As she allowed herself to fall for and be in an extra-marital affair with her sister’s husband, many of us probably abhorred Jia Wong, one of the main characters of the afternoon soap opera Love Thy Woman impeccably portrayed by Kim Chiu. But for her nephew Michael (JJ Quilantang), the adoptive son of Dana (Yam Concepcion) and David (Xian Lim), she’s definitely the best aunt or “tita” every kid could ever ask for.
It is still unbeknownst to her that the young boy she calls her nephew is actually her own son who she believes is already dead. Avid viewers of the series are well-aware that it happened after her uncle kidnapped her newborn baby and gave it to Lucy (Eula Valdez) in exchange of 5 million pesos that was used for her treatment.
Longing for the child she had lost, Jia finds delight in Michael, who she first met during the 25th anniversary celebration of their company. Instead of getting irritated, she smiled at and had a small talk with him. As they had to part that night, she couldn’thelp but lovingly gaze at him from afar.
They had the chance to become close with one another as she gladly filled in for her half-sister’s absence while Dana is still undergoing psychological therapy. It started when she accompanied Michael in a school activity in which presence of the pupils’ mothers was required. She helped him get dressed, played with him, and even made him extra happy as she illustrated a caricature of him.
The next day, she enthusiastically told her dad Adam (Christopher De Leon) how much she enjoyed spending time with Michael. She said he wishes to have a child of her own just like him very soon. She conveyed the same to her mom Kai (Sunshine Cruz) as she fondly watched videos of him that she took in her phone. Besides, she wondered as well if her demised son could have been as energetic and jolly as him and expressed how they would certainly click.
Being an affectionate “Tita Pretty” that she is, Jia brought her nephew to parks and cinemas as he longed to play outside and see a movie. She guided him as he rode a bicycle and attended to his every need just like any mom does.
As we await for the return of Love Thy Woman, you may checkout this Friday 5 video to see the instances when Jia exuded her ‘maternal instinct’ towards Michael.