Arranged Hearts, Fated love

Have you ever been trapped in a marriage with no love? Because I am. I am the wife of one of the country's wealthiest and most eligible bachelors—Andrew John Sarmiento, the heir and CEO of Sarmiento Hotel and Casino. His family carries one of the most powerful names in the business industry. Kaya naman halos lahat ng mayayaman at businessmen gustong maging kaibigan ang pamilya nila. They are influential, powerful, and respected. And Andrew? Almost every girl from a wealthy family dreams of becoming his wife. What they don't know is that he's already married. To me. But our marriage is a secret. And that's exactly how Andrew wants it. Because ours was never a marriage built on love. It was arranged. A marriage of convenience. A marriage decided by our parents before Andrew and I even had the chance to get to know each other. Kung hindi lang nagmakaawa at lumuhod si Papa sa harapan ko, I would have never agreed to marry him. But I had no choice. My father's company, King's Land Hotel and Restaurant Corp., was slowly drowning in debt. The business was facing bankruptcy, and they needed financial assistance from other wealthy families to keep it alive. And somehow, I became part of the negotiation. I was born out of wedlock. Because of that, my father's family never really treated me like I belonged to them. To them, I was the daughter they could hide. The daughter they could sacrifice. The daughter they could use whenever they needed something. Hindi ko naman ginustong maging anak sa labas. I never asked for this life. But whenever my father's family needed someone to sacrifice, somehow, it was always me. And maybe that's why they thought it would be easy to marry me off to Andrew. After all, what did I have to lose? My happiness? My freedom? My dreams? Apparently, none of those mattered to them. But there was one person who made all of it bearable. My grandmother. She was the only person who had always made me feel loved. She never made me feel like I was unwanted. She never looked at me as a mistake. She was my home. And when she needed my help, I was willing to sacrifice everything for her. Even my own happiness. Three years. That's how long Andrew and I have been married. And today, February 10th, is our wedding anniversary. Our families are celebrating it together. “Andrew and Sandra, kailan niyo ba kami bibigyan ng apo?” my father suddenly asked, laughing. “Tatlong taon na kayong kasal. Wala pa rin ba kayong nabubuo?” I immediately felt uncomfortable. I glanced at Andrew. His expression barely changed. “Sir, Sandra and I are currently busy,” he answered calmly. “She's not ready yet. Gusto daw muna niyang i-focus ang career niya sa modeling bago mag-settle down.” My father laughed. “Hahaha! Andrew, three years na kayong kasal and you're still calling me ‘Sir’?” Andrew smiled awkwardly. “I'm sorry. Hindi pa rin kasi ako sanay hanggang ngayon.” Then he lightly nudged my arm. I immediately understood. That was my cue. He didn't want the attention anymore. “Pa, it's okay,” I quickly said. “Hindi pa po talaga kami ready. We're both busy with our careers. Busy siya sa pag-handle ng business, and ako naman sa career ko.” My father nodded. But I knew him. He wasn't asking because he wanted grandchildren. He was looking for another opportunity. Another reason to get something from Andrew's family. My father never really cared about me. Hindi nga niya ipinapakilala sa publiko na may isa pa siyang anak na babae. Me. Even Andrew's family didn't know that I was born out of wedlock. I don't know what my father told them. And honestly, I stopped caring a long time ago. Three years ago, while I was just beginning my modeling career, my father hosted a dinner at the Alcantara mansion. That night, our parents announced our marriage. No discussion. No choice. Just an announcement. A month later, Andrew and I were standing in front of an altar. Getting married. To a stranger. “Okay, okay. I won't pressure you two anymore,” my father said with a laugh. The celebration continued. But just like every other family gathering, I felt like I was simply playing a role. The perfect wife. The perfect daughter. The perfect daughter-in-law. Nobody knew the truth. Nobody knew that Andrew and I barely knew each other. Nobody knew that we rarely even lived together. And nobody knew that the man standing beside me wasn't my husband in the way people imagined. After several hours, our guests began leaving one by one. I was finally able to breathe. “Sandra! Come here!” I turned around. It was Aliyah. Andrew's sister. Aside from their father, she was the only person in the Sarmiento family who genuinely welcomed me. Their mother disliked me. I could feel it every time she looked at me. But we remained civil. She simply didn't talk to me. Aliyah was different. She treated me like a real sister. “Look at this!” she said, holding up her phone. “Your agency, Opal Elite Models, is opening a new modeling branch in London. Alam mo ba 'to?” “Yup. In-announced na ng CEO. They're already choosing from the top models who are interested in relocating.” “Then aren't you going?” She looked at me like the answer was obvious. “You're one of their top models. Impossible na hindi ka nila inalok.” I smiled faintly. “Pag-iisipan ko pa.” “Why?” She suddenly grinned. “And maybe doon mo na mahanap ang ‘the one’ mo. Hindi yung kuya ko na may ibang binabahay.” “Aliyah!” I immediately looked around. “Shush! Lower your voice! Baka marinig ka ng mga parents natin!" She laughed. “Relax. I'm just saying.” I sighed. “And yes, they've already mentioned it to me. But I'm still thinking about it.” “Bakit?” “May sakit si Lola.” My smile disappeared. “Ayokong iwan siya.” Aliyah's expression softened. “I understand.” “Besides, matagal pa naman. The London branch is still in the process of being established. Marami pa silang requirements.” She nodded. “Okay. But don't take too long.” Before I could answer— “Sandra.” I froze. “Come here for a moment.” It's Andrew. He was calling me. “Wait, Aliyah.” I walked toward him. The moment I reached him, his expression changed. Cold and Serious. “Bakit?” He looked at me. “Your father is borrowing one hundred million pesos from me.” My eyes widened. “What?” “Did you know about this?” “No, I don't!” I immediately shook my head. “Bakit naman siya manghihiram ng gano'ng kalaking pera?” Andrew's jaw tightened. “Don't act like you don't know anything, Sandra.” His voice was low. Accusing. “He's your father. Of course you know why.” I stared at him. Then came the words that would remind me exactly what Andrew thought of me. “You people are really disgusting.” My heart sank. “Pera lang talaga ang habol niyo.” I hated the accusation in his voice. I looked directly into his eyes. “Wala akong alam sa sinasabi mo.” I swallowed hard. “Sabihin mo na lang na hindi mo kayang magpahiram ng pera.” He stared at me. “And what's the point of asking me if you're not going to believe my answer?” I didn't know what to say. Then he continued. “I'm going to send him the money.” He paused. “And you're going to pay for it.” My brows furrowed. “What?” I stared at him in disbelief. “What do you want me to do?” But Andrew didn't answer. He only stared at me with those cold, unreadable eyes. And for the first time in three years... We were finally having a real conversation. But I had a feeling... I wasn't going to like where it would lead.