Chapter 1

"Life is never easy. There is work to be done and obligations to be met, obligations to truth, to justice and liberty." - JFK

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"Haru, can't I stop you?" Haru stopped what she was doing when she heard what her aunt Emma said.

 

"Auntie, I'll visit you here, don't worry about me," Haru said and went back to packing the clothes she was going to take to Manila.

 

In three hours' passed they are here now at the bus terminal. Haru approached her aunt and hugged her tightly.

 

"Auntie, I'll take care of her, she can get to Carmen safely, and we won't leave her alone," Nicole told her aunt.

 

Emma is Nicole's mother's sister, and Emma took care of Haru except for Nicole because she chose to live alone since when her parents died. 

 

"Alright, get on the bus. I might stop Haru from coming with you," Emma said.

 

Haru hugged her aunt very tightly again before letting go. When they boarded the bus, her aunt just waved at her. Haru smiled at this and glanced at her aunt Emma for a long time until she disappeared from her sight. Haru sat and bowed her head.

 

"Train yourself that aunty isn't by your side, Haru," Nicole said to Haru.

 

Haru ignored what Nicole said. Instead, she put the earphone in both of her ears and closed her eyes. Haru felt Nicole taking a deep breath next to her. Four hours have passed since they arrived in Manila. They got off the bus and boarded a jeep. Minutes later, they were standing in front of a condo building. They entered the inside quietly and took the elevator. Haru was quietly next to Nicole and was thinking of her aunt who was left in the province because she misses it right now.

 

"Haru, whatever happens to you while you are with Carmen, call me right away."

 

 "Nicole, don't worry about me, just take care of yourself."

 

"Oh! Haru, I've known you since we were young, and you can't blame me for not worrying you, because when my mom died, she said, I need to take care of you," Haru smiled at her. A long silence interfered between Haru and Nicole. Until Nicole broke her silence.

 

"I'll take you to Carmen's unit and leave you with her," Nicole told her. Haru just nodded and immediately followed Nicole when the elevator opened. They stopped at room 204. Nicole pressed the password and then the door opened. Nicole immediately came inside. While Haru was slowly entering.

 

"Nicole! You are the most shameless ever!" Carmen shouted to Nicole.

 

 Haru heard Carmen's voice, so she hurriedly walked to where they were.

"I know your habit of opening the door for a long time, so if someone rings the doorbell you won't open it. I know the password of your unit. Why haven't I opened it yet? I don't want to wait outside for a long time." 

 

 Carmen didn't say anything to Nicole when she noticed that Haru was standing and quietly watching them.

 

"Haru, you're here, are you hungry?" Haru shook her head and spoke.

 

"Where is my room to stay there? I want to rest first." Carmen immediately pointed out the room that Haru would be staying in, so Haru immediately went straight there to rest.

 

"Why did you force Haru to come here, Nicole?" 

 

When Haru entered the room, Carmen immediately asked Nicole.

 

"I have a reason, Carmen. And one more thing, can you just keep quiet about what I'm going to do with her? You won't lose your fame as a writer,"

 

"Nicole-" Nicole cut off what Carmen was supposed to say.

 

"I'm leaving. Take care of Haru because I'm going somewhere."

 

"Nicole, I will say this not because I need Haru, I will say this as Haru's family when Haru is ruined by what you do. You will not like what I will do to you."

 

"I'll do it because it’s the right thing for her, Carmen! I'm not like you, you’re just taking advantage of Haru!"

 

Haru didn't pay attention to what she heard, instead, she closed her eyes and the darkness engulfed her.

 

"Daddy... Daddy... Daddy..." a girl repeatedly shouted at her father who was very weak. 

 

"Give me all the money, Harold! And sign these papers!" A man shouted here.

 

"You'll never get what I have, Kristopher!"

 

"I get everything I want. Do you know that, my dear friend? Give me what I ask for so that your daughter won't be affected by this!"

 

"*c*k y ** Kristopher! My daughter, run now and meet your brother and your mother outside. Lynn, please take care of my daughter. "

 

 The father shouts at his daughter and his maid. The maid immediately grabbed the younger girl's arm, and they immediately ran out of the house. They even heard gunshots. Unexpectedly, the child was separated from her nanny. She stopped running and tried to find her nanny, but she saw some men running towards her, so she did nothing. She ran until she crossed a road. All of a sudden, a truck would arrive to meet her.

 

"Waah!!" 

 

Haru immediately woke up from her bed and glanced out the window. There she saw a dark sky.

 

"It was a dream," she said weakly to herself, and took a deep breath, and left her room. She arrives quietly in the living room and she thinks, maybe Carmen is asleep in her room, or she may not be in her room. She thought about getting out of this condo building and taking a walk outside. Until she came to a park not far from Carmen's condo building. She sat on a bench with only a few people not far from where she was sitting, because it was late at night. She looked up at the sky and closed her eyes tightly and bowed her head.

 

"I'm tired! How long are you going to torture me? I'm fed up with myself! Why are you bringing back that memory again? I don't know who they are! I don't know why I always dream of that scene!"

 

Haru shouted as if God could hear her. She didn't even realize that she was crying until she saw two pairs of shoes in front of her, and she saw a handkerchief being handed to her.

 

"Take it." The man's voice said,  Haru stared at the handkerchief that man was holding in his hand.

 

"People are already looking at you, so they might think you're crazy."  Instead of taking the handkerchief that the man was handing over, Haru rejected it, and then she stood up.

 

"Is that what's on your mind right now?" Haru asked him and she walked away from the man. The man stunned Haru, walking away from him.