Chapter 7

Even though I'm angry with Keivan, I still care about him. Despite his harsh insults, he was kind to me before, and my view of him hasn't changed, even though he now treats me like trash and insults me. But why is he so angry that I have a boyfriend now? What's it to him?

I have double the problems now, so I'm looking for a part-time job because Aunt is hinting that she might stop giving me my allowance since their business is struggling. I understand, especially since I'm just staying with them and studying without a job, adding to their burden. I can't avoid feeling stressed.

"Girl, do you know of any way to earn some money?" I asked while Kath and I were having lunch in the canteen.

"Work at a bar, girl," she suggested.

I nearly choked on my food at her suggestion.

"You're crazy. I need something respectable. I'm really in a tight spot right now," I said.

"Hmmm... How about taking care of the elderly?" she said, sipping her juice.

"Really? Do you know of any openings?" I asked, eyes widening with hope.

"Yeah, I have a contact who needs someone to take care of an elderly person," she said.

"Really? I'm up for it," I said, desperate.

"Okay, the employer is nice, but the elderly person is a bit senile, so you'll need to be patient," she warned.

"That's fine with me. I just really need the money. Aunt might kick me out," I said.

"The contact is my mom's friend looking for someone to care for an elderly person, but since you're still a student, I'm not sure if it will work out," Kath said.

I felt a bit discouraged by what she said. "Can we visit after class? I want to talk to them," I asked.

"Sure, we'll go," Kath agreed.

After class, Kath and I were about to head out when I saw a familiar face at the school gate.

"Hey girl, I think your boyfriend is waiting for you," Kath said, pointing out Alzid leaning against his car.

"Wait here, I'll just talk to him. We're still going," I told Kath and walked over to Alzid.

"Oh? What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I'm here to give you a ride home. Is that a problem?" he said with a smirk, which was really annoying.

"Not now. Kath and I are going out," I said, crossing my arms with a poker face.

"Where are you going? I can give you a ride," he offered.

"No need. This is important to me. My future depends on it," I said.

"I'm your boyfriend. I have the right to know everything about you," he said, teasing me.

"Boyfriend by contract. And you're not my husband, okay?" I said.

"Fine, but give me your phone number," he said authoritatively.

"Why? You're always here. Why do you need my number?" I asked, irritated.

"No excuses. Give me your number. I'm your boyfriend," he insisted.

I glared at him. "Fine," I said, with an irritated tone. He handed me his phone.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" I asked.

"Save your number on my phone," he ordered.

I took his phone and saved my number.

"There, done. I need to go now," I said and turned to head back to Kath, who was smiling as if she was teasing me.

Before I could reach Kath, my phone rang. I quickly took it out of my bag and saw an unknown number calling. I answered it.

"Who's this?" I asked irritably.

"I'm just making sure if the number you gave me is correct," came the familiar voice—Alzid's. I rolled my eyes in frustration and looked back at him. I saw him standing beside his car, grinning mischievously while holding his phone up.

"Are you bothering me? I have something important to do," I said, annoyed, and ended the call. I turned back to Kath.

"Let's go, Kath," I said, my irritation with Alzid still evident.

"Girl, oh my gosh, you're so cute together. It's fun to watch you," Kath said, giggling.

"Lucky you're excited. I'm really annoyed with that guy. He's too teasing," I said, still frustrated. We walked to the jeepney and headed to our destination.

We were now in front of a grand house, and after ringing the doorbell, a maid eventually opened the gate for us.

"Who are you?" the maid asked as she opened the gate.

"We're here to see Madam," Kath said.

I remained silent.

"What do you need from her?" the maid asked.

"My friend here is applying to take care of the elderly," Kath explained.

The maid didn't respond and led us inside. We heard shouting as soon as we entered the living room.

"I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!!! OKAY!!" a woman yelled.

"OKAY, I DON'T CARE BUT STOP BLAMING ME!!" a man's voice, probably her husband, yelled back.

"GET OUT OF HERE! LEAVE US ALONE!! GO BACK TO THE STATES!! WE DON'T NEED YOU HERE ANYMORE!!" the woman screamed.

"FINE, I'LL LEAVE THIS PLACE!! THIS HOUSE IS WORTHLESS!!!" the man shouted.

"Ah, please have a seat. I'll call Madam," the maid said.

"Is it okay to talk to Madam now? It sounds like there's a misunderstanding between her and her husband," Kath asked.

"Oh, it's just like that every day. Since Don Antonio arrived from abroad, it's been like this," the maid said and left us to find Madam.

We continued to hear the sounds of breaking objects and shouting—clearly, the couple was having a serious argument.

After waiting for a few minutes, a woman in her mid-40s, still gorgeous, arrived.

"Sorry about that. We just had a minor issue. Anyway, I hear you're interested in applying?" she said with a smile as if nothing had happened.

I tried to calm down and stay comfortable.

"This is my friend Laine. She wants to apply," Kath introduced.

"Okay, but you're still a student, right?" Madam asked.

I nodded.

"Well, it doesn't matter if you're still a student, but are you willing to work here after school?" she asked politely.

"Uh, yes, I'm willing," I said, my eyes shining with hope.

"Okay, I see. What time do you finish school?" she asked.

"5 PM," I replied.

"Alright, you'll need to come here right after school until 12 midnight. Can you manage that?" she asked, examining my reaction.

"That works for me. I can do it," I said, forcing a smile.

"Great. Now, I'll introduce you to Lola Alina," she said with a smile. Madam seemed kind.

We went up to the second floor and towards a room at the end of the hallway. We found an elderly woman sitting in a wheelchair and sewing something. I was shocked to see that her fingers were bleeding.