Valerie was caught off guard, her lips stiff, her eyes wide, and her heart pounding.
"Damian..." Her lips spontaneously uttered his name.
"Who's the baby?" Damian inquired with a probing gaze.
"Um... He... he..." Valerie hesitated, her ocean-blue eyes glancing at Samuel, who was approaching.
"He's our son," Samuel said, holding Daniel's back.
Valerie's eyes immediately widened at Samuel, not expecting him to tell such a lie.
"Maybe you're surprised, but... But we got together after your failed marriage... And..." Samuel smiled, turning to Daniel. "He's Daniel Trierweiler Dominguez, our son." He looked back at Damian.
Stunned, Damian's chest felt tight, his hazel eyes fixed on the tearful Daniel.
He found it hard to believe that the baby before him was Valerie and Samuel's, meaning they quickly entered a relationship after the breakdown of their wedding plans.
He looked directly at Valerie. "How could you do this? I didn't intentionally betray you because I was tempted by Clara... Then you respond by having a relationship with Samuel, even having a child with him... How much did you love me before? You always said you weren't ready to have a child with me, but why did you have one right away when you were with him?" He wondered, his emotions boiling in his veins.
"Sorry..." Valerie swallowed. "I... I didn't mean to disappoint you... or deceive you about our previous relationship. Um..."
"She got pregnant accidentally..." Samuel immediately cut off Valerie's sentence. "So... After you two separated, we spent time together... I knew she needed someone to comfort her, and I did that... I mean... we had... sex, and then she got pregnant..." He stuttered, creating another lie.
"But you know I still wanted her, I tried to find her again!" Damian exclaimed, grabbing Samuel's shirt. He dragged him and pushed him against the wall. "You always said you didn't know where she was... But in reality, you were hiding her, and even you..." He couldn't continue his words, feeling so much pain at the thought of his struggle to find Valerie. He couldn't imagine how his friend was intimate with Valerie.
Bugh
Samuel couldn't avoid Damian's punch.
"Oh my God!" Valerie panicked.
"You traitor, you scoundrel!" Damian pulled the staggering Samuel and pushed him near the sofa.
Bruhh...
"Oh God, Samuel!" Valerie rushed to Samuel while still holding Daniel.
Damian gasped for breath, his eyes unable to see that scene. Samuel, Valerie, and the baby looked like a happy family, while he remained alone because he still wanted Valerie.
"You shouldn't have done this!" Valerie exclaimed in anger. "You need to learn to accept reality... I could be like you, dating your friend... Like you dating my friend..."
"But what happened between us is different from both of you!" Damian retorted. "Clara and I were only together that night, and I never thought of turning away from you. But you... How could you start dating Samuel right away? Even having a baby... Did you find it so easy to do that? What was my mistake that you could respond so cruelly? Even leaving your family to hide with him, then you come to Jerry's wedding? Are they all more important than me and your family?" He wondered with red eyes, unable to hide his disappointment.
Valerie suddenly felt guilty, realizing that this lie hurt Damian too much and that everything was messed up.
"I betrayed you once, and you respond with betrayal forever..." Damian nodded his head. "Okay, congratulations! You succeeded in hurting me and everyone... Congratulations on your happiness! I won't disturb you again, never!" He affirmed, quickly leaving the apartment without wanting to see Valerie's response.
Valerie remained silent, now feeling very evil. Her body was weak, still dizzy. Slowly, she walked to the sofa and sat with an empty look, as if unable to believe what had just happened.
"Emm... Mama..."
Daniel touched Valerie's cheek, seeing her teary eyes.
"Sweetie..." Valerie immediately smiled and kissed Daniel's cheek. "You must miss Mama... I'm sorry for leaving you alone for too long last night..." She hugged her son, but tears couldn't be held back, and Damian's shadows continued to haunt her mind.
"Emhh... Who's that?"
Daniel pointed to the door as if remembering Damian who had just left.
Valerie remained silent in her tears, unable to answer. Damian's words echoed in her ears, and his disappointed look was vivid in her mind.
"Valerie..."
Samuel approached Valerie, sitting beside her with his handsome face bruised.
"I truly apologize... I told that lie only to protect Daniel. Wouldn't you want Damian to know that he's his son?"
Valerie remained silent.
"I just didn't want him to ruin your plans, especially now that you've made peace with your situation... I didn't mean..."
"Leave me alone, Samuel." Valerie interrupted him.
Samuel immediately fell silent in surprise.
"What happened last night and this morning shook me. I need peace." Valerie stood up, looking at Samuel, who showed disappointment. "I appreciate your efforts all this time... But please don't lie like this again..."
"Do you regret my actions?" Samuel asked while standing.
"I don't regret..."
"Then why?"
"I just..." Valerie turned her face away for a moment and looked back at Samuel. "I can't talk right now... Sorry..." She hurriedly went back to another room.
Samuel sighed heavily, clenching his fists. 'She doesn't like how I lied? Does that mean she has no feelings for me? Then what's the point of helping her all this time?' He wondered to himself.
Valerie sat on the white bed after locking the door and turning on the TV. She lowered the right side of her dress and immediately breastfed Daniel while searching for channels that showed children's shows or cartoons.
"Now I look worse than him... It shouldn't be like this. This is wrong... Very wrong! Or maybe I'm wrong... I've been hiding from everyone for too long, and I've only ever been open with Jerry and Samuel... I'm... I'm bad... Even my family might be as disappointed as he is..."
Valerie kept thinking about Damian's words, but suddenly her attention was drawn to one of the TV channels showing news.
_An accident occurred between a minibus and a truck on Jack Valley Rd in Carson City. It involved a married couple, Eduardo Matthew and Adriana Matthew. Both are in critical condition and are being treated at St. Francis Hospital, while the truck driver is on the run_
Valerie fell silent, watching the news, mourning the evacuation process of the victims. On the right side was a photo of a couple identified as Eduardo and Adriana.