Chapter 2

"You...you can see my scars?" I asked in shock, still unable to believe it. I even check if I'm wearing the bracelet and yes, I'm wearing it. This is the first time that a human can see my scars while I'm wearing the bracelet. And I don't get why he sees it now

"Wait here, I'll find an ointment for you," he said.

"Forget it. Don't you dare tell anyone what you saw." I said seriously before leaving the restaurant. I just walked quickly and straight out of that mall, trying to feel that woman's presence but she's no longer around me.  

"I know you're here. Show yourself! I need an explanation about what happened earlier!" I shouted. I waited for a few seconds before she finally showed herself. "You…" I walked quickly closer to her, "...you had something to do with what happened, didn't you? You did something to him to see my scars! You know this is one of my weaknesses!"

"I don't know what you're saying," she said innocently.

"Of course you know! You have nothing you do not know about me. Why? Do you want to target my weakness this time? After you take my friends away from me, is this what you'll do next?"

"I told you, I don't know what you're saying."

"Go, do everything you please. Don't you dare show yourself to me until next week." I stared at her for a while before leaving the house. I need to see if he can really see my scars or not.

"I want to talk to the owner of this restaurant." I immediately said to the woman at the counter.

"Kakaalis niya lang po, Ma'am," she answered slowly while trying to figure out who am I. "Kayo po 'yung customer kanina, hindi po ba?"

"Yes. Do you know where he is right now?"

"Hindi po. You can talk to our Manager po kung gusto niya."

"Just give me his number then."

"'Yong manager po?"

"No, the owner of this restaurant." I answered, starting to get irritated. When I saw that she was still hesitant whether to give or not I sighed. "Are you giving his number or not?"

"Wait lang po," she took a paper and wrote it down before handing it to me. "I think he's still driving on the way sa isa pong branch namin kaya baka hindi niya rin po masagot ang tawag mo." I just nodded at her and left without saying a word while dialing his number.

Indeed he didn't answer my first call but I'm desperate to talk to him now. I tried to call him again and after the sixth ring, he finally answered the call.

"Hello? I'm sorry, I'm currently driving right now and I would appreciate it if we'll talk later---"

"It's me," I cut him off. "The girl from earlier, at your restaurant," I added.

"Oh," he said, "how did you get my number?"

"We need to talk," I said bluntly.

"We're talking right now, Miss," I heard him laugh a little.

"We need to talk in person," I said seriously, not minding his small laugh. Annoying.

"I'm on my way to Tagaytay---"

"Send me the address, I'm going there." I cut him off again before dropping the call. I immediately called my driver to take me to Tagaytay. "Come here, faster," I told him before hanging up. I received a message from him with his exact address. 

So his Restaurant has a branch in Tagaytay also, and he's there to visit? What a nice owner.

While I was on the way, the reaction I saw in his face earlier kept on popping in my mind. I wanted to think that he was just lying and that woman just did something to him to say that but here's a part of me who wants to believe that he really can see it.

I took a good look at the bracelet I was wearing. If he can really see everything in me, what does it mean? When we arrived at the restaurant I stood for a while in front of it. 

"Good morning, Ma'am," the guard greeted me. I just nodded before surveying the whole area, trying to find that man. I saw him at the counter. He seemed to be pointing at something at the monitor while the counter girl was not looking at the monitor but at him.

I was not surprised when his gaze suddenly turned to me. He smiled and motioned his hand to wait for him. I saw the girl look at me but before she could see my face I turned around to sit outside.

"Sorry, I just had some problem with the monitor," he sat in front of me as he folded his polo shirt up to his elbow. "What do you want to talk about?"

"About what you saw earlier," I answered quickly.

"Your scars? What about it?" he asked again. His eyes started to look from my face down to my feet. He even adjusted just to see my feet better.

"Stop looking," I warned him. He cleared his throat before motioning his hand. After that, one of the crew approached us. I also noticed the surprise on her face when he saw me.

"Do you want to eat something?" he asked me.

"Orange juice will do," I answered him. He nodded and told the girl. Before the girl left, she looked at me again so I looked at her as well. She just smiled and slightly bowed her head before finally leaving. I just looked at the man in front of me while still trying to understand what was happening.

"Anything, Sir?" the girl asks when she gave me the juice. He looked at me again so I shook my head. She looked at the crew and smiled. Napairap nanaman ako dahil sa ngiti niya. When the girl left, I started to drink my juice.

"Are you sure you don't need an ointment---"

"Can you really see my scars?" I asked him again. He leaned his back on the chair then nodded lazily. "I'm going to kill you if it turns out that you're lying" I threatened him.

I heard his chuckles. "You can kill me or let me live. Do whatever you want," he suddenly said. When he noticed I was serious he cleared his throat again before his face became serious too. "Do you want me to describe what I can see to you?"

I didn't answer. I just stared at him while drinking my juice. "You have a small scar on your left cheek, a small cut in your chin and forehead. Since you're wearing a shirt dress, I can see that you have a big cut on your left shoulder and other parts of your body. You're also full of bruises. Who did this to you?"

Because of what he said I completely stopped drinking my juice. Those are just some of my scars since I'm not wearing sleeveless clothes. But the fact that he can see it while I was wearing the bracelet is confusing me. I tried to hide my trembling hand from him. Like what I said, this is one of my weaknesses... which is that people can see my wounds.

"I can help you to find who did this to you. Just give me the detail---"

"Shut up," I cut him off. I sighed before standing up. I quickly went inside and caught the fan that almost fell on the baby. I heard the shock and the panic of other people who saw what happened. I let go of it before taking the alcohol out of my pocket.

When I looked back, he was already there apologizing and checking if the baby was okay. I immediately walked over to him and looked straight into his eyes. "Forget what happened. Forget that we met today and forget that we had a conversation earlier."

I walked out again. I didn't bother to look back anymore. I went straight to the car and got in. "Let's go home," I told the driver.

"Stop the car," I quickly told my driver. After a few seconds, are children running around. I waited for them to cross the road first before telling my driver to continue driving. That child, all they knew was to just play without thinking that they almost got into an accident.

When I got home, I received a call from Kaito, my manager, and my closest friend. "What?" I asked him when I answered the call.

"San ka?" I heard a noise from the background so I guess he's not in the company.

"I just got home. Where are you?" I asked him back.

"Papunta na ako diyan. May dala akong pagkain!" 

Instead of answering, I just ended the call. I went into the bathroom to take a shower. While I was doing my skincare, I looked at myself in the mirror. I can't see my scars when I wear my bracelet. So why the hell can that man see it? I finished my skincare before heading to the living room because I could already hear the doorbell.

"Hello!" he greeted me, simply showing the food in his hands. I just nodded at him and opened the door wider so he could come in. "Wala man lang pa-welcome back? I just came from Singapore!"

"Why did you leave the company there?" I asked in a whisper before sitting down.

"Wow ha! Nakakahiya kasi Boss ko dahil kahit nandito siya sa Pilipinas ay kailangang ako pa ang mag-aasikaso sa problema sa kumpanya niya dito! At isa pa, nag-iisa lang ako. Sa dami ba naman ng kumpanya mo! Sa iba't-ibang bansa pa. Why don't you just hire someone to take care of them aside from me?"

"Ang dami mong sinasabi," I told him before accepting a slice of pizza he was giving me, "just do everything. You'll understand once you try to put yourself in my shoes. Do you want me to give you a punishment as a trial?"

"No, thanks. I'm already being punished for having you as my boss," he glared at me. "I can't even date because of you," he added. I just rolled my eyes at him. After I finished the pizza, I sighed again before getting a new slice.

"What's with the long face? May problema ba?" he asked me while he was mixing the spaghetti.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You'll ask anyway even if I say no," he joked.

"Look at my face," I commanded him. He stopped what he was doing and looked at my face. "What can you see?"

"Ugly face?" he answered. My brows furrowed and were about to hit him when he suddenly moved to the single sofa. "Ano ba? Wala namang nagbago sa mukha mo."

"Right, you can't see any scars on my right? Bruises? Wounds?" I continuously ask him.

"Wala nga. Paano ko makikita e suot mo 'yang bracelet," he said while shaking his head. 

"Exactly!" because of the sudden rise of my voice, he almost spilled the juice he was holding, "but why does that man can see everything on me?!"

"Ano ba? Huwag ka ngang sumigaw!" he glared at me again, "ano bang nangyari?"

"Nothing. There was this man who can see everything on me even though I'm wearing this bracelet. What can be the possible meaning of that?"

He placed his hand on his chin as he's thinking, "Maybe he will heal your wound? Is he a doctor?"

"He's the owner of Heace Restaurant," he spilled the juice he was drinking because of my answer. "You're disgusting," I said.

"Patawa ka ba? Heace Restaurant? That's one of the famous Restaurants! Do you know many people come here to the Philippines just to taste the food there? How did you meet the owner?" he was so shocked. 

"I don't know," I told him, "it just happened."

"What if he's the punishment you were waiting for?"

I laughed at him, "Your what if sucks," I told him trying to sound like it was a compliment.

"What if nga. Malay mo, you two will end up loving each other but it can't be. And then masasaktan kayong dalawa ng sobra tapos---"

"Will you please stop sharing those stupid thoughts with me?" I cut him off, starting to get annoyed. "And if that's the case, it won't happen because I'll make sure that we will never see each other again because I made him forget me earlier."