"Stop crying, I'm not dead yet."Lara couldn't decide whether to laugh or be affected by the emotional outpouring of her two friends.After a week and a half since her near-death experience, Miguel finally allowed her friends to know what had happened to her and visit her."Shut up!" Tasya wiped her tears away. "You always do this to us! I'm scared that next time, we'll just be mourning over your dead body!""Lara, how could you not tell us? We get it that we might not be able to protect you like your husband could, but aren't we your friends? At least let us know what's going on with you," Chester said, his expression serious. His eyes were red from earlier tears."I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean not to tell—""I asked you!" Tasya cut in. "You didn't tell me! If I had known how dangerous your plan was, I should never have agreed to help you! I regret letting you do something without knowing the whole plan!""Tash, I'm sorry... I didn't want to tell you because I knew you wouldn'
Seventeen years ago, Lara did not understand why she survived a massacre and her family didn’t. Even when her mind was etched with the face of their killer, all she ever thought of was giving justice to their deaths. She knew she would see him again. And she was not wrong. Almost two decades passed, their paths crossed again.Now that she stood at the witness stand and she could see the horror in Stefano’s eyes, Lara was convinced that God allowed her to live for that very purpose. To make Stefano pay for the crimes he committed.Earlier, when the man saw her, he was greatly surprised. Perhaps he had assumed she was dead. Well, she couldn't blame him. He saw her condition back then because he was the one responsible for her gunshot wound. But he had miscalculated. It wasn't her time yet.Lara swore an oath to only tell the truth. And that was exactly what she did. But she was surprised by her own composure. She didn’t break down even when she recalled everything that happened many yea
"Big sister, you are so beautiful!!! You look like a princess!" Seven-year-old Lara exclaimed with twinkling eyes full of admiration. Her older sister Lena was currently fitting her gown for her upcoming wedding."Really, Lara?" Lena bent down and squeezed both of her cheeks. "You really are my number one fan!"She gave her sister her big smile, showing off her missing front tooth. Lena had just turned eighteen but she was already set to marry her childhood sweetheart, Migo, in a month’s time. It was still too early, but she could see that Lena was happy with her decision."Do you want to fit your gown, too?" Lena asked.Lara nodded excitedly. She was going to be her sister's flower girl. Of course, she must also have a gown fitting! She will also wear white, like a little bride.Lena helped her put on her gown. Then, they both looked in the mirror."Wow! I also look like a princess! Look at me, big sister!""Yes, you are! Wait, let's take a picture together." Lena took her phone and
Eleven years later..."It’s still very early for such a grumpy face, Señorita!"Lara looked up frowningly at the source of the voice — it was Chester Salas, one of her two best friends. He was tall, dark, handsome and a typical playboy at one glance."So? What do you care, Mister?" She asked with a raised eyebrow."I do care, Señorita, because when you’re grumpy like that, the whole world is affected!" He said dramatically while slapping his own forehead before sitting down beside her."Go away, Chester! Get out of my sight!" She remarked irritably. She was not in the mood for his unfunny jokes. Every time she wakes up on the wrong side of the bed like today, she just can't control her temper. Why was she not in the mood? Well, there’s really no reason. She was just bored with her life."Hey, what is really wrong with you?" Chester asked her, not minding her bad mood. "Wait, where is Tasya? Class is about to start, but she's not here yet."“She’s not coming to school today," she answe
"Divorce?" Atty Baltazar repeated her words as if it was the most unbelievable word ever."Yes, Atty., divorce," she confirmed."Mrs. Villareal," he leaned back on his chair and looked at her intently, like he was wondering what the hell she was thinking. She met the old lawyer's gaze. She needed to show him that she was being serious. She had thought about it for several months and was able to convince herself that it was the right thing to do. She knew she could also convince Atty. Baltazar if he saw the determination in her eyes."Mrs. Villareal," he said again. He clasped his hands on top of his glass table before continuing. "Do you even understand what you’re saying?"She stopped herself from raising an eyebrow. Did she look like she did not understand what she wanted to happen? Her? The Lara Andrade, who graduated summa cum laude just this past month?What she wanted was really simple -- divorce her absentee and overly mysterious husband!Did she need to prove to him that she u
C4 - Proud."Lara," Migo repeated when he didn’t hear from her again. "Are you still there?" Lara’s picture of Migo’s face on her head was vague now. But by the tone he used, she could almost see him frowning at her vividly.His voice… It was no longer the same as how she remembered he sounded. It seemed like his voice became more beautiful. He sounded mysterious and cold and yet Lara felt as though a hand touched her heart.Ah, she couldn’t explain the feeling. "Lara," Miguel started to sound annoyed. "Look, if you don't want to talk, return the phone to George—""I'm here," she cut him, her heartbeat racing. She thought she couldn’t breathe properly. Or was she just very nervous that she was palpitating?She waited so long for this. For this one phone call. For this chance to hear his voice! Finally!"Well, good," Miguel’s tone was serious again. "I want you to prepare your credentials and go to the office tomorrow.""In your office?” She couldn’t believe it.For years, she was te
Lara couldn’t believe it. She graduated Summa Cum Laude but she was given the position of Assistant to the Assistant? Clerical! She wanted to walk out. What did her brilliant husband think of her? Did he think she knew nothing? Given that she was a fresh grad. She could still accept an Assistant position. But to be the Assistant of the Assistant, did Migo think so lowly of her abilities? What insulted her more was what the HR Manager told her. They gave her that position because there was really no vacancy. That if not for her backer, she wouldn’t have been accepted into the company. Yes! The HR Manager was that straight forward! Lara felt like the latter was being personal with her. "I have no idea who endorsed you, but you are referred directly from the office of the CEO. So, I guess he’s someone not to be taken lightly. But don't mistake that because you have an influential backer, you will receive special treatment here," Ms. Salvacion lengthily said. What if she told her
“Have you already seen the CEO?” Lara randomly asked Kylene one boring day while she was photocopying memos to be distributed to the company's various departments. "Mr. Villareal? Not yet. Whenever there’s a meeting, he would only ask till the managerial level. Besides, he has his own elevator that goes directly to his floor,” Kylene answered. The woman was just a few years older than Lara.She also noticed that she was an introvert. She does not join the others in their department. In fact, she was being bullied. They were passing off their paperwork to Kylene. "He’s mysterious even here,” she whispered to herself. "You’re saying something, Lara?" "Nope," she said, shaking her head. She took the photocopied papers to another table and started sorting them."Here’s more. It’s needed in thirty minutes!"The papers that Lara'd been sorting flew in the air when Lizzie slammed a thick folder on the table.If she hadn’t turned her back at once, she would’ve seen Lara’s dagger looks.“L