The CANIS’s heart (English Version)

MAXINE navigated the muddy road towards the tricycle stop. It was the first day of classes and she couldn’t afford to be late.

 

 

She was studying at Wilford University, a prestigious and renowned school where only the rich and famous could gain admission. She didn’t belong there. Her mother was a maid, and she had been serving the Alfonzos for ten years.

 

 

She wanted to be annoyed. Not a single tricycle passed by when she was in a hurry, and the sky was starting to darken.

 

 

Her frown deepened when a black car sped past her from behind. Mud almost splashed on her uniform. It was Beatriz’s car, the only daughter of the Alfonzo couple. The couple was kind, but Beatriz was the opposite. She was incredibly snobbish and arrogant.

 

 

MAXINE immediately went to the restroom upon reaching Wilford. She carefully looked at her reflection in the mirror. She shook her head. She was just entering the university, but she looked like she was already going home. She wasn’t a rich kid who was chauffeured to school in fancy cars. So before she reached the university, she was already exhausted.

 

 

After retouching her makeup, she walked out of the restroom when two girls deliberately bumped into her. She dropped her books. She immediately bent down to pick them up.

 

 

“Sorry,” said one girl, her voice obviously insincere. “I didn’t see you.”

 

 

“Served right,” said the other girl, laughing.

 

 

She chose not to fight back and just continued what she was doing. She was used to it. This had been her life since she started attending Wilford. But she had no choice but to endure it. She didn’t want to waste the opportunity given to her by the Alfonzo couple. In fact, she was graduating this year with a degree in BHRM.

 

 

THE first class was over. And since Maxine’s next subject was at two o’clock in the afternoon, she decided to go home first.

 

 

As she always did, she walked to the station. It was walking distance from the school, so she patiently walked there every day.

 

 

Soon, it started to drizzle. She ran. Thankfully, she reached the bus stop before the rain poured heavily. She took out a handkerchief from her bag to wipe the raindrops off her face when the wind suddenly snatched it away. She quickly took a step to catch the handkerchief, but a motorcycle sped towards her direction. She managed to dodge it but lost her balance.

 

 

She let out a sharp scream before falling. She also saw the motorcycle rider fall and spin.

 

 

She tried to get up. She knew the motorcycle rider was more hurt.

 

 

“Hey, are you okay?!” she asked in a loud voice as she slowly approached him. He was wearing a helmet so she couldn’t see his face.

 

 

She helped the motorcycle rider get up until he could sit down.

 

 

“Are you okay?” she asked again. But she didn’t expect her reaction when he took off his helmet. There were many handsome guys in Wilford, but the man in front of her seemed extraordinary; his eyebrows were moderately thick, his nose was sharp, his lips were rosy, and his slightly slanted gray eyes added to his charm. How could such a handsome creature exist in Sta. Monica? He must be a stranger, she thought.

 

 

“Are you stupid?!” the man shouted, bringing her back to her senses. His eyebrows were furrowed as he stared at her. “You’re just gonna cross without looking if there is a vehicle or not?!”

 

 

Her admiration for the man seemed to vanish like a bubble. Her ears buzzed and she let out a breath. He called her stupid.

 

 

“W-what did you say?” she asked incredulously. “Hey, Mister, I got hurt too, you know! And look at my uniform, it’s dirty! Who’s the one driving fast like they own the road!”

 

 

The man just raised an eyebrow, a seemingly irritated smile playing on his lips. It was weird, but he seemed even more handsome when he was angry.

 

 

“And now it’s my fault. Do you have any idea how much my Harley Davidson is? Even if you work the entire part of your life, you cannot pay for this!”

 

 

She discreetly looked at the motorcycle. She swallowed nervously when she saw that the left side mirror was broken. She didn’t know the brand of the motorcycle, but based on its class, it looked expensive.

 

 

The man suddenly stood up and walked towards the motorcycle, so she looked up at him. He was tall. He must be a basketball player.

 

 

After a while, the man started the motorcycle and sped away. She was about to protest, but he was quickly out of sight. In anger, she stomped her foot on the road and followed the path the man took with teary eyes.

 

 

Maybe he was also studying at Wilford, he was so arrogant! She muttered to herself.

 

 

MAXINE’S nose was about to smoke with anger when she got home to the mansion. Perlita was surprised to see her daughter’s appearance, although she didn’t ask any questions, and Maxine didn’t want to talk about it. She went straight to the maid’s quarters and took a bath.

 

 

MAXINE first went to the vegetable section. Her class was in the afternoon, so she volunteered to go grocery shopping instead of her mother, Perlita. She checked the list again before starting to choose. She was about to grab a whole cabbage when she felt someone’s hand on hers. She automatically turned to her side only to have her eyes pop out.

 

 

“You?!”