“Romina, you are damaged goods, you’re a filthy woman. That’s the reason Carlos left you, right? He married me instead of you. I can make your fairy tale turn into a nightmare.”
Robert made a call, asking the person on the other line where Daniela was. He then asked the person to tell him when they found out where she was because he was getting worried. Romina, who walked in with some financial files, had heard this. She handed it over and when she asked what had happened to Daniela, Robert said that Daniela had left home without telling him and now he didn’t know where she was.
Robert added that he had hired an investigator to find her, but nothing had come of it. Romina offered to help in anyway she could and Robert expressed his appreciation. A doctor attended to Romina. She told her that there was no problem with her baby. She called Robert in.
“There’s no problem with your wife and baby,” the doctor said to him.
Romina and Robert both smiled at that. Romina told the doctor that Robert was her boss and not the baby’s father and the doctor apologized for her blunder. Robert asked to see the baby scan. At Camila, Robert had a meeting with the shareholders who were pushing for an increase in the profit of production.
Robert stopped Romina from getting up and stressing herself; he took the file she was about to distribute to everyone and passed it around the table. The shareholders exchanged looks. Later on, Robert had a conversation with one of his employees concerning the increase in production. When he saw Romina approaching him, he stopped her, saying that the floor was slippery. He then said that he could handle things by himself and he asked her to go back to the office.
At a washroom at Camila, some workers gossiped about the way their boss had been treating Romina lately, saying that Daniela might have been right that Romina had her eyes on Robert and she was using her pregnancy to get closer to him. Romina had been there and she had heard everything, and she didn’t seem pleased.
Romina later brought her resignation letter to Robert and said that he could deduct the money she owed him for her mother’s burial and her hospital bills from her separation pay. Robert told her to stop and asked why she was doing that since they had had a deal. (The deal was that Romina could go on break from her third trimester in her pregnancy and come back when she was ready).
Romina said she didn’t want to have any problems with Daniela when she returned and that she was also leaving so people wouldn’t talk. Robert said he would handle Daniela and talk to those gossiping about her. “I wouldn’t allow those kinds of people to work in my company,” he said. Romina said she had been thinking of resigning for some time now because she had to take care of her brother and her baby.
Robert asked what he could do to make her stay with him and Romina said she had already made up her mind. She offered her hand and Robert shook it and hugged her. The new secretary brought Robert a cup of coffee along with some files. For a second, Robert saw Romina’s face in hers. He wasn’t that pleased with the new secretary’s work. He told her to copy exactly how Romina organized her things.
At home, some neighbors were putting up Romina’s new store when Robert arrived there. She asked what had brought him there and Robert said he would be honest with her. “Romina, I want you,” he said to her. Everyone looked surprised. “I want you back,” Robert added. He told her that he wanted her back in his life, not as her boss but someone he could share his life with.
Romina’s neighbors cheered on as Robert said that she had changed his life and he couldn’t live without her. He said that he needed her by his side. “I am ready to give you my name,” he added. “And your baby too.”
Romina seemed to be taken by surprise. Robert asked if she felt the same way he did and when she hesitated, her neighbors encouraged her to answer him. Robert never got his answer though – the baby was coming and she had to be taken to the hospital. Just as soon as they got to the hospital, Romina delivered and lost consciousness in the car and she had to be wheeled into the hospital while Robert carried the baby in his arms.
When Romina recovered, she asked if anything bad had happened to her baby. She was then given her baby and Romina thanked Robert for helping save her baby’s life and Robert said there was no need because he would do anything for her.
“What are you naming her?” Robert asked.
” Cassandra,” Romina replied.
“Cassandra… that’s a nice name.”
Back home, Robert helped Romina with some things around the house. He set up the crib the baby would be put in. He even stared at a picture of Romina and her baby during one of his office meetings. Robert later brought Romina some groceries. Romina said that Cassandra had a fever and Robert took them to the hospital.
Robert told Romina that she had made him whole because he had missed all these moments when Daniela was growing up. Romina said that he also completed her because after everything that had happened to her, she never expected that a man would want to prove to her how much he loved her.
“Thank you, Robert,” Romina said.
“Don’t thank me just yet,” Robert said before ki$$ing her.
Robert and Romina sat in church. Like an old fashioned guy, Robert took Romina’s hand, slid a ring onto her finger and ki$$ed it. Romina stared at him in shock. “Let’s get married, Romina,” he said to her.
Romina didn’t agree to it though. She said she had a lot of things to deal with, he knew what had happened to her and she already had a daughter. Robert told her that he was ready to raise Cassandra as his own so they should just put the past behind them. Romina then asked what Daniela would think of it and Robert said he would talk to her, adding that Daniela was an adult now and he had the right to be happy again.
In Taiwan, Carlos told Daniela about his dad calling Romina being pregnant. Daniela was pretty upset that he had mentioned Romina, and she told him to go on and call her, even decide the baby’s name while he was at it. Carlos left the room after the quarrel and Romina was upset at the news showing on TV – the CEO of an internet investment scam had been arrested.
Carlos rushed in and Daniela, who was inconsolable now, passed out in his arms. He took Daniela to the hospital, and the doctor told him that his wife (Daniela, whom Carlos hadn’t married yet) was 5 months pregnant but there were some complications. Daniela kicked the doctor out and Carlos told her that he wouldn’t leave her, that he would be there for her and the baby.
Daniela cried and thanked her and Carlos convinced her to go back with him to Manila. Carlos told his father about him coming back to Manila very soon. His father wasn’t too pleased, saying that they hadn’t been able to acquire the money they had used to get him to Taiwan. Carlos told him about Daniela being pregnant and said he was bringing her back to the country.
Mr. Kulas was surprised at that and being the opportunist he was, he asked why Daniela wasn’t seeking help from her father Carlos said Daniela didn’t feel like it. Mr. Kulas seemed excited. He said that his son had to take responsibility and he strongly asked if he was going to marry her. He then said that he had to be the man of the house and not do everything Daniela told him.
While Romina had dinner with Robert and her friends/neighbors, Mr.Kulas walked in and snubbed Romina, saying that he hadn’t come there for her. Being the opportunist and dumbass old man he was, he told Robert that his son was in Taiwan with her daughter but they had to come home immediately because they were going to have a child together. He said this right in front of everyone else, the misërãble old man.
Robert waited at the airport. When Daniela and Carlos arrived, he snubbed Carlos and tried to take her daughter home but she resisted. Carlos said he would decide where Daniela stayed because they were married now. Robert offered to give them a ride but again, Daniela refused to do it. Carlos brought Daniela home and met the rest of his family.
“I’ll tell you this before you hear it from anyone else,” the old man began. “Everybody here knows that Romina and Mr. Robert is getting married.”
Daniela was madder than ever. She looked at Carlos with that look of disdain. “What?! That scheming bit*çh! She took advantage of my father while I was away.”
Daniela said that she wouldn’t let Romina take away everything her mother had worked hard for and that she would make sure Romina didn’t come into her family. Carlos asked her to chill out and not do anything to put herself and their baby in danger. At home, while Romina watched her baby sleep, Daniela walked in and started hailing insults at her. Clearly, she was the man of the house, forget Carlos her tamable husband.
“Romina, you are damaged goods… you’re all dried up… you’re a filthy woman. That’s the reason Carlos left you, right? He married me instead of you.”
Romina asked how long she and Carlos had been seeing each other. “Was it before or after the supposed wedding?… because we were doing fine until you showed up.”
Daniela dodged the questions and said that she (Romina) had been rãpëd by some man, that she would never be able to take her mother’s place. Romina said she didn’t plan to and Daniela went on with her ãttaçk, saying that this wasn’t a fairy tale, she was only after her father’s money and had made him to provide for her bastard daughter. Romina asked Daniela to leave.
“I won’t allow anyone to insult me and my daughter in my own home,” Romina declared. “Especially someone living with my secondhand goods.” (Ouch. That’s gotta hurt, Danny)
“I’m just doing you a favor, Romina,” Daniela said. “I’m giving you a way out…from the hell you’re about to enter…if you try to become part of my family.”
Romina stood up to her and looked her right in the eye. “Are you threãteñing me?”
“I can make your fairy tale turn into a nightmare.” Daniela said.
“Daniela… stop it.”
Robert had entered the room and Daniela didn’t seem to take heed to his words. She asked her father if he was going to marry that good for nothing insect who was only after his money and Robert said yes, he was going to marry her and there was nothing she could do to stop her. Daniela thrëateñed that she would cut ties with him if he went ahead and Robert told him that he was the only one to decide who he was going to marry.
“Then you just lost a daughter,” Daniela countered like a spoilt rotten child.
Back at the Bartolome residence, Daniela ranted on to Carlos, saying that she would never allow her father to marry ‘that whøre’. She then received a call from Leon, a shady businessman she owed money to back in Taiwan. Leon said that he had also come to Manila to collect his money. Daniela said she was working on it and Leon thrëateñed her to pay him back or else… the line went deãd.
At Camila the next day, Leon paid a visit to Robert and handed him a document, saying that his daughter owed him big money and he had to pay up since she couldn’t pay back herself. Robert told him that his daughter was old enough to handle her own mess and Leon said that they were talking about the lives of her daughter and grandchild. Robert asked if he was threatening him and Leon said that he was only saying so to avoid bigger problems.
“Let’s handle this legally,” Robert said.
” You don’t really know me,” Leon retorted. “I can handle this my own way, and the lives of your family would be at stake.
Now Robert had had enough. He asked Leon to leave and he left with his henchmen. Later on, Robert met up with Daniela at home and told her that Leon had come to see him and he now knew what was going on. He then gave her a document, telling her that it was what she had wanted for a long time now.
It was a stock transfer contract, and she would soon have much more money to pay her debtor. When Daniela asked whether he was still going to marry Romina, he ignored the question and even doubled the offer, saying that he would only sign under one condition.
“You need to be at my wedding…after the wedding, I’ll sign the papers.”
Daniela looked at her father as if he had suddenly grown two heads. “Like hell that will happen,” she spat at him.
