Chapter 4

As the days passed, I found myself with almost nothing to do at home. I would wake up, chat with Lola Aida, eat, take a shower, and sleep, an endless, repetitive cycle. Every afternoon, lola would take her siesta, leaving me with absolutely no one to talk to.

I pulled out my phone and stared blankly at the screen, wondering what I could possibly do with it. I didn't have any social media accounts to keep myself preoccupied, and frankly, I had no desire to create one. It was far too dangerous; that bastard might find me.

I didn't even know if he was actively looking for me, but one thing was absolutely certain: I never wanted to go back to him. I refused to face that living hell ever again. I was far away from him now, and I would never return.

I desperately wanted to step outside, but I had no idea where to go. I simply wanted to explore the area. I didn't even know what province I was in. I only knew that I was in Sitio Maligaya. I wanted to ask my sister, but I was terrified that the communication might somehow be traced. I was paranoid to the core.

Unfortunately, I spent the entire day bored to death. When night finally fell, I cooked myself a simple meal of fried egg and rice, slipping into an early sleep. I only felt a spark of excitement when the next morning finally arrived.

Stepping outside, I immediately saw Lola Aida in front of her house, carefully watering her plants.

"Good morning," I greeted warmly. The elderly woman turned to face me and offered a cheerful greeting in return.

As had already become our routine, Lola Aida insisted that I join them for breakfast. Spending time chatting with Lola Aida had become one of my main sources of comfort. She possessed an endless treasury of stories, ensuring I always had something fascinating to listen to. Her tales genuinely captivated me and, at the same time, successfully kept my intense boredom at bay.

"Raegan, make sure to eat lunch here, alright? I ended up cooking plenty today," Lola Aida said, causing me to pause midway through slicing the carrots. Dominic had already left for work, leaving his grandmother completely alone once again. I had decided to step in and help because the elderly woman was managing everything by herself.

"Are you sure, lola?" I asked to double-check.

"Of course, hija. Besides, I truly love watching you eat," she remarked, which caught me by surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, on your very first day here, you were so incredibly thin, hija. It looked as though you hadn't been eating properly at all. That's why I want nothing more than to feed you well, and look at you now, you're finally gaining some healthy weight," she noted. My gaze automatically fell to my arms, which were exposed due to the sleeveless top I was wearing.

Lola Aida was absolutely right. My arms were finally filling out a bit. My hand drifted to my stomach, giving it a gentle pinch. A soft smile broke across my lips when I realized there was actually something to pinch now. Even my cheeks were starting to look fuller.

"I know many young women dream of starving themselves just to look beautiful, but what good is beauty if you end up compromising your own health?" Lola Aida pointed out.

"You're exactly right. A woman is far more beautiful when she's healthy, right? That's precisely why you look so incredibly beautiful yourself."

The voice didn't belong to me.

Lola Aida stopped mid-sentence and looked over toward the kitchen door. Standing right there was Dominic, who had just returned home from work. He was dressed in a long-sleeved black shirt and matching black shorts. His clothes were heavily splattered with paint, and his feet were covered in a layer of dust.

"Dominic, you're back!" Lola Aida exclaimed. "My goodness, look how filthy you are! Go take a bath immediately. The food is almost done," lola instructed her grandson. A soft smile tugged at my lips when I noticed how Dominic completely towered over his grandmother, who barely reached his shoulders.

"Lola, you cooked way too much food again," Dominic observed, his eyes briefly shifting toward me. He offered a polite nod by way of greeting, and I warmly returned the gesture with a smile.

"Well, that's because I know you're exhausted. It's incredibly hot outside, so you must be starving! Go on now, take a bath. Raegan can see just how dirty you are." Dominic cast another quick glance at me but quickly averted his eyes, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly before heading straight to their bathroom.

I returned to slicing the vegetables. Even though I was struggling heavily with the knife, I remained utterly determined to help Lola Aida. A few moments later, Dominic emerged, and I heard the distinct scrape of a chair being pulled up right next to me.

"Hi, Raegan," he murmured, prompting me to look up. I was met with a small, gentle smile playing on his face. I smiled back at him.

"Hello. You're home," I stated the obvious.

"Hmm, I'm home," he replied, shifting his gaze down to the cutting board. "How are you ever going to finish if you hold the knife like that?" he asked out of nowhere, causing my hands to freeze.

"And besides, your slices are entirely too thin. It should be done like this." Before I could even process it, I felt his palm rest gently over my hand, carefully guiding my grip to show me how to cut the carrots properly. He was standing right behind me, completely leaning in to assist with the slicing.

"The pieces need to be around this size, okay?"

What is this? Why is my heart reacting so strangely? I could clearly catch the distinct scent of his cologne enveloping me from behind. He still hadn't stepped away, and I remained completely frozen in my seat, unable to move an inch.

I honestly didn't know how long we would have remained lost in that sudden daze if Lola Aida hadn't broken the silence.

"Raegan, are the vegetables ready? I need to mix them in now," Lola Aida called out. I blinked rapidly, quickly snapping back to reality and straightening my posture. Lola Aida walked over, inspecting my work.

The elderly woman let out a soft, amused chuckle. "This is perfect, hija. I'll go ahead and mix this into what I'm cooking," she said, picking up the bowl that contained a mix of my paper-thin carrot slices and the few perfectly sized pieces Dominic had guided me through.

I was left sitting there entirely alone. Over by the stove, Dominic was actively helping his grandmother cook. Watching the two of them interact, I couldn't help but feel a deep, painful wave of envy washing over me.

I wish Ate Raine and I still had a grandmother, too. If only our mother and father's parents were still alive, perhaps Ate Raine and I wouldn't have been left completely entirely on our own in this world.

I felt a sudden rush of tears threatening to spill over, so I quickly stood up and rushed out of their house. I hurried back upstairs to my rented room and collapsed onto the living room chair. Staring blankly up at the ceiling, I finally allowed the hot tears to stream freely down my face.

If our parents were only here with us, my life would never have degraded to such a miserable state. My sister would never have had to endure the crushing burden of working herself to the bone just to provide for us. She wouldn't have had to drive so far away just to secure a job and keep me alive. If only we had someone, anyone, who was willing to extend a helping hand, my sister wouldn't be suffering this much. But the bitter reality was that it was truly just the two of us left.

I knew I would completely break down if anything ever happened to my Ate Raine. As much as I desperately wanted to be by her side, I was utterly terrified that I might accidentally cross paths with that monstrous man on the road. I was absolutely paralyzed by the fear of being dragged right back into that living hell.

But realistically, how much longer was I going to let fear dictate my life? How much longer would I remain hidden away in the shadows? How much longer would I continuously depend on the protection of others?

I needed to start taking action. I needed to finally piece my life back together because I was officially far away from him. I couldn't allow my overwhelming fear to control me anymore. My sister had already risked everything to save me, so I had absolutely no right to remain a coward.

A soft knock on the door abruptly shattered my train of thought. I watched as the door slowly swung open, revealing Dominic peeking inside. He had already changed into his casual loungewear, a plain white shirt and black shorts.

"Raegan?" he called out softly. I quickly wiped at my tears and stood up to face him.

"Hi. Is there something you need?" I inquired, trying to sound composed. He stared at me silently for a few quiet moments. He gently pointed toward his own eyes before quickly looking away.

"You still have tears on your face. You can go ahead and cry more if you want to..." he murmured, turning his back to me. I initially assumed he was going to walk out, but he remained standing right there.

"Lola is calling for you. She says it's time to eat. But if you still need to cry, go right ahead. I'll keep my back turned," he offered.

"W-Why are you facing away?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly.

Dominic leaned one palm flat against the wall while resting his other hand on his hip. He stood near the doorway with his head slightly bowed, completely facing away from me.

"Well, I figured you probably wouldn't want anyone watching you while you cry, so I'm keeping my back turned. Just let the tears out; you can pretend I'm just a cardboard standee standing here," he said. Then, out of nowhere, he suddenly snapped his posture perfectly straight, standing as rigid as a soldier on duty.

"What on earth are you doing?" I asked, my mind completely filled with sheer confusion. Both of his arms were pinned firmly to his sides, his stance so remarkably straight and stiff that his sharp physique was undeniable.

"I'm a standee. There is no Dominic here right now. I am officially a cardboard standee," he stated solemnly. Instead of crying further, I burst into a sudden, roaring fit of laughter at his ridiculous antics.

I honestly had no idea how long I spent laughing, but when I finally looked up at him, he had turned his head to look back at me, even though his body was still facing the door.

"Are you not crying anymore?" he asked softly. I took a deep, stabilizing breath, wiping the remaining dampness from my cheeks.

"No... not anymore," I replied. "You can finally face me now," I added, and with that, he finally turned around completely.

He stood there in comfortable silence, and when our eyes locked, a warm smile spread across his face as he extended an open hand toward me.

"Come on, let's go eat?"

Unconsciously, a mirror image of his smile formed on my own lips. I raised my hand and gently rested it on his open palm.

"Let's go," I answered, and together, we walked back downstairs to join Lola Aida for lunch.