CHAPTER 1

There are things in life that we cannot control. Many things happen that we can never avoid and there are circumstances that will shape us to be strong and resilient in the future.

Those are the things Yngrid believes in. That not all the time, everything goes according to your plan. Just like today. It was still early but she already felt that the next few hours would be complicated. She got up on the wrong side of the bed. Her temple did not look good when she woke up to see that it was half past eight. She has this this urge that she need to beat herself up. She really hates being late even if other people might say that it's fine since she is the owner of the shop where she works.

She plastered a smile as she entered in her shop's entrance the moment she saw Melody.

There are kinds of smile - warm, sincere and real; but hers is not one of them. It is an out of nerve kind of smile. That kind of volcano like smile that will erupt at any minute.

She gave Melody a wide smile when she greeted her after entering. Eyeing her from head to toe, her gazed went back at her face when she felt contentment at what she saw.

Melody is her bestfriend. She hired her since she was good at sales. She's the typical sexy and hot lady anyone could describe. She's also amazed with how entice she is on entertaining anyone so it's no wonder she can nail the job-effortlessly.

"What a beautiful bracelet you have! You bought it?" she asked curiously to Melody.

The girl smiled on her question in a way that someone was tickling her before opening her mouth to respond.

"Ah you mean this? I didn’t buy it. Someone gave this to me. Isn't it beautiful? " There was a hint of arrogance in the tone of her voice.

Yngrid nearly released a smirk in front of Melody. Fortunately, she was able to control herself. She tried to get her head together.

"Who gave you that bracelet? Your boyfriend?" she asked again as she headed to the table in her own shop and then sat there. She saw how Melody became conscious because of her question but to her surprise, it was only for a while. She saw a faint of smirk on her lips that also disappeared immediately. Back to her innocent face again.

"Yes. We've been together for three months. Isn't he sweet? It's custom made," she boasted.

"Yes he is. That's very beautiful," Yngrid replied flatly.

"Thanks. By the way, I'll go ahead. I need to go back on my position."

"Sure."

While busy playing with the pencil on her desk, she watched Melody as she headed for the door out of her office. The girl turned the knob open so that she could get out but even before she was able to step her feet out, Yngrid spoke again which caused Melody to stop.

"By the way Melody, how many times has my boyfriend used your body? Has it been every day since you became couples? Are you being shot in the face? Like the entire of it by his cum?" she said with emphasis on every word he uttered without filter.

The customers who were there got intrigued and got their eyes fixed on the two of them. The office door was open and Melody was still there because she stopped when she called this bitch.

Melody was stunned and left unguarded. Gone the poise she saw earlier. But the hell Yngrid cares! She stood up from her seat then approached the seemingly statue woman. She caressed her small face. She looked at her sarcastically from head to toe. "Tsk. Such a waste! What a beauty but just given to the undeserving."

The girl still hasn't moved. Inside Yngrid's mind, she was already laughing at what this woman was up to now.

She took the hand on which the custom made bracelet she had referred to earlier was placed.

"Are you even for real, Melody! Don't you know how to lock it? It's a double lock. I can now understand clearly why it looks so loose on you. Or maybe it adjusted like how its current owner looks like. A loose!"

The woman didn't even budge when she easily removed it from her hand. She's too preoccupied with shock to budge she guess. Directly meeting the eyes that can be seen with great self-confidence, Yngrid laughed internally. Where's the smirk from earlier? Why does this girl look like a puppy now who's looking for protection?

"S-stop this please."

Finally, Melody spoke after quite some time but in a trembling tone. This girl knows how to be shy after all. She want to laugh to mock this bitch real hard when eventually the direction of her eye went to the sound of the newly opened door. Yngrid's gaze immediately followed mine. Stephan arrived and he's at her shop's entrance.

"Babe," Melody called to the newcomer. She ran towards his direction then struggled to hold on tightly on the man.

Disgusting!

Yngrid looked at the customers who had been watching what was happening. The others whispered to each other. It can't even be called a whisper because even if they are far from her place, every word they utter is crystal clear to her ears. This bunch of people got a free snacks of gossip after all.

"My apologies for the scene. It's a normal scenario of a girl who's been cheated on by her bestfriend and boyfriend. Don't mind us," she apologized even though the truth is that she just wants to be like a potato right now. This is the kind of spotlight that she doesn't want to in and experience several times. It is so humiliating!

She plastered a smile to give them assurance that she's fine when she saw how sorry their expression is for her.

"Wait, Yngrid. I can explain."

Stephan held out her hand but she pushed it away. She didn't know if the man was only a few steps away from the door to her seat but it didn't matter anymore. She is closed to any explanation from anyone.

Contrary to the heat of her head, she met the man's eyes with a cold look and then with full emphasis and without hesitation she said, "You don't have to. Go to the condo, pack your things and both of you are free to live together."

"Yngrid, hey! Let's talk about this first," Stephan gently said.

He tried to hold her hand again but like the his first attempt, she rejected his hold.

"Get your filthy hands off me. Who knows on what kind of hole you put that hands in? I might smell," she said with a shudder.

The startled expression on Stephan's face is visible. It's understandable though since he know her as a fine lady. Someone that will not utter such things.

"One more thing, aren't you even thinking? Seriously Stephan? You gave this bracelet to that bitch without thinking that I might recognize it? It is custom made for Pete's sake. What do you think of the words written on it? Just a design? They're not just figures, you idiot! That's my name, Yngrid. It is written in Baybayin style and then I carved it personally. When did Melody become Yngrid? Asshole! " she litany one after another.

Who cares if they will be embarrassed? They are a big fuckshit! She turned her back on them and then went back to her own office. She knew that many eyes were following her movements now so without looking back she opened the office then closed the door. She headed back to the table and tiredly leaned her body on the swivel chair while slightly closing her eyes.

Maybe they leave already. Those fucking pair of bastards!

Her tears flowed and so as her heavy feelings.

How could they fool me? Well at least, they didn’t see how much affected I was by what they did. I lost both— a bestfriend and a boyfriend.

She wouldn’t be Yngrid Angelique Villegas if she hadn’t done what she did earlier. She's not a naive woman and everyone around her knows that.

She cooled herself down before she could have a handful of eyebags and be noticed by everyone.

Rather than weeping, Yngrid decided to entertain herself by making new designs. Not to brag but she really does the designs by herself. All the clothings that are displayed in her shop is her designs. She has three branches of her clothing shop and here, where she put her main office is where she started this business.

Time passed quickly. When she looked at her watch, it was already time for the shop to close. She took her bag and left the designs she designed on the table. No one else dares to enter in here office anyway except those two snakes that appeared earlier.

After closing her office door, she was greeted by her staff whom she greeted in return.

"Leave that for noe and just finish what you all are doing tomorrow. We'll open at nine o'clock tomorrow so you can have plenty of rest."

She can even saw how wide her employees smiles were because of what she announced before she left and went straight to the car to drove home.

Such a tiring day!

-

Yngrid was surprised when as soon as she opened the door, she was met by Stephan's presence. He is next to the table. Obviously really waiting for her to arrive. The light where he was sitting is dim and there was a candle light dinner ready on the table. A sarcastic laugh slip from her lips while trying to absorb Stephan's action. For the past five months because after they decided to moved together in one condo, this is the very first time this man is doing this cringy stuff.

"Love, take a rest for a while then let's have dinner. I cooked it all myself."

Exhaustedly, she just lightly took off her flat shoes. Without responding on him, she just passed by then went to the bedroom. As she threw the bag on the bed, next thing she did is let her emaciated body decide what to do. Then she found herself lying on the soft mattress as she closed her eyes to rest. She wanted to take a nap but as much as she want to, she suddenly felt a hand touching her forehead. She got up quickly and then glared at him.

"Why are you still here? Isn't it clear to you what I said before? Pack your things then live together, you pair of bitches!" she almost lost all her patience with Stephan.

"Love, I don't love her."

If someone else sees what is happening now, they might even think she is the villain. His face shows how much he wants to be pitied as if it would be her fault if she ignore it.

She was literally out of breath due to frustration. "And you think I will believe you? Oh c'mon. Either you love her or not, we're done."

"Love, don't be like this."

Her skinhair stood up when she felt his hands caressing her thighs.

"Fuck off. You're so gross."

She quickly avoided the man's grip.

"That's the problem with you. Then you'll be angry why I did that. Yngrid! I'm a man... I have needs but you can't even give it to me. You love me right? Why can't you give me what I need?" he said angrily in a high tone.

Yngrid's mouth widened at the man's revelation. She almost didn't want to move his hand anymore because she might not be able to estimate and her sinful hand would reach the lampshade on the side. She might even be jailed for attempted murder because if she happens to throw the lamp shade, she will make sure that the man actually suffer a brain hemorrhage.

"Sex? Why? Are you that itchy that you will lick whoever boobies you grip and thrusts your manhood in every hole you see that you even did it with my bestfriend? Motherfucker!" she shouted out loud.

"She made the move, Yngrid. She seduced me. I'm just a man."

Oh what a valid excuse! So frustrating.

"Just leave."

Yngrid got up then went to the cabinet where his clothes were kept. She put them in the bag and made sure that not a single one was left. When she finished, she faced Stephan again and handed over the bag without any reluctance.

"Here. Get out."

She thought that Stephan would keep going but she got even angrier because it seemed like he was really trying to figure out the limit of her patience because of what he said next.

"What about those gifts I gave to you? Give them back to me. I bought those."

Very shameless!

Preventing herself from hurting him, she took the gifts he was pertaining to one by one and then put them in the bag.

"It's all in there. Leave right away before you die!" She breathed hard to calm herself because of extreme restraint.

At last, she dragged the bag out of the room then went to the door to put his belongings outside.

"Why? What do you mean by I will die? Are you going to kill me?"

"No! I bought the air freshener and paid for the aircon you're breathing now so don't breathe. Fucker!" she shouted angrily before slamming the door shut right on Stephan's face.

So pissed off. She didn’t know what big sin she had committed in her past life that made life decide to let her meet that kind of man.

Truth be told, she has seen him flirting with his employees many times but as much as how many times he did it, that's how many times she let it pass as well. But what made her lost patience help was when she saw with her own eyes the lewdness Stephan and Melody were doing in the fitting room of her shop. They were caught in the CCTV footage. They no longer respected her personal area.

Life could be so unfair and she knew that what happened now is just a minor event.

Her mind and body were tired so she went to the room again. She needs a rest — a short- term rest.