Chapter 1

Estelle woke up at the first beep of her alarm. She opened her eyes and jumped out of bed. "Good morning, Philippines!" she shouted. 

"Ugh! Please brush your teeth before opening your mouth" her sister Lorraine rolled her eyes at her. She's already taken a bath and wearing her uniform.

Such a diligent one, she thought. Estelle is twenty-six years old and she could never be half as mature as her younger sister. If she would define their family, she thinks they're middle class. Or lower middle class. Their father has his own shop along the highway, where he sells seafoods. He also supplies some stalls in the wet market and earns decent money that allowed the three of them to study in college. She went in the bathroom and took a bath. Her clothes are all ready and hanging since last night. She's very excited. She got the job on the company she's always dreaming to work on, the Royale Luna. And it's the mother company she'll be assigned to. If she made a good job and stayed there, she might even be able to buy her father the delivery truck she always wanted to give him.

"Stop day dreaming and eat faster!" her sister scolded her.

"Hey! You don't have to shout. I'm starting to wonder who's the older one here" she complained as she ate her rice.

"Yeah, I wonder that, too" her sister replied.

"Lorraine, don't talk to your sister like that" their father interrupted them.

Lorraine didn't say anything and continued eating. She looked at Estelle and saw her sticking her tongue at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Where's Markl?" Estelle asked.

"Out, delivering flowers" her mother answered.

"Why is he doing that? He finished a business degree, he can find a better job" she asked.

"There's no better job. As long as it's decent, and you enjoy it, that's a good job" her father told her sternly. 

After breakfast, she prepared her things and she's ready to go. "Papa, can you drive me to work?" she asked.

"Your father also has work today" her mother reprimanded her. She's right. Their father delivers fish in the wet market and mans his stall every day.

"It's okay. It's her first day" her father smiled. 

"You didn't drive me to work on my first day" Lorraine scoffed.

"I can drive you today" their father offered.

"No, thank you. Our workplace is in different directions, and I don't want to be late" she answered and kissed her father and mother in the cheek before waving goodbye.

"You know, you can learn a thing or two from your sister. She can go to work alone" his father told Estelle.

"I can go to work alone. But you're here, so why not?" she reasoned out.

Her father drove her to work and wished her good luck. She went inside the building and asked the receptionist which floor she'll go for the orientation. The receptionist told her to go to the seventh floor, and she'll see the place. She gave Estelle her ID and a pamphlet about the company. When she was walking to the elevator, she noticed there are three of it. Two are still upstairs and only one is available for her to use. The other elevator opened and one man got in. She ran and got inside as well. "Hi" she greeted, smiling so widely. The man just nodded. "Which floor?" she asked him. Her eyes caught the ID he's wearing. The same as hers. "Oh, you also just got hired?" she beamed. "Me too" and then she wore the ID the receptionist gave her. The man still didn't reply. "What floor again?" she asked again.

"Twenty seventh" he replied.

"You're not going to the orientation?" she asked as she pressed twenty-seven. "Or perhaps I heard her wrong" she whispered. "Is that where the orientation is?" she asked again.

"No. I had mine yesterday" he answered.

"Oh, okay" she nodded. "So, you do speak. I was beginning to think you're an elevator ghost" she laughed. He looked at her, not smiling so she stopped laughing. The elevator opened at seventh floor. She sighed, relieved. "Let's have lunch some time" she smiled at him. He didn't answer, she just waved at him. He raised his hand but didn't wave it. Boy, it's like elementary days all over again. So hard to make friends. She thought, shaking her head.

The orientation lasted half a day. In the afternoon, they went to their respective departments. She was assigned in the marketing division where she was given her desk and was tasked to file their ten-year database. She felt like it was a long day. After five PM, he clocked out and was stretching outside the building waiting for his father. She saw the man she met at the elevator looking at her. She walked towards him. "Hi" she greeted. The man didn't speak and just nodded. She stared at him.

"What?" he asked when he saw her staring.

"Nothing. I was just beginning to think if that mouth is just a decoration. I was wondering if it works, but hey, you can use it asking questions like 'what?'" she laughed at him imitating his question.

He rolled his eyes. "What do you want?" he asked sternly.

"You don't have to be so rude. This is a big company, you can always use a friend" she told him.

"I'm not here to make friends" he replied.

"Why not?" she asked. She heard familiar honks behind her and saw her father. "Oh, that's Papa" she quickly waved at him. "Let's have lunch tomorrow, I'll wait for you here" she said and ran towards her father. She stopped and looked back at him. He's staring at her. "What's your name again?" she asked.

The man hesitated to answer. She lifted his eyebrows and she saw him sigh. "Santi" he replied just loud enough so she can hear.

She smiled. "I'll wait for you at that exact same spot tomorrow, Santi" she waved before getting in his father's truck.

After taking a shower, she sat in front of her vanity table to start her night time skin care routine. She's wiping her face with toner when she remembered the man he was with at the elevator. She tilted her head. He doesn't speak much, and it seemed like no one's talking to him except her. Goosebumps suddenly covered her body. What if he's really an elevator ghost? And now that she's made eye to eye contact with him, he'll follow her around. And he really smells nice in the elevator. She suddenly remembered how old people used to believe that their deceased loved ones will let you smell their favorite flower, or scent of cologne or even a candle when they're near. She quickly finished her routine and shut her windows close. She took a pillow and her blanket. Her parents will not let her sleep with them. But she's still going to try. "Ma?" she called. She opened the door and saw her parents getting ready to bed.

"What?" her mother asked.

"Can I sleep here tonight?" she asked.

"No!" her mother firmly answered.

"But I saw a ghost—"

"You didn't! Go back to your room!" she shouted.

Ah, she didn't fell for it. She went and walked to Lorraine's room. "Hi?" she greeted her.

"What?" her tone is exactly the same as her mother.

"Can I sleep here tonight? I think I brought a ghost with me" she asked her.

Lorraine rolled her eyes and sighed. She quickly went in before she could protest. "So, how's today?" she asked.

"A lot of work. But nothing I can't manage" she smiled.

"Good. Be good there, and don't resign for lame reasons. Life is hard. You should always prepare yourself" she nagged her.

"Okay 'Ate'. I will do that" she teased Lorraine. (*Ate is used for addressing older sisters)

LUNA'S RESIDENCE

"How's your first day as the Vice President?" his mother asked.

"Not that different" he simply answered. They were having dinner at their house.

"Why's Andrei not coming home?" Celestine asked while slicing her chicken.

"He doesn't live here anymore" their mother, Carmina quickly answered Celestine.

"Why not?" she asked again. 

"Why? Do you miss him? You want Kuya to call him tomorrow?" Santi asked her. (*Kuya is an endearment used to call a big brother) Her condition requires a lot of patience. He knows how much they were concealing her existence just because of her autism.

"Yeah, I miss him. Is he still mad because of the cup? I can buy him more" she said sadly. They've only fought once, and every time she misses Andrei, she remembers the time they fought over a cup.

"Don't worry, Andrei's not mad about the cup" he assured her. Celestine smiled at him and swayed her feet back and forth and started eating again.

After dinner, he went to bed. He was lying when he remembered the obnoxious woman on the elevator. He remembered how she was fixing her shoes and her hair looks like it wasn't even combed. And her voice, ugh! She's so loud! He thought. So unbecoming of a lady. There's no way he'll go and have lunch with her.