Tethered by Almosts

Chapter 3

Marisse and I were both silent, staring at the ceiling of her room. We were deep in thought. It felt like every second was heavy.

"You know, Katris," she said quietly, "everything you're going through has a reason. You just have to trust."

I couldn’t answer. Her words went straight to my heart, but my mind was still full of worry.

After a few more seconds, I finally told her about Ms. Therese.

“Someone offered me a job,” I started, “but… it’s not just a job.”

She looked at me, confused. She changed her position and faced me. “What do you mean?”

I leaned a bit closer, took a deep breath, and said,

“The job comes with a good life, Marisse. A rich woman wants to adopt me… she owns M&R Company. She said she needs a daughter who can take her place as CEO.”

Marisse sat at the edge of the bed, shocked. She slowly leaned forward and said,

“Therese Moore? The owner of M&R? Did I hear that right?”

My hands were cold as I stared at the floor. “I don’t know if I should accept it,” I said softly. “I don’t feel like I deserve a life that’s not really mine.”

Marisse gave a small smile, but I could see the worry in her eyes.

“Are you out of your mind, Katris? That’s a good life being handed to you. You won’t struggle anymore.”

I didn’t reply. My head was full of questions. If I say no, am I doing the right thing? Or am I just holding myself back?

She gently held my arm and spoke in a calm voice,

“Maybe this is God’s way of pulling you out of poverty.”

I stared at her for a long time, trying to process what she said. Then slowly, my tears fell. I picked up the card Ms. Therese gave me. My hands were shaking as I typed on my phone.

To: Unknown

I’ve made my decision.

I took a deep breath and placed my phone beside me. Marisse rubbed my forehead and said,

“Everything will be okay.”

In that moment, even if my heart was still full of doubt, a small hope appeared.

A few moments later, I slowly closed my eyes. We didn’t say anything after that, but it felt like God was with us in the silence.

---

I woke up alone in the room. Quiet. Very quiet. The moment I opened my eyes, my head already felt heavy, and I knew my eyes were swollen from crying last night.

I stood up, tried to shake it off, and looked for Marisse. I went around the whole house, but instead of her, her mom greeted me.

“Oh, you’re awake. Come on, eat some breakfast,” said Tita Rosa as she was setting the table.

“Thank you po, Tita... where’s Marisse? We have school today.”

“Oh dear! It’s almost ten. She already left earlier. She said you should rest. She said you barely slept last night.” She paused, then smiled. “She also left you a note in the room.”

I gave a small smile and thanked her again. As I walked back to the room, she called out,

“Come back out after, okay? Let’s eat.”

“Yes po, Tita,” I replied, hiding my shy smile.

When I entered the room, I saw a small piece of paper on the desk. It was Marisse’s handwriting—clean, neat, just like always.

“Take a rest first, Katris. I’ll get the handouts from our profs. Don’t worry about it. We got this, okay?”

My heart broke a little. Not because I missed school, but because someone like Marisse—despite everything—was still here for me. Even when I had nothing, someone still believed in me.

I sat on the bed and suddenly remembered Ms. Therese.

I quickly grabbed my phone. There was a new message.

From: Unknown

"I'm glad you made your decision. Can you come over today? I'd like to talk to you. I'll send my home address. See you soon, Katris."

There was a location pin.

I took a deep breath.

I still didn’t know where this would lead. But instead of wasting away in confusion, I had to move. I couldn't stay stuck feeling sorry for myself. I had no one else to run to.

I also couldn’t tell Sister Via—she would just worry or maybe stop me.

I stood up, read the message again, and put my phone away.

I decided to go later. I didn’t want to be a burden here anymore. I was already too embarrassed.

I went out of the room, headed straight to the kitchen, and helped Tita Rosa prepare breakfast. Even if I knew a big decision was waiting for me today, I chose to be thankful for the moment. Because somehow, I still had a home to stay in, and someone who believed I could still make it.

---

Later that day, I arrived at the location Ms. Therese sent. At first glance, I almost stepped back—it didn’t feel real. The house was huge. So tall. So white. It looked like a hotel. Like the mansions in movies.

I took a deep breath and slowly walked toward the gate. I pressed the doorbell, and after a few seconds, it opened. A woman, maybe around 40, with her hair neatly tied and wearing a white maid’s uniform, peeked out.

“Good morning po. I’m Katris… is Ms. Therese here?”

She smiled. “Oh! So you’re the one. Ma’am’s been waiting for you. Come in.”

I followed her as we walked through the wide receiving area. It was so quiet. So clean. So big. Am I really going to live here?

It felt like I was lost in someone else’s story. Every step felt heavy—not just from nerves, but from wondering if I really made the right choice.

“Please stay here in the living room. I’ll call Ma’am Therese. I’ll also get you something to drink,” the maid said.

“Uhm… can I go with you instead?” I asked in a soft voice. I didn’t want to be left alone.

“Sure, come on.”

She brought me to the kitchen. When we got there, she placed a cold glass of water on the counter.

“I’ll be right back, miss. I’ll call Ma’am now,” she said with a smile.

I sat down slowly, scared I might scratch the chair or mess something up. Even the trash bin looked too fancy to throw trash in.

While I was drinking water, I suddenly heard a voice.

“Who are you?”

I jumped. I thought it was just me but—

“You?”

“You?” we both said at the same time.

It was him. The guy who bought tissue last night. The one who looked rich.

We stared at each other for a few seconds. Both surprised, but he looked more composed. Me? I’m sure it showed on my face.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, serious.

“You? What are you doing here?” I asked back.

“I asked first,” he said, walking to the other side of the counter. So arrogant.

“Ms. Therese asked me to come,” I finally answered.

He frowned a little, not overly. “Why?”

“I don’t know either,” I said, looking away.

Even though I knew why I was here, I couldn’t say it. What if Ms. Therese gets mad if I tell anyone?

Silence. Just a few seconds, but it felt heavy.

Then he spoke again.

“I went back to that store you worked at last night. I wanted to pay for the tissue… but you weren’t there anymore.”

I looked at him. “I got fired… just last night.”

He stared at me, then gave a slight smirk. “Why? Did they fire you because you didn’t pay for the tissue?”

My eyebrows furrowed. “Hey, I paid for it, okay? Even if that was the last of my money. I still paid.” My tone was firm. I couldn’t help it. I felt like I was defending my dignity.

He shrugged. “It was just seventy pesos.”

I looked away and ignored him. He didn’t understand how important seventy pesos is. That’s enough to buy lunch and dinner.

“Well… you really do look rich,” I said. It came out a bit strong, but whatever.

Suddenly, the door opened and someone came in. I quickly stood up straight.

“Katris!” Ms. Therese said as she hugged me.

I was surprised. I didn’t know how to react. But I didn’t say anything. I just let it happen.

“I’m so glad you came,” she said, smiling wide.

I smiled back, but I wasn’t sure if it was real or forced. Because even now, I still couldn’t tell if I made the right decision. No matter how nice or comfortable everything looks… a part of me still felt uneasy.

Then another woman entered the kitchen. She looked like she was the same age as Ms. Therese. Elegant. Dressed well. You could tell she came from a wealthy family too. She called the guy I talked to earlier.

“Yuno,”

Yuno? So that’s his name?

“There you are,” she said, with a bit of irritation. “Let’s go. The guest just arrived.”

But she stopped when she saw me—especially when she noticed Ms. Therese holding my hand.

She looked at Ms. Therese.

“Is she the girl you were talking about?”

Ms. Therese smiled. It wasn’t just a yes—it was like she was proudly saying yes. She nodded gently. There was a light in her face, like she was happy that I came.

Me? I didn’t know what I was supposed to feel. It was weird. Everyone around me seemed so sure. Maybe I’m the only one still walking in the dark, with no clear direction.

I glanced at Yuno. His brows were a little furrowed—not angry, just surprised.

He looked at me and said,

“It’s you?”

We stared at each other. No one said anything.

But in my head—I was thinking:

Why does it feel like we were meant to meet again even before this day happened?