Lahat ng Kabanata ng GUILTY DEVOTION: Kabanata 131 - Kabanata 140

The silence in the house was loud as we stared at each other. Mum’s face had gone pale with fury after Ryan’s poison had spilled into her ears.“Mum, please…” I followed her across the living room, hands trembling, and my voice cracking. “I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner, but.. but…”She stopped at my statement. She stood there stiff, her shoulders rising and falling like she could barely breathe. But she didn’t turn to face me even as I talked. She didn’t say a word with all that I had said.“Mum,” I tried again, tears burning my throat. “I didn’t betray you. I like him. I was the one that liked him first. Long before I even admitted it to myself, I couldn’t stop thinking about him and I found peace with him. You’ve seen me; you know how happy I’ve been in these past few months, you even confirmed it; do you remember? Doesn’t that matter anymore? Don’t you want me to be happy like I have been?”Her silence sliced sharper than any words could; she didn’t have any response to

I had never been good at hiding secrets, but this one sat inside me like a ticking bomb because I dared not spill it except I wanted my head rolling on the floor. Every morning I woke up, my hand went to my stomach as if to remind myself that it wasn’t a nightmare, that there really was a tiny life growing there. Nicholas’s life. My life and our life.And yet, the last thing I could do was tell my mother. Not when she still moved around the house like a typhoon waiting to take over the entire city.She had stopped ignoring me, but we weren’t us again. Her words came in clipped instructions, her gestures deliberate. The love was there with the tiny gestures like dinner cooked, laundry folded, and the occasional blanket tugged over me when I fell asleep on the couch, but it was silent love, unspoken, and very fragile.One afternoon, she appeared at the dining table where I was pushing food around my plate.“Cassandra,” she said, her voice firm but not unkind. She would only call me that

The air in Victoria’s living room was stiff, almost too quiet for comfort. The clock ticked against the wall, each sound sharp enough to cut through the silence that clung to the furniture, the decor, and even the faint scent of the lavender candle she had lit earlier in the day.Cassie sat on the edge of the couch, her palms sweating and heart beating in uneven bursts, while Ryan leaned casually against the armrest, a little too relaxed for someone who had just detonated a bomb.Victoria stood by the window, one hand pressed tightly against the curtain as though she needed something solid to anchor herself. Her eyes were extremely sharp, heavy, and void of expression. They moved from Ryan to Cassie and back again.When she finally spoke, her voice was low and tight, as though each word scraped her throat raw.“Pregnant?” she repeated, the single word trembling with disbelief. She turned fully now, her posture rigid. “Ryan says you’re pregnant? And he..” She jabbed a finger toward him

The waiting room smelled faintly of disinfectant and mint. Cassie sat stiffly in a chair, her fingers knotted together so tightly her knuckles ached. Around her, women leafed through magazines, some rubbing their bellies in quiet rhythm, others chatting with partners who leaned close to comfort them. The low hush of conversation should have been soothing. Instead, it pressed against her like a suffocating board, every laugh and whisper reminding her of what she didn’t have.Ryan sat beside her, legs spread comfortably, and phone in hand. He looked casual, almost proud, as though waiting for an interview he knew he’d ace. Every so often, he leaned back and adjusted his jacket, drawing glances from people nearby. He had that way of fitting into any room, of making himself look like he belonged. She hated it.When the nurse finally called her name, Ryan jumped up first. “That’s us.” He said it smoothly, loudly enough for others to hear. Us.As though they were a pair, as though the baby

That night, the sky was merciless. Thunder rolled over the city like an angry god, and the rain came down so hard it almost tore the building down. Nicholas stood there, soaked to the bone, his fingers trembling around his phone as he dialed Cassie's number for what felt like the hundredth time.The number you are trying to reach is currently not available. Please try again later.The automated voice cut through the downpour, sterile and cruel. He gritted his teeth and hit the redial button. Same response. Again and again. This had been going on for about three months, but he wasn't near the giving-up line.When he looked up at her house, the curtains were drawn. But through the soft light inside, he could make out a silhouette by the window, indicating that Victoria was inside. She stood perfectly still, her arms folded, and watched him get beaten mercilessly by the rain.He raised a hand, desperately and silently pleading for her to come out. To open the door and say something, but