displeased with the words spoken and was mulling it over. Well, it’s his fault, and should be the one to clarify things to our child.

“She’s not my girlfriend, baby. Well, she used to…” He looked at me as if seeking help in explaining and making our child understand. I snorted.

“Your mommy is the one I love. She’s the one I married.”

Oh, come on!

He brushed away our daughter’s tears.

Our baby daughter stayed upset even after he explained what happened because she had been eagerly waiting for her father to return until that night. Having seen the news, I assumed that his presence there was the reason he hadn’t returned that night.

But I’m glad that he came all the way here to explain. To prove that he kept his promise-that this time he is true to his words.

Ivan whispered in our child’s ear. Heather was also quietly listening.

“I love you, baby.”

She pouted her lips. I believe she’s okay now. Seeing Heather happy brings joy to me as well. Who wouldn’t want their child to be happy? Even if that joy might be my downfall because Ivan’s presence serves as a reminder of the pains I am determined never to endure again.

Yes, I am not ready to accept him yet. I’ve moved on, I’ve forgotten, but the pain I endured with him planted fear in my heart.

What if… he hurts me again? What if…

“Mommy, Daddy is here!”

I snapped back to reality when Heather took hold of my hands, gently shaking them to get my attention.

Yes, sweetheart. I saw. Your daddy is indeed here.

I smiled and embraced her. She briefly looked at me and returned the smile.

“Are you okay?” Ivan inquired by my side. I nodded slightly.

“Don’t you believe what I said?”

I maintained my silence. I trust him, but lingering doubts persist. Perhaps I haven’t fully healed yet, which is why I can’t wholeheartedly embrace him.

After all, we only recently reconnected. It’s been just a few days since he confessed his love for me. He declared I am the one he loves, choosing me without actively seeking me. His love existed even before the accident, though he didn’t overtly express it, valuing his first love more at the time.

It’s only been a few days. Ugh! I want to avoid over-analyzing. My thoughts are becoming entangled once more.

***

Ivan was checked in on one of the villas on the island. He noted that his belongings, as well as the items he had bought for both me and Heather, were there. He expressed his dissatisfaction because we had left even the jewelry he had given me at the rented apartment.

He gazed at me, anticipating my words, yet my lips stayed closed. He feigned a smile and then reached out to touch my hand.

“I know it’s hard, but you are willing to give it a try, right?” There’s hesitation and concern in his eyes.

I still can’t speak. I know my silence frustrates him, but I can’t force myself to say yes. He nodded and sighed.

***

It was already 10 in the evening, and we were still in the living room. Heather was wide awake, seated on her father’s lap, engrossed in playing with her favorite doll.

“It’s ten now. Heather needs to rest,” I said. However, the challenge is how to detach her from her father at this moment.

“Would you sleep in our room, Daddy?” Ivan stifled a laugh while shooting me a glance.

“Daddy will stay in the villa, baby,” I interjected. Her father can’t sleep in our room. Heather frowns. “Why?”

“Because he checked in there,” I explained.

“But why, mommy? Why did Daddy check in there? The bed upstairs is big enough.”

Here’s what I anticipated as I looked meaningfully at Ivan. I want him to explain and convince his daughter that he needs to go back to the villa.

“Umm…” Ivan scratched his head. It’s clear he doesn’t like what I wanted. He wanted to sleep next to us.

“Daddy’s things are in the villa?” he whispered to his daughter.

“Let’s get them. Let’s ask Uncle Dagul to get them,” Heather suggested, referring to the resort staff.

“Mommy…”

“Uncle Dagul was busy,” I reasoned.

Heather took a moment to ponder. She even shifted her position to face me.

“Mommy, let’s sleep in Daddy’s villa instead.”

This is exactly what I’ve been talking about. Explaining things to her that might lead to an argument would be difficult, which is why I remained silent.

“Okay, if you want to go there…”

Ivan smiled.

“You and Daddy can sleep there.” I returned the smile.

“How about you?” Ivan’s smile faded, and disappointment was clearly visible on his face.

“Why just us?” Heather inquired. They both asked simultaneously.

“I’ll stay here… I still have a lot of work to do.”

Ivan frowned, and Heather mirrored his expression. Wow! He already has an ally.

“It’s late; make a decision,” Rachelle interjected as she took another sip of coffee.

“Let’s sleep there, Mommy.”

“Just bring your work there, Mommy.”

What else could I do?

“Fine. Let’s go, so you can sleep right away.”

I carried two-weekend bags while Ivan carried his child. We headed to his villa.

“Did you like the place we’re staying, Daddy?”

“Uh-huh…”

“The island is beautiful, isn’t it, Daddy?”

“Yes, baby. It’s really beautiful, and it became even more beautiful because of your mommy.”

I expressed my exasperation with a roll of my eyes.

Due to the lateness of the hour, Heather promptly fell asleep upon our arrival at the villa.

Seated at the table, I typed while Ivan held his phone. Glancing at him, he adjusted his sitting position and momentarily set aside his phone when he noticed my gaze. He approached me, surprising me by placing his phone beside my laptop.

“Why?” I wondered, looking at him.

“You are free to check my phone.”

“Why bother? I’m not interested, and I don’t want to do it either.”

“I want to rebuild your trust.”

I’m sure he has already deleted messages and other things on his phone, so I don’t need to delve into it further. I return my gaze to the laptop.

“Go to sleep,” I say calmly. “Lie down next to your daughter.”

“Okay. Don’t stay up too late. I’ll leave a space for you on the other side of the bed. Goodnight, love…”

I gently nibbled on my lower lip, momentarily captivated by his words. Warmth gathered in the corners of my eyes. Maintaining my seated position, I remained still for a few moments. Only when I was certain he had drifted into sleep did I shift my gaze toward the bed.

He cradled his child, and Heather’s feet dangled over his legs. A smile played on my lips. I yearned for things to always be like this, shielding my child from any suffering he might cause.

I found it challenging to focus on my task, and sleep continued to evade me. My attention wandered to his phone, which was lying nearby. I instinctively pressed it, my eyes widening in disbelief as my picture from my college days appeared on the screen.

Why did he choose this image as his lock screen? And there’s a password! He provided it, but it turned out to be locked. I pressed it, contemplating numerical combinations for his password.

I attempted his birthday, but it didn’t unlock. His anniversary with Maureen was the next attempt, yet it wasn’t the password either. I then tried the woman’s birthday. Heather’s birthday? Still no luck. Hesitant to enter my own birthday, thinking it might not be his password, I was proven right.

Ugh! Whatever. He made it challenging. He’s just causing me a headache.

On my final attempt, I entered our wedding anniversary. To my surprise, I gasped. That was his password! My hands trembled as I gripped his phone. The wallpaper displayed a picture of Heather.

I navigated to his gallery, filled with images and videos of Heather, captured back when we were in Manila. There were also pictures of me, seemingly taken from my old social media account from college, which I can no longer access.

I visited his social media account, and I was met with a barrage of messages from women attempting to connect with him. The conversation with Maureen hasn’t been erased, but I opted not to open it to shield myself from potential pain.

Nevertheless, my curiosity got the better of me, and I delved into the text messages. Among them were numerous texts from women, some identifying themselves as the daughters of businessmen and politicians.

Surprisingly! I couldn’t fault them, especially considering the liberated nature of some affluent individuals around him. Ivan remains unresponsive to their messages, even those dating back three to four years, which he hasn’t deleted.

I also checked Maureen’s text messages. There was no response from him to the woman. As I scrolled to the end, I found that he had replied to her only once, and that was four years ago. He mentioned being busy during that time. It’s possible he acquired this phone four years ago.

I set his phone aside. Should I also check his emails? My eyes were already sore. I didn’t want to painstakingly read through Maureen’s melodramatic messages, reminiscent of a soap opera.

A bitter smile played on my lips as I observed him peacefully sleeping. I lay down on the side and drifted off to sleep.

***

I had a peaceful night’s sleep, and when I woke up, it was already nine o’clock. If not for the disturbance caused by two people fooling around beside me, I might not have been stirred from my slumber.

“Mommy, it’s already nine!”

“Good morning…”

“Morning,” Ivan greeted with a smile. It appeared as though they had just awakened as well.

“I’ve already ordered our breakfast.”

I stretched and rose from the bed.

“Mommy, I told Daddy that we should take a stroll on the island!”

Heather surprised me. On the island? To Mira’s place?

“No, that’s not possible, dear!”

They were both taken aback by my shout. I, too, was surprised by my own voice.

“We’ll go there later,” I corrected in a softer voice.

“Why? Daddy also wants to go there,” Heather stated.

Ivan raised an eyebrow, seemingly doubting me.

“Do you have a suitor on that island?”

“What?” And I’m the one being doubted. “Of course not!”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“Why don’t you want us to go there?”

“There’s no reason! Let’s just go there some other time.”

I took my phone from the side and searched for Mira’s number. Ivan looked at me suspiciously, and I gave him a defiant look in return.