"Maxine, you have a visitor!" I heard my mother shout from the living room.
"Who is it, Mom?!" I said with a loud voice to make her hear me.
I put the glass of milk on the table before putting the cookies in the oven. I checked the food that I was cooking before turning the stove off. I washed my hands and dried them using a towel.
"It's your suitor!" Mama also shouted back making me stop.
My forehead creased because of what she said. Suitor? I have a suitor? I don't remember letting Someone woo me even though I knew they liked me.
As a model, it was normal to receive a lot of confessions, because I couldn't deny that I am beautiful. But I have never accepted those who wanted to court me. Yes, they are all handsome, but h*ll! They aren't even my type. They are a bunch of playboys who just wanted me to warm their beds. Gross.
I hurriedly walked out of the kitchen. "Mom, who’s that? As far as I remember, didn't allow anyone to court me because they were all—” My feet immediately looking at when I saw the man's face.
I suddenly felt cold while looking at his gentle but handsome face. But I knew behind that face was the son of s*tan. The minion of S*tan that I don't want to see in my life.
It was as if I had been doused with very cold water as my eyes widened when I remembered that night. The night that I became weak. The night that I almost lost my life. The night that I will never forget in my whole life. What happened did not let me sleep for several years.
My body started shaking, I felt like I was sweating even though the air conditioner was very cold. I wanted to step back but I couldn't. My body stuck like a statue. I wanted to shout and run away but I couldn’t. I want to hurt him but I can’t!
“M-Maxine? What is happening to you?"
What happened that night keeps coming back to my mind. The memories I always tried to forget. The memories that gave me darkness all of my life. The memory that changed my perfect life. What happened destroyed my entire being.
The memories that I fear.
It was him… he was the man who made me like this. He was the man who r*ped me! I know that's him! I will never forget the f*cker's face!
My eyes widened even more as my brain replayed what happened that night. I heard a deafening voice that made me scream and fall to my knees. I heard someone talking softly but I couldn’t hear them. What I heard now was the repeated voice of that night. My voice was screaming and asking for help so he wouldn't hurt me.
It was painful, really painful. He almost killed me that night.
He drove me away, tortured me, exploited me. He hurt me and didn't listen to my painful screams.
He hurt me, he made me suffer, he... he...
I screamed and pressed my hands to my ears as the voice I heard got louder and louder. I heard myself crying and begging for him to stop. I tried to squeeze in somewhere and continued to scream. My heart was pounding and my body could barely move. It looked like I was paralyzed. I was pulling my hair so tightly that I almost wanted to pull it all out just to make the voices stop.
"Don't come near me!" I shouted. "Ah! Make it stop! Make it stop!” I cried. I screamed and shook myself when I felt someone trying to hold me. I beat my head because of the pain. "N-No! No! Stop!” I felt something sharp stab on my arm making me scream even more.
It came back. My fear is back. I don't want it. I do not want to. I am afraid of this. No!
"Ahhh!" I shouted for the last time before the darkness slowly took over me.
“Congratulations, Maxine!” my mother shouted while running towards me and gave me a tight hug. She cupped my cheeks. "I'm so proud of you, Darling!" she said happily.I smiled at her. "Thank you, Mom. You are the reason why I am here now." I hugged her. "Thank you, Mom!" I thanked her again.She started crying while talking about how she was proud of me and how she raised me well. I just smiled at her, being thankful.I love her and respect her. All of my achievements are all for her. She raised me well and loved me unconditionally. She took care of and loved me with all her heart, and that's why I am very thankful that she's my mother. I am lucky to have her. “Foria!”We both stopped talking when someone shouted my name. When I looked at who it was, it was my best friend, Lorry Enriquez. She was running towards me while waving her hands.She almost tripped making me hold my forehead.“Congratulations, Foria!” She immediately hugged me making me step back.I smiled with a grimace
"I’m tired," I said weakly while leaning against a pole.My energy was out because I vomited hard. My eyes are spinning even more. I felt like if I went to step again, I’d fall. I didn't know that alcohol had this effect. It’s painful in the throat and the head. If only I knew, I wouldn't have drank any alcohol.I am not home yet and I’m in the middle of somewhere. I don't know where this place is but it kind of scares me. It’s super dark. I just followed the map on my phone.I caressed my temple gently before letting out a long breath. I slowly looked at the place before looking at my phone. The map was right, but I could no longer go any further. I'm tired and my head hurts. I felt like I wanted to throw up again.I had no choice but to call my big brother. I have no intention of disturbing him because I know he is busy with the company that my Dad handed down to him. I am sure that he's on rest right now. I know also that he is very tired but I have no choice. I don’t want to get
"S-She's pregnant?" I heard my mother say.I looked at the ceiling with empty thoughts. I felt my tears flowing down to my cheeks. I couldn't move my body properly. I felt my eyes were in pain, so is my head and chest. It felt like I was stabbed.“Yes, Mrs. Lux. She's two weeks pregnant. Congratulations," I heard the doctor said. “Now, as for her condition—”"Wait! Wait!” Mom cut the Doctor's words. "H-How? How did she get pregnant? She never experienced such a thing, Doc. My daughter is a virgin!”What I feel became heavier. She doesn't know about what happened to me. She was very scared and worried when she saw me throwing up on the kitchen.I sobbed when I felt someone caressing my hand. I know that it was my big brother, Lock. He heard everything they've said yet he was calm and focusing how to make me calm.I've been crying for a while now. They asked me what hurts but I didn’t answer them. I am afraid that they will know what happened to me. I'm afraid that they will be mad at
Foria’s POV."Are you going to work, Maxine?" I stopped walking on the stars when I heard my mother.I saw her downstairs while holding a lunch box, probably my lunch for today. She always packed me lunch when I was going to work, which is seven days a week. Since I don't have work on Sunday because my boss has chosen to close it so we can have our rest day.My mother was so sweet, she’s still never changed. She always took care of me even if I was old enough to handle myself. She was there when I was at my worst.I smiled and continued walking down the stairs. "Yes, Mom. But my shift will be one in the afternoon. I'm going to a company. I want to apply there. After that, I'll go straight to the restaurant," I answered when I got down.She looked at me softly. "You are going to apply to a company?"I nodded while still smiling. "Yes, Mom. I have thought that I need to use my degree. Even though I want to be a model, I am still graduated in Business administration. I think I should giv
"Foria, order table number five and nine!"I immediately walked towards the counter to fetch the orders. I hurriedly gave it to the customers before returning to the counter."Veron, is Aisha here yet?" I asked Verna, who was in charge at the counter while looking at the wall clock. "It's already ten in the evening. My shift should have ended at nine. If she's not here, I can't go home. I will finish her shift until one if she’s absent. She knows that I have a child to take care of, right?" I said with irritation.The restaurant is open from eight to one in the morning. Yes, the restaurant was open for seventeen hours. It's a good thing we have shifts or else we’ll die for not sleeping right for several months. But even though our time at work was limited, we weren’t required to take a break, we must work every second. Except if the customer was already eating and there were no more orders. But it's impossible. This restaurant has a lot of customers and we also do deliveries. There’s
Foria's POV.I woke up because of a knock. I groaned before laying on my right side, but I flinched when I felt the sunlight on my face. Someone knocked again.I opened my eyes and then looked at the door sharply. It’s early in the morning and they are disturbing me. Don't they know I'm tired? "Who is that?" I said a little louder."Good morning, Ma’am. Your Mommy said that you need to come downstairs to have breakfast," she answered from outside.I frowned. Breakfast? Right now? I'd rather sleep. I really need sleep."Just tell her I won't come down, Rowena. I really want to sleep!” I answered with my eyes closed. My eyes hurt. It wanted to close until I fell asleep again."I’m sorry, but they say it's not possible. Angelo is downstairs, he says he has something to say to you. If you don't get down, he will get you down himself," she answered, causing me to scratch my head in irritation.Argh! Angelo is irritating! He knows that I am tired from work and also from watching my son. I
Foria's POV. "Is this it?"The company was so big that it led my mouth to open. It's like watching a Korean drama with a huge company. Well, we also have a big company, but the impact is really different when it was your dream. I never thought that I would enter a modeling company. I feel like I'm dreaming.I saw a lot of people going in and out. They are making themselves beautiful and they all have papers that I think are requirements to apply to be a model. I see someone smiling, in a group, and also frowning. I was really happy looking at them because I know some of them are my co-workers in the future, I hope.Oh, yes, by the way. What were the requirements? I didn't bring anything, my gosh! Angelo didn't tell me about it.I looked at my brother who was busy finding a parking space. He was frowning because there was no more space."Brother?" I called him.He glanced at me. "Why?""What were the requirements by the way? You didn't say anything about it but a lot of applicants wer
Foria's POV. "Ms. Lux, look at here!” "Ms. Lux, here!”"You're so beautiful, Ms. Lux!”I smiled while looking at the paparazzi, left and right. My eyes were almost blind because of the flashes of their camera but I handled it. I posed confidently and even winked at them. They almost screamed making me grin even wider. I know that I can capture their eyes and heart in a few seconds.I stayed there for a few minutes posing and blinded by the lights before continue walking on the red carpet. Even so, their cameras were still following me.I'm here today at a charity ball hosted by a friend of mine. He invited me and I don't have the heart to reject it. I am in support of any charity programs such as this. Sometimes I go to other places just to help those who want to have a simple program for the poor. I am happy doing it. So tonight, I'm going to give two million pesos. Big but worth it!It's been years since I started to build my career and look at me now, I am one of the most succes