CHAPTER ONE

MAXINE is walking down the muddy road to the other village. That’s where she attends, Wilford University, a school for the rich, and she doesn’t belong there.

Her mother was a maid, and she had been serving the Alfonzos for ten years. The couple is nice. In fact, they are the ones who send her to school, and in return she helps with the household chores.

She looked at the wristwatch she was wearing. It was eight o’clock, so she sped up her steps even more. Her first subject is at nine o’clock, and she can’t be late.

Annoying! She grumbled in her mind. Not even a single tricycle passed by when she was in a hurry, adding to that, the darkening of the sky.

Her face crumpled when a black car pulled up behind her. Her uniform was almost covered in mud. That car belonged to Miss Beatriz, the only daughter of the Alfonzo couple. As nice as the couple is, Miss Beatriz is the opposite. The woman is filled with curses and a core of pride.

MAXINE went to the restroom immediately when she got to the university. She needs a little face retouch. For sure, she’s just coming in, but she looks like she’s already on her way home. She shook her head at the thought. She is nothing compared to the students who attend Wilford. But if looks are the only basis, she also has something to brag about. She is often mistaken for having foreign blood. But because she doesn’t have a body image, others don’t appreciate her beauty.

After getting ready, she fixed herself and left the restroom. But before she even reached the door, she saw two women enter. She stepped aside to make way. But because of the literally rough behavior of the students attending such a university, they bumped into her. She let go of the books. She immediately bent down to pick them up.

“Sorry,” said a woman who was obviously not sincere when saying that. “I didn’t see you.”

“Served right,” said another woman, followed by laughter.

She is used to it. This is how her life has been since she entered Wilford. If she was the only one to follow, she would have moved to another school. The students who come here are proud and arrogant. Even so, she had to endure for her mother. She wants to give her a good life. Fortunately, she is graduating this year on the ‘hotel management’ course.

MAXINE finished her first class. And because her next subject was at 2:00 in the afternoon, she decided to go home first. Also, she prefers to save her mother’s pocket money rather than spend it at a canteen.

As she always did, she walked to the bus stop. It’s only walking distance from the school, so she patiently walks it every day.

She ran when it started to mist. Fortunately, she reached the waiting area before the downpour got stronger.

She grabbed a handkerchief from the bag to wipe the few drops of rain from her face when the wind accidentally blew it away. She quickly stepped to reach the handkerchief but at the same time as she stepped, a motorcycle whizzed by. She immediately dodged but with the shock she lost her balance.

Her scream echoed as she fell. She also saw the fall of the motorcyclist and his spinning.

She forced herself to stand up to help. She knew that the rider of the motorcycle was hurt more.

“Are you okay?!” she asked loudly and tried to approach the man. He was wearing a helmet so she couldn’t see his face. She helped him up until he sat down. “Are you okay?” she asked again.

But when the man finally took off his helmet, she was stunned for a moment; medium-thick eyebrows, pointed nose, ruddy lips, and added to that, his rather narrow gray eyes. How could there be such a handsome creature here in Sta. Monica? She said in her mind. There are many handsome men in Wilford, but the man she is facing now seems to have something out of the ordinary. And she seemed to be insecure about the smoothness of his face.

“Are you stupid?!” shouted the man. She returned to her senses. His eyebrows met while staring at her. “Are you just crossing without even looking if there are vehicles or none?!”

Her admiration for the person in front of her immediately disappeared like a bubble. Her ears tingled as she heaved a sigh. He called her a fool.

“W-what are you?” she asked in disbelief. “Hey Mister, can’t you see I’m hurt too?! And then look at my uniform, it’s dirty! Who could drive so fast that you thought it was your way!”

The man’s eyebrows arched, an irritated smile flashed across his lips. Weird, but she finds him that cute.

“And now it’s my fault. Do you have any idea how much my Harley-Davidson is?! Even if you work all your life, you won’t be able to pay for that!”

Her eyes flew to the motorcycle. She secretly swallowed 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.

She seemed to catch a glimpse when the man stood up and went at the fallen motorcycle.

A few moments later, the man started the motor and drove away without a word. She was about to protest, but he quickly disappeared from her sight. Annoyed, she stomped on the road and cried as she followed the path he took.

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MAXINES’S face could not be painted when Perlita opened the gate.

“My GOD, Maxine! What happened!?” asked her mother.

“Nothing, ‘Mom. I’ll go shower first,” she replied evasively, and immediately went straight to the maid’s quarters after entering the mansion. She even heard her mother calling her, but she didn’t bother to turn around. She also doesn’t want to talk.

BECAUSE Mrs. Alfonzo had an important appointment, so Simon, the family driver, was not around. Maxine had just commuted to the supermarket. It’s one of the things she does when she’s free and doesn’t have school.

She headed to the vegetable section. She looked over the list her mother had made before starting to pick.

She was about to take a whole cabbage from the hand of the one she caught. She automatically turned to its owner only to have her eyes widen.

“You?!”