Babaeng Tricycle Driver, Muling Nakita and Nawalang Asawa sa Isang Mansyon: Katotohanan Matapos and Tatlong Taon

The afternoon rain suddenly poured down on Quezon City, each heavy drop of water pattered on the old helmet. Maria pulled her frayed nylon raincoat tightly, her hands gripping the handlebars of the shabby tricycle. While driving, she glanced at her phone screen to check her ride.

In recent months, the number of ride-hailing customers had decreased significantly. The rent for a room in Tondo and her son’s school fees weighed heavily on Maria’s shoulders, making her not dare to miss a ride, no matter how windy or rainy it was.

The app reported a ride from a strange address — a high-end subdivision in Alabang. Maria accepted it immediately, feeling a little confused: “Someone so rich still books a ride? Or is it just kasambahay needing to go somewhere?”

When she reached the gate, the iron door opened automatically. A woman dressed elegantly, lightly made up, carrying a Louis Vuitton bag stepped out. Her voice was warm:

“Pakidala ako sa mall, Trinoma, please.”

Maria nodded, started the engine. The road from Alabang to Quezon was not far, but the wind and rain made her cower. The luxurious houses, high fences and closed gates brought back many painful memories.

Three years ago, Maria had a happy family. Her husband, Antonio, was a civil engineer, gentle and capable. They had a son – Paolo – who was two years old at the time. Then one afternoon, Antonio suddenly disappeared. No messages, no calls, only his cellphone turned off. Maria searched everywhere, even reported to pulisya, but all in vain. For three years, Antonio seemed to have evaporated from this world.

Maria hugged her child, making a living by driving a tricycle and cleaning a carinderia. Gradually, the pain became less sharp but still smoldered like a scar that would never heal.

When they arrived at Trinoma, the woman paid and hurried inside. Maria turned around to go back to Alabang, but the phone rang again — from the same villa address.

“She must have forgotten something…” Maria thought and turned back.

The gate opened. This time, it was Antonio himself. The light from inside made his figure both familiar and strange. Maria was stunned, her feet like they were set in stone.

“Pasok ka… may paliwanag ako sa’yo,” Antonio said in a low voice.

Maria walked in. The interior of the villa was luxurious: Italian leather sofas, oil paintings, a wine cabinet full of Chivas and Martell. Her heart ached: her husband who had disappeared, now lived in luxury.

“Where have you been for the past three years? Bakit wala man lang isang salita for me and the baby? Do you know how miserable my mother and I have been?” Maria cried, her eyes red.

Antonio lowered his head, his voice trembling:
Hindi ganun kasimple. That day, he was forced to leave. The company was involved in money laundering, he discovered it, and intended to report it to the pulis but was followed. They forced him to sign fake papers and threatened to kill his whole family if he didn’t disappear. He was imprisoned… but luckily a powerful person saved him and took him abroad. Thanks to that, he is still alive.”

Maria choked. Partly believing, because Antonio’s eyes were not deceitful. But the pain of three years of abandonment was not easy to erase.

“Then why didn’t you look for me and my mother as soon as you were free?”

“I tried. But they were still around. I was afraid that if they were exposed, it would implicate you and Paolo. I was going to wait for everything to calm down…”

Maria shed tears:
“I didn’t know that my son still asks every night when his father will come back…”

Antonio held his head, his manly tears falling. “Patawarin mo ako, Maria…”

At that moment, the sound of high heels rang out. The elegant woman from earlier walked down the stairs. She looked at Maria warily:
“Antonio, sino siya?”

Maria’s heart tightened, and she asked harshly:
“She… what is she to you?”

Antonio sighed, removing the woman’s hand from his shoulder:
“Maria, this is Clarissa, the daughter of the benefactor who saved me. She has helped me a lot in the past. But between me and her… there is nothing.”

Clarissa curled her lips and smiled, her eyes full of meaning:
“Wala bang kahit ano? For the past three years, I have been worried about you, giving you a place to live, a job, protecting you. If I say ‘nothing’… it would be like denying everything.”

Maria trembled. The pain was overwhelming. But she still spoke firmly:
“I am Antonio’s legal asawa, the mother of his son. Money and power can buy many things, but not the love between husband and wife and father and son.”

Antonio squeezed Maria’s hand, determined:
“Clarissa, I am grateful to you and your father. But my family is only one – Maria and Paolo. I will not lose them again.”

Clarissa said coldly:
“Do you think it is that easy to go back? They haven’t given up yet. If you choose her, will you be able to protect them?”

Antonio raised his head, his eyes determined:
“For the past three years, I have been quietly collecting evidence. It is almost time to hand it over to the pulisya. I will not hide anymore. For Maria, for Paolo, I will end it all.”

Maria looked into her husband’s eyes. There was love and determination in them. Her heart, though wounded, still longed for this day of reunion.

She nodded, tears streaming down her face:
“Kung ganun, my mother and I will face it together.”

Antonio hugged his wife. Outside, the rain had stopped. The afternoon sunlight shone through the glass window, illuminating Maria’s tear-stained face.

A new beginning, after three years of loss, was opening up for that small family in the Philippines.

Part 2: The Night Returns

In the days after the reunion, Maria thought everything would gradually calm down. Antonio had returned, her family was finally reunited. But that calm was just a thin layer of fog, hiding the storm that was about to hit.

The Shadow That Follows

One evening, when Maria took Paolo to his extra classes in Marikina, she suddenly realized that a black car without a license plate was following her tricycle. A chill ran down her spine. She tried to weave through the narrow alleys, but the headlights behind her were still persistent.

When she got back to the boarding house, Maria called Antonio with trembling hands.

“Tonio… I think someone is following us.”

Antonio clenched his phone, his face pale. He had expected it, but he had not expected them to act so quickly.

The Warning

The next day, in front of the villa gate, an anonymous envelope was neatly placed. Inside was a photo of Maria and Paolo at school, with the words scrawled in Tagalog below:

“Give up. Otherwise, your family will disappear.”

Maria panicked, hugging Paolo, her eyes filled with tears:
“They know where we are, Tonio…”

Antonio squeezed his wife’s shoulder, his eyes blazing:
“I’ve been silent for three years. Not now. I won’t let them touch you and the baby.”

Clarissa Returns

That night, Clarissa suddenly appeared. She walked in, her face cold:
“Antonio, I warned you. They don’t give up easily. If you keep trying to provoke them, she and the baby will be the first targets.”

Maria clenched her fists, angry:
“Do you think threatening me will make me leave my husband?”

Clarissa turned to Antonio:
“You still have a choice. If you return to this small family, my father will no longer protect you. Are you sure you can withstand the storm?”

Antonio looked at Maria and Paolo, then answered firmly:
“You choose them. And if necessary, you will face them yourself.”

Clarissa trembled slightly. She suppressed her anger and left, leaving behind a tense void.

The Night Attack

That night, the sound of broken glass rang out. Three hooded strangers broke into the villa. Maria only had time to hug Paolo and run into the bedroom, locking the door. Each banging sound was so loud that it seemed like it was going to break.

Antonio rushed into the living room, holding an iron rod. He faced them, each blow echoed in the rainy night. Blood oozed from his forehead, but he remained steadfast.

One of them roared:
“Do you think you can escape? Hand over the evidence, or you will all die today!”

Maria hugged Paolo, trembling, her eyes filled with tears. The boy cried out:

“Mama, Papa… are they going to kill us?”

Antonio gritted his teeth:

“No one can touch my family!”

He used all his strength to knock down one of the men, then dragged his wife and children out the back door. In the chaos, they escaped, hiding in the darkness.

The Blood Oath

On the rainy road in Taguig, Antonio hugged his wife and children tightly, walking and trembling with exhaustion. But in his eyes burned a new determination:

“I was wrong to leave you two alone for three years. But this time, I swear… even if I have to face the whole gang, I will end it all. I will not run away anymore.”

Maria nodded, her tears mixing with the rain:
“Then my mother and I will be with you. We will live and die together.”

Paolo looked up, innocent but determined:
“Papa, I believe you will win.”

In the dark of the night, the small family held hands tightly. They knew the darkness had not yet retreated, but now they were no longer alone. And the real battle to the death had only just begun.