Chapter 3

"I couldn't believe it. I never expected I would bump into someone like him. He's a billionaire, but he's alone and it seems like he's an ordinary man," Casey said, still amazed as she found out the truth about him. He's a billionaire.

"What do you expect from him, huh? With bodyguards following him? Or people screaming for his name, huh? Maybe he prefers to be alone going to the church. It's his choice. He's not a celebrity, but people keep their eyes on him. I never expected it, too. But you're lucky and now you can understand why I told you lucky," Cora said. She frowned. "I'm not lucky, Cora.

Don't say it, please," Casey said, pouting her lips. ''I'll never be lucky. I'm cursed."

Her friend Cora chuckled. Casey couldn't forget what happened earlier as they exited the church. She could still remember him. She's sitting alone on the bench while her friend Cora left her for a few minutes. She didn't tell her where she's going, but when she came back, she had a food in her hands. She gave it to her immediately.

"Where have you been, huh? Where did you get this food? Do you have enough money to buy this food, huh? Don't tell me you stolen it from other people," Casey asked. Cora rolled her eyes and breathes heavily before speaking to her new found friend.

"Of course not. I didn't steal it from other people, Casey. I'm a beggar, but I'm not stealing anything or even food from other people. It's bad, right? I'm not like that," Cora corrected her friend. Casey grimaced. "But where did you get it, huh? Do you have enough money to buy for this food, don't you?" Casey asked. She bit her lower lip.

"Someone gave it to me," she said, seriously. "A woman came out of the fast-food chain and she approached me and gave it to me. I didn't steal it, Casey."

"I'm sorry, Cora. I just want to make sure you didn't steal it from other people. It's not a good idea, right? I hope you understand me," Casey answered.

"I understand you, but I'll never steal anything from other people. A woman gave it to me," Cora replied. Casey nodded.

"Now I know where it came from," she said. "I'm sorry, Cora. Forget it, please."

Cora nodded. "I was walking outside the fast-food chain and she approached me to give this food. She's kind and I hope to see her soon," she said, pointing the food given by the woman.

"Yeah, I know. She won't give you food if she's not, right? Anyway, where are you going, huh?" Casey asked her friend Cora.

"I'm looking for someone who can give me food, but the woman gave me without asking for it. It's a blessing, Casey," she said.

"Yes, it is," she said. "But you're always looking for someone who can give you some food to eat since you don't have money to buy, huh?" Cora shook her head.

"Nope. If I have money to buy food, I'm not looking for someone who can give me,'' she replied.

"If you don't have money, you're asking for someone to give you some food to eat, right?" Casey answered. Cora nodded. "Yeah, but sometimes they're giving me some food without asking them like what the woman did earlier to me. There are still kindhearted people in this world," she said.

"I know, Cora. We should always be kind to other people. If you can be good to other people, do it with all of your heart because it'll be the greatest gift we can give to them," Casey answered. Cora smiled at her indulgently.

"I strongly agree with you, Casey. We should eat lunch now before one o'clock in the afternoon strikes the clock," Cora said. Her friend gave her a quick nod before she unwraps the food which was given by the woman.

When night time came, they had slept in the park again. It was cold there, but they endured it since they're homeless and no one can accept them to sleep in a bedroom. Casey begins to look for a job, but no one accepts her. No one even trusted her. She had no money left in her pocket. She can't live without money. What she should do?

"Did you find a job?" Cora asked her while they're sitting on the bench. It's four o'clock in the afternoon. Casey took a very deep breath before answering her friend Cora. She's frowning.

"I can't find a job, Cora," she said weakly. "It's hard to find a job here in Manila. I don't know if I can survive here. No one accepts me. What should I do, Cora? I need to have a job. I can't live without money, so I need to have a job where I can earn money to buy food, clothes and other necessities. I don't know what to do, Cora," she said, her tears start to run down on her cheeks. Cora hugged her first before she speaks.

"It's very hard to find a job here in Manila. That's the reason why I didn't look for a job because no one will accept me since I didn't finish my studies. I had no diploma, so I chose to be a beggar. The streets are always welcoming me. This is the reality that we need to face," Cora said, reminding her the truth about the fate they had.

"It's difficult to live without money, Cora. I have no money now. We can't live without it. What should we do next, huh? We need to survive. I can't go back to the province where I came from, no one will accept me there. This is the only place where I can start again and solve the puzzle of my broken soul. I don't know where I am going next if I would leave this place, Cora," she said, sobbing in tears. Cora caressed her back slowly and wiped her tears.

"You're not alone, Casey. I'm here for you. I'll never leave you. This place accepted us with no complaints and judgement. This place has been my refuge for so many years. This place had seen my tears with so much pain inside my heart, but I was still here. This place still embracing me. Now you're here in this place, no one can force you to leave. You're always welcome in the place because fate brings you here. Don't cry please, Casey. I'll always here for you, you're not alone. If no one accepts you right now, maybe soon there'll be someone who'll accept you," Cora explained. "You'll have a job, always keep it in your mind. Don't lose hope, Casey."

"Thank you for your words, Cora," she said, wiping her tears in her eyes. Cora hugged her so tight.

Casey didn't stop looking for a job, but she's always rejected and no one really accepts her. She couldn't do anything. She's hopeless. She's homeless. She's penniless. Her knees are both trembling as she walks, going back to the park where they're sleeping every night, but she stopped. She sat down in front of the restaurant. Her stomach is churning so bad. She wants to eat food. She hasn't eaten breakfast and lunch. Her eyes widened as she saw the handsome man enters the restaurant. She wasn't wrong. He's the handsome man named Niccolo who she had bumped with the other day. She needs to talk to him. She needs his help this time. Maybe he could still remember her. Casey took a deep breath before she stands up and follow him inside the restaurant. "I need to talk to him. I need his help," she mumbled as she approached the entrance of the restaurant.

The security guard opened the glass door for her and she enters the restaurant feeling nervous. She couldn't see him, but after a few minutes, he found him sitting alone. He's waiting for his order. It's two o'clock in the afternoon and he still hasn't eaten his lunch.

Casey took a very deep breath again. She's nervous, but she needs to talk to him. Maybe he could help her. She's starving too. She would die if she won't eat food this afternoon. She started walking slowly towards his table. "I can do it. He can help me," she mumbled. Casey closed her eyes and cleared her throat before she opens her mouth to speak to him.

Niccolo lifted his head and he was surprised to see her looking at him with a serious look. He could still remember her face, but he doesn't even know her name.

"You again?! Why are you here, huh?" Niccolo asked her.