WHAT I LOVE ABOUT US

BLURB: All of us have a story to tell, some are bad and some are happy memory that will make us smile even the ending is tragic. A story that can inspires or ruin your mood, from hope, love, betrayal, trust, and faith are part of the emotional trauma of any person when it comes to a relationship and mine was the same. Maybe it’s mediocre but I want to show you guys the true meaning of life in my own experience, justice if you are being abuse, survival from different kind of situation and a love that never ends. My name is Hannah Louise A. Perez, thirty years of age, only child, my parents pass away when I was in college and my godparents help me to be successful. Now, I am an executive assistant of my best friend whom the only daughter of my godparents. We are close as a family until I found out the whole truth on why they are helping me. Everything goes wrong or would I say everything goes right after all, a crime that no one dare to talk about, a relationship that no one will think might happened and people you will never thought would be the one who will put you in a difficult and harsh situation. How did it happen? I don’t even have a single clue on that, it’s a mere accident that I found out and that is I’m going to tell you on this book. Can I blame the people who help me through the years? Or should I hate my parents on what they did? Neither both, I don’t know what to think! One of my tough times in life, I don’t know who to trust and what to believe. Everyone around me seems they might stab me at the back, all negativity was eating me inside and the anxiety that I felt make me numb. My destiny will create a great story that will determine my faith and my character as a person. A woman who flourishes a good deal of life but behind those amazing things that surrounds her, a little girl who crave on a true love and meaning of a family. She will conquer her fear and put her life in a different cycle. Fate came unexpected and ca be a problem to be solve, but it usually a blessing in disguise that you would know after all. Certainly, it can blow your mind and soul, having all the facts made me paralyzed mentally but my heart still wanting for more. Evidence that so much to take, an eye sore to anyone who would know it and a pain for my heart. I am wounded inside out; my mind can’t think right, and my body weaken so fast. ------------- His kind of life is far more different on what is mine, his culture and ethnicity is so powerful, his physique is authentic and magnetize. Perfect on the eyes of everyone, envy by many but when I knew what inside of his heart, I feel pity on him. First, I regret on what I’ve did seven years ago but, in my thoughts, I am happy that I save a soul from being hurt for his whole life. Second, I feel grateful knowing them and be part of their family, even though I can see the rivalry and envious on some people who is close to him. Lastly, I learned from the mistakes of other, it helps me a lot to move on and forgot what my so-called family did to me. I felt contented knowing myself better by understanding other feelings and experiences. It’s not too late to change for the better and challenge yourself for the best in your everyday life. We are so close yet too far from each other, he likes things that I’ve never tried before, and I didn’t know anything about. He teaches me a lot, from their family culture, laws, and regulations that I need to memorize and follow. His lifestyle and business that are unthinkable, when it comes to business, we have the same perspective and goals. He is a workaholic like me and never sleep until he finishes all his work, a different kind of work that I never thought he could do for a living. A certified playboy and heartbreaker. I am his karma anyway, that’s what he says! Love conquers all like what they say, but for me love will never be love if you don’t know how to act on what is right. It is just a feeling or an emotion that motivate a person to move forward and take a lead to what is better not just for herself/himself but for the good of everyone. It’s a kind of feelings that made you fool and a winner on your own. It can happen to everyone in any time of their lives, nevertheless the situation and circumstances love will define who you are. It’s not only about the person but on all the things that he/she do, family etc.. What more can you ask if you have everything in this world? But no one is being content, people love to invent and do something that they never did before and that’s how the world evolve around us. We want something different; we want our life full of good memories, a great kind of life but still simple and happy. It’s difficult to reach, right? It takes seven years for him to find me after our first meeting and cross our path again. He find me not because he loves me but there is a situation that made him decide to do it. Beyond his playboy image, he is a man with honor, responsible on his action, though deep on his heart he is just a boy who wanted his dream to come true. A simple dream just like anyone, a family that will make him a part of it, a happy and real one and not just an image to portray because there are people who look after them. There is a rebel teenager inside of his authoritarian figure that waiting to explode, a lot of secret of his family made me crazy and want to go back to my homeland. Being ordinary means simple, being on top means perfection, for some it vice versa. People on top doesn’t mean life is perfect, and the other side means useless. Life gives you a mind that works miraculously, it depends on what you believe and make meaning on what you see, feel, and hears. It’s up to you on how things make sense no matter what the shape, color, sizes, and places. Anything can change even a person who has a nothing but themselves, we have a sense of choices and a better understanding of what is going to happen or not. We all know the consequences of our wrongdoing and the reward for our achievements, and yet people choose the first one and be good on doing it again and again until they’ve been caught. I am honored knowing him deeper, I cherish those moments that he opens his soul with me, you can be loved and feel loved even in a glimpse. There is no regret after all, losing some people and gain another one is fair enough, though you wanted to share it to your loved ones and family but having no one around but yourself, who cares after all. I don’t feel any pity on myself, the courage and determination to transform my life in different aspects made me love myself even more and of course the people who helped me to make it through. We are a good judge of ourselves and the worst for others, not knowing what they feel and hiding behind their smiles, we create a dilemma that everyone will love and believe in. There is a lot of struggles going on, especially on the language barriers between us, I am thankful on a new technology that arise, an apps that can translate what you are saying and what you type in your cellphone. It is amazing that can helps me a lot on my daily life and situation with them, having a short conversation back then and change to a long ang unending talking in any aspects of life. I like his youngest sibling, a young and talented girl who always spoke to me regarding my country and the life that I had. Culture shocks is really a shocking scenario on me, I don’t have enough knowledge on them just a basics that I learned from the news a long time ago. Becasue, I don’t have a time before, I only study and learned things that needs to my duties and responsibilities. My goal is to finish my study and help my family in business, just nod and do my job is enough for a day. I feel like I’ve been in a cage for all my life and pull out suddenly in a wild forest. In our fast-changing world today, freedom and peace are difficult to attain but being true to yourself and to others made it possible. Imagine yourself in a land full of things you don’t know and food that you don’t really eat, what will you do? Life gives me a solution in any problem that it throws and made me realize that I am blessed enough despite what happened on the past. My present will determine my future and I am not afraid on what is going to happen tomorrow for I know God will give me a strength that I need. Hoping that everything on his hand will come true on the good of the people who will believe on the true meaning of love and a life. Having a new world in your hand, make you easily to decide and do whatever you want, knowing your limitation is only in your mind and create a new story that will help a lot of people including you. All possibilities are within your reach and the universe align you to be successful in anything you desire. That is my motivation in my life since I’ve read a book from their huge library, but I forgot the title I'm sorry for that. ------------- People are good in planning, a good plan and an evil one that can destroy or save a life of someone. I am one of the results of an evil plan of someone, beyond my successful career and amazing lifestyle there is a hideous crime that no one knows. I will tell you a brief history of them, my mother and my godmother were best friend, my godfather had an obsession to my mother, but he got pregnant my godmother and the day before the wedding of my parents an evil plan of him made my mother live in a sorrowful life. My father didn’t know what happened until I’ve been hospitalized when I was twelve years old, I need a blood donor and we are not compatible he decided to check my DNA and then he spoke to my mother about it and the quarrel begins. That time my godparents had already two children one boy and one girl, their youngest is two years older than me. My father was so furious knowing what happened to his wife and nobody knows about it. He makes a revenge to them, but he failed, he tried again until he succeeds but it causes his life, and the ending was tragic. Rumors came along, but what I know that time was they died in an accident. I was studying in Manila while they were in the province, and they hide it all along from me including my identity and no one ever tell me the whole truth. My parents are wealthy than my godparents, they are my parents employees and when they passed away, my godparents took care everything, the company, properties and made them a hero in the eyes of the people, including me. They also taking care of me and made me their youngest child, such a privilege, isn’t it? But I was too young to ask anything and suspects everything then, I am so naïve in any speculations and suspicious reaction. There is a lot of proof for my godfather, because he was the one who donated a blood for me before, he also very kind to me ever since while my mother was so distant and get mad at me whenever she sees that I am getting close to him. I am very close also to my father, I was his princess, that’s why he was so mad when he knows the truth and tried to do what my godfather did. How did I know it? It’s just an accident and I never wanted to ear dropping, I was going to talk about my leave of absence in the company because of my guest/instant husband(another story to tell) came and I heard them talking about the properties and the name of my parents. They are fighting about it and didn’t notice that I am already there. I heard all of it from their own mouth, like what the phrase says; a killer can catch by his own tongue! Because I am an alert person now, I already video and record them before I make myself appeared and called the lawyer immediately. That’s how fast it turned out! They cannot hide and lie again all those things, and they need to face the consequences for what they’ve done to my parents. I talk to them calmly, no tears came out from my eyes, even the whole family was there, the police and the lawyer. I am not into the money or in the company, I don’t even care any of it. That moment, I just wanted to go far away and never came back! I just want to wake up if it was a dream, but it’s not and I need to face and endure all the pain, the betrayal, trust, and love from them was not the same anymore. I’m questioning if they really love me for who I am and not for what I have? I doubted them all after what I’ve learned and settled all in court. Some says, I don’t have a debt of gratitude, but I am deaf and numb those time. I only hear myself, justice for my parents! For the first time, I feel alone and weak I never experience it when my parents were gone because they supported me all the way, but they have an agenda why they did it to me! Now, I don’t have anyone and that’s a breakthrough of my life and my love life, a unique cycle of my life will be going to start. Sometimes being alone is good and no one can see your tears, your loneliness and pain. It molds you into another human being, a person with purpose and can decide by your own will. ------------- His arrival in my life is a perfect timing, he looks like a night and shining armor and help me in all legalities and support that I need. Though, he also has an agenda, but his motives can also help me to get over in all the suffering that I’ve been through. I don’t like him at first, but he is the only way for me to go somewhere I don’t know anything, and I accept the fact that sometimes strangers will help rather than your family or your own blood. Having no one as a family made me realized how strong I am, I packed all the things that is important to me and go with him after the case close. I hired someone that can check my house from time to time and will report to me and talk to my lawyer regarding legal matters about the properties of my parents. Personally, the number one problem that I’ve been encountered is being with him alone, as a first-time couple without a feeling to each other, don’t know each other and now on a single room and bed was a heart beater on me. For him, it’s like normal he said it feels natural and seems he does it before. I laugh as I remember every single moment with him in private, he is so gorgeous, naughty but hard to understand or maybe because I am also naïve on that matter. I started to use google and YouTube for that, I feel ashamed of myself doing those things on my ages. Some girls know it already before they turned eighteen, but I am sooo late bloomer, and I don’t think there is a problem on it. Don’t laugh, it’s true and I admit it! The first night was so embarrassing and disappointing sleeping on a sofa while he is on the huge bed, then waking up with his arm on his warm bed. So sweet, yet I feel timid and blush the whole day while he was teasing me. We became friends not lovers, he was a gentleman with a naughty eyes and hands. I will tell you later the story how we became close after all the mess that I’ve done on their lives. I never feel that way before even I have a boyfriend a decade ago, but he never felt me the way that I feel today. It is a new discovery and understanding of human emotion and reaction, I am more critical and conscious on what I am behaving that sometimes I don’t even understand myself. I need to control my feelings to him, because we are not on the same page, we have different culture and beliefs, and I don’t think I can cope. Even I am his first wife he still wanted more, and he wanted the one whom he loves and vice versa. Ever since I came on their country, I know where to stand myself, how to act and behave accordingly. I accept the fact that I’m there to heal my own wounds and not to be his heart desire. To distract myself from loving him, I focus on different things and not thinking of him, but when were together it’s a different story. He always trying to make me feel comfortable and safe inside and outside the house, he gave me a driver and bodyguard to tour around the city and on the nearby places if he is busy on his business and other personal things. I study their language, went to the gym, and even try a new business in the help of some Filipino in the neighborhood. I started to enjoy life again, but my faith is always being tested. A day before the engagement party for his second marriage he got a car accident that makes the party cancelled. The girl’s family blame me because they think I don’t want him to remarry, I didn’t answer any of their accusations, instead I went to the hospital every day, always by his side and pray for his fast recovery. After a month he regain his strength, but he decided not to remarry again and make a family with me, sounds good right? It was impossible for him to belief knowing that he has a lot of women around him waiting to his proposal. Women from his circle and ready to give him anything just to be with him. Who knows what he was trying to do? Or maybe someone give him those idea to please me, because I am starting a new life without him. Or maybe he can saw a treat from some guy who always beside me and helping me to get what I want in life. Personally, I’m not taking it seriously until one night he opens it up to me, drunk heavily and hopelessly wanting me that moment as a wife. Deep inside I wanted to believe him, so I confess what I think is right and bring all the aces in the table until he passes out. The next day, he wakes up smiling to me as if he was not drunk the other night. I can see from his eyes the smile from his soul, a joy that came from within and an energy of a new beginning. He told to his parents and grandparents what we talked about and as expected they have a different view on that matter, some will say that’s okey and forgot the cultures, while the others say it cannot be happen. Another problem that needs to pay more attention, it will not just an ordinary or simple problem that needs to be solve. It will change the history and culture of most of them and it can carry on the next generation of their family. They talked a lot, even the government and the church get their views and it takes a year to decide. Some problems help you in other ways, just like what happened to us. While their family is busy solving the problem that we arise, it helps my business to grow faster than it could be. Almost all the Filipino working on that city knew the story of mine and it helps the sale and the brand to be known not just in our city but in the whole country. In return of this fast events, I founded a foundation for those people who wanted to start a new business from scratch and outside their horizon. I’m not only cater for those Filipino but for all nationality that needed my help. As I climb the ladder of success, his family suffering from a disease that the doctor cannot tell what it is. His grandparents die simultaneously, and his family blame me again on the incident, they say I am a curse for them. We have a big fight that ended up for me to file a divorce, that make him mad and throw me in a sidewalk that night. I gather all my personal things that I can carry and went to a hotel far away from the city that they live. I start again my life alone but strong enough to face all the burden in my shoulders, I continue my business, but I cannot focus on it. Now the wounds got rub and the pain is deeper, it penetrates my soul that weaken my physical body. It’s like a déjà vu, I remember the people who hurt me form the past and made me cried again. I have a new friend from the business that help me to go on with my life, but still I’m thinking about him. A day become week then become months and he still never contacted me; I became hopeless but need to decide on my own. I went to their house after four months to get all my things and I make sure that he was not there. His sister assisting me, and I am ready to leave when he arrives and don’t let me go. He said the government already sign the agreement and we can plan our grand wedding not our divorce! I am shocked and speechless, really! He never talked about what we argued, and he is still thinking about our future. He is insane and I can feel the dominance of his voice, I don’t know if I can follow my heart now? What do you think? Because I love him so much but don’t want to show him, I demanded an agreement between us and made him mad again! He is like a bull that ready to aim his prey and I quickly put my two hands in my face, I don’t want to see what he can do that time, yet he agrees with a calm voice and embrace me. He still the man who is easy to forget what happen between us, and like what he always told me, don’t dwell on the past because the future is so bright! But it is not yet the ending, there’s a lot more… The announcement of our grand wedding published in all magazines, newspaper, tv and social media. It caught the attention of his ex-girlfriends and demand a huge amount of money for their relationship. They blackmail him, but he is not afraid and face them not in court but in a way that he is expert at. Another chaos before the grand wedding, he has a child in one of her exes and he needs to make a DNA test to make sure. Nevertheless, the situation and problems that occurred, I still supported him and believe him I only wanted him to be honest and true to me even it will hurt and may cause more pain. He understands what I’ve been through, and he promise that it will never happen again. Trusting someone again after what they’ve done is the hardest thing to decide, after more than two years, I contacted my godmother and my best friend for my upcoming wedding and invited them. And a sad news from my best friend, she said my godfather killed himself inside the jail, my godmother got sick, and now a bed ridden. Her older brother arrested from drug trafficking a few months ago and she cannot handle the company and her family alone, so she resigns as a CEO, plus her boyfriend cheated on her. When I heard all those things, I don’t know what to say to her, she became a good friend and a sister to me, and she doesn’t deserve the karma of her family upon her shoulder all alone. I talked to my husband about it, and I wanted to go back to my country, but he refuses, he said it is forbidden to travel before the marriage, even it is emergency there is another way to help them and the company. But I disagree and we have another fight, but this time he never throws me outside(lol). Even though, I wanted to personally help my best friend I just call the lawyer and arrange a video meeting with him together with my husband, who is more eager to know what happened. That is the life of the family that I left, I feel guilty in some point, especially on my best friend who is alone and taking care of her mother. The hotel and resort has no income due of the pandemic, it’s almost a year closed and almost of the employees don’t have a work. I decided to bring my food business there but in Arab style but he also refuse and told me not to care anymore for them, and think about the life that I have right now. A month before the wedding, another problem occurs that made me insane. As their culture, you need to wear a hijab on your head, but I am a foreigner and it’s up to me if I wear it or not. There was an occasion on their house, and I didn’t know that the prince and the king was one of their guests, I went in a living room whereas they are having a tea after the dinner and the king saw me and got mad. The family immediately hide me in a room, give me a cloth to cover my head, neck and face while they are shouting at me, I’m also shouting on their language, and I don’t care anymore until I realize my mistake. They apologize for my behavior, and do I need to also? Of course, that was a king and a prince we are talking to. When they know that I am a foreigner and the wife of the eldest son of the sultan the king also apologizes, and we talk about business and politics. The prince saw me and asked about the business that I started that become hit on the country and he congratulated me, while my husband seeing us talking comfortably, he intervenes and got jealous. He excuses us and goes to our room, never went out until they're gone. He is more handsome when he is jealous, his dark eyebrows almost touch each other, his devilish eyes make me shiver, his lips don’t utter a word, but his body language say it all. I smile but hide it from him and made him angrier. I ask him, about the prince, what he do and who is his wife, the answer is so brief. He just gives me a stare that make me shut up! Another thing that I discovered about him, when he was jealous aside from being more handsome, he is also deadly! I’m afraid of his reaction, I don’t want any trouble anymore; I am tired being strong and alone I wanted someone whom I can hold on and feel safe anytime. Whatever we have right now, I wanted it to be last forever, this is the dream of any woman to be with someone you love. But I was wrong, the secret of his family haunted him, and I am the one who can see the painful experience that he’s been hiding for a very long time. It’s going to explode anytime and that is the only thing that his family has been afraid for. His anger and the danger with it! No one can stop him, no one can handle him if he’s furious and only me can embrace him despite of the bad thing that he did. I thought I can, but I am just a human being, with limitation and weaknesses, that can hate by others if I will show off. How can I handle and tame the most dangerous and most wanted person live?! Please read all the episode and I will make you imagine your future that is bright as a sunshine! Thank you very much for the support! Godspeed!