Inexplicable

As far as she knew, the fancy subdivision Mr. Rodriguez's car entered was part of Pasig. She based it on the addresses she saw printed on the stores, shops, banners of various greetings or events, and road signs they passed by. The traffic made their trip long, and Chelsea fell asleep in the back seat. She even used her bag as a cushion.

She didn't exchange words with the man while they were in the car, but she noticed the mestizo Chinese man sneaking glances at her from time to time. Well, she couldn't help but sneak a peek at him too.

She had been self-conscious about her appearance since earlier. People she interacted with said she was beautiful. She was content with her features - a sharp nose, bright eyes, thin pink lips, fair skin, and an average height of five-four. Even if she wasn't blessed with a prominent physique, she knew how to carry herself in clothes.

She took the pink handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her face.

Wait, why do you even care? she suddenly asked herself.

She looked back at Mr. Rodriguez. His gaze was fixed on the road.

Oh my God! Do I have amnesia and forget that this man is my husband? She remembered what he said to the police earlier.

Impossible. She probably wouldn't forget that. She imagined what it would be like to be married to this man. Not bad at all.

Mrs. Rodriguez is lucky, she thought to herself.

She felt a pinch in her chest. The man was already married. Maybe she just looked like Mrs. Rodriguez. She winced.

"Is your stomach hurting?"

She felt herself straighten up slightly as the man's red face turned towards her. The man's thick eyebrows were raised.

"We're almost there." The man returned his gaze to the road.

Helga adjusted her posture in the seat, feeling the warmth in her cheeks. She had been caught by the man's intense stare. She tried to push any distracting thoughts out of her head since she knew she would be talking to him soon.

The SUV stopped in front of a steel swing gate. Mr. Rodriguez pressed a small, beige device and the gate slowly opened. The man drove the car into a spacious yard.

Helga was greeted by a two-story modern house. The lower half of the wall was made of grey tiles while the upper half was made of buff-colored bricks and glass walls.

The car pulled into a garage with an automatic door that was connected to the house. Mr. Rodriguez and Helga got out of the car, carrying a sleeping Chelsea.

On the right side of the garage was a small door that opened, revealing an older woman in a sky blue scrub-type uniform. Helga guessed that she was the housekeeper.

"Yaya Luring, please help Helga with her things," Mr. Rodriguez instructed the woman.

The woman looked at them in surprise as they approached her.

Helga took the large bag from the housekeeper's right hand. However, the woman tried to grab it back, insisting that she take it.

Mr. Rodriguez took the bags from Helga and gave them to the housekeeper. "Let me handle this," he said.

Yaya Luring smiled at Helga. "You must be Helga," she said softly.

Helga's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Robin always asks about you," the woman continued. "Come on, the little one will be so happy to see you."

Helga felt like a deer in headlights. She suspected that they mistook her for Mrs. Rodriguez.

"Come on, dear." Yaya Luring was waiting for her by the door.

Helga walked nervously behind the woman, anticipating her conversation with Mr. Rodriguez. She didn't plan to lie to him.

The garage was connected to a beige utility room with two pendant light fixtures and several pinlights. A cabinet with a white paint finish was hanging on the wall. Two washing machines were underneath it, and there was a dog wash area beneath a large mirror.

As Helga stepped out of the utility room, the wooden tiles that resembled flesh caught her attention. The air freshener's sweet scent filled her nose. She realized that Yaya Luring had already left her alone, so she followed the door where she had come in.

"Mommy!" A young boy's eyes lit up as he ran towards her as soon as she appeared in the doorway. The child was wearing a tank top and long pants.

Robin, perhaps? He looked a lot like Mr. Rodriguez, only smaller.

Like with Chelsea, Helga felt an inexplicable joy welling up in her chest as she looked at the boy. It was strange, considering that she didn't have any children of her own, but being around these kids made her feel like a mother.

Robin hugged her tightly, jumping with excitement. "I missed you, Mommy!"

Helga put down her bag and kneeled down to embrace him. The child planted a kiss on her cheek.

"I will show you my toys, Mommy! Daddy bought me lots of toys!" Robin exclaimed, tugging her towards the living area.

The living area was a spacious room that housed the kitchen, living room, and dining area side by side. The ceiling was high, painted in a rich chocolate brown color, with a luxurious bronze-colored wrought-iron chandelier hanging in the center. The walls were beige bricks, and the floor was made up of brown wooden tiles.

The room was well-lit, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows in every corner. There were also windows up high, allowing for plenty of natural light to come in.

The kitchen was the first thing she saw when she entered the living area. It was elegantly designed, with a two-door fridge on one side and a door on the other. The range was located in the center with a hood above it, which Helga knew would release smoke when cooking.

Like the utility room, the kitchen was well-lit, with several pinlights illuminating the area.

The living room is separated from the kitchen by a spacious working area. Upstairs, on the second floor, there is a wooden railing painted in chocolate brown.

On one side of the working area is the dining area with a rectangular white six-seater dining table, carpeted underneath. Three pendant lights hang from the ceiling inside transparent glass balls. On each side of the table are tall brown vases with indoor ornamental plants.

In the living room, where Robin pulled her, there is a framed picture of a fireplace on the wall, with a flat-screen television above it.

"Mommy, look!" Robin exclaimed.

Robin showed her the scattered toys in the living room. Various toy cars and robots were on display, some on the glass center table, others on the bright blue sofa set. Throw pillows were also scattered on the floor.

She sat on the sofa and watched Robin play happily by himself.

"Wow, you have so many toys!"

She observed Robin and marveled at how advanced his speech was, just like Chelsea. She wondered if she would be able to keep up with these kids.

"Robin, can I talk to Mommy first?" Mr. Rodriguez appeared from the kitchen door. He may have come from the second floor of the house, where he could see the stairs leading up.

"Okay, Dad. But I will play with Mommy later," Robin said like an older person, still focused on his game.

He stood up, but before leaving, he ruffled the child's hair.