CHAPTER 3- The man beneath the umbrella.

Chapter 3: The Man Beneath the Umbrella

(Aleira’s Point of View)

The rain always had a way of finding me—especially on the days I felt most broken.

I stepped out of the building with my shoes already soaked and my heart heavier than ever. My blazer clung to my arms like a second skin, damp and cold, and the fourth rejection letter of the day was crumpled in my hand. I didn’t even bother trying to find shelter. What was the point?

The receptionist’s voice from earlier still echoed in my head.

“Sorry, Ma’am. The position has already been filled.”

But I saw her glance at my résumé, then at the photo of Lara paper-clipped to it.

“Single mom?” she asked, barely hiding her judgment.

I nodded. She smiled politely. I knew what that meant. The next words were routine.

“We’ll keep your résumé on file.”

I walked out before I could start crying.

The city smelled of rust and wet pavement. Manila’s chaos didn’t stop just because someone’s world was falling apart. People rushed past me, umbrellas open, jackets zipped, hailing cabs I couldn’t even dream of affording. I didn’t even have enough for Lara’s milk.

Twenty pesos.

That’s all I had left in my coin purse.

Enough to get home—but not enough to be a mother.

My stomach growled, but I ignored it. I could skip dinner. I had to.

I looked up at the sky, as if praying it would show me mercy.

It didn’t.

Raindrops began to fall again—small at first, then heavier, harder. I tried to shield my face with my arm, but I was already drenched. My worn flats squished with each step, and water soaked through the bottom of my skirt.

I took a seat on a bench under a small shed beside a food cart, the vendor packing up his goods. He glanced at me with pity, then handed me a leftover banana cue without a word. I accepted it with both hands, whispered a thank you, and took the smallest bites possible, saving the rest for Lara.

I pulled out my phone and checked the list I had typed out last week—companies I was planning to apply to. Half had already rejected me. The other half never replied.

I clicked on a folder I’d been avoiding. Photos.

The first one was of Lara—grinning in her faded yellow dress, missing a front tooth, her chubby hand holding a lopsided drawing of us. Below it was a video I’d saved from her birthday last month.

She had blown out a single candle on a cupcake.

“Make a wish, baby,” I said in the video.

She closed her eyes tightly, smiling. “I wish Mommy gets a job so we can eat spaghetti every day!”

My chest tightened. I quickly locked the phone.

She deserved more than this. More than a mother who couldn’t even afford a proper cake.

I forced myself to stand up again.

One more company. Just one more today.

I made my way to a building near Ortigas Extension. It wasn’t fancy like the others, but it had a posted job opening. I climbed the stairs with lead in my legs and hope flickering like a dying flame.

The security guard at the front desk barely glanced at me. “HR’s on the third floor,” he grunted.

I climbed slowly, feet aching. When I got there, the secretary handed me a form without a smile. “Fill this out.”

I sat on a cracked plastic chair and wrote carefully, trying to make my handwriting look neat despite my trembling fingers. When I handed it in, she skimmed it and frowned.

“No recent office job?”

“I had a job under the LGU… clerical work,” I replied, trying to stay confident.

“Do you have references?”

I nodded and handed over my résumé.

She looked at it for a second, then back at me. “We’ll call you if you qualify.”

She didn’t even try to sound convincing.

I walked out before my pride shattered completely.

The rain had returned full force when I stepped outside again. The wind slapped at my face as I tried to hurry down the street. My skin was chilled, my hands numb, and my heart was dangerously close to giving up.

The alley shortcut appeared like a memory I didn’t ask for. I hadn’t walked through it in years—since I was with Michael.

My steps slowed.

Michael De Leon.

The man who promised me the world and gave me a child instead. Then left when things got hard. When I got inconvenient.

He used to call me his world.

Now I was just a reminder of his mistakes.

I shook the thoughts away. I didn’t have time for ghosts.

As I walked deeper into the alley, the sky above seemed darker. I pulled my blazer tighter, though it did little to help.

Then I saw him.

A man.

Tall. Still. Standing beside a black luxury car that looked completely out of place in this gritty part of the city. He was holding a wide black umbrella.

And he was looking at me.

For a second, I panicked.

Was he a driver? A security escort? Some powerful man waiting for someone?

But he didn’t look away.

Then he did something that made my breath hitch.

He stepped toward me.

And extended the umbrella.

I froze.

Stranger danger warnings rang in my head. My eyes darted toward the road, toward escape. But he didn’t move again. He just waited.

The rain pounded around us, soaking me even more. My legs felt glued to the pavement.

Then something in his eyes—what little I could see beneath the umbrella’s shadow—calmed me.

They were… familiar.

I took one step forward.

He didn’t speak. Didn’t smile. Just slightly tilted the umbrella so it would cover me too.

I slipped under it hesitantly, and immediately warmth enveloped me. His scent was clean—something expensive and subtle. Not overpowering, but commanding.

We walked side by side, silently.

The rain tapping above us was the only sound.

His arm was close. His suit brushed my damp sleeve.

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

Still, no reply.

I didn’t know whether to feel awkward or intrigued.

When we reached the end of the alley, I stopped. He did too.

I turned toward him, heart beating loudly. “Do I… know you?”

His gaze locked with mine for the briefest second, and I could swear his jaw tightened—just a bit.

Then, without a word, he handed me the umbrella.

And walked away.

I stood frozen as he climbed into the black car. The driver shut the door behind him, and within seconds, the vehicle disappeared into the traffic.

Leaving me with the umbrella.

And more questions than answers.

That night, Lara and I shared the last of our rice and a small banana cue. I told her stories until she giggled herself to sleep. I brushed her hair back gently, kissing her forehead.

“I’ll make everything better, baby,” I whispered. “I promise.”

After she drifted off, I opened my old laptop. The neighbor’s Wi-Fi took a minute to connect. The screen flickered, and a part of me braced for another round of rejection emails.

Then I saw it.

Subject: Interview Invitation – Montenegro Group

My stomach flipped.

I clicked it open.

Dear Ms. Aleira Tan,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been shortlisted for an interview at Montenegro Group of Companies for the position of Administrative Assistant. Your background and experience have shown potential aligned with our company values.

Interview Schedule: Monday, 9:00 AM

Location: Montenegro Tower, Ortigas Center

Please bring a printed résumé and valid ID. Kindly confirm your attendance.

Montenegro Group?

The name made my fingers tremble.

My thoughts rushed back to the man in the alley. The suit. The presence. The silence.

Could it be...?

Was he someone from Montenegro Group? Was he testing me? Watching?

No. That would be crazy.

Wouldn’t it?

I glanced at the umbrella hanging by the door.

My chest ached in a way I couldn’t explain.

Was it hope?

Curiosity?

Something deeper?

I clicked “Confirm Attendance” and closed the laptop gently.

“Please let this be it,” I whispered.

Please let this be the beginning of the life I’ve been fighting for.