It was a quiet morning in the Golden Villa. Aviona was in the garden, staring blankly at the flowers before her. The memory of last night was fresh in her memory, so was the purple welt that was apparent in her wrist. Martin's roughness last night left a painful mark on her hands as well as in her heart. She had cried the whole night and that was the main reason why she didn't go to work that day, her head was aching, so was her eyes.

"Hello Madam, do you have any work available for me?" A tiny voice disturbed Aviona's solitude and she turned to see Clay, their gardener's son standing few meters from her with his bright caramel eyes.

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"Hello Clay," Aviona tried to paint a smile on her face for the boy, "Is your mother sick again?"

"No madam, she's well," Clay responded right away. "But I don't have a class and so I asked father if I could come. I heard from father and the kitchen's maid conversation that you are around"

Since their previous transaction, Clay had an assumption that he will only be hired and get paid when Aviona was around as she was the one who will decide what tasks was right for him. The kitchen maids wasn't welcoming, only Aviona was good to him and so he always eavesdrops when his father gets a call from the Golden Mansion, hoping he can get some news if the Madam was around.

"Did you already buy the thing you were saving up for?" Aviona walked to the nearby table where a tea was served. The kitchen maid had served that for her earlier, but she doesn't have the appetite to eat or drink anything.

"Yes Madam, I bought it the last time I received my salary from you," Clay told as she watched Aviona sat back on the garden chair. "Thank you for the extra tip,"

Aviona chuckled at this. Somehow, the boy was making her feel better. "Come and sit with me,"

The boy obediently headed Aviona's request and he sat on a garden chair beside her. Aviona poured out a tea on the single teacup and pushed it to Clay's side.

"Drink this," Aviona said, "You can have the biscuits too,"

"But what about you Madam?" Clay's brows crossed at it, "Isn't this for you?"

"I'm not really hungry," Aviona answered, "The kitchen maid's will be sad if they realize I didn't eat the snack they served for me. They might think I didn't like it so I'm paying you to finish it,"

"I see," Clay's face relaxed and brighten at the thought, "A salary for eating biscuits and drinking tea. Not bad,"

Aviona entertained herself by watching Clay finished the snacks. She didn't know why but the she had grown fondness for the boy, probably because of his wit and determination. Clay happily ate the snacks and chatted with Aviona for a while, but their blissful conversation halted when Martin came.

"Hello Master," Clay stood and bowed on to him. He knew Martin well as he sees him always when he comes to visit the Golden Mansion. Previously, Martin stayed at home more often than Aviona, so their servants were all acquainted and close to him than the Madam of the house.

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"You're the son of the gardener, right?" Martin's head formed lines. The view of Aviona having a wondrous conversation with a servant's son came quite a surprise to him as he had never seen Aviona interact with servants a lot.

"Yes Master. The Madam asked me to finish the food she cannot finish for herself," The boy explained. Unlike all the other servants in their house, only Clay had the guts to talk to him casually.

"Clay," Aviona tapped his head with her soft hands, "Go and see your father. You were out for a while he must have been looking for you,"

"Oh yes Madam you are right," Clay realized, "Are you okay now?"

Clay's words caught something in Aviona and made her realized the boy knew she was struggling with something that's why he kept her company for a while. She only smiled at the boy and nodded at him.

"Alright, I shall go ahead," Clay bid her farewell.

"Go and pick your salary to the same kitchen maid later," Aviona reminded him.

"Thank you, Madam,"

Clay left hastily, leaving Aviona and Martin alone. The boy knew that the couple needed some of their space and he was entirely not welcome to listen. Besides, he thought adult's conversation were boring, so he didn't bother himself to eavesdrop.

"Salary?" Martin raised a brow at Aviona's previous words.

"He does little errands for me," Aviona told as the brightness in her face when Clay was around started to fade away.

"I see," Martin felt the coldness in Aviona's mien. Although he was drunk, he can recall whatever happened last night well and felt really bad about what he did. He didn't know what came into him and certainly, he didn't mean to hurt Aviona like that.

"Darlin about last night—"

"I don't want to talk about it Martin," Aviona shut him off, "Everything is clear to me now,"

With Aviona's words, Martin rushed and kneeled in front of his wife. He hugged Aviona's waist and begged her, "Darling please. I don't mean everything that I said, I was drunk and frustrated and—"

"Let's forget about it," Aviona cut in, to Martin's surprise. He didn't expect Aviona to forgive him that easily but despite her forgiveness, he knew he had already created a scar inside her that will constantly remind her of what he had done.

Aviona on the other hand had thought about everything and she decided to save her marriage whatever it would take her. She felt a thorough guilt for spending to much on chasing Melvin's dreams that she had somehow sacrificed her own marriage unintentionally. Just like Martin did, she had vowed to be with him through thick and thin and so now that their marriage was being tested, she was willing to keep that promise. The problem she and Martin have was due to her complacency and compromises and for that, she held herself solely responsible on how Martin and her relationship turned out. That was the main reason why she forgave him instead of walking away.

"Just promised me you'll never do that again," Aviona stared right through his eyes, "Because Martin I swear, I swear the next time I will never forgive you again,"

"It's not going to happen again Darling," Martin turned to bury his face on Aviona's waist. "I'm really sorry, I promise this time I'll be more careful and more understanding. I'm really really sorry,"

"I'm sorry too," Aviona reached out to touch his hair. "This time I'll make up for it. Let's push trough with that vacation we had been planning on. We need it,"

"Yes Darling," Martin was really glad on how this conversation turned out. He really loved Aviona and he cannot imagine a life without her. All night, the thought of Aviona abandoning him after what he did haunted him and so everything that was happening right then was a huge relief on his side. "Thank you, you don't know how happy and relieved you made me today,"

Martin lifted his head to meet Aviona's eyes. "Aviona I love you so much, you are everything to me, you know that,"

"I know," Aviona smiled at his husband's face. They looked at each other's eyes for a while before Aviona's face turned really serious, "Let's have that child,"

It was time. With everything that had happened, Aviona knew a child can strengthen their marriage more. Besides, she knew Martin wanted it so much and thought it could be the best gift she can give him to make up for the lapses she had in their whole marriage.

Martin became more delighted with what he had heard. He kissed his wife's hand and said, "Darling, that was the most wonderful thing I've heard from you today,"