c5

I took a deep breath to calm myself before hailing a tricycle that was passing by. I paid the fare, and then the driver took me to the corner where I could catch a bus. When I arrived at the bus stop, I saw a few other people who seemed to be waiting for a ride.

Getting on a bus here is quite a challenge, and the tricycle drivers in our area only go as far as the corner of our village. I just sat in the waiting shed where some people were also waiting for a bus.

Other vehicles were passing by, but they were all cars. I couldn't afford to take a taxi or use a ride-sharing service because I was trying to save money. Taking the bus was cheaper for me. I waited for a few minutes until I noticed a black SUV suddenly stopping near the waiting shed.

In fact, it came to a halt right in front of me, and I recognized the car. It was my boss from the Vet Clinic, Chester Angeles. I was surprised that I hadn't realized it was his car when it stopped.

"Come on, hop in. We can go to the Vet Clinic together," Chester said with a sweet smile.

Yes, Chester Angeles was in the SUV, my boss from the Vet Clinic. Why hadn't I realized that it was his car?

"Uh, no, thank you. I think a bus will come soon," I replied, feeling a bit shy.

He sighed, "Come on, Ysabel. You might end up waiting for a while for a bus. You might be late for work. Come on, hop in," he insisted.

I hesitated, glancing at the other people waiting at the shed. They were also looking at Chester and seemed to recognize him, which was probably why they were reacting this way.

"Well, people are talking about us here," Chester said with a laugh.

I felt embarrassed about the attention and finally decided to get into the car. After all, it would save me some money because he was giving me a ride. I also didn't want to risk the gossip from the people waiting at the shed.

I quickly got into the front passenger seat and fastened my seatbelt. Chester started the car, and we drove away.

"It's a surprise to see you so early today," he commented.

"I was worried about getting stuck in traffic again like yesterday, so I left home early," I explained.

"Well, it's a good thing that the traffic situation was resolved quickly yesterday. There was an accident because a car lost its brakes, and the driver of another car was drunk. Fortunately, an ambulance arrived promptly, and only a few people were injured. They managed to rescue the driver trapped in the car," he explained.

"But it seems like what happened yesterday wasn't just an accident," he continued. "There was no CCTV in the area, but a witness saw it all. Apparently, two cars were chasing each other, and no one knows why. According to the witness, the drunk driver was ramming the car he was chasing from behind. The driver and the surviving woman in the car he was chasing were both injured. The drunk driver managed to post bail quickly."

"Why would someone chase another car like that? Did he catch his girlfriend cheating or something?" I wondered aloud.

I noticed Chester's forehead furrow as he looked at me. I wondered why he was staring at me like that. Did I have something on my face? Wasn't I looking presentable today?

Even though I don't have much money, I was born beautiful, and I take pride in that. I have a stepsister named Ryzza, and she's jealous of my looks.

I was born with natural beauty, and I'm proud to say that. I'm not lying or bragging; it's the truth!

"What are you looking at? Is there something on my face?" I asked.

I saw a small bruise on the side of my lip.

"How did you get that bruise? It's impossible that you tripped because you're not clumsy," he said.

I checked my reflection in the mirror on the car's sun visor. I saw the bruise that Chester was talking about. It was a small bruise on the side of my lip.

"I was slapped twice," I admitted, which surprised Chester.

"Who slapped you? Did you have an altercation in your village?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Ryan? He's a man? No way! He's gay! He doesn't have the guts! He can only hurt women," I laughed as I responded.

It's true; he's a coward. He can only physically harm me because I'm smaller than him. But when he's confronted by people bigger than him, he's terrified.

He's a mama's boy, actually. He runs to his mom to complain if someone picks a fight with him that he can't handle.

I can't help but wonder why some girls in our village find him attractive. I find it disgusting. The girls in our village must have poor taste. Why would you choose a guy like Ryan when there are better options?

In my opinion, he's not even handsome; he's just fair-skinned. Besides, he's lazy and a drunkard!

My goodness! He's a mama's boy! He runs to his mom whenever he's faced with people bigger than him!

That's why I can't help but wonder why some girls, especially those who hang around at our store, are interested in Ryan. They look pathetic. Is it possible for them to like a guy like Ryan, especially when they find out what he's really like? He's much larger than me but also a lazy drunkard.

I realized that Chester was frowning, most likely because of what I was saying. He had no idea about my stepmother and her kids' abusive behavior, as they were good at pretending and putting on a show for others. Chester probably thought they were treating me well, but in reality, they were terrible people.

"Is it true that they've been hurting and mistreating you?" he asked.

I hesitated for a moment before I could respond.