Chapter one

It’s exactly Nine in the evening when I arrived at my best friend's bar in Poblacion Makati. Sitting in the end part of the bar, watching those people dancing in the center stage. The lighting and spotlight can cause eye damage. But my table is located in a dim area. A glass of alcohol wouldn't be enough to ease the pain I'm feeling. I was still in London when I received his text messages. His words still stuck in my head. 

    

      Yngrid. I'm sorry but I want to be honest with you about my feelings. It's hard to pretend that I love you when I'm not. Sorry if I spend so much of your time but please forgive me. I'm breaking up with you, I beg you please don't message me again. 

After I received it I tried to contact, but his phone was unreachable. I'm so desperate to talk to him. I decided to book a ticket to go back to the Philippines. After reaching the NAIA airport I went straight to his house hoping that he was there but I wasn't more surprised by what I discovered. 

       I've been knocking on the door of Royce's house for half an hour but one is answering me. I wasn't about to leave his area when a SUV stopped at the front gate. A moment in her late twenties get off the car. Looking at me with irritability.  I'm feeling nervous when she walks closer to me but I stand still.   

"Do you live in this house?" I asked with dignity. She raised her eyebrow and answered. "Yes? Why?"

"But as far as I remembered Royce blanco owned this house?" Trying to calm myself but my hands are shaking. 

"Oh, yeah  I'm Royce's new girlfriend." She said confidently. I walked closer to her. "Really? Did you know that he has a girlfriend in London?" 

"Girlfriend or ex-girlfriend?" Her smile makes my blood boil. 

"Where is he? I want to talk to him." It will be hard to know the truth but I want to hear it exactly to Royce's mouth. This woman's opinion is not valid for me. 

"He is not here, and besides he broke up with you already, why are you still chasing him?" My hands were ready to slap her but I stopped myself. 

"I said I want to talk to him, not to you." 

"Oh, what a sad girl. Accept that he is no longer in love with you because he is mine now." She proudly said. 

I want to slap her, but I control myself. There is no point in arguing with her. She seems like a cheap woman who is good at street fights. I walk out and leave her. I screamed as much as I could. I decided to call my Best friends because I need their help. And I need someone who is willing to listen to me.

       “Stop drinking Yngrid! That’s your third bottle of alcohol!” Marcus said. My mind went back to normal. When Nixon rushedly stole my glass and stopped me. Rolling my eyes at him. But he gives me a disappointed look. 

They wanted me to move on as if it was that easy! If I could bring back time, I will never let Royce make me fool like this! Firing back at him already crossed my mind. It's unfair that I'm going to suffer alone? While he lives happily? While I'm here crying!

"Until when are you going to act like that?" They asked in chorus.

"Come on? He's not worthy. Can you please stop crying!" Marcus added, with anger in his voice. He sits next to me, while Nixon is just observing us.

"I can't believe he did this to me! After what I have done for him? I need to do something!" I shouted.

His eyes are wide open when he says, "What are you going to do, huh?”

"If you plan to take revenge by ruining his reputation you better not do it! Because you are just gonna waste your time," Nixon interrupted.

"Well, Nix is right. Just simply let go of him and move on okay! And besides, It's a blessing in disguise because your dad doesn't like him from the beginning.”

"Why are you so in love with that man anyway ? He is not even handsome like us!” There is a smirk on Nixon's lips. He raises his hands to Marcus and does the high five hand signs.

My Father doesn't like my ex-boyfriend, we fight because of it, and it's too late for me to find out that he is right about what he thinks of Royce. If he discovers about our break up? I’m sure he will be the happiest person in the world.  But what should I expect about him? He is always right and a perfectionist; without that mindset, he will never be the owner of a multi-dollar company.

He was disappointed with me when he discovered that I didn't take a business course in London. That I fake my enrollment and took Pharmacy at the Imperial College of London. I thought he would be glad if he found out about my success, but he got angrier because I lied.

Nixon and Marcus wander to the next table, while I walk to the washroom to freshen up. When I go back to our table the two of them are sitting with two girls. Acting as a free man.

"Hey, guys! " I said, to get their attention.

"Oh, girls! This is our best friend Yngrid, " Nixon introduced.

"Hello, nice to see you both!" I said, waving my hands. I'm a little irritated, I want my friends to listen to my problems. But they bring girls instead!

"Are you okay now, Princess?" Marcus said, putting his hand on my shoulder. Dragging me without consent.Pushing him using my elbow wouldn't work because I know he is up for something, so we slowly walk to the quiet part of the bar.

"Who are those girls? New target? And why did you bring me here?" I ask with confusion.

"I'm glad you follow us there. I thought your body flashed in the toilet," he instantly said.

Raising my eyebrow and punching him on his chest. “You guys are playing with innocent girls again!”

He gives me a confusing response. "Nixon, bring those women, I don’t even know them!” he said while fixing his hair.

"Nothing is new, you two are a womanizer. Right?”

"Wow! So you're not on my side anymore? You know whom I'm in love with!" he said with a loud voice.

"Of course I know! But if you keep going to the bars and seeing random girls, I don't think she will believe in you that you love her?" I explained.

"You know she hated me right? And besides, no matter what I do she always rejects me!" His eyes lowered trying to hide sadness.

"You sound so broken more than me? As far as I can remember, I’m the one who was dumped by my ex! I ask you guys to help me to cope up with my break up eh!" Rolling my eyes to him.

"Hahaha! See, this is my way of helping you," he teased.

"Well? Now I know why she never believes in you! Because you love to joke around!"

"I let her think whatever she wanted to think about me, and besides that's what everybody thinks about us?" he answered. He was in love with a woman who never loved him back. But honestly, once he likes someone his efforts are one hundred percent. Marcus dated so many girls back in high school that’s why the girl he loves doesn’t believe him.

"People think that we're not good because they can't handle our intelligence, and they can't control us!" I proudly said.

"She is not ordinary, not like the girls I used to play with. She is different and I can't control her," he said in a lowered voice.

"If you know that she is different from others.  I guess it's time for you to change your way, on how to get her? Because even though I'm in this position I will never believe you. Lucky I’m just your best friend." I smile at him.

We stopped when his phone rang, he was talking for a minute. Those lines in his forehead show how irritated he is.

"Oh, shit Monique and Cassandra are coming!" He is jumping because of excitement

"Speaking of the devil, the devil is coming. Oh! wait? didn't I mention to you that Nixon invited them?" I explained to him.

"Why did you just say it now! Am I looking presentable? Hey, should I brush my hair first?" he complained. Trying to fix himself.

"Calm… don’t get too excited. She is going to reject you again!" I teased him. Bringing my perfume and spray it on his clothes.

"Eww! I smell like a girl. I don’t want her to think that I’m playing games with some random girls again!” he protested.

"It’s okay, that's a fact. You do that right? Don’t deny it!" I frankly said in high pitch.

"Really? At Least I’m not a crying baby, like you? Do you want me to introduce you to some other guys?” he said while laughing.

I rolled my eyes at him. “Do you want fist? or my kicks?" He walks closer to me while laying his hands on my shoulder, and rubs it on my head.

"Take it easy… or if you want we can be together?" he laughed loudly.  I gave him a tiger look. "Eww, are you Incest?"

Marcus and Nixon are my childhood best friends, but we treat each other more like siblings. I'm very close to them. That's why some girls are very envious of me way back in high school. But those girls can't harm me, because my two best friends are always guarding me like a dog. After a few minutes, Marcus and I decided to go back to our place, but I noticed two men chatting with  Nixon.

"There you go! Where have you guys been huh?" Nixon amazingly asked.

Marcus remove his hands on me and replied, "I just comfort Yngrid,"

"Ohh! Anyway, remember Orion and Levi?" Nixon added.

My smile fades away when I see Orion. He is my Dad's favorite assistant and of course the only right guy for him! I don't know why my dad loves this man so much. Sometimes I wonder if he is my father's love child. But of course, he's not that kind of man. My dad is very faithful to my mom, even though she passed away ten years ago. Every time I see this man I get irritated.

"Of course, we know them. Especially Orion, right  Yngrid?" Marcus said, in a sarcastic way with a smirk on his lips.

Ignoring him is better than talking back. He is trying to start the tension between me and Orion. My friends know how much I hate him!

"Did your man break up with you?" Orion asked out of nowhere.

"None of your business, cause I know if I tell? You will be going to report it to your boss! We're not that close to telling you everything!”

"Grow up, Yngrid! We all know how to suck you're in choosing a man!" he said in an angry tone.

I give him a serious look. "Oh wow? How do you know I'm lacking in selecting a man? Why? Do you know whom I dated?"

"I don't need to know, your face can prove your incapacity in making a decision. That’s why you have lots of failed relationships.” I walk closer to him. Even my Nixon waving his hands gave me a signal not to argue with Orion. I ignored him.

"Oh? Look who's talking! How do you know about dating? As far as I can remember you're just a nerd who sometimes goes out of his cave! You rather stay at your office and do some paperwork. What are you doing here anyway? You're not even invited!" He always has an energy that makes me irritated. Those fake smiles on his lips, Irritated me more.

"Well, I don't need your invitation, 'cause the owner invited me. And look at you? look so stressed over a guy!" he rapidly answered.

"Of course you will never be stressed by a guy! Unless you're gay!" Luckily I have a smart mouth because if not, this man will make me embarrassed in front of my friends.

Nixon walked in the middle of us. Pushing and separating me against him. Orion's face doesn’t show any guilt. It looks like blank paper, this is why I don't like to see him. Because he always looks serious. All serious, no fun and boring like my dad! I put my hands in the air, as a sign of surrender. I don't want to waste my time with this man either. After a few moments, Monique and Cassandra walk into our table.

"Hey! Guys," Monique interrupted.

"How are you, Yngrid? It's been a long time." Cassandra lively said.

These two become my friends after Marcus courtesy Cassandra and gets rejected. They became close to me and still in touch with me even after I moved to London.

"It's been a long time, I missed the two of you!" I excitedly walk closer to hug them.

"So how are you?" Monique said in a worried tone.

"Well, I'm great. Just a little pain.” Until now I still deny that I'm breaking inside.

"It's okay, everything will be alright! We know how strong you're!" Cassandra in her cheerful tone.

"What about you? Cassandra, how are you?" Marcus cutting our conversation. She gave him a serious reaction.

"Well, I'm good!” Her tone is lacking interest in my friend.

"Okay let's move to the VIP room, to have some privacy," Marcus declared. He is trying to be normal in front of us, but the awkwardness between him and Cassandra can’t be denied.

We transferred to the VIP room has a couch, flat-screen tv, and karaoke. Nixon starts singing, and I suddenly remember Royce, and our memories together. I know I'm hard to be with, but he makes me feel like I am capable of being with someone.

He is so fun, and lively. Even though I'm in London and our relationship is long distance, he always makes an effort to visit me there. Checking if I'm doing good that's how I fall for him. But he plans everything and he uses me. I drink another shot of tequila and take another again until I get alcohol occupied.