Jinx Butterfly

On the night of New Year's Eve, I wake up in a hospital ward with an IV drip connected to the back of my hand. A nurse passes me the hospital bill. "It's 300 dollars in total, including the emergency treatment fee and the cost for a bottle of glucose drips." When I turn on my phone, I feel my heart sinking. I only have 29.01 dollars left in my bank account. The wallpaper of my phone is a countdown of my family contract's app. Today is the date when I have to renew my family contract for the year. In order to accumulate enough money to go home, I've been working as a staff member in concert venues. Earlier, I had collapsed backstage, so I was quickly sent to the hospital. The dial tone keeps beeping for a long time. Finally, my mom answers my call in what seems to be a noisy background. "Mom, I'm at the hospital right now. I need 300 dollars to pay the hospital bill." "You're at the hospital?" Mom's voice turns shrill immediately. "Why did you visit the hospital during the holidays? You really are a jinx!" "I fainted earlier. I was working at a concert venue—" "What? So, you refused to do chores at home during the holidays! Instead, you decide to work at a concert venue?" Mom interrupts immediately. "I don't have 300 dollars on me! You'd better come up with a way to pay that bill of yours!" "Mom…" My hand tightens around my phone. "Today is the last day of my family contract's renewal period. I'll renew the contract once I pay the bill." "Renew the contract, huh?" Mom just sneers at me. "That's a part of your duties! How dare you use it against me! Helena Lambert, if you don't renew the contract today, you can forget about calling me 'Mom'!" After that, she ends the call. I can only grip my phone to the point that my fingers turn white. After that, I tap on a social media app in hopes that I can borrow money from my friends, only to see the latest post on the social media feed. My younger sister, Hannah Lambert, has posted a photo collage there. "I'm here with my parents to watch my favorite singer's concert! Snagging tickets to the first-row seats is definitely worth it!" The background of those photos is the same concert venue where I work part-time at. It's the most expensive venue in town. Apparently, tickets cost 2,900 dollars each.

Tinaguriang most eligble bachelor in town, owned a multi billionaire company pero iyon nga lang wala sa vocabulary ni Archer ang salitang "Relasyon o Marriage" para sa kaniya laro-laru lang ang lahat. Hindi niya na raw kailangan ng babaeng makakasama niya pera lang ang mahalaga sa kaniya. Kung usapang tawag ng laman madali lang sa kaniya iyan dahil may pera siya. Nagbabayad siya ng mga babaeng pera lang ang habol at basta na lang binibenta ang laman para lang sa pera. Pero nagbago ang lahat ng iyon sa isang gabi ng pagtatalik nila ng isang babaeng bayaran, sa lahat ng babaeng naikama niya iyong babaeng iyon lamang na may butterfly tattoo sa likod ang kakaiba para sa kaniya. Hindi niya maipaliwanag ang pakiramdam ng gabing iyon. Kakaibang sarap ang pinaramdam sa kaniya na hindi niya kailanman natikman sa mga naunang naikama niya. Ngunit nagising siya nang wala na ito sa tabi niya at nag-iwan na lamang ng isang sulat bilang pasasalamat sa isang gabi na puno ng ligaya. Binalikan ni Archer kung saang bar niya nakuha ang babae ngunit bigo siyang makita pa ulit ito at hanggang sa kasalukuyan ay pinapahanap niya pa rin ito. Hanggang sa nag-krus ang landas nila ni Choleen, ang pamangkin ng isa sa mga katulong nila. Pinasok ito bilang katulong sa isa sa mga resort nila, Doon na nagsimula ang kwento nila, noong una ay akala niya nangbu-bwesit lang ito dahil sa mga sunod-sunod na kapalpakang ginagawa sa trabaho. Doon niya lang nalaman na wala pala talaga itong alam sa kahit anong trabaho at gawaing bahay. Sa tinatagal-tagal nakayanang pagtiisan ni Archer ang pagiging inosente ni Choleen. Ngunit isang madilim na sekreto pala ang nakabalot sa pagkatao nito, malalaman kaya ni Archer na ang babaeng matagal na niyang hinahanap ay nasa harapan niya na mismo.