C6 Family outing

He's trying to get some sleep. It's almost three in the morning, and there he is, still thinking about what happened earlier at the airport. Amanda still looks beautiful and she still has those hypnotizing eyes. He wants to embrace her tightly and never let her go, but it's already too late. What hurts him the most is that the woman he loved already had a family, but the worst thing is that his best friend, Marco, is her husband. They are family. It's unbelievable, and he wishes he could be in Marco's position.

It had been almost five years ago since they spent the night together. He had made promises that he hadn’t fulfilled. Perhaps was hurt too much. But he came back after an. He came back to FileZilla the thing he promised and was no wait for r for it. He'd know Amanda's family, so he doesn't know where to start looking. He further investigated this with the help of his connections, but he failed and failed again. He thinks Amanda liked what was happening. He thought maybe she just wanted to use him to escape the syndicates. Maybe Amanda will never feel the same as he felt for her.

He feels like his friend cheated on him. He doesn’t know how he met Amanda. He had no idea how he was obsessed with this woman. Marco betrayed their friendship by stealing the woman he loved. He could feel the anger in Amanda's eyes. He was staring at her so hard. She didn't even talk to him. He seemed to be a stranger again in her life. Marco just shook his hand and then left as well. The thickness of his face grinned and shook his hand after what he did to snatch the woman he loved. He wanted to strangle him; his blood was boiling every time he thought of what he had done to him.

"Dad, why are you, Marco, and Amanda together?" He immediately confronted his father when he returned home.

His dad was staying in Korea for his flower farm and to develop their subdivision there. That's all he's busy with because he left him with all the business responsibilities. He said he just wanted to have fun; he didn't want to lie in bed all day. They have a house in Korea, so he let it happen. His daddy is too old to deprive him of the things that will make him happy.

"Oh, you know her too? Amanda is such a perfect woman for Marco. They were working together in Korea."

That was the only answer he heard. He then left for the bedroom to rest.

He was even more hurt by what his father said. It is true that Amanda and Marco are married. After almost a decade of working with Marco for their company, he suddenly told him to leave. He didn't say a reason, and he didn't even bother to ask why, because he didn't seem to intend to tell him the real reason. He was also busy with work, so he didn't have time to ask him. He misses seeing him in his office working for him while he was there sitting and resting in his chair watching him do his job. He had no news of him after he left New Horizon, nor did he know that he had set up his own business in Korea. He didn’t even ask him how to make money grow so fast. He agrees with Marco on everything; they have the same interests in life. But he didn't think that they loved the same woman.

"Mommy, who is he? The man at the airport, did you guys know him?"

She heard Harold's curiosity as they ate breakfast.

Both her parents looked at her for not answering the child's question. Only then did she realize that she knew Harold would not stop scratching until he received an answer to his questions.

"Harold, he was a stranger, and I want you to remember: don't talk to someone you didn't know. Some of them are bad people. Understand?" She reminded Harold.

Her spoon and fork were even lowered so that she could talk properly. Harold was only five years old, but he was a very smart boy. At his age, he quickly understood instructions. He just nodded because of what she was saying, but he spoke again.

"How do you know if he was a bad person when you didn't know him yet? Is it unfair to judge him without asking for his own story?"

The boy said that so deeply that she could not have imagined him to say those words.

She was embarrassed and did not know what to say to her son. Fortunately, her parents answered. They were speaking almost at the same time, so Harold's attention turned to them.

He and Marco were not together. He stayed in his old house, a little far from them. He said he wanted to organize the rest of his business and start again. He decided to stay in the Philippines for good. He sold his business in Korea to be used in a new business here in the country.

Nothing much has changed in her family life; her father continues to work as a professor at a well-known university. Her mother is still a teacher at a primary school. They are both busy. Her mom told the whole story after she suddenly disappeared after her birthday. They went back and forth to the police station. Her dad also hired a private investigator to determine her whereabouts. But they were frustrated every day. Her mother almost went crazy and even got to the point where she got depressed and got sick.

There were times that they wanted to give up looking for her, but they couldn't because she was their only child. No one can define how much a parent loves their child; they are both willing to surrender everything just to find her.

"I'm so sorry, mom. I know it was my fault. If I hadn't gone out that night to have a party outside, I wouldn't have been kidnapped. It was me who needed to be blamed for what happened," she was in tears again. Now she knew how much her parents loved her.

She realized how selfish she was four years ago when she thought of nothing but her own happiness. Her mommy hugged her, a hug she had waited to feel for years, a hug she had longed for at times when she was exhausted and in pain. She was relieved. She was able to breathe without any fear again. Finally, she was home.

"It's okay, sweety, don't blame yourself. Your daddy and I are to blame. We've been too strict with you. If we had let you do the things you wanted, you might not have run away that night. I didn't know you were choking."

She hugged her mother even more. She was thankful because this opportunity had come. She had waited a long time to hear these words from her parents.

The whole family planned to take a vacation at a resort. According to his father, it was a welcome celebration for Harold as a new member of the family. They took Marco on their vacation because he was no different from Harold and her. Also, her parents wanted to meet him again and thank him for all his goodness towards her and her son when they were in Korea. Although Marco had a lot to do that day, he chose to go on the outing. He also hadn't seen Amanda for a few days, and everything had changed, unlike when they were in Korea, where he spent time with her almost every day.

When Amanda worked in her garden in Korea, the two became close to each other, even though they often quarreled. They became friends until Amanda gave birth. He was with her in the hospital, and the doctor even thought that he was the father of the baby she gave birth to. They both laughed secretly.

They are often mistaken for lovers whenever they are at the mall, restaurant, or even on the bus. He wanted to be true to all the assumptions of the people around them. He wanted to tell Amanda that he had wanted it ever since. When he first saw her, it was the first time he had been cursed by a pregnant woman. He never forgot how mad she was at him at that time. But he doesn't have the courage, and he doesn't know how to tell her how he feels. He was a coward, and he will admit it if it's the only way that Amanda will stay beside him. He could suppress how he felt about her.

"Look at them, mommy, they're so happy together. Look at their dad. He's really bad at swimming," smiling and excitedly, Harold pointed to a family in the distance, which he had been watching for some time.

Amanda looks at them. She thinks the girl is five years old, just like Harold. She is swimming with her parents, and they are happy to watch. She knew Harold wished to have a happy family. Something she could never give her son was squeezing her heart. She hugged him tightly.

"What's wrong, mom? Why are you crying?"

Maybe he felt like she was sobbing slightly.

"You want to meet your dad?"

She sobbed, questioning the child as she caressed his back.

"No, mommy." He said that softly, knowing she wouldn't be happy when he said he wanted to see his daddy. At an early age, Harold understood that it was impossible for him to know his father.

"I'm so sorry, Harold. I want you to know that mommy loves you so much. You always have me. You also have grandma and grandpa, and Tito Marco," she says as she continues to caress the child’s back.

She tries to make her voice happy even though the truth is that her heart is bleeding so much.

She wanted to blame herself for being stingy with the child. But that was better than knowing that his father had abandoned him even before he came out of her womb. One day, he will understand her too, and hopefully, when the day comes when he knows the truth, he will not hate her. That was the thing she feared most: that her own son would reject her for concealing the whole truth.

"Hey! I've been looking for you before. It looks like there's a drama going on. Are you guys okay?"

Marco approached them, who were now sitting in front of the beach. The ocean is light, and the air that comes from it is very refreshing. He sat down next to Harold and pinched his cheek, which was slightly red from the sunlight. He secretly looked at Amanda. He knew she was sad.

"I think someone wants to eat strawberry ice cream," he said, referring to Amanda.

She really loved ice cream, especially when it had strawberry flavor. He used to buy it as her favorite, especially when he noticed she was sad.

"Yeah, I think I need it. Please buy it for me for me." He responded promptly to what she asked.

During the time they were together in Korea, they built a great relationship. They become friends. He really knows what kind of person Amanda is. She didn't have to speak when she was bothered about something because he already knew it from the looks in her eyes. There's only one person who makes her worry too much, and that is Harold's father. He wanted to help, but he didn't know how. All he could do was comfort her and protect her from any pain.

They were at the resort for three days, but the time passed very quickly because the next day they would return to their normal lives. Marco is having coffee in front of the paradisiacal blue color of the sea. Its beauty is captivating. It is ideal for stressed people like him. In recent days, he has been busy planning his bar and restaurant. He has also bought his own car. With the money he left from selling his business in Korea, he could start his business here in the country. He's working so hard to the point that he hasn't rested properly at night.

Harold came out of their cottage, still in his pajamas and obviously just awake. He brought a yogurt drink and sat down next to him after he greeted him. Harold was both a sweet and a silly baby. But his hobby was asking unstoppable questions, so he grew to know a lot. They were still questioning and answering for a few more minutes when Amanda came out wearing her white bikini. In the few years they were together in Korea, he had never seen her in this outfit. He can't help but admire her beauty. She's very sexy and seductive in her white bikini.

His eyes widened, and he was not aware that his mouth was open for a second.

"What's wrong with you, Tito? You drank all my yogurt drink," a young boy said.

Only then did he realize what he was doing when he heard Harold's complaint. He looked at the bottle in his hands. Gracious! He drank all of Harold's yogurt drink. He was wondering why he was drinking it cold when he had just brewed his coffee a few minutes ago before going to the beach.

He blinked and then spoke.

He can't believe what he's done. It's absolutely embarrassing.

"Sorry, I thought it was my coffee. Don't worry, I'll get you another one."

He got up quickly and went to their villa, which was also good to distract his mind. He laughed at what happened. Fortunately, Harold didn't notice his tolerance. He couldn't understand himself. He wanted to slap himself because of his strange behavior.

He couldn't believe that he did that just because he saw Amanda in her white bikini. He's a normal man. Maybe he admires her because of the sexiness she has. Maybe there was nothing wrong with how he felt. He tried to convince himself to erase from his mind what he saw, because he could no longer think properly. He immediately went to the refrigerator to get Harold's new yogurt drink.

He was about to open the refrigerator when Amanda suddenly appeared.

"What are you doing here? I think I saw you at the beach, "bshe said, slightly surprised.

"I'll just take Harold's yogurt. He told me that you drank his drinks and you even emptied the bottle. What's wrong with you? You're allergic to milk, right?"

He can't speak. He was like a piece of rock, unable to move.

How could he do such a stupid thing? He hated himself.

He even forgot about his allergy to milk.

For God's sake! What is happening to him at this moment?

Amanda was there, looking at him with a confused stare.

He can't tell her the reason why he lost himself. He will never tell her.

Gradually, his face became swollen, as well as other parts of his body.

Meanwhile, Marco's phone suddenly rang while he was unconscious and being given medicine by a doctor. Amanda was holding her phone. She looked at it and saw an unregistered number calling. She needs to answer it. Maybe it's one of those important calls about business matters. She'll just tell Marco when he wakes up.

"Hey Marco, it's me, Harry. It's been a long time, bro! Can we meet and spend time together again as we did before? I will text you the place."

That's all he said and immediately cut off the call.

Her heart beats so fast, his voice is still the same, and it still makes her whole body tremble.