Hiding His Mistress: Diovanni de Marcel | B-1 ✔

Kabanata 1

KABANATA 1

Shuen's POV

Naglakad kami ni Yoghurt papunta sa dining area. Narinig na namin ang tawag ni Amang Linda, ang mayordoma ng pamilya de Marcel. Alam kong abala si Yoghurt dahil may mahalagang meeting siya sa Tagaytay kasama ang mga investors.

Pagdating namin, agad siyang naglabas ng silya para sa akin. Ang simpleng iyon ay talagang nakapagpasaya sa akin, parang sinasabi niyang espesyal ako. Sa tingin ko, lahat ng babae, pati na ako, gustong maramdaman na espesyal sa kanilang mga asawa. Tama ba?

Napanganga ako sa dami ng pagkain sa mesa. "Ang dami naman po ng inihandang agahan, Amang Linda," sabi ko habang tinitingnan ang bawat putahe.

Si Amang Linda ay matagal nang naglilingkod sa pamilya de Marcel. Ayon kay Yoghurt, bata pa siya nang magsimula sa kanilang mansyon. Nang ikasal kami ni Diovanni, inilipat siya ni Mama sa aming bahay para alagaan pa rin si Diovanni.

Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit kailangan pa niya akong tulungan. Nandito naman ako para alagaan si Yoghurt, ang asawa ko. Pero alam kong hindi pa rin ako tanggap ni Mama. Hindi niya ako gusto para kay Diovanni. Pero okay lang, basta mahal ako ng asawa ko.

"Darating sina Donya Feliz at Don Manuel ngayon," sabi ni Amang Linda, habang inilapag ang tasa. "Dito sila mag-aagahan."

I glanced over at Yoghurt, who was absorbed in the news with his coffee, and let out a sigh. "Why didn’t you tell me Mama was coming? I would have dressed up!" I complained.

I was wearing a simple white blouse and leggings, which were perfect for a relaxed day at home. But with Mama’s impeccable style and youthful elegance, I always felt underdressed. I wanted to look my best whenever she visited to avoid any comments about my appearance.

“Cupcake, I had no idea they were coming. No one told me,” Yoghurt replied, hardly looking up from his newspaper. “You know how they are—they just drop by.” I stood up to change, but Yoghurt gently grabbed my hand. “Stay,” he said, putting the paper down and smiling at me. “You look lovely just as you are.”

“But Mama prefers me to dress more formally,” I worried.

“Don’t worry about her, Shuen. You’re perfect in my eyes, no matter what,” he reassured me. A wave of contentment washed over me. “Just sit down and enjoy your meal.”

I smiled at Yoghurt and sat back down, ready to eat. Just then, the front door opened, and Yoghurt's family arrived. Mama and Papa walked in, followed by Arianda, Yoghurt’s younger sister, who was a bit dramatic.

Yoghurt and I stood to greet them. “Why the surprise visit?” Yoghurt asked with a playful grin.

“It was supposed to be a surprise!” Mama laughed, giving her son a kiss on the cheek.

“Good morning po,” I greeted Mama. I was about to give her a kiss, but she held back. I just went up to Papa to greet him.

“I’m glad to see you, Shuen hija,” Papa said.

“Me too, Papa.” I smiled and approached Arianda.

But she shot me a rude glare. “Uh! Did you think I was going to kiss you? No way! Gross!” she replied, rolling her eyes before sitting down next to Papa.

“Arian, don't be rude to my wife,” Yoghurt said firmly. “If you're going to act like that, don’t come to my house. You need to show respect.”

Arian shrank back and apologized. “I’m sorry, Kuya Dio.”

“Don’t apologize to me, apologize to my wife instead.”

“Sorry, Shuen.”

I smiled and sat down. “It’s okay, Arian.”

“Psh, whatever!” she mumbled, but I chose to ignore it.

“What’s wrong with you, Diovanni? Don’t be so harsh to your sister,” Mama scolded.

“Tsk,” Yoghurt replied, just taking a sip of his coffee.

We settled down for breakfast, with Yoghurt and Papa discussing an upcoming business meeting in Tagaytay. A knot formed in my stomach as I knew the conversation would soon shift to me.

“Shuen, any news about your pregnancy? Any cravings?” Mama suddenly asked. I almost choked on my food. “It’s been over two years since you got married; you should be pregnant by now.”

I felt my cheeks flush. I had been trying to get pregnant, but every test had come back negative. Just earlier today, I had another disappointment.

Yoghurt squeezed my hand, silently offering support. I looked at him, comforted by his smile.

“Mama, let’s not rush things. If it’s meant to be, it may happen next year. I don’t want to pressure Shuen,” Yoghurt said gently.

“Feliz, don’t put unnecessary pressure on them. Dio is right,” Papa added. “They just got married; they should enjoy their time together.”

“But Manuel, we’re not getting any younger. We can’t just wait for a grandchild,” Mama complained. She then turned to me. “You should’ve checked if you could have children before getting married! A spouse who can’t bear children isn’t really useful. You can’t call someone a spouse if they can’t give you a child.” With that, Mama stormed off, clearly upset.

Her words hurt. I knew my inability to get pregnant wasn’t something I could control, but her disappointment made me feel guilty and sad. It was painful to be judged for being a woman and a wife.

Yoghurt reached for my hand and stroked my back. “Don’t worry, Cupcake,” he said softly. “It doesn’t matter if you can’t have a child right now. I can wait. Please, cheer up.”

I wiped my tears, but doubts lingered. “What if I can’t have children, Yoghurt? What if I can’t give you a child?”

He looked at me with understanding. “Even if we don’t have kids, I’m grateful to have you. Having you in my life is enough, and my love for you won’t change,” he said, leaning in to kiss me. “I love you, Cupcake, and I see no fault in you.”

I hugged him tightly, finding solace in his embrace. “Thank you, Yoghurt. I love you too.”

“I love you more than anything.”

***