A KISS FROM THE UNDERWORLD

ANGELA’S Point of View My disaster started from my father's wedding. My father, James Roberts is a good father and a husband. It’s seven years since my mom left. During that time, I knew that dad wanted to be happy too and the only way was to find a woman where he would take care of dad and love him completely. Oh! I should have been very happy but I am crying now... I’m just indeed happy for dad. His long wait is over, the woman for her new world came in. I fixed myself when my make-up was ruined because I was crying. The make-up artist will be angry with me because the make-up will be completely erased. I sat down in one of the vacant seats. I can see how father smiles in joy when he holds Amanda’s hand. Amanda Sanders is not a different person to me. I know her two months ago, she is my father’s assistant in our small dry and laundry business.We owned and operate a ten-year-old small and dry laundry business called The Angel’s happiness, this is the business owned by mom and just continued by my father. It was next to mine’s name when my mother was still alive, she told me they planned it and just operated it right after my twentieth birthday. All though, it wasn’t good booming like others but I’m glad to have it as mom and dad put up the business for my future. Since I don’t like doing laundry and managing it, I started to find a job that coordinates with my course and that is hotel and restaurant management I really dreamt to be a hotel manager someday, and the only way is to get the job done in one of the five-star hotels in my country. I did. I started my job recently as a receptionist. When I say recently, it means one month ago. I just continued my receptionist job after I moved out from a three-star hotel. I can say that the receptionist is hard work especially when you need to stand the whole day more than sixteen hours if needed and if the job is calling you but I enjoyed it a lot since when I was twenty-three and started joining a three-star company. Since then I started imagining myself as a hotel manager or even one of the luckiest women who can have her own hotel. Even during my childhood days, I love imagining and dreaming things because I always think I will get success one day. When the priest announced that they will be bound to be a husband and wife I started to stand up wanting to be the first one to greet them especially my dad. I ran in front of them enthusiastically and wanted to greet my father when they were walking passing the entrance door. “Dad, congratulations!” I said smiling as I threw towards them the petal flowers inside the small basket I was handling. “Thank you so much, Angela. I thought you would not agree about what my decision is since it is just recently that we are dating,” my father said making his voice trail with disappointment. I gave him an apologetic look and did not let a smile paint away. “Of course not, dad. Please don’t be serious. You deserve to be happy.” Amanda moved forward and gazed at me. “Thank you so much too, Angela. You are a good child. You always think of what is best for your father,” she said making her voice sweet. “Please don’t mention it. We are now a happy family.” She smiled back as I smiled too. Then after the wedding ceremony, they are going on their honeymoon. I already booked them in the hotel where I worked. They gave me a fabulous discount of seventy-five percent so it wasn’t that bad and pricey after all since it is a five-star hotel. I am pertaining to Hotel Heaven Hunters. The only three H, a five-star hotel located in the center of Manila. From here in the church will just take one and half hour travel going there. But from my father and I’s home, the St. Francis subdivision in Jasmin drive, Pasay city, it will take almost two hours depending on the traffic. Good thing that there are called trains that allow you to travel faster than the usual or ordinary traveling vehicle. I proceed to assist some guests going to the hotel where the reception is. After this wedding, Amanda will live in our house and I might call her auntie but not mom since she is not my biological mother. It took three days after my auntie and dad came back. I guess they enjoyed the two-nights stay in the hotel since the hotel has its own resort and the view is splendid and one of the tourist attractions. Maybe I could ask my boyfriend Vincent that our reception for our planned wedding will be in the grand hotel too, the Heaven Hunters Hotel. It's their second day in the house when auntie and dad are living together. I saw some shopping bags in our main door this morning when I came in after my night shift schedule. What are those a lot of paper bags doing there? I immediately asked Mrs. Claudia. “What are these bags doing here, Mrs. Claudia?” Mrs. Claudia is the sixty-year-old woman who took care of the house after my mom. She hesitated to answer me then I made a sharp look for her to spill it but it didn’t happen when Amanda arrived. “Darling, there are things you shouldn’t butt-in. Just let my bags park there for a while. I’m gonna bring it up in our room later.” I made a questioning look when I saw two people behind her. Who are they? What are those two doing here? Are they going to rob our house? But they don’t look like a thief or a robber. They look good from their appearance. The lady has a look similar to Auntie Amanda. I stopped by that thought. Wait a minute! Are they somehow related to Auntie Amanda? I guess I should have asked this question to Auntie Amanda. “Auntie, who are they?” I asked as I kept my eyes glued to them. What I started to get confused about is that they went inside the house straight, especially the lady without checking me first like it was their home. “Hey there, miss!” the man said as if it is another word for hello then continue walking inside our house. “Go inside! Don’t make a mess. Find your dad first and greet him!” Auntie Amanda shouted at them. How are they going to find their father in our house when they are not my family? “Oh sorry to keep you waiting. They are my children. My eldest is David Sanders, he is twenty-nine and my youngest little girl is Maricar which is twenty-five and two years younger than you.” After what she said, she immediately went inside the house leaving my mouth almost reaching the floor as I kept open because of shock. What does that mean? Did she say that the two are going to live here? And why did auntie not mention everything before they got married? Maybe she was afraid that I would stop them because she has children already. Well... How can I be sad? I will be having a big family now. I am not upset with her if she said it late. I don’t have the right to get upset. My father finally arrived after parking the car. At least I can ask him those questions popping into my mind. “Dad, are they going to live here?” I am referring to my auntie’s children. “Yes, sweety’. I allowed your Auntie to do so. You know that the house is big and I told you not to be greedy and share something with others right.” I nodded. “I just didn’t expect it.” “You will be used to it later on.” “How about those shopping bags, dad?” It’s a lot actually. More than ten bags, I’m not pretty sure since I didn’t count it, just scanned all of them. “Your auntie requested that for her and her children. It’s okay right?” I nodded again. “She is your mom, she has children and we are going to take care of them too. We will be going to have one happy family. So don’t frown and get upset, alright? Can I expect that from you?” I nod as I understand my father. He is a fifty-six-year-old compassionate and very considerate person. I can’t say no to whatever my dad said as what his decision is will be final and I love my dad. I don’t want him to get upset either. Whether I have a choice of none, I still need to accept everything. Everything I mentioned is also accepting their attitude. I finally met them after a few weeks and I got closer to talking to Maricar, the youngest. She is witty and she loves talking when it comes to boys. I even showed her the photo of my boyfriend as she kept asking me to show her my boyfriend’s photo. “Wow! Awesome, you look good together! How many years are you in a relationship then?” “We are going to have our first anniversary together after two weeks.” She made a surprising look. “I can’t believe you maintained your purity. You are twenty-seven right? And it is fine to him? Maybe he is gay.” “Of course not!” I retorted making her take back what she said. “ He is just gentleman enough not to ask for it.” “I can’t believe there is someone like him. Mine, I gave up myself when I was sixteen.” “Sixteen!” My eyes widened in shock. Maybe she just loves warming somebody else’s bed. “You will miss half of your life if you do not taste the sweetest and most delicious thing on earth called s*x,” she said emphasizing every word. Whatever it is, I can’t. I love being pure and I promise myself I will give this to Vincent right after our wedding. After our bonding, I heard some familiar voices outside of my room. “Maricar, I need to leave you here. I will check who’s in the living room. I will be back, okay?” She just nodded at me as she put back the photo frame of me and my boyfriend. I hurriedly go to the living room finding the love of my life. “Oh, Angela. Sorry for being late. I know you invited me for lunch this morning but I can’t go since I have to take care of my mom,” my boyfriend said, apologizing. “No worries. Do you want a snack? I will ask Mrs. Claudia to make you one.” “Oh... Angela, is that your boyfriend?” I glanced at Maricar, my stepsister as she is already peeping against the wall checking my visitor. Why do I sense she's evaluating my boyfriend in a steamy, seductive way? It’s like she’s going to steal him anytime soon.