Knowing Her

Prologue Most people believe that happy endings do exist, that forever has a place on this chaotic world. But never the Kharissa Julienne. Kung ano man ang ikina-bongga ng kanyang pangalan ay sya namang taliwas sa kanyang pinagdadaanan sa buhay. She just graduated from University. A top student and a student leader, graduated with Latin Honor too. Pero para sa kanya walang value and mga ito dahil na rin sa mga nangyari sa kanyang pamilya. His father left her mother for somebody else, her baby sister died due to terminal illness. She’s living alone in the city away from her mother. Kaya ang tanging iniisip nya ay ang maging matatag, wag maniniwala sa mababangong salita ng kalalakihan at bawal mabuhay dahil sa sasabihin at iisipin ng iba. Will she be able to stand firm on her beliefs? Even after meeting an unexpected person who will turn her life into a roller coaster ride? Chapter 1 Kharissa POV I was staring blankly at the office ceiling, nag iisip ako kung magkano na yung naipon ko sa bangko. Gustong-gusto ko nang umuwi sa province to see how my mother is doing. Dito sa opisina I am tagged as “the Kharissa Julienne, fashion statement & formula expert of Finance” pero hindi ko alam kung matutuwa ako because at 23 I never lived the way I thought I should be. I sighed. “What’s with the deep sighed Ms. Torres?”, a cold voice. Napabalikwas ako nung narinig ko yung malamig na boses ng aking superior. I stood up and answered him. “Nothing Sir. I’m just thinking.” “I can see that. You can go home now, it’s already quarter to seven. Overtime’s over.” “Thank you Sir!” Nag-ayos na ako ng mga gamit nang bigla akong tinawag ulit ng boss ko. “Ms. Torres, can I ask you a question?” “Ano po yun Sir?” Hinintay ko yung boss ko na magtanong pero napakamot na lamang ito sa kanyang batok at winagayway ang kanyang kamay. “Nevermind. You may leave now.” Napakibit balikat na lamang ako at nagtungo na sa elevator upang makauwi. Nasa labas na ako ng building nang tumawag yung kaibigan ko nung college, it’s Nancy. I pressed the answer button. “Hey babe, what’s up?” “Yay! Where the heck are you Issa?”, pasigaw na sagot ni Nancy sa kabilang linya. “I’m on my way pauwing apartment, why?” “What why Kharissa? Did you forget? It’s my birthday and you promised to join us sa bar!” Bigla akong natameme sa sinabi ni Nancy, I can’t make her angry today at totoong nagpromise ako na sumama noong nakaraan. I think of an alibi immediately. “Oh c’mon Nanz, I can’t forget it. I am just tricking you over. Just text me the place, I’ll go there after changing.” I hang up at pumara na agad ako ng taxi. -- I am at the front of the bar, bago ako pumasok I counter check myself first. I am wearing a leather above the knee skirt na hapit na hapit sa akin and a floral chiffon long sleeve croptop top. A black boots at nakalugay na buhok. “Okay! I don’t look haggard at all.”, sabi ko sa sarili ko then I enter the bar. Sinalubong ako ni Nancy with a shot of Everclear. I did it bottoms up for her. Everybody in our circle were cheering because they know what Everclear is, it has notoriously high alcohol volume up to 95% and is advised to drink it with a mixer. Pero kilala rin naming lahat si Nancy, when it is Nancy’s party, no mixer allowed. We will all get wasted like hell. -- Collin’s POV I saw my executive secretary left. Bakit ba hindi ko sya matanong-tanong. I am not so sure, that’s given, kung sya ba talaga yung babaeng nag-jam sa University band five years ago noong last term ko sa pag-te-take ako ng Master’s Degree in Business Administration sa Ateneo. I’ve checked on her curriculum vitae, we attended the same college and the same university, she’s probably in undergraduate and I was in graduate studies that time. All I remember is, I heard some of the male undergraduate students shout something like “Saranghae Issa” and some shouted “idol kita Julienne”. “You seems to be occupied by something Collins.” Napaigtad ako nang marinig ko yung Kuya ko, hindi ko man lamang nalaman na pumasok sya sa opisina ko. “Oh, Kuya. You need anything?” My brother smiled at me. “Alam mo Collins, simula nung natapos mo yung MBA mo at napromote kang head ng Finance Department dito sa company ni Dad hindi na kita nakitang nag-eenjoy.” “Kuya naman, alam mo namang wala sa vocabulary ng tatay natin yung salitang “mistake” at “second chance”. I should do my job well. Hindi ako tulad mo, COO and smarter.” My brother laughed. “Stop praising me bro, halika na!” “Saan tayo pupunta?” “Let’s have a drink bago umuwi ng condo.” He is Clint Dexter, my elder brother and the COO of the company where I work for. And I am Collins Daniel, got promoted as head of the Finance Department of Cleo & Dale Advertising, a thirty year old advertising company owned by our parents, Cleo and Dale De Vera. Our parents also studied business and they were classmates in Yale University, found love at New Haven, Connecticut and got married there. Went home here in the Philippines to build their own empire, along with is, having us, my Kuya Clint, Ate Cleal Dean and me. -- Dumating kami ni Kuya sa bar and it is flocked with party goers. It’s a Friday night indeed. We went straight on the upper deck of the VIP lounge where you can see everyone going wild. I handed my brother a drink. “Kuya Clint, you’re 32, stable and handsome. Bakit hindi ka pa nagkaka-girlfriend?, I asked him out of the blue. He tossed the drink bottoms up then answered me. “Why asked me if ikaw nga 28 ka na Collins and you also never had a girlfriend. Si Cleal lang yata yung papalit-palit ng partner sa ating magkakapatid.” We laugh so hard after Kuya Clint spilled that truth. I placed my glass on the table before confessing to my brother, but I was the one who got surprised to what he told me too. “Alam mo Kuya, I am into this certain lady at the moment. I like her but I am still looking after sa isang bagay na gusto kong ma-confirm muna.” My brother’s eyes went wide. “You too Collins?!” “What do you mean by you too?” My brother just flashed a genuine smile then he said, “I like someone too; she’s from your department, the Finance Department fashion statement and formula expert.” My jaw just dropped like that.