5

“Jane, you’re in charge of Macoy and Mom while I’m away,” I’ve probably repeated that to her a dozen times, but I can’t help feeling uneasy. I feel bad for her too—Jane’s a first-year college student, and I know how tough college can be. But now she has to look after our youngest sibling and our mom, who’s in the hospital.

“Ate, you’ve been saying that for four days now. I got this, okay? Just focus on your work. Besides, Macoy’s not a baby anymore; he doesn’t need to be watched 24/7. And as for Mom, I know she can hear you even if she’s not awake, so don’t worry, alright?”

“I’m just concerned, what if something happens while I’m gone?”

“Ate,” Jane looked at me, “Go do your job and have some fun. We’ll still be here when you get back, nothing’s going to change. And hey, you’re only going to be gone for three days, so don’t overthink it,” she said, rolling her eyes at me, which made me laugh. My sister can be a bit sassy sometimes.

“Just make sure to call me if there’s any problem,” she rolled her eyes again but eventually nodded. I didn’t say anything else and went back to packing my clothes. I’m at home right now, and my aunt is at the hospital to watch over Mom. She’s the only aunt we have left—not because the others died, they just never showed up again after finding out that we’re not as well off as we used to be.

“Ate, Kei’s calling, should I answer it?” Jane asked, and I nodded since the phone was on her side. “Hello, Ate Kei? Yes, she’s here, packing her things,” I heard her laugh loudly, which made me shake my head—Kei must’ve said something silly again, I’m sure of it.

In the end, I had to take the phone myself just to get them to stop their banter. They sounded like a long-distance couple, and I had half a mind to smack them both. “Kei.”

“Why’d you take the phone? Juana and I were still talking!”

“Well, why’d you call me then? Go ahead, call her instead,” I heard her laugh softly, and I just shook my head. Jane’s totally spoiled by her. Since Kei’s an only child, she’s practically adopted Jane and Macoy as her siblings. “Where are you now?”

“I’m almost there, like five minutes away,” I heard her honk the horn, “You son of a bitch! I was here first, that parking space is mine, you idiot!”

I didn’t bother responding and just hung up the call. She was already nearby, and I knew she’d be picking a fight. Whoever she was arguing with was in for a rough time; when she’s pissed, her mouth doesn’t stop.

A few minutes later, the door opened, and Kei walked in, clearly annoyed. She dropped her bag and flopped down onto the sofa next to me.

“So, how did your argument go? Knock him out?” Jane looked at us curiously, not knowing what I was talking about—she hadn’t heard Kei’s shouting earlier.

“Damn him! He had the nerve to argue, saying he saw the space first, so it’s his. And get this,” she stood up for a moment, pulled a piece of paper from the pocket of her denim skirt, and then flopped back onto the sofa, “He even gave me his freaking number! Said he knows how it works—like, what the fuck? Does he think he’s so handsome? He looked more like a Power Ranger that got left behind in the galaxy!”

Jane and I burst into laughter at that. This was the first time someone had responded to her like that, and I can’t deny—it was pretty entertaining. Her irritation faded as Jane started chatting with her.

I was almost done packing my clothes, good for three days. Just my personal stuff, nothing else to pack. Well, I did bring my camera with me—I wasn’t going to miss the chance to take pictures there. It might be my first and last time visiting that place.

“I’m just going to change, you two stay here,” I told them, but they seemed lost in their own world, so I left them to it and headed to my room to get dressed.

I can’t wait to be there.

—

“Good evening, ladies, welcome to our humble abode,” greeted a tall man as we arrived. He was dressed casually in white six-pocket shorts and a black V-neck shirt. On his left wrist was a Patek Philippe Gold Chronograph—a simple-looking watch, but it’s worth 6.8 million dollars, quite pricey.

“Cut the crap, Lee,” Kei responded, surprising me. Not because she could talk like that, but because she knew the guy who greeted us. “Friendship, meet my business partner, Leeservian Dominic.”

I just nodded and gave him a slight smile. I wasn’t in the mood for a handshake; it’s just not my thing. Lee raised an eyebrow at me, while Kei just stared at him. I was starting to feel uncomfortable with the atmosphere and was about to say something when Kei suddenly burst into loud laughter, catching the attention of the other guests.

“I told you, Lee.” Kei said, Lee looked at Kei with a furrowed brow, then pulled out his wallet from his back pocket and took out a card—a black card to be specific. “She’s not like the other girls you’ve met, she’s a woman who doesn’t need you.”

This time, it was my turn to be confused by what she said. “Shut up,” the guy muttered before walking away, giving me one last look before disappearing from our sight.

“What was that, Kei?”

“That asshole kept bothering me to introduce you to him. He saw you last week—remember when we had dinner at the restaurant? After that day, he kept bugging me to know you. He kept insisting that he could win you over. Who the fuck does he think he is? Some god who can do everything with just a snap of his fingers? Ew!”

“So, if I’m not mistaken, you made a bet with that guy on whether I’d react to him or even offer my hand for a shake? I bet girls do that all the time in front of him.”

She nodded as we continued to walk. “So, for the sake of his own safety,” I chuckled at what she said—she’s right, “I made a bet. I bet my twenty percent share of my company that he wouldn’t get the reaction he wanted, and he bet this,” she said, holding up the black card the guy had given her. A wide grin spread across her face, “This black card has no limit, and I get to use it for an entire week. I’ll make sure that jerk goes insane when he sees what I buy with this little card.”

I looked at her in disbelief, and that, everyone, is what the woman in front of me, Keith Sweet, can do.

She can literally manipulate everything and turn it all in her favor with just a snap of her fingers. What a dangerous woman.