Bongbong woke up the next morning hearing some familiar voices outside his room. He frowned and got up his bed to shower and prepare for another office work. As he went out, the first thing he saw was the empty couch where Leni was sleeping. He wondered where could she be then he realized that she's in the kitchen with his EA Charity. He entered the kitchen causing Leni and Charity stopped conversing.

"Good morning, boss!" Charity greeted him. "Ready na po yung car sa baba."

"Good morning." Leni smiled at him too. "I made breakfast pala for you and Cha."

He didn't show any response as he went straight to the fridge. That's where he noticed Charity was eating on the kitchen island.

"Kakain ka na ba?" Leni asked. "Wait lang prepare ko lang yung table." She immediately get plates and utensils then served the eggs, bacon, and sausages she cooked earlier.

"Kain ka—" She halted when she saw Bongbong walked past her with an apple on his hands.

"Let's go, Charity!" Bongbong uttered, biting his apple.

Charity instantly got up from her seat without finishing her meal. "Yes, boss!" She replied. "Maam, sorry alis na daw po kami. Thank you, maam. The best ka!"

Leni smiled weakly. "Dalhin mo pala to, Cha. This is for lunch. Sa'yo tong isa tapos pakibigay nalang kay Bongbong itong isa." She handed two packed meals to Charity which she gladly took.

"Sige maam. Thank you po ulit." Cha smiled, hugging Leni. "Message mo ako maam if may kailangan kang ipabili or may mga errands kang need ipagawa."

Leni shook her head. "No. I'm okay, Cha. Ano ka ba."

"Maam, binilin ka din saakin ni Madam. Saka sobrang bait mo saakin kaya let me help you. Basta call ka lang, maam. Boss kita eh." Cha said before leaving her boss' condo unit.

---

"Len?" Kit approached Leni inside the faculty lounge. "Anong gusto mong lunch? Kumain na tayo, hindi ka pwedeng malipasan ng gutom."

"Gusto ko ng ice cream na cookies and cream." Leni pouted.

Kit frowned. "Rice muna."

"Ehh gusto ko ng ice cream. Please." Leni used her charms already.

Kit sighed in defeat. "Okay sige sige. Pero kumain ka muna ng lunch para bilhan kita ng ice cream. Tamang-tama may creamline dun sa coko." He said, coko is the cafe located inside the campus.

Leni beamed. "Yehey!"

Kit smiled at her. "Halika na. Daanan na natin si Risa for sure gutom na din yun."

They went outside the lounge together walking side by side when Leni heard her phone ting. She saw it was Cha's message:

Hi, maam! Thank you po pala sa food. Super sarap po.

Leni smiled upon reading the message. She wondered if Bongbong felt the same too. She replied:

Thank you too, Cha! Kumain na din ba si Bong?

After she hit the send button, she's praying that Bongbong liked her cooking too. She really exerted efforts in making him lunch. Her phone received a message again. It was Cha.

Naku maam hindi pa po kumakain si BBM eh. Busy pa po pero don't worry maam after ng meeting nya ibibigay ko na tong padala mo. Upate kita maam.

Leni sighed. She felt heavy again after reading Cha's message. She replied:

Oh okay sige sige Cha. Pls keep me posted. Thank you.

Leni sighed once again and absentmindedly walked inside the café.

"May problema ba?" Kit asked,  aware of Leni's sudden change in mood.

Leni was brought back to reality. "Ha? Um wala naman. Medyo ano kasi um gutom na pala ako, nafeel ko na yung gutom saka gusto ko na ng ice cream."

Kit nodded. "Okay. Ano order mo, ako nalang oorder umupo ka na para hindi ka mapagod kakatayo."

"Chicken fingers nalang siguro." Leni said.

Kit nodded. "Okay, just wait for me there. Maupo ka na."

Leni nodded. She's really blessed to have Kit in her life especially right now. He's her break and pause from all the changes and negative things happening to her life. Everything he does for her makes her heart melt even the simplest things. But her heart also continues to ache upon the realization that they will never be together in this lifetime.

---

Charity knocked on Bongbong's office after seeing his visitor went out. "Boss, lunch na po." She handed him a black thermal insulation food lunch bag.

He frowned. "Saan 'to galing?"

"Padala po yan ni Ma'am Leni. Lunch nyo daw po." Charity informed him. She really appreciate Leni's efforts of making Bongbong food and checking up on him. "Pati nga po ako meron eh. Cute ni Ma'am Leni."

He doesn't seem to be impressed. "Not eating that though." He returned the lunch bag to Charity and went back to his office chair.

Charity was confused. "Bakit po? Masarap 'to boss promise. Naubos ko nga agad yung saakin. Saka tinatanong po ako ni Ma'am Leni kung kumain na daw po kayo."

He rolled his eyes. He doesn't have the time to be dramatic over lunch. "Edi kainin mo na yan, masarap pala eh."

Charity was startled a bit. She just went out of his office immediately without saying anything to her boss. She's used to him being grumpy almost all the time. "Haay! Habang tumatagal mas napapalapit na sya kay satanas." She whispered, going back to her seat. She decided to just consume Bongbong's supposed to be lunch. She also decided to share of the viand to the other staff.

"Try nyo 'to, sobrang sarap. Bicol express yan." Charity gave out the food container to her co-workers.

"Wow! Ms. Cha ang sarap naman nito. Ikaw nagluto?" Nicole commented.

Cha shook her head. "Nope. Padala lang yan ni Ma'am Leni. Yung asawa ni BBM. Sarap diba?"

Apple nodded. "Sobra, Ms. Cha. Ang flavorful nya kaya lang sobrang anghang."

Cha chuckled. "Yun nga eh. Alam nyo bicolana kasi si Ma'am kaya feeling nya siguro tama lang yung anghang. Syempre mas mataas ang tolerance nya sa anghang kesa saatin. Pero still, legit na bicol express diba?"

They nodded. "Sana palaging magpadala ng pagkain dito si Ma'am Leni. Hindi ko pa sya namemeet sa personal pero gusto ko na sya agad." Christian remarked, they all chuckled.

"Ay naku! Pag nakilala nyo sa personal yun si Ma'am Leni, mapapasabi kayo ng God is a woman." Cha exaggerated. "Sobrang ganda, sobrang bait, sobrang maasikaso, sobrang talino jusko lahat na. Kung ako si BBM talagang aasawahin ko yun, papakainin, luluhuran, lulutuan, susuklayan, susunduin, ihahatid, aasawahin ulit, ganon na level."

"Parang ibang-iba kay Atty. Liza." Kaye uttered.

Cha nodded. "Truths, Kaye! Bumingo ka! Ibang-iba sya kay Atty. Liza as in. Mas bet ko to si Ma'am Leni. Sa kanya talaga ang pusta ko."

---

Leni went home from the campus at around 7:30pm. Her last class for the sem was until 7:00pm, luckily the condo that she's now living is almost 15 minutes away. Less travel time for her especially that she's in her first trimester where she needed to be extra careful. She went straight to the kitchen after she brought down her stuff and started to make dinner. She wanted the dinner ready before Bongbong comes home so he wouldn't have to wait for it.

Hours passed by, it's already 10 in the evening but Bongbong wasn't home still. The dinner was ready at 8:30pm but he wasn't ther eyet. Leni sighed, she just wanted to be close to him but he's making it difficult for the both of them. She decided to eat without him because she's starving already. She just decided to left some food for him. 

It's already 11pm when Leni was awakened by the door opening. She apparently fell into sleep while waiting for him to arrive. She instantly got up the moment she realized it was Bongbong already.

"Kumain ka na ba? Nagluto ako ng dinner. Prepare ko lang yung table. Pasensya na nakatulog ako, I was actually waiting for you." Leni said. He just ignored her as if he didn't hear anything.

"Microwave ko lang yung sinigang para mainit yung sabaw." She said, following him in the kitchen.

He went straight to their fridge to get a can of sparkling water. He was still in his coat and black slacks.

"Bong, kain ka na—" She said but he was quick to reply.

"Kumain na ako." He said, coldly. Then, he left her at the kitchen going straight to his room. She just watched him walked away and locked his door. Her heart shuttered once again.

Ever since that night when he asked her to sign the contract he prepared, she convinced herself to work hard to earn his love and trust. She wanted to be a good wife to him and a good mom to their unborn child. She had this idea that when he finally get to know her better, he will not force her to divorce him or give him their child's custody. She's determined to change his mind regarding the matter, and she's going to work for it no matter how hard headed and mean he is. She just wanted her child to grow up with a complete and loving family. She believes that one day, he's going to love her too.

To be continued...

❤️💖