My Boss Is My Ex-Husband (COMPLETED)

CHAPTER 3

Althea POV

AS he turned to face me, my jaw dropped and my eyes widened in shock. "Grandpa!" I exclaimed when I recognized him, the side of my ex-husband.

"Apo!" he greeted me with a warm embrace. "I miss you. Where have you been for the past five years?" he asked as we hugged.

"Sorry, Grandpa. I didn't inform you about my plans... after we broke up with Blake." I pulled away from the hug and looked at him.

"I'm sorry, apo, about what happened between the two of you," he said, his tone filled with pity. I forced a smile in response.

I didn't want his sympathy, I just wanted to be normal with him. That's why I accepted Kayzer's offer to return to the Philippines—I wanted to prove to myself that I had moved on. I felt sorry for Kayzer when he saw me sad, he blamed himself for not fighting for me against Blake.

"Granpa, okay lang po," I paused for a moment. "And I am happy right now." Yes, it was true. I was happy and content with what I had.

He returned to his seat. "That's good to hear." I could sense his disappointment. Grandpa was one of the closest people to me. He was the one who set up my wedding with Blake because he wanted me to be his apo's wife. But suddenly, Blake didn't feel the same way about me.

"Take a seat," he said, gesturing to the chair across from him. "So, you're applying to be a secretary?"

"Yup, Grandpa. You're the CEO of this company?" I asked, surprised by my own question.

"Ahh... n-no, I'm the president. The CEO is out of the country, handling some paperwork," he stammered.

"Who is the CEO—" he cut me off.

"So, shall we start?"

I felt something strange but brushed it aside, simply nodding in response.

After several minutes, the interview concluded. I knew I had given my best, and I hoped to be accepted. He said he would call me. I headed home quickly because I promised my son we would bond today. He wanted to see my favorite places in the Philippines, special spots that brought me joy during my sad times. Those were the places I would go when I felt hurt, especially when Blake made me feel unloved.

Sometimes I wondered to myself, what if I had told Blake that we had a child? Would he have changed? Would we have been happy? Would he have accepted us?

"Who are you kidding, Althea? You know he doesn't love you. You're just forcing yourself on him."

But I was still happy because if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have my son. The trials I faced made me stronger. If you confront your problems instead of running away, you'll find happiness behind the tears.

I didn't realize I had arrived home. I knew my son was excited to bond with his father. Yes, I accepted that Kayzer was Blaze's recognized father, and I was happy with him—something I never experienced with Blake. I wasn't comparing them, Kayzer was just different. His love felt genuine.

"Mommy!" Blaze shouted excitedly, clearly eager to see me. He was all dressed up, ready for our day out. He hugged me tightly, and I hugged him back.

"Ang cute naman ng baby ni Mommy!" I exclaimed, admiring him. He was wearing a blue T-shirt that matched his striped shorts and blue shoes. I noticed Kayzer coming out of the other room, and I shook my head, rolling my eyes. From his shoes to his hair, they looked so alike.

"How about the interview?" he asked, leaning down to kiss my forehead.

"It's fine," I smiled at him. "And you two are so matched in your outfits! What about me?" I added playfully, pretending to pout.

"Mommy, ang pangit mo. Diba, Daddy?" Blaze chimed in, and Kayzer nodded in agreement. What? Am I ugly?

"Sa ganda ba naman ng mommy mo" I teased.

"Maganda ka naman, hon, kapag tulog!" he laughed.

"What?" I exclaimed, and they both ran away, laughing. "Gusto niyo talaga akong inisin, noh?" I chased after them, joining in their playful antics. We arrived at the park, a place I had missed. I took in the surroundings, recalling the mango tree in the distance, a tree that had been my companion during my tears. It was under that tree where I would go to cry and laugh. I smiled bitter sweetly as memories flooded back.

"Long time no see..." I thought to myself.

I missed the weather and atmosphere of the Philippines. We were going to have a picnic here. As we walked toward a shaded area, I heard a child crying and stopped to look around. There were many people here since it was the weekend and the weather was beautiful. My gaze landed on a little girl who was crying, so I approached her gently.

"Hey, baby, why are you crying?" I asked as she looked up at me. I smiled at her, she was adorable with ribbons in her hair and a pink dress.

"N-naliligaw po ako," she said, wiping her tears.

"Shhh... hahanapin natin ang parents mo. Come here," I said, extending my hand. Hesitantly, she took it, and together we began to search for her family.

Someone's POV

"Where the hell did you bring my daughter?!" I shouted in frustration.

"Darling, I left her for just a moment to buy ice cream, but when I returned, she was gone. I'm sorry," she replied. We were supposed to be having a family bonding day since I had just returned from abroad. I wanted to make up for lost time with my daughter, but she was trying to hide her from me.

I knew she had intentionally lost our child. She was possessive when it came to me and didn't want my daughter around. She often said our child was just a distraction.

"If anything happens to my daughter, I swear I'll kill you!" I shouted, my voice deep and threatening. I meant it, if anything happened to her, I would make her pay.

Just then, I felt her arms wrap around me from behind.

"Don't look for her. I'm here, ready to make you happy," she said.

"I don't want you!" I replied, trying to shakeoff her grip. "Remember this: I don't want you." I turned away from her,determined to find my daughter. She was the light of my life, the reason Ipushed through everything. I couldn't lose her.

-YUMEKO ✓