“TRUTH WILL OUT”

The next morning, it was Marius whom I found busy preparing breakfast. I knew why. It was because of what Lena did yesterday, which led Marius to talk to Nana Lourdes and ask her not to come over for the time being. I didn't want that. The truth was, it was my fiancé's decision. I tried to stop him because Nana Lourdes had no idea about her niece's actions. But Marius didn't listen.

"Good morning!" Marius greeted me cheerfully that morning.

As was usual, I had already showered before coming downstairs. Marius had finished setting the table.

"Come, let's have breakfast so we can head out," he said, pulling out a chair for me to sit.

I smiled at him and followed suit.

"You really didn't let Nana Lourdes in?" I asked as he started serving rice onto my plate.

Marius just shrugged. "For the time being. I didn't like what her niece did. Although you're right. The old lady had nothing to do with it, but I'm trying to avoid giving Lena another reason to come here. The truth is, I'm also planning to hire someone else to look after you here. I'll start working next week. And with Nana Lourdes, it seems like I won't be bothered by her niece's actions."

That was Marius's lengthy explanation to me, and like me, he also started eating.

"I think, Marius, I might want to go back to Manila," I heard myself say after a few moments of silence.

That was true. I had been contemplating how to tell Marius the truth for quite some time now. But because I was afraid he might ask me about it, I hesitated. However, now that even Nana Lourdes was involved in what was happening, I felt like regretting not telling him sooner.

"W-What?" Marius's reaction was just as I expected.

Truth be told, I felt a bit giddy at that moment. Because in a way, I seemed to have already memorized how my fiancé would react and think. But as I remembered everything and why the accident happened, it was like a cold hand gripped my heart.

It seemed like my pretense wasn't a good idea. I would be forced to pretend that I wasn't affected by everything I learned. I needed to pretend that I didn't know anything, so I could still be happy.

I sighed at that thought, not realizing it had reached Marius's ears.

"Is everything okay, Sam?" concern was evident in his question.

I glanced at Marius and forced a smile. This situation wasn't the same as before. I couldn't even look into his eyes. In short, I wasn't comfortable with my fiancé anymore. And this wouldn't end unless I distanced myself from this situation.

"We need to talk, Marius," I said, my head bowed.

I finished eating the last of my food at that moment. I wanted to stand up and retreat to our room. Speaking of our room, I don't think I can sleep tonight in this situation.

The thought made the corners of my eyes burn.

I was really hurting. With everything I've learned and with the return of my memories. I also expected that this had to do with my pregnancy. Perhaps it was hormonal changes causing my mood swings.

"Sam, what's happening to you?" Marius asked again, his concern evident.

All my restraint finally broke loose. When my emotions gave in completely, I stood up abruptly and left Marius. I hurriedly went upstairs and entered our room. And because I felt Marius following me, I tried to close the door quickly. But he intercepted it.

"Sam, please tell me, what's happening to you?" he asked as he approached me.

I was sitting on the edge of the large bed, my head bowed, silently crying.

I wanted to tell him the truth.

Or maybe it was more accurate to say that I needed to tell him the truth.

So, I gathered all the courage I had left. Then I lifted my head. I didn't even care that Marius could see the endless stream of tears flowing from my eyes. I was tired of pretending that everything was okay, even though it had been less than a day since I started pretending.

"My memories have returned, Marius. I-I remember everything," I said.

I could clearly see the shock on Marius's face, mixed with a hint of fear. It was evident not just in his expression but also in his eyes. It pained me deeply to see that. Because the bitter truth was, despite all the pain this man had caused me and my heart, how could it be that I still loved him so much?

"S-Since when? Why didn't you tell me immediately?" Marius managed to ask, recovering from his initial shock. The fear had vanished from his eyes, replaced by unmistakable happiness.

He tightly held both of my hands and squeezed them. Then he lifted them and planted a kiss on them.

"S-Since yesterday," I replied briefly, then carefully withdrew my hands from his grasp.

"You have no idea how much you've made me happy, Sam," he said as he hugged me tightly this time. And perhaps not content with just a simple kiss, he followed it up with a passionate one on my lips. It took me by surprise.

Letting myself free from Marius's warm and tempting lips was a great risk for me. But I knew deep down that giving in and getting carried away by his passion was not right. So no matter how much I desired to reciprocate, I restrained myself. Until eventually, I managed to pull away from him.

"Th-That's enough, please," I said, tears streaming down my face again. "Stop!" I added, raising my voice.

Marius was taken aback by what I did, and it was evident on his face. That's also why he didn't immediately respond. So I took that chance to let out all my grievances and frustrations.

"I know everything now! Enough! About your plan and about Lana!" I didn't shout this time. I tried to remain calm, but I still couldn't control my emotions. I couldn't stop myself from crying.

"Lana, she's the one you truly love, isn't she? That's why you approached me because you were angry that Lana chose my brother and not you! You beast!" I screamed at the end, accompanied by uncontrollable sobs.

I felt a sharp pain in my chest as if it suddenly exploded at that moment. And I also knew that I couldn't hold back any longer from expressing all my grievances to Marius, especially since I had already started.