Unveiled

Chapter 01

When chances start to crumble with your world, be the instrument in fulfilling the hopes. I have come to a few experiences that led me to my current situation. I failed, I became miserable, then stood on my knees to fight. During the process of lifting, I lost a lot of opportunities. Until now, I am still living with my regrets. The scars that marked my skin stayed until the present, and I lack knowledge of how to remove them. Despite the cuts, I want to be free from this remorseful threat.

I raise my head and welcome the beaming light against the ceiling. It somehow reminds me of the glow that I used to play with. In contrast to my current situation, it feels as though I am living in the shadow of darkness, and the light I once held has completely vanished. Thousands of voices filled my ears. Around me, I could see the silhouettes of a few people who had attended the gathering. Honestly, I have not regathered my interest in this kind of event after what happened. Despite the crowd surrounding me, it felt as though I had no right to leave this place, bound by their questions and interactions directed at me.

“Revana? It’s been a while! This is the first time I’ve seen you again in a long while, huh?”

Instead of flashing a smile, I choose to just nod my head to at least acknowledge her presence. “It’s nice meeting you again, Mrs. Guanco.”

If I am not mistaken, she is one of my parents’ clients. No different from the previous clients of my parents, the lady was elderly, and every movement she made was formal and composed. Unlike my expression, her lips are uplifted with a friendly smile; however, I cannot control my lips and show her genuine emotions. My face remained serious, not a single trace of a smile on my lips.

“You’re still the same. You still don’t know how to smile, do you?”

My brows slightly furrowed. I tilted my head to the side and crossed my arms over my chest. I did not know that smiling at people was a requirement. I do not need to mask my emotions just to look approachable in front of individuals. At the same time, I do not want anyone to remind me of history.

What exactly is there to smile about in a moment like this? I do not like the situation. Why would I present a dishonest face?

“I don’t think it’s a requirement, Madame.” I release my crossed arms and then wander my eyes around the venue. “I’ll go find my mother so she can entertain you,” I say without looking at her.

I directed my attention to the sea of people. This place is actually located on one of the floors of our tower. I was also forced to go back here after long years of staying outside the country. If my mother had not requested my appearance, I would not have visited. There are just various sinful memories in this state. Perhaps I chose to spend time in another country because of the memories that continue to haunt my mind.

I was not mistaken about my gut. The moment I arrived here, the closed gap in my scars reopened as if it were a deep but fresh cut that can lead me to a hole of darkness. Even if I do not want to look back, fate itself finds a way to reopen the wounds caused by the past.

I brushed aside a few strands of hair that had earlier rested on my shoulder. In the midst of the crowd, I finally noticed my mother with Vannarie. My eyebrow raised when I noticed that she was looking at me. Vannarie’s eyes glisten as she catches me looking at her. Her small hand waved through the air.

“Ate!” She calls for my attention. Because of that action, Mommy turned her gaze in my direction.

I released a calm breath before glancing once again at Mrs. Guanco. “Excuse me.”

“Sure, Hija!”

Without looking back, I find my way to my family’s place. Mommy and Vannarie met my every step. Vannarie is actually the first one who noticed me; she leads the way and welcomes my step while Mommy is just behind her. A wide smile immediately painted my mother’s lips the moment she saw my face.

“Oh my! Dear!” she calls out, catching a lot of attention from the visitors.

I clear my throat to at least remove the lump in it. When I noticed several pairs of eyes fixed on me, I straightened my shoulders once more and kept my chin held high. I try to disregard their chatter, but various voices did not escape from my ears.

“Ravin and Naia’s eldest? She’s grown so much!”

“Yes. It’s been a long time since you last saw her, right? I heard she stayed abroad.”

“Isn’t she helping manage the company, especially now that Ravin is gone?”

“I heard she actually came back because of that.”

I grit my teeth and choose to ignore their conversation. Instead of focusing on eavesdropping on the gossip, I choose to shift my gaze toward Mom and Vannarie. The flowy ends of her gown touch the tiles as her feet wander to my side. She ran and closed the distance that had stood as a wall between the two of us.

“Ate Rev!” Mirroring her size, the tune of her voice sounds tiny. “I missed you, Ate!”

My lips leave a gap in between at her sudden action. Her small arms wrapped around my leg—perhaps that was as far as her height could reach. Her head leans on my abdomen. She rested her cheek against it.

My body freezes, and I cannot manage to make a single move. My feet felt rooted to the floor, and my lips remained slightly parted. Still, the pumps in my chest are making me deaf. It felt like a soft feather was gently tickling my heart—comforting and heart-melting.

“How are you?” I compelled myself to snap back to the present. I hold Vannarie’s arms like a feather. I did not allow her skin to be stained with pain or filth just because of my touch.

Vannarie slowly let go of the hug. The wide smile on her lips remains. She pointed to the familiar hair clip currently fastened in her hair. “Okay! Look, Ate, I wore the new clip that Mom gave me. I liked the design among my other sets.”

“Really?” No matter how much I force my voice to sound interested, it feels like I was born to naturally throw a lifeless tone.

Vannarie nods her head in an excited way. “Yup! It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

I scoop a heavy breath as I nod. My gaze slowly lifted toward my mother. I sense how badly she wants to approach me now, but watching me and Vannarie in one frame seems like an impossible dream for her. Countless, unnamed emotions hid behind her eyes. Even her lips form a smile as she stares at the scenario.

“You look pretty…” I hear Vannarie’s whisper, making me turn my eyes back to her. “This is the first time I’ve seen you. I could only see your pictures at home, Ate.”

The side of my lip rises. “We’ve met before, on your first step in this world.”

A small crease forms on her forehead when she furrows her brows in curiosity. Her eyes settled on Mommy. She looks at her as if she is finding confirmation of what I have just said.

“Really, Mama? Is Ate saying the truth?”

My mother takes that as a cue to finally approach me. She gently stroked my back in greeting before slightly bending down to look Vannarie in the eyes.

“Your sister won’t lie, Baby…”

Coldness starts to flow on my palms, and the beats in my chest create unusual harmony. With that simple statement, I nearly collapsed where I stood.

I do not know if I really am, or my mother just does not want to admit it. It is clearly shown that in my past, I lived in a circus. It will rise to the top, then fall until it hits the floor of misery. Right now, I cannot really tell if all these years, I became a model of myself when, in fact, I am not perfect; I make mistakes, and despite my hardship to avoid making errors, I unmindfully create those choices and actions.

“I want to be like Ate,” Vannarie says out of the blue.

I shift my stance and straighten my back. My nape seemed to heat up at what I heard. On my far-left side, I notice a waiter who is currently holding a tray of champagne. I extend my arm when he travels in my path. To ease the anxiety even just a little, I grabbed a glass of champagne and took a quick sip.

“You can’t be like me, Vannarie,” I mutter in a firm voice. “You have to be ahead of me—no, you’ll live as yourself. You’re unique and you have your own style. Always remember that.”

A pang of amazement crosses Vannarie’s eyes. She quickly nodded her head, her eyes full of innocence.

“You look exactly like your sister, Vannarie.” A voice from the right caught my attention. When I turn to my right, I immediately see my grandmother’s figure. “I can still remember every side of Revana’s face when she was your age. You two look so much alike! It's just a shame you never got the chance to meet your father.”

My grip on the champagne glass tightens. The simple mention of my father’s name reminds me of endless fragments. I want to escape and cover myself, but I know that I cannot hide from it. I did not do anything wrong, but I feel responsible for everything that today has achieved.

“Anyway…” Grandma turns to me to kiss my cheek. “How’s abroad, Revana?” When she asks the question, I know I am already trapped.

In the minutes that followed, all I received were greetings and small talk. We ate our food as the program broke. Once it was over, I decided to give myself some time. I just feel like attending this kind of event suffocates me. I would much rather lock myself in my room and paint the scenes in my mind than mingle with the people I am currently surrounded by.

“Mama and I love baking, Ate. Do you do that abroad with Ate Mallory?”

“How did you know Mallory?” I ask, pertaining to my best friend who I have stayed with in Marseille.

“Mom mentioned.” She shrugs.

We are sitting next to each other. She had been beside Mom earlier, who had just stepped away to go to the comfort room. Lola and our other cousins are also at the same table as ours. The men are talking about business, while the women are busy checking out the handsome faces around them.

I cross my legs under the table and take a glance at Vannarie. “I don’t bake.”

I paused for a moment when I noticed Vannarie’s lips starting to pout, as if she is getting disappointed about something. Her eyes, on the other hand, were filled with sulking. After a few seconds, the look in them is conquered by the light.

“It’s okay! We can teach you. Will you be able to come? I want it done this, uhm…” she hums as she looks upward to search for words, “Saturday? I have classes every weekday.”

“I’m busy every weekend,” I say matter-of-factly.

“But…” Vannarie’s lips slowly began to tremble. It feels like a soft hand touches my chest. “Mom said that despite your busy schedule, you can make time if only you would want to.”

I cannot take my eyes off her, especially since the longer I stared, the more I can confirm the truth in what Grandma had said. Aside from her features, I guess we are similar in terms of wisdom. The words she says are all familiar to me. Even if I look at my old picture on the album, I can see my younger self from her.

Her eyes are like a star that always shines even from the farthest sight. The thickness of her lashes can reach the top of her eyelids if they are curled up. Her brows, then, are painted as bushy strands. From her eyes, my vision travels from her pointy nose down to her lips, which are drawn upward. Her lips were naturally rosy and thin. Even her cheeks were slowly taking shape into the right proportions.

Suddenly, a strike of black flashes in my mind. My heart starts to pummel like a racing competitor. On top of the table, I felt the slight trembling of my hands. As the memory of yesterday haunts me, I know that I cannot take it.

Not even a second had passed before I quickly stood up from my seat. I do not want to show my horrible expression to Vannarie. I quickly turned my back on her, carrying my purse and a glass of champagne.

“Stay in this place and wait for Mommy. Don’t go anywhere, Vannarie,” I order without looking at her. I began walking out of that place, letting my feet carry me wherever they choose to go.

Upon stepping out of that place, a long hallway greeted me. Since people are preoccupied with the ongoing celebration, I only pass by a few employees along the way. I travel to the elevator and press the button on the rooftop. With so many busy employees around, I could not even find someone to walk with. Still, I think that it is a relief for me. I would not have a hard time hiding the emotions engulfing my heart.

I massage my temple and close my eyes as I finally step out of the elevator. I unfold my eyes to focus on my steps. The concrete floor of the rooftop came into view before me. Holding the gate’s knob, I push the material to enter the area. My brows quickly furrowed as the figure of a man appeared. He is facing the barricade of this place, so I can only have a glimpse of his muscular back.

He is wearing a white long-sleeved polo shirt. His right hand is likely resting on his waist while the other hangs loosely by his side, and I can clearly see how the fabric clings tightly to his body. It looks as if his shirt is about to burst from the sheer size of his arms. For his bottom, his legs are hugged by the black slack.

“Oh no…” I take a step back when I realized how I made a wrong move.

As the man has his head tilted upward, likely focused on whatever he is doing, he slightly turns in my direction upon hearing my voice. It is only then, with that small movement, that I notice a woman bowing in front of him. If I am not mistaken, the woman is in front of the man’s legs, kneeling as if in the middle of a pleasuring action.

I shake my head upon realizing how indecent my thoughts have become. Or is it not just because of my imagination? That is what I saw! The woman was kneeling, her head level with the legs of the man standing before her.

“Wait!” A deep baritone voice thundered through the space, coming from the man just a few meters away from me. “You’re thinking the wrong way!”

My brows almost meet at the same point. Instead of stepping back, I gather the remaining courage in my system and continue walking forward. I step forward to see his face. He effortlessly adjusts his body to look at me. The woman in front of him is not actually kneeling, as her knees do not touch the floor. I was just hallucinating about the malicious position of her. The woman is holding some papers, which she seems to have just picked up from the floor.

My cheeks grow warm at the thought. Maybe the man is right. I was thinking the wrong way.

“I guess,” I whisper, then turn around, hiding my heated face from these people.

I am just about to step off of the rooftop when the man’s voice echoes through the air once again.

“Revana?” he calls in a voice that seems familiar. When he says my name, it feels as though he has spoken it many times before—his tongue already familiar with the way it rolls off his lips.

Clicking my heels against the ground, I twist my body to gaze at the man. My brows furrow as I fail to recognize his face. However, as I stare deeply, I gradually feel like I know him.

His brows are as thick as a highlighter pen. His eyes are deep and upturned, as if my soul is being drawn in the longer he holds his gaze on me. On the other hand, his nose is sculpted with a hook-like type on the bridge. The movement of his sharp jaw does not escape my notice. From the way it was formed, I can conclude that he has done a lot of jaw exercises to shape it perfectly. Or maybe his jaw is just naturally that sharp? Because based on what I remember, his jaw was already prominent when we were still young.

“This is Evolett, Revana,” he mutters in a husky voice. “You’ve been staring for so long, it’s like you’re still trying to figure out who I am—so let me help you.”

I clear my throat and regain my composure. I straighten my posture once more and tighten my grip on my belongings.

“I don’t know you,” I try to deny it, but the expression on his face just makes me feel like a fool.

His eyebrow lifts. Even the corner of his lips curves into a faint smile. Using his veiny hands, he brushes his soft hair upward to fix it. Useless enough, a few strands of hair bumped against his forehead. A few strands of his hair fall across his eyebrow.

“Maccius, then. Now, do you remember me?”

I refrain from rolling my eyes. I used to play with that name. Instead of calling him Evolett, I liked to mention Maccius as I thought it sounded more expensive and elegant.

Shaking my head while a smile is hiding on my lips, I deny the truth. “Still no.”