"C-Clar—" I didn't finish what I wanted to say when he suddenly pulled me to the sofa. He sat there and pulled me in his direction to make me sit on his lap.
"You're alluring lately," he said while smiling.
"By the way, what's your name, miss?" he asked after sipping wine. He didn’t take his eyes off me while gulping an expensive kind of drink.
Does he not know me? Does he not know me anymore? Does he not recognize my face?
I asked myself in the back of my head.
Suddenly, something I had never done before sank into my mind.
My mask...
I immediately touched my face to make sure. And, I was right. My mask was still on my face. I forgot to take it off after I danced on stage.
"Hey?" he gently calls me. I shifted my gaze to him again.
There was only one thing I could say now. He was so handsome. He looked more gorgeous than the last time I saw him way back seven years ago.
Wait! What was this man doing here? How did he end up in such a filthy place? Was he look like the other men who were willing to pay just to devour a body of a prostitute like me?
Why are you here, Clark?
"Hey... Are you okay, huh? Is there something wrong?" There was a hint of concern drawn on his masculine face. He withdrew me from his lap and let me sit nicely next to him.
"Tell me, miss. Are you okay?" he asked once again.
I absentmindedly nodded to him. Up until now, I still couldn't believe what I was seeing.
"Are you sure? I can give you medicine if you want." he offered and stood up from the sofa. I immediately held his broad arm to stop him.
"I'm okay!" I said a little bit louder. I immediately released my grip on his arm and bow shyly.
"I'm fine, don't you worry," I humbly said. Giving him assurance about what I feel.
"O-okay." His response seemed unconvincing.
"So, where are we? May I know your name, miss?" he asked one more time and held my waist using his right arm. He pulled me closer to him which earned me a gasp in shock.
"Ah— M-Magda," I stuttered. I felt nervous and excited at the same time. He slowly moved his face onto mine and then suddenly, he laughed softly.
"It's your name here in the entertainment club, right? I bet it's not your real name," he said and drank the wine again. I nodded shyly as if I agreed with what he had said.
He stared at me for a moment and sighed. He lowered the goblet containing an expensive wine that could be equivalent to one month's supply of our food at home.
"It's okay if you want to keep your identity. Your name here is Magda? It's cool anyway." he complimented.
"You know what, Magda, you have the vibe of a person I've been searching for for so long." he shared. I gulped after hearing it.
Is he talking about the person he's been searching for for so long is... me?
I stopped thinking when he stared at me for too long and here we go again. He was little by little approaching me. His broad arms snaked around my waist and became even tighter and my heart was beating too fast. My breathing became unsteady.
Sh*t, Clark...
I uttered at the back of my head because of nervousness and an exciting feeling that ate my entire system.
He began to caress my arms and slowly traveled to my shoulder.
I bit my lips hard at the strange sensation I was feeling.
Is that you, Clark?
No! Maybe, you just look like him.
My mind was battling while staring at his ocean eyes. Still think if the person in front of me was Clark, my childhood friend way back seven years ago. His face kept getting closer and closer to mine. I shut my eyes tightly and waited for his lips to take over my world but—suddenly his phone rang.
He released me gently and looked at his phone on the top of the glass table. He immediately picked it up and answered the call.
"Hello..."
"What?!" he suddenly shouted which startled me. I stared at him in surprise.
Who is he talking to?
I curiously asked myself.
"Why couldn't you find her?! Are you pretty sure that you're doing your job?!" he asked. His voice was filled with disappointment. He stood up from his seat and used his right hand to comb his hair because of the extreme frustration and disappointment he felt.
"If you couldn't find her, it's much better to hire a new competent private investigator than you!" he shouted at the phone and hung up the call. He let out a deep breath before glancing at me.
My attention was shifted to the door of the VIP room when someone entered.
"Sir Clark, Mr. Sy moved your meeting recently. You have thirty minutes to prepare." The man in a suit said. I think he was a bodyguard.
Wait! What?! Did he call this gorgeous man Clark?
"What the? Tonight?! Meeting?" he asked incredulously. The bodyguard nodded in response.
Clark turned his gaze back to me.
"I gotta go..." he said briefly and immediately kissed me on my cheek. He left the VIP room right after he kissed me. I was left dumbfounded in my seat. I felt like a fool holding my cheek.
Me? Did he kiss me on my cheek?
I felt my face heat up. I bet it was red like ripe tomatoes. I covered my face with both of my hands and screamed that time to release the joy and happiness I had felt.
* * * *
“WHAT?! You finally met him?! What–ouch! Angela!"
Bel tasted my sadistic hand once again. She had already said that line a few more times. I thought I was the only one who was overreacting to the situation after I met Clark but Bel was more overreacting than me. She could finally win the Oscars for being the best actress. Felt like Bel was the one who waited for Clark for a long time.
"Tone down your voice, Bel. The kids are asleep," I reminded and pinpoint the direction where my siblings were sleeping on the mat. She immediately covered her mouth.
"Sorry," she naughtily apologized. I did nothing but shake my head.
What a naughty Bel.
"But Angela, what happened after you met him? Did the two of you talk? Did he miss you, huh? Did he?" she asked with a shudder. She clapped her hands out of excitement.
"No. He didn't recognize me," I said and sighed deeply.
Bel's eyes widened and exaggeratedly shouted 'WHAT?' without a voice.
I had been dreaming of kicking this woman out of our house. She was more affected by what was happening than I was.
"I wore a mask. I forgot to remove it."
"Oh..." There was a melody of regret in her voice.
"You idiot, Ange—" She no longer completed what she wanted to say when I glared at her. She immediately shut her mouth.
"I better go home. Just give me an update if there's progress in your love story. Clarky Clarky!" She teased and laughed as she hugged me.
After a minute, she finally left the house.
"Take care!" I said as I watched her walking away. She nodded and waved her hand back at me as if she was saying goodbye.
"A ring?" I uttered in astonishment and disbelief as I examined the ring on the tissue. I took another tissue to wipe it again. I was about to wipe the ring but stopped when I noticed something written on the tissue. I read it in curiosity."Will…" I read. I took another tissue and something was written again."You..."I picked up another one but this time, I placed and laid it on the table so I could read it properly."Will you marry me, Angela?"I was stunned and shocked after I read those words. I stared at the ring that I was holding and looked at my siblings and Bel who was now smiling at me so dearly.I sighed and lazily stared at Bel."What is this, Bel? Is this a prank?" I asked in assumption and looked at them boringly."You are fooling me," I concluded. Bel and my siblings just laughed in their seats. Later, the waiter approached me.My siblings and even Bel started screaming and shouting in amazement and excitement. I looked around and realized that there was no one else in
"Big sister, come on! Hurry up! We are going to be late if we stay here for more minutes!" Kokoy shouted in a hurry outside my room. I quickly tidied myself and hurriedly reached for my bag then opened the door. I saw Kokoy fully dressed with his basketball jersey while Maymay was sitting on a wooden chair in the living room."Come on, kids. Let’s go," I said. They approached my direction and we left the house together.As I locked the door, I saw Bel waiting for a vehicle that we could take a ride. Moments later, a bus stopped in front of us and we immediately stepped inside. Kokoy and Maymay were very excited to go to school. They both went to the same school.Bel and Maymay ended up sitting on the right side of the bus while Kokoy and I were on the left.After I paid the fare fee, I caught a glimpse of Kokoy who now had a smile on his face but you could see he is undeniably nervous as well.I just tapped his shoulder twice to give him courage. The two of us looked at each other and
"You're staring blankly in the air again. Back to earth, Angela."I got back to my senses when Bel suddenly appeared right behind me. I laughed and smiled at her."You are missing hi—Ouch! What is that for, Angela?!" she stopped from what she was going to say when I slapped her on her right arm. She immediately touched her arm that I hit and glared at me."I'm staring blankly then you showed up just to piss me off? You're a very supportive friend, Bel," I uttered sarcastically then chuckled.She sat down next to me on the wooden chair here in the backyard of the house."Well, it's true. Truth hurts, right?" she countered while gently caressing her arm.I smiled sadly and looked up at the sky. Every time a plane passes by on the horizon, I always get out of the house just to look at it. Not because I just want to see a plane, but because I think that maybe, on a plane I looked up in the sky, Clark is one of the passengers.Bel seemed to notice the changes in my mood. She sighed heavily.
While I was inside the car, tears continued to fall from my eyes. Every sob was painful. Mrs. Clarkson who was now sitting next to me inside the car glanced in my direction. I heard her sigh because of my behavior."Do not worry. You can forget him soon...""You made the right decision, Angela. Don't cry too much. The sacrifice you made for Clark is for his sake and good condition. You just made the right decision. Maybe Clark will be angry with you first but you know my son. In the long run, he will understand why you chose to free him instead of keeping him with you," she comforted me which made me cry even more.Thinking that Clark would be separated from me, my heart was crushed by the extreme pain.Hopefully, what Clark's mother said will come true. I hope it crossed Clark's mind that my decision is for his best.I glanced outside the window. Buildings and spacious roads turned into narrow streets and close-knit wooden houses after a half-hour of a long ride. I could say we are no
I hurriedly got off the bus when it stopped near where Clark lived.I walked quickly under the sun. When I was in front of Clark's mansion, I took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell.Just a few seconds later, the huge white gate opened in front of me. There, it appeared an old woman who I assumed was their housemaid."What do you need, ma'am?" she asked politely while looking at my face.I blinked a couple of times and cleared my throat before answering her."I-Is Mrs. Clarkson there?" I asked the maid anxiously and swallowed hard.The person I was looking for is not an ordinary woman in this society. She was well known for being rich and having businesses across the globe. That woman was Clark's mother who was extremely wealthy.My knees were shaking out of fear and nervousness. Nervous due to the idea that Clark and his mother got into trouble because of me. Getting nervous because I know Clark's mom already knew that I was a prostitute.What kind of face am I going to show to
"Clark..." I whispered as the tupperware fell to the ground. I walked a little bit closer just to make sure that the man who was mixing the cement was Clark."Clark! Hurry up!" the man who I think is the foreman shouted to him.My tears rolled onto my cheeks after I heard what the foreman said. I slowly took a step backward and then ran away. I looked for a bus and went inside. After paying the fair fee, I looked outside the window. My tears started to flow. I wiped it away but it seems it was like a river that never stops falling.Why did he lie to me? In one month? And what is he doing there? Did his mom know already about me? Did his mom know that I am a prostitute? Don't tell me he suffered like that because of me?I broke into tears as I stared outside the window. When I was finally in our village, I got out of the bus and walked straight inside our house. I went to my room and sat on the bed. I slowly hugged my knees as I was thinking about what happened during my one month of me