CHAPTER 5

Bella immediately asked her acquaintance how to enroll in the course she wanted. She wants to have certification as a real and high-quality bartender so that she and Daayiee can compete in five-star hotels. She found that it was only for a short time. Not like a regular hospitality management course. If she is in a hurry, she can schedule a personal training session that will probably cost a lot of money because the training providers are really high caliber.

She thought that she would just wait for her "work" with her brother-in-law to finish so that she could go full force into her plan with Daayiee. She is very eager.

For the first time in her life, she can take a step that will change her and her mother's life. She hopes that it continues. She thinks there is a high probability of that happening. She and Daayiee are both great and know how to get along. The contacts are easy once they are there. They will start participating in cooking fairs, then they will be recognized if they are good. Next time, they will be the ones that people who have events will seek out.

It will only be a big problem if her sister does not fulfill the agreement. But she has already thought about what she will do then--- she will increase her payment next month. Instead of fifty thousand, she would ask her to double it. She has no choice because she is the only one she can rely on. Say she's taking advantage but that's up to her, the terms of payment are just different. She also has money so it will not be difficult to reach some to her. She should have given it before. Well, her education was even sacrificed for her.

“You’re smiling.”

She almost froze when she heard that soft voice. She immediately looked at Alexander. The smile that seems to melt her veil is on his lips again! She really doesn't want that feeling, she feels guilty. Yes, and he looks handsome, but she feels it. It intensified after the three days that she was there in his house. When he was near her she was restless. When she saw that his car had arrived, she felt like she wanted to meet him to see his handsome face closer.

She tried to ignore that feeling because she was afraid that she might not be able to forgive herself. She hates it if she has a crush on him. He is still her brother-in-law, her sister's wife. Let's say that it was only then that they were together and that her sister was like a stranger to her but still, she is her sister.

Maybe she was just admiring the kindness he was showing her. Add that to the fact that he's really handsome and that's why she feels that way. She was just nervous because he had a really intimidating persona. She knew he was a man with high standards, from a good family.

"A-Alex, it's you. Have you been there a long time? I didn't realize your car had arrived."

He was still smiling when he sat next to her. “What did you do all day?”

"Nothing. I'm not even used to it."

“What’s your job then?”

She and her sister had already discussed what she would answer with that question. "I resigned. Didn't Ate tell you yet? I'm looking for a job now. I've sent out my resume but no one has called me yet, eh. I'll be here for a while, I hope that's okay with you?"

“But what was your job before?”

She felt a little shrinking. She didn't want to lie to him but it was useless not to tell him the truth. She should no longer feel inferior and the desire to protect her sister's image. If there was one person who knew her Ate Mia better than her or her mother, it was Alexander. Why would she defend his wife to him?

"I'm in a resto-bar."

“Resto-bar?”

She nodded. "I had a little job there. We were happy there. I was with my friend Daayiee."

“I see. Didn’t you use to have a business?”

It turns out that he knows about her mother's kitchenette. "Ah, the one in the province? Nothing, eh, it's gone."

“Well, anyway, your sister sent a few things for you. Mang Paterno is bringing it inside," he said, referring to the gardener.

She immediately thought that it was the old-fashioned stuff, those relief goods that maybe only street people could wear. Her sister is like that and has the courage to say that they are signature. What is its signature if she can't benefit from it? It's a big puzzle to her how her sister’s clothes happen to be like that when it's not in her personality to wear old clothes even for household purposes.

"Maybe clothes," she just said. Naturally, she didn't comment that maybe they were just useless material. Alexander is still her sister's husband, they are still on the same side. She has no right to do that either. It seems that she is defaming her own sister. In that case, it's like she's the one she's defamed.

That's when Mang Paterno arrived, with the guard. They brought a large balikbayan box and a small special delivery box and dropped them in the living room. Alexander had it opened. On top was an envelope, handwritten by her sister, a long letter. She was a bit in shock. And when did her sister write so long? In its last shipment of her "rags," there was only a short note with it, saying that she would just send money, which never came.

“How sweet, a letter,” said Alexander. The smile does not disappear from his lips.

"Yeah, how sweet," she said out of her nose. If only she wasn't shy, she wouldn't hide her raised eyebrows.

The contents of the balikbayan box are items--- clothes, shoes, and perfume. She immediately thought that maybe it was written in her letter to sell it, but it was not in her sister's character to "descend to that level" because she was flying so high. And she almost passed out when she opened the small box---it contained two cell phones and a laptop!

“She really loves you, doesn’t she?”

She just swallowed what Alexander said. Again, it was not good for her to discredit her sister, even if she told the truth she would only be telling the truth. She just nodded.

"H-how long has Ate been in America?"

“She didn’t tell you?”

“No.”

“She didn’t tell me, too.”

"Is that possible?"

He laughed. “You know her. She’s really into her business there.”

She heard something that seemed to be sarcasm in his tone but she thought that maybe it was because he was not happy that his wife was not in the country. She didn't know what kind of relationship they had but it was only fair that she could imagine there was some part of their relationship where they didn't agree. It was a big proof that she was there to watch over her brother-in-law.

In her three days, she can say that her brother-in-law has not had any suspicious activities. He leaves early for the office but he also comes home early. Usually, when he comes home he just watches TV. As for her, when he was there she was only in her room. She was ashamed of him that she couldn't figure it out. She just happened to be in the living room. She didn't think he would come home at four o'clock in the afternoon.

"A-are you okay with her being there?"

He shrugged. “I’m used to it.”

She felt more and more that they had a problem. Can a couple get used to that? If those OFWs who have been separated for a long time because of work still don't like the situation and are doing everything to save in order not to leave the country anymore, and these two already used to that?

Alexander was probably just telling her that. A part of her wants to find out what he and her sister have, although another part tells her to keep not caring about them. She doesn’t care about them in the first place, right? After all that, her sister's relationship with her mother returned to normal.

“I will ask someone to take all that to your room.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll see you later at dinner.” His hand rested on her shoulder, and she could feel its warmth. Again, as if she wanted to melt, she just scolded herself. Melting... what are you, ice? You're disgusting if you have a crush on him. Disgusting to the max. That's your sister's husband.