THREE consecutive knocks echoed from the door of her small office. She was just about to step out for lunch. With her bag in hand, she opened it—only to freeze in surprise at the sight in front of her. “M-Mom… this is a surprise,” she said, disbelief evident in her voice. She leaned in to kiss her mother-in-law on the cheek. The older woman looked genuinely happy to see her—it was written all over her eyes.
“Aren’t you busy, dear?” she asked gently.
Yumika discreetly glanced at her wristwatch. It was already 1:10 in the afternoon, and she still hadn’t had lunch. “Um, not really. Why? Is there a problem?”
“I was hoping we could talk, but it seems like you’re about to head out,” she said, noticing the bag in her hand.
“No, Mom. It can wait. Please, come in.” She gently guided her inside the office. After closing the door, Yumika placed her bag back on her desk and sat on the couch across from her mother-in-law. “What is this about?” she asked.
“It’s about your father’s debt to our family,” Fiona replied.
Yumika felt her chest tighten. She drew in a slow breath before speaking again. “W-Why?”
Fiona let out a deep sigh. “I know this is painful for you, my dear. I witnessed how hard your mother and father worked to make your business successful. I’m sure your father didn’t hide from you the contract he signed in case he failed to repay the money he borrowed.” Her voice softened. “If only you knew, Mika… if only you knew how much convincing I did at the board meeting to stop them from taking your business. But it was a unanimous decision. Even Cade couldn’t convince them.”
The corners of Yumika’s eyes burned, but she forced herself not to cry. She blinked the tears back.
“Cade and I already talked about this,” she admitted quietly. “And I have to be honest… I didn’t like the option he gave me. It felt like blackmail.”
Fiona nodded slowly. “It might sound that way, hija. But that’s the only option we could think of. The board won’t dare touch Coffee n’ Books once they know you’re a Hernandez again—not just on paper.” She held Yumika’s gaze. “The moment you agree to live with Cade, he automatically becomes the authority in their eyes. Even if he won’t officially inherit the Hernandez empire until next year. They may not admit it, but they’re afraid of him. Not one of them wants to go against my son.” She reached for Yumika’s hand gently. “Your family’s business—and you, Mika—will be protected.”
She rubbed her temples absentmindedly. A dull ache was beginning to form at the back of her head. She wanted to grab a glass of water, but she could feel her knees trembling. She couldn’t trust them to hold her weight right now.
“Did Cade send you here to convince me, Mama?” she asked after a moment.
Fiona shook her head. “No, he didn’t. I came here on my own volition.”
Yumika swallowed. “I-I’ll think this through, Mama.”
“Not that I’m pressuring you, Mika, hija. But you’d better come up with a decision before the week ends. The board wants to acquire Coffee n’ Books as soon as possible.”
Yumika could only nod. There were no words left in her. She felt Fiona squeeze her hand gently, then kiss her on the cheek before finally taking her leave.
When the door closed, the office felt unbearably quiet. Yumika glanced at her watch again. It was almost one-thirty. She had completely lost her appetite. She welcomed the silence of her small office, though it felt heavier than usual. The back of her eyes burned for the umpteenth time that day.
Slowly, she buried her face in her palms and sobbed.
“SO FAR, so good.” Yumika whispered to herself before taking another sip of the wine in her hand. Being surrounded by people somehow put her at ease—but only slightly. She was relaxed on the outside, guarded on the inside. She was currently at a wedding reception—her high school friend’s wedding. Both she and Stephanie had been invited. She honestly hadn’t wanted to come, but the bride was one of their closest friends back in high school.
Leaning back against her chair, she let her eyes wander around the venue. She was surrounded by people she didn’t know—but she was certain they knew her. When she and Steph arrived earlier, she had noticed a group of women whispering while glancing in her direction. It had instantly triggered her anxiety.
Well… what else was new?
She had been the talk of the town ever since her estranged husband walked out on her—two days after their joke of a wedding. She should’ve been used to it by now.
“Hey,” Steph cut into her train of thought. “Are you okay?”
She responded with a deep sigh. “Actually, I want to go home already. But that would be rude to Jessy and Bryan.”
Steph patted her hand. “It’s going to be fine, okay?”
She smiled at that. She had nothing to worry about. Her best friend was with her. She took another sip of her wine as she watched the newlywed couple. The two of them were high school sweethearts. Jessy had been their classmate, while Bryan was a year ahead of them. Even back then, they had truly been in love with each other.
She remembered how Bryan had personally asked Jessy to be his girlfriend in front of a huge crowd. It was right after they won a basketball game. She also remembered how her eyes had met Cade’s when the crowd erupted in cheers after Jessy said yes. Cade had been there because he was part of the basketball team as well. And she was certain he had helped his friend plan the proposal.
“I’m just going to get some wine. Wanna come with me?” Steph asked.
She shook her head. “I’ll just stay here.” She was certain that if she stood up, the attention of the other guests would shift to her, and they would start talking about her again. That was the last thing she wanted to happen.
She let out a sigh and downed the remaining wine in her glass.
She glanced at the older guests seated with her at the round table. She was grateful that they didn’t seem interested in her personal life. They smiled at her, yes—but there was a hint of respect in their eyes. That, or they were afraid they might have to deal with Cade sooner or later if they made her uncomfortable.
Hold it there, Mika! She discreetly pinched herself. In the first place, Cade was the reason she became the talk of the town. She shouldn’t be thinking that he would also be her protector. The thought alone made her want to throw up.
“And now, let’s hear a message from one of Jessy’s high school friends,” the host’s voice pulled her back to the present.
She looked around for Steph, wondering if she was on her way back. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her walking toward the table, carrying an expensive bottle of wine. Steph beamed at her and raised the bottle in the air.
“So why don’t we hear from Mrs. Hernandez herself?”
Yumika froze. Her whole body began to tremble.
“Oh, wait. Are you guys still married? Has your marriage not been annulled yet?” The host’s questions caused the people around her to murmur and whisper all at once. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow her whole.
“I thought Cade would file an annulment,” she heard the lady beside her say.
“It was really a mess, I remember. She even insisted on marrying Cade,” Yumika heard someone from a nearby table say. She also heard a laugh.
“I’m sorry, it was stupid of me to assume that you were already annulled. I just thought, you know, because of what happened two days after the wedding—”
“Stop it, Diana.”
It was Steph, now standing beside her. “Stop ruining Jessy and Bryan’s wedding by picking on my sister-in-law.”
Yumika wanted to cry. Why had everyone’s attention shifted to her? This wasn’t her event. Her plan was to stay invisible the whole time. If only she could disappear into thin air.
She was grateful that Steph was with her, but she still couldn’t stop herself from feeling sad and hurt by what was happening. It was like she had traveled back two years. She was a laughingstock all over again.
“We would like to apologize, Yumika.” It was Bryan, his wife standing beside him, both looking apologetic. She tried to blink back her tears as she looked at the newlyweds. “We did not plan this. We’re very sorry, Mika. Cade? Bro?”
She froze when Bryan said Cade’s name. Was he here all this time?
“What the hell? He’s here?” she heard Stephanie say.
“We really did not plan this, bro,” Bryan continued into the microphone.
She followed where he was looking.
And there he was.
Even through her tears, she saw him. Cade was standing at the far end corner of the room. He looked casual—clad in a pair of blue jeans and a soft brown leather jacket. But even so, he was oozing authority.
It was as if the entire room had suddenly fallen silent. As though everyone was waiting for him to speak.
“Come on, say something, you idiot,” Stephanie whispered.
As if on cue, he looked at her—and her breath caught. This was what she had feared: everyone seeing them together. Because he was walking toward her. Panicking, Yumika cursed him inwardly, silently begging him to stop in his tracks. But he didn’t. He kept walking. She wanted to run, but she couldn’t move.
Until Cade reached her table.
For a moment, Yumika forgot how to breathe.
“Yumika is still a Hernandez. She’s still my wife,” he announced. The crowd began whispering again. Then, to her, he said, “Let’s go.”
Her eyes widened as she looked at him. “W-What?”
He took her sweaty hand in his. “Let’s get out of here.”
She hesitated to stand, but Cade gently pulled her up. She looked at Steph, who mouthed, go on. Confused, she allowed Cade to lead her outside. From behind him, she stared at his broad shoulders. A memory flashed in her mind—of him leaving her, of how she had begged him not to go. Tears welled up in her eyes again, along with anger and resentment.
This was the same man who had caused her so much pain before.
And now he was planning to be her knight in shining armor?
Well, he was wrong. She was no longer the same Yumika—the same weirdo he used to spite before.