Love or Vengeance

Chapter 9: She's Unique

Ivan's POV

I was watching the crazy woman talking to the man who pulled her earlier. Did she follow me here? My hand instinctively went to my chest, where my heart was pounding fast.

And those eyes—were they real or just contact lenses? Hmm, probably just contacts, because no one naturally has eyes like that.

Maybe I'm not imagining things after all, seeing her enter the park.

I won't deny it—when I saw her earlier, I felt a strange kind of happiness I couldn't explain.

Emilie approached me, smiling, and I smiled back. I owe so much to this person—she's almost always the one who takes on tasks that Rimjel and I can't handle. No event is ever this well-organized or beautiful without her.

"Good evening, pretty boy," she teased me.

"Stop it, or your jealous boyfriend might punch me," we both laughed, probably because she knows how possessive Rim is.

"We're about to start, so go sit in the front row," she pointed. "I still have to prepare an extra special surprise, hahaha." She turned and headed toward the stage, right as Rimjel arrived.

"Why is your girlfriend so into surprises?" I teased Rimjel.

"Hahaha, it's not just for you—actually, it's for everyone here, so don't be so quick to assume," Rimjel laughed. "Alright, I'll go with my girlfriend first; you handle greeting the guests."

"Tch."

"Get a girlfriend too so you won't get jealous."

"Jealous of who? Me?" I pointed at myself.

"You admitted before," he said quickly before leaving.

"Hi, good evening, Ivan," I smiled, turning toward the woman's voice. "Congratulations. I hope you didn't mess up." Why is this woman so bitter ever since we broke up?

"Hopefully not," I thought to myself, wondering what it was that I liked about her before.

"Okay, bye," she said, raising her hand sharply. Sigh I kept talking with the other guests arriving.

When Emilie started speaking on stage, I took a seat next to Sofia, who sat beside her parents on the right.

"Kuya, I'm hungry again," Sofia pouted. "Can you get me some food?"

"Later, the program is just starting," I replied.

"Eat later, baby," Mommy added, so Sofia had no choice but to wait.

A little while later, Emilie called us up to say a few words to the guests. I kept it simple, just thanking everyone because I'm not used to being in the spotlight.

There was no program listed on the invitations we handed out, so I thought the event was over. After Rim finished speaking, Emilie went up on stage again and said...

"I'm proud to introduce to all of you my best friend who agreed to perform for this event, so let's enjoy and have fun, everyone!"

Then all the lights went out.

"Is Alejandra here?" Sofia asked me quietly, unable to hide her excitement.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"She's Ate Emilie's best friend! The one in the video!" Sofia whispered excitedly.

"Shhh... don't be too loud, baby," Mommy hushed her, and Sofia sat up straight.

Alejandra... Alejandra... Oh right, she's Emilie's best friend that she mentioned she'd be introducing today.

Tick Tick Tick — the sound of drumsticks tapping.

The lights on the stage suddenly turned on, blindingly bright. My eyes were immediately drawn to the woman standing with her head bowed, gripping the microphone on its stand.

Now go stand in the corner and think about what you did.

Ha, time for a little revenge.

That voice!!!

She lifted her head as she said those words—her eyes directly meeting Grace's father, who suddenly turned pale. What's going on?

Now Playing: Better than Revenge by Taylor Swift

She then looked toward the back rows of the audience and began to sing. It was impossible to ignore how beautiful her voice was. I watched her closely—she wore a long, black coat that reached just below the knees.

"She's so pretty, kuya," I heard Sofia say, her eyes locked on the stage in admiration.

She sang with energy and joy, and it was clear she was enjoying every moment. She even glanced briefly in my direction—

Well, who cares!

Loud applause erupted from the crowd, especially from Sofia.

Everyone was clapping... except me, sitting with arms crossed.

Why should I clap? She didn't even bother to look at me.

What the heck, Ivan—why are you even thinking like this?!

When the song ended, she took the microphone off the stand, and someone from the stage came to remove the stand. I thought she was only performing one song, but she started walking toward the band.

Then, the beat of the drums kicked in again, followed by the other instruments, until the music came together in full.

She walked with a smile from the band toward the center of the stage. While singing, she kept smiling and walking, never breaking eye contact with the audience.

I was caught off guard when she suddenly looked straight at me—and winked! The girls around screamed in delight like they were swooning. I glanced behind me, but no—she was definitely looking at me. WHAT THE HECK!? My heartbeat suddenly sped up.

A moment later, her eyes shifted to the person beside me. She smiled and waved. I turned to look at Sofia—who was happily waving back.

As the song ended, she struck a final pose and smiled.

Someone handed her a stool and an acoustic guitar. I watched as she carefully took her seat in the center of the stage, the spotlight bathing her in a warm, soft glow—nothing like the explosive entrance from earlier. This one felt quieter... more intimate.

Her eyes wandered again toward Kiera and Christian that she mentioned, but this time, there was something softer in her expression. "This one's for the two of you," she said, voice low and steady into the mic.

I couldn't quite see who is this Christian and Kiera —the light barely reached that corner of the venue. Just shadows, outlines. But she looked straight in their direction, like she could see them clearly through the dark.

She strummed the first few chords, and I immediately recognized the melody—You're Still the One by Shania Twain. The atmosphere shifted. The crowd that had been energetic a few moments ago fell into a hush, drawn in by the gentler rhythm and raw emotion in the air.

Then she began to sing:

When I first saw you, I saw love...

And the first time you touched me, I felt love...

Her voice carried across the room—calm, sincere, and full of something I couldn't quite explain. For a brief moment, the world felt like it had slowed down, and all I could do was sit there, completely still, watching her.

A lot of people came up to us, offering praise for the performance. They were calling it a "Blast Performance." Pretty flattering, I guess. But then they started asking about that crazy girl who performed—the one who'd been with that equally crazy guy earlier. Honestly? They suited each other.

"Where's Allejah?" Rim asked his girlfriend, who was still glued to her camera.

"She's changing... with Christian," she replied casually, not even glancing up.

Rim and I exchanged looks.

"Changing together?!" we blurted out, nearly dropping her camera. Her face was pure panic.

"What the hell! Stop yelling! You almost made me drop my baby!" she snapped, her face turning red. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "They're not inside together—he's just waiting outside while she changes," she clarified, then turned her back on us.

Rim and I headed inside the main lounge to entertain the guests, but out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the crazy girl—I mean, Alejandra, or rather Allejah—heading out through the gate.

Where is she going now?

I noticed Sofia was watching her too.

"Ate Emie, I think your best friend is leaving," she called out to Emilie.

"Huh?!" Emilie turned sharply toward the gate. "Are you sure?"

Sofia nodded. Emilie quickly pulled out her phone.

"Hello? Christian?—yeah, Allejah just went out the gate. Please hurry," she said, then stuffed her phone back into her pouch. "I'm going to go get her," she added before rushing off.

Rimjel and I kept mingling and exchanging greetings with the guests when Christian suddenly appeared beside us—with a girl.

"We're heading out first," the girl said to Rimjel.

"It's still early, though," Rim commented.

"We have class tomorrow," Christian chimed in with a casual shrug.

"Oh, I see. Take care on your way home," Rim said, sending them off politely.

"Thanks for coming," I added, nodding at the both of them.

Christian smirked at me before wrapping his arm around the girl beside him. The two of them walked away sweetly, like they were in their own little world.

"Who does he really like—Allejah or Kiera?" Rim muttered beside me, shaking his head in confusion.

"How would I know?" I snapped, clearly irritated.

We all gathered around one of the round tables—Mom, Dad, even Grace and Liam were seated with us.

"Hello, everyone!" Emilie's cheerful voice broke the buzz of small talk. "Meet my best friend—Allejah!"

"Good evening," Allejah said with a graceful bow and a warm, sweet smile for everyone.

We all greeted her back—well, except Grace, who just stared at her with that unmistakable sour expression.

Rim pulled out the chair next to me and motioned for Allejah to sit there.

"Hello, hija," Mom greeted warmly.

"Hello din po," she replied politely. She was now wearing a simple white dress, and her hair was tied up in a neat bun, revealing her smooth face and slightly flushed cheeks.

"You gave us a spectacular performance out there—you did great," Dad praised with genuine admiration.

"Thank you po," she said modestly.

"Are your eyes real?" Liam asked with a teasing smile.

"What do you think?" she replied, chuckling.

"I think they're fake," Grace cut in with one brow raised. "Just like your performance. It was obviously lip-synced."

Liam gently placed a hand on Grace's shoulder, silently asking her to cool it.

"My eyes are real—I inherited them from my mom," Allejah answered sweetly, her tone calm but firm. I noticed everyone's reaction, especially Mom's—she looked visibly surprised. "And that spectacular performance," she added, locking eyes with Dad who gave her a proud smile, "is my talent—also inherited from my mom. And I'm proud to say it was all live. Not a lip-sync." Then she turned and looked Grace dead in the eye, her gaze meaningful and steady.

Liam laughed awkwardly to break the rising tension. "Alright, let's eat," he said, and we all finally started our dinner.

"I bet you practiced for a month or two for that so-called spectacular performance," Grace muttered under her breath. What is wrong with this woman? Why can't she leave Allejah alone?

I glanced at Allejah, who had her head slightly bowed—was that a smirk I just saw? Then she looked up, smiled politely, and said:

"One day."

A one-day prep and she pulled off that performance? Damn.

"Liar," Grace muttered with a smug grin.

"She's telling the truth," Emilie cut in, clearly annoyed. "You can ask her bandmates if you want," she added, motioning toward the people Allejah performed with earlier.

"Don't explain," Allejah stopped her best friend calmly. "It's useless," she added before resuming her meal like the whole thing didn't matter to her.

"Woahh, why it's too hot here," Rimjel said with a laugh, fanning himself with his hand like we weren't all in a slowly building pressure cooker of a dinner table.

"Ate..." Sofia whispered gently, tugging on Allejah's attention.

"Yes... Sofia?" Allejah turned to her with a soft smile.

"You know my name?"

"Hmm... I asked her," she said, pointing to Emilie. "Why?"

"I was planning to introduce myself," Sofia said shyly, "but I guess... you already know me."

Allejah laughed, light and genuine. "I only knew your first name, Sofia."

"I'm Sofia Louise Roberts," she said proudly, extending her hand. Allejah shook it warmly, then leaned closer and whispered something in Sofia's ear.

Sofia's whole face lit up instantly, and I couldn't help but feel curious—what did she say to her?

"Here," Allejah said, gently removing the necklace she was wearing earlier and putting it around Sofia's neck. "My mom once told me... if I ever meet a little girl named Sofia Louise, I should give her this."

Her voice was sincere. The moment felt sacred, like something only they understood.

Sofia immediately hugged her tightly with pure joy.

"Another lie," Grace muttered again, clearly not done being a storm cloud. Seriously? She's looking for a fight now.

"She's not," Mom said firmly, her tone brooking no argument.

And that shut Grace up—at least for now.

Allejah hurriedly finished her food and made her way toward the Chocolate Fountain. Childish, I thought to myself.

That was exactly my expression as I watched Allejah eat. She and Sofia were at the counter, digging into the desserts piled high in front of them like it was a feast.

My eyes followed Allejah and Sofia as they seemed to be having a silent eating race at the dessert counter. Tsk... tsk... tsk...

I glanced at my parents, who were watching them happily, totally unfazed by their antics.

"Weirdo," Grace remark.

I shot back, sneaking a glance at Grace.

"What?" she snapped.

"Do you have a problem with Allejah?" Emilie asked, half-joking but with a sharp look in her eyes. "Insecure, perhaps?"

"What!?" Grace stood up abruptly, but Liam quickly grabbed her hand to calm her down and sat her back down.

"Actions speak louder than words," Emilie said, lowering her steak knife and crossing her arms. "Your actions tell me otherwise," she added with a sly smile.

"Um... Uncle, Auntie, we're going to head home now," Liam interrupted, and Mommy just nodded quietly. He then helped Grace leave the café.

I couldn't help but wonder, what happened to Grace? She seemed really irritated with Allejah.

No one said anything else. The guests began saying their goodbyes. It was already 11:30 PM, and only the four of us remained—Sofia, Emilie, Allejah, and me.

"Besty, that's enough," Emilie scolded her best friend, who was still eating.

"I'm not full yet," Allejah pouted.

We all stared at her—everyone except Sofia, who was fast asleep on the counter, and Emilie, who seemed used to her best friend's behavior.

"Besty, let's go home already," Emilie said again, and I heard Mommy softly laughing nearby.

"All right then," Allejah finally gave in. She stood up and gently woke Sofia, who was out cold.

"I'll take care of her, hija," Daddy said with a smile, addressing Allejah.

"This is my thank-you gift for you, Allejah. Thank you so much for helping us," Rimjel said, handing her a gallon of ice cream. His face lit up like a kid.

"You're welcome... this is my favorite," Allejah said, grabbing a spoon.

Rim just shook his head with a smile.

"I have to go now," she said, waving goodbye to my parents.

"Take care, Hija," Mommy said.

She politely smiled.

"I'm going ahead too. " Emilie said

"How about him?" Allejah asked Emilie curiously, pointing her spoon at Rim.

"I'm more worried about you getting home, especially since I know you'll probably put—" Emilie glanced at the ice cream Allejah was holding, "that food first." I really wanted to laugh out loud at Emilie's comment.

"I can take care of myself, Allejah. Don't worry," Rim reassured her.

We watched as Emilie's car started to pull away.

"She's weird," I said.

"She's not weird. She's unique... just like her mother," Mommy said meaningfully, then went upstairs, followed by Daddy.

.............................................

Hi-Yu