Chapter 3

“Where do you think you are going?” A voice from her behind was filled with anger.

The voice was so familiar to her, and it made her startled. She was shocked that she was frozen, and she couldn’t turn her head to look and confirm who was the owner of the voice that she heard.

She couldn’t say anything else but the words,” Please, let us go,” she said in a low and pleading voice.

She was wondering how Xandro was able to follow her at the bus station. Her heart was beating so fast and she felt like she had difficulty breathing.

Maricris was in the queue for buying tickets in the bus station going to Manila. She was ready to change her life and her children but moving far from this place.

She was determined to go far from this place even if it means being away from her mother. She would endure that than her children to be used for the selfish ambitions of Xandro’s family. She couldn’t believe how they could even take everything that they had done to her and her children.

His parents’ gesture just gave her more reason not to get associated with their family.

It was clear that they didn’t care about her and her children but only the image that they had in the public. Based on his father’s words, it was obvious that they were just there to show everyone that they had been on good terms with them, and they had tried to reach out.

Though she couldn’t see Xandro, she could feel his sharp gazes at her. She couldn’t believe why he was here when he was mainly the reason why she wanted to go away from this place. He walked out of their lives and why was he stopping them now?

“No, you can’t! So, you are running away, and you will bring my children with you? Is that right?” He said in a growling voice. It was as if he was ready to wreck her neck if they were not just in a public place.

She was thankful that there were a lot of people on where they were. At least, the man would not be able to hurt her. She knew that it would be the least thing that he could do because if he would lay a finger on her then it would mean the end of his father’s political career.

“Please, let us go far away from here. I promise that we are not going to disturb you for the rest of our lives,” she said in a crack voice. She tried to act as if everything was fine so they wouldn’t call everyone’s attention at the place.

She wanted to stay calm so she could think of what she should be doing.

“No, if you want to go far away then leave alone. Give my children to me,” Xandro said in a firm tone and then he went in front of her where she was pushing the twins’ stroller.

“No, please, no. Xandro, I am begging you. Please leave my children along with me,” she said in a begging voice. “Isn’t it what you wanted?” She asked him.

As she remembered that day when he left saying that he loved someone else, and he couldn’t stand a day with her presence anymore. She couldn’t understand the reason why he was stopping her from going away.

All she wanted was to forget everything that he and his family had done to her. Was that even difficult to give to her?

“No, you cannot get any of them,” Xandro picked up her son and she pushed him. She didn’t let him take her daughter. So, she took her daughter from the stroller and they both ran away.

With a heavy heart, she left her son to Xandro. She could feel her tears flowing from her eyes, but she didn’t stop from running away from the man.

She continued running without knowing where she was going. She had no idea if someone was next to her or not. She just wanted to run away from Xandro and his family. There was a bus suddenly stopped and without hesitation she ran inside as soon as the door opened.

“Miss, where are you going?” The barker asked as soon as she sat down.

She didn’t know what to say because she didn’t know where it was heading.

“Please take me wherever this bus is going then I will go there,” she replied and tried to calm herself.

She didn’t want anyone to know that she was running away because they might point her to Xandro.

Though confused with what she said, the barker just nodded. His face was full of confusion while he was giving her a ticket, but she didn’t care.

At that moment, all she wanted to do was for her to get away from the place. She would just inform her mother about what happened.

Suddenly, she felt like there was a pinch in her heart when she remembered that her son was with Xandro.

“This bus is heading to Baguio City.”

She just nodded. It didn’t matter to her where she was heading and what was waiting for her to the place where the bus would take her.

There’s one thing for sure, wherever they were heading, she would do her best to change her life and her daughter.

“Okay, I don’t mind. Let’s go there,” she replied to the barker and the bus driver. The determination was in her voice and she couldn’t help but close her eyes.

She didn’t want to cry anymore. She had shed enough tears because of Xandro and his family. This should be the start of a new beginning for her. A sweet bitter new beginning because she had lost her son.

Maricris could feel her heart beating so fast while she was already seated on the vacant chair. She was hoping that Xandro already stopped following her.

She didn’t mind where this bus was heading. All she wanted to do was to run away from the place.

Though her heart was bleeding because she had to leave her son. But, she had no choice but to run away from Xandro. She would rather take her daughter away than to stay with him and make her life like a living hell.

She was just praying that they wouldn’t mistreat her son because after all, he was their own flesh and blood. She was silently hoping that Xandro would take care of their child even if he found a woman he would marry.

A woman that was deserving as per his family’s qualification. Unlike her, she was just an ordinary person and didn’t deserve to be a part of their family. They looked so high of themselves, and she hated them.

She felt like she was stabbed right in her heart. She fell asleep with tears in her eyes.

She felt so exhausted because of running away as she carried her daughter. She looked at her little girl and she was sleeping peacefully in her arms.

She felt a pat on her shoulders, so she slowly opened her eyes. She saw that it was the barker, and he was looking at her.

Her eyebrows were knitted together wondering why the man had awakened her up.

“Miss, we are having a stopover and you might want to use the washroom. We still have to travel for a couple of hours,” the man said as he woke her up.

Maricris roamed around her gaze, and she saw that the bus was already empty. Some were still sleeping while some were outside of the bus heading to restaurants and some people going to the washroom since they would still have a long journey before they reach their destination.

She looked at the man and then her innocent daughter who was quietly sleeping.

“Can I leave her to you?” She asked while looking at her daughter.

The man smiled at her and then he nodded his head.

“Sure, since she’s sleeping. It should be okay,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said and then smiled at the man.

Maricris let the man take her child and then she stood up. The man sat on the chair that she left.

She walked out of the bus and when she was already in the midway, she turned her head and she saw the man was touching her daughter’s face.

She could say that the barker was trustworthy, and she should not get worried.

After that she continued her way out of the bus as she tried to calm herself down.

Maricris used the washroom and then she bought everything that she needed for her journey while she was still in the bus and until they reached their destination. She was grateful that she had her children’s bag with her when she ran with her daughter.

She fished out her phone from her pocket but from her dismay it was already out of battery. She just decided to get a place where she could charge it as soon as they arrived in Baguio.

After she got everything that she needed, she went back to the bus.

Her eyebrows were knitted when she couldn’t see the man and her daughter in the place where she had left them.

She could feel her heart start to pound inside her ribcage. Fear overwhelmed her and she couldn’t help but think that Xandro had caught them, and he took her daughter away from her as well.

She felt like she was getting drained, but she tried to keep herself strong. She had to calm down so she could think clearly.

Maricris roamed her gaze around and then she heard her daughter’s little giggles. She felt relieved because she was just around, and she was not taken by her father.

She saw her daughter and the barker were playing in the backside of the bus where the other barkers were also there. They were not on duty and sleeping.

She felt relieved when she found her child. She put all the stuff that she bought in the corner and then she went to the backside of the bus.

Her daughter was the only one left to her and she couldn’t imagine what would happen to her if she would lose her.

“Oh, here’s your mommy, sweetie,” the barker said, smiling at her.

“Thank you for taking care of my daughter,” she said and then smiled at the man.

She was thankful that there were still people like this man who would be willing to help a stranger like her.

“No issues. I am happy to help beside you have an adorable daughter,” he said.

“Thank you. You are right. She’s indeed so adorable,” she said while looking at her little girl’s innocent face. She had no idea that she was just separated from her twin brother.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking but I just saw you earlier like you are running away from someone. Is everything okay?” The man asked full of concern.

She nodded her head and then she smiled.

“Yes, everything is okay. I am just in a hurry to catch the bus,” she replied.

Maricris couldn’t tell him her situation. At this point, she couldn’t just easily trust anyone. She didn’t want to reveal to anyone her identity because she was afraid that Xandro and his family might be able to track her.

She had no idea how safe it would be to trust people she just met, especially a man. Though she had trusted her earlier because of the call of nature and thinking that they were in the bus station.

But what happened when she came back, she almost had a heart attack. She promised herself that this would be the last time that she would entrust her daughter and leave her to a stranger.

Though she didn’t do anything wrong but just helped her.