CHAPTER 4
“CATHY?”
Wide eyes and more than the word surprise could ever figure out what she is feeling right now. Cath's out-of-luck life delivers her into the arms of the person that she least wanted to see right now.
“Cath!”
Worst her little brother, that though struggling amidst his swarming fans is trying to catch her attention. She composes herself thinking that she should deal with this unexpected event professionally. She stands smiling awkwardly, but before she can say a few words or two, her stupid heart gets a head out of her and unknowingly runs away from the scene.
“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” she murmurs and leaves her entire baggage to save herself from the humiliation.
But more likely escaping from the person that no matter how many times she denies it, her heart sure knows otherwise.
“Will you please heaven and from above strike lightning at me right now?” her out-of-the-bag wish.
Cath finds herself hiding behind a wall with her younger brother and Sam looking for her.
“For heaven’s sake.”
She falls to her knees realizing just how stupid she is. Even worst she feels like she jumping back to her teenage years acting like a lowly and weak heroine that always panics in front of her ultimate crush.
“Just how stupid could you be Catherine?”
She scolds herself and is defeated by the fact that she still does have a feeling for the person she hated so much.
“What?”
More than asking exaggeratingly while shaking her head with the thought that just hit her like a bullet. She took a deep breath and immediately convince herself.
“You are dead wrong Cath. You do not have any slightest feeling about that jerk. Wake up from reality, understood?”
Her so-called convincing and to herself. Just then, the phone rang that startled her a bit.
“I’m sorry.” She immediately apologizes after receiving a call from her older brother. “Do not worry about me, I’ll be home soon.” She assures, ending the call and thinking that she needed to take a breather from the surprises her unlucky life is throwing at her.
“Better start this assignment as soon as possible.”
After a second or two, she quickly checks her camera and made sure that everything is in place. Taking a cab and hurriedly away from the place. She requested to be taken to the nearest seaside not far from her target’s residence, to have a few people be interviewed as a start.
“Two and three will be enough for just this day.”
Her plan for the moment, mumbling it in a whisper. The research leads her to the place where her target frequently comes by to eat. She arrives fifteen minutes later and now standing at the famous five-star seaside restaurant that even after learning about it, nostalgia immediately hits her and somehow makes her smile.
“Sure, brings back the times.”
She then takes a snap or two, before entering the restaurant and sits at the best corner looking at the sea that she surely misses a lot.
“Ma’am.”
Sitting on her chair where the waiter gives her the menu with a pleasant smile on his face, her stomach rumbles. Only feeling it just now after all the things that just happened. But before she could look at the menu, plates broke and screams took everyone’s attention.
“I said I do not want that!”
More than throwing some child’s tantrums. Cath’s eyes landed on some rich and spoiled kids who think that the world only revolves around them. She put the menu down and observes the table two feet away from her. A woman who is all dressed seductively, yet still casual is currently at her end’s wit just trying to please the kids.
“The stepmother?”
Cath mumbles, somewhat seeing herself in the child’s shoes way back in the day. Throwing tantrums and screaming until her wish is fulfilled.
“I want my daddy, right now!”
The little girl screams, but more like shrieking. Opposite from the little boy who is quietly sitting at the side.
“I don’t want you!”
The little girl protested, throwing her stuffed doll that slides close to where Cath is. Worse, in the little girl’s ranting tantrums she accidentally flips a plate of cake onto the woman’s beautiful dress. That sure enough turns the woman’s face red in frustration and anger.
“Look what you have done!”
The woman screams, acting like the usual entitled and sophisticated ‘ladies’ in the city. While looking at her red dress that is ruined by the vanilla frosting from the slice of cake.
“I simply cannot put up with this and your attitude young lady! I cannot believe this!”
She drops the motherly act if that was it is called for a while and added. “If you do not want to eat then fine. I’ll tell your dad what you did. But for now, I’ll leave you two here, so please do not make another scene! God!”
The woman then marches away quickly and leaves the kids with some men in a suit that Cath guesses are their guards, or perhaps the woman herself. Cath’s deduction from the way she observes the woman down from her shoes, dress, jewelry, and bag.
“I hate you!”
The little girl screams towards the bodyguards which confirms Cath’s deduction.
“The stepmother to be bodyguards,” Cath whispers, thinking about it like that.
Just then, she notices the tears that are streaming down the girl’s eyes. With the little boy coming close and somehow comforting the little girl. She requested the waiter.
“Bring me your most delicious ice cream, and make it the biggest.”
With a nod and immediately took her order. She took the stuffed rabbit and wears her hood which coincidentally has rabbit ears with it. All to her fascination and love for the furry creature ever since she is little.
“Jump, jump, jump.”
She makes a little squeaking voice, jumped toward the two kids, and started acting like a puppeteer in some theater. The two kids’ attention is then pinned on her and her bunny ears, greeting them using her tiny voice.
“Hello, their kids. What are you doing?”
Deliberately copying the tone of the character of Isabella from the famous cartoon Phineas and Ferb, and using the stuffed bunny as her puppet. She giggles and continues playfully.
“Hey, hey, hey!” rapping impressively, which she is a bit had a thing with it but hides from the rest.
She caught the soft side of the two kids and more when she performs a magic trick with candies and chocolates that the two loved.
“Pick a boo!” she jumps out with a silly face that makes them laugh.
The guards that for a while are on guard towards her are now at ease. Facing away with their back facing them. The little boy shrieked in utmost delight when she asks for a funny story to be told for them.
“Do you want to hear about Mr. Bunny’s adventure?”
More than delighted as the two kids nod and even pulls their chair close to her. She sat comfortably and started to tell the tale that surely draws those sparkling marks to the two children’s eyes.
“Alright!”
Knew her way toward kids, for she always has a soft spot for them and loves them. Next to her fascination and care for small animals. She ends the short tale of the fluffy little bunny and in time when the ice cream is served with the waiter placing it on top of the table and in front of the kids.
“Wow! Just like in the story.”
The little girl is amazed at seeing the tower of ice cream now in front of them which perfectly resembles the one in her tale. Cath deliberately made up according to how the ice cream turns out. With her little imagination as a writer, and ends up giggling along with the two kids.
“Excuse me?”
Interrupted by the tone of disbelief and more like an impending accusation that is waiting to be served. Cath smiles, stands up, and immediately introduces herself with the tone that she didn’t mean any harm.
“Well you see, I’m—”
“I don’t care.”
Entitled and a clear diva, which reminds Cath of Francine. She is immediately shut and left casually taking her hand back for a supposed cordial introduction that she had in mind. But the tyrant lady is displeased by what she sees. Worse, that same woman grabs the ice cream from the kids whose expressions are protesting and escalates everything blowing it up.
“Who told you that you can eat this stuff!”
The woman fumes in anger, wherein Cath is seeing her as the typically controlled stepmother of Cinderella. Then with a snap from the step-mother material, the waiter rushes and without any sentiment or a little bit of restraint, she shoves the ice cream to the waiter and screams at the guards.
“You are not paid to let some random someone approach the kids. What if she has some deadly disease with her or worse a kidnapper? Just what the hell are you all thinking.”
Cath’s jaw drops and she could feel her blood boil for a moment with those foul-mouthed words. Accusing her of something that she isn’t and has never done in her entire life. Worse, the entitled woman scolded the waiter by dumping the ice cream on him. Cath immediately helps the poor waiter with it.
“Are you alright?”
She worriedly asks the waiter and helps him wipe the ice cream off his uniform which the waiter appreciated, thanks her, and immediately cleans the broken bowl and the mess that was created.
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
Cath faces the entitled woman while holding herself back to not escalate the already mess up moment. Especially composing herself to dig into this woman’s background for her to write for some bad publicity that could ruin its life.
“And who are you to say that to my face?”
The rhetorical question that means many, but the perfect fit in that time is for Cath to simply back off and let her do her job as the supposed or imposed stepmother or acting mother and all concerned for the kids.
“Don’t you know who I am? I am the girlfriend of this twin’s father, their future stepmother.”
Chin up and brows high, Cath is about to lose her temper when the little girl interrupted.
“No, she is not! Liar!”
“Monique!”
She screams, then looks back at Cath and a bit rephrases her words.
“The future and that will not change. Which means I have all the right than some stranger with baggy and unstylish clothes, looking so poor.”
So old fashion kind of taunting and insulting which Cath is all used to hearing from back then. But before she could straighten the mind of the entitled lady in front of her, the little girl calls.
“Daddy!”
Surprise, and more than that, Cath’s eyes almost pop out from her face. For just how playful could her destiny brings her, upon seeing and meeting the person that she least wanted to see after running away from him?
“CEO Lawrence. I mean,”
Puzzled where she does not quite know where to focus and by which all her initial thoughts of the mistress are not, and the person that’s walking towards them and the kids’ father is none other than.
“Sam!”
“YOU ARE ugly! A pig! Pig, pig, pig!” Left but to cry, Cath can’t do anything but endure every other kid's bullying. For she is thinking that she cannot do anything about it. She is weak and small. With a dysfunctional family that is on the brim of breaking, everyone has the right to do such to her, right? “Stop it!” But then out of the blue, she somehow expected it. Sam came to her rescue. “Don’t bully her!” Sam yelled running in their direction and punching the hell out of the kids’ faces in front of her. “Mommy!” The kids then all scream crying and rolling on the dirt from his punches and kicks. While Sam is all fuming with anger for what they did to her. “That should teach you all a lesson, and don’t you all dare to make Cath cry ever again!” He screams, threatening with his tall and big stature that makes every kid around them scared of him. “Let’s go, Cath!” Sam then took her hand and drags her out of the park. Just in time with the bully’s mothers that are rushi
“DADDY! We want her to be our mommy!” Couldn’t believe what she just heard. Cath is stunned and prefers to think about it to be a simple slip of the tongue and a play that the innocent daughter of his teases them about. Her jaws wanted to drop, and her mind is half wandering and somewhat diving into the stash of her memories as the words reminded her. “When we both grow up, will you be the mother of my children, Cath?” The fleeting words, but only then, and the hell not now. That Cath is desperately shaking away from her thoughts. As she reminds herself that it is not the time to be reminiscing about the things that she curses and should already forget. “Mom-mommy?” She asks, putting on an awkward wild smile as she is composing herself at the same time and reminding herself that it is just a silly word from a kid who doesn’t even know what it means. “Yes! I want you to be our mommy! Daddy, marry her.” The cutest hell that she wanted the earth to open and swallow her whole or m
“WE want her to be our mommy!” “I only warn you this time, and the first and last. Whoever you are, stay away from my man.” A declaration from a little girl is shaking Cath’s mind right now. Asking herself if she is hearing it correctly, worst, she just receives a threat in a whispering way from the entitled Erika that she even didn’t care about. Especially since it revolves around Sam. “Do not worry, I am not stupid to dig my own grave.” She tries to play it cool and whispers back to Erika, with an awkward smile that the latter didn’t even buy. Making her question her luck and just how the heavens are playing and toying at her right now. “Hey! What are you doing with our mommy!” Monique protests, defending Cath like she is entitled to do so. Looking up towards Erika with the eyes and expression that’s screaming, she will protect her newfound mother no matter what. “Mommy? Do you have any idea what you are talking about?” “I know, I am very aware of that fact.” Erika couldn
“KEEP your mind in the game, Catherine Wayne.”As she reminds herself and the whole point of why she comes back to this place in the first place. “Keep your head in the game.”Shaking her head and out from the past moment, those eyes of Sam that almost take her out from the boundary of her plan is hunting her. She raises her hand and orders a drink just to cool herself and somehow erase those thoughts away from her mind. "I have high hopes for you myself, you can do this.”She talks to herself while trying to convince her thoughts with those claims. Drinking the whole bottle of wine in one to three gulps. Making everyone present in the restaurant taken aback by her uncanny behavior. “Thank you.”Handing her payment with some tip on the side. She went straight out of the restaurant in a tipsy state. But not enough for her to stumble down the road, yet. A once in a blue moon state and nature that she only does if she is stressed. “Samuel Lawrence.”As she reads the name that is writ
“YOU are such a piggy-rabbit, do you know that?”Suddenly reminded her of the past that she rather wishes that she didn’t. Cath open her eyes as she felt a slight pang of pain in her head. “Where---”Cutting herself, her vision slowly made the layout of the room. She sighs deeply as she realizes that she is already in her bed and old room way back when she is still living in the place. “Can I make you stay here for good?”Somewhat slap with the thought that she is in the hang of believing that it all happened or not. She immediately shakes those thoughts away as she might be just hallucinating it out of drunkenness, yet. “How did I end up here?” Electrified for a second as she jumps right out of the bed and looks all over under the mattress for any trace of a nightmare that might just happen last night. Considering that there is only one person she’s been with. “Wait a minute?”As she thought to herself. Now sitting properly on top of her bed thinking logically about what happe
“YOU are starting to be pathetic Catherine.” As she scolds herself whispering those words while deep sighing once in a while. All after knowing what happened last night and what her stepfather had told her. “Get your head in the game Catherine. There is no room for mistake.”Reminding herself and once more that somehow becomes her ritual every time she thinks and feels like she is being retracted from her original goal. Sitting in somehow an uncomfortable manner with her head somehow a bit on the cloud with the events that just happened. Her phone rings and she immediately picks it up. “I’m almost there.”As she assures, while looking out the window of the cab with the driver that’s for a while is looking back and forth from the passenger mirror and the road ahead. “Aren’t you the famous journalist Miss. Catherine Wayne?”Somewhat alarm in a way that she is thinking of keeping her job a secret just to be cautious of what might Sam thinks upon knowing. That will end up wi
ONLY a bit after seven thirty in the early morning and already the Lawrence’s household is in chaos. “I do not want that!”Monique screams, throwing her crayons and papers onto the floor while the three maids are in a big dilemma on how to subdue their little miss tantrums. “Little Miss please do not do this.”“No!”Wild like a lioness who is hunting for prey for the pride’s food. Monique even shrieks with a high-pitched voice that is like torture to everyone around her. While she is kicking and throwing everything that she could see. “I want to bring Mr. Scuffles!”She demanded. Her favorite cat that she always insists on bringing to school, with her reasoning that it will guard her against everything. Her spoiled and acting nature becomes their every morning struggle, just to get her to do a thing before going to school. All because she isn’t allowed by Sam to bring her pet cat Mr. Scuffles to school. Her adviser and some of the students in her class are allergic to cats. The su
“MONIQUE, LITTLE BABY BEAR.” As Sam’s voice started with a calm one, with a little bit of pleading and more on the side of sweetness as he started to convince his daughter once more to give up her tantrums that are getting way out of her supposed to be doing. Considering that she is not a three years old girl anymore. “You know that you cannot bring Mr. Scuffles to school, right?” He still and calmly started once more while holding his daughter’s hand. “Miss Anne is allergic to cats and so some of your friends at school. Do you want them to be in pain because you took Mr. Scuffles to school?” As he gently explains and puts some emphasis along with a lesson and two. That in reality is his dialogue every other day. As it all depends on Monique’s mood and level of being a brat for the day. “Then let them be!” she protested and fast. “I hate them, I do not like them, so they deserve to be in pain because of Mr. Scuffles!” Pulling her hand from him as she pouted in anger and cross