1. P1: TRACE

Chloe’s POV

June 2021

23rd Street, New York, USA

"Chloe McIntyre! Wait!"

I stopped in my tracks when I heard his voice. Oliver James, my handsome boss and the CEO of the company where I've been working for a year. Being one of the junior interior designers, it was my ladder to keep him close. This guy was the man of my dreams. Why the hell not? He was a perfect gentleman, wealthy, and had a good heart. Twenty percent of his company's earnings were distributed to his chosen charities. He's just too good to be true, and… I like him. Wondering the possible reason, I stood beside my car and waited for him to come closer.

"Hey, Oliver!" I smiled at him. 

He was almost catching his breath when he finally stood before me. "Going home already?"

"Ah, yeah," I said, tucking loose strands of hair behind my ear. "What's the matter? Do you need anything?"

"Well, I just wanna ask you something." He shrugged.

It felt like heaven as we exchanged glances. He seemed to be musing in his deep thoughts, so I took the chance to smize him all to my heart's content. Oliver was thirty-eight, while I am almost twenty-three. It's a fifteen-year age gap, yet it didn't matter. I believed he was mature enough to handle relationships, unlike others who were just after sex and everything that goes with it.

Then I remember Carly, my older sister. Since my sister graduated with flying colors, she had a handful of companies to work with. Nonetheless, New York had been our top priority to hustle with. This was our dream and to-go place since we were kids. We wanted to be free and live self-reliant lives, and we made it. When I finished college, I'd been with Carly. We're living independently here.

But six months ago, Carly's life turned upside down. I found her in bed, bathed in her pool of blood. Carly committed suicide, and the name and words written on the wall were 'Trace Dimagiba. I hate you!'

After that, Carly lived with my parents in California because she was diagnosed with severe depression. The reason? She fell in love with a douchebag. I knew nothing about her fucktard boyfriend, but I knew my sister well. My sister is very conservative, so I don't understand why Trace Dimagiba dropped her like a hot potato. Carly trusted him, but all she got was misery. I hate that man! Send him to the devil, and I would celebrate, sure. To this day, I cannot accept why that bastard hurt my sister. Carly was a respectable, exceptional woman with a heart for the less fortunate as my sister was a devoted volunteer for charities that helped orphans.

"Hey, um, are you free on Saturday?" Oliver disturbed my thoughts about Carly.

I gaped at Oliver. Oh, gee! How could I forget about him? Jeez! I nodded slowly and looked straight into his eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry, I spaced out."

"No worries," Oliver chuckled and added, "So, are you available? Saturday night, I mean."

"Sure. Saturday, then," I replied enthusiastically.

The butterflies in my stomach danced gloriously as I gazed at his dreamy, expressive eyes. He's obviously into me, just as I am into him. This was possibly my shot at his heart! 

Saturday. That would be four days to wait. Cool! My flight was scheduled for next week, and if I could convince Oliver to accompany me, I would have the opportunity to introduce him to my parents. That would be great. We could take a plane back to New York on Monday.

"Is it alright if I ask you to please stop calling me 'sir,' Chloe?" Oliver asked me with a bright smile.

"Uh, well..." I was thrilled. "What should I call you then?"

"Just call me Oliver," he said. "I feel old every time you address me that way."

I smiled and bit the inner side of my lower lip. "A'ight! Oliver." I will not play hard-to-get. I can be with him, so I won't waste it.

"I will see you on Saturday night then," he said with a smile, and I nodded.

I was damn speechless for a second. And when I was about to tell Oliver my address, suddenly my phone rang. I excused myself as I saw the caller's ID on my phone. It was Mom.

"I will go now." Oliver bid me goodbye and didn't wait for my answer; he immediately left. It was disappointing that he left me, but I had to answer Mommy's call first.

"Mom."

"You need to come home. Carly needs you," she cried.

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. Carly's depression was turning all our lives upside down.

"I will, Mom," I confirmed. "Let me settle everything in the office first. I need to file my LOA tomorrow, then I will be there on Sunday."

"Come home, Chloe," Mommy persisted. Her tone was not to be detested.

"But… Mom—"

"File a resignation and come home," Mommy said seriously.

I closed my eyes in despair. Resignation?! I love my job! And why now when Oliver was already starting his moves? Why now when I'm not invisible in his eyes anymore? Why the fuck, when he's making me feel special now?!

"Mom, I don't want to resign," I reasoned. "I love my job, and please... I'm turning twenty-three, and you said you'd support me no matter what work I crashed into."

"This is for Carly," Mommy said in between her sobs. "You need to quit your job and help your sister instead. We need to bring her to the Philippines and find the man. He needs to help us. Naitindihan mo ba ako, Chloe?"

"No! Why do we need to do that?!"

We shouldn't be! And why does Mommy think that way? That's stupid!

"We need to because Carly attempted suicide again! Chloe, please… just listen! Para kay Carly…"

After that, Mommy ended our call. I inhaled and exhaled several deep breaths. I was torn between my love for my sister and my dream of being in a relationship with Oliver.

"Trace Dimagiba, you asshole*!" I said while kicking the wheel of my car. I have no one else to blame but that man.

"I would pray every day and every night for you to die miserably!" I kept talking to myself until I got inside the car and started its engine. If I could see that man, he would surely curse the day we met. I will make sure of it! I promise!

******

Pasadena, California, USA

"Carly," I called my sister. Staring at her face, I sighed. Carly's health was deteriorating, and I wanted to cry. Last month, when I visited her, I noticed she had become thin and lost weight. But now... she was even thinner than before.

"Chloe..." Carly whispered my name when she gazed at me.

I turned to look at Mommy because she told me that Carly wasn't talking anymore. I noticed Mommy was smiling and hopeful when she looked at us. I managed to smile. Mommy finally smiled again, and I was happy about that.

I have just arrived at our house after a long drive. I travelled for almost two days. Oliver and I were supposed to have a date tonight, but I decided to drive my car home because I had already filed an immediate resignation. It took me a long time to explain why I had to do it to the management. I also talked to a friend who was also an interior designer about replacing my position. Fortunately, Oliver understood and accepted my resignation, and he promised that when his schedule was free, he would visit me here in California.

And… I'm looking forward to it...

"Do you wanna help me?" Carly asked me, sobbing. "I need your help, Chloe."

I nodded while staring at her. I knew where this conversation was heading, but Carly was my favorite person whom I have looked up to since we were kids. And she needed my help, so I wouldn't let her down. I have no heart to decline her request.

Mommy raised us so close to each other. We're familiar with Filipino customs because of Mom. We know the Filipino language as our nannies were Filipinos. Even though Mom's been here in California for a long time, she still speaks Tagalog, and that's how she talks to Carly and me, mostly when she scolds and reprimands us. We can understand Tagalog, the leading Filipino language, but Carly and I couldn't speak it without sounding stupid because of our accents. 

I removed the Filipino language from my thoughts and gazed at my sister's face. I smiled. Even though I wanted to cry because of how she looked now, I still smiled to make her feel normal. I would do my best for Carly. I won't stop until she's back to normal.

"I will help you, Carly. I want to see you smile again and live your life as it was before." I meant it; I truly am. For Carly, I could do everything.

"Then... then, Chloe, please help me find Trace," she begged. "I love him, Chloe. I want to see him. I wanna talk to him."

"Yeah…" I nodded though it was against my will. "I promise that I will, Carly. I'll find him for you." I wiped her tears.

That promise is true, for I should find Trace Dimagiba and ensure he regrets that he's still alive. Damn him!