Chapter 3

Chapter 3

LYZZA’S feet felt sore when she reached their house because of the 4-inch high heels she wore. It was a requirement at her school for them to get used to it when they get to work on the field training in the future.

She arrived home past six o’clock in the evening. A Vesarius Airlines interview was coming up next week, and they just had an orientation. The orientation ended at five o’clock, and since it was rush hour for a commuter like her, she got stuck in traffic and got home late.

“Mommy!” Summer cheerfully greeted her as soon as she stood beside the rack just behind the door to put her shoes back.

She lowered her head and kissed Summer’s cheek. The little girl wrapped her little arms around her neck and kissed her on the cheek.

“How’s school, honey?” she asked gently, carrying her in her arms. She put her school bag on her cheap sofa in the living room.

Summer showed her stars at the back of her hand, up to her lower arm. “I’ve got eight stars, Mommy! Take a look. Uncle Cai gave me a treat as he promised,” she reported and giggled at the end of her statement.

Lyzza knew precisely what kind of treat her three-year-old daughter would ask from Caius. It was none other than a pack of gummy bears that had pink military stickers on them. If not gummy bears, Summer would request guns or an army uniform, all in the color pink. Lyzza knew that those things were personalized and costly. Caius would buy them from his classmate, who was good at drawing things.

And since Caius was notorious for spoiling her daughter, he wouldn’t care if his allowance was compromised just to buy Summer those things she wanted.

Lyzza looked at the gummy bears on the center table beside Summer’s pad of paper and pencil.

“Baby, didn’t I tell you to watch the sweets? Do you want to have tooth decay? Let me see your mouth,” she ordered and looked at her daughter’s teeth.

Summer obliged and raised her head heavenward. Lyzza puckered her lips and narrowed her eyes as if she was serious about looking at her daughter’s teeth.

“See what you did, kiddo? You already lost a tooth! Do you want to lose all of them, huh? If you eat too many sweets, the worms will go to your mouth and live there,” she warned.

Summer’s eyes widened, and she quickly covered her mouth. “Really?”

Lyzza quickly nodded at her. “And then, they will start eating your teeth one by one. When nothing is left, they will then eat your tongue.”

Lyzza burst into laughter as she saw her daughter’s eyes grow even bigger. Summer looked at the gummy bears at the center table and then looked heavenward, thinking thoroughly. Her lips twitched into a frown when she looked at her again.

“But . . . but I love gummy bears. They’re soft.” She was playing with her hands while reasoning out.

Lyzza wanted to pinch her daughter’s cheeks as she innocently oozed with cuteness. But she stopped herself from doing so. She wouldn’t want to give her daughter the impression that she might be just scaring her.

Sure, there was a part that would genuinely support her claim about her daughter losing all of her teeth because of her non-stop eating of sweet treats. However, her main concern was that it might cause her daughter illnesses. Moreso, she didn’t want to take this habit until she grew older and would develop obesity in the future.

“But I don’t want the worms to eat my teeth either. My classmates will tease me.” Summer held Lyzza’s cheeks. “Can I still eat gummy bears, Mommy? But only a few, and after that, I’ll brush my teeth. Is that okay?”

Summer batted her eyelashes and pouted her lips. She was trying to get to her head again. Lyzza didn’t have any choice but to nod.

Summe’’s smile became wider and gave her a loud smooch on her cheek.

“Why is that kiddo still playing cute in front of you?” Lyzza’s mother asked when she came out from the kitchen holding a spatula. She must be cooking something.

Summer got down on the floor and ran toward her grandma. She gently hugged her leg and made a cute gesture.

Lyzza just shook her head and laughed when her mother had no choice but to kiss her granddaughter’s head.

“How’s school, Lyzza?” her mother asked when Summer returned to her paper. Lyzza took a glance at her daughter, who was writing alphabet letters.

“It was fine, Mom. We’ll be in an interview for an internship next week. We had an orientation earlier for that. That’s why I came home late,” she answered.

“Yeah. Caius told me that earlier.” Caius was the one who fetched Summer from her school when Quincy announced to them about the orientation.

“Where’s Caius?” she asked as soon as she planted a soft kiss on her mother’s forehead. She even hugged her.

“He’s at the store. I asked him to close it for me in the meantime. I felt a little tired earlier, dear.”

Lyzza was on alert upon hearing her mother. “Is there anything that hurts in your body?” She moved a little away from her with her worried eyes. “I told you to—”

“I’m fine, dear,” her mother interrupted her sentence and laughed a little.

Her mother couldn’t blame her for having that kind of reaction. It must have been because of the fear she had been carrying since that day. Her mother that time shocked everyone when she collapsed to the ground and had a cardiac arrest at midnight. They didn’t have any money even to afford a bypass operation.

“Mom, you must tell Caius or me if you have been feeling unwell, okay?” Lyzza sighed in relief as soon as she saw her mother nod at her request.

“I’ll be the one to cook for tonight. You go ahead and rest,” she said and was about to pick the spatula from her mother’s hand, but the old woman quickly moved it away.

“No, I’ll do it, dear. I was boiling the meat for our dinner. It’s going to be quick. You should be the one to rest and change your clothes upstairs. You look so tired today.”

“I love your cooking, grandma!” Summer interrupted with a smile.

“Oh, you always love what I cook, baby!”

Summer nodded at that and gave her a wide grin while she was holding her pencil.

Lyzza’s mother just shook her head while laughing. After that, her mother went back to the kitchen. Lyzza decided to go upstairs after kissing Summer’s head.

She slammed her body against the bed where she and Summer would normally sleep. She just absentmindedly stared at the ceiling. Four years ago, they didn’t have a second floor. It was just a small bungalow house with a small kitchen area, living room, and bathroom.

Then that night happened . . . when she sold her body to a stranger. It wasn’t just her mother’s life that she saved but also the lives of her family members that she changed dramatically.

The light seeping through the glass wall of the hotel suite awakened Lyzza from her deep slumber. Her body felt so sore and jelly when she opened her eyes.

She felt as though she did heavy exercises all day without any stretching for their Physical Education subject at that moment. She also felt sore between her thighs.

She opened her mouth in disbelief when she realized where she was and what had happened last night. She forced herself to get up and almost cried at the stinging sensation in her private part.

No trace of the stranger who took her virginity last night could be seen in the spacious suite. However, she could still smell his natural scent lingering on the bed. The blood stain on the sheet was enough evidence for her to believe what happened last night was not just a dream.

She gave her virginity to the man who bought her for three million pesos. The thought of her mother and brother occupied her mind. They were still in the hospital. She immediately got off the bed and quickly went to the bathroom to clean herself.

She sobbed when the water ran down her sore, private part. The searing pain Lyzza felt down there was unbearable, but she still managed to hasten her move to get to the hospital quickly. She was afraid that something terrible might have happened to her mother.

There was a paper bag she saw on the couch, which had a few clothes and underwear inside. She quickly wore them and found the cheap shoulder bag she had brought with her last night.

She checked on her cheap phone and saw that she had a text message from Danielle.

‘Your mom is in the operating room. I paid for the down payment as Mama Lovie instructed.’

She sighed in relief after reading the text message that Danielle sent her around three o’clock in the morning. Seconds later, she read her second text message.

‘I have a great commission because of you. I hope to work with you again!’

Lyzza shook her head. There would be no next time. It was already enough that she gave herself to a stranger for one night in exchange for a considerable amount of money.

She slid her phone back into her bag and was about to leave the suite when she spotted a red envelope on the bedside table.

She hesitated for a while, but when curiosity hit her head, she decided to get it.

Her mouth dropped open in disbelief as soon as she realized it was a check amounting to five million pesos. The man left her with a huge amount of money! Along with it was a note.

‘Take the check. I know you just did what you had to. I need to leave early for an emergency meeting. Don’t leave yet. Wait for my driver to fetch you. We need to talk.’

That was the message written on a piece of paper. The man’s penmanship was a little ugly, but she understood it.

Shaking her head, Lyzza felt confused. Why would the guy want to talk to her? For what reason though?

It was clear that she only had to render her service for just one night. That’s all there is.

She put the envelope inside her bag and left the hotel suite without looking back.

Just like what Danielle told her, her mother successfully got a bypass operation when she arrived at the hospital. Lyzza’s mother was transferred to a private room, but her condition still needed observation.

“Lyzza!” Caius called her up as soon as he saw her. A tight embrace greeted her. “Mom’s operation was successful. She’ll recover soon!”

She smiled at her brother. “That’s great news. See, I told you I’ll find a way, right?”

Her mother stayed in the hospital so the doctors could run observations in her recovery. Just like what the doctor had explained, it was all included in her surgery payment.

A few weeks after her mother got discharged from the hospital, Lyzza discovered she was pregnant. Her mother speculated about where she got the money for her operation at that point.

When she told her the truth, they cried together. Her mother blamed herself, thinking that Lyzza had to do it for her sake. Their conversation was filled with regret and sorrow, to the extent that they almost had to send her mother back to the hospital. Luckily, her mother calmed down after Lyzza told her it wasn’t her fault.

If mothers were ready to risk everything just for their children, children would also do the same thing for them. Lyzza loved her mother so much and she couldn’t take it if something bad happened to her.

After that conversation, Lyzza and her mother had finally reconciled. She was reprimanded about her pregnancy. Her mother told her that the father of the child had the right to know about her pregnancy. That was why Lyzza decided to go back to the hotel where it all happened. She asked about his identity but the management refused to give her what she wanted, given that the information she asked was classified information. She only knew his first name.

Gideon.

She continued to go back and forth to the hotel for almost two weeks. Lyzza just stopped going back when she had her spotting, and realizing that it was just a waste of time, she decided to move on from what happened and take care of her baby all by herself.

Lyzza had to stop working on her college degree for a while. Fortunately, she still had enough money left over after paying for her mother’s hospital bills. A portion of the money saved would be used when she gave birth, while the remainder had been used to build a convenience store in their town that her mother had been dreaming of starting up.

The business went on and became popular. The sales grew, and it became the biggest convenience store in their community. Even the people from the neighboring town would go and visit the store to buy some goods. She also saved enough for their house’s renovation. She hired men to do the work, and requested to have a second floor. She didn’t want her child to grow up in a small space. She didn’t want to give her less . . .

“Lyzza, join us for dinner,” Lyzza heard Caius’ voice right from outside her door. He tilted his head and peeped at her from the door frame. He must have gotten back from the convenience store.

Lyzza turned to her brother with a frown. “I’ll be there in a sec. Why did you give Summer a pack of gummy bears? Didn’t I tell you that she might be overfed with sweets?” she asked him interrogatively.

Caius just scratched his nape and gave her an awkward grin. “I can’t seem to say no to her.”

She rolled her eyes at her brother. “Get out of here. I’ll go downstairs in a bit.”

Caius just laughed away from her door. She shook her head, remembering her brother’s gullibility regarding her daughter. He kept on spoiling her!

INSIDE the service shuttle sent by Vesarius Airlines, Lyzza couldn’t stop herself from laughing at Quincy’s actions. Her friend kept looking at the tiny compact mirror she carried with her. She would tirelessly look at her face and see if there was something off about her makeup.

She didn’t know if Quincy was doing this to distract herself or if she was trying to impress someone.

“Lyzz, don’t you want some makeup? I can apply some to you,” Quincy asked when she finally lifted the mirror from her face. It was the third time she had been asked that question.

“I told you, I don’t need it. I can say that I still look presentable, right?” She smiled at her and gestured at her outfit. She showed off her long white sleeves and a pencil skirt that was paired with 4-inch shoes. She just wore nothing but mere lipstick and blush.

“Yeah, I agree with you. You’re so stunning, and don’t look like someone who has a cute daughter. But the thing is,” Quincy giggled and covered her mouth with her hand. “Vesarius Airlines owner is a hunk! The rumor goes around like that, so . . .”

“Maybe that owner has a wife already,” Lyzza replied, which made her friend frown and slap her shoulder gently.

“You’re ruining my moment, Lyzz. Can’t you see that I’m over the moon here?”

“Well, what if my speculation was true? Or what if that rumor about him being a hunk isn’t true? You know, CEOs mostly have so much experience in that field. That means this owner might be an old dirty goose with white hair.”

Quincy just gasped and stared at her in disbelief. “You’re so judgmental, Lyz!”

Lyzza just giggled at her reaction. Her friend looked like she would go and sprawl right from her seat.

Quincy just stopped when the service shuttle finally entered Vesarius Airlines’ compound. They all wore their awe-struck faces upon seeing the interior of the place. The establishment was very prestigious and elegant to look at. The walls were made of glass, and they glistened when the rays hit them.

They also saw some huge planes in their designated spots. Some of them were newly flying out of the runway.

“It’s beautiful out here!” Quincy Mae exclaimed, and was seconded by some of their classmates. “I’m going to ride that. It’s so elegant.” Quincy pointed to some of the planes that they passed by and took off the runway.

It was indeed elegant. The company owner must be so rich. They even sent a service shuttle for them. By her calculation, there must be about a hundred applicants for the internship at Vesarius Airlines since they sent many service shuttles.

The guards opened the door for them. They were greeted by their friendly smiles and then ushered inside.

Lyzza was just following Quincy, and just like her, she was also observing her surroundings. Just as how beautiful it was to see the airline’s exterior, the interior was superb. From the refreshment that greeted them, Lyzza knew that Vesarius wasn’t an ordinary airline.

“Ah!” Lyzza screamed briefly as she felt Quincy stop in her tracks. And since her friend was ahead of her, her head hit her with it.

“Why did you stop Quincy Mae?”

Quincy didn’t answer, but instead, she just stood there like a statue looking at something in her direction. Her friend’s mouth flew open, and it felt like her eyes were about to form hearts.

“Hey!” she called her up again. She just decided to follow what she was looking at. She was also curious about what her other classmates were looking at.

“I think my underwear is losing off of me,” Lyzza heard someone whisper next to Quincy.

Lyzza’s world turned slow-mo, and she literally froze right from where she stood when she saw who the man they were looking at.

Standing firmly a few meters away from them was a man that she never expected to see at that time.

With his bossy aura and Olympian God physique, it was the man who bought her four years ago at the auction.

Gideon . . .