A Holiday to Remember [18+] Chris & Valentine

CHAPTER-2

* * Valentine's POV * *

"Val, what’s happening to you there? You just spent one night as a prostitute, and now you’re like this," my friend Anne said to me when she noticed me sulking in the corner of my bed. She works part-time at a club as a 'prostitute' every Saturday night and Sunday night, and like me, she is also a maid. Yes, we work together as maids, and there was one time I joined her at the club for work. Due to problems and financial struggles, I didn’t know where to get money during that time. I needed money for my younger sibling who had dengue and was in the province with my mother and father. I had no money back then, and neither did my parents, so I had no choice but to join her at her job. In short, I became a prostitute for one night and gave up my virginity to someone I didn’t even know.

I met Anne when I started working as a maid for the Anderson family. We've been working together for a year now, so we know each other very well and are familiar with each other's lives. Anne is the one supporting her younger sibling who is studying in college, which is why she works so hard for her brother and her mother, who is suffering from breast cancer. She even entered into prostitution during her days off from work to earn more money. We have two days off a week, which are Saturday and Sunday. Like Anne, I also work hard to support my family because my father's income from farming other people's land isn't enough. On top of that, my younger siblings, Dec and Heart, are still studying.

I also work on our day off with Anne as a waitress at a coffee shop near the club where my friend works part-time. We also stay outside the house together on our days off so that we don’t have to go back to our employers’ mansion, which is far from where we work part-time.

"Don’t tell me that until now, you’re still thinking about the guy who paid for you and took your virginity?" Anne added to what she had said.

"Why would I think about him?" I replied. "What I’m thinking about is what I lost—my virginity that I had kept for so long, hoping it would be for the person I would marry. But it was taken just like that, and the worst part is, I don’t even know the person I gave it to," I answered my friend, holding back my anger at myself for making that wrong decision. Well, I can’t even say it was wrong because, because of what happened, my sister Heart was saved from her dengue.

"What are you talking about, Val? It’s been a month, and you still can’t move on. If you hadn’t done that, your sister Heart would probably be gone by now. So stop overthinking it. Just be thankful that your sister lived, even if the price of that was losing your virginity," my friend bluntly advised me.

"What will my future husband think if he finds out I’m no longer a virgin?" I said.

"Please, stop being so overdramatic. Virgins aren’t really a thing anymore. If the man you marry loves you, he’ll accept you no matter what. And besides, stop being so over the top. First, get yourself a boyfriend before you get married," she said, laughing lightly at how dramatic I was. Anne is right. I don’t even have a boyfriend, and I’ve never had one, even though I have suitors.

I’m just not ready to enter a relationship because I’m focused on helping my family, especially supporting the education of my two siblings. I don’t want them to end up like me, only reaching high school and not finishing their education. So even though it’s hard, I try my best to work for them.

I sighed, my thoughts drifting back to that one night, to that man whose face is now nothing but a blurred memory. I still feel a pang of regret, but maybe Anne is right. Maybe it’s time to let go and focus on the blessings in my life.

After a while, as Anne and I were talking, our two other co-workers, Marlita and Rose, entered the room. Marlita is a few years older than us, already married, and has a family, while Rose is single, like Anne and me. Both of them are incredibly kind and considerate, so I can say that we’re all close here at work. However, they don’t know about Anne’s part-time job as a prostitute during her days off. It’s not something she’s comfortable sharing, and I keep her secret out of respect. All Marlita and Rose know is that Anne and I work part-time as waitresses during our days off, and that’s the story we stick to.

Even though there are some secrets we keep from each other, we respect each other’s personal choices and privacy. In moments like these, I appreciate our friendship even more, knowing there are things that don’t need to be explained or questioned.

Since the mansion always needs someone present, we can’t all take our days off at the same time, so we’re on staggered schedules. For example, Marlita and Rose have their days off together on Thursdays and Fridays, while Anne and I are usually off on weekends. This arrangement allows the household to keep running smoothly, but it also means that each of us doesn’t get to spend as much time together as we’d like outside of work.

Having co-workers like them has been a huge support system for me. Despite the hard and often exhausting work, knowing we have each other’s backs makes each day easier. We’ve shared countless stories and confided in each other about things that trouble us, even though there are still parts of ourselves we keep private. Despite our individual struggles, we manage to help each other get through each day, staying strong through the challenges and even finding small joys together. I may not have family here in the Anderson household, but I do have friends who feel like family, and that makes all the difference.

Their presence gives me strength, hope, and a sense of belonging. Even on days when I’m overwhelmed by everything I have to carry, their smiles, laughter, and encouragement remind me that I’m not alone. In our small ways, we find comfort and companionship amidst the hardships, supporting one another in this journey of life that brought us together under the same roof. We may come from different paths, but here, we are like sisters, sharing burdens and dreams alike.