I saw my ex, Ethan, who had caused me so much pain and heartache.Despite my better judgment, I opened the door, and there he was, standing in front of me, looking sad and desperate."Please, can we talk?" he begged.I sighed and shook my head. "I don't think that's a good idea.""Please, just hear me out," he pleaded.I paused for a moment, considering his request. I knew that it was probably a mistake, but a part of me still wanted to hear what he had to say."Fine," I said, reluctantly. "Come in."He stepped inside, and I closed the door behind him. We stood there in silence for a few moments, neither of us knowing what to say.Finally, he spoke. "I know I messed up, and I'm sorry. I never should have treated you the way I did. I miss you, and I want us to be together again."I shook my head. "It's too late for that. I can't trust you anymore, and I can't put myself through that kind of pain again.""But I love you," he said."That's not enough," I replied. "Love isn't just about wo
I woke up the next morning, feeling a sense of anticipation as I reached for my phone. I had agreed to go out on a date with Miguel, and I couldn't help but wonder if he had texted me back.As I unlocked my phone and checked my messages, I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. There were no new messages from him.I frowned, wondering what had happened. Had he changed his mind about going out with me? Or was he just busy with something else?I decided to send him a text, trying to keep my tone casual. "Hey, it's Andrea. Just wanted to see if we're still on for the date?"I hit send and waited anxiously for a reply. But as the minutes ticked by, there was still no response.I sighed, feeling a sense of disappointment. Maybe I had been foolish to get my hopes up so quickly. After all, I barely knew this guy. He could be just like all the other men I had dated before.But at the same time, I couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration. Why had he agreed to go out with me if he wasn't ev
I left the restaurant feeling terrible about what had happened with Samantha and Angelo. I didn't know what to do or how to fix things, so I just went home, hoping to clear my head and figure out my next move.But as I opened the door to my apartment, I was surprised to see my aunt Clara sitting on my couch, weeping uncontrollably. I rushed to her side, trying to figure out what was wrong."Aunt Clara, what happened? Why are you crying?" I asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.She looked up at me, her eyes filled with tears."Andrea, it's Max. He's in the hospital and he's in critical condition. He's been having terrible throat pain and needs surgery as soon as possible," she said, her voice shaking with emotion.I felt my heart sink. Max was my little cousin, just a kid. The thought of him being in the hospital and in pain was unbearable."What can we do, Aunt Clara? How much is the surgery going to cost?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady."A hundred thousand pesos!"When she
"Miss," I swiftly sat upright on the black leather couch I was resting my arms on as I heard a scratchy voice coming from behind me. "Here, sign it!"The gentleman who is seated in front of me gave me a brown envelope. He is a bit older based on his appearance, and I would assume the man is in his early to mid-forties."Ok sir," I let out a long, deep breath and took the package from his hand with great care. I opened the cover, removed the documents, and then grabbed the pen that was sitting on the table.I am unable to prevent myself from gulping down much saliva as I fix my gaze intently on every clause of the contract that is stated in the documents. If I go through with signing this contract, I won't be able to talk to, or visit my aunt Clara or Max for an entire year.In another part of the deal, it says if I break the agreement, I will be responsible for paying back twice as much as I was originally offered. Consequently, this is a delicate deal, and I must adhere to it no mat
"How about this?" I asked as I strolled out of the dressing room. The midi lilac dress sits a little below my knee when walking and standing, rising a few inches higher when sitting. For my tastes, that's not a comfortable degree of sexy. A lot of women look amazing in mini dresses, and perhaps I would too, but I always felt that I wanted a longer length in dresses since I'm not used to such clothes yet. "Hmm, it's not too bright on your skin. Go change into another one!" The older lady with transparent glasses resting on the bridge of her nose, harshly said to me. She had hands placed on her waist as she stood beside the full mirror in the clothing store. She is the one in charge of dressing me up, and my life has been hell since we arrived at the store.The two ladies that brought me here were also present. They stayed closer to the entrance of the dressing room, hoping to help me out whenever I needed assistance with any dress. This dress I'm about to pull off now, is the fift
The more I think about everything happening, the more I get confused. I was wondering if, this young lady right here, is the real daughter of the family which Mr Paulo talked about. But he told me she is still in the US and would be back after I have finished my obligation to the family. "Who is she?" The young lady's charming tiny voice instantly brought me back from my thoughts. When I turned to look at her, she pointed at me with a much-disgusted expression. Seeing the way she was seizing me up with much hatred in her eyes, I became uncomfortable. "She is your new elder sister, so, accord her with respect." Mrs Dela Cruz replied as she saw how I looked a bit down with the lady's statement. Introducing us as sisters simply means, this young lady is their daughter as well. But why hire me in the first place when they have daughters? I was surprised, and still hoping to know the reason behind it. "My sister?" She rolled her eyes nonchalantly and continued; "But she doesn't loo
"She was adopted?" I inquired with a focused gaze at Rosa. Following my question, the two girls remain quiet, none of them seems to want to answer what I asked. I guess their silence means Alice was indeed adopted. The thought of her stand in the family kept amusing me with the way she acted rudely towards me last night. So, she was just their adopted daughter? I was baffled. "Miss beautiful, go take your bath quickly. The time is against us." Kate said, and I gently stepped into the bathroom. A few minutes later, I came out, all my hair wet. Both of them moved closer to me and made me sit in front of the mirror, as they attended to all my needs without making me lift a finger. Rosa that went out a while ago suddenly walked back into the room; "This is the dress you will be putting on." She uttered as she pointed to the black glitter dress on her left arm. "Oh, thank you," I gently collected it from her hands, and stared intensely at the dress. It's a long black dress, covered
"Mom," Alice called out with a low grunt as she moved closer to Mrs Dela Cruz. I couldn't believe my eyes, seeing how Alice instantly switched her evil mood to a victim one. My mind was racing with thoughts of how I could explain what had happened to Mrs Dela Cruz. I had simply commented how Alice was adopted because I was furious. But Alice had taken it the wrong way. Before I could even begin to speak, Alice broke into mischievous sobbing and ran to our mom, telling her how I had treated her badly and called her "adopted."My heart sank as I watched my mom's face turn from confusion to anger. "How dare you call her adopted? You have no right whatsoever to do so!" Mrs Dela Cruz yelled angrily."I'm sorry, it won't repeat itself anymore," I pleaded, not wanting to drag the issue. I can only blame Alice for everything. I can see how evil she can be and I need to avoid her at all costs. Kate and Rosa quickly left, leaving the three of us alone. I guess they don't want to get into