Marriage contract with the king

If you ask anyone who knows me, they’ll probably describe me as cheerful, friendly, and… slightly defective in the brain. Okay, not defective. Just… lutang. My name is Cassandra Padilla, 3rd-year college student, professional overthinker, part-time daydreamer, and full-time Hello Kitty enthusiast. I have at least twelve Hello Kitty items in my room, including a pillow, a mug, a pen, three notebooks, and a toothbrush I refuse to throw away even if the bristles look like they’ve been through war. My life is simple. Or at least, it was simple. I live in a small but lively house with my family. My mom runs a barbecue stand right in front of our gate. Not the fancy kind, okay? More like the “isaw, kwek-kwek, fishball, and mystery sauce that somehow tastes amazing” kind. The smoke from the grill is basically part of our daily oxygen. “Cassandra! Bantayan mo muna ‘to!” my mom shouted from inside the house. “Ma, I’m reviewing!” I yelled back while staring at my open notebook… that I wasn’t actually reading. “Review mo mukha mo, anak. Bantay muna!” I sighed and stood up, fixing my Hello Kitty apron. Yes, I have one. No, I’m not ashamed. My older sister, Camilla, walked past me, already dressed up and looking like she belongs in a rich CEO drama. “Try mo kasi mag-focus kahit five minutes,” she said, grabbing a fishball stick. “I focus… sometimes,” I defended. She raised an eyebrow. “Last time you ‘focused,’ you almost submitted your grocery list instead of your assignment.” That was one time. Okay, maybe three times. Then there are my friends. Chaos magnets, just like me. “Bes!” my best friend Lianne suddenly appeared by the gate like a ninja. “May chika ako!” “Libre ba?” I asked. “Hindi.” “Pass.” Behind her was Marco, my self-proclaimed “best friend forever” who I am 99% sure is gay. I mean, he’s soft, sweet, always compliments my outfits, and once said my handwriting is “aesthetic.” “Cassandra, you look blooming today,” Marco said dramatically. “Diba? I know,” I flipped my hair. “Blooming ka kasi late ka na naman,” Lianne added. “Ha?” I checked my watch. Oh no. OH NO. “CLASS KO!” I ran like my life depended on it, almost slipping on a random banana peel that I swear wasn’t there a second ago. Main character vibes? Maybe. Main character survival skills? Questionable. When I finally reached school, I was already late. Again. “Miss Padilla,” our professor called, her voice sharp enough to cut glass. “Care to explain why you’re late?” “Traffic po,” I answered confidently. “Walking ka lang.” “…heavy traffic po sa utak ko?” Silence. Wrong answer. Fast forward to the worst moment of my academic life. We had a presentation. A very important one. And guess what I did? I submitted the wrong file. Instead of my actual report, I submitted a document titled: “Things I Need to Buy Later” Complete with bullet points like: • Fishball • Cat food • New hair tie • Emotional stability “Miss Padilla,” Professor Del Rosario said slowly, like she was trying not to explode. “Would you like to explain this… masterpiece?” “I… believe in transparency, ma’am.” That was how I ended up in the principal’s office. Suspended. For one week. “Cassandra,” the principal said, rubbing his temples. “You have potential. You just don’t use it.” “I was saving it, sir.” “Go home.” So yeah. Suspended. But I’m not the type to just sit at home and do nothing. That’s boring. Also, my mom would definitely make me work full-time at the barbecue stand. So I decided to find a job. Armed with a printed map I found online and zero sense of direction, I walked around the city like I was in some kind of adventure show. “Left… right… straight… or diagonal?” I muttered. Somehow, by pure luck or divine intervention, I ended up in front of the biggest building I had ever seen. Montenegro Company. “Wow,” I whispered. “Mukhang mahal yung hangin dito.” I walked inside confidently. Big mistake. The front desk was intimidating. The receptionist looked like she could fire people just by blinking. “Good morning. Do you have an appointment?” she asked. “Appointment? Ah… oo… meron… sa sarili ko.” “…Excuse me?” “I mean, I appoint myself to be here.” She blinked. “I’m looking for a job,” I added proudly. “Have you submitted your resume online?” “I submitted my presence physically.” “Ma’am, you need to go through the proper application process.” “Process? Like cooking?” “No.” “Ah… like shampoo?” She stared at me like she was questioning her career choices. “Please leave.” “Leave… as in vacation?” “EXIT.” “Ah.” I walked out slowly. I think I did well. As I continued walking, still confused about life, I accidentally stepped onto the road. Not the pedestrian lane. Because apparently, I don’t believe in safety. A loud honk snapped me out of my thoughts. “AH!” A sleek black car stopped just inches away from me. I froze. “Ah… ito na ba ‘yun?” I whispered. “Lord, ang aga naman. Hindi pa ako ready. Hindi ko pa napapanood lahat ng series ko.” The car door opened. A man stepped out. Tall. Sharp features. Intimidating aura. “Are you trying to die?” he asked coldly. “…Hindi po. Trial lang.” He looked at me like I was the problem of society. “I thought… you were an angel,” I added. “…What?” “Pero mukhang hindi. Mas scary ka.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Get in the car. I’m taking you to the hospital.” “Okay lang po. Buhay pa ako. Medyo.” “You almost got hit.” “Almost lang naman.” He sighed like he was losing patience with humanity. Still, he insisted, so I got in. The car smelled expensive. Even the air felt rich. “So… kuya,” I started. “I’m not your kuya.” “Ah… sir kuya.” “…No.” “Sir.” Better. “Where do you live?” he asked. “Dun sa bandang kanto.” “There are a lot of corners.” “Yung may poste.” “There are a lot of electrical posts.” “Yung may aso.” “…That doesn’t help.” “Yung may tindahan!” He looked like he wanted to drop me off right there. “Do you know your own address?” “…emotionally or physically?” Silence. “I think… left?” “You think?” “I feel it.” “This is not about feelings.” “But I’m a feeling person.” He took a deep breath. At that point, I finally looked at him properly. And wow. He was… insanely handsome. Like, illegal levels of handsome. “Grabe,” I whispered. “Kung multo ka, papayag na ako.” “I’m not a ghost.” “Sayang.” He glanced at me, clearly confused. And honestly? Same. I had no idea that this random, almost-death encounter would completely change my life.