Chapter 1

After giving birth to twins, it was so hard for me to comprehend everything. I still can't believe that I gave birth and now getting married to Master. I still feel the pain from giving birth, and breastfeeding, and I'm exhausted because of lack of sleep. I haven't had enough rest after going home from the hospital for a month. Yes, a month and I don't know why I did agree to stay there. I guess for the sanity of the worrywart so-called father of my twins. Master has been coming in back and forth to the house after his work so he can help me in every way that he can and it is also he who is the most prepared for the wedding. Honestly, I told him not to bother going to the ceremony and all, we can just sign the documents and register it yet… Master bothered me for entire days and nights when he had a time when I told him that, I won't reconsider. He will go all through the trouble just to make me say I'll do the ceremony and all and since he is so persistent, I had no choice but to agree. He kept on bugging me for a week just for me to approve the wedding ceremony that he said he promised to give me.

To be honest, Master isn't hard to love. I just can't imagine myself growing old with him yet it is a different story when it comes to the twins so, I had to agree. Well, I had no choice… my parents want me to get married, or else they will just let Master visit his twins but not be able to bring them with him, especially to his family.

I still remember the day that I said that I won't marry him in front of his family after gathering my family and his family. Our family argued that moment to stop the mess and for me to stay respectful, especially to his parents, I hurt him that day.

*The meeting is settled for each family however, Master and I are not at ease. I am not worried as long as my parents aren't triggered but Master is worried that everyone can tell.

"Hey, Terric! Relax, you look constipated." I joked on.

"How can I relax? My mom is upset with the current situation and is still not able to accept the fact that the paternity test is real. Dad convinces her to come and well, I can tell that she had no choice. My dad's words are like a king's command."

Oh, I see… now, I get why his mother had that kind of facial expression. "Still, you have to relax. I am not sure if this meeting will end up the way we want it but let's hope that it will."

He nods and hugs me. "Thank you, Rackie." He said.

It hasn't been 30 minutes since I heard Master's mother murmured. I look at my sisters and I could tell that they heard it so, when I look at Mama, I knew it… those words that Master's mom triggered her.

"If you are not agreeing with this marriage then, just let us know so we can just make the rules of your son's visitation rights," Mama told them.

"What right do you have to say that? She put her life in endanger when she was pregnant. How can we entrust our grandchildren with that kind of woman like your daughter?" Master's mom said.

They didn't stop exchanging hurtful words and it was chaos. The only rational people are my sisters and Master's sisters-in-law because both of Master's brothers are trying to stop their parents. I can hear Master apologizing to my parents and trying almost begging his parents to stop.

"It's okay," I said. I am just talking to Master who is just near me. "I won't marry you, Terric," I said. I can't marry a person whom I don't love like how he loves me, right? Although, I know it will still work on our end since we are friends.

Master looked at me in disbelief. "What did you say?" his voice is trembling.

"I said, I will not marry you," I replied.

He walked toward me and held my hand. "But, Rackie… we talked about this already, right?" he asks. "We had agreed about this, right?" he said. I felt his hands shaking.

"Yes, but if marrying you will make me disrespect your parents and make me lie to my parents for the sake of harmony then I don't want that harmony at all. We can still be parents to our twins but we won't be a family." I said.

Master loses his strength and kneels before me. His eyes are asking as if he is asking to take back what I said however, I would not back down. His mother walk towards him and try to pull him so he can stand but Master hugged me as tight as he could.

"Rackie, don't be like this… this is not a funny joke at all. I know, I can't undo how my parents insult you and your family but please… don't do this to me," he said as he kept on hugging me while his mother kept on trying to unclasp the way he hugs me.

"I am sorry, Master but this is the only solution we can have," I said and helped his mother to remove his arms wrapped around me.

"Rackie…" he cried. This time, that was a blow to me. I never saw Master cry this hard just to make things go on his way. The way he called my name, I am sure that he is begging. He unwraps his arms around me and looks at my family. "I know, I cannot stop my parents from acting like this right away but let me marry your daughter, Abstract." Tatay and Mama didn't bother to look at him so he faced his father. "Dad, please… I'm not asking too much, right? I want to have a whole family like you and my brothers do. Can't you just give it to me?" he cried. "Please, dad…"

The way he cries is breaking my heart. I walk and stop him to bow and get his head on the floor. "Master, this won't work so, don't do this," I said and tried to pull him up however, I wasn't able to make him move.

"Abstract, I'm begging you… please, don't do this to me. I know, I was wrong about what I did to you that time but please… Abstract." He said as he cried. "You can hurt me with all the way you want, I will endure it but not like this, please… Abstract, I'm already at my knees; give me the chance to make this right."

I close my eyes for a moment. "Master, if you want to beg not to do this to you, make it right. I don't need you to beg like this. Stand upright now before I leave with my family because if I do so, there is no way we can talk about it anymore."

"If I stand up, will you take back what you just said?" he asks.

"Why don't you stand up first so you'll know the answer," I replied as I open my eyes and look at him straight in the eyes.

He finally stood up. I tidy up his clothes and remove the dust on his pants. I combined his hair using my fingers and wiped his tears. "When begging, you don't kneel because I am not God for you to beg and look pitiful…" I started. "…I told you before, right? When you want to beg, you can look at me in my eyes, say what you want to say, and make you that I will feel your sincerity. Now, you have a second chance to do it right."

He tried to calm himself and looked me straight in the eyes. "Abstract, I'm begging you… please, let's get married and have a happy family. I can't promise you that we won't have an argument but what I'm sure of, is I do love you with all my heart, I will do my best to make you happy and to protect you and our children."

"Is that all you want to say?" I asked. He nods as his tears are falling nonstop from his eyes. "Okay, that's what I need to hear. Then, it's settled, no one from any of our family has the right to interfere with our decision for we will be a family, you, me, and our twins. Once we get married, we will not stay with each of our family instead, we will build our own home. Are you clear?" He nods in reply as he kept on crying so; I hugged him to comfort him.*

I know it is cruel of me to do that however, that is all I can do to stop him from begging each of our family like a lost child. It's been a week since he came here to see us and helped me with the twins. I have to go out for a while because I have to check something. I cannot ask anyone since I am alone right now, Hue and Paint are out of the country for their work, and Tatay and Mama our on vacation I insist since they are stressed from the events that happened over the past few months.

Master's phone kept on ringing which is odd because he never let me wait for too long and I have to dial his number again. It took him a few minutes again when he finally answered. "Hello?" a woman on the other line answered.