CHAPTER 5: The Name in the Mirror
1518 Words
BELA POV
I woke up with a hiccup and a dull, pulsing migraine that throbbed behind my eyes like a second heartbeat.
My body felt heavy. My limbs sluggish. My throat dry as sandpaper.
I didn’t sit up right away. Just lay there, staring at the ceiling, letting the weight of the morning settle over me like an old blanket I couldn’t quite shake off.
Was it real?
Or had my mind finally cracked under the pressure of everything—grief, guilt, longing—and conjured up someone who wasn’t even there?
I closed my eyes again, trying to remember.
His face.
That man from the club.
Tall.
Broader than I remembered.
His jawline sharper.
His eyes darker.
Familiar.
So painfully familiar.
But no.
It couldn’t be.
Could it?
I blinked hard, willing the image to go away.
Maybe it was just exhaustion.
Or the drink they swapped without me noticing.
There were too many people in the world with similar features. Too many men who could look like him. It was impossible—unrealistic—to think that after all these years, I would run into *him* in a crowded Manila nightclub.
Still, my stomach twisted at the memory.
And worse, I hadn’t even gotten a full look.
Just enough to scare myself into running.
Again.
Like always.
I groaned softly, rolling onto my side. The sheets clung to my skin, damp with sweat. I was burning up.
Definitely sick.
I reached for the drawer in my bedside table, hoping to find something—anything—that might help with the pounding in my skull.
I opened it slowly.
Empty.
Not even a single paracetamol left.
Of course.
I sighed, pressing the heel of my palm against my forehead.
Then the door creaked open.
“Bela,” Marianne’s voice came through, soft but laced with concern. “Just what are you thinking, sleeping on the floor? If only I decided to get an OT at work, then you might really be sleeping on the cold floor and getting sicker.”
She stepped inside, holding a small basket with a towel and a basin filled with water. Her brows furrowed when she saw me curled up in bed, still in yesterday’s clothes.
She set the basin down and walked over.
Without a word, she wrung the towel and placed it gently across my forehead.
The coolness sent a shiver down my spine.
I shifted slightly, letting out a weak sigh.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, barely above a whisper.
Marianne sat beside me, her fingers brushing a strand of hair from my face.
“You don’t have to apologize,” she said gently. “You’re not well. That’s all.”
I swallowed hard, feeling the guilt crawl up my throat.
“It’s just… I don’t know. I feel like I’m falling apart again.”
She gave me a sad smile. “You’re not. You’re just tired. And maybe… you’re still healing.”
I nodded slowly.
I wanted to believe her.
I really did.
“But Bela?” She hesitated. “Promise me you won’t go back to places like that. Not alone. Not like this.”
I looked away.
“I didn’t plan to,” I murmured.
She studied me for a moment, then sighed. “I know how strong you’ve become. But some things aren’t meant to be faced alone.”
I let the silence stretch between us.
Because I knew she was right.
And because I also knew that the weakness she saw in me last night wasn’t just about being drunk or dizzy.
It was about seeing a ghost.
One I wasn’t ready to confront.
“One of these days,” I whispered, almost to myself, “maybe I’ll stop imagining things.”
Marianne tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
I shook my head quickly. “Nothing. Forget it.”
She didn’t press further. Just leaned forward and kissed my forehead.
“Rest,” she said softly. “I’ll come back later.”
As she got up to leave, I suddenly remembered something.
“Wait,” I called out.
She turned around.
I forced a smile. “Nah, I’m good, sister. What is it? You can ask me now.”
She hesitated, then smiled back. “Since you already graduated, do you already found an employer or company you want to apply with?”
I thought about it.
Honestly, I hadn’t been looking seriously. I told myself I needed time to breathe, to recover. To grieve properly.
But we both knew time was a luxury we couldn’t afford.
“Well,” I started slowly, “I know you just got out of school, and I know I should want you to rest before jumping into work…”
She paused, her expression softening.
“But Mom needs help,” I continued. “And so do you.”
Marianne’s shoulders dropped slightly.
“She mentioned that some past friends of hers accused her of plagiarism. Ever since then, even the few customers she had stopped coming.”
I nodded. “I understand.”
“And…” I added, forcing a small smile, “It’s actually my plan to get a job as quickly as possible, to help you and Mom..”
She gave me a long, searching look.
“That’s not your burden to carry,” she said quietly.
I shrugged. “It’s mine now.”
She exhaled, then smiled.
“Okay,” she relented. “If you're already fully decided, then what can I do?”
I grinned. “Exactly. So if I ever need help finding a backer for Mom’s flower shop idea, you can just say yes.”
Marianne laughed softly. “Sure. But I’ll let you find your own employer first.”
I chuckled. “Deal. As long as he’s generous and kind.”
She rolled her eyes playfully. “Yeah, yeah.”
She stood up, handing me a magazine.
“This is from my friend. There's so many hiring information in there that you can choose from.”
I took it with a grateful nod.
“Thanks, sis.”
She patted my leg before heading toward the door.
“I’ll see you later. Take care.”
I kissed her cheek. “You too.”
Then she was gone.
I flipped through the pages lazily, scanning the job listings.
Most of them weren’t bad. Some were decent enough. A few even looked promising.
But I wasn’t interested in just any job.
I wanted something stable.
Something that paid well.
Something that could lift us out of this mess.
I scrolled through my phone, checking background info on the companies listed.
Ugh.
Half of them were shady.
One even had rumors about not paying employees on time.
I groaned and tossed the magazine aside.
This was going to take longer than I hoped.
I was about to close my eyes again when something slipped out from between the pages.
A flyer.
I picked it up curiously.
And froze.
KyTech Corporation.
One of the largest multinational conglomerates in the world.
And somehow, impossibly, they were hiring.
For an exclusive secretary position.
I blinked.
Then read it again.
||Salary: 80,000 PHP per month.||
||Benefits: Health insurance. Paid vacation. Travel allowance. Performance bonuses.||
||Requirements: Bachelor’s degree. Excellent communication skills. Strong organizational abilities. Discretion.||
I met every one of them.
I stared at the paper like it had grown wings.
This was it.
This was the break we needed.
I could picture it already—paying off our debts, helping Mom start her dream flower shop, giving Marianne a chance to breathe.
I didn’t hesitate.
I grabbed my laptop, typed in KyTech’s official email, and sent them my resume.
They responded within minutes.
||Thank you for your interest. We will review your credentials and contact you shortly.||
Then another message followed.
||"Your qualifications are impressive. Please submit the remaining requirements by tomorrow. Interview schedule will follow."||
I sat back, stunned.
They actually considered me.
Even though I was newly graduated.
Even though I had no formal experience in corporate work.
But I had seminars. Internships. Leadership roles. Recommendations.
And apparently, that was enough.
I breathed deeply.
This was happening.
I was actually applying to KyTech.
I didn’t allow myself to dwell on the name.
On the history.
On the man who might still be tied to it.
Instead, I focused on what mattered.
Me.
My family.
Our future.
I spent the next hour cleaning the house, folding laundry, and organizing the kitchen shelves. Anything to keep my hands busy while my mind raced.
Mom would be home by afternoon.
She had a night shift today.
We rarely saw each other anymore.
I hated that.
But I understood.
We were surviving.
Piece by piece.
Day by day.
I glanced at the flyer again.
KyTech.
It felt surreal.
Only yesterday, I was lying on the floor, dizzy and broken.
Now, I had hope.
Real, tangible hope.
I didn’t know where this path would lead.
But I knew one thing.
I was ready.
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♣️ END OF CHAPTER 5
- Writer
