Chapter 1

"Dad I really don't want to have a bodyguard! I'm already twenty-three and I don't want someone tailing me wherever I go," I shouted as I glanced at the men who didn't even bothered looking at me.

nakakainis naman kasi I'm already at the legal age yet he wants me to have bodyguards? What am I? a kid? That's a heckin' no for me.

"Just understand me iha, alam mo naman na marami akong kakompetensiya sa business and some of them wants me dead in order for them to win, I'm just thinking about your safety," sagot niya sa akin. Oh, I see, here we are again, he and his beloved businesses.

"But dad-"

"Hadlee Quinn Gamboa!! Susundin mo ako o kukunin ko ang pinakamamahal mong kotse, you know I don't bluff my princess," sigaw niya na pagputol sa dapat na sasabihin ko. I knew it! He will definitely do anything just to get what he want.

He's so manipulative, why can't I have my freedom in this house? Why does it feels like they're imprisoning me?

"Fine!" I neglected and I walked my way out.

He always does that, blackmailing me whenever he want me to do something, may pupuntahan pa naman kami bukas, bahala na tatakasan ko na lang sila.

The next morning

I woke up lazy today, but I need to get up, may lakad pa kasi ako kasama ang mga kaibigan ko, it's already 10 am at may pupuntahan pa kaming party ng 7pm kaya kailangan ko talagang takasan ang mga bodyguard ko. It's actually just a piece of cake for me.

After taking a bath I called Lizzy and good thing she picked it up right away.

"Lizz I need your help," pambungad ko sa kanya pagkatapos niyang sagutin ang tawag.

"Let me guess, it's about your dad wanting you to have a bodyguard, isn't it?" Sagot niya sa'kin mula sa kabilang linya.

"Pano mo nalaman?" My eyebrows furrowed with her response.

"Duh... Can't you remember that you kept on ranting about that for a week now that my ears are already irritated with you"

"Yun na nga eh, he blackmailed me na kukunin niya yung kotse ko so I have no choice but to say yes," I explained and just shrugged my shoulders as she just chuckled in response.

"Pano na 'yan diba may party pa tayong pupuntahan mamaya?"

"Oo, Kaya nga kailangan ko ng tulong mo tatakasan ko sila, dyan na lang ako magbibihis sainyo"

I'm not asking for her permission so she can't do anything about that.

"Sige pero baka wala ka nang uwian pagkatapos nito hahahah and your dad will surely ground you to death," she joked, but I just rolled my eyes, he can't do that, I'm hundred percent sure.

"Ground my ass! That's fine, I know he can't afford seeing me mad at him" I know my dad, he can never be mad at me that long that's why I'm this confident.

"Right! kaya malakas ang loob mo, ewan ko ba kay tito kung bakit hindi ka pa rin pinapatapon hanggang ngayon" napatawa ako ng mahina sa sagot niya. Well, that's quite true.

"Sige na, I'll just eat my breakfast- I mean brunch, byeee see you later"

"Okay bye see you" I ended the call and made my way out of my room.

"Manang what's for breakfast today?" I asked our house helper and she answered me with a wide smile on her face.

"Nandyan ka na pala hadlee, nagluto ako ng bacon, egg, hotdog, and fried rice, may iba ka pa bang gusto?" Tanong niya sa akin. Umiling na lang ako bago siya sagutin.

"Okay na po 'yan thank you"

Hindi naman ako bastos pagdating sa ibang tao lalo na sa kanya, I know whom I need to respect and who don't deserve any special treatment from me.

"Teka ipagtitimpla na lang kita ng gatas" umupo na ako at nagsimula nang kumain habang hinihintay na matapos si manang.

Si manang na halos ang nagpalaki sa'kin, so I really respect her, mom and dad are always out of town for business meetings and I'm really thankful that I have her, she's like my second mother. I even treated her way better than how I treat my own mom.

Nanood na lang ako ng tv para magpalipas ng oras, six pm pa naman ako aalis at wala akong ibang pwedeng pagkaabalahan dito.

After watching two movies tinawag na nila ako para magtanghalian then after that I came back to my room. See how boring my life here is? Kung mags-stay ako dito the whole day, baka mabulok na ako.

Kadalasan mga katulong sa bahay ang kasabay ko sa pagkain. I'm an only child kaya spoiled and I admit I am. They're even calling me brat behind my back but I don't mind them calling me names, that's true anyway.

Alas singko na kaya hinanda ko na 'yong mga dadalhin ko.

I was about to go out but dad saw me and blocked my way.

"Aalis ka? San ka na naman pupunta?" Tanong niya sa akin. Well that's new, usually wala naman siyang pakialam kahit na umalis ako, he would rather take phone calls than

"Sa bahay nila Lizzy," sagot ko. Alam ko na papayag siya, kilala niya naman kasi si Lizzy and he trust her.

"Okay, just bring your bodyguardS with you" he really emphasized the S huh. I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, as if you'll let me go without them," I said with sarcasm in my voice but he just chuckled so I got annoyed.

"Mabuti't alam mo"

"Psh I'll go ahead, I'll bring my car with me bye" I kissed his cheek and bid goodbye before stepping out of our house.

"Bye take care"

Lumabas na ako at sumunod naman sila.

My bodyguard is driving the car and another car is tailing us, aisshhh bakit andami nila? pwede na naman siguro ang dalawa pero sobrang overreacting lang talaga ni dad.

Pagdating doon hindi ko na sila pasasamahin sa loob, hindi pwede, pano ako tatakas kung ganon. And besides, Lizzy has the right if she'll let them enter or not because it's definitely trespassing.

"You can stay here, wala naman sigurong ibang gagawa ng masama sakin sa loob diba? I'm not going anywhere, okay"

Mukhang naniwala naman ito kaya tumango, gosh muntik na ako dun ah, mabuti na lang talaga may pagka uto-uto din sila. I laughed in my mind, it's really going according to my plan.

Nagdoorbell ako at pinagbuksan naman ako ni Lizzy, pagpasok namin sa bahay nila ay saka na siya nagsalita.

"bakit sobrang dami naman yata nila?" Tanong niya, I just shrugged.

"Oo nga eh, nabibwiset na nga ako sa kanila, saan pala pwedeng dumaan dito?" Pag-iiba ko sa usapan.

"Sa backdoor tayo dadaan maayos naman ang daan sa likod ng bahay namin tapos may daanan na palabas medyo malayo 'yon sa bahay kaya hindi na nila tayo mapapansin and my car is already parked there, but before that, let's fix ourselves first"

She planned this already, didn't she?

"Wow! planadong planado talaga ah, hindi halatang desperada ka nang makaalis," I said while clapping my hands, well she's not my best friend for nothing.

"Siyempre! ako pa, by the way, sasama daw ba si Hannah?" I asked, Hannah is our friend who's always on the go so it will be a miracle if she wouldn't come with us.

"Oo naman, 'yon pa"

"Oo nga pala, tara mag ayos na tayo, we need to move faster at baka mapansin nilang matagal akong makabalik"

Nanghiram na lang ako ng make up sa kanya, nakalimutan ko kasing magdala sa kakamadali, ayoko naman na mag-ayos sa bahay kasi baka makahalata sila. Ako na lang ang nag-ayos sa sarili ko since marunong naman ako, a simple make up will do.

I'm wearing a black tank top, skinny jeans and black 2 inches sandals

Pagkatapos mag ayos ay umalis na kami using their backdoor and true to her words, may daanan nga dito and her car is already parked at the end of the path.

"Tawagan mo na si Hannah" utos sakin ni Lizzy siya kasi ang nagdadrive kaya hindi siya makakatawag and I willingly obeyed her.

I called Hannah and she picked it up immediately

"Hello, where the hell are you? I'm already here," sigaw niya sa akin.

"We're on our way, tinakasan ko pa kasi ang mga bodyguard ko," sagot ko sa kanya.

"Akala ko hindi ka na magkakaron? Pano ka niya napapayag?"

"Well he blackmailed me sabi niya kukuni niya ang kotse ko so I have no choice but to obey him" I told her every details of it and he just laughed at my misery.

"Knowing your dad, he'll always do everything," sambit nito, napansin ko na nandito na kami, malapit lang kasi kina Lizzy itong bar.

"Yeah right, nandito na pala kami, where are you?" I roamed my eyes around the place.

"I'm at the bar counter"

"Okay, got it"

Binaba ko na ang tawag at inoff ang phone baka tumawag pa si dad at itrack ako. Nakita na namin si Hannah na umiinom at masayang nakikipag-kwentuhan sa bartender.

"Hi guys, what do you want to drink?" Tanong niya pagkarating na pagkarating namin doon.

"Margarita"

"Tequila"

Magkasabay naming sagot ni Lizzy.

"You heard them" Sabi nito sa bartender

We just keep on drinking until we get wasted, it's already midnight so I know people here are already wild.

We decided to dance and a guy approached me

"Hi, are you alone miss?" He asked while staring at my almost exposed chest.

"Nope I'm with them-" wait we're are them? Nagtingin tingin ako sa paligid at nakita ko silang may kanya kanya nang kasayaw

"Nevermind" Hindi parin umaalis yung lalaki pero hindi ko lang pinansin at sumayaw na lang

"By the way I'm Drake, and you are?"

"None of your business" Hindi ba niya nakikitang wala akong pakialam sa kanya? Is he dumb or something?

"Ok nice meeting you miss none of your business" he said mocking me that made my blood boil.

Alam ko na ang gusto nito kaya lumapit sakin, he wants someone to f*ck and that someone is me, well... Mali siya ng napiling babae.

"You know what, I'll go straight to the point, if you're finding someone to f*ck well sorry to say but you can't have me"

"Woah woah, hahahah I just want to know you, that's all," he said defensively.

"Well, I don't want to know you," sagot ko sa kanya, then, I walked out, pumunta na lang ako sa bar counter, I want to drink some more.

"Give me a hard drink" sumunod naman ito.

Tinungga ko ito at gumuguhit sa lalamunan ko pero hindi pa rin ako nakontento, I'm a hard drinker so I'm fine drinking here alone because I don't get drunk that easily.

"One more"

"One more" at hindi ko na mabilang kung ilan ang nainom ko, umiikot na rin ang paningin ko, I have a high tolerance in alcohol but I just don't feel drunk bro I feel high, nilingon ko ang lalaki.

"May nilagay ka ba rito?" I asked the bartender but he just shaked his head.

"Wala po miss," sagot nito sa akin. Teka bakit parang nakita ko itong ngumisi? or it's just my imagination? Ipinagkibit-balikat ko na lang ito. Well nevermind maybe I'm just too drunk that's why I imagine things.

Maya maya ay para na akong masusuka so I ran towards the bartroom.

Paglabas ko ay hinanap ko si Lizzy, gosh! I want to go home already.

Pinuntahan ko si Lizzy na ngayon ay nagsesexy dance na sa kasamang lalaki. Gosh she's so wild right now.

"Lizz, uwi na tayo, I'm already drunk" pag-aaya ko sa kanya pero tuloy-tuloy parin siya sa pakikipagsayaw and istead of giving her attention to me, she just gave me a sweet smile.

The guy smiled at me but I wasn't here for him.

"Mauna ka na lang, I'm still enjoying the night" tiningnan ko yung lalaking kasama niya, ang galing talagang pumili ni lizzy.

"Okay magtataxi na lang ako, bye, ingat ka dyan sa kasama mo, use protection okay?"

"Hahaha ano ka ba sige na alis na, bye, ingat" abat talagang pinaalis na ako.

Hindi ko na kayang maglakad ng maayos kaya sana makasakay ako kaagad

And good thing may taxi na dumaan paglabas ko kaya nakasakay ako kaagad.

Maya maya ay may sumakay pang isang lalaki, and in fairness ang gwapo sis tiningnan ko yung driver and I saw the bartender in the bar kaya nagtaka na ako, I started to observe my surroundings.

"Teka kuya mali ang dinadaan natin" the driver smirked so I started to panic.

"No let me go you jerks!!" Pero hinawakan ako ng mahigpit nitong katabi ko.

"Wag kang malikot, kapag napikon ako sayo tingnan natin ang mangyayari," sigaw nito sa akin. Hindi ako nakinig at pinagsusuntok pa rin siya.

"No, kapag nalaman to ni dad you will all pay!!"

"Kung malalaman niya habang buhay ka pa, pero depende naman kay boss kung ano ang makakapagpasaya sa kanya" tumawa naman sila ng kasama niya kaya mas lalong uminit ang ulo ko.

"Please don't hurt me," I pleaded but he just mocked me kaya nanlaban pa ulit ako.

"Sabi nang wag manlaban eh!"

A tears escaped my eyes and the next thing I knew may pinaamoy silang panyo sakin and everything went black.