CHAPTER 1 MISERABLE LIFE

Rebecca Sebastian and Ricardo Sullivan are happy lovers. Rebecca has just finished high school and she plans to take a midwife course, which her parents are very happy about. At first, they did not feel like poverty, but when her parents got sick and died, Rebecca's ’parents had almost all sold their property, and Mercedes suffered a lot in the company of her boyfriend.

Ricardo's father works as a fisherman, and his mother works as a housewife. He could no longer go to college because his parents did not have the money to afford his university tuition.

In a flash, all of Rebeccas' dreams were ruined, and she was not even able to continue her studies because she found out that Ricardo had gotten her pregnant, so she chose to come with him and start a family.

That caused Rebecca’s sister Eva's anger and hatred to build up, and she would leave her and join her own family. On the other hand, Ricardo did not leave Rebecca amid extreme poverty. They looked for a small apartment where they could afford a small rent. They lived there until Rebecca gave birth, to her first son, Erin, while Ricardo was lucky to find a job as a construction worker. Despite having only completed high school, he was immediately accepted to the one he applied for because a worker was needed in a large building in Malabon.

He did not earn that much, but he was still able to bring it home to meet his family, but soon Ricardo joined his co-workers in bars, and he learned to drink as well as gamble. He began gambling as a hobby and only gambled small amounts of money, but he quickly became addicted to the vice, spending nearly half of his salary on gambling. But he was often looked down upon and could not take home a win, so he forced Rebecca to work to help him pay for their house.

Their son was then one year old, and he realized how hard it was every day to be with his mother, who was drenched in sweat and working all day selling fish in the market. It takes them a night to sell, where they only earn about one hundred to three hundred pesos a day, and sometimes they don't take home any money.

Erin was then four years old and was beginning to hear his father argue and beat his mother. He often cried at night with his face and whole body covered. He could not fully understand why he could still bear to be with his father while he was hurt and tortured every day.

But their suffering with their father did not end there. One night, Rebecca caught up with his husband Ricardo who was with a woman inside their house. Exhausted and angry, Rebecca shouted at her husband and chased the woman with him to bed.

"What do you want? Will I suffer for the rest of my life with your cries? I am of no use to you anymore, so you have no right to evict any woman I bring here to the house. " Ricardo mercilessly slapped his wife on both cheeks until she lay on the concrete floor of the house. Erin was crying to one side as he watched his father abuse his mother.

"If we had brought our son Erin to the fair, we would have certainly been able to earn this child." Ricardo was about to grab Erin when Rebecca suddenly pushed him away.

He immediately picked up Erin and they ran out of the house. When they reached the doors, the mother and son hurried to the gate, but Ricardo grabbed Erin's t-shirt, Mercedes was surprised and he immediately pulled Erin's hand, Eva came running and she quickly hugged Rebecca, but Ricardo was very strong. Erin's hands slipped and Rebecca released him, Ricardo grabbed Erin by the waist and he quickly closed the gate to an explosive way.

"ERIN! MY SON! " Rebecca sobbed in tears as Eva hugged her tightly.

It was the first time she had been separated from her son in the company of her cruel husband.

Before the night was over, Eva decided to take her sister Rebecca to her house and rest there for a few days before she could make a plan on how she could get Erin back.

At first, Rebecca did not immediately agree, and she insisted on going with her sister, but she also realized there was no point in arguing with the only person who could help her get Erin so she also accepted her offer. She said goodbye to her son and she went to her sister's house even though she still had great longing and sadness in her heart.