She was in her room when a man suddenly entered carrying a sack. She grabbed her pillow to defend herself.
The man took out his weapon from the sack."You shouldn't have made it until tomorrow!" he declared."We'll see who falls first!""I'm here to take your head, as I promised my wife!""Before you can do that, I'll make sure to slit your throat!"They circled the room, and she initiated the attack. He fought back, wielding his weapon. Due to his size, he managed to knock her down first.He was about to strike her again, but her grandmother intervened, hitting him with a cane."You're such a nuisance! Your niece just arrived, and look at what you're doing!" She aimed for his legs, and the cane struck hard."Ouch, Mommy!" he cried out. "Maine, defend me!"She blocked her uncle and held him by the arms."Go, Grandma! Avenge me!""Traitor!" Her uncle tried to break free, unintentionally hitting her with the cane."Ouch, Grandma!" She winced in pain. The cane struck her leg, leaving a visible mark on her fair skin."Sorry, dear," her grandmother quickly apologized, "Sandro, get an ice bag, hurry!"Her uncle hurriedly complied. When he returned, she was sitting on the bed, and her grandmother was kneeling in front of her. Her grandmother fanned her injured leg, as if trying to soothe the pain. She noticed the mark on her leg, a stark contrast against her fair complexion."How are you, my dear niece?" her grandmother asked."Here, nursing a wounded heart," she replied, laughing."So? Didn't you graduate?""I'll go back to school; I just need some rest.""You've only been here for a week, but you seem fully recovered.""I have to be. My old friends helped, and of course, the love of my grandma. By the way, where's your wife?""Wife? Who's that?""Nuts!" he playfully pinched her grandmother."Mommy, you're getting used to hurting people, especially now that you're old?""Stop it, Sandro! Behave yourself! All you know is womanizing!""Good thing I'm a womanizer, it would be unnecessary if I were collecting men, Mommy," her uncle retorted."I don't know what's happening to you!""What do you want? Should I be like Demi? No way!""Who's Demi?" She pretended not to know."My best friend. Madly in love, about to get married, then cheated on by the girl.""How did he get cheated on?""She took advantage of him, then cheated, and he didn't want to break up because they were about to get married. But the girl moved on. He still loves her dearly. It's been three years, and he still hopes Patricia will come back."It seems like both of them went through similar experiences of betrayal. Perhaps that's why he can empathize with her pain.Wondering about the emotions of a hurt man, she gazes at her uncle Sandro sharing Demi's struggles. Love is indeed a unique experience for men.Despite a 15-year age gap, Demi looks younger than his age.She scolds herself for dwelling on negative thoughts just a week after arriving."He's really devastated right now, spending time at the mall, hoping the girl will pass by.""Which girl?" she asks."It's Patricia," Sandro replies. "That's why I don't want to get serious for now; I suddenly got scared."Nodding in response to Sandro's words, she observes the varied ways people handle pain, especially men.Her attention is abruptly redirected as her grandmother removes the ice pack from her knee."There, the bruise won't get darker. It's starting to subside," the elderly woman remarks while slowly getting up. "Oh, my, my back is killing me.""Sorry, Lola. Should I give you a massage?" she offers."No need, dear. I'm okay.""Mommy, I'll go eat," said her uncle Sandro, hugging her grandma. "Let Maine rest; you hit her with a stick, remember?""You're silly, it's your fault!""Come on, Mom!""I don't know about you; maybe you got switched at the hospital.""You're wrong, Mom. I look like Daddy.""Maybe you're his child from other woman.""Mom!"They talk like friends, unlike some strict Chinese families. Perhaps her grandma's influence on her mom shaped how her uncle was raised, or maybe it's just a different approach to raising daughters among Chinese families.She lay down and think of Demi " how come someone chose to hurt him, even he has everything? That girl must be really something."She closed her eyes and reminisced about her encounter with Demitri, a very handsome man. Since she was a child, she had a crush on him, she felt beautiful whenever he accompanied her to school. She temporarily forgot about him when she entered college. But when she saw him, she realize that, he still have spot in her heart. She vividly recalled how he gazed at her, his deep eyes seeming to penetrate her soul. The broadness of his shoulders sparked her imagination, envisioning how he might embrace a woman."Hey, wake up!" her uncle Sandro startled her. "And who are you daydreaming about?""Grandma, it's uncle, being nosy!" she complained to her grandmother."Sandro, leave my granddaughter alone, or I'll really smash you!""You're such a tattletale, you ugly thing!" he even playfully slapped her on the head."Grandma! Uncle is hurting me!" she exclaimed, then glared at her uncle, let her tongue out."You're really foolish, Maine, mommy will kill me because of you!""Good for you!""I won't tell you anything about Demi anymore."She suddenly stopped, "uncle, it's just a joke.""Where is that naughty boy?" her grandmother said, holding a stick."Grandma, sorry, it's my fault.""Listen to me, mom! It's her fault!""I thought it was you," the old lady turn but before leaving, her uncle called her granny."Mommy, be fair, punished her too!!""And why will I do that?""Because she called you with out any reasons!""Shur up! you're acting like a kid!"Her uncle scratched his head."Uncle, continue the story about Demi.""Let's go to the dining room, there's a snack," he said, pulling her along.She hurriedly followed him.She walked alone, passing through an orchard laden with mango fruit. Her stomach grumbled, so she entered a gap in the barbed wire. She wasn't familiar with the place. It had been ten years since she left.She enjoyed walking among the tall trees with intertwining branches. The fruits seemed like hearts kissing the earth. It felt like she was in an enchanted garden. As she walked, she reached the center of the farm.The trees looked similar, and she didn't know how to find her way out. She hesitated to shout, not wanting to disturb the owner.She continued walking until she came across a beautiful house."Oh my God, a beautiful house in the middle of the woods? Could it be, am I in a haunted place?" She rubbed her eyes in disbelief.She walked around the house, admiring its beauty from every angle. It had a modern touch despite the house's age."Oh, there's a gate," she remarked upon seeing it.But before she could reach it, she heard a growling animal. A shiver ran down her spine. Sh
"Bam! Bam!" Sandro shouted at Demitri."Aaaah, farewell world, farewell," as he knelt down."Hahaha, how's it going, Demi?" his uncle approached and shook his hand."I'm good, how about you? You've been gone for so long. Is this- really Maine?," he said with a smile.Maine raised an eyebrow, then shouted at them, "You guys are animals! You scared me!""Sorry... as soon as you called me, I messaged Demi to let him know it was you.""That arrogant guy over there," she pointed at Sandro."I'm just being cautious.""Because the last girl who got lost here brought him tears," Sandro chuckled."Shut up Sandy..""Stop calling me that way, I got goose bumps!""Take your niece with you, I think she's so annoyed with me.""I'm glad you noticed that, idiot." she murmured in frustration and mimicking his reaction."Wow, what a sharp tongue! I guess, you inheret that to your uncle Sandy.""Shhhoooo! shut up Demi. We're going. Thank you for not shooting Maine," her uncle jokingly wink at Demi."Let
She woke up with a growling stomach in the early morning. Peeking outside, she made sure the guys she annoyed were gone. Once assured there is no one else there, she headed to the kitchen, finding leftover food on the table inside the food keeper. No need for lights; the light outside their garage sufficed.Seated on the chair, she opened the food containers, the worms inside her intestine dancing wildly. She first tasted the pasta her uncle praised – delicious, undoubtedly he didn't cook it but from a town restaurant.Grabbing a canned soft drink from the fridge, she savored the meal alone until the light suddenly turned on. Her uncle Sandro stood there, smirking."I've been watching you for hours; I was going to put that in the fridge," he approached, taking a seat in front of her, "tantrums gone?""I'm annoyed with you and your old friend. You act like you're fresh catches, but you're just left over," she retorted, visibly irritated."You tease me but you're so sensitive.""I know!
"We're here, Miss Maine," Luna eagerly ushered her into the elevator."It's beautiful here. How long have you been with the company, Luna?" she asked."Just a year, ma'am. It's tough to get in, so I seized the opportunity when I was accepted. The compensation is good, and stay-in staff even get quarters.""What's your salary here?" she asked."10 thousand, but there are deductions like Pag-IBIG, SSS, and PhilHealth. With the health card, it comes out as eight thousand, plus free lodging and food.""Your boss seems stingy. Only eight thousand every half of the month?.""Oh, sorry, It was weekly!"She was surprised. It was substantial, especially considering everything was provided for free. It felt even better than working abroad."Wow, that's a decent amount.""We also have a centralized tip used for team building, Christmas parties, and various events.""This place seems good. How's Demi as a boss?""He's fine, but not as kind as Mr. Sandro.""Mr. Sandro?""Yes, Mr. Sandro. He's a lo
When the elevator doors opened on the ground floor, two men with tied hands, bruised faces, and torn clothes emerged, accompanied by a woman in white shorts."That's Sir Justin and Sir Nick. Weren't they supposed to have a meeting with Sir?" one staff member remarked."Help them!" shouted a tall, muscular man came with a name plate like Luna has "Boss, what happened to you?""That woman there, so arrogant, just kicked us out for no reason!" one of the men explained."She got angry just introducing herself! Hey, you're no beauty either!" retorted another."Especially you, if we use the right term, you look like a devil. Not handsome and with a terrible attitude. With a face like that, focus on improving your attitude," the woman added."Why is there a squatter in here? Get her out!" the male manager ordered."Miss, please leave," one staff member said, "we might get scolded by Sir.""Who's Sir?""Sir Demi.""I'm not leaving! Call your boss if you want! Those two disrespected me, play t
"My favorite niece, are you okay?" her uncle Sandro hugged her."I-I'm okay, uncle. W-what happened?" she asked, puzzled."Nothing, everything's fine. Why?" he replied with a smile."Where's De-Demi?""He's busy. Let's go inside," he said, guiding her into the room. "How are you, Luna?""I'm okay, sir," she replied while adjusting the bathrobe she brought earlier."Someone barged in earlier—they shot at us," she reported to her uncle."Oh, it was just a toy gun. They left already," Sandro replied with a grin."But I saw—""Saw what?"She glanced at Luna, who was busy with something. Nothing seemed unusual in that room. She wasn't hallucinating."But uncle—""It's nothing. Maybe you're hungry. Come on, Demi prepared food in his room. Let's go eat there. He's waiting. Luna, let's go.""Alright, sir," Luna replied, leaving first. As they exited, Luna locked the unit again.Glancing back at the room they came from, she thought, 'weird.'They entered a larger unit, more like a house than j
"Hey!! Maine!!" her grandmother's voice echoed, "my grandchild, what's happening to you?"She opened her eyes, finding herself in her room, lying on the bed. Her grandmother's worried face greeted her. As if she's there for quiet sometime."Grandma!" she hugged her tight."Why? I came in here, and you were having nightmares. I got worried, good thing I came to check on you. Demi and your uncle are outside. He brought food. He said you came from his farm earlier. What time did you go to sleep?""I'm not sure, but I fell asleep right away upon arriving. You were already asleep, so I didn't inform you that I was back."'Thank goodness it was just a dream. I thought it was real. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. If Lola didn't wake me up, would I have died?'She stretched her body and then hugged her grandmother."Oh my God, hahaha why?" her grandmother hugged her back."Nothing, Lola, I just felt like I missed you."She assisted her grandmother out of the room, where Demi a
She woke up excited that morning, stretching her arms eagerly. Who wouldn't be thrilled when someone else is treating? She already had a list of things to buy, having saved a lot during her time in Manila, partly supporting her ex, Dylan.In contrast to the past, she's getting ready, applying a bit of powder and lipstick. She wore a cropped top with a matching blazer and shorts, all in white with a ribbon on top. Carrying only a small bag, she finished her look by tying up her hair before leaving. This style suits her well, giving her a more Chinese appearance. What's her plan for the day?When she stepped out of her room, her grandmother was already there, holding a basin of water and a towel."Good morning, Lola!" she greeted. "What's that for?""Your uncle Sandro has had a fever since earlier. I already gave him a cold bath," her grandmother replied."Oh no, does this mean we can't go?" she asked."Go ahead, and don't worry about your uncle. The mall is still far from here. Let him