TWISTED FATE

Chapter 1 CHAPTER 1 • It’s been three days since the incident between me and my parents and I still have no intention of consenting to that arranged marriage. I also locked myself in my room for three days. I have no intention of showing up or talking to my parents because I am still sulking with them. “Baby please open the door. And eat.” Pity Mom said. I was fired because of that. I will open the door as long as they stop their antics. I didn’t answer and instead I called Aera who had earlier called me. It rang three times and she answered immediately. “It’s good that you thought of calling me too. Why don’t you answer our calls? Where have you been and why have you been absent for three days? Do you want to meet me tonight?” Aera was kind to me. I took the phone away from my ear because of her scolding. I immediately pictured Ae’s face with her expression and I’m sure I’ll be hit when I’m with her. Last night she called me but I wasn’t in the mood to answer that because I was still emoting. I couldn”t help but cry every time I remembered the events. “A-aera…” I cried calling her name. I can’t help it. “Hey, are you crying there? I haven’t even hit you yet.” She said jokingly but there was a trace of recollection in her voice. They didn”t even know what was happening to me because I didn”t say. I would have liked to but Dad wouldn’t let me out of the house because I might run away forever and never come back when I tried to do it a few times but unfortunately they always catch me. That’s why I chose to lock myself in my room. I also don’t want to see their faces. “C-can you come here to the house?” I still can’t stop my voice from cracking. “Why? What happened?” “I’ll just tell you later when you get here.” “Aera, who are you talking to there?” Mom still couldn’t stop pitying me, which I ignored. “Okay. Don’t worry I’ll be there in ten minutes.” It’s not difficult for Aera to come here because it’s Saturday and there’s no school so I’m sure she can come. She said goodbye to me because she was going here. Mom also stopped annoying me. Maybe go to work. I got up from my seat and faced the mirror. I smiled bitterly because of my overall appearance. A pale and blast Night is before me now. I don”t eat at the right time because I don”t want to catch them Mom on the chin. My eyebags are getting bigger because of the tears. I got my clothes ready and decided to take a bath. It took me a few minutes in the bathroom before I stopped. I want to feel the cold water so that I can never forget the events After I got dressed I heard a faint knock from the door. “Your friend is here tonight.” Manang’s words. Mom is gone. I left my room and went down the stairs. I caught up with Aera in the living room who was impatiently waiting. She looked at me with a frown mixed with concern. “Hey witch, what happen to you? and your pale?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. I smiled wryly and sat down next to her. The there I burst out everything. I told her everything that had happened since the pageant. “They did that to you? Really?” She asked incredulously. I nodded which caused her to shake. “I can’t believe it. It’s a good thing you didn’t try to run away.” She said still shaking. “Ahm actually I really did that but they caught me.” I will admit. She turned to me with raised eyebrows. I started to back away because I expected her to attack me again but I was stopped when her expression suddenly changed. From a harasser to amusement. “Woah really? But you got caught because you’re weak haha.” Its a joke. Suddenly I was stunned by what she said. Yes I’m weak I can’t defend myself from my parents because I’m weak. Ae’s smile suddenly disappeared because of my expression. It sneezes poorly. “Ahm sorry, I think I popped your ego.” Sorry for this. I circled her. “You don’t have to. Its true.” I admit with a sad expression. Aera lasted at home for two hours and we did nothing but be emotional. She gave me some advice and promised to keep everything I told her secret. It wasn’t that I was hesitant with my other friends but I decided not to report my situation first because they might worry about me. I want at least one of my hobbies to be reprimanded and that’s Ae. When she got home I hurried up to the bedroom because I didn’t want them to catch up with Mom. But it was too late because I was just going up when they entered the living room and they caught up with me immediately. “And last you came out too.” Mom said alive. I just stared at her and was about to go up but I stopped again. “Where do you think you’re going?!” Because of Dad’s shout. I was blown away by the wind and bravely faced him. I need to be tough. “In the room where else?” My bold answer. I saw how Dad wrinkled his palm in anger. I shut him up. “You’re really rude! Be respectful!” Dad said angrily. I smiled bitterly because of what he said. “Rude? You’re the reason I’ve been rude! If only you hadn’t been so selfish, I wouldn’t have been that!” I answer back. “We didn’t become selfish children, we did it for you — for your future. We want your life to be peaceful when you graduate.” Mom said tearfully. “Is that your solution for my future? You must be stupid then. I can work after I graduate. What you said is that you did it for yourself-so that you can be even richer and be known by all over the world and- ” “How dare you talk back to your mother!”-Dad. I winced at what Dad had done. Its the second time he slapped me. I was grabbed by my sore cheek and started crying again. But instead of acting, I wiped away my tears and smiled wryly. “There you are again. Does it feel good to slap your daughter over and over again Dad? Is it comforting? Because I felt like slapping me is becoming your habit.” I said to him. Dad didn’t speak right away because of what I said. Mom kept crying as she hugged Dad’s arm. “I’m sorry daughter.” Only Dad said. I ignored them and started walking up the stairs. Mom tried to stretch my hand to stop me but I just tapped her and left. “Do you think you can stop this agreement? Sorry daughter but you have no other way. You need to marry him! Because I say so!” Dad chased after me but I just ignored it. You’re wrong Dad, there’s still a way. To be continued… Chapter 2 CHAPTER 2 • I didn’t even lock the door right away and went straight to my walk-in closet and started packing. Dad still has a way and I will do it now. Last night I planned it well — I ran away from home. I know I have tried a few times but this time it was different. I”m fully determined and I won”t let myself go wrong right now. I put my things in the suitcase. I will no longer carry a lot of clothes so that I can move freely just in case. I took the remaining two thousand pesos from my wallet and put it in another small wallet. I don”t take my credit cards and other cards because when I use them they might trace me right away. Two thousand is okay because I think it will fit me because I will immediately look for a job far away when they can’t really find me anymore. When I finished my preparations, I just waited for the night because at that time I would do what I was planning. I fell asleep for a while because I had nothing else to do but sit. I woke up to the ringing of my cellphone. I check it and it’s seven o’clock at night. I smiled because the time I had been waiting for had come. I tied each border of my bedsheets and comforter to make it rise and be like a rope. When it was over I threw it out the window and tied a border of it to the foot of my bed. I’m sure it won’t be cut because my queen sized bed is big and I’m light. I slowly clung the fabric down. “Sorry Mom, Dad but I have to do this.” I Weakly whispered and went down completely. When I got down I secretly went through our back gate. There”s not much clutter here in the back because it just serves as our emergency exit. I close my eyes tightly because of the sound our gate created when I opened it. “Who is that?” The guard who was watching in the distance asked. I did not notice him. I don”t know but I think I call everyone Saints in heaven because of twitter. I hope he doesn’t see me. I just held my breath because my guard was approaching. “Are there people there?” He said and lit the surroundings with his flashlight. I took a deep breath because the guard just closed the gate and left because he didn’t see anything suspicious. I woke up because of the sudden stop of the vehicle. I looked around and there were only three of us passengers on the bus. I checked the time and its already 11:00 in the evening. I looked outside and realized the place was no longer familiar to me. I guess we’re far from home. I am not familiar with the name of the place. I decided to get down here. Suddenly I stopped because of the sudden sound of my stomach-I’m already hungry. I approached the nearest restaurant and there decided to fill my stomach. After I ate it was too late to realize that the food here is expensive.I don’t have a credit card! I could do nothing but pay for my food. I was depressed because my 2,000 pesos became only 500 pesos and I still had to look for a job. I wasted no time and slowly walked the streets to look for posters or anything that said we”re hiring. I was weak because after a long walk I still didn’t see even one. “Isn’t anyone hiring a job here?” I whispered. I looked at my watch and it was twelve in the morning but I still didn’t see anything. I yawned and sat for a moment on the bench. But I didn’t think I would be able to sleep there because I was probably tired. Suddenly I was thrown back to bed because of the noise around me. Where am I? I try to remember what happened last night and I have hit myself with stupidity. “Yes, I ran away.” I said and grabbed my suitcase and started walking. I noticed something in this area. Very quiet without too much building and you really feel nature. Its refreshing! I continued what I did last night but stopped immediately because my dead hungry stomach was full again. I was just disappointed with the annoyance. I had no choice but to eat at the nearest cafeteria. At first I was hesitant if I would eat here but I remembered that I only had 500 pesos left in my money so I had nothing else to do but eat here but in fairness their food was delicious even if it was simple. I think this is what I will always eat when I live here. After I ate I resumed my failed mission — To find a job. I was still walking the streets but I still didn’t see anything. So I suddenly lost hope. But it all disappeared because of what I saw. “We”re hiring maidsPlease call 0967 ******* if interested “I read what was written on a poster. I smiled broadly. Yes and last I saw you too. I picked up the poster and called the number listed on it. The phone is rang three times and answered immediately. [Hello?] Welcome to the other line. “Ahm hello. Is this the one who hires maids? Ahm I’m interested because I’m applying.” I said frankly. [You’re right, what’s your name?] She asked. I suddenly thought, I shouldn’t say my real name lest they recognize me. “Jessica Valdez please.” I’m lying. That”s right, from now on I”m Jessica Valdez. [Okay go ahead Jessica, you come here to the Sebastian Residence Subdivision. Okay?] The lady said in other line. It let me know and hanged up. I hailed a taxi and told the driver the address. He took me there and I couldn’t help but stare because of the number of huge houses in front of me. Yes, our house is big, but it’s different. It was even bigger than our house — a mansion. I entered the subdivision and searched the mansion that the old woman had said earlier. Sebastian Main Residence. And I didn’t have a hard time because I found it right away.