I didn't know what to expect standing in front of the pulsating party room door with Diego. I felt a tad nervous and uncomfortable. Diego must have sensed my nervousness. His touch, a gentle nudge against my shoulder with his strong arm. "Hey! What's up?" "I don't know anyone," I confessed, my voice barely audible over the loud music. "You know me," he said, smugly. "you don't have to worry about anything. Just think of me as your social passport. Everyone in there is my friend. All you have to do is loosen up and have fun. Trust me, you need this." A hesitant smile tugged at my lips. "I guess." "Let's go?" I nodded. Walking into the party room, girls swarmed around us—Diego precisely, like a school of fish out of water. It was clear to me that he was popular amongst the girls, though a cynical voice in my head wondered if it was purely his charm or if they simply just wanted a share of his family's wealth. The piercing gaze from one of the girls made me squir
My heartbeat accelerated, and I mentally cringed at the thought of being found out. "Diego!" Caesar called, his voice laced with razor sharp menace. "What a delightful surprise. We meet again." Their gazes met in a silent duel. Bemused, my gaze flickered between the two of them. I recalled Caesar telling me he knew the Fernandez family but the animosity crackling in the air spoke of a deeper discord. They were like wolves circling each other. Diego ignored him and averted his gaze to me, a silent question hanging in the air. I swallowed a ball of nerves in my throat as I awaited the inevitable questioning. I was already thinking of an excuse to give but it seemed Diego wasn't interested after all. "Nicole, shall we get out of here?" "Wait a minute," Caesar stood in front of me like a protective shield. "Is this how you treat your acquaintances? Oh," he face palmed. "Of course, how could I forget?...that's who you are. And more importantly, where in the world do you know
Diego's brows furrowed. "To a party, where else?" "She just got discharged from the hospital!" Sergio rasped. "She doesn't need this right now. She's not all about that lifestyle." Diego scoffed, the sound sharp and dismissive. "Seriously, Sergio? It's not a big deal. I don't understand why you're blowing it way out of proportion. When I was leaving the house, I met Nicole in a bad mood and decided to invite her to join me. Just to uplift her mood. Nothing more." I titled my head to the side, a sly smile stretching my lips. I was enjoying the drama a little too much. It felt almost as if the two brothers were fighting for my attention. What an interesting twist. Sergio heaved a sigh, running his fingers through his hair in a gesture of frustration. "Look, Diego," he started, his voice strained. "I didn't mean to, you know..." He trailed off. "It's just... when I returned, she wasn't in her room. I got worried. She's my responsibility, after all." "I understand," Diego
THIRD PERSON Walking out of the room, Sergio puffed out his cheeks. He had no idea what Nicole was doing, but whatever it was, he couldn't deny the fact that she had an effect on him. Looking into her eyes, he could see the sincerity, the innocence and longing in them. It made him feel a tad sad because he knew he could never give her what she wanted... He wasn't in the position to anyway. Things were much more complicated than they seemed. Shaking his head to get rid of the thought, he made his way to Diego's room. He couldn't help but feel anxious. He wondered what Diego had to tell him for he looked and sounded very serious. It was atypical of him. Yes, Diego had always been a little too serious with outsiders, but never with family. "Diego," Sergio called before pushing open the door. Diego was standing by the window, staring blankly into space. Despite Sergio's arrival, he didn't turn to face him. "You've finally gotten my time." "What do you want to talk to me about?" S
Juliana's point of view Wow! Staring at the transcript of my result, I couldn't believe I passed. I did! OMG! I really did! Dad would be elated to hear of the good news - I smiled, reminiscing how hard I studied to be able to get a scholarship. My hard work did not go to waste after all. It paid off. I giggled to myself and gazed at the results again for the umpteenth time. I just couldn't stop myself from repeating the process. It seemed so... Surreal, even to my own eyes. Dad; he worked so hard just to make sure I succeeded. I could wait no longer to get home and present my results to him. Indisputably, he would be astonished and overjoyed at the same time. Frankly speaking, he was the reason behind my zeal to get a scholarship so badly. I wanted nothing more than to be able to take us out of the poverty I grew up in. To be able to give him a better life. A life he actually deserved. Ever since I was just a kid, the way loan sharks harassed him had never gone unnoticed by me.
Groaning, I regained consciousness and just like like, everything that happened a while ago came rushing back into my system like a flood. Hot, fat tears ran down my cheeks like a loose faucet. Right in front of me, my entire world came crumbling down and I couldn't do anything to help. I was useless! Like a raging bull, I got up and pushed open the door, but to my horror, I met an empty living room. "Dad? Dad?" I screamed for him, but my efforts were futile. Knowing they couldn't have gone far, I raced outside and true to my words, I sighted them, throwing his body in the trunk of a black truck. I raced towards them, but at that very moment, the vehicle began to move. "No!" I continued running after the vehicle until my legs became jelly and I fell flat on my face. "Give him back to me." I cried intermittently. The image of his lifeless body in the pool of his blood suddenly flashed in my mind. "DAD! DAD!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs until my voice croaked and began to br
Mia let out a gasp. She obviously couldn't believe what she just heard. How could she when I still couldn't believe it myself. "Bes." She called, her voice trembling. "I'm... I'm so sorry. Who... Did that to him?" She stuttered. "I don't know who they are. It was my first time seeing them at our house... They looked like thugs." My lips quivered as I spoke. My heart was breaking into a million pieces. "Why did you not call the cops, bes? You should have done that immediately." Mia admonished, grabbing my trembling hand in hers. "I couldn't do it, Mia." I shook my head aggressively. "I couldn't leave or take my eyes away from him even for a blink of an eye." More tears slipped out of my eyes. "I think I lost my phone." "They weren't putting on masks?" Mia caressed my hand softly, emboldening me to continue. "No. I saw their faces. All three of them." I replied. How could I possibly not? Their faces were engraved in my mind and I didn't think it would ever fade. I knew I would ne
"Do you really plan on leaving Cebu? Where do you plan to go, bes?" Mia inquired. I had finally been discharged from the hospital after a few days later and was busy packing my stuff. "Can't you please just stay?" Her voice was laced with genuine worry. It was evident she did not want me to leave the province, but there was absolutely nothing she could do to convince me. I was hellbent of seeking vengeance for my father's death. I couldn't be stopped. Not even by my best friend. "Please reconsider," she continued. "You're not in the right state of mind and knowing you, you might do something reckless."I would admit, she was not wrong about that — I had always acted on impulse, but this time around, my actions would be justified. "Don't worry about me, Mia," I smiled, tightly. "I will be fine. I won't stop, until I get even with those monsters that ruined my life." The promise was more to myself. It was a vow I was ready to do anything to fulfill. There will surely pay in a dreadful