Chapter 1

I fell out of bed because of how much I was tossing and turning in my sleep. I ended up clutching my hip, nursing the pain.

"Shit," I muttered softly as I struggled to stand, still holding my hip. When I looked up and saw the time, my eyes widened, and I immediately ran to the bathroom.

"Fuck!" I cursed loudly and quickly showered, barely getting myself wet. I didn't even bother to grab a towel to wrap around my body. I ran back to my room naked to put on my uniform.

There's no one else in my apartment but me. I'm sure there are no CCTV cameras either. I'm also sure no one is peeking through any holes in the walls since the apartment is made of cement. Sometimes, I even sleep in just my panties. It's really comfortable.

In less than 20 minutes, I ran out of the building and sprinted to catch a jeepney that was just starting to move. Luckily, I wasn't late for the ride. It's really hard to catch a jeepney near my apartment sometimes. Why am I always late, anyway?

I walked and ran until I arrived outside the bar. Erick, the bouncer who is practically twice my size, saw me.

"Chill, Isabella. You look like you're being chased by a dog," he laughed, and I just rolled my eyes.

"Maybe next time, you'll be the one being chased by a dog, Erick," I retorted, panting heavily. I patted his shoulder and went straight into the bar.

As soon as I entered, Mia, our manager, greeted me. "Isabella, you're late again," she said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Sorry, Mia. I overslept. It won't happen again, promise," I apologized while putting on my apron.

"Make sure it doesn't. We have a lot of customers tonight," she replied with a sigh.

"Don't scold our pretty waitress, Mia." Carlo, the bar owner, interrupted. He came from his office near the kitchen.

Carlo smiled at me, so I smiled back. "It's alright. Don't worry about being late. Just catch your breath and start your shift when you're ready."

"Thanks, sir Carlo. But this will be the last time, I swear." I raised my hand as if taking an oath. Carlo just laughed at my gesture.

"These things happen. Take your time." Carlo added before leaving the bar. He probably had something to do since he always leaves whenever I come in and doesn't return.

"You got away with it again, Isabella..." Mia frowned, clearly not accepting that Carlo was kind to me. Carlo was biased. He had a crush on me too.

Carlo was my neighbor in the place where my mom and I lived. He's older than me by about three years, and since they've always been wealthy, he took over the bar when the first owner, his brother, passed away. He didn't want anyone else to handle it. He hired me as an employee when we caught up during my first year, and he wanted to help me out.

I walked to the counter, and Francine, my transgender friend, immediately noticed me.

"Hello, my amega!" I smiled at Francine as she saw me. She was wiping a table and looked like she was almost done.

"Are you serving today, girl, or do you want to be a bartender?" I winced at what she said. "Replace Popoy there for me. I want to be with him!" she complained. I just turned my back on her because of her flirtatious behavior.

"Suit yourself, you're making me replace someone when I don't even know how to mix drinks. It's better if you do it since it's more advantageous for you, considering you're bigger than Pop--" I didn't finish because she pulled my hair. "Ouch! That hurts." I grimaced while she looked at me with attitude.

"Oh, come on, that was nothing. Overreacting?"

I hit her with my bag, and because she's an abnormal gay, she messed up my hair. "What the heck! Are you insecure about my hair or something?!"

"Yes!" she shouted playfully, pointing at me like an idiot. "And as long as I live, I won't let you not be my servant!" I playfully pulled her hair too. "Oh, my gosh! You're no fun."

"We're even now, don't be a demon today because I'm in a bad mood." I fixed my hair and walked into the kitchen, where I saw Popoy just coming out. He smiled widely when he saw me and even waved.

"Hi, Isabella! Looking good," he greeted me. I smiled back at him.

"Been a while, what time are you off today?"

"Why? Are we going on a date?"

"Dream on, you're not my type."

He clutched his chest dramatically and pretended to be hurt. "Ouch, you really know how to hurt a guy. You've rejected me a hundred times already. It really stings." I just laughed at his antics and patted his arm.

"Go ahead, it looks like Francine is eyeing you again. You'll be raped again, haha." He shivered at my comment.

"I'd rather be with you--" I gave him a stern look. "I mean, I'd rather be with you. What are you thinking? You really are something." He backtracked. I just hit him and walked into the kitchen.

"Whatever. You talk too much."

After changing into my uniform, I went straight out.

"Bella, you're on table 10. A customer just arrived." I nodded in response, grabbed my small notepad and pen, and headed to table 10 where three men were seated.

"Welcome to Ember and Echo bar. Ready to order?" I greeted with a smile, preparing to write down their orders.

One of them looked at me and smiled while his two companions didn't even glance at me.

"Right, malt whisky for my friend here, beers, and nachos, please." I glanced at the friend he mentioned, who was still looking at his phone. When he sensed I was looking, he looked at me with furrowed brows.

I looked away and just took down the order. "Got it, anything else?"

"No, that's it for now." I gave him a polite smile and turned around. I furrowed my brows because the guy seemed familiar. Where have I seen him before?

"That girl, she's beautiful." I heard one of them say. Were they talking about me? Of course, I'm pretty.

"Woah, you like her? Want me to get her name?" The guy I spoke to earlier replied.

"I'm not shy, Hyung. Not like some people-- Ow, why did you hit me?!"

I just shook my head and went straight to the counter. "Kuya, malt whisky, beers, and nachos for table 10. I'll get the ice myself."

Kuya Railey nodded and smiled. "Got it, thank you, Isabella."

"Girl, the VIP section is full of hotties!" Francine squealed when she arrived at the counter. Kuya just shook his head, knowing that Francine always gets excited around handsome guys.

"I'm not interested, Francine. Go away, don't bother me." The call-back tone sounded, and Francine hurriedly left without a word. Kuya and I exchanged looks because Francine was eager to be surrounded by men again. Always.

After my shift, I decided to meet up with my best friend, Shane, who had been waiting for my shift to end. I noticed Shane sitting at a table with a group of people I didn't recognize. As I approached, she quickly saw me and waved from her spot.

"Isabella, come join us!" She stood up and walked over to me. She linked her arm with mine and walked with me.

She had quite a few people at her table, and they were all laughing. "Shane, who are all these people? I don't know any of them," I asked her. The music near them wasn't too loud, so I knew they didn't hear me.

"Mike, his cousin, and her boyfriend. The others I just met along the way, so I dragged them here." I slapped her arm at what she said.

"Idiot, you dragged them just because they're handsome." I grimaced.

"Dumbass, didn't you get the joke? I know them all!" They stopped laughing and all turned to me. "Guys, meet my beautiful bestie!"

"Is she Isabella? The one you've always been talking about?" Shane happily nodded, proud.

"Of course! Isn't she beautiful? She's accepting suitors now, in case anyone's single?" I pinched her waist. "But never mind, she's too picky. Study first, she says."

"Hahaha, there's still someone like that? You can do both, you know," said the guy in the leather jacket. He was handsome and had a cross earring in his left ear. He winked at me when our eyes met. I just smiled and looked away.

"Hey, Dio. Do you want me to poke your eye out?! Stop winking. Isabella doesn't like you!"

"Woah, chill babe. Are you jealous, haha?" Shane threw a beer cap at Dio, who was laughing.

"Idiot! Look at yourself!" Shena pulled me to an empty chair and had me sit next to her. They introduced themselves one by one and wanted me to drink, but I declined since I had just finished work. I also didn't feel like drinking tonight.

"So, Isabella, what course are you taking? Your best friend always talks about you to me. She might as well get a tarpaulin for everyone to see."

They laughed at what Shena's cousin said, causing my best friend to blush. She seemed very proud of me.

"Shut up! I'm just proud of my best friend. I want to adopt her, but she doesn't want to," she said irritably, making me cringe.

"So what is it, Isabella? So I can shift to your course too," joked Shena's cousin's friend, who I believe is named Michael. He had some earrings and seemed quite appealing.

"I'm taking a degree in Bachelor of Law, and I'm in my third year," I replied. I couldn't help but notice their amazed expressions.

"Wow, good course. If I ever get in trouble, you'll be the first one I call," he joked, and I smiled.

"Sure, but if you don't call, I might personally arrange your cell in jail," I added, which made the group laugh.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the three guys from table 10 earlier. One was already tipsy while the other two were still chill. They were now talking to some girls, but the quiet guy from earlier still seemed uninterested in his surroundings, just drinking. I was surprised when he looked my way. Embarrassed, I looked away and focused on the conversation around me.

As the evening wore on, I realized how late it was getting. We were already outside the bar, waiting for Shena's friends to leave before I could go home, but we got carried away talking and lost track of time.

"Isabella, it's getting really late. Why don't you come over to my place tonight? It's closer, and you won't have to worry about traveling home at this hour."

I hesitated, feeling grateful for the offer but also a bit unsure. Shena's condo was within walking distance, so we could walk there. Since I didn't have work in the morning, I wanted to sleep in before looking for another job since I only worked at the bar on weekends.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother," I said to her, but she brushed it off.

"Nonsense! You're practically family. Come on, it'll be like a sleepover! And it's not your first time sleeping over, so why are you suddenly shy?"

I pursed my lips. "I still have some dignity left, you know. Wait here; I'll just say goodbye to my colleagues."

I said goodbye to my co-workers inside the bar and headed to Shena's condo, which was just a short walk away. We continued chatting, and she was surprised to learn that I got fired, so I had to explain the whole situation.

"That bitch!" she exclaimed angrily. "How dare she do that to you? What's that girl's name so I can deal with her!"

I slapped her lightly. "Crazy, don't say things like that; someone might hear us."

She just pouted and hooked her arm around mine. "But what will you do now? You only work weekends at the bar, right? Do you want me to pay your tuition for now?"

"Crazy, no way!" I replied quickly. "You've been too kind to me already, Shena. I don't want to owe you more."

"Pfft," she reacted immediately, placing her hand on her chest. This girl is so dramatic. "You don't owe me anything. You barely sleep when you owe someone!"

"That's not the point; don't be stupid," I scolded her, knocking on her forehead. She just pouted at my action. "The point is, you've already done so much for me. I'm hesitant to accept more."

"You're the one who's stupid," she retorted, frowning. "But okay, just know that if you really need help, I'm here for you."

I just nodded and smiled. "Thanks, Shena. I know you're always there for me." I patted her on the shoulder and pulled her toward the sofa. "Come on, let's watch a movie to relax."

She shrugged, and we both sat on the sofa, continuing to chat while looking for a good movie on N*****x. After a few minutes of choosing, we settled on a romantic comedy that we both liked.

While watching, I couldn't help but think about the guy I saw at the bar. "Shena, I saw a familiar face at the bar earlier. I feel like I've seen him before, but I can't remember where."

"Hmm, maybe he's just a regular customer? Or maybe a former classmate? We've had so many classmates that I can't remember all their faces either," she replied while eating popcorn.

"Yeah, but I really can't remember. Never mind. Maybe he just looks familiar."

"Maybe you have a crush on him, that's why you noticed him right away?" Shena teased, winking.

"Idiot, I don't have time for that. I have so many things to do. Studies first before anything else," I replied, hitting her with a pillow.

We continued watching the movie, laughing and sharing stories. The evening became lighter, and I temporarily forgot all my problems. At that moment, I was happy to be with my best friend, Shena, who was always there for me despite everything that was happening.

After a few hours, our eyes began to droop. "Hey, Isabella, you look sleepy. Let's go to bed. We can sleep together in my room."

I just nodded and went to her room. Shane jumped onto the bed where I was sitting.

"Remember our high school sleepovers? It's like we're reliving those days," she said, not looking at me while hugging her huge pillows.

"Yeah. A lot has happened in my life, but you're still here. Thanks," I genuinely said, lying down on the bed.

"It's what friends do, Bella. Speaking of friends, our old friend met someone on a dating app. Seems like she's enjoying her sugar daddy's money."

I became interested in what she said. I saw a logo of an event where they paired rich people with partners of the opposite status. I'm not sure if that's how they get rich attendees, but most of the people I knew who joined ended up in scandals. Some had their own love lives, but I'm not sure if they were happy.

I don't understand why they are interested in such events. The partners are mostly older men because of the high entrance f*e. It's probably the price of my tuition.

"Don't get involved in those things. You might get insecure about her again," I warned, thinking she might be up to something since she shared this with me.

She smiled sweetly at me. "Of course not! Do you think I'm that desperate for money? Excuse me? I'm rich," she replied, rolling her eyes, which made me cringe. I knew she was up to something when she was like this.

"I know you're rich," I replied. "That's why you're my favorite best friend; you always treat me."

"You're so cheap," she joked, laughing. "But seriously, Bella, you don't have to worry about money. You'll get a good job after college."

"Thanks, Shena," I said, feeling the sincerity. "But I really want to be independent. I don't want to rely on others."

"That's what I like about you," she said, "brave and determined. That's why I can't forget our first year. Your sacrifices were incredible."

"Yeah, I don't know how I got through it either," I said, smiling at the memory. "But you were always there for me, so it was still fun despite the hardships."

"Always," she said, hugging me. "Now, let's sleep and rest. We'll deal with the problems tomorrow."

"That's a good idea," I said, lying down and covering myself with a blanket. "Good night, Shena."

"Good night, Bella."

As I closed my eyes, I couldn't help but remember the guy I saw at the bar. Where have I seen him before? Never mind, he's not my type anyway.