Chapter 3
2046 Words
"Corrine!"
I tilted my head after seeing Luceanna. Sa halip nga lang na hintayin s'ya, hinayaan ko lang s'ya at nagpatuloy na sa pagpalakad.
Here I am again, trying to follow Ahma's order. Monthly gathering of the young ladies from the influential households in Beijing.
I sat on my seat and eyed the girls on the table. Again, I'm the youngest. But who cares about age? I'm a Liu and that alone screams power.
Nasa tabi ko agad ang assistant ko at ipinapakita ang nasa menu. I gave her a short nod. She can choose whatever she wants for me. Kahit gaano pa karami ang nasa menu, iilang lang doon ang puwede kong kainin. No, I don't have any food allergies. It's one of Ahma's endless orders.
"Hey..." Luceanna sat on my right.
Tans... If she's not betrothed to my brother, talking to me would be impossible.
"How are you?"
I looked at her lazily. Her eyes are sparkling, just like stars in a dark sky. But there's something on those orbs of her... something I really can't understand.
She fixed her hair, a bit shy. "Did I startle you, Corrine?"
I sighed. Of course she's this eager to hear any news about my brother. Ilang buwan na mula nang bumisita ako kay Ahia at ito pa lang ang unang beses na nagkita kami ni Luceanna.
She's out of the country when I returned. I don't know where she went but she was out of radar for months. It's over six months now since I visited the Philippines.
"Stop beating around the bush, Luceanna..." My voice made her gulp. I eyed my wristwatch. "I won't stay longer here, maybe just ten minutes? You can ask me whatever you want."
She blushed. Mahinhing inayos n'ya ang buhok habang nakatingin sa paligid. May dalawa pa kaming kasama sa lamesa pero nanatiling tahimik at nag-aabang sa sasabihin ni Luceanna.
The young ladies here, especially those who's the same age as Luceanna, doted on her. Who wouldn't? Oh, there's me. The only person who can treat her as nothing.
"Did you see your ahia there?"
Her voice is soft, her words are synchronized with the emotion on her eyes.
"Of course. Who would I meet there except my brother?"
She chuckled shyly.
Hindi ako sigurado kung totoo ba ang nakikita ko kay Luceanna o hindi. One thing that I am sure—we were both trained on how to act on different situation.
"How's Mackisig, Corrine?"
"The usual. Busy and has no time for anything and everyone, even me."
I forced myself not to blink when I said that. I lied and I know that. My brother's busy but he has time to make friends and be sickly in love, if I named what I saw in him during my stay there. Well, he has no time for one thing—constant communication with his soon to be wife.
I almost sighed.
Drinking my juice, I shook my head lightly.
Ahia's heartless. I assumed, he's not even talking to Luceanna. Well, that's a normal situation between them. Kahit na noong nandito pa sa Beijing si Ahia, hindi rin naman sila madalas magkita at magkausap. Sobrang abala ng kapatid ko for those kind of things. Minsan nga, nagkikita lang sila sa mga events and even without any dates or daily communication, everyone in China knows that they're bind with each other.
"Alam ko naman..." She looks apologetic. "Sorry. I still asked you even though I know that. Macky's really busy and I'm fine with that. I just want to know if he's doing okay..."
He's more than okay... I almost blurted that out.
"Ahia's still boring." I shrugged. "With his usual rectangular glasses."
Luceanna laughed. She looks so happy and contented with my answer.
If only she can read my mind... she'll know that that was another lie. Ahia is no longer the fiancé she knows. He forgot wearing his eyeglasses that was given by Luceanna. He's not a boring person anymore. He's now laughing freely.
I eyed the platter of fruits on the table. The kiwi looks good but I lost my appetite.
I took the table napkin and wiped my lips.
"Uuwi ka na?"
I looked at the girl. She's Rubi Lee, best friend of Luceanna and daughter of a shipping magnate.
"Stay for another ten minutes, Corrine. The main dish is—"
"I'm not informed that I have to answer any of your question or demand, Miss Lee."
I saw how she blushed. She rolled her eyes and looked away.
"Corrine's busy today, Rubi..."
Hindi ko na pinansin ang pumagitnang si Luceanna. I took my bag went out of the room.
The original plan is to stay for at least thirty minutes. But I can't force myself to lie to Luceanna anymore.
I dislike the girl but she doesn't deserve mg lies. Am I protecting my brother? That's so obvious.
One wrong word from me and Ahia's freedom would be taken away from him. Lying is not the right to do but I don't want Ahma to control my brother's life again. I'm willing to turn a blind eye for his sake.
My thoughts slipped from me when a cold feeling enveloped my whole being.
I looked down and saw the red stain on the lower part of my white dress.
"What the hell are you thinking?" My assistant is now nagging the girl who poured some cheap wine on my dress.
"I'm sorry! She's not being careful with her steps."
I gave the girl my usual boring look. Hindi na ako nagulat na narito rin si Kisha Chiu. The girl hate me so much.
"Sinasabi mo bang kasalanan ni Miss Liu ang nangyari?!" my assistant yelled that her voice attracted some people nearby. I even saw the girls I was with earlier, they're now looking at the small commotion.
"Stop. She's not worthy..." I stepped forward and smiled when a server walked towards us.
"I want that wine." I pointed to a bottle of wine the server has on his tray.
My assistant's loyalty is with Ahma but she's smart and still worthy of her job. Mabilis n'yang nakuha sa nagtatakang server ang bote ng alak. Of course, she paid for it.
Kisha looked pale when she saw the bottle. "Corrine, I don't know. I'm sorry!"
She looks horrified. I saw how she tried to walk away but one glare from me and she stood still, almost crying.
"Miss Corrine..."
I tilted my head. My assistant nods before approaching Kisha and poured the wine onto her—to her head, bag, dress and shoes.
In just a couple of minutes, Kisha's soaking wet with the wine.
"Give the bottle to her," utos ko sa assistant. "That's my gift."
Hindi ko na hinintay na maglupasay sa iyak ang babae, nagpatuloy ako sa paglabas. May kailangan pa akong puntahan pero kailangan ko munang magpalit.
I didn't have to tell my assistant on what to do. She's very used to this kind of situation. Madami ring reserbang gamit sa loob ng sasakyan, mula sa iba't-ibang dress hanggang sa set ng mga alahas.
After changing in the nearby hotel, dumiretso na ako sa isang charity event. Sina Mama at Papa ang dapat na narito pero dahil nasa abroad sila, ako na lang ang naging representative ng pamilya. Si Ahia ang laging pumupunta sa mga charity event pero mula nang manatili s'ya sa Pilipinas ay naging responsibilidad ko na ang maging mukha ng mga Liu.
The event is about the marine species. The host tackled the lives under the sea mantle that are slowly declining due to different factors. I'm not interested to this kind of things but I have to listen to whatever the host is spouting. Ahma will surely ask me about this event.
"Miss Liu!"
I gave Reyan Sy the sweetest smile I ever have. Sweet yet fake.
"This is our donation..."
"Oh, how sweet of you, young lady." The older woman bowed a bit before accepting the white envelope. "The certificate for this donation will arrive at the Liu's Manor the day after tomorrow."
"Oh, a certificate?"
"Yes, hija. The focus of this charity is to care for our sea turtles. They should be protected, you know..."
She told me almost everything involving sea turtles. I don't even know why they're focusing on creatures that are not capable to receive every penny from this charity. That doesn't make sense.
But still, I listened to her.
The charity is until midnight but I just stayed there for an hour. I'm not familiar with the event's purpose and I really couldn't comprehend on what they're planning for those creatures. Kaya kaya isaboses ang komplikadong mga tanong, pinili ko na lang umalis.
"Hypocrites..." I murmured after the car left the vicinity of the pavilion.
"Their focus are these species, Miss Corrine."
Kaagad kong tinanggap ang ipad at pinasadahan ng tingin ang iba't-ibang uri ng mga pawikang nasa screen niyon.
There are seven in total and I can't spot the difference between them. They have their own specification but they looked similar within each other.
"How can they protect these creatures?" My brow arched as I handed the ipad to my assistant. "Using the money from the donation? In what way?"
Hindi sumagot ang assistant ko at bahagyang yumuko sa ipad. After a few seconds, muli n'ya iyong iniabot sa akin.
The answers to my question are now on the screen. Hindi nga lang nagbago ang idea ko sa objective ng charity. It's still nonsense.
My schedule requires pressure and responsibilities. Minsan nga, hindi ko na alam kung paano ko nagagawang pagsabayin ang training at maging ang pag-aaral ko. There are so many events that I have to attend. Mula nang makaalis si Ahia, naging triple na ang responsibilidad ko.
"You'd been in Thailand last year, 'di ba?"
I eyed Harper. She visited me and it's another day to celebrate new year.
"Akala ko ay sa Pilipinas ka ipadadala?"
"I just stayed six months in Thailand."
"Studying jewelries," she added. "Hindi ko lang maintindihan kung bakit kung saan-saang bansa ka pinadadala ng Ahma mo."
"It's almost our graduation..." I rolled my eyes when I saw the jar of my cranes. I've been so busy that I neglected them. Wala pa yatang two hundred ang nasa jar.
"That's what I was talking about!" Sumimangot pa si Harper. "Akala ko ay sa Pilipinas ka na magte-training. But your Ahma asked you to visit, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand! Almost two years altogether!"
I sighed before looking at my calendar. Months after now, I'm going to the last stage of education for normal students—college. But even after that, I know that there would be lots of training I have to attend to.
Katulad nga lang ni Harper, nagtataka rin ako kung bakit hindi pa ako ipinapadala ni Ahma sa kung saang bansang pinili n'ya. It's long overdue.
Pero katulad din ng dati, hindi ko magawang itanong iyon sa kahit sino sa mga magulang ako. Ayaw kong magkaroon sila ng ideya sa mga iniisip ko dahil sa oras na mangyari iyon, maaari akong matulad kay Ahia. Ayaw kong pati ako ay kokontrolin din ni Ahma.
Those silent questions of mine got their answer one week before my senior-secondary graduation.
Ahma called me to her office.
Magsisinungaling ako kung sasabihin kong hindi ako kinakabahan habang naghihintay sa harap ng pinto ng opisina n'ya. Minsan lang ako ipatawag ni Ahma at sa lahat ng sitwasyon, hindi ko nagugustuhan ang nagiging usapan namin.
"Maaari ka nang pumasok, Miss Corrine," her butler told me after a few minutes of waiting.
Marahan ang mga hakbang na pumasok ako sa silid. Ahma's behind her table, kaya dumiretso ako roon. Ni hindi ako umupo, nanatili lang akong nakatayo sa harap ng malaking lamesa.
Ahma's on her sixties. Halos puti na ang lahat ng buhok n'ya but her presence is something no one couldn't ignore. Her aura screamed power.
"Corrine..."
I smiled a bit and bowed my head. "Ahma, you called me?"
She waved her hand. Itinuro n'ya ang couch kaya naupo ako roon. She never left her swivel chair but her eyes remained on me.
"It's high time..." simula n'ya. "Do you want to join your brother in the Philippines, Corrine?"
- Writer
