Chapter 4: Who is he?

"Chase Azekiel Cullen," 

Kakauwi ko lang galing ng kompanya at kanina ko pa paulit-ulit na sinasambit ang pangalan n'ya. I know, I heard about him somewhere and I just didn't know. His name was so familiar to me to the point that it's tempting me to search about him online.

"Fine!" pagsuko ko sa sarili at napatuon sa laptop na kaharap ko.

I clicked the search bar and started typing his name. Kahit hindi ko pa natatapos ma-type ang pangalan n'ya ay may nag pop-up agad sa screen na pangalan niya and the most questions asked by the people who searched for him. I clicked his name and information about him automatically popped-up.

I read it and found out that he just got promoted as the C.E.O of the Cullen marketing group the other day and he just started fulfilling his duties yesterday. He was the eldest son of Leviant Cullen who is known a billionare. I also clicked his picture and I saw how handsome he is. Some girls even left a comment in the comment box and simping for him.

I yawned.

I'm so sleepy but my mind don't want to. Kailangan ko pang mag-isip ng mga plano na gagawin ko and—

Nagising ako sa maingay na tunog na nanggagaling sa cellphone ko. Nakatulog pala ako and I forgot to turn off the wifi and this phone is ranging because people bombarded me with notifications. 

I clicked one of the notifications and it directly showed me the video and people's comments that mentioning me and talking bad about me. Akala ko panaginip lang ang lahat pero hindi pala. Totoo nga pala talaga ang nangyari kahapon. Hindi kasi ako makapaniwala sa lahat ng nangyayari. It feels unreal to me and it feels like I'm dreaming a bad dream.

My god, this is that guy and that crazy man's 

fault! 

Kung hindi lang sana niya ako binangga at hindi ako tinakot ng gano'n ay baka hindi ako nabunggo sa lalaking iyon at hindi sana ako nagkaroon ng issue ngayon. 

If I'll meet him, I will definitely beat him to death because of this mess that he made.

I wonder why this is all happening to me. Did I do something wrong? Sandamakmak na problema na ang natatanggap ko. Muntik ko na ngang makalimutan na brokenhearted pala ako. Dapat nga ngayon ay nasa banyo na ako at umiiyak. Well, that's what brokenhearted people always do.

"Solenn? Gising ka na ba? Kumain ka na sa baba, sabayan mo na ang Mommy mo. Siya nga pala ay tumawag ang manager mo at susunduin ka raw nila ngayon," rinig kong tawag sa 'kin ni Ate Lena kaya't inayos ko na ang sarili ko.

Pagkababa ko ay agad akong dumiretso sa dining area para makasabay kumain si Mommy even though I'm nervous kung anong magiging reaskyon n'ya at kung anong sasabihin n'ya about do'n sa issue. I didn't even told her about what happened between me and Troy. Pa'no na lang kaya kapag sinabi kong naghiwalay na kami edi mahaba-habang sermon ang aabutin ko n'yan. 

"Hinahanap mo ba ang Mommy mo, Solenn? Hindi ka na n'ya nahintay dahil may mahalaga pa raw siyang pupuntahan. Kumain kana riyan at nasa labas na ang manager mo para sunduin ka," mahabang litanya ni Ate Lena. Tumango na lang ako at nagpaalam sa kan'ya na hindi na ako makakain dahil nagmamadali rin ako. Pinilit n'ya pa akong kumain pero tinanggihan ko siya at sinabing doon na lang ako kakain. Sa huli ay wala rin siyang nagawa kung hindi ay hinayaan ako.

*****

Chase's P.O.V

"Ma, 'wag mo kaming iwan, please." 

I saw a young man begging his Mom not to leave them with his brothers. His Mom hugged him and reasoned out that she doesn't love them anymore and wants to taste freeedom and live along with his man. I saw how his Mom bids goodbye to them and went inside the car with the man who was in the driver seat. The young man who was 15 years old that time carried his 5 years old brother and ran to chase his mother. 

When he realized and thought about it's reason why she left them, he stopped. Thinking that his mother really abandoned them and don't want them anymore, that her mother regrets for having them and didn't really loved them.

"I hate you!" 

The young man only felt that time is anger and hatred towards to his mother. He cursed at her and didn't want her to meet again.

"Kuya, where's Mom?" his 9 years old brother who was left in their house asked him. 

The young man felt anger when he heard his brother mentioned their Mom. He steps closer to his brother and puts his mouth closer to it's ears. 

"Our Mom? She's dead," the young man whispered.

"Kuya? Are you still sleeping?" I woke up when I heard someone knocked then entered my room. I was having a nightmare, again. The moment where my Mom chose his guy over us and left us when we were just kids. Because of her, I don't believe in love anymore. It gave me a trauma, fear for people who will betray and cheat on me. She made me play for girls feelings and made me treat them as my toy. This is all because of her!

"Kuya, wake up! It's 8 a.m. already, you should be dressed up by now or you will be late for your work!" my brother scolded me but I didn't pay attention to him and because of that, he started to shake me and continued to remind me. 

I slept late yesterday because of the files that I needed to sign up. Gustong-gusto ko pa matulog pero kanina pa ako kinukulit nitong kapatid ko. Maya't-maya siyang pumapasok sa kwarto ko para gisingin ako and I think he done it twice already. 

"Gusto ko pang matulog, okay? Just wake me up after 15 minutes."

"Didn't you know that you had a meeting with the shareholders today?" tanong ng kapatid ko na nagpagising nang diwa ko. I get up immediately and started to pick a clothes for me to wear today. I even heard my brother laughing at me. 

"So now I know how to wake you up," my brother uttered that made my forehead creased. 

"What do you mean?" I turned to him and asked him. He's wearing what he usually wear except weekend, his school uniform. Sadie, the middle child and the one who follow next to me is now in his senior days. We had a 7 year gap which means he's 18 and I'm 25.

"I'm just kidding and you fell for it," he said and smirked. 

"What do you mean by kidding—Sadie!" the moment when I realized what he mean by that, he ran and left my room as fast as he could. 

"That kid,"

Napasinghap na lang ako at pumasok ng banyo para maligo.

Pagkatapos ko namang mag-ayos ay agad na rin akong bumaba para sumabay kumain sa mga kapatid ko.

"Good morning, Kuya!" Keifer, the youngest in the family greeted me with so much joy. I also saw him wearing his school uniform. He's now in his high school years and he just turned 14 last month. 

"Good morning," I greeted him and we started eating. We don't usually pray when we were about to eat because sometimes we forgot about it and no one volunteers. We just do sign of the cross and eat after that.

"Kuya, my credit card is not working anymore," Keifer complained to me.

"Maybe Dad did something with it. Go ask him," I said to him.

"And why would he do that?" 

"Because you always spend and waste your money buying useless and nonsense stuffs, Kiefer." Sadie interfered and I had to agree with him. Keifer is not getting any younger yet he always act like a kid. He buy stuff here, he buy stuff there, he buy stuff everywhere. Tapos kapag nagtagal ay nagsasawa rin siya.

"Yes, your Kuya Sadie is right. You shouldn't just waste your money because we're rich, Kiefer. Pa'no na lang kapag mawala 'yong mga bagay na meron tayo at maranasan nating maghirap? Sa'n tayo pupulutin n'yan? Did you know that some childrens often eat because of lacking money to spend? But here you are, who we always spoil food, things and stuffs don't even able to be contented for what he have." I taught him. He didn't say anything and just nodded.

"You learned your lesson now. Please be responsible and start to act according to your age, okay?" I asked him. 

Tumingin pa siya sa 'kin at pilit na ngumiti. "Yes po Kuya, I'm sorry." 

After we finished eating, I immediately left the house and drove to the company. When I arrived, employees started greeting me when I entered the building. Agad naman akong sinalubong ng sekretarya ko. 

"Sir, an employee from Star Entertainment wants to talk to you, should I let them?" my secretary asked me and I asked her why that employee wants to talk to me.

"Uh, I think she wants you to sign a contract with them?" she responded, not sure about it 

"Well, tell them that I didn't remember that I once auditioned for them and I'm not interested to be their talent, okay?" I said to her and she just nodded. 

I know I'm good looking but acting and modeling is not really for me, I mean it. 

I was just peacefully signing the papers when someone entered my office.

"You made a coffee that fast?" I asked the one who entered while my eyes are on the papers. Nang wala akong makuhang sagot ay nilingon ko na ang taong pumasok. I thought it was my secrtary but turns out it's not her. 

It got me chills when I saw a familiar face infront of me. That's when, I remembered the girl who asked for my help. The girl who I had a one night stand with the other day. 

"Sir, I'm sorry if it took me long to—" my secretary who is about to enter my office didn't finished what she's saying when she saw her. 

"Sir, kayo po ba nagpapasok sa kan'ya? Kung hindi po, palalabasin ko na lang po siya," she asked me. Sasagot na sana ako nang magsalita ang babaeng kaharap ko.

"I went here and I'll stay here. I want to talk to him. Could you please leave us alone?" the woman infront of me commanded my secretary so she didn't have a choice but to give my coffee and left us in my office. 

"What do you want?" I asked her with full of authority. I saw her grabbed a chair and put it infront of me and sat. 

"I want to talk to you, mister." she said with full of confidence. She even crossed her arms. 

"We're already talking, miss ma'am," I said to her that made her dumbfounded. 

"Right. So, hindi na ako magpapaligoy-ligoy pa and I'm here to propose a proposal to you. I want—" 

I cut her off. "If you're here to propose a proposal, well I'm sorry to say that I'm not interested." 

She rolled her eyes. "Could you atleast let me finish? I'm not done yet and you cut me off. What a behavior!" 

"Isn't in clear to you? Wait." Napatigil ako saglit. Maybe she wants me to be her husband because she can't get over with what happened between us the other day.

"I get it. I know I'm good at things in making girls happy specially for their own pleasure but I don't commit and I don't do relationships. I hook up with girls just for fun. No strings attached," I explained. 

I saw how her brow raised and how she was offended by what I just said. "What the hell are you saying?! Kilabutan ka nga!" she exclaimed. She let out a heavy sigh and trying to calm herself.

"Look, if you're assuming that I fell inlove with you just because we hooked-up, ba't ang tigas naman ng mukha mo? Excuse me lang ha, that one night that happened between us is just nothing to me, okay? I'm here because... I got involved in a scandal where you're with me. Have you seen the news or your social media?" she asked me.

I shook my head. "I don't have one," I said. 

"What?" she couldn't believed it. "Okay let me explain something, so the point is, someone took a video which we were seen entering a motel and were kissing... Here." she handed me her phone and I grabbed it. 

She's right. Someone took a video of us but my face were not seen. I plastered a smirk in my face. "Well Miss, your point is pointless. Hindi nakita ang mukha ko sa video and no one recognize that it's me, so unfortunately, it's just your problem and not us." I stated. I thought she'll leave already but I'm surprised when she chuckled and still stayed in his position.

"Magiging pointless rin naman ang point mo kapag sinabi ko sa kanila na ikaw 'yong lalaking kasama ko sa video," pananakot n'ya pa. Napaisip tuloy ako. 

If people will know that it's me, it will affect the sales of the company. People will throw hate on me and my father would be disappointed to me that he will not gave me this company.

I took a sip in my coffee and sighed.

"Tell me about your proposal,"