Chapter 4: Agreement

Nicole's mind is a mess, she took a taxi to go to her parent's house. She doesn't know how and where to start to make all the things that happened in the hotel clearly. She's also a victim, but no one believes it. She herself can't explain how she got into Steven's room. Particularly, the thing that happened between them.

Her heart wants to explode now because of the stirred emotions. She's the biggest loser, actually, because she lost her virginity that way. To make matters worse, the person who took her first was not her husband nor boyfriend.

She buried her face in her palms. She's thankful because the driver was kind. He even lent her a jacket when he noticed she was getting cold.

"We're already here, Ma'am." The driver said to his passenger when they arrived at the address she gave.

"Thank you." She handed the money to the driver and did not make the change.

After getting out of the car, she entered the gate of their house with heavy steps. She thought she would be able to rest her mind for a moment after entering. But another damage to her life was waiting for her.

"You're so shameless!" Rox angrily rushed at her daughter and pulled her hair which was already messy.

"It hurts, Mom! What's my fault…"

"You still have to ask?!" Rox slapped her hard on the cheek.

Her resentful eyes met her mother's angry eyes. She already has a hunch as to why she is mad. Instead of taking pity on her appearance, she only became angrier.

"How could you do that to Danica? Merciful heaven! She did nothing bad to you for you to ruin her dream and steal the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with!" Rox's voice trembled with anger.

Nicole's mouth was closed as she stepped back to distance herself from her mother. "Am I really your daughter, Mom?"

Rox could not move and she stared at her. "Why would you suddenly ask me that? Are you really insane now? And who do you think is your mother beside me?"

"You always judge me like that. You wouldn't even listen to my side before you hurt me and give me your judgment." Resentful, she talked back.

"Don't change the subject!" Rox scolded her. Until now, the pain that Danica feels is still playing in her mind.

Danica called her earlier and she was crying. When she told her everything, she felt sorry for her and was mad at her daughter. 

"I don't know either," she replied with her head bowed to her mother.

"You're a useless daughter and friend! Get out of here and don't you dare come back until the relationship you broke is fixed!"

Nervously, Nicole followed her mother into her room. She couldn’t stop her as she carelessly removed her clothes from the cabinet and threw them on the floor. She could do nothing but cry and put her clothes in the small suitcase.

"Remember, you can't set foot in this household again until your broken friendship with Danica is repaired!" Rox yelled at her.

Nicole quickly changed clothes in front of her mother and left the room without any words. Her father who's standing in the middle of the living room was silent, but disappointment was also on his face. Tears welled up in her eyes as she left their home. She doesn't know where to go now.

"Where are you going now, Ma'am?" the man who was driving the taxi asked politely.

Nicole was surprised when the car stopped in front of her. She recognized it, thus she was a little relieved.

"Come in, young lady." Smiling, the gentleman invited her. Earlier, when he picked her up from the hotel, he knew she needed help. She didn't speak, but he can feel that she's tormented.

"Thank you!" she no longer bothered to hide her true feelings. When she got into the car, she started to cry.

Kanor understands what the lady is going through. He just drove the car slowly and waited for her to open up to make herself feel better.

Nicole spent a few more minutes before continuing to calm herself. Somehow, God has not abandoned her. There are still people who care about her even though they don't know her.

"Why are you helping me?" she asked the man who is probably older. She estimated that he was the age of his father—forty-eight.

"I see my daughter in you." Kanor replied sadly to the lady. He introduced himself and so did she.

"Where is she now?" he asked the gentleman curiously. She was curious because he looked sad when he mentioned his daughter.

“She’s gone,” a tear ran down his face as he remembered his daughter who died two years ago.

"I'm sorry." She suddenly felt sorry for him. She felt that he loves his daughter very much and suddenly she felt jealous. Her father also loved her, but she did not feel his support for her.

"I neglected my daughter and she made friends with some addicts. Because of my negligence, she became addicted to drugs and became a victim of gang rape."

Nicole burst into tears again out of pity for the man. She felt his remorse and he's blaming himself for losing his daughter too early.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Kanor changed the subject.

Nicole shook her head sadly. She didn't want to stay with someone who knows her and Danica because surely, like her mother, she would be judged by them as well. She did not want to add to the heaviness in her chest.

"You can stay at my place, don't worry because I have a maid in the house."

The man seemed trustworthy, so Nicole goes with him. He took her to Quezon City and she was surprised to see his house. She did not think that the man was an owner of taxis. It was just his hobby to travel sometimes with one of the taxis he owns. She's lucky and she was his passenger that day. She understood his motive of wanting to help. He did not want her to be like his daughter who had passed away.

"From now on, consider my house your home. I have another child, but he is staying in another country."

"I'm really grateful to you! You're a great help to me!" Because of so much joy, she hugged him.

Kanor considered Nicole his own daughter and his maid welcomed her well. He considered everyone in the house a part of his family.

"Have you found her yet?" Danica asked her people a few hours later. She asked them to find Nicole, she didn't expect her parents to banish her because of what she had complained to them. She cannot be lost because she may get pregnant.

"She's not in the places you told us to go to, Ma'am." The man replied to Danica from the other line.

"So annoying!" She threw the cell phone on the bed because they have no good news. She also asked them to contact Nicole's cell phone, but it could not be reached.

At the Scouts' mansion, the siblings get into a fight because Steven is stubborn and refused to fix his relationship with Danica.

"What kind of fuss is this?" Madame Asuncion reprimanded her two grandchildren when she saw them arguing.

"Grandma!" Rita approached her grandmother for help. It's been two days since the incident at the hotel. And until now, Danica has not gone out of her house and her brother is not even taking any action.

Steven sighed because his sister is being annoying. It is not in his vocabulary to appease a woman just because of a misunderstanding. He didn't have time to explain what really happened. It's enough that they knew he was drugged so something happened that night. Steven quickly dismissed it in his mind when he recalled the woman who he had slept with.

"Grandma, please talk to brother. You know how much important Danica is to me. She's my savior and I can't bear to see her hurt and my brother is the reason." Rita pleads with her grandmother.

The madam sighed as she shook her head. She already knew what had happened at the hotel. But she did not feel sorry for Danica. To this day, she still doubts her identity, thus she did not agree with Rita's wish to marry her brother off to that woman.

"Call your friend, tell her I need to talk to her." Asuncion orders her granddaughter.

Rita frowned at her grandmother's reply. Even as an elderly, she still possesses a cold heart. Fortunately, she did not inherit it.

"Brother?!" She called her brother angrily when he turned away.

"I have a meeting to attend." Steven said emotionlessly and kissed his grandmother's forehead before continuing to leave.

Rita turned around to follow her grandmother's order reluctantly.

"Have you eaten?" Rita asked her friend when she answered her call.

"I'm doing fine." 

She sighed when she heard Danica's lifeless voice. "I'll tell the driver to pick you up. Grandma wants to have lunch with you."

Danica frowned when she heard the old woman's name. She knew that Rita just worded her grandmother's order to talk to her better.

"But if you're still not ready to face other people…"

"Maybe I'd better deal with it all so I don't feel sad anymore."

Rita smiled even though the person she was talking to couldn't see it. She was happy because somehow Danica can move on and follow her advice. She understood her if she thought that woman might get pregnant and use that to own her brother.

When Danica arrived at the mansion, she politely greeted the old woman. And she was right in her suspicion when she ordered her to follow her to her office which was also inside their house.

Rita gave Danica an apologetic smile when their eyes met.

Danica quickly followed the madam for fear that she would get angry if she moves slow.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush. I heard about what happened at the hotel and I want to know what your plans are now?"

Danica didn't budge at the old woman's intimidating stare. She answered her confidently and did not take her eyes off her eyes. She knew that she wanted to read her true thoughts.

"The agreement goes on. Not a friend of mine can break my love for Steven."

"What if your friend gets pregnant earlier than you? As far as I know, my grandson used no protection when he touched that woman."

"You probably won't let your grandson go to a deceitful woman, will you?" she replied challengingly.

"Huh! You're smart and you know how to compete with the opponent. I won't take back the first agreement. But don't expect me to let my great-grandchild grow up to be a bastard with that woman if it ever happens." 

The truth is that Asuncion has already started to find out the background of the woman. Their clan is small. Little did everyone know that the blood of their men was strange. They are not sexually active if they are not compatible with their partner. That is why she thought that Danica should get pregnant before she could allow her to belong to her family. She needs to make sure there is an heir for the next generation of their clan.

"I understand." Danica grinned her teeth.

"Good! You can leave."

Danica bowed her head first before turning her back to the old woman. She is so frustrated on the inside because all her plans are put in jeopardy.