Chapter 4
1286 Words
I opened my eyes again, signaling the end of my performance. I gently lowered the violin and formally bowed before the crowd.
I hadn’t even stepped off the stage when Mommy approached me.
"It's such a great performance, Brielle. I'm so proud of you. Congratulations, sweetie!"
I gave her a small smile and hugged her. How I wish she were always like this. I often miss the "Mommy" who considers my feelings and preferences, even though she’s never truly far from me.
"Thanks, Mom. I wouldn’t be here without your support."
"No problem, sweetie... Shall we?"
She took my arm and led me toward Tito Emanuel’s guests—or rather, the Da Silva family. Almost everyone from his side of the family was here for his birthday celebration.
"Tasha, Manuel, your daughter is such an exceptional performer. It’s hard not to believe she can do anything! Talented in music, excellent in academics... and with potential in modeling and pageants—what a beauty," Tita Beauty gushed.
Some guests nodded in agreement, but Angelica’s smile was hesitant. Embarrassed, I simply smiled back. Mom beamed widely, while Tito laughed proudly.
I couldn’t help but disagree internally with Tita’s words. There’s so much I still can’t do—and I’ve yet to pursue what I truly want.
"Oh, you should believe it now, B. Talia Brielle is destined to stand out in everything," Tito Emanuel chimed in.
"Not in everything, Papa. I could never outshine you," I replied, making everyone laugh.
"Oh, goodness, Brielle, I wish my daughter would grow up to be like you," one of the guests added.
The conversation soon shifted to business, giving me the perfect excuse to step away. Wearing my emerald bodice dress, I quickly moved to find my close friends. Spotting Merry and Lorena at a table, I made my way to them.
"Babe! You were amazing up there! And gosh, you look stunning—you’ve outshined me again," Merry exclaimed, giving me an excited cheek kiss. Lorena followed with a warm hug.
"I still don’t get why you hide your beauty on campus," Lorena said, her face full of puzzlement as if solving a mathematical equation.
I laughed at her comment.
"Let her be, girl. It’s a rare occasion," Merry interjected. "Now, come closer—I need a photo for i********:!"
We were busy snapping pictures when someone suddenly bumped into me, hard. I tried to steady myself, but someone stepped on the long train of my evening gown.
"Oh, my bad, Brielle. Are you alright?"
I saw Angelica kneeling down to help me up, but her grip on my arm was so tight it made me wince.
"Serves you right, attention-seeker," she whispered venomously. "Remember, Brielle, no matter what you do, you’ll never truly belong to this family."
As I stood, I felt her nails digging into my arm.
"Don’t worry, everyone—just a small accident," she told the guests with a fake smile. Merry and Lorena immediately supported me, concern etched on their faces.
"I’m really sorry, cousin. I didn’t notice you there. Did you get hurt?" Angelica asked sweetly, feigning concern.
By now, I was no longer surprised by her antics. Ever since Tito Emanuel acknowledged me as his daughter, this had been her behavior. Angelica Da Silva was the epitome of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Behind her innocent face was a conniving personality. She had harbored resentment and envy toward me for as long as I could remember, but, of course, the Da Silvas had no clue. To them, she was nothing but kind to me in public.
"Let her go, Lucy! Stop provoking our girl," Merry snapped as she tried to pry Angelica’s hand off my arm. I held Merry’s arm to calm her down, relieved that the guests weren’t paying us much attention.
"Excuse me! I’m not ‘Lucy.’ How many times do I have to tell you that, huh? Social climber!" Angelica retorted.
"And you have such a filthy mouth. ‘Lucy’ suits you better, sounds like your ancestor in hell !" Merry shot back.
"Angelica, stop being so hypocrite! You’re the real attention-seeker here," Lorena added.
"Lorena, Merry, let it go," I said firmly. "Angelica, can you not let your jealousy ruin Tito’s birthday party?"
"What did you just say? How dare you!" she hissed, fuming.
I quickly pulled my friends away before the situation escalated further. I led them inside the mansion.
"That ‘Lucy’ has issues. She’s always picking on you," Merry muttered angrily.
"Shh! Merry, someone might hear you," I whispered.
"What? I’m just stating the truth. She’s so pretentious!"
Once we reached the kitchen, the two were still fuming, so I stepped in to calm them down.
"Guys, enough of that. We should be enjoying ourselves, right?"
Merry took a deep breath and posed dramatically as if meditating.
"You’re right, babes. Good vibes only... inhale... exhale... Anyway, I have some tea!" She raised her eyebrows alternately, grinning mischievously.
"If it’s about your dumb ex, don’t bother, Merry Christina. We’re already annoyed with you," Lorena teased.
"It’s not! I’ve moved on, okay? This is fresh gossip—straight from Ella," Merry said, winking.
"Ella? That classmate of yours who’s a certified gossiper? And you trust her?" Lorena asked incredulously.
I grabbed some snacks and drinks from the counter, setting them down for us to munch on while Merry spilled her so-called tea.
"Yes! Say what you want about Ella, but she tells the truth. Remember how she was the first to spill that Sir Baguio was dating Edith?" Merry smirked triumphantly.
"Anyway, here’s the scoop: Crixx Montalgo was sent back to the Philippines and will finish his senior year at DSU!"
I frowned in confusion. Montalgo? I thought there were only four of them.
"So what if he’s back?" Lorena asked, unimpressed.
"Ugh, Lorena, you’re so clueless about these things! The rumor is that Crixx messed up big-time in the U.S., got expelled, and his dad sent him home. But what’s odd is why he’s finishing at DSU. There are plenty of prestigious universities here!" Merry turned to me. "Right, babes? Isn’t the Montalgo family the Da Silvas’ biggest rival?"
I swallowed my bite of cake before responding. I didn’t know much about the Da Silva-Montalgo feud, so this piqued my curiosity.
"All I know is that Tito Liam and Emanuel consider the Montalgos their toughest competitors in business and avoid any association with them," I explained.
Lorena rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.
"You know, I have a hunch it’s not just about business. It feels deeper than that. At every business event, they never even greet each other—even when their tables are side by side. It’s like they’re avoiding any interaction entirely."
"Exactly! So why would Crixx enroll at DSU? And why would Tito Emanuel allow it?"
It was puzzling. Tito managed DSU, so he could’ve easily denied the enrollment.
"What could be the root of their feud?" I wondered aloud. "And who is this Crixx, anyway? I only remember Demetri, their cousin."
"Babes, we’ve been talking about him, and you don’t even know who he is?!" Merry groaned. "Okay, listen. Crixx Tevon Montalgo is the youngest of the siblings and a total spoiled brat. Unlike his brothers, who all took business courses, he’s finishing Mechanical Engineering. He’s also notorious for getting into trouble and rarely being seen with women—no girlfriends, no flings, nothing. It’s odd since his brothers are total woman magnets. But don’t think he’s gay, okay? He’s got that bad-boy aura."
I quietly ate my pasta, letting Merry ramble on. Now I was curious to see this Crixx for myself. Time to stalk him on f*******:.
- Writer
