ChantriaI slowly opened my eyes. When my eyes adjusted, I looked around. Everything's white and quiet. All I could hear was the loud beeping of an engine.How many times have I seen this scenario in a movie? How many times have I told myself that this scenario is getting boring because it just keeps repeating itself? I can not remember. And here I am, like a star in a movie. A movie that I pray is just a big dream.I looked at who was in the bed next to me. There I saw that Chanel was still unconscious. It's just the two of us in a room. I tried to look on the other side of my bed, just in case Carleigh was there.My tears flowed quickly. I don't want to assume, but my tears won't stop from falling. I struggled to get up from lying down and removed the things that were attached to me. I immediately covered the wound from the IV before trying to stand up.I looked at Chanel's condition before I walked towards the door. But before I could even get close to it, it opened by itself. The
Chantria“Chantria…”I heard dad's soft and tired voice from behind me. But even so, I still didn't take my eyes off Chanel.Why isn't she waking up? Did something happen to her that I don't know about? Did she gain something deep because of what happened and dad just doesn't tell?"You need to eat or drink something. You'll drain yourself.”Instead of confronting and answering him, I said, "Why isn't Chanel waking up, Dad? She needs to wake up. I will only eat when I see her eating too. I won't be able to swallow the food, thinking that Chanel hasn't eaten anything yet. I won't forgive myself if anything happens to her too because of me."I heard him sigh before placing the tray containing the food on the side table of my bed. I can't even look at what's inside. He pulled out another chair and placed it next to me.Before speaking, he made me face him so I couldn't do anything but take my eyes off Chanel. "You need to stop this, Chantria. Do not punish yourself for what happened. It'
ChantriaBecause of Chanel's rage and crying, I voluntarily left the room. I asked dad to place me in a different room. And even though he hesitated, he didn't do anything to persuade me.He said we should calm down Chanel's anger first. But I know, this time, that her anger won't stop anytime soon. The only thing that can stop her anger towards me is if Carleigh comes back. And I wish she would.I don't know what to do without her. I don't know if I can live without her. I love her. I miss her. And I can't imagine a world without Carleigh in it.While lying in my hospital bed, I couldn't help but overthink. What if I'm the one who died and not Carleigh? Maybe everything would be okay for them, especially for Chanel. She really should inherit the company. She also has a dream that she can do any time after inheriting dad's company. Even though she is old, she can still do that.What about me? I don't even know what to do with my own life. Even if I don't inherit dad's company, it's no
ChantriaDuring the whole flight, I tried to sleep. But every time I close my eyes, the things I think about would bother me. There are just too many things messing with my mind.That's why I put my earphones in my ears and just listened to the music. I just looked out the window while on the plane. My flight will be about fifteen hours, so I distracted myself by listening to music, reading, and playing on the phone.The guy next to me slept for almost the entire flight. I can't help but feel envious. I hope I can also sleep like that. Since the incident, I haven't had a good night's sleep.When I looked in the mirror, there were eye bags under my eyes. But instead of paying attention to that, it's as if it doesn't bother me anymore. I'm also to blame for why I look like a panda now. When Chanel sees this, she will definitely tease me again.I stopped what I was playing when I remembered her.There is no one to tease me anymore. I can’t spend time with my family every day. And that's
ChantriaWhen I got out of the car, I faced Iwatani. He frowned again while looking at me. I guess I need to get used to it because this one looks normal. I couldn't help but remember Joaquin from him. The difference is that he is mestizo and this one is brown."We haven't formally met," I said to Iwatani before extending my hand. "I'm Seanne. And you are?"He looked at me very coldly. It's as if his every gaze penetrates. This one is not serious as dad said. He is grumpy."I know. You already know my name. You don't need to introduce yourself and so do I. I'm here to watch over and protect you, not to make friends."My lips parted because of what he said. I couldn't believe what I heard. He's rude!"It's not like I want to be friends with you! I just want to get to know each other because from now on, whether you like it or not, we're going to be together. If you don't want me to get to know you, then fine! Well, don't." I couldn't help but snort. No one has ever been rude to me like
ChantriaI think I've been balding the grass in my yard all morning because of that man. How can I understand what he wants to say if he doesn't speak? I'm not a fortune teller!His behavior is irritating. Very different from the behavior of his mother and father. Just a little more and I’m going to be convinced that he’s adopted.After having lunch, Aling Tryna knocked and brought me food. I shyly accepted a bowl of pickles before letting her into my house."You shouldn't have bothered anymore, Aling Tryna." I made her sit on the sofa. "I can survive on the canned goods I bought earlier at the store. I'm not picky with foods.”"What are you saying? You should not get used to eating those preservatives. It’s not good for your health. And then Iwatani actually cooked a lot to give some to you. Even if he doesn't say it, I know it's for you."Something kicked in my stomach because of what I heard. "Iwatani cooked for me?"“Yes. Sorry for my son. He is really rude even when he was just a
ChantriaOnly then did I stop walking and take a deep breath. I didn't pay attention to Iwatani who was just looking at what I was doing.I know that he has a lot of questions right now. It's either he didn’t want to ask or he just didn’t care about what he witnessed. It was better because I didn't want him to ask more questions. Maybe what happened in the past was just a relic. I didn't want him to see me weak every time I talk about what happened."Let's take a rest," he said. "We can go on tour another day."I immediately nodded. Honestly, I should have asked him to come home earlier. The campus was too wide and I admit I was tired. I'm not fit enough to continue touring. And one more thing, I still had a lot of time to tour the campus even though it was already school days."Anyway," I said, "are we classmates?" We started walking to the parking lot. We were just next to each other and there was a little distance between us."Yeah."I nodded. "I still thought I had privacy in the
ChantriaIwatani took me outside even though our houses were just next to each other. According to him, it was already dark outside. And as long as I'm out, he has to watch me all the time. I just shrugged and let him go because he had a point.When we arrived in front of my house, I faced him and thanked him."It's my job to protect you, Seanne. No need to thank me."I just snorted. If he said so. But why my chest tightened because of what he said, I had no idea. "Thank you very much anyway. Then thank you for the delicious Sinigang. You can get married now," I joked.He frowned because of what I said. "I have no intention of getting married even though I know how to cook. That is not the basis of whether or not you can get married."My mouth dropped open and I looked at him in disbelief. "That was a joke, Iwatani."He cleared his throat. "I know.""No, you don't. You know, sometimes it's nice to talk to people. Try it.""What do you mean?"I raised an eyebrow at him. "Talk to us mor
ChantriaI slowly opened my eyes, but quickly shut them again due to the pain in my head. But when everything came back to me, I quickly got up from my bed. I ignored the throbbing pain in my senses because there was only one thing I wanted to see right now."Carleigh!" I exclaimed as I entered the living room of our house with Chanel.Chanel and Iwatani, who were playing Xbox, both turned to look at me. Iwatani immediately stopped playing to talk to me."She's in the kitchen," Chanel replied. "She said she wanted to cook for you."I didn't finish what she was saying and ran to the kitchen. There I saw her back turned on me. She was mixing something in the pan.Tears once again fell from my eyes. I can't believe that she's really here. It wasn't a dream. She's really in front of me."Carleigh..." I said.She turned around briefly, surprised at my sudden speech. "Chantria, you're awake. How are you feeling? I'm cooking soup."I didn't pay attention to what she was saying and ran to her
Chantria"Woah! Woah! Calm down, princess," Lance said with both hands raised in the air."You said you're friends with Iwatani. You lied to me!""I didn't lie, miss. Iwatani is my best friend.""If he's your friend, why are you with this guy?" I pointed the gun at Gab, who was calmly standing near a car. He leaned on it, looking at me as if he wasn't scared of what I was holding."Isaac? Why? He's not my best friend, but we're friends too. Do you know him?""I don't just know him. I know him well."Lance turned to his friend when he asked, so Gab answered. "She's Chantria, Lance. Or you might know her as Seanne."Lance's jaw dropped and he seemed frozen in place. "This is the girl you're crazy about? I didn't expect this from you."I tried not to react to what Lance said. He might be lying. No. He's definitely lying. Iwatani isn't even here, as he said. How can I trust someone like him?"Great," I said. "We're already here anyway. Why don't you answer my questions, Gabriele? Where's
ChantriaAfter a long day at work, I went straight to our house with Chanel. And yes, we’re still living together. However, we rarely see each other except in the morning before we go to work. But I was surprised because she came home early today."You're early," I greeted her. I also slumped on the sofa and grabbed the chips she was eating."Just for a change. I need a break," she replied.We were quiet for a while, watching TV when she suddenly spoke. "I heard the one who killed Carleigh is caught." Her voice was low, just enough for me to hear."I don't know yet. But according to Lorreine, the man they caught had something to do with what happened. I don't know if he's the one who killed her or if there's someone else involved.""Why do you seem hesitant? This is what we've been waiting for, right? To find the killer.""I don't know. I don't think I can face him yet."She turned off the TV before facing me. "Let me ask you something. What do you want to do? What kind of revenge are
ChantriaI lowered the cap I was wearing to hide my face a little bit. I also adjusted my fake glasses to see where I was going more clearly.I continued pushing the cleaning supplies towards the elevator. I greeted some people I passed by and they greeted me back, but they didn't ask any further questions.I needed to act as natural as possible. I didn't want to get caught after everything I had done for this mission. I wouldn't leave the hotel without finding any evidence against them.When I reached the twelfth floor, I got off and continued pushing the cleaning supplies towards Gab's room.I looked left and right before inserting the key card and swiping it. I held my breath until the lock clicked, indicating that the door had opened. Lorreine was really reliable in these kinds of tasks.And Chanel would surely scold me if she found out. Iwatani didn't want me to do these things either, so I didn't tell him about my plan. It was better if only Lorreine knew.When I got inside, I l
ChantriaI was staring into space while lost in thought. The encounter we had at 7/11 earlier is still on my mind. I can't believe I saw him again after several months.And he wasn't looking for me, he said. He wouldn't show up if I didn't want to see him. I don't know if I should be happy about what he said or not.But one thing is for sure, he still loves me. Chanel is right. He loves me. Well, he's not sure if he really loves me or not, but he said his feelings haven't changed.There's something inside me that hopes he's telling the truth. There's a part of me that believes he really had nothing to do with what his dad was doing. He was just caught in the middle.Now, I just have to wait. Wait for whatever plan he has in mind. I don't know what kind of plan he'll make, but I will believe in him."Let me have your ice cream." Chanel snatched the ice cream from my hand before I could react and licked it."Chanel!" I tried to take it back from her. "That's mine!""You're not eating it
Chantria"Congratulations on passing the interview," said HR Manager Ms. Dianne Gutierrez. "From here on out, you'll be assigned to different leaders to guide you. I want to introduce you to Miss Anna Marshall, the head of the marketing department."A tall woman with glasses introduced herself. Afterwards, Lorreine and Louella were introduced as Miss Marshall's apprentices."And Miss Yao Lu, the head of the general management." She was a shorter woman with glasses, but with thicker lenses.Chanel and I nodded as she called out our names. We were assigned to her. Only Ma'am Dianne knew who we were to avoid favoritism in the company.We didn't want any privilege as apprentices here. It was already a big help that we were able to get in despite still being in college. We didn't want to abuse our influence. It was also fortunate that we were allowed to bring Louella and Lorreine.It's been a few months since we graduated. We've been busy taking care of our apprenticeship here. Luckily, Da
Chantria"Why are you so surprised to see me?" he asked. "I told you I'm coming today, right? Did you forget?"I forced myself to smile, but it came out awkwardly. "I-I'm just... yeah. I forgot."He chuckled softly. "That's okay. I'll wait for you here so you can freshen up. We're going somewhere, and you're going to love it."He turned to head back to his car when I called out to him. He faced me with a questioning look."What? Is there a problem?" He walked towards me. He reached out his hand to touch me, but I didn't accept it."Let's not go today. I'm not feeling well."Ignoring my rejection of his hand, he touched my forehead. "You don't have a fever. But if you're feeling unwell, we can go there next time. Wait, I'll buy you some medicine."Before I could stop him, he had already left. I let out a sigh before going inside. I needed to figure out a way to get rid of him without him suspecting anything. I knew it was only a temporary solution, but I needed more time to think about
ChantriaI sipped my coffee before facing Iwatani. We were in the living room to introduce me to the important people in the business world. This was the first step in my revenge.Of course, I needed to know who I was going to face. I couldn't just bump into them without knowing anything."First of all, the Zima Company. Your dad's company." I was about to object, but he didn't let me. "Even though you're the heir, I know you haven't met all of your dad's staff yet. Am I right?"I thought about it, and he was right. I didn't know anyone. I knew Joaquin was my dad's secretary before he disappeared, but I didn't know who replaced him. I also hadn't met any of the board members yet because of what happened.He placed a photo of my dad on the table, which I immediately looked at. "Philippio Geronimo Zima. The president and CEO of Zima Corp. As you may know, he owns hotels, restaurants, condominiums, and other residential properties both in and out of the country."He then placed another p
Chantria"So, who's the other guy?" she asked while looking at my friends who seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that the tension between the two of us had subsided.I looked at my friends because I wasn't sure who she was referring to. "Who? Iwatani?""The other one. The cute one." My eyes twinkled because both Iwatani and Gab were cute. "The new one. I already met that Japanese-looking guy. The other one. The Spanish-looking one."I nodded. "That's Gab. My boyfriend."She raised an eyebrow in my direction. "I thought the other one was your boyfriend.""No, he's not. He's my bodyguard. What about that guy? Your boyfriend?"She rolled her eyes. "My bodyguard, Chantria. Dad didn't just assign a bodyguard to you. And he's annoying. There's no way in hell he's my boyfriend."I laughed at what she said. "You two look cute together."She grinned at me because of what I said. "You and your bodyguard look cute together too."I gave her a stern look. "He rejected me already.