Chapter One

1880 Words
My palms sweat profusely as the draftiness of the ambiance intensifies. I wait and wait…and finally, the woman with wet red face and messy hair frenetically enters her room and hides inside her wooden cabinet. My heart thuds with her half-suppressed sobs, my body is paralyzed in my chair and words couldn’t escape from my mouth. 'Be quiet! He’ll hear you!' Exactly what I anticipate, the door flies open. The man with an evil look in his eyes, pulls out a pistol from the holster that’s fastened around his waist. I bite my lower lip as he searches for his prey. “Oh, Amanda!,” the man teases. “Hiding is not a nice thing to do. Get out, get out wherever you are!” The hairs on the nape of my neck and arms are erecting underneath the fabric so my hands knead them, trying to control the anxiousness that’s building from within. The man boots the table near the bed and the flower base splinters to pieces when it hits the floor then he hurls the blankets and pillows before hunkering down and searches below the bed’s frame. I’m praying that the man wouldn’t find her but as soon as he treads then stands up in front of the cabinet, the air is sucked out of my lungs…I gasp. “Alas! Found ya!” The man forcefully breaks the cabinet’s door then tugs the woman by the hair. Tears cascade in her eyes as her jaw trembles in fear. She hugs him but the man doesn’t budge. “Please. Please, let’s bring everything back to what it was. Please,…think about us, my love,” she begs. The man doesn’t respond immediately, instead he displays a viscous smile then sniggers, prompting the woman to loosen her grip around him. In the heat of the moment, I jolt when the man hauls her to the floor before pointing his gun at her. “I know you’re not that intelligent but don’t be empty-headed either,” he says. “Us? There was never an us! Everything is a lie from the start.” “Please, please don’t do this!” Without any hesitation, the man pulls the trigger. Bang! Bang! The ear-splitting sound reverberates in the dark air-conditioned room. The woman’s body flumps while sticky red liquid gushes out from her chest. She’s wheezing as she stretches her shaking bloody arms, trying to reach the man that she has loved but with one final bullet her lover proffers to her, her breath is halted. My bones shiver in agitation when the woman’s dead eyes pin at mine as if I’m the only person in front of her. My attention diverts back to the man when he sniggers one more time. “At last, father!” he lifts his face then his hands. “I fulfill our revenge. I killed the man who killed you. I killed his daughter who gave me heaven and earth. I did this all for you!” His voice cracks. My eyes widen the moment his tears fall from his slanted dark eyes. He then kneels down beside his lover’s lifeless body and caresses her face with his fingers before pointing his pistol’s muzzle to his temple. “I’ve done what I have to and I’m done living a hollow life.” And bang! The man’s body flops on top of his lover’s. My heart skips a bit or two and I only realize that I have been squeezing Chaz’s hand when he squeezes mine back. I angle my view to him, he doesn’t say a thing but just gives me a warm smile and a kiss on my cheek. My breathing slowly goes back to normal when the area lightens up and everyone gets to their feet and applauds as the red curtain starts to fall. Chaz nudges his nose on my ear. “Did you enjoy the show?” “Who wouldn’t? It’s excellent. The play writer and the actors did an amazing job, they’ll go far.” “Great,” he says before taking a deep breath. “How about dinner?” “I would love to! I'm craving for some good food to eat." Before Chaz and I could get out of the theater, a woman in a three piece suit who happens to be his secretary appears in front of us and whispers something to Chaz. “If it only takes a couple of minutes, why not?” he says. I’m not paying attention with what they’re talking about but I notice his secretary, whom he calls Bianca, is intensely staring at me so I offer her a smile but she instantly casts her sight somewhere else. She then leads us to one of the rooms inside the theater hall. “Please, wait for me here," she says. I muffle Chaz’s coat around my body tightly as the chilliness amplifies in each passing minute. “Still feeling cold?” he asks. “Yeah. I can’t explain it, but I don’t like the vibe this place is giving me.” He pulls me to an embrace then nuzzles my hair with his nose. I almost wanna fall asleep while leaning my head on his hard chest but it's not feasible coz a moment later, the door creaks open. I pout my lips since we have to break our embrace when his secretary enters the room with a goofy looking guy who’s peeking behind her. The guy fixes his huge eyeglasses that covers half of his face before extending his hand to Chaz. “I’m very please to meet you, Mr. Montenegro.” Chaz shakes his hand then the guy shifts his attention to me. “You must be Ms. Lopez?” “I am,” I reply. “Please take a seat,” he says, directing us to the leather couch across to a plastic chair where he sits. “By the way, I’m Lheom Cobalt and I’m the play writer of Nemesis, the one you watched earlier.” I set my shoulders back as a slight excitement clinches my interest. “Congratulations! It’s a very good show.” “Thank you!” he says while scratching his curly hair. “So, what do you wanna talk about?” Chaz asks. “Ah yeah. Sorry, I don’t intend to waste your time. I just wanna extend my gratitude to you, Mr. Montenegro.” Mr. Cobalt might have noticed that Chaz’s eyebrow flinches since he quickly explains himself. “I’m lucky to be one of the many students who was granted the Montenegro’s Scholarship Program for Indigenous Students.” This time, Chaz bobs his head with slightly part lips. “Because of that scholarship, I was able to put my life back together.” He pauses. Blush flushes on his cheeks as he fixes his glasses for the second time. “I consider you and Shakespeare as my heroes. The two of you give me the passion to live and a mission to strive.” He smirks then covers his face with his tan hands. “You’re fine.” I chuckle before glancing at Chaz who keeps glancing at his wristwatch. A soft elbow from me snaps him back to our conversation. “Well,… that’s great to know. I’m happy that I was able to help. You can tell me if there’s anything that I could do for you.” “Really?” Mr. Cobalt’s eyes glisten in elation. I press my lips together to avoid laughing when Chaz’s jaw tightens as if he wants to back out from his offer. “Well, you see. I… I have another play and there’s gonna be an audition. I wish that the two of you could be part of the judging panel,” he says, slapping his palms against each other. “When is that?” I ask. “October 23, Saturday. From 9 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon. I can’t pay you guys but the foods and drinks are free.” “I’m in,” I say before looking at Chaz who’s obviously baffled with my response. It takes him a couple of seconds to respond. “No promises but let me check my schedule first.” “Thank you so much!” Mr. Cobalt exclaims. Chaz gives him a faint smile then angles his view to his secretary. Bianca comes closer and whispers something to Mr. Cobalt then he pulls out a calling card from his wallet and glides it on the glass table between us. Without waiting for Chaz’s instruction, Bianca takes and keeps the calling card inside her pocket. Mr. Cobalt stands up and takes our hands one last time. “Mr. Montenegro, Ms. Lopez, again, thank you for spending time with me.” After bidding goodbye with one another, Chaz and I get out of the theater then hop on his black Bugatti. My sight is affixed at the window all throughout the trip. As I continue to fascinate the beauty of the night sky and the silver moon that complements the glittering stars, the car pulls up. Chaz holds my hand from the moment we get out of the car to the moment we take a seat in one of the VIP rooms of the Manila 1889, a high-end restaurant situated in the heart of Manila that only the elites of the society could afford to dine in. The mouthwatering smell of authentic Filipino cuisines makes my stomach growl, the shell chandelier that hangs from the ceiling magnificently lights up the space and the rattan chairs are large and comfy. A waitress in a modern terno enters the room, carrying a tray which surprises me. 'I didn’t even get the chance to order what I want.' The waitress lays elegantly plated fresh vegetable rolls garnished with roasted peanuts and peanut sauce on the table then pops a bottle of wine and pours its crimson liquid on to the glasses. I take one of the glasses, slowly swirls it before quaffing the bittersweet taste of the wine which brings a smile to my face. “Cheers,” Chaz says, smirking. Warmth travels to my cheeks. “Sorry. It’s my favorite wine. I got too excited.” He pours more wine to my glass then I lift it high enough for him to see. “Cheers!” I then take big bites of the appetizer until a hard solid object almost breaks my perfect white teeth. Frustrated, I yank it out of my mouth and my heart beats fast when I lay my eyes on the golden ring decorated with, I assume, a ten carat colorless diamond. My frustration is quickly transformed into ecstasy. Water gathers in the corners of my eyes when Chaz saunters towards me, takes my hand and kneels down. “Will you spend the rest of your life with me?” I giggle and proactively, without a second thought, slip the ring on my finger by myself then flaunt it to him by waving my right hand in front of my face. The bliss in my heart erupts and so do my tears as I hug Chaz as firmly as I can. “I absolutely will!”
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