Chapter 8

I sighed deeply as I stepped out of the Grab car I booked. It stopped in front of a club that our graduating batch had rented for our after-party. I didn’t really want to go, but I needed to get away from my mother, who had been constantly nagging me about my post-grad plans. I had told them I was thinking of taking some time away before figuring out what I really wanted to do with my life.

Right now, I enjoy creating vlogs, and I’m earning good money from it. However, my mom believed that I would follow in the footsteps of my older brother, who currently works at our family’s company as the CEO and is about to marry his fiancée.

What really irritates me is how she keeps trying to set me up with the sons of her friends. She can’t seem to understand that those aren’t the type of guys I go for. These boys are so entitled, getting everything handed to them just because their parents are rich. They're full of themselves, and I can't even have a proper conversation with them. I like people who say intriguing things, don’t feel the need to always act charming, and actually know what they’re doing.

With the kind of environment I grew up in, it’s challenging to discover someone like that. That’s why I prefer older, more mature men. But my mother never gives up, which is why I often sneak out whenever I can.

I entered the club after showing my ID. I was wearing an all-black outfit—a sheer top with a tube underneath, a sequined skirt that stopped mid-thigh, and knee-high leather boots. It was sexy, and I felt confident in it. As soon as I stepped inside, the heavy bass hit me. Once I was fully inside, the club was filled with noise—people chatting and laughing, mixed with loud electric party music blaring from the speakers.

I also spotted girls and guys dancing on the poles near the walls, and everyone seemed to be having the time of their lives.

“Ayana!!!” I turned toward the voice calling me and saw a batchmate who had also been my classmate in a few subjects. She thought we were friends, but for me, I didn’t really have any. I intentionally kept to myself during college to avoid drama. I only talked to people who actually made sense. She was one of them.

Our families were also business partners, which made her believe we were close. We frequently encountered each other at elegant parties, which I had to attend to maintain appearances. My mom would even use those events to scout for a potential boyfriend or future husband for me. That’s why I sometimes felt the need to hide from others at those parties.

This girl was nice, though, and she never got on my nerves, so I tolerated her friendliness.

“I’m so happy you could come!”

“Well, I needed to escape my mom,” I said. “Looks like you’ve already started partying, Xecilia. Are you drunk?” She giggled and clung to my arm.

“No way! I’m just thrilled we finally graduated! Come on, I got us a table already.” She pulled me to a spot near the bar. Her friends were already there and stopped talking when they saw me.

“This is a surprise. The recluse socialite actually showed up,” one of them said. I didn’t know him, so I gave him a polite smile and sat beside him. He was cute, a boy-next-door type, but not really my type. I told Xecilia what drink I wanted, and she went to the bar to get it since it was nearby.

Everyone at the table was chatting except for me. I raised an eyebrow when the adorable guy next to me looked at me, matching his stare with a raised brow of my own.

“What are your plans after graduation?” he suddenly asked. His question momentarily caught me off guard. “It’s okay if you don’t want to answer. I’ll just leave you alone.”

“It’s fine. Although I may not be very talkative, I can engage in good conversation when I'm speaking with someone who is also decent. He smiled and nodded. “I don’t have any solid plans yet. I’ll just continue with my vlog and go somewhere. Travel, be in nature, and discover new things on the road.” I thanked Xecilia when she handed me my drink and sat beside me.

“You’re lucky your vlogs are successful. My dad threw me into an internship right away. I didn’t even get to enjoy graduating,” she pouted.

“Do you even want to work for the company? You can always say no, Xeci,” I told her before sipping my drink.

“Well, we don’t have our own source of income like you. We rely on our parents, so we have to follow what they say,” said the cute guy. He still hadn’t told me his name. Did he assume I already knew?

“Then maybe you should have found one. You could’ve worked while we were still in school. I worked at a café during freshman year, when the academic load wasn’t too heavy.”

“Ugh, you know I’m not used to working. Besides, my parents would’ve scolded me! They don’t listen to what I want, no matter what I say. Jaeson is right. We rely on them, so we don’t have much choice,” Xecilia added. I shrugged and gave them a small smile.

“Well, you're both only children, so of course your parents are extra controlling. I’m lucky to have a smart and focused brother. They’re too busy watching him.” They laughed, and we drank some more.

What I said was true. Without my brother, I wouldn’t have been able to do everything I wanted. He was the one who helped me get my first job so I could start saving and have my own money. I love him so much that I always screen the girls he dates.

His fiancée now is fine with me. We’re not close, but we’re civil. I don’t feel anything weird or off about her. We just never really connected, probably because she’s more conservative, unlike me. But I did warn her once that if she ever hurt my brother, I wouldn’t stop until she suffered for it. I think that was fair enough.

“So you’ll still be vlogging? That means you’re going to travel and be in nature. That’s actually good content,” Jaeson said, and I nodded.

“I still don’t know what I want to do with my life. That’s why I’m going to travel and vlog at the same time. Who knows, maybe I’ll meet someone who’s meant for me and settle down. Maybe a rich haciendero or something. At least my mom would approve.”

“Your mom is intense. I couldn’t handle her,” Xecilia said before taking another sip. I laughed and drank as well, finishing the rest of my drink. She then pulled me to the dance floor, and I didn’t refuse. This is a party, after all, and I wasn’t going to waste my time just sitting around drinking.

After this, I’ll attend my brother’s wedding, tell my parents about my plans, and hopefully, fingers crossed, my dad will gift me a car and allow me to go on a road trip. Traveling alone might sound scary and somewhat dangerous, but I can take care of myself.

For once, I just want to be free. To connect with nature, and maybe, just maybe, find a mature man who knows exactly how to bring me pleasure.