Amira and I both widened our eyes at what Love Rein did. I quickly averted my gaze when I noticed Love Rein looking at us.I looked at Miguel. He just smiled at Love Rein's action. Amira nudged me again, prompting me to look at her."Isn't she my cousin's girlfriend? Why would she kiss him if she's not Miguel's girlfriend?" Amira asked.Amira raised an eyebrow as she observed Love Rein's movements. She straightened up when Tita Marry glanced at her. Tita Marry furrowed her brows, shifting her gaze between us."Is Amira giving you a hard time again, dear?" Tita Marry asked.I shook my head. "No, she's nice, Tita," I answered with a smile, and then I hooked my arm with Amira."Nice? Since when has this child been nice? She's a disobedient kid. So, if she misbehaves again with you, just let me know," Tita Marry added."I'm nice to people who are nice to me, Aunt," Amira said. She also linked arms with me, struggling to reach my shoulder."Well, that's good to know. If I see you being mea
"What the hell are they doing? Don't they have money to book a hotel or motel to do that stuff?" I exclaimed in disbelief."It must be expensive if they're going to a hotel," Amira chuckled before she opened the door to enter. I couldn't help but join in her laughter.We quickly covered our mouths when we found Love Rein and Tita Marry already asleep. The two of them were sleeping side by side on the floor. I looked at their makeshift beddings - only thin sheets were used."They shouldn't be sleeping on the floor. They might catch a chill," I told Miguel.He looked sleepily at us. He was seated on a chair, watching over his sister. Amira returned the keys to him, which he promptly accepted and kept in his pocket. I briefly observed Miguel. He still hadn't changed his clothes. He had been wearing the same outfit for three days."Have they been sleeping for a while?" Amira asked. I glanced at the wall clock. We had been gone for over an hour."I let them sleep when you left," Miguel rep
I followed Miguel angrily after he turned away from me. He opened the car door for me without looking back. I got inside without acknowledging him. He sighed before starting the car engine. "Fasten your seat belt, Ma'am Caroline," Miguel told me in a cold tone, which startled me. I glanced at him. His gaze was fixed on the road. I immediately followed what he said and just looked out the window.The ride was quiet. It was late at night, yet sleep still eluded me. I couldn't shake off what Miguel said before we left. He knew I didn't respond to Alexander and I never would. I didn't know what prompted him to say that. "Alexander is your boyfriend. Do I need to remind you of that?" I kept replaying his words in my mind. I discreetly glanced at Miguel while contemplating if I said something wrong earlier, causing him to act cold towards me."You shouldn't have bought those things for Michelle," Miguel broke the silence. He briefly looked at me before focusing back on the road. "I ca
I sat on the swivel chair, occasionally checking if my friends had unblocked me. I don't know if I said or did something wrong for them to behave this way towards me. They blocked me without giving any explanation. I gritted my teeth when I saw my mother calling. I took a deep breath before answering her call. "What are you doing, Caroline? Alexander told me everything. He said you're refusing to go on a date with him. He's your-" "He's what? My boyfriend?" I interrupted her. I took a deep breath and smiled. "He's not my boyfriend, Mom. Why are you so insistent on that guy? I'm tired of arguing with you." "He's your boyfriend, Caroline. It would help if you dated him. That's an order from your mother! Or else -" "Or else, what? Are you threatening me to take all my cards or block them all? Don't you have any other reason, Mom? Even if you take all my money, I don't care! I won't date him!" I exclaimed angrily. "We need him, Caroline! We need their help for our company! We're on
Two weeks have passed since I last saw Miguel. He's on leave to help his mother take care of Michelle. I wanted to visit the hospital, but I couldn't leave as Alexander was always following me. For now, Mr. Berto is my temporary bodyguard and driver while Miguel is away. Alexander now picks me up and drops me off whenever I finish work late. Alexander's sudden change surprises me. I never thought I could spend a week with him without arguing or raising my voice at him. I'm still getting used to all his actions. I am pleased with the positive feedback from my coworkers about Alexander. Even they are surprised because he always smiles when they greet him. "Hi, Love. How was your work?" Alexander asked as he kissed my forehead. He had just returned from the rehabilitation center. "It's okay," I replied while focusing on my laptop. "Are you hungry? I'll order our food." I looked up at him. He was already seated on the couch. "I want to eat pizza," I said and returned my gaze to my l
"Miguel..." I tried to interject with logic, but it came out as a moan. I placed my hand on his shoulder. His kisses returned to my lips, but this time with more intensity. His right leg is now positioned between my thighs, hitting a sensitive spot. With his passionate kisses, I reciprocated eagerly. I lost myself in the moment, not even realizing that I instinctively moved my waist to feel him more. "Miguel, we're in the..." my rational mind attempted to protest, but it was the last straw. His response was to lift me onto my table. There was barely enough space, and things were falling off, but he didn't care. He placed me on the table without hesitation. I cursed in my mind as I thought about the documents I still needed to read. "Is this what you wear when you're with your boyfriend?" I swallowed hard. He tightened his grip on me. "No. He's not my boyfriend. You know I don't like him." I blinked rapidly, feeling a flutter of anticipation. His hand moved from my waist to the s
I looked at myself in the large mirror before leaving the office. "My suit is so wrinkled," I said to Miguel as we entered the elevator. He took off his suit and handed it to me. "You can wear my coat," he said, draping it over my shoulders. "This wouldn't have been wrinkled if you knew how to control yourself," I glanced at him. His hand slipped into his pants pocket. He chuckled. "Why didn't you stop me? I'm not the only one who couldn't control myself, Caroline." I raised an eyebrow at him. "It's fair now. We're fuck buddies, as you said. We can't just do that whenever you want. I have needs too." I gave him a stern look. "Be careful with your words. Someone might overhear you." He just laughed at me. I rolled my eyes and put on his coat. The elevator rang, and the doors opened. Miguel stepped out first, and I followed. I walked quickly, noticing that the surroundings were getting darker. I held onto Miguel's arm. He furrowed his brow, looking at my hand tightly gripping hi
I continued to gaze at him, not expecting him to confess so soon."I like her, Caroline. But liking her is a big mistake," he said."Why? There's nothing wrong with loving someone," I remarked."We're not meant for each other. I thought I could easily forget my feelings for her when she went abroad. But no, I longed for Love Rein's presence back then.""Hey, you shouldn't have rejected her feelings for you. What if you were the reason why she went to another country to study? What if you admitted to her that you both felt the same? There might have been a chance for you two."I felt Miguel slow down the car. The surroundings were quiet, with only a few cars passing by."I have no intention of confessing to her. I chose to hide my feelings for her. She doesn't know I have feelings for her." "Maybe this is the right time for you to tell Love Rein how you truly feel, Miguel. This is your chance." Miguel shook his head. "It's too late. She's getting married." I bit my lower lip. Miguel
MIGUEL'S POV "You're just her bodyguard," the guy flirting with Caroline laughed. He tried to touch Caroline's arm, but I quickly grabbed his hand."Don't touch her if you don't want to meet St. Peter," I threatened. I pulled Caroline away from him.Nico smirked. I’d wanted to punch him since I saw them kissing. I felt betrayed. I knew Caroline wasn’t mine. I confessed my feelings, but that didn’t mean she liked me too.“I can take her to my condo. Caroline and I talked earlier. She wants to go with me,” he said proudly.My blood boiled with anger even more. I had to control myself because my friend owned this bar. I didn’t want to cause a scene.“I’ll take her home. She doesn’t need to go with you. She’s drunk, she doesn’t know what she’s doing and saying.”I gasped when Caroline hugged me. She was smiling while touching my stomach. I waved to Tommy when I caught his eye. He owned this bar.“Is there a problem, Miggy?” he asked, looking at Nico. “Is this your boss’s son? Seems like
I smiled and leaned in closer. He tried to kiss me, but I moved away. He tightened his grip on my waist.“Do you want to come to my condo?” he asked as he danced, pressing his body against mine.I suddenly thought, "I don’t know this guy. I just wanted to have fun, but I didn’t want to go with him."“I’ll think about it,” I answered. I continued dancing. I took his hand off my waist and put it on my shoulder.I was facing away from him as I danced. I stopped dancing when my eyes caught sight of Miguel. He was glaring at me angrily. I rolled my eyes and faced the guy again.“By the way, what’s your name?” I accepted the drink the waiter gave me.“I’m Nico. But you can call me babe.” He fixed my loose hair.I suddenly laughed at his cheesiness. “Nice name, Nico. I’m Caroline,” I introduced myself.“Let’s have another glass?” he asked.I immediately nodded. He pulled me to the bartender. We were given a glass of wine each. I frowned when I tasted it. It tasted different. This was the fir
The dark-skinned woman rolled her eyes. She looked me up and down again. I didn’t back down. I stared at her too. She was beautiful. Her skin wasn’t dirty at all. I just wanted to tease her. She had large breasts and a beautiful body curve.“Caroline?”We all turned when I heard Amira’s voice. My eyes widened when I saw what she was wearing. Her breasts were almost spilling out of her strapless dress. She walked towards us, holding a drink.“How are you? When will you revisit Michelle?” Amira asked. I swallowed when she suddenly hugged me.“You know each other?” asked the three women. Their eyes shifted between me and Amira.“Yes. She’s Miguel’s friend. She’s also the daughter of Miguel’s boss,” Amira answered. Amira’s forehead furrowed when she noticed the expressions on their faces. “Why are you looking like that? You look like the world has ended.”“You’re friends with this woman?” asked the woman with short hair. “She insulted us, Amira. She even called us smelly and said we smell
A man approached Miguel and put his hand on his shoulder.“I don’t care if you’re her date,” the man said, glancing at me. “I’m going to teach him a lesson!”My eyes widened as the man suddenly punched Miguel. But Miguel quickly dodged the punch, sending the man sprawling to the ground. I got out of the car and pulled Miguel away from the man.A few men approached us, presumably the man’s friends. They helped him to his feet.“Let me go!” the man yelled angrily and kicked the men helping him up.“Drake, that’s enough. You’re drunk. Don’t start any trouble!” shouted a man with dark skin and curly hair.“I’m going to teach that woman a lesson! How dare she call me a b-” He didn’t finish his sentence before he threw up.“Let’s just take him home. He’s drunk,” said one of his companions, who had slanted eyes. He looked at us. “Guys, please excuse our friend. He doesn’t know how to control himself when he’s drunk. We are sorry for the inconvenience.”Miguel just nodded. He put his arm arou
I excitedly entered my room. I searched for clothes in my suitcase that I could wear. I found a black strapless silk dress. I looked at myself in the big mirror. After I got dressed, I put on light makeup just enough so that the swelling of my eyes wouldn’t be noticeable.“I’m done!” I announced when I came out of my room. I furrowed my brow when I saw what Miguel was wearing. “We’re going to a bar.”He was wearing a black suit and black pants. In his outfit, he looked like a mafia boss, and he became even more handsome.“I don’t have anything else to wear, Caroline. You’re the only one who’s going to drink. I’m your bodyguard. I’ll watch over you while you’re partying,” he said gruffly.Sometimes I wonder if he works for my family. Since we became close, our way of addressing each other became casual. I can also show myself to him, the real me.He opened the car door for me. I immediately got in. I looked at myself in the mirror. I adjusted my eyeliner and eyeshadow.“Fasten your sea
I wanted to go with him to ease the problems I was thinking about. But I immediately changed my mind when I heard Love Rein’s name again.“Love Rein was asking what your favorite foods are. She plans to visit here.” Miguel sat on the floor.I closed my eyes before facing him. I forced a smile. “Did you tell her where I’m living now?”Miguel nodded. “She wants to be friends with you. There’s nothing wrong with that, I think -”“I need some privacy, Miguel! It would help if you hadn’t told her where I live. Why are you so impulsive? You didn’t even ask me if I wanted to be friends with her or not. I know you’re friends with her. You two have a history, especially since you have feelings for each other. You’re friends with her, Miguel. I’m not. You shouldn’t have told her where I live!”“I told her the address of your house, Caroline. I didn’t tell her you’re living in the condo,” said Miguel. I covered my mouth. “I won’t force you to be friends with her if you don’t want to.” He stood u
I stayed in my room all day. I wanted to be alone, so I told Miguel to go grocery shop for food.I opened my social media accounts, hoping my friends had unblocked me. My shoulders slumped when I saw that I was still blocked in their social media accounts.I created a new account. I followed them all and immediately sent them messages. I placed my phone on the table after I sent them messages on their respective social media accounts.I continued sipping the warm soup Miguel cooked. He’s a good cook. It was like I was eating at an expensive restaurant. I looked at the rice Miguel put on my plate earlier. I swallowed when I finished it all. It was the first time I ate that much rice again.I picked up my phone when I noticed someone was calling. I smiled with joy when I saw Avery’s name. I quickly answered it."Hello, Ave!" I tried to adjust my voice so she wouldn’t notice I had been crying. "Ave? Avery? Are you there?" I asked when she didn’t answer.I heard her clear her throat on th
I grabbed a large suitcase and packed my belongings. I took my car keys before leaving my room. As I opened the door, I saw Daddy standing by the side."Caroline, let's talk first. Don't leave—""We have nothing to talk about, Dad. You lied to me. You made me a fool!" I yelled, dragging my suitcase down the stairs. Daddy followed me. I quickened my pace. "What reason do I have to stay in this house, Dad? Mommy is furious with me. I don't want to add to her problems."I caught Cecile in the living room. She was watching TV, and her smile stretched from ear to ear when she saw my large suitcase."Want me to see you out?" she asked sarcastically."That's enough, Cecile! Don't talk to your sister like that!" Daddy scolded her."Why, Dad? She's the one who wants to leave the house. We're not kicking her out. But it's good that she's leaving so there will be fewer people to feed." She rolled her eyes.I smiled. My whole life, I've been trying to get their attention. Now she calls me a freel
Mommy lowered the glass she was holding. She grabbed another cigarette and lit it. It was like I wasn't even there in front of them."Why aren't you answering my question?" I turned to Mommy's friends. "Do you know anything about who I am?"They didn't answer. They just looked down. I gasped."Oh, there's Samson. We're going home, Glenda," Tita Monique said. She stood up and grabbed her bag.Mommy just nodded and took a sip of her cigarette. "Be careful on the road. Thanks for visiting. Just text or call me when we go to the casino again.""Are you leaving?" Daddy asked Mommy's friends when he arrived."Yes, Samson. Samantha and I have somewhere to be. We'll leave you for now," Tita Monique answered. She pulled Tita Samantha outside even though she wasn't done putting on her makeup."How are you feeling, hija?" Daddy asked me. He tried to hold my hand, but I quickly pulled it away."Are you my father from outside, Dad?" I asked. His eyes widened. He turned to Mommy and Cecile."What k