My clothes were still a mess, and it was so dirty that I had to go back to the parking lot where my car was to change clothes. Fortunately, I always carry extra clothes in my car! Otherwise I might go to class with dirty clothes!I was nervous while walking to our classroom. I'm thirty minutes late, but I'm going in anyway, because I don't want to miss a topic. If I can pursue the discussion, I will do so as long as I am not absent from that subject.Mrs. Marquez turned her back to me because he was busy writing on the whiteboard, so I took advantage of it immediately so she didn't notice that I was late, but I didn't even sit next to Brandon when she turned in front of the class and saw me. My chest fluttered as the two of us looked at each other. I know Mrs. Marquez, of all the professors here, is the most strict, so she thinks it's just scary."Miss Del Real!" I was almost blown away when I heard her voice calling my last name.All of my classmates immediately looked at me, so I w
"Oh my gosh, girls! Look who's here!"Kyla and I were looking at the sides when we heard a voice. I saw Karylle's group again, and this time she was with boys who were their friends. My eyes almost rolled up, and I avoided looking at them to continue my meal. I also noticed Kyla's face that she had a trace of fear that I felt, so I took a deep breath before speaking."Just don't mind them. Just keep eating your food," I told her."A snake and a user. It's a thing for them to be friends."I held the fork tightly. This girl is really getting on my nerves, and I swear, I'm still holding my patience. She had always told me that I had stolen Brandon from her, even in the first place, when they had no relationship. She's so delusional!They passed by our table, and for a moment, they looked at us, but at least I thought I didn't throw them away. They don't even deserve my attention. They sat at a table not far from us; as usual, they were at the table where they were always sitting."Z, aft
I can't get rid off in my mind about Brandon and Kai's argument earlier. I just tried to get rid of what had happened because I couldn't finish my term paper if that was what I would think about all night. Before twelve o'clock, I stopped doing what I was doing because I was feeling sleepy. The next morning I woke up early, but I still felt sleepy, so I fell asleep again. I just woke up because my phone was ringing because of the call, so even though I was sleepy, I forced myself to get up to answer it."Hello," I replied to the call even though I didn't see who it was. "Z, good morning! I was sending some men there to clean your swimming pool this morning. They might be close there so let them go inside," I heard Manang Gina on the other line. "Oh, okay, Manang. Thanks."I forced myself to get up when I realized that my pool cleaner was coming. I didn't know what time they were going to finish it, and fortunately my class was two o'clock in the afternoon. I went down from my room
A lot of things happened to me this whole week. First, Karylle and I, along with Brandon's other friends, were involved. Second, there were the men who attempted to harm me so badly that Brandon had to accompany me home all week. Third, there's Mrs. Marquez regarding my term paper. She thought I copied it from somewhere else, even though the truth is that I actually did. I can't help but be annoyed anymore because so many things are happening, and I don't want to worry.I can't even believe that Brandon is no longer friends with Kaizer, but his other friends, like Karylle, still notice him, though Karylle still doesn't treat me well, and that's okay with me. I admit that we will never be in the same group. In turn, Kyla has become closer to me, and I can say that she is my friend in this place."Are you alright?" Brandon asked me, noticing my sigh of breath.I smiled at him, and he nodded. I just feel a little bit nervous because my sisters and friends came to visit me here. I don't h
I almost spilled the juice I was drinking, which made them laugh. "Just kidding!" she said, still chuckling. "But that's possible, right? Addy came with us because he wanted to meet Z, and Z is friends with Brandon," Margot said, shrugging her shoulders. I looked at them, raising an eyebrow as they talked about me as if I wasn’t there, while Addy just laughed at their comments. Once again, I remembered that Addy and I had kissed at the bar, and I wished I could forget it. I had hoped to be with Brandon when I revealed the truth about our relationship, but since something unexpected had happened earlier, I would have to share it alone. "I have something to tell you guys," I said, catching their attention. I glanced at Addy, smiling as I noticed they were all waiting for me to continue. I wiped my mouth and took a deep breath before speaking. "Out of respect for Addy, I need to tell you that Brandon and I are in a relationship. We’ve been dating for two weeks," I announ
"Don't worry, Ma'am. Your car is safe here," the boatman assured us as we approached the boat, leaving our car behind. Since Brandon knows them, I trust him enough to leave it there."I'm so excited, guys! Maybe I can see my afam!" Lexy joked, which made me roll my eyes."I thought you wanted someone Filipino?" I teased her.The others laughed at my jab, and Margot was busy filming as if she were vlogging, while Bettina took pictures of Jewel and Hannah. I couldn't help but glance at Addy and Brandon, who sat quietly together. I noticed how Addy looked at his twin, but Brandon was avoiding eye contact."Are you alright?" I asked Brandon.As we boarded the boat, my friends continued filming. Brandon remained quiet, not socializing with my sisters or friends, and I sensed that something was bothering him. I could understand, considering his brother was nearby.Brandon took a deep breath and stared out at the beautiful sea scene before responding. "Yeah," he replied, a bit too abruptly.
"Z!"We turned to Margot, who had just entered the hotel room as I was called. I couldn’t help but feel nervous and immediately thought of Brandon and Addy’s conversation outside."What happened?" I asked her, genuinely worried.When she smiled, I frowned as I looked at her."You need to come outside," she said, pulling me aside.I had no choice but to follow her, even though I was anxious about what was happening. I hoped that Brandon and Addy wouldn’t hurt each other.We left the hotel, and my friends followed us. My jaw almost dropped when I saw Brandon and Addy. We stopped walking, and my lips fell, but I quickly smiled and breathed a sigh of relief."I think they're okay now," Margot said.Brandon and Addy were standing at the side of the beach, still talking but now laughing. Even though Brandon was facing away from me, I could see the happiness on his face. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that they were finally alright.I was glad Brandon had given his brother a chance to
We all had a fantastic night with drinks and conversations about our lives and futures. Addy also asked Brandon to come to Manila to stay with his dad, but it’s not that simple; they still need to discuss it properly.The next day, we went island hopping and participated in various activities. We took many pictures and posted them on our social media accounts. Our other friends regretted not being there with us.My mom also called to check on us, and I was surprised to see Dad with her. They were the only ones talking, as Dad couldn’t even greet me with a simple “hi.” It doesn’t bother me much because we don’t have a good relationship.The following day, we stayed home since they were heading back to the city early. We gave Brandon and Addy some personal space to bond without us.The long weekend ended quickly, but I was delighted. I’m grateful to have my friends and sister back, and I’m also happy that Brandon and Addy reunited after a long time apart.Once my friends and sister retu
I stopped eating and barely pushed my food away as I picked up my laptop again. "You haven't finished your food yet," he said. "I'm already full," I replied, even though I'd just lost my appetite. "You just ate a little bit. How can you be so satisfied?" he asked. Annoyed, I turned to face him. "I already told you that I'm not hungry. Next time, please don’t buy me lunch. I was hoping you wouldn't get me anything to eat either because I have a secretary for that. You should give all your attention to that girl who was talking to you earlier," I told him. His laughter filled the room, overwhelming me again. I knew I wouldn't be able to focus on my work if I stayed there with him, so I closed my laptop and placed it on the table. "Oh, why?" he asked. I ignored him and stood up from my chair. "Are you jealous?" he probed. I smirked, returning his question with one of my own. "Of course not. Why would I be?" I replied, then let out a sarcastic laugh. If he was trying to push
"Meeting adjourned. Thank you, everyone!" Daddy said. I could finally breathe freely; our meeting was over. I immediately turned to River, who had been teasing me earlier. "I know what you were doing," I said to him. He raised both hands as if to defend himself. "I just wanted to see his reaction. He's been staring at you since our meeting started," he explained. I stared at him, unsure of how to feel. I didn't know if that would affect Brandon significantly since we had no relationship. I left River in his chair as someone approached him to talk. All our companions said their goodbyes. Some were still chatting, while others began to leave. I noticed Brandon, in my peripheral vision, engaged in conversation with someone, so I took the opportunity to approach Daddy. "Z, are you surprised?" he asked with a smile. "Surprised by what?" I replied, my forehead wrinkling in confusion. Daddy laughed and pulled me in for a hug. "About Brandon. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but when you
I turned again to go inside, but he stopped me once more. "Did you really move on from me?" he asked. My heart raced at his question. I felt speechless, and to my surprise, I realized that I hadn’t really moved on from him. He stepped closer and grabbed my elbow as he stared into my eyes. I stopped when I felt the cold wall behind me. "Do you still love me, Z?" he asked. I could almost feel the warmth of his breath on my face, mingled with the scent of the wine he had been drinking. I just stared back at him, my heartbeat quickening; I feared he might hear it. "If you asked me that question, my answer is no because I never moved on from you. Even though I thought you were gone, my love for you didn’t fade. You remained in my heart because I promised myself that you would be the last woman I ever loved. Now that you are back in my life, my love for you has only grown," he said. I could see the seriousness in his eyes as he spoke those words. I swallowed hard when he gently
I shrugged again. "Why not? Your relationship has been going on for a long time, and it's been five years since-" I stopped when he suddenly interrupted me. "Z, George and I didn't get back together. In these five years, no one has intervened between us," he explained. I hesitated to respond, unsure of whether to believe him. What if he was just denying it? "But she said that you two got back together," I insisted, feeling a slight twitch in my forehead. "You called George crazy, so why do you believe what she says?" he challenged. I took a deep breath, feeling exhausted. It seemed George wasn't just crazy; she was also delusional. "So, let's get back to you. When are you planning to settle down?" he asked. I laughed. "Me? Why is that question coming my way?" I replied. "Because why not? The river looks good, and what about your boyfriend?" he said, then glanced away. I nearly spilled my drink at his comment. Why did he think River was my boyfriend? "Come on
Tosmiled and tightened my grip on her. I couldn't forgive myself for anything that went wrong with her because of me. We released our embrace just as the bedroom door opened. We turned and saw Brandon enter. “Papa!” Sky called out. Brandon walked toward us, handed me a bottle of water, and smiled at Sky. “How are you?” he asked. “I feel better, Papa. I’m sorry for eating ice cream. I really wanted to know what it tastes like,” she explained. I watched as she spoke to her dad, her friendly demeanor shining through. Brandon sat on the other side of Sky and gently caressed her head. "It's okay, baby. Just don’t do it again, alright?" he said. He handed her some fruit, which she eagerly began to eat. Brandon and I exchanged glances, and I smiled at him. “I met your boyfriend, and he’s waiting for you outside. You can go now; let me take care of Sky,” he said. I furrowed my brow slightly. His mention of a boyfriend puzzled me. Then I remembered River, and a smile almost
Just then, Brandon returned and said, "Girls, is it okay if I leave you two for a while? I have an urgent meeting to attend." We turned to him together. "Oh, yeah, sure. So, you won’t be with us for lunch?" I asked him. He nodded and shrugged his shoulders. "Yes, I guess," he replied. I took a deep breath and nodded at him again. Brandon turned to us and gently held Sky's head. "Behave, okay? Don’t stress out your mom," he told Sky. "Okay, Papa! I’ll behave!" Sky replied. Brandon nodded and looked at me again, prompting me to get up from my seat. "Don’t worry about us. I’m just going to agree with Margot. They are at the mall with her kids, and it’s time for Sky to meet her cousins," I explained. "Alright. Just call me if you need anything. I have to go for now," he said. After Brandon left, I immediately called Margot. She arranged for her driver to pick us up from the park, and thankfully, the mall wasn’t far away. Sky and I waited just a few minutes, and s
pourings right. I really look like Sky," I said, smiling as I looked at the pictures. I browsed through the images and videos, and I couldn't help but smile. "How did you know Mom told you that?" Bettina asked, chuckling softly. "Mom showed me a few times in my dreams. Maybe that's what happens when you're on the brink of death," I said with a shrug. I felt happy that I could still connect with my mother in that way. Even if it was just in dreams, it felt right. I tried to be strong until, three days later, I finally left the hospital. Since I woke up, I've been searching for Dad, but I haven't seen him. Bettina told me that Dad visited me every day while I was unconscious. I want to talk to him. I'm grateful for the second chance at life that I've been given, and I want to tell Dad that I have forgiven him. Holding onto hate will serve no purpose. Now that my daughter and I are together, I want to create a good, drama-free environment for her. All I want is a peaceful li
"I was just hurt because I felt like you hadn't lost your love for that woman—" I cut her off because I didn’t have time to listen to her excuses. "I came here to tell you that the Del Real family is continuing the case against you. So if you need help, it's not from me," I told her. "No! You’re going to help me, aren’t you? You’re not going to leave me here, right, Brandon?" she insisted. I shook my head and looked straight at her. "You traumatized my daughter, and you almost killed her. Do you really think I would help you again? If you hadn’t done that, you wouldn’t be in this position. Now, you need to face the consequences. You’ve made your own fate," I replied. I stood up from my seat and turned to leave. Even though I could hear her calling my name over and over, I ignored her. For five years, George and I had a strong friendship. She had always been there to help me with Sky, but when Z returned, her behavior changed. I didn’t understand her jealousy, especially s
I didn't even look at Brandon because I was in a hurry to go inside. I'm not afraid if they can catch me there because I can fight with them. Even though I heard Brandon repeatedly calling me, I ignored him. I turned around the whole house until I saw a ladder, which looked like the only way to climb there. I took a deep breath and prepared myself. The hallway above was spacious, and there were four rooms,, so I didn't know where George was, but I could hear the kid crying. A door opened, and I almost rushed to the side when I saw a man. I stood on the edge of the wall so he couldn't see me, and as he passed in front of me,, I kicked him with my foot. The man was shocked, and he immediately attacked me, but I fought back against him. His body is so big that his energy is more potent than mine. "Ahh!" I cried as he kicked me in the stomach. I could almost hold my stomach while I was in pain. Before I could recover, he kicked me again, causing me to fall down. I was al