Vengeful Canvas

"I am lying in bed after drying my hair while talking to my best friend through a video call. She incessantly brings up my male nude model from two years ago. I can't help but roll my eyes as I gaze at her on my phone screen while listening to her endless rants. I hope she realizes how annoying her actions are. "Could you please put that so-called jerk male nude model that I worked with two years ago out of your mind for a month, and at the very least, move on? Aren't you tired?" I retorted, giving her a stern look to silence the witch. I don't know why she can't let go of the irritation or at least some anger towards that guy. It's been two years, but it feels like it happened just yesterday." "Why are you letting him use you to climb to the top in the modeling industry?" she complains again. "You know that guy has a 'juts,' but the way he acts, it's like he has 'daks.' It's annoying! It's beyond infuriating. Why are you even adding him to your collection, huh? He thinks he's handsome, but he's not. He's such a nuisance!" I chuckle at what she's saying. In almost fifteen years of friendship with her, I still haven't gotten used to the words she uses. That 'juts' and 'daks' thing. I heard it for the first time from her. Then I found out that 'juts' refers to the small manhood of a guy, while 'daks' is the opposite. However, I'm also thankful because I learned some words from her that I now understand, especially since I'm in the Philippines, particularly in Lariza City. Those kinds of words are still trendy, especially among the youth nowadays. "Leave him alone, Ly," I said. "It's his choice as long as he doesn't cause any trouble and doesn't drag me into his mess in the future. After all, I benefit from him. Do you see? I'm still on top. And that's how mutualism works." I winked at her, earning a death glare in return. "First and foremost, Laurent 'Finn' Alfanta, that guy benefits the most from you and is still using the card 'I'm the best nude model in town because I've worked with Finn for one year and half.' It means he's your longest-running nude model who takes advantage of that 'juts,' that's why he's flourishing now because he knows you're super famous not just in the Philippines but worldwide. And you, you can be on top of what you do with your talent and everything without using anyone." She gestures with air quotes, so I raise an eyebrow. "He doesn't fail to mention your pseudonym every time there's an interview, especially during the runway show for that famous underwear brand. It's always Finn this, Finn that. He is futahamnida! So, endure it. You're also the reason why I am like this. Though I want you to do something, you act like you don't care. You're not doing anything, so things continue like this." I wince as I see how she skewers the hotdog on her plate, eagerly biting into it without caring about how she looks or what she's doing in front of me. She goes on and on about him, and I can truly feel her emotions. I sense her frustration with the guy she's talking about several times. I'll admit that I'm at fault for letting him use my name countless times and not sending him a letter to make him stop. But it doesn't bother me, yet my best friend is so affected by it. "It's not obvious that you're furious with him, right?" I asked while laughing at her, prompting her to point the fork she held at me after eating the hotdog. Even though she's far from me, I suddenly feel uneasy. It's like I might get pricked if I don't keep my distance from her. "Of course!" she straightforwardly says to me. "After he plans on hitting on me when you reject him after something happens between you two! How dare he?!" She vents. "He plans to get in our pants! Not only is he shameless, but he's also a 'juts'! You already know about it, but it seems like it's nothing to you, which is annoying! And because you're my best friend and beautiful like me, all the blame goes to him." She rolled her eyes at me, so I raised an eyebrow again. And yeah, it's not obvious how deeply angry or annoyed she is at that person. If only I knew, I wouldn't have agreed, and this wouldn't be happening now. Tsk! "I'm relieved you're not here," I said. "If you're sitting in front of me right now, you might stab me with the fork you're holding, and please, Ly, stop eating so much at every dinner. You might not be able to sleep right away due to your gluttony." She points her fork at me the whole time she speaks, so I can't help but say that to her, even though I receive a death glare from her. However, it is a joke because she wouldn't stab me with a fork even if we were face to face. She can't hurt me, and vice versa. We treat each other as real siblings, even though we're not. I am thankful that I bumped into her fifteen years ago. Despite both of us having problems at that time, we still clicked. We find comfort in each other, so we have each other's backs. I can't imagine myself without her in those fifteen years. "It's okay. I'm not fat, and I enjoy eating, so don't be a killjoy there, Lau," she says as if she's proud of that aspect, but she immediately gives me a dirty look when she notices what I'm doing. "Laurent, you are changing the topic once again!" "I am not!" I laugh again, but the truth is, I'm trying to change our topic as much as I can, but she still catches me. I have been sick of hearing about the same thing for two years. I feel like shutting Ly's mouth with tape, but I can't do it because she hasn't lived here in the Philippines long. And she's taking advantage of that, so we keep going in circles. She claims she sees the guy in every magazine and news, so she keeps getting annoyed. Ultimately, she vents everything to me, which is not amusing. "Yes, you are!" She insists, pushing her food around. "You think I don't notice, huh? No matter what you do, I wouldn't stop talking about him because he is a s**t! And he deserves it, after all. It isn't very pleasant to hear news about him. I'm like this because I want you to do something again, but you're just like a stubborn witch! Even if I keep saying this repeatedly, you won't be able to do anything unless you take action. So, endure it!" I'm even being blamed. I had a feeling about it, though. But because I naturally don't meddle in other people's business if they don't bother me. At least he's not dragging my pseudonym 'Finn' into embarrassing situations or scandals, so we are good for now. Besides, my world has become quiet after repeatedly rejecting Zeus's persistent offers, almost begging me to accept him again. He can't move on from what's happened between us. He wants more, but I don't want it anymore. Playing with him has become tiresome, and I'm not the type of person to accept those I've played with before. "All right!" I admitted. "I'm tired of hearing about the 'juts' and 'daks' and him. I don't give a damn about what he's doing in his life because of what I have done to him. He's f*****g happy about what's happening in his life and doesn't care about you or anyone who despises him to the core. You are just stressing yourself." I tried to make her understand. "He also stopped bugging me to extend the contract, but I'm sure he'll beg again when our paths cross. But don't worry, I won't accept him as a playmate; I'm done with him anyway." "Ah, basta! He is a f*****g jerk! He's someone with a tiny manhood that doesn't deserve to brag! It's annoying!" she says, visibly frustrated, so I sigh. The conversation would continue forever if I let her keep talking about Zeus. My gosh! I don't want him to be the last thing we talk about before sleeping. "Can you please stop talking about how his buddy doesn't meet your criteria for being called 'daks'?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "It's his problem, not yours. Besides, length isn't important to him; it's about performance. Let him be. It's his life, so he can do whatever he wants. So, stop, Ly, because focusing your attention and time on him isn't worth it." "Length does matter to me, sweety," she says. "From the moment it enters, you already know it's heading towards the peak of happiness. Not like his, which barely reaches the corner." And I nearly died laughing at what she said. Damn! Crazy best friend. "He's a plastic user!" she shouts again. "I'd love to grind and burn him so I never have to see him again!" After numerous attempts to change the topic, I finally succeeded. At least I can now give my ears a break from that guy. I have no regrets about accepting him as my nude model before because I used him to entertain myself, and that's enough for me. I played with him like a toy, and he didn't mind because he was so game and even found it amusing, so he wanted us to do it again. But I got bored because he wanted more than that, and it just so happened that he met my best friend, so that's how it's been for two years. I didn't realize that guy could get feelings so quickly. It's a good thing the contract is finally over, so our connection is also done. "You don't have plans to come back here to the Philippines for good?" I asked her, shifting on the bed. "You know, I can be with you again," I suggested, "but this time here in the Philippines." I try to keep myself from closing my eyes, even though I feel tired and sleepy. We don't talk often, so I want to make the most of it. I can sleep later after this. "I'm waiting for the right time, Lau," she replies after brushing her teeth and getting ready to lie on her bed. "I don't want to waste my time being away for nothing. Besides, I'm also waiting for someone, and when that someone arrives, I'll come home immediately. Who knows, maybe sooner I'll be there." And she shows me her wicked smile. Looks like the witch has something up her sleeve again. I shrug it off and don't want to be pushy with her. She doesn't like to discuss it, so I'll let it be. I will wait until she decides to tell me everything. Even though we are best friends, we know our limits and respect each other's privacy. We are just waiting for the right time for each of us to open up and share. That's why, out of all my friends, she's the best. She's the only one who stays and always trusts me. But then again, she's the only one I allowed to know myself more. The rest are just seasonal friends because they were my elementary to high school and college classmates. "Let's stop gossiping. There's still tomorrow; you might stay up late, and I might stay up until night just because of our conversation," I said, making her laugh. It's weird, but it's morning here in the Philippines, and its night where she is now, but I'm about to sleep. Sometimes, my morning is their night, and vice versa. And as Finn, I usually go out at night because I have worked in the office as Laurent Alfanta with a shipping company. When I'm not in the office, my secretary no longer wonders because she's used to me suddenly taking leave. The boards don't have a problem with it either because I finish my work before taking a break. It's often even in advance, so there's no problem with my sudden absence from the office. I hope there won't be any problems in the next day, month, or year. "Better sleep, Lau," she suddenly says, noticing my eyes are about to close. "Your head is too stubborn because you're turning night into morning. It's a good thing you're not a sickly person unless, of course, you get injured or caught in the rain and suddenly fall ill. You're something." She shakes her head. I had just gotten tired from the last session with a female client who came from the US for a painting. She found out through our email exchanges that I am currently staying in the Philippines and couldn't wait for me to visit her, so she came here instead. She is wealthy, so it's not a problem for her, and I am thankful for that because it's less hassle for me. Fortunately, she cooperated with me all the time so we could finish the two nude paintings she commissioned within two weeks. She said it was a gift to herself and proof that she loved herself with or without flaws, which made me smile. It took a while to finish because the painting she commissioned is so huge, almost half the size of the wall, and the other one is the size of a large piece of cardboard. It's a good thing I have quick-dry paint, and it's easy to use, so I didn't have a hard time. "Also, may I remind you not to speak straight English there when talking to a Filipino? Their noses might bleed because of you. You're already in the Philippines, so please get used to speaking Tagalog. Even if you want to speak in a sophisticated manner, that's okay. Just not straight English." I laugh. That is something she never fails to tell me. "Okay. I will try. It would help if you slept, too," I said, accompanied by a yawn. "Good night, Ly." After bidding each other good night, we each go to sleep. I pray before I fully close my eyes, as Ly always reminds me to do. It has become a habit for me to have a peaceful sleep shortly after. THE NEXT DAY, I entered the office. I glance at the employees walking in the lobby as I leave my car. They all greet me with a respectful nod, and I return it with a slight nod. I'm used to this setup, and the employees are accustomed to me. I am a boss who is strict but not to the point of being unreasonable. I've never shouted at my employees, but I reprimand them when I see something wrong. I make it clear to them that I don't care if they have relationships within the company. As long as they don't bring their problems into the workplace, or else they'll face consequences that haven't happened yet. I'm strict about work, but beyond that, I don't interfere because it's not under my jurisdiction. I also won't tolerate cheating, so everyone is extra cautious. "Miss Laurent, you have a meeting with the Board of Directors and Members at 10 AM about the new deal you closed last week; they want to hear some news about it as well," my secretary informs me as I exit the elevator with my two personal bodyguards. My office is on the top floor, the 50th floor of this building, and this floor is exclusively for me. All transactions and discussions occur on the 49th floor, where I also have an office, I frequently use. No one can enter here unless they know the code to get in. Usually, everyone stops at the 49th floor, so none of them set foot here except us. I intentionally designed it with many floors so each department does not share floors. Besides, I like it this way for organization within the company. There's also a lot of work here, so we need many people to provide the necessary services for our clients. "What else?" I asked as I continued walking towards my office. At the same time, my two personal bodyguards and some security team members decided to sit on the couch outside, facing my secretary's table. She proceeded to tell me about each meeting on my schedule for the day. "That's all," she says, closing the planner she always carries. "I've got a long day today." "Should I reschedule the other meetings?" She politely asks. "Also, the important documents that you need to sign are designated for less important documents." She says when she remembers it. "No. Thank you." She immediately leaves, leaving me to start reviewing all the paperwork she placed on my table yesterday. This will be a tiring day for me.