Chapter 02
1870 Words
Elaine
“Huh? W-Wha—what did you say?” I stammered, confused.
We just stared at each other, and all I could think about was how unbelievably handsome he was. Was he a model? If any other waitress had heard him, their knees would have buckled. I was the first to look away, and my gaze fell on the woman beside him. She shot me a dirty look.
Had I done something wrong? Why was she acting that way?
“Baby, what are you saying? I’ll pick the food if you want,” the woman asked while holding his hand on the table. It looked like she was his girlfriend; I had thought she was his mother at first—what a mix-up.
“Can I take your order, please? It might take a while to prepare,” I said, trying to break the awkward tension. The woman glanced at me, her glare almost enough to cut through.
They had some tension going on.
“Leave,” the man ordered, pointing toward the door.
Was he kicking me out?
“Didn’t you hear him? He told you to leave!” the woman shouted, grabbing my shoulder and causing everyone around us to look.
Were they my bosses now?
“No, not you. Perry, get out!” the man muttered, making the woman, Perry, turn her head with a glare that could melt stone.
“What do you mean, baby?” Perry asked, forcing a smile. So, she was Perry. I thought it was someone else.
“Are you deaf? I said leave, or do you want Brennon to carry you out?” the man said.
Perry sneered, shoving my shoulder. Just as she was about to leave, she shouted, “Your taste is awful! I’m way prettier and sexier than her! And no matter your size, you can’t compete with your cousin!” Perry yelled before stomping out.
The people in the restaurant laughed as if watching a soap opera. What was that woman saying? I was still stunned when the man stood up and approached me.
I closed my eyes, feeling nervous as he approached. I couldn’t help but worry about what he might do—especially since I didn’t even know him. I couldn’t make any moves to get myself out of this.
A few minutes passed without him doing anything, and I finally opened my eyes, seeing him grin. I quickly turned away, embarrassed.
Did I expect him to kiss me?
“Woman, let’s get married,” he said, catching me off guard. We had just met, and now he wanted to marry me. Was he crazy? And honestly, what about my looks compared to his?
I pinched my hand, wondering if I was dreaming.
“Excuse me, sir?” I asked, grabbing a cloth from my uniform. I pretended to wipe down the table, even though they hadn’t eaten.
“I know you’re Raymond Natividad’s daughter. My dad said your father offered this marriage to repay his huge debt. Marry me if you don’t want to see your father rot in jail,” he whispered in my ear, sending a chill down my spine. I was left stunned when he walked away.
I should talk to my dad about this. There was no hint of a joke in the man’s words. Did my father really have this kind of debt? Why hasn’t he told me about this?
When I got home, I quietly entered my room, hoping Venice and Elena wouldn’t be there to surprise me, but to my surprise, they didn’t plan to stay overnight. They were not here.
“Child.”
I jumped, startled by a voice behind me.
“Ah, Dad. Why?”
“Venice and the others came over, but they said they’d just stay next time because her aunt suddenly arrived from Qatar,” my dad said, and I nodded, still deep in thought.
Now was a good time to ask him about that marriage offer the man mentioned earlier at the restaurant.
“By the way, Dad. Someone spoke to me today and said you promised marriage to their family to settle your debts,” I said, carefully sitting on the bed.
It felt much softer than the bed we usually slept on in the room we first rented out. I could see my dad was shocked and worried by what I said. I needed to know the truth.
“Oh, child. Don’t mind that. Maybe he’s just messing around,” my dad replied.
I wanted to know more, but my dad seemed unwilling to talk about it. What was it with that guy? I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
“Maybe,” I answered, lying back on the bed. My dad left the room, but my curiosity grew stronger.
I’d find that guy tomorrow and get some answers.
When I woke up, I got up and headed to the bathroom. But I froze when I saw Kaizer sitting in the living room with flowers in his hand. The worst part was I hadn’t even brushed my teeth yet! I quickly ran to the bathroom, but he grabbed my arm.
“Elaine,” he said.
I stayed silent, knowing my breath probably smelled and I probably had drool on my face, so I quickly covered my mouth.
“Is there a problem?” Kaizer asked.
He was so clueless.
“Bad breath,” I whispered. He frowned and stepped back from me.
“Don’t you like my perfume? I’ll change it,” Kaizer said, sniffing his polo as if confused.
“No. I just woke up. I need to shower first,” I replied, still covering my mouth. But then, to my surprise, he grabbed my shoulder.
“I thought you didn’t like my perfume, but Elaine, even if you don’t shower, I’ll still kiss you, drool and all,” Kaizer murmured, pulling my hand away from my face.
I quickly pushed him away, my heart racing.
I could hear him chuckling as I went into the bathroom.
After showering, I saw Kaizer sitting while my dad came in with three plates, slamming them down on the table. Was he mad?
“Elaine, eat your breakfast,” my dad said, but I couldn’t help but smile at Kaizer’s reaction.
I sat down and started eating the rice, not wearing my glasses. I also noticed I had two new pimples on my forehead.
“You look beautiful, Elaine,” Kaizer complimented me, causing my dad to clear his throat.
When I finished eating, I grabbed my bag.
“Elaine, are you leaving already? Let me drive you.”
“Don’t worry, Dad. I can go by myself,” I replied, though I had no classes today.
I planned to visit the Montemayor’s Building and Company. It was where my dad used to work before falling into debt, so maybe I’d find some leads there.
“Kaizer, are you okay? You look pale,” I asked, but he just gave me a forced smile.
“Your dad’s just scary, babycakes,” Kaizer replied, winking at me. We laughed when my dad shot us a look, and we quickly straightened up.
Kaizer insisted on driving me when I left the apartment, but I refused, no matter how hard he tried. He had no choice but to hand me the flowers and say goodbye.
I nervously walked into one of the old Montemayor buildings.
This was my first time here, and I had no idea where to start looking for clues.
I was startled when a group of men in all-black clothes surrounded me. One of them suddenly pointed a g*n at me.
“What do you need here?” he asked, and I felt a wave of fear.
“Come with us,” they ordered, and one of them dragged me into the building, blindfolding me.
I could only hear the pain in my back when one of them shoved me into a chair. “What, bro, should I go first?” one of them asked, sending shivers down my spine.
What did they mean by that?
“Are you stupid? Tell the boss first; we don’t want to mess up,” another voice said, sounding nervous.
I started crying when they ripped my clothes. “Please. Don’t do this,” I begged.
Before they could take anything else off, a man shouted, “The boss is here!”
“Boss is here,” another man muttered, and they laughed, adding to my fear.
I could hear the sound of shoes walking toward me, and I swallowed hard. What if he did something worse to me, like his men were planning? I couldn’t help but cry harder, my eyes still blindfolded.
I felt someone grip my shoulder. “Please. Let me go. I’m not going to do anything wrong,” I pleaded, even though I wasn’t sure who was before me.
“Let her go,” commanded the one they referred to as the boss. I wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or even more scared, fearing it could be a trap.
“But, sir, this woman looks like a spy. We saw her outside our building, peeking around,” one of them replied.
Another one beside him said, “And she’s not even attractive, boss. Just leave her to us.”
“If you are Mr. Montemayor, I’m not a spy. Please, let me go; I have so much more I want to achieve in life,” I said before one of the men kicked me in the face, knocking me to the ground.
I was shocked when I heard another man crash to the floor. “Let her go!” the boss shouted, and they quickly dragged me back into a chair. My body felt weak from the kick.
They removed the blindfold and the ropes from my hands. As I opened my eyes, I saw the man from the restaurant before me.
I gathered all my strength and slapped him out of pure rage. “Are you the one behind this?” I demanded. One of his men pointed a g*n at me in response to my action.
I pressed the g*n harder to my forehead. “Go ahead. Shoot me. I’d rather die than let you hurt me. You’re disgusting! You’re all devils’ children!” I yelled.
One of them got angry and looked like he was about to punch me, but the man stopped him, holding his hand.
“Stop it, Brennon and Alex. What right do you have to hurt my future wife? Do you want to witness death right now?” he yelled.
I felt myself growing weaker.
“But, boss . . . she slapped you,” said the one who was about to strike me.
“Yeah, and I didn’t say a word. Move aside, we have unfinished business after this. You all should understand the consequences of what you’ve done. Because of you, my future wife almost got hurt—and worse, she’s angry with me,” he said, picking me up in a bridal carry.
Before I completely lost consciousness, I heard him whisper in my ear. “I’m sorry.”
- Writer
