“I really wonder why he won’t answer my calls? He even said that this is his personal number, what if something happens to me? And I have no one to ask for help?”I felt like a crazy person talking to the plant in the pot in front of the condominium. I’ve been here outside for two hours now. I was planning to eat, but I’m not sure if I’ll get lost. I need to wait for the boss because I’m going to ask if I will really leave.Because of extreme hunger, I walked to find a skewer outside, I walked for almost ten minutes before finally seeing a vendor, I immediately joined the line and bought a hundred pesos worth, because of my extreme hunger.I also roamed around, but I didn’t go too far. I noticed that there were more and more people, and then I looked at my cheap watch, it was past five already.There were also some students, some with their parents, my gaze was fixed on a spot where there were two children, with their mother and father, walking, you could see the excitement and joy on
A week after that incident, bossy and strict Boss was back, always scolding me but also teaching me how to do things.I haven’t called the province for days, I just focused on work. Maybe I’ll just call when I send money.Sir Kalix also asked me to shop today because he has a visitor coming tomorrow. I finished cleaning, took a bath, and went to the supermarket. I brought my list, and Boss’s meals for the next three days are ready. I asked him yesterday what dishes he wanted.He said he wanted afritada, nilaga, bicol express, and of course, adobong baboy. That became his instant favorite. I went to the meat section first and picked out what I needed, then I got the vegetables and spices. I would have preferred to buy at the market, where I could haggle and find cheaper options, but Boss said it’s safer and more hygienic to buy at the supermarket.I mean, you can wash stuff, and I’ll cook it properly anyway, but of course, I just followed what Boss said.“Damn it, fix that, it’s like y
THE NEXT DAY, I woke up early again, unsure if I slept well; I still feel heavy, maybe because of what happened yesterday.I didn’t call to check on them again; I just want to focus on work for now; they’ll manage there. I’ll call when I send something; I already know what’s happening with them.It’s exactly five o’clock. When I got up, I immediately cooked bacon and eggs, made crab soup, and toasted leftover rice. I also heated water for coffee. Right at six, I heard the door of the workout room open, and shortly after, Sir Kalix entered the kitchen. He seemed to have showered; I could still smell it.“Good morning, Boss, have you eaten?” I said softly, placing the coffee in front of him where he would sit. He sat down without saying anything, just like the previous days.While he was eating, I cleaned the kitchen and washed the dishes. It was quiet, only the sound of me washing and the clinking of his fork on the plate. After a while, I heard his chair move, an indication that he ha
I felt a heaviness on my arm, so I slowly opened my eyes. A white ceiling greeted me, leading to the wall. There was a long khaki sofa with a glass table in front of it, and a side table beside the bed I was lying on. From here, I could smell the fresh flowers.Where am I? Why does my body and head ache, and why are my eyes hot?I was about to get up when I felt someone beside me. I furrowed my brows and looked at the man next to me. Even without looking, I knew it was Sir because I recognized the scent of his shampoo from when I clean.Should I wake him up, or just let him be?I looked at my left hand and saw a needle with a half-full drip. I touched my forehead; it was still warm, but not as much as when I went to Sir’s office.I was about to go to the bathroom when Sir moved. I thought he was still going to sleep, but suddenly, he sat up and raised his head, and our eyes met.“Oh,” he first said, “You’re awake, how do you feel?”“I think I have a fever, Sir, hehe!” I just replied,
Two months have passed since I started working for Sir, and this is what I like the most, Payday!“You look like an idiot, don’t smile, stupid,” and in every story, there’s always one person who doesn’t want the main characters to be happy, and that’s him, ew.“Payday Sir, who wouldn’t be happy, you, wouldn’t you be happy when you’re about to get paid?”“I never got paid, I have a business, I don’t do salary,”“Omg, you’re not doing salary,” I mimic him, he just looked at me angrily, he’s used to me anyway, and somehow I feel comfortable with him. Sometimes he’s just messy, sometimes I’m Samantha, but not just Samantha, good thing Charlotte gave me the right boss, speaking of Charlotte, she often calls me.We used to be friends, since we were kids, we even bathed together in the river, while in panties only, but when her father married someone else, she changed too, but that’s a family issue, I’m just a playmate, not family, not a co-heir.“Here’s your salary, I added some, for all th
“Where do you plan to go next?” Sir Kalix asked, so I quickly thought, because I didn’t have any plans for today. “Mall? Cinema? Food park?”“Is there an amusement park nearby, Sir?” He looked at me with a furrowed brow, then returned his gaze to the road since he was driving.“Yes, you want to go there?” I nodded repeatedly, hearing Sir’s soft laughter and sigh, “Crazy woman.”Just as Sir said, there was indeed an amusement park nearby, but it wasn’t fully open yet since it was only two in the afternoon. “Sir, do you want to eat first?”“Is there any place to eat here?” I couldn’t help but laugh at his expression; it was obvious he wasn’t used to this place, like it was his first time here.“Yes, over there!” I pointed to the eatery.“What?! There’s no way I’m eating that dirty thing.”I burst out laughing, “Come on, it’s delicious! You won’t die from it!” I pulled him and ran towards our destination.We ended up at the barbecue stall!“Sir, four chicken intestines, two chicken blood
“Come on, Sir Kalix!” I didn’t let him finish what he was saying, as if something crushed my heart when I saw the unusual sadness in his eyes.“Where? I thought we were going to wait?” he said, looking confused.“Yes, but look, it’s already five thirty. I overheard one of the students at the barbecue stand saying there will be fireworks at nine. We should ride everything before nine!”“What?! Are you crazy?! All of it? Do you even know how many rides there are?”“Huh? No, just whatever we can do in the time we have! Let’s go!” I pulled him along, starting with the octopus ride, of course, as a warm-up.Sir didn’t speak throughout the entire ride. “Are you okay, Sir?” He just nodded but didn’t look at me. I just walked on until we reached the caterpillar ride. It was full of kids, but I still wanted to try it.“What’s this ride? Is it similar to the first one we rode?” Sir whispered as we got on. I was about to answer, but I noticed that his seatbelt wasn’t properly fastened. Even thou
“Hello?” I answered the call with my eyes still closed, feeling very sleepy. “Who is this, you jerk?” I asked irritably, annoyed at being disturbed from my sleep.I was still tired from the unusual activities with my boss yesterday. We rearranged his office setup, just so there would be something new to look at.Every time it was my day off, he always had some gimmick. In the six months I’ve been working with him, it felt like we had a bulletin board of achievements. Every Monday was something different, and I had gotten used to it because my boss seemed bored when he had nothing to do. “What the fuck? Jerk?” I quickly opened my eyes, startled, and sat up. “Come and see me at my office, now.”“Ha?” I stood up immediately, almost tripping over my blanket on my way to the phone. “Oh, damn it, ouch, wait, boss, am I your newly hired secretary?”“What the? Are you complaining again? Just hurry up, I left my file in my room, in the second drawer, you know where the key is, and it’s importa
PAINFUL.I don’t know how to breathe, as I stare at the two of them.It feels like my chest is being squeezed because of what I’ve witnessed, and everyone there seems aware of it, smiling as if everything is okay.Why?Who is that woman?Why did she kiss Kalix?I was startled when someone suddenly touched my back and grabbed my arm.“Sweetheart, relax. Breathe,” Mrs. Cynthia’s words made me try to calm down.But no, the pain didn’t lessen; it felt like my heart was being crushed slowly.My feet moved on their own, and I quickly left the place. I kept my gaze on the floor, unable to meet anyone’s eyes.When I managed to get into the elevator, tears started streaming down my face. How could this happen? I didn’t even think something like this was possible.I quickly exited the elevator and left the building. My mind was in chaos, my heart breaking into pieces.Is Kalix playing with me? Why? Is it because I’m foolish and easy to deceive? Is it because I’m dumb, is that why—For some unkn
ShitMy head hurts, I’m sleepy, and it feels like I’m about to collapse any moment.“You know, you should sleep. Even a robot overheats, and you’re just a person who looks somewhat human.”“Damn it, you Dexter!”He chuckled and then grabbed the straw from his iced americano. We were currently at the park, our class was canceled at the last minute because our professor had an urgent appointment, and our next class was at five in the afternoon, even though it was only eleven.“Why don’t we hang out at Fatima? We could go hunting for boys, what do you think?”I frowned and looked at him, “Are you sure about that? You’re even better-looking than the guys there; they might end up hunting you instead.”I saw his expression change, “You know, your frappe isn’t finished yet. Maybe I should just pour it on you?”“No, thanks.”“Hmp, anyway,” he took out a small paper bag from his bag and handed it to me, “Here, I forgot to give this to you.”“Wow, you actually went through the trouble, you shou
“Wait, how did you manage this after coming from work?” I asked while cutting the steak that he apparently cooked himself.“I lied,” he immediately replied, “After you left, I came home and prepared everything.”“Just you?” He nodded. “How did you know I left—” I stopped when I realized how he knew, “What a clever drag queen.”“Yeah, I asked him to do it, don’t worry. I asked him to buy me some time so I could prepare everything.”“Wow,” was my only reply as I savored the steak. It felt familiar yet not quite, “This is delicious, Lix! So you’re really good at cooking,” I exclaimed, remembering the epic porridge he made.“I was just panicking when I made that awful porridge! I didn’t know it wasn’t on low heat!” he said with irritation, glaring at me and cutting his defenseless steak.“Oh, sorry, calm down!” I said with a laugh, “I know, you were just panicking.”“Ugh,”“Hahahahahaha!”I was completely stuffed.Lord, it’s so nice to live like this. I had three steaks, two bruschettas,
“This woman is my fiancé, hey, sheesh, I didn’t expect this. Wait, I stepped on your hair, Naya!”I just rolled my eyes but still laughed while listening to Dex’s teasing set up.She was in my room, so she could speak freely. I also made it clear to Kalix that my new friend was looking for a man as well, so there’s no need to worry because he’s even more reserved with me. Kalix also called and said he’d make it up to me at dinner later and that he would cook because he hadn’t been home for almost two days due to his many meetings.“You stepped on my hair,” I complained, so I got a smack on the arm. “Damn it, hey Dexter! It still hurts even though you’re a man, you’re still a man!”“Don’t get all dramatic with me now, Naya Feliciano! Especially now that I’m shaking with envy, I might misjudge and hit you!”I just laughed and continued working on my case study. Since Dex wasn’t in my class for this course unit, she took a different subject.“But seriously, what’s the status between you
“Why is your phone turned off? I told you many times to keep your line open, didn’t I?” I can’t count how many times he has scolded me since we got home while applying ointment to my bruises.He’s been wanting to take me to the hospital to make sure I didn’t break anything or anything, but I said I didn’t want to and just wanted to go home.“I didn’t turn it off…” I couldn’t continue what I was going to say because it felt like something was stuck in my throat, and I felt like I was going to choke.“I’m sorry, I’m just worried, I can’t contact you, I’m sorry, I raised my voice,” this time, his voice was soft, he gently pulled me close and hugged me, “I was so fucking worried when I heard the news,”He didn’t need to say what it was because I already knew. I spent several sleepless nights over that issue.“Why didn’t you tell me about this?”“I didn’t know how to tell you, and you were also busy with other things—”“You should have told me immediately, you don’t have to carry the burde
A few hours later, I forced myself to attend my last class before heading straight home.Dex didn’t ask any questions and just texted me to call him if I needed to unwind. He’s really crazy, but I’m thankful because at least someone stayed by my side through all this.I was cooking dinner because Kalix said he would be coming home. Yes, Kalix, because he doesn’t want to be called “sir” anymore. He gives me that look.I heard the door open, and I managed a faint smile as I turned off the stove.“Oh, shit!” I almost dropped the ladle in surprise when someone suddenly kissed my cheek and wrapped their arms around my waist.“I missed you,” his tired voice was evident, so I looked at him. I could see the happiness in his eyes, his necktie loosened, and his coat draped over his shoulder.“You came just in time; let’s eat. I cooked your favorite—” I didn’t finish my sentence as he suddenly kissed me, and I had to hold onto his shoulders. “Hmph!” I pushed him slightly.“Pft,” he stifled a lau
Is this really how people think? Like they have no capacity for their own decisions.They believe everything fed to them? I guess people prefer to have something to talk about rather than figuring out if it’s true or not. It’s easier to believe than to investigate.How could people be this cruel? Ruining others’ mental well-being?Since I saw those pictures yesterday, I realized why people have been looking at me the way they do.Judgmental.Insulting.I just wanted to disappear at that exact moment. Two days. Two days since I learned about the spreading rumors in school.I thought that if I got into an exclusive school, there would be no gossipers, no busybodies, and no bad behavior.Maybe due to my lack of knowledge about such things, I hoped this would be a fresh start for me.No tears fell from my eyes as I stared into the void at Pacio Lake. It’s a famous lake here, an hour away from the school.I still have one class left today, but I don’t want to hang around there; I don’t wan
“Are you okay, Naya?” I dropped my pen because someone suddenly tapped my shoulder. “If daydreaming could make you rich, you’d already be in outer space buying your own planet.”“Damn you, Dex,” I replied, picking up my pen. We were in the library, and unfortunately, he spotted me staring off into space in a corner.“What’s bothering you?” He couldn’t help but ask as he played with the pages of the book I had picked up earlier.“Nothing, it’s just that the students seemed to be looking at me strangely when I walked in earlier. You know, like they recognize me or something?”He frowned. “What are you, a celebrity? It’s just your imagination. Stop being paranoid.”I gave him a look and tapped his arm. He acted like I had hit him with a hammer.“You ask questions and then answer like that? What if I hit you?”He grinned like a dog and flashed me a peace sign. He really is a piece of work.I just continued reading, and he kept bothering me, so in the end, I just chatted with him.“Oh, exc
R-18“Uh,” I didn’t know where to turn my head.“You’re a very bad girl, Naya, you’re already wet,”Even with my eyes closed, I managed to get annoyed. “Can you do that later? You keep speaking in English, it’s distracting, honestly. I need to think about how to respond to you.”I heard his soft chuckle, so I opened my eyes, but it seemed wrong. My eyes widened when I saw a sergeant in front of me, still saluting!I felt embarrassed and tried to cover my exposed body.I couldn’t explain his expression. It must be what they call a “dark look.”“Very beautiful,” I heard him say, suddenly grabbing my face and kissing me. “Do you want me to stop, Naya? You should tell me now, because if not, I won’t be able to stop later.” His voice was ragged, controlling, and deep.He seemed to be struggling to breathe due to the intense restraint. I could even hear his clenched jaw and gritting teeth.I didn’t respond and just looked at him, feeling something in my lower abdomen wanting to come out, a