Chapter 4

I tried to focus on the mass, but I couldn't get my mind off the man I was with at the club the other night. When we were in the peace be with you part, I didn't waste the opportunity to look at him again.

We looked at each other again, but I couldn't really see any expression in his eyes. He just signaled peace to me, then turned his eyes to others to make peace as well.

The whole mass until the end, I was thinking of him. Does he really not remember me? I remember our conversations that night, and I don't remember that he was very drunk that night. He was easy to talk to, so I knew he wasn't drunk that night.

When the mass was over, people went out one by one. I looked behind me again to see and talk to the man, but he was no longer in his seat. I only looked for a moment, but my eyes widened when Johny and Manang Gina were no longer by my side. There were a lot of people there, and I almost felt dizzy because I couldn't see them.

I'm nervous because I don't want to lose myself here. I don't know how to get home, especially, and I don't even know how to commute!

I walked out of the church in a panic as I wandered my eyes to find Johnny and Manang Gina. I almost closed my eyes because of the feeling of crying while biting my lip. This place is small, but they are hard to find!

I almost jumped in shock when a man spoke behind me, so I immediately turned to him.

"Is Manang Gina the one you're looking for?" he asked me.

It was as if I suddenly felt something strange in my stomach when I heard his voice. He's the guy I'm talking about who I used to spend time with at the club, but there seems to be something different about him now, even though I haven't been with him for a long time.

"I saw that you were with them earlier. They were looking for you, and they are now at the tulip market," he added, then pointed the way to the tulip market.

"Oh my gosh!" I said, and I almost breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Johny and Manang Gina not far from where I was.

"T-Thank you!" I said to the man, then looked at him.

He just nodded and immediately turned to leave. My eyes widened again because I wanted to talk to him more.

"Hey, wait!" I said.

He stopped walking and turned to me for a moment. He just looked at me as if he were waiting for what I would say next.

"You don't remember me?" I asked him.

He immediately frowned, then shook his head before speaking.

"How can I remember you, Miss? I just saw you here," he answered, then shrugged his shoulders.

Now I'm the one frowning. I laughed a little and shook my head.

"That's impossible. You're not drunk the night that we're making out-"

I stopped for a while when I heard his chuckle.

"Making out, huh?" he said, then laughed as if he were being sarcastic.

I frowned and shrugged my shoulders.

"Don't tell me you're just shy, so you're denying that you don't remember me?" I asked him.

He shook his head and slightly held his head before speaking.

"You know what, miss? I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not forcing you to believe me. Excuse me," he said, then completely turned his back on me.

I was about to speak, but I heard Johny's voice calling me, so I gasped. Well, it's not a big deal to me if he doesn't remember me or if he denies that we kissed at the club.

"We thought you followed us earlier. I'm sorry, Z," Johny explained when he got close to me.

I shook my head because it wasn't their fault.

"It's okay, Johny. It's my fault too because I was looking for someone earlier," I answered him.

He immediately frowned, then looked behind me where the man I was talking to was earlier.

"Do you know someone here? Is that Brandon the one you're talking to?" he asked.

"Do you know him?" I asked back.

"Of course. Dad works with Brandon's Dad in fishing and harvesting vegetables in the other town. You, Sister Z, how did you know him?" Johny explained and asked me questions.

I shook my head as we walked closer to Manang Gina.

"I-I just thought that I saw him in my city," I answered, then shrugged my shoulders.

"Huh? Manila is far away from here, Z. Maybe you only saw Brandon's look a like," he replied with a laugh.

I just sighed and shrugged my shoulders again. That's impossible! He looks exactly like the guy I kissed at the club.

"I don't know, Johny, but one thing I'm sure, I saw him. I'll show you when once Lexy found his social media," I answered.

It's not a big deal to me if the men I've made out with in bars and clubs don't recognize me, but one thing is that I want to prove to myself that he's the one I saw in that club.

I put Brandon out of my mind, especially when Johny and Manang Gina took me inside the market. It's my first time to go there; that's why I can't help but look at the sellers of pork, chicken, and other things. It's also noisy there, and I think almost all the vendors know Manang Gina.

"Your companion Gina is beautiful! Is that the daughter of the del Reals?" asked a pork seller there.

She was smiling while looking at me, so I also smiled at her.

"It looks like Del Real will continue to buy this place. We are going to be more poor!" I heard an old man say.

I was slightly surprised by what I heard, because I was not aware of what the old man had said.

"Oh! You're really Cano; you're making noise again. That's not true!" Manang Gina answered.

"That's true. That's why he sent his daughter here to check this place, right?" said another woman selling vegetables.

"The del Reals are really selfish! They don't think about our livelihood when they buy this land because I'm sure they'll get us out of here."

Almost everyone who was there said that. I feel that even though my family is rich, they have become really selfish because that is how most people in this place think about them.

I took a deep breath because even though my father was cruel to me sometimes, I still wasn't used to not defending him.

"That's not true. I did something that my parents didn't like; that's why my father sent me here to teach me a lesson from my mistakes, and that's it."

I explained to all of them, because that is the truth.

I know my family has issues, but this is my first time hearing about it, and I'm not used to it. It hurts me when other people see us like that.

"Don't pay attention to them, Ma'am Zari. What they are saying is not true. Let's go and get out of here," Manang Gina said to me, then pulled me away from there.

I wanted to speak more, but I realized that I had nothing to explain to them. As long as nothing happens, I have nothing to prove or explain.

When we left the market, I asked Manang Gina about it. She mentioned to me that my father had a plan like that before, but it didn't work out because he had other things to focus on. I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard that from Manang Gina. Knowing my father, I know he will make it come true.

We have also been to quite a few places. I also saw stalls selling things like bracelets, clothes, and many others. Johny also taught me about my future school, and I'm nervous for tomorrow.

When we got home, I rested while Manang Gina was busy preparing the food we bought earlier. I also said goodbye to her, saying that I would go to my future school to report. Johny was supposed to come with me, but he had to go home because he was going to help Mang Julio.

"I already told you, girl. Braddy is his name, not Brandon! My gosh!" Lexy complained to me.

I rolled my eyes at her. The two of us were on FaceTime today, and I mentioned to her that I saw the man I kissed at the club here. I immediately asked Lexy to look it up because I wanted to know his name, but I was even more confused because she said his name was Braddy!

"It's Brandon! Johny told me earlier," I answered.

"I'll give you his social media and try to stalk him so you will know that I'm telling the truth. My gosh, Zariyah!"

I laughed when Lexy said that because she was still mad at me so I just nodded.

"Fine! And I also show this to Johny. I'll call you later. I still have to go to school because it's my first day tomorrow," I said to her, then sighed.

Lexy and I didn't talk for long. She sent me the full name of the man I kissed. I immediately searched for it on the Blue app as well as on I***a and my eyes almost widened when I saw him.

"This is impossible," I whispered to myself as I scrolled.

He has many followers, and I saw that he is also a friend of other artists and other models that I know. The two of them don't look too different from the man I talked to earlier in the church, but when you look at how they dress, they are completely different.

Is it possible to have a match with your face? Or maybe... They are twins? His name on social media is Addy, but Lexy told me earlier that his real name is Braddy.

Braddy and Brandon. Their names are also close, so it is not impossible that they are twins! But why is Brandon here and he and his twin aren't together?

I hit my forehead because I suddenly thought about that. Shouldn't I be thinking more about my transfer to school in this place and not about the guy with the same face?! My gosh, Zariyah!

I took a deep breath and decided not to think about that. That's why I prepared myself to go to school. I was a little excited because it was my first time to drive a car without bodyguards following me.

"Ma'am Zariyah, are you leaving? I was just going to cook you lunch," Manang Gina asked me when I got down from my room.

I nodded before speaking.

"Yes, Manang Gina. I'm going to eat outside so don't even cook. Thank you," I answered her.

"Oh! Alright. I'll just come back here later to cook you dinner," she said.

I stopped for a moment because I suddenly thought of something.

"Can I visit you later, Manang? I'll just eat dinner there, if that's okay?" I'm asking for a favor.

I saw in her eyes that she was slightly surprised by what I said, but she immediately smiled and nodded.

"Of course, Ma'am Zariyah! Go ahead, and later I'll have Johny pick you up here," she answered.

I nodded and smiled. Manang Gina makes a lot of effort for me; that's why I'm glad, because even though I'm far from my family, I don't feel like I'm alone here.