I Followed My Husband to Quiapo Because I Thought He Had a Girlfriend—But the Real Secret He Was Hiding Was More Than Love

It was a hot afternoon when I started to get nervous. For the past two months, my husband Marco has not been the same. He always has a reason for coming home late at night, always carrying a bag that he doesn’t show.

I asked questions, but his answer was always:
“It’s just work, Liza. Don’t think about anything else.”

But as a wife, I could sense that something was wrong. My suspicions grew stronger one night, when I smelled a strange scent on his polo shirt—a woman’s scent, not mine.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I decided to follow him.

—

Friday night, he said he had an “overtime meeting.” I silently followed the jeepney he was riding in. My chest felt heavy as he walked toward the crowded streets of Quiapo.

That’s where I saw him—meeting a woman under the footbridge. Young, fair, beautiful. She was holding a bag and smiling when she saw Marco.

My world seemed to collapse. My God, he had a hooker.

I could feel him from afar as they spoke. I was even more crushed when I saw them enter a small cafe together. They ordered food, laughing, like lovers.

My grip on my bag tightened. I had to face him.

—

As I approached, my voice exploded:
“Marco! What is this?! Is this what you do every night?!”

Marco’s eyes widened, almost spilling his coffee. The woman, on the other hand, clutched her chest, clearly shocked as well.

“Liza!” Marco immediately approached. “You shouldn’t have seen this… not yet.”

“Not yet?!” my head almost exploded. “You mean, you’ve been fooling me for a long time!”

But before I could completely lose my mind, the woman suddenly spoke. Her voice was weak but I could feel the weight:
“Sister… no. This is not an affair.”

I looked up. Tears welled up as she took out some papers from her bag.

—

Marco opened the envelope and placed it on the table. Pictures. Children. Five children, disheveled, smiling as they ate porridge on the sidewalk.

“They’re orphans, Liza,” he explained, his voice trembling. “I saw them once on my way home. Every night, they would approach me, asking for coins. But instead of coins, I would come back to them, bringing them food.”

My eyes widened. I didn’t know what to think.

He pointed at the woman.
“She is Grace, a social worker. She has been taking care of these children for a long time. I work with her. The money you thought I was spending on other women, goes here—on food, supplies, and uniforms so they can go to school.”

I froze. It was as if time had suddenly stopped. The pain that had been building up in my chest was gradually replaced by shame and amazement.

Grace smiled and continued:
“Ma’am, this was supposed to be a surprise. Kuya Marco wanted to adopt two of them. He has been saving and taking care of the paperwork for a long time. He was planning to tell you when the requirements were complete.”

—

I covered my mouth. I couldn’t stop crying. While I thought he was fooling me… in reality, he was fighting to be a father to children without families.

Marco held my hand.
“Liza, I know we’ve been praying for a long time to have a child. Maybe this is the answer. I didn’t tell you right away because I wanted everything to be ready before I surprised you.”

I hugged her tightly, my body shaking with emotion. “Honey, forgive me… I thought wrong. I thought I would lose you, but the truth is, I loved you even more.”

—

A few months later, two children arrived at our house—siblings Junjun and Maya. Thin, shy, but during our first dinner, I felt right away—our home was complete.

And every time I think of that night in Quiapo, I laugh and cry. The night I thought would destroy our family… it was he who would give us the new family we had been waiting for so long.