Love or Vengeance

Chapter 3: When Paths Cross

Ivan's POV

"I should've never come to this party," I told Rim, my eyes fixed on the smiling face of my ex-girlfriend as she laughed with her new boyfriend. Tch. So that's how easy it was for her to replace me. It didn't hurt my heart—just my pride. We haven't even been broken up for a week and she already has someone new.

"Yeah, now you look like you're mourning in a funeral," Rim teased while laughing like crazy. Typical. That's just how he is—ever the annoying best friend. "And who told you to wear all black, huh?" he asked, clutching his stomach from laughing too hard. I glared at him until he stopped and sat up straight.

"Thanks for the support," I said sarcastically. "I didn't even notice I was wearing all black. Tch!" I downed the drink in my glass. "I'm heading home, bro."

"What? That fast? You haven't even been here for thirty minutes!" He showed me his watch dramatically. "Is it because of her?" He subtly pointed at Grace.

"Of course not!... It's just that there's an art exhibit tomorrow. I'm going with Mom, and we're flying back to Cebu right after, so I need to rest early," I explained.

"Are you and your girlfriend heading back to Cebu right away, too?" I asked him, and he shook his head in response.

"She still has things to take care of here for the coffee shop, so I'll go ahead and she'll just follow later."

Yeah, it's the White and Black Café that Rimjel and I are putting up — I'm the manager, and he's the barista. At the same time, we're both the owners. The grand opening is next month, so we're rushing to finish everything that's still missing.

"Your girlfriend's really supportive, man," I said. I'll admit—I envy the kind of relationship they have. Unlike mine with Grace, which felt like it was just for show.

"Hmm," he hummed proudly, nodding. "I'm lucky she's mine. Beautiful, smart, hardworking, and simple."

I let out a small laugh, which made him raise an eyebrow. "What's funny?"

"Nothing." I stood up and grabbed my bag. I looked at him again. "Just... I'm a bit jealous of the kind of relationship you two have," I admitted. He chuckled too. "Anyway, I'm heading out. We've been talking too long—see you tomorrow."

I said a quick goodbye to the birthday celebrant—he's a friend, though we're not that close.

Every time there's an exhibit at the Art Gallery Museum, we come back to Manila so Mom can buy new paintings from LRY—the mysterious painter. No one really knows who they are, but their works are truly remarkable.

"Oh, hello there," a voice said behind me. It's Grace, my ex, with her new boyfriend.

"Looks like you're heading out early," she smirked. I just nodded in response.

"Why so soon? Don't tell me your 'Mommy' already called you?" she added, her tone mocking. I clenched my fists, irritated by her insult, and of course, she and Liam—her new boyfriend—started laughing. I wanted so badly to punch him.

But I held myself back. I didn't want to ruin our friend's party.

Without saying another word, I turned my back on them and walked away.

Talking to those two idiots was a complete waste of time.

Grace—Denise Grace del Prado—was beautiful, tall, morena, and a model. I had a crush on her since high school, so I courted her during our first year in college. She rejected me at first, but a year later, she said she liked me too. That's when we officially became a couple.

She was fun to be with, and we shared the same interest in auto racing. I liked her for who she was, but I can't really say I loved her. Throughout our two-year relationship, it felt more like a showpiece romance—someone you could bring to gatherings, someone you could introduce to relatives and friends.

When she broke up with me, I was fine. I didn't feel heartbroken or even sad. But when she replaced me so quickly—less than a week later—that's what really hurt. It wasn't heartbreak... it was my ego that took the hit.

I blared the horn long and hard when I saw a girl crossing the street like she wasn't in her right mind. But instead of getting out of the way, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly—as if she was just waiting to get hit.

I slammed the brakes hard, which caused my head to hit the steering wheel. Annoyed, I got out of the car and marched toward the girl—still standing there with her eyes shut tight. Tch! Stupid!

"Hey! Are you stupid or what?!" I shouted at her, frustrated. Slowly, she opened her eyes and just stood there, mouth slightly open like some kind of clueless i***t. Tsk... tsk... Definitely not right in the head. "Aren't you even going to say something?!" I barked again, but she just smiled and said—

"Grim Reaper." Did she just say grim reaper... to my face? That's it? I glanced at her from head to toe—she barely reached my chest in height, and by the looks of her muddy uniform, you'd think she rolled around in the dirt. Tch... Crazy. Too bad, she's actually kind of pretty...

"What?!" I snapped, surprised she wasn't even flinching. She stared straight at me like she was trying to win a staring contest.

"Grim Reaper?! What the heck is wrong with you!? Are you insane!?" I was about to lose it. She finally seemed to snap out of her trance—thank God. Talking to a lunatic isn't exactly how I planned my day.

"I'm so sorry," she said, and she sounded genuinely sincere. Still, I was too annoyed to care.

"Damn it!" she blurted out. That caught me off guard—and then she grabbed my hand.

Just. Grabbed. My. Hand.

What the hell?! This girl's seriously crazy. Should I just knock her out? But... she's still a girl. Tch.

"Let go of me!" I hissed at her, but it was like she didn't hear a thing. I tried to pull my hand away, but her grip was like glue. For some unknown reason, it felt like I was getting shocked where our hands touched.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I shouted at her again, annoyed, but just like before, she ignored me. Instead, she forced me into the passenger seat and sat behind the wheel herself. I was surprised at how fast everything happened—ten minutes later, she stopped the car and got out.

She opened the door right across from me, and still holding my left hand, I followed her out in a daze. I could feel that electric tingle again flowing through my body where our hands were joined.

"Nurse, please help him!" I heard her call out to a nurse nearby. The nurse quickly helped me sit on one of the hospital beds there.

Wait, why am I in a hospital? I wondered silently.

The doctor began cleaning and stitching the cut on my forehead—which I hadn't even noticed or felt earlier. That must've been from my sudden braking.

I tried to replay the events in my mind, going over everything that happened before I ended up here.

Mommy would only worry if she knew I was in the hospital, so I decided it was better not to tell her.

I sat down on a chair beside me, and the woman was still there. I studied her carefully. I couldn't tell where she came from; her uniform was covered in mud. Her straight hair looked messy, like she forgot to brush it. A straight nose, smooth jawline, doll-like eyes, long eyelashes, and her lips—thin and red—I swallowed hard at the sight.

No matter how dirty she looked, it was clear she is beautiful.

"I'm really, really sorry, Mr. Grim Reaper," she pleaded, her palms pressed together in front of me. I wanted to laugh at how she called me, but I kept my expression blank as I stared at her.

"I was just in a hurry earlier," she explained, but I didn't say a word or respond—I just kept looking at her.

I heard her take a deep breath, maybe about to say more, but then her phone rang.

"Excuse me," she said as she stood up. I closed my eyes, trying to rest a little.

"Besty! Sorry, I really can't make it to our meeting. Maybe next time, okay?" I heard her say to the person on the other line. She hadn't left; she was just sitting at my feet.

"Yeah, don't worry, I'm okay." Yeah right, you're okay—but if I hadn't slammed on the brakes, you'd probably be the one lying here. Tch! Still so dumb crossing the street at her age.

"Okay, bye," she said, ending the call. I opened my eyes and saw her leaning sideways toward me, staring at her phone screen.

"Looks who's here," someone said, raising her head and smiling toward the voice.

An older-looking doctor approached her and gave her a hug.

"What brings you here, Hija?" he asked.

She pointed to me, so the doctor looked at me.

"Oh... what happened? Are you okay, Hijo?" he asked, and I nodded.

"I'm just going to pay the bills, wait for me here," she said.

I refused and said I'd pay, but she wouldn't let me. The doctor and she left and then came back.

"It's all my fault, Tito," I heard her say to the doctor. Tsk! At least you know that.

"Hmm, I need to go now, Tito. Please say hi to Tita for me," she said as she approached me again. Then she held my hand to help me stand up.

"It's okay," I pulled my hand away because I couldn't stand the electric sensation flowing through me from her touch. "I can manage on my own," I smiled at her tightly.

Even though I was annoyed at her, I appreciated that she brought me here to get treated.

"Take care, lovebirds," the Dr earlier said, looking at her with surprise. "You two look good together," he teased us.

Whatever, I thought to myself.

"We're going ahead, Tito, and don't overthink things," she said politely to the doctor, and they both laughed. They're both weirdos, so I felt like I couldn't keep up with them.

We were already walking out when she suddenly spoke.

"Can you drive?" I looked back at her and saw the worry she was trying to hide. Whenever I looked into her eyes, it felt like they were saying so much without words.

"Yes," I answered shortly.

"And you? How will you get home?" — Damn it, why did I ask her that?

"Don't worry, someone's picking me up." I breathed a sigh of relief since I really didn't plan to give her a ride.

"I'm not worried, I'm just asking." She was clearly blushing, embarrassed.

"Alright, I'll go ahead then," I said goodbye and she just nodded.

I saw her in the side mirror, watching my car drive away.

"What a night!" I slammed the steering wheel in frustration.

I parked the car in front of the mansion and let our driver take care of the parking. The moment I entered, I sank into the sofa and closed my eyes. The image of that woman stayed stuck in my mind, and I never even bothered to ask her name.

"Ivan!" Mommy called along with my sibling. "What happened to you, son? Why do you look like that?" she asked, clearly worried.

I stood up and kissed her on the cheek.

"I almost hit this stupid woman," I answered, noticing Sofia giving me a dirty look.

"Why? What do you want to say?" I asked her, and she just gave me a mischievous smile.

"Maybe you're the stupid one, Kuya, that's why you almost ran her over." I was about to playfully hit her, but she quickly dodged and hid behind Mommy.

Sofia Louise Roberts, my only sibling, is thirteen years old but sometimes acts so childish that we really don't get along.

"Stop it," Mom scolded us. "How is the girl, son? She wasn't hurt, right? What really happened?"

So, I told her everything—no more, no less. I thought she'd be mad at the girl, but instead, she was actually impressed and kept praising her.

"Didn't you even thank her, son?"

I shook my head.

"Why not!?" Her voice suddenly got louder, which surprised me.

"Why should I thank her, Mom? For this?" I pointed to the bandage on my forehead.

"She explained to you, Kuya, that she was in a hurry but still helped you first. If it were me, I'd have left you there. And hello, she didn't want you to get hit either. And I could have complained because you were drinking," Sofia jumped in, making faces.

"Hey! Tiny pest, shut up, I'm not talking to you!"

"Bleeh, bleeh, bleeh, bleeh," Sofia teased me. Honestly, she's so easy to annoy.

"Enough!" Mom yelled at us. "When will you two ever get along? Every time you meet, you fight and tease each other!" She shook her head. Then she looked at me gently. "Ivan, at least thank that person for what she did. And you yelled at her."

I just sighed.

"Alright, go up to your room and rest," she said.

I didn't answer and just went upstairs to my room.

Mom's anger is scarier than Dad's... tch! Why is it always me who's wrong? Am I really at fault?

I flopped down on the bed after washing my face and changing clothes.

It's that woman's fault, yet I can't get her beautiful, simple smile out of my mind.

The Next Day

I angrily tossed my clothes onto the bed and headed straight to the bathroom to take a shower. I let the cold water run over my body, hoping it would cool down the heat in my head. This was the first time I felt this much irritation toward someone—someone I didn't even know.

FLASHBACK

"Good morning!" greeted by the crew cheerfully at the coffee shop. "What's your order, sir?"

"One Americano, please." A few moments later, he handed me my coffee.

"Thanks," I said with a smile. I could tell he was a bit flustered, which made me smile more. Just as I was about to leave the coffee shop, the woman who had been slumped over the table earlier suddenly lurched forward and—ouch! Before I could dodge, she accidentally grabbed my arm, causing me to drop what I was holding.

I wanted to curl up in pain, but I held it in because people were staring. I bent down and held onto one of the tables nearby.

"Sir, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to!" a woman apologized. When I looked up, it was her—the same woman.

"Mr. Grim Reaper!?" she exclaimed, clearly surprised to see me. Laughter erupted throughout the coffee shop—probably because who'd be called "Mr. Grim Reaper"?

I gave her a hard look, and she stepped back. I adjusted my posture and left, too embarrassed to buy another coffee. Just as I was about to get into my car, someone grabbed my arm.

I frowned and turned around—it was her again.

"Please, I'm really sorry," she said. She took my hand and placed a new cup of coffee in it, then quickly turned away.

"Sorry," was written on the cup. I watched her walk away. Tsk! You should be grateful you're a woman—if you were a man, I'd have beaten you up by now for being so reckless.

Later, I met briefly with Rim at a restaurant inside the mall. After we finished talking and eating, he left before me.

Now, I'm standing in front of a boutique, staring at a mannequin dressed in a beautiful dress. This would look good on to my tiny pest, I thought to myself.

Suddenly, I felt something cold pour down my back. I wasn't mistaken—it was cold juice, judging by the smell. Angry, I whipped my head around to find the culprit—and, it was that woman again. She was lying on the floor, clearly having fallen... stupid.

"Sorry," I heard her say. I really needed to talk to her because I felt like she was messing with me on purpose. Just as I was about to approach, she suddenly stood up and ran off? Right after, a group of security guards started chasing her. What kind of nonsense had she gotten into now? I ran after her too because I needed to talk to her—and I don't know why, but a sudden worry bloomed in my chest.

I ended up in the mall parking lot where the security team had spread out—probably nine or so of them.

But I couldn't see her anywhere.

END OF FLASHBACK

That woman was unusual in my eyes. And every time we met, something bad happened to me. Was I really just unlucky whenever our paths crossed?

"Well, it doesn't matter—you won't see her again anyway since you're going back to Cebu later," I said to myself in front of the mirror. At least, that thought eased my irritation a bit.

I studied Mommy's face and couldn't hide the sadness in it. We didn't manage to buy even a single painting by LRY, the mysterious painter. Big fan, huh? Tsk...

Then I remembered that woman — if I'm not mistaken, she was also at the art gallery earlier. Or maybe I'm just imagining things? Or hallucinating, maybe? There's no way anything bad happened to me, so it's impossible that she was really there.

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

Hi-Yu