Chapter 4: Angry

DAPHNE STARED at herself in the mirror. Her lips twitched before she glanced at her backside to check if her outfit looked awkward. She even tried walking, but it felt uncomfortable. Luckily, there was a cover-up included. Otherwise, her backside would be too exposed.  

She froze when she heard a series of knocks, followed by BK’s voice.  

“Just a second!” she shouted, hastily taking off the swimsuit she had tried on.  

She swallowed hard when she opened the door to find BK, freshly showered and looking like he was about to go somewhere.  

“I’m heading out. If you get hungry, just call downstairs or eat out.” He handed her a card along with some dollars. Of course, she took it.  

“Okay. Thank you.” As soon as she spoke, he turned away.  

She shook her head as she watched him go. She had already expected this.  

She quickly shut the door and sat on the bed, placing the money and both credit and debit cards on the side. BK was always prepared—just in case she couldn’t return to the Philippines. If she ever got lost, his mother would definitely rain down scoldings on him.  

She grabbed her planner and notebook. It looked like it was time to start planning her trip to Scandinavia.  

She picked up the phone BK had given her as a gift. He said it was just for display—to avoid embarrassment if others saw what phone she was using.  

She jotted down notes as she read blog articles about travelling to Norway—where to go first and the cheapest hotels. Once everything was set, she would book her trip. She even looked up the origin of her last name, knowing exactly where to ask once she got there.  

She only had her father’s name. She had found several people with the same name on social media. She had even learned some basic language skills. Scandinavia was vast, but Norway was her main destination. She was used to hearing “Scandinavia” from her mother, but when she grew older, she searched through her mother’s things to find out where exactly her father was from.  

Scandinavia was a sub-region of Northern Europe, consisting of three kingdoms: Norway, where her father was, Sweden and Denmark. Cold places. She was used to the cold, but temperatures that low? She would definitely need thick jackets.  

She hoped to see the Northern Lights when she visited. She had to plan her trip right to make it worth it.  

She spent hours on her phone, writing more notes in her notebook beside her itinerary. She had forgotten to tell BK that she might be gone for a month. After all, finding someone who didn’t want to be found wasn’t easy.  

She didn’t feel hungry, so she just slept. Even if it was only her mind that had travelled, it felt like her entire body had. When she woke up, it was already nighttime.  

She clutched her stomach as hunger pangs hit. She was starving!  

She quickly changed into a summer dress and headed downstairs, asking the staff where she could eat nearby. They told her she could have food prepared at the hotel, but she declined. She needed to unwind. BK was probably out somewhere, so why should she stay cooped up here?  

She moved so fast in her hunger that she nearly collided with the person who had suddenly stopped ahead. She bumped right into him.  

“Ow!” She held her forehead as a tall man turned to look at her.  

“Shit! I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?” came a deep voice.  

“Hindi naman—I mean, no!” she corrected herself. She forgot she was in Hawaii! Speaking in Tagalog so casually!  

“You’re Filipino, I see! I thought I misheard you when you said ow and hindi naman. I’m Max,” he said, extending a hand.  

She studied him briefly. He seemed decent enough. “Daphne,” she introduced herself, shaking his hand.  

“Where are you off to in such a hurry, Daphne? Nice name, by the way.”  

“Thank you. Just there.” She pointed at BK’s hotel’s floating restaurant.  

“Wow. I was heading there too. Mind if I join you? Or are you with someone?” he asked.  

She smiled. “Sure. I’m alone.” She wasn’t sure if she should mention that she was the wife of the hotel’s owner.  

“Let’s go,” he said, leading the way.  

They walked with some distance between them. She wanted to speed up, but she didn’t want Max to think she was overly eager—or starving.  

Daphne tried her best to suppress her growling stomach. She even made noises to cover up the sound.  

She winced when a loud grumble escaped her stomach just as she was about to sit down.  

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t hold out anymore. I haven’t eaten all day—I got busy,” she admitted.

He chuckled.  

“It’s okay. My stomach was louder than that earlier.” He laughed. “So, what brings you here? Business or something else?” he asked hesitantly.  

“Can it be a secret for now?” she replied.  

“Okay. I’m just naturally nosy sometimes.” They both laughed.  

Their orders arrived shortly after. The restaurant served Filipino food, so she was sure she would enjoy the meal.  

“Thank you,” she said when he handed her plate to her. They had initially agreed to split the bill, but when they got to the restaurant, he refused. She felt embarrassed and decided not to order too much, even though she wanted to eat more.  

Just as she was about to take a bite, she noticed someone standing beside them. She looked up—and swallowed hard when she saw her husband’s unreadable expression.  

Was something wrong? BK glanced at Max, and they locked eyes in a silent stare-down.  

“Can I borrow my wife?” BK asked Max bluntly.  

“Wife? Daphne?” Max asked, clearly confused.  

“Yes. Do you see any other woman in front of you?”  

“Oh.” Max turned to her. She forced a smile. “Sure,” he said.  

Without another word, BK grabbed her hand and pulled her away. She glanced back at Max, who just nodded as if to say it was okay. BK even assisted her as she got down from the floating restaurant.

Once they were far enough, BK faced her.  

“Wow! What was that, Daph? Care to explain, my dear wife?” His irritation was obvious in his voice.  

“Come on, it was just dinner—”  

“Just dinner? Do you even think so? What if someone took pictures of you with another guy and sent them to my mom? What would you do then?”  

Her husband had a point. But she really had just gone there to eat. “Sorry,” she murmured, touching her stomach as hunger gnawed at her.  

BK was silent for a moment.  

“What do you want to eat?” he eventually asked, eyes on her stomach.  

“Anything.”  

BK grabbed her hand again and guided her back to the hotel. Once inside, he ordered food to be sent to her room. He even let her pick before they went upstairs.  

“Go sightseeing tomorrow. It’s already late. Just wait for the food and rest,” he said before turning his back on her.  

That was always how he was—turning away so quickly.  

She had no choice but to watch a movie while waiting for the food he ordered. It didn’t take long before it arrived. That was when she realized—there was a lot of food. She glanced at her room door.  

She hoped BK would join her.