MasukTHE window of Adeline’s small room was slightly open, but no cool breeze came in—only heat, the smell of old engine oil, and dust from the street. Every now and then, she could hear loud hammer strikes on metal, the hiss of compressed air used for inflating tires, and the endless shouting of kids running around in the narrow alley.Adeline closed her eyes and pressed her face into her thin pillow. Her head was pounding. Every strike of metal downstairs felt like it was hitting her temples directly. She had only slept for barely two hours after a grueling night shift at the hospital and her talk with her father. As much as she wanted to rest, getting a good sleep was impossible. Another old jeepney had just arrived with two flat tires, followed by a tricycle needing a chain replacement, along with the constant calls of customers looking for her father.When five in the afternoon came, Adeline slowly sat up on the edge of her bed. She fixed herself up despite the pain in her head and th
THE air conditioning in the 6th-floor nurse station was freezing, the kind of cold that bit into your skin even with a cardigan worn over scrub suits, especially now that it was early morning.The atmosphere here was completely different from the BPO where Adeline had worked for the past two years. There, you would hear noisy headsets, smell coffee, and listen to angry customers shouting every night. Here at Fuentebella Medical Center, it was quiet, but you could feel the luxury, the kind of place where only a few could enter because of the expensive rates."Bestie, go easy on that pen; you're going to puncture the chart," Sarah whispered as she set two cups of coffee on the counter.Adeline put down her pen and massaged her head."I'm just really nervous. This is my first shift, Sarah. What we studied is so different from being on the current floor. What if I make a mistake calculating the patients' medication? These rich people might sue us."Sarah chuckled softly and leaned back in
WHILE her father was busy arranging their things and the twins continued running around the small living room, Adeline sat on an old wooden bench. She let out a heavy sigh as she wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks. She felt as though a massive weight had been lifted off her chest after leaving the mansion, yet anxiety still lingered over how she would fully support her two children."Do you want some coffee, darling?""Not right now, Dad. I won't be able to sleep later if I drink coffee," she replied. Her father nodded and sat on a chair, continuing to drink his coffee. Meanwhile, the twins ran around tirelessly, getting themselves dirty. Their grandfather tried to stop them, but Adeline let them be so they could start adapting to their new life.Suddenly, her phone vibrated. She assumed it was Marky, so she ignored it, but text messages flooded in until the phone finally rang."Answer it, Adel. He might be worried."She merely smirked, but following her father's advice, she pi
"Adel, you motherfucker! You’ll pay for this!" Marky groaned in pain as she kicked him."Ma'am, please stop!""Fvck you too! I can tolerate your insults, but you have no right to hurt my children!" She pointed her finger at Marky in intense rage."If you ever hurt my children again, I'll kill you. Remember that!" she yelled firmly."Nena," she shouted to the maid, who quickly approached her."Get two large bags. Pack all of their clothes and important belongings. Everything they need."The maid narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Ma'am Adeline?""Just do it! Don't ask questions, just do what I ordered you!"She went back to her room and packed her own belongings as well. She gathered her important documents and a few pieces of jewelry, placing them into a suitcase. After almost thirty minutes of fast packing, three bags were ready beside the door. Adeline carried Raven in her left arm while tightly holding Dave's hand with her right."Mama, where are we going?""We're going to your grand
But the time came when she had to leave. Adeline looked at her wristwatch; she needed to get moving before the heavy traffic along the highway picked up.She slung her bag over her shoulder. When the twins saw her heading toward the door, they both burst into tears once more."Mama! No!" baby Raven cried out instantly, trying to chase after her, but the maid quickly caught her."Mama, don't leave!" Dave screamed, tears rolling down his smooth cheeks while extending his two tiny hands toward his mother.Adeline fought the urge to look back. She knew that if she looked at her crying children any longer, she wouldn't be able to leave.She walked straight ahead and waited for a tricycle outside the subdivision. If she could only walk to the main gate, she would have, given how expensive the fare was here. Most of the passengers were just household staff, and the transport was exclusive to this subdivision, but having ridden tricycles for a long time, the drivers were nothing new to her.W
Adeline’s hands were still trembling as she struggled to adjust the headset over her ears, fueled by pure irritation toward the client. Who could blame her? She had just been cursed out, and despite how long she had been in the industry, she still hadn’t grown used to it.All around her swirled the familiar nighttime symphony of the massive BPO floor in Taguig: the relentless clacking of keyboards, the humming air conditioning that felt ready to burst from the chill, and the overlapping voices of hundreds of call center agents simultaneously pleading, explaining, and bickering with Americans on the other end of the line.This was her 'queue voice,' forged through two years of sleepless nights, coffee, and sheer endurance. Not a single person on the floor would ever guess that the woman who walked in wearing flip-flops and a faded jacket for their graveyard shift was actually the wife of one of the country's wealthiest heirs."I completely understand your frustration, sir..." Adeline m







