The Forgotten Gorgeous Billionaire in My Dream

I was full of doubts. My chaotic mind was slowly swallowing my whole being, leaving me hopeless. While staring at the letter, I feel nothing but coldness, as though something uncanny showed in each of the letters that were written there. My palms were sweating and trembling. It was the worst feeling and I hate it. I hate it so much. I have been thinking about nothing but this letter since last night. Who's that man? Why did he give me this letter? What is he trying to tell me? I swallowed hard as I felt the throbbing in my head. It was unbearable. I squeezed my eyes shut, almost hurting them. My grip tightened around the piece of paper. I exhaled excessively multiple times. I was catching my breath when the throbbing pain had slowly subsided. I dropped my gaze to the letter. It became a bit crumpled. Sighing, I stood up and walked over to the cabinet. I rummaged through it until I found the small box. I hid the letter inside it. When I was about to close the box, suddenly, I heard a rustling sound that came from my window. I was paralyzed to my spot for a whole five seconds, fingers trembling. Even my breathing halted inside my lungs. A terrifying thoughts invaded my mind. It was almost midnight. What could it be? Or should I say... who could it be? Slowly, I walked towards the window. I know that it was impossible for whoever is in there to see me because my room was dark, but that thought didn't help to erase my unexplainable fear. I peeked at the window. I didn't even notice that my breathing had stopped. I tried to be as careful as possible. It was dark outside but there was a little light coming from a post. I gasped when I saw a silhouette passed through the plants in our small garden. It was hard to tell if it was a human or some kind of animal because of darkness. I don't fucking know. Apart from that, the shadow moved fastly. It came from our garden and disappeared all of a sudden. I went out of my room and ran. I switched all the light. A gasp escaped my lips when I saw the footprints on the garden, as though someone went here. I roamed my eyes around the street, looking for any possible trace of that person. And there... A very tall man was standing at Sol's house. I didn't even think about it. I came to him, heart pounding aggressively inside my chest, as though begging me to release it. "Who are you?!" Raging mad, I screamed at him. It made him froze. His massive back was all I could see. But slowly, he turned around to face me. He was just staring at me for awhile. While my anger couldn't just easily disappear. "What were you doing in our garden?! You went there, right?! Don't fucking deny it! I saw you!" His forehead creased as he remained staring at me. "What the hell are you talking about?" he hissed, barely opening his mouth. I could almost hear annoyance in his voice. "It was you! I saw you coming out from our garden! Who are you?! What did you do?!" I was unbelievably angry. My emotions went up severely when I think about the letter. "I don't even know what you are talking about. I didn't go there," he mumbled. His voice was serious and cold. I shook my head, teeth clenching. "I fucking saw you! I'm gonna call the police! I'll send you to jail!" His forehead creased even more. He licked his lower lip as his eyes smoldering with unmasked anger. "Will you please calm down for a second? I don't even know what–" "I won't let you get away with it! It was you! I'm fucking sure!" I just stopped when I saw Sol coming out from her house. Her brows furrowed while looking at us. "Nath– Y-Yula? What's happening? Rael? Why are you... what..." Her eyes filled with worry. "I saw him!" My emotions were too overwhelming that suppressing a small sob from escaping my throat became too hard for me. "H-He tried to break into our house! It was him! I'm sure because there's no other people here other than him!" Sol gasped. She looked at the man. "R-Rael?" Her voice was doubtful but there was a hint of fear. I watched how the man clenched his jaw tightly while looking around. Sol went to me and enveloped me in her arms. She caressed my arm. "Yula, hush now. You're safe here..." Sol whispered but my tears wouldn't stop. "I'm gonna call the police!" I screamed repeatedly but the man was only giving me a cold stare. "N-No. Please, calm down, darling. Rael is my nephew." "No! I can't be wrong! It was him! I know what I saw!" I glared murderously at this man. My pulse sped up and I was breathing very shallow. "It was you, right?! Tell me the fucking truth! What were you doing there at this midnight?!" He shot me a hostile glare, eyes hardened. "You're just probably tired that's why you're hallucinating," he said menacingly under his breath. I squeezed my eyes shut and swallowed. I tried to steady my breathing but it didn't work. "Yula, please... don't shout, darling. It was not him. I'm sure. You were just probably imagining things," Sol said softly while caressing my arm. I shook my head, not believing any of those words. "No! I'm sure with what I saw! It was impossible for that person to just disappear in just a blink of an eye because I immediately went out of our house to see it then I... I saw him! I don't know why he was there but I'm fucking sure it was him! He left a lot of footprints!" "Yula, please. Listen, it was not him, okay? Calm down. Let's talk about this when you're–" "No! I can't calm down! If it not was you, then who could the fuck it be?!" The man stared at me for a long time before he blew a sigh. He looked away before answering. "I don't know... but it was not me..."  he whispered under his breath. But his voice made me even more skeptical about him... as though he was trying to avoid something.

"There's nothing special or important thing happened in your life before the accident, Yula. So if I were you, I wouldn't even bother to think about my past. I and Papa are both farmers. We are poor. If there's anything we can consider special, that is when you became the mayor's mistress," my brother casually said. I pursed my lips as I tried to decipher his words. Why did I do that? I've been hearing about this many times but I can't make myself believe in any of those rumors. I can never accept that I once ruined a family. I heard that the mayor has three children and his wife has a chronic disease. Why did I let that happen? What was I thinking? Whenever I try to remember anything, even just a bit from my past, I never succeeded. It just gives me a severe headache. "That was a long time ago, Kevin. It was your sister's mistake. We should forget about that." My father emphasized each word. "What? I didn't say anything! It was not my intention to offend her. I'm just trying to tell you, Yula. And besides, when you became his mistress, we were able to pay our debts! We were able to buy two carabaos! You know what? I've been thinking that if ever you weren't got into an accident, we might have been living in a mansion right now. But well, life sucks." I didn't bother to say anything after what my brother said. His words kept on playing in my ears, almost making me feel awful. I couldn't even get my eyes off the pictures that were hanging on the wall. There was a picture of me when I was five years old. Even the day when I graduated from senior high school. I always stare at these pictures everyday, hoping that it would give me even just a glimpse of my life before. I spend most of my time making colorful crochet pouches. Because I do not have anything to do, I thought of something that would entertain me and make profit out of it. I searched on the internet the things which are easy to learn, and crochet pouch caught my attention. I watched tutorials until I perfectly learned how to make one. And now, it somehow became my small business. "I just can't believe that you accused Rael! Does he look like someone who would break into someone's house? My god, Yula!" Lucille laughed annoyingly. I pouted. "I don't know him personally, Lucille. And that was the first time I ever saw him," I said defensively. "Well. I can't blame Yula, though. We couldn't tell just by someone's appearance if he's capable of commiting a crime. Even if they're ugly or not!" Nessa shrugged. I didn't say anything. I continued crocheting a small pouch. "But Rael is such a hottie, right, Yula?" Nessa smirked at me. I furrowed my brows. "I'm not even thinking about that." I don't care about people's physical appearance. If you're beautiful, fine. If you're ugly, it's even more fine! "What do you mean you don't think about it? I don't believe you! Why? Do you like Simoun that much that you don't even find any other guy handsome anymore? My gosh! I'm sorry to say this but Simoun is worst than a monsoon!" "Simoun is kind, Nessa." "Of course, he would only show you his good side! But I know and I can feel it that he looks down on people like us! Don't you see it?" "But you and Rael would be a perfect couple, Yula," Lucille muttered all of a sudden. "What are you even talking about?" I felt a bit uncomfortable about what she said. "Nothing. I just thought about it." She was still smirking at me. I just laughed it off. "You should sell these online, Yula! I'm sure a lot of people will appreciate it. They are so beautiful. Look! I love this one! I will buy this." I've also thought about posting my products online but I'm still hesitating. I know that selling online has a lot of pros and cons, and the process is a bit complicated for me. Our neighbors buy my products and some of my mother's friends. I can only sell few because I'm the only one who makes these. I saw a cute image of a bear on the internet. I became determined to make my own little bear crochet pouch. It was kinda hard for me to follow its small diagram. I really wanted to finish it but I failed twice. I ended up starting from scratch to make my own pattern. I sewed the bottom of the two ovals together with a long strand of yarn. I left a small yet enough space for the mouth and nose after sewing the buttons on the bear's face. This resulted in an adorable bear pouch. This is designed to hold phones but also works for other small items. Probably around next week, I will sell these. "How have you been, Yula?" That is what the owner of the store always says whenever she sees me. "I'm doing great," I responded quietly because I do not even know how I feel. "Do not worry, dear. God will never leave you. You will remember everything when the right time comes. Just have faith in Him." All I can do was to offer her a smile. I muttered a small thank you when she handed me my change. It was still six o'clock in the morning. The rising sun emitted a rosy hue across the sky. "Good morning, Yula! What did you buy?" Nestor greeted me with a smile while sweeping their garden. "Good morning! I just bought coffee and few eggs for our breakfast." "I see! Don't forget your birthday gift for me, okay?" He was referring to the crochet pouch. "Of course, I won't." It was just a short walk as the store was not that far from our house. I walked slowly when I saw the house that's almost across ours. I can't help but look at it. A very tall man was topless. It was Rael, Sol's nephew. He was trim build, not overly muscular with a disheveled dark brown hair. His complexion was warmer than gold. And like any other day, I noticed that he was watering their plants. Embarrassment filled me whenever I think about what transpired few days ago. I feel so ashame that I accused him. My parents were disappointed when they heard about it. They said that Rael is such a nice guy and will never do such thing. They said that it was probably some dude who has nothing to do in life. I already apologized to Rael for what happened. He was not mad nor anything. He said that he understands. But recently, I can feel that he's been trying to avoid me. I saw his aunt who just got out from their house. She was holding a cup. I think it was a coffee. When she saw me, she waved her hand and smiled. I responded in kind. My gaze turned, once more, to her nephew. He was still looking at me so I smiled a little but I felt cold when he didn't reciprocate it. His gaze remained cold and impassive. I felt a bit of awkwardness. He was so rude. I just avoided his eyes and continued walking. I thought that I would have a peaceful sleep tonight but I was completely wrong. I never expected that I would have this kind of dream after dreaming about a certain name recently. But this time... it was not just a whisper. It was a man. I couldn't see his face. The only thing that was vivid to me was the dark woods. I do not understand what was happening. I do not understand why I keep on running... away from the man. My heart was throbbing in my ears. I wanted to scream but something was stopping me for my mind was clouded with fear. The beast holding me captive took control of my entire being. All I want was to get away from him. But it feels like I cannot able to escape from him even how fast I tried to run. He was just standing there, watching me, while I keep on running and running... and running. Our distance remained the same. Everytime I look over my shoulder to see if he's gone, he was still there. And the gun that he was holding was the only thing I could remember.

"Where did you get those?" I asked, confusion filled my voice. A bouquet of blue and red roses was placed on our table. There was also a small pink teddy bear beside it. I just woke up and those were the first thing I have noticed in our small living room. My mother shrugged her shoulders while looking at the flowers. "They are from Simoun. They are so beautiful, aren't they?" I pouted. I walked over to the flowers and inspect it. They were so beautiful to look at, I admit. But I just can't help but feel a bit confused because this is the first time that Simoun sent flowers. Usually, he will just drop by in our house if he has something to give. And I didn't receive any message from him that he sent me these stuff. "Are you sure that they are from Simoun?" My voice was filled with doubt. I opened my phone to type a message for Simoun. - Did you send flowers? Just a seconds had passed, I received a reply from him. Simoun: - No. Why? Have you eaten your breakfast? I pursed my lips, staring at the flowers. "Simoun did not send these, Ma. Are you the one who received it?" I asked my mother. She nodded. "Yes. From the delivery boy. I just signed it. And he said the name of the sender is Simoun." "But Simoun told me that he did not send anything, Ma. I asked him." Now, my voice was hard but the fear laced in it was vivid. Her brows furrowed as she blinked. "W-What? But the delivery boy said that..." I swallowed as fear crept in my skin. "Why did you receive it? You should have called me." "I-I did not know, Yula." "Good morning." A cold and rough voice made me stopped. It was Rael. He was standing in our door. He put down the gallon of water. His eyes drifted on the flowers but he immediately looked at me. "Thank you so much, Rael. Please, put it in the kitchen. Come here," my mother said as she left. Rael stared at me for a moment before he averted his gaze, following my mother inside the kitchen. As much as I did not want to, my eyes seemed to have their own mind as they automatically followed him. We decided to throw the stuff away because we were not sure who sent those. But after a few days, I noticed something unusual. While I was combing my hair infront of the mirror, I noticed a small red light coming from the clock which was hanging on the wall. My brows furrowed in confusion as I stared at it more. Slowly, I put down my comb and stood up. My steps were slow as I walked over to the wall clock, staring at the red dot. Pulse beating in my ears as my stomach churning. I grabbed the monoblock chair and stepped on it to reach the wall clock. My hands were trembling as I stared at it. I went out of my room with the clock in my hand. I went to our garden where my father and some of his friends were. They were drinking some beers. Rael was also there. "Dad!" My voice shook miserably. My father stood up from his seat immediately as soon as he saw the fear in my eyes. I also noticed Rael stood up. Dad dropped his gaze on the wall clock in my hand. "I-It has a camera!" I uttered, voice laced with fear. My father started inspecting the wall clock in his hand. Rael walked over to us. His jaw was clenched tightly while looking at me. My tears were unstoppable. I was hardly breathing. I swallowed as I hugged myself. Rael took the wall clock from my father and he examined it himself. He started breaking the clock and I gasped when he pulled out a small red light which was connected in a small cable. It was a small hidden camera. "What is that? Why is it there?" My father asked in a confused tone. Rael looked at my father. Suddenly, he snapped his eyes at me. I could not describe the emotion in his eyes but I can clearly tell that there was anger in them. "Someone put this here. Someone is watching you secretly..." Rael's voice was filled with indignance. Terror sucked the very breath from my mouth as pulse beating in my ears, blocking out all other sound. "W-What?" My voice was numb with shock. Rael's jaw tightened repeatedly as he looked away. I felt so lost as they continued examining the wall clock. I do not know what to feel. Anger, fear and even mistrust were overpowering me. I could not even open my mouth when they asked me. I could see their lips moving but my ears became numb. "Yula! Yula! Can you hear me?" Someone shook my shoulder which made me pulled out from my thoughts. My mother's eyes were full or worry. My gaze drifted to the man beside her. Rael was silent but his eyes were full of darkness. Even though they have different colors, darkness was extremely strong and intense. "When did you buy this wall clock." Rael asked in a stern voice. His eyes remained staring into mine. I blinked as I tried to find answer. "I bought that two weeks ago." My tone was tired and weak. His jaw tightened mercilessly. He let out a deep sigh. "I think it is not a camera? It is probably just some sort of design?" my father's friend commented. "This is a camera. I can't be wrong," I responded in a firm voice. "But who will put it there if it is really a camera? What is their motive?" My father furrowed his brows. "Where did you buy this?" Rael asked. His eyes fixed on mine. "A-At the night market." Rael pressed his lips together. When he looked away, he stared at the horizon as though he was in deep thoughts. My mother accompanied me in my room. They already threw the wall clock away. They also had stopped drinking beers. My father's friends had already left and Rael was the only one who stayed. He was talking to my father. I could not sleep after what happened. My eyes kept on finding a possible small red dot. I was so paranoid. I feel like someone was watching me. I could not even be comfortable in my own room anymore. I was still lost even in the next morning. The fear in my heart was still overpowering my whole system. I could not even talk to my parents. My thoughts were in disarray. I felt someone entered the kitchen. I immediately looked away when I saw Rael. He was holding some plastic bags and he put those down on the table as I continued washing the dishes. My mother asked him to accompany her at the wet market because my brother and my father were not here. "Can I drink water?" I heard him uttered in a soft voice. I swallowed hardly as I quietly grabbed a glass. I wiped it with a clean towel before I filled it with water. I did not look at him but I could feel him watching me intently causing my hand to shake in discomfort. "H-Here," I whispered as I put down the glass near him. I did not spare him a glance. "Thank you..." he said gently. I just nodded my head slightly before I went back to the dishes. Suddenly, I felt his presence beside me. My heart pounded ridiculously inside my chest. It was so fast that I thought I would lose my balance especially when I noticed our distance. I felt like I was on fire and like I might spontaneously combust at any moment. I trembled when I felt the warmth of his body behind mine. "Let me do it," he whispered. I let him washed the glass he used. I did not even notice that my breathing had stopped as I watched him carefully rinsed the glass. He put it beside him when he was done but he remained on his spot. Slowly, I looked at him. His eyes were tired, I can tell. I swallowed hard. His eyes were weak as though he was in pain. "How are you?" he whispered huskily. My lips parted a bit as my heart was beating so loudly I thought he would hear it. "I-I am okay." I do not know why his question brought a lot of pain in my heart. It hurts that I wanted to cry. I saw how his eyes weakened even more. "Please, do not worry about anything." I could not talk. This feels like a sweet torture. "Yula..." His voice was almost begging. "Can I... hug you?" I found myself swallowing nervously. I stared into his tired eyes. But he immediately took a step back, aggressively running his fingers through his hair. "I am sorry. Just..." He sighed excessively, averting his gaze. "Just forget about it," he whispered before he turned his back on me, leaving me alone.

I do not know if I should be thankful about the thought that it has been a whole month since the last time I felt scared. Now, I feel like I am safe. Maybe whoever that was had already stopped or they probably realized that the they won't get anything from doing that. "I bought you some food. I cooked more than enough," Sol said as she visited at night with a plastic container in her hand. I smiled before taking the container. "Thank you so much, Sol. Have a seat for. My mother cooked some sweet potato. I will get you some," I uttered but she just shook her head and smiled. "Thank but no need, Yula. I just finished having dinner. My stomach can't take another food anymore, dear." "You might want to bring some so you could try it tomorrow." "Oh. Yes! That is perfect. That is my nephew's favorite." I moved quickly and went to our kitchen. After putting the sweet potato in the container, I went back to the living room where Sol was. Sol thanked me before she went home. She always brings some food. Almost everyday she goes here and offer some food that she cooked. "Why is Sol always cooking this dish? Isn't it she also brought us this dish the last day?" Mama asked with a knitted brows. I shrugged my shoulders while washing the dishes. "I am so tired of eating that dish," my brother, Kevin, said as he entered the kitchen. "You are so bad," I said between my laugh. "It seems to me that that is the only dish which Sol knows how to cook. Isn't Rael getting tired of it? If she ever cooks that dish next time, tell her to not give us some at all... ouch, Ma!" "Sol might hear you, you asshole." I washed the container to give to Sol. I did not stay any longer there. I noticed that Rael was not home because I did not notice his motorcycle. As soon as I gave the container to Sol, I went back home. The scorching heat of the sun was stinging my skin. It was a month of March so the weather is sunny. We were at the small hut. We brought the lunch of the farmer who are under the scorching sun now. The two women that I was with are very talkative. I was silently preparing our food as I listened to them. They were talking about this particular farmer. No... they were fantasizing about him. About Rael. Whenever we go here to bring lunch for the farmers, they will never let the opportunity to fantasize the clueless farmer. They were always talking about him. I glanced at Nessa when I heard her giggle. "Rael really makes me weak. I do not want to look at him! Gosh! I am making a sin!" "What do you call his condition again, Yula?" Lucille asked curiously. "Heterochromia..." I responded in a soft voice. "Right! Is there a pink and violet for that case?" Lucille uttered as she furrowed her brows. "I am not sure, though. But I think there is none." "Really? Is it just always blue and brown?" "You will not look good with those eye color, Lucille! You will just look like stupid!" Nessa said. I could not help but glanced at the direction of the man who these girls were giggling about. My father was there and also my brother with the other farmers, and of course, the tall man. He was wearing a faded jeans, thin red long sleeves and black boots that were covered by mud, and a native hat. He is Sol's nephew, Rael. After that day, he started to avoid me. He never talks to me and I never talk to him either. If we ever have a conversation, it was just when he asks something about my father. "Oh? Why am I seeing some regret in your face, Yula?" Nessa commented which made me glanced at her. Her cousin, Lucille, looked at me also. "Oh my, Yula! Rael is yummy, yes, we definitely know that but if I were in your situation, I would rather choose someone who has a profession, of course! In this difficult life, you have to be wise enough. Your eyes would only be the one to be full by Rael's gorgeousness. But what about your stomach? So, be happy with Simoun. He is kind and well, he is handsome somehow." Lucille held my hand dramatically. I laughed softly as I shook my head. They are always like this whenever we are together so I got used to them. "What are you guys talking about? You are the only one who's thinking that. Can you please leave the man alone? He might hear you." I pouted. She let go of my hand and now, she played with my hair. "You are so beautiful, Yula. I know that you are aware about that. You are lucky with Simoun. He is rich. A teacher! His family owns a big grocery store! And if he would ever ask your hand for marriage, do not hesitate to say yes! Your future is secured!" Lucille smiled at me. Lucille was a petite woman with bronzed skin. Her shoulder length hair perfectly highlighted her features. Nessa looked like her because they are cousins. Their facial features are not far from each other. The only difference was Nessa is taller than Lucille. "Marriage is not yet in my priorities right now, Lucille. I still have a lot of things to do in life. And Simoun is still not yet my boyfriend. He is still courting me." "Sus! But when you were still the mistress of mayor, you were always telling us that you were ready to marry him for your family." "That was before but my situation now is completely different. Especially now that I do not remember anything that happened in my life before." "Isn't it so surreal?" Nessa commented as her brows furrowed while watching me. "I did not expect that I would witness an amnesia in real life. I thought that it only happens in movies." "Why? Do you also want to have amnesia? Come here. I will shake your brain." Nessa frowned at her cousin. I just smiled at these two. "Anyway, Yula. I have a quick question. We have never asked this one before. Simoun? Is he big?" Nessa asked nonchalantly. I knitted my brows in confusion but she just laughed at me. So hard that her face turned into red. "Big! Is it big?!" Lucille said, laughing with her cousin. My eyes widened when I realized what they wanted to imply. My cheeks turned red. "W-What are you talking about? I do not know! Why are you even asking that kind of question!" I couldn't even look at them because of embarrassment. That was not pleasant to hear! Is it even necessary to ask that kind of question? I massaged my temple. "God, Yula! Stop acting so innocent! You are acting like a virgin! As if you did not become the mayor's mistress!" Nessa rolled her eyes in between her laugh. That was what I always hear from the people. But because I can't remember anything, I am not able to answer whenever I hear about that. I just continued preparing the foods while the two cousins were still not done fantasizing Rael. "If I ever have a next life, I would pray to be a rice crop. But Rael should be the one to harvest me," Nessa uttered and giggled. "That is the most nonsense wish I have ever heard! Who would ever want to be a rice crop? Only you because you are stupid!" Her cousin frowned at her. I glanced at the farmers once again. My brother was talking to Rael and they seem to have a fun conversation. I blinked multiple times when Rael's eyes suddenly drifted at my direction. I did not even notice that I was staring at him a bit long and he caught me! I immediately looked away, cheeks burning red. I wanted to hide in shame! He might think that I was fantasizing him like these two girls! I tried to focus my attention on the foods. Everything was prepared and we were only waiting for the farmers. Fried eggs, salted egg, longganisa and of course, rice. After a few moments, I saw the farmers walking towards the hut. I suddenly felt so nervous when I glanced at Rael. I could not forget about the fact that he caught me staring at him awhile ago! "You did not even buy a soft drinks?! What are you?!" My brother hissed when he looked at the foods. "Wow! Why? Did you give money?!" Lucille rolled her eyes. "Here! Ten thousand! Buy yourself a shampoo! Your hair smells so bad! Get out of my way!" "Fuck you! Pa! He is so arrogant!" I just shook my head at these two. They just stopped when Lucille's father scolded them. "Rael! Here is some water. You can sit here beside me," Nessa said shamelessly as she tapped the space beside her. I swiftly glanced at Rael who was now wiping his sweat using his towel. He took off his native hat. He just smiled at Nessa and sat beside her. While I occupied the space beside my father. I wiped his sweat. He thanked me and smiled. "Dante invited me to go to his son's party. It is Danica's birthday on Saturday." My father said when we started eating. "Gosh! I did not know that ugly gay is celebrating birthday? I am not going!" Nessa rolled her eyes but when she looked at Rael, she smiled sweetly. I pouted when Rael smiled a bit at her. I immediately dropped my gaze on my plate when he glanced at me. "I am not also going. And also Yula, of course," Lucille uttered. I raised an eyebrow. "It is fine with me to come." Lucille rolled her eyes. "That bitch is fake! She is insecure to you! Can't you see it?" I pouted and shrugged my shoulders. Danica is kind to me so I do not know why Lucille is saying that. Danica shows nothing but kindness. She is a great friend. "I will help you," a deep voice whispered beside me. I was a bit shocked and looked at him. I was not able to refuse his help because he started moving. I could not help but smell his scent because of our distance. It was a warm subtle woodsy with a hint of earthy smell. My lips parted a bit. Why can't I smell any trace of tiredness from him consider that he was working under the scorching heat of the sun?! I glanced at Lucille and Nessa. I caught their malicious stares at us. The other farmers were outside, smoking cigarettes. "Uhm, thanks," I responded in a small voice. He did not answer. He didn't even glance at me. I was starting to think that he hates me for some reason. He is not like this to other women. He is smiling at them but to me... he never did, even once. I noticed that my head was only reaching his shoulder. That is how tall he was. I put some distance between us when I noticed that we were quite too close. "Sorry," he uttered in a cold voice when he noticed that I took few steps away from him. But he was still not looking at me. I bit my lip. I scratched my forehead. He might think that I do not want us being close to each other. He might think that I am being over dramatic. But I should not care about whatever he is thinking, right? Suit himself! And one more thing, we were not even close! That was our only interaction until we finished cleaning the table. It is not like I wanted us to have a conversation. I was just wondering why he treats me differently compared to other women here. I do not know if I was just being paranoid or what. Simoun visited at night. Every night he is always here, bring a lot of foods that we can't even consume. "Thank you for the foods, Simoun. But next time, you do not have to bring so many." I smiled. I accompanied him outside because it was already quite late. I think it will rain because it has been thundering. He smiled and gently caressed my arm. My eyes dropped on his hand and I can't help but feel uncomfortable. But I did not let him see it. I opted to smile instead. "Yula, what I am doing right now is still not enough. I would give you the world if you want me to. There is nothing I can't give to you. That is how much I love you, my love." His eyes became hooded as he stared at me intently. My lips parted a bit. "Simoun..." I suddenly felt uncomfortable with that endearment. "Do you love me as much as I love you?" he said sweetly while his palm remained on my arm and caressing it every so often. I blinked multiple times and everted myself from his touch. "S-Simoun, you know that I am still ready for that. I am still not complete." I replied softly. He nodded. "I understand. But I know that I am the one who has the power to complete you, Yula. You will not just be complete. I will make sure to make you more than that. And I know that you will fall for me eventually," he told me with absolute certainty.

I massaged my temple but smiled at him. "Aren't you going now? It will probably rain," I told him, secretly telling him to leave. I do not know why but this conversation is draining me. "Can I at least get a kiss?" He tilted his head as he waited for my response. "Uhm..." I massaged my temple once again. "Please?" He even gave me a pleading look. He is always asking this but I do not know why until now, I can't get used to it. I immediately tiptoed to kiss his cheek but he suddenly moved his head making our lips touched for a bit. My eyes widened. He immediately pulled away after that kiss. His smile was huge when he looked at me. But I almost jump when I heard a loud horn. Simoun and I looked at where the horn came from. I saw a motorcycle and the man riding on it. "Move your car, bro. It is blocking my way," Rael said in a rough and imperative voice. His eyes were glaring at Simoun. When he looked at me, he immediately looked away as though it burned him. Simoun seemed to be not affected by the tone of Rael because he was still smiling largely when he bid goodbye. "I gotta go, love. I'll see you tomorrow," he uttered sweetly before he jogged towards his car. He horned before his car moved. When I looked at Rael, he was still glaring at the car before he glanced at me. "Next time, if you are going to flirt with each other, do it in more appropriate place. Not in the middle of the street," his voice was hard and he did not even wait for my response as he started his motorcycle and left. My lips parted, shocked by his rude words. My eyes followed him until he went inside their house. While I was left with annoyance. "Before you take a shower, bring this to Sol first, Yula." I blew a sighed when I heard my mother. I turned around and went back to the kitchen to get the rice cake. Whenever I think about what happened last night, I can't help but be annoyed. He does have not the right to talk to me like that! Does he own the street?! I was right! That Rael has some attitude problem! I chose to follow Mama's order even though I really wanted to refuse. Surely, I would see that jerk. My annoyance for him has not disappeared yet. If he ever say something that I will not like, I swear, I am going to punch him! I rolled my eyes when I saw him at their garden. The jerk was not wearing any top again! When his eyes drifted at my direction, he just furrowed his brows. I stopped myself from frowning at him. It was too early for him to ruin my day. I showed him the plastic container. "My mother wanted to give you this. She made this yesterday." I tried to hard to talk in a calm voice. He threw the hose nonchalantly on the ground before he walked towards me. I immediately handed him the container. "Thanks," he uttered lazily as he took it. I brushed my fingers through my hair. Suddenly, I did not know what to do. We were just both standing without saying anything. I pretended to be busy looking around us. And when my eyes drifted back at him, I caught him staring at me. I could not help but be amazed at his eyes. His deep set beneath those heavy black brows were of a different color from one another. The other one was the blue of every dancing sky. While the other one was the flecks of deep brown... like the warmth of an eternal hearth. But this man is rude! His eyes are the only beautiful thing about him! And you should never be deceived by physical looks! "Do you still need something?" His brows knitted in a frown. My lips parted a bit and blinked multiple times. I could feel my cheeks burning. But because I was determined to pour out what I was feeling... "Last night," I trailed off, fearless. He cocked a brow in surprise. "What about last night?" he asked in a cold voice but I did not miss the amusement in there. I ignored his annoying tone. "We were not flirting with each other. And you should know that I did not like what you have said," I said in a hard voice. He gave me a dazed look of bewilderment. He pouted as he nodded his head a bit. "Okay..." I pursed my lips. He really is trying to annoy me! "I am serious, Rael. I'm offended by your words. You should never talk to me in that way especially we are not even close." I stared pointedly at him with an icy coldness. His brow furrowed as his mouth turned grim. I knew that he was annoyed by my words because his expression turned serious and cold. I turned my back on him and did not wait for his response. I do not have time to prolong our nonsense interaction because what for? I do not want to waste my time to someone like him. "Yula!" Danica had a huge smile on her lips when she saw me. She was wearing a pink dress for her birthday today. She hugged me and kissed my cheek. "You're so beautiful as always, dear. Come here! I will introduce you to my friends! I'm sure they will like you because you are pretty like us!" She held my hand and looked at Lucille an Nessa. "Ugly ducklings are not allowed in our table so you can't join us." Danica smiled sweetly at them but there was a hint of mockery. "You witch gay-" Lucille was about to come near to Danica when Nessa stopped her. Danica pulled me away and waled towards a table full of beautiful gays. There were three beautiful gays at the table. All of them were smiling at me. "Girls, this is Yula. I told yah! Quality control!" Danica winked at them. My smile remained in my lips even though I was slightly uncomfortable. "I like her! And I am sure Ma'am Black will also like her! Apple's girls are going to be losers!" One of them clapped happily. They made me sat and poured many questions to me. "Your face is so fresh, honey! You should use that beautiful face of yours! Do you want to earn a lot of money? Just by sitting?" My brows slightly furrowed at Danica. "Just by sitting? Is that even possible?" I laughed awkwardly a bit. "Two thousand is very easy to earn in this job!" "Our customers are very thirsty for women like you! Soft features and very soft skin! I am sure you are going to be the apple of their eyes!" One of them cheerfully said. "This girl seems to be so rich. Her hands look so soft," I heard one of them whispered. "Are you in, Yula? You are just going to entertain our customers. Drink with them and have some fun conversation at their tables but I promise! They are not allowed to bring you outside or anywhere," Danica uttered. "Uhm, i-isn't that dangerous?" I bit my lip. "Dangerous? What are you talking about? Of course not! People nowadays are just very narrowed minded but this job that I am offering to you is noble, Yula! And we will never bring you in danger! Kevin will surely hate me!" "I am sure you drink beers and all that, right, Yula?" Rafaela asked me but her name in the morning is Rodolfo she said. "I d-do not," I responded in a small voice. "Oh, dear! You should learn how to drink beers! Our customers do not drink milk!" Rafaela clicked her tongue, disappointed in me. "What are you?! Of course, we are going to teach her how to drink!" Danica rolled her eyes before glancing at me. "What do you think, Yula? Are you in?" Until I reached home, I was thinking about their offer. If it weren't for my father, I would grab the offer immediately. I know that my parents would think that working at a bar is not very pleasing to the ears. "What did you say?! One night, two thousands?! God! Grab it, Yula! You will never find a job that offers a salary like that!" Kevin commented when I explained the offer the following day. But when I saw my father's reaction, I knew immediately that he will not let me work at the bar. "At a bar? Do you even know what it is inside of a bar, Yula?" Papa asked me in a stern voice. My shoulders slumped. I could not defend myself because I know that my father has got a point. "I-I will not put myself in danger, Pa. And-" "No! Stop with this nonsense conversation, Yula! I am working so hard for this family! You do not have to put yourself in that kind of job." My father was really determined to oppose me that I was not able to defend myself at all. "Andres," Mama called him in a soft voice. "Even you, Lourdes. Do not tell me you are going to let your daughter work at a bar?" "But your daughter wants to. Why would you be selfish for something that she wants to do? That is a noble job, Andres. You are belittling people who work at a bar by that reaction you are showing to us." "I am not belittling anyone, Lourdes," my father's voice was stern. I bit my lip. It saddened me because I know that could be a big help for us if I ever get to work in there. We have a very huge debt when I was in coma. Our bill at the hospital grew larger and larger. Even though my mother has been telling us that the person who they borrowed money from is very kind because they are not asking for an interest. They did not also give us a deadline. From what I know, my father has already able to pay twenty thousand pesos but our debt is still huge. "What? Did Uncle Andres give you his permission to work at the bar?" Lucille asked me while we were preparing the foods for the farmers. I was not able to come here yesterday because I had a severe migraine. Simoun visited me and bought a lot of foods. He even brought a doctor. When the doctor said that there was nothing to worry about, he calmed down. "Not yet. I think it is impossible for him to give his permission." There was a sorrow in my tone. "That could have been a big of a help for your family. If I were born beautiful, I would not hesitate to grab that work!" It has been two days since I told my parents about the job but until now, I have not gotten any answer from my father. I was slowly accepting the fact that he will never let me work in there. "God! What is that woman here again?" Nessa's voice was low but filled with annoyance. I looked at the direction she was looking at. I saw a woman dressed in a printed maxi dress. Her hair was being swept away by the wind. She was carrying a box. Her eyes were covered by a big sunglasses. She was smiling widely as she walked over to us. I saw a white car. She was probably the owner of that. She pulled her sunglasses up to the top of her head when she came near us. She was roaming her eyes in the surrounding as though she was looking for something else. "Hi! Oh my god. It's so hot!" She flipped her hair as she laughed softly. "Anyway, where is Rael? I told him yesterday that I am going to visit today. Is he there?" She pointed at the direction where the farmers were. I furrowed my brows as I looked at Nessa and Lucille. "Ah! Yes! He is there! You should just wait for him. They will be here any minute now." I was aware that Nessa's smile was fake. "Okay! Can I sit here for a while? I brought you guys this cake. This is my favorite flavor and I'm sure Rael will also love this." Her smile was sweet and I could say that it was genuine. She put down the box on the table. Her eyes shifted on me suddenly. Her smile slightly disappeared but it went back immediately. Of course. I returned her smile because I'm not rude. "I think I didn't see you here yesterday. I'm Nikola. I believe you are not Rael's girlfriend, right?" she uttered cheerfully. My forehead creased a bit. "Oh! I am not!" I shook my head. "That's what I thought. Because I asked him yesterday if he has a girlfriend but his answer was so vague!" She suddenly stood up and waved behind us. "Rael!" The farmers were walking towards the hut. Rael was wearing a plaid longsleeves with a white inner shirt. His bottom was long. He was also wearing a black boots. Nikola greeted all of them as though she has known them for many years. "Join us, Nikola. Do you eat these kind of foods?" My brother, Kevin, asked her. There is adobo, fried milk fish and some vegetables. My mother and Sol were the one who cooked these foods. We helped them in preparing the ingredients. "I do not eat with barehand. I am sorry," Nikola said in a shy tone when she probably noticed that there was no utensils. "This woman is really beautiful," I heard Lucille whispered in a sarcastic one beside me. Nikola did not eat but she sat beside Rael. "I was texting you the whole night but you were not replying. You just replied this morning." Nikola's voice was low but I heard it clearly. She was smiling but I could hear the disappoinment in her voice. I was sitting in the middle of Lucille and Nessa. Infront of me is Nikola and beside her is Rael. Nikola was just eating some fruits using the fork. Her move was very classy and womanly. "I was busy with some things, Nikola," Rael responded in a cold voice. Our eyes met all of a sudden. Our stare lasted for few seconds. I was the one who broke it off because those eyes was too heavy for me... And I am still annoyed at him. "You might get annoyed at me because I am always texting you. I will understand if you will say that you are busy so I will know," Nikola uttered softly. I discreetly scolded myself. Why am I listening to their conversation?!

Nikola did not stay any longer here. After we ate, she stayed for few minutes before she left. I just got the chance to ask about her when we were on our way home. "Her car had some problem yesterday. And Rael was the one who fixed it. I did not expect that she will be here again. From what I know, she is from the other town." I pouted when I heard Lucille. "And did you hear them?! They are texting each other!" Nessa gasped. "Tss! But Rael is not always relying to her! I heard him! That woman is very obvious! She does not know how to be hard to get!" "Well, are you even going to act hard to get if Rael is infront of you?" Their conversation about that went long. I just remained quite about it because I do not have anything to say to that rude man. As I reached home, I took a shower before I made myself busy with making crochet pouch. I put the money that I earn from selling these pouches in my piggy bank. Once I made it full, I will give it to my parents to pay for our debt. I know that will not be enough but at least I am trying. I did not notice that the sun had already set. When I checked outside, it was already dark and the sky was a bit gloomy. I was in our living room when Mama entered. I did not expect the man behind her. Rael had some plastic bags on his hands which I concluded were the groceries my mother had bought. I immediately looked away and focused on the crochet pouch I was making. And why is he here? "Darling, can you please get some snacks for Rael? We still have chocolate cake there, right?" Mama told me so I was left with no choice but to obey her. I glanced at Rael when I stood up. I caught him staring at me. I heard Mama telling him to sit while waiting for me. What is he doing here? He followed me in the kitchen to put the groceries in there. "Thank you so much, Rael. I will take care of this." I heard Mama. "It is nothing, Lourdes." I quietly sliced the cake and made orange juice for him because I am a nice neighbor. When I came back in the living room, he was already sitting on the sofa. He fixed his posture when he saw me. I raised a brow at him. I put the plate infront of him together with the juice and quietly went back to where I was sitting earlier. This is our house. Why would I be the one who should adjust? "Can I buy this one?" His voice was soft. I looked at him. I did not notice that he was holding the crochet pouch, the one with a bear. His expression was unreadable. I could not tell if he was serious with what he had said or what. He was wearing a simple white v-neck shirt and chino shorts. His hair was slightly disheveled. "For whom?" I asked in a calm voice, meeting his intense eyes. "For me," he whispered softly. "That design does not suit you," I could not help but commented. He pouted, dropping his gaze on the other crochet pouches on the table. "Which of these suits me then?" he asked me. I averted my gaze and tried to think about what design suits him. But the designs were all colorful. I have just noticed right at this moment that the bear was the only design that can be considered for a man. But that design does not suit him. And it is far from his personality to have this kind of crochet pouch. Suit himself. I am not forcing him to buy so if he ever realizes that the crocheting pouch is ugly, that is his problem. "Are you really going to buy one?" I narrowed my eyes at him. His forehead creased. "I will. Don't you want me to buy one?" I did not argue with him. "This is a business. You should not ask for a discount, okay?" I told him if ever he was planning to ask for a discount. His thick brows met. "I am not asking for a discount." "I am just telling you. Do not be like Lucille who almost wants to get these pouches for free." I pouted. "I think that design is perfect for you. I am sure you are into colorful things." "It does not matter to me," his voice was tender. "That costs one hundred." I smiled sweetly. He stared at me longer than he should before he averted his gaze. "Okay..." he whispered as he took out his leather wallet from his pocket. I pouted as I continued crocheting, waiting for his payment. "I can get the change tomorrow," he uttered making me looked at him. A one thousand peso bill was in his hand. "That is too big, Rael." He pouted. I could clearly see that he was suppressing his lips to lift up. I creased my brows. "I do not have change for that," I said and went back to crocheting. I heard him sighed deeply. I looked up at him when he stood up from his seat. "Wait for me. I will be quick," he said and walked away. I shrugged my shoulders. "Love." I looked at where the voice came from. Simoun had just entered our house while Rael was on his way to the door. Simoun was frowning at him. I put down the crochet pouch and stood up. Simoun went to me and planted a kiss on my cheek. "I did not expect that you have a visitor. Who is he?" Simoun asked in a firm tone. "Uhm..." I quickly glanced at Rael who was now staring at me through his cold eyes. His both hands were dug into his pockets. "H-He is Rael. He is our neighbor, Simoun," I answered, smiling a bit. "Really? Anyway, I brought you some pizza, donut, ice cream and pasta from my favorite restaurant. Yup. I know. Too many foods but I have a lot of money. And didn't you mention yesterday that you wanted fruit cake? And because I love you, of course, I bought one for you." My eyes were drifting from them. Rael was just watching us. I do not even know how to make him leave. "Bro, I think you can leave now? Her boyfriend is here. You should go home." My jaw dropped at Simoun's words. I saw Rael's brow raised. His eyes darkened as he stared at Simoun. "I am sorry. Do not worry. I do not have any bad intention," Rael uttered in a casual tone. "That's good to know then. I just do not want any man being near to my girlfriend," Simoun stated rudely. "Uhm." I decided to insert myself. "Rael, you can pay the pouch tomorrow." I smiled a bit. He pouted as he stared at me for a moment before he looked away and nodded a bit. "Okay..." he whispered. I watched as he disappeared from my sight before I glanced at Simoun who was looking at where Rael exited. "Let's go? Mama is in their room. My father is not yet home," I said before leading the way. Simoun had a lot of stories to share. While we were eating, he has been talking while I was just listening. "Mom wants me to settle down already. I'm turning 30 this year. And I told her that I am just waiting for you to be ready," he said suddenly which made me so shocked. I felt like I could not even swallow the donut. I grabbed the juice and gulped it down. "I am not rushing you. Especially now that you can't remember anything. I will wait until you can remember everything before we get married. You are the only woman I want, Yula. I will wait for you," he continued which made me shocked even more. "Simoun, I still have not made you my boyfriend." I stared directly into his eyes. He nodded. "I know. But I am sure that you will eventually. It is better for us to have our plan for our future." My lips parted, blinking multiple times at his words. He stared at me and suddenly, his eyes flashed with annoyance but it immediately vanished. "Do not tell me you have no plans in marrying me?" He laughed and shook his head. "I am just kidding. I know that you will never do that. I am rich. You will never find someone like me," he said with confidence. If Sol did not come, I was probably going insane everything that Simoun has been telling me. My mind could even process his words at all. I stood up to find out why Sol knocked "Yula, can I ask for your help, dear? I am going to the small market tonight. I forgot to buy some stuff because I was not able to bring my list. And Rael has migraine so he can't come with me," she said while glancing at Simoun every so often. "Oh. Is that so?" I looked at Simoun. He stood up and checked on us. His palm rested on my back gently. "What is it?" "Oh! I did not know you have a visitor, dear. Uhm, I think I can go by myself. I can manage, Yula. Even though my back is hurting, I still can manage to carry the things that I will buy." I shook my head immediately. "I will go with you. Do not worry." "I can drive you. So you will not need to commute," Simoun volunteered which made Sol shook her head immediately. "No need, dear. I do not want to bother you. I think it is better for you if you will go home. It is very dangerous if you are going home late in the evening." I silently agreed to Sol. And I wanted Simoun to leave. I feel like our conversation about marriage made me so exhausted. I could not bring myself to listen to him anymore. "Go home now, dear. You know how dangerous this place is." "Sol is right, Simoun." I smiled a bit. "Uhm, okay. But I can drive you to wherever you are going and then I will just go home straight as soon as I dropped you off." I was about to say something when Sol talked. "There is no need for that, dear. It is fine with us. You should leave now. You might get stuck on traffic." I watched Simoun's car slowly disappeared. Sol went home to get the list of the things she needed to buy. I went to their house. I saw Rael coming out from their house. Sol was behind him. When he saw me, he just stared at me through serious eyes. "Rael can drive us. He said that his head does not hurt that much. Come here, dear," Sol told me and help my arm. I looked at Rael who was walking infront of us. I furrowed my brows. "What are we going to use?" I asked Sol. "I burrowed Lando's owner. And has your visitor left already?" "Yes. He just left few minutes ago." She nodded and smiled. "That is good then," she whispered.

We were just silent while we were on the car. I should not have came with them. Rael is here. But Sol did not let me not to go with them. She said that it is better for me to go outside even once in a while. Rael was behind us. He was carrying all the things Sol had bought. I offered my help but he did not let me. We did not even talk until we reached home. I did not have anything to say. And I think his mood was not good because whenever my eyes glanced at him, his forehead was always in creased. When I reached home, I just read Simoun's message. Simoun: – I just got home safely. I love you. I heaved a deep sigh and typed immediately. – Ok. I put down my phone on the bed before I went to the bathroom to take a shower. "This is a lot. We even have two cakes! Is someone having birthday every single day?" I saw my brother peeking at the boxes on the table. "Yeah. I think we have to give the other to our neighbors. Won't Simoun be angry?" My mother looked at me. I sat and grabbed one donut. "Why would he be mad? We are just being a good neighbors," my brother said. "Okay! We will give this one cake to Nessa. And this donut for Sol. Yula, you give these to them, okay?" I nodded at my mother. The box with six donuts is for Sol. I gave it to them first before I went to Nessa. There was no one in their garden so I went inside and knocked on the door. I waited for a moment before it opened. I smiled at Sol. My eyes drifted behind her. I saw Rael, his back on us. He was talking to his phone. "Yula, you are here! What is it, dear? Do you need anything?" Rael drifted his eyes on our direction. His forehead creased as he put down his phone and walked away. I think he was going to his room. "Uhm," I brought my eyes back to Sol. "These are some donuts. We have a lot in our house. So we thought to give some to you." She took the donuts from my hand with a huge smile on her face. "Oh! Thank you very much, dear. This is my favorite. Oh! You came here in a perfect time! Come inside, dear. I cooked sweet coconut soup. You should taste it." I was not able to refuse when she took my hand and pulled me. Their house is simple like ours. There was no extravagant things. She made me sat while she stirred the sweet coconut soup. I roamed my eyes around the surrounding, thinking that Rael will enter any moment now. But the minutes had passed, I did not see him. I wonder what he was doing? "I am sure that when you taste it, your memory will be back," Sol uttered as she put down the bowl infront of me. I smiled at her words. "I hope so," I answered in a soft voice. Our conversation went long as we ate the sweet coconut soup. It tasted good actually. Not too sweet. Just perfect for my taste. "Rael's mother is my sister. Since he was a kid, I have been taking care of him," that is what Sol said when I asked about Rael's parents. "My mother said that you just moved in here a couple of months ago. They said that you are not really from here?" I asked curiously. "Uhm, I mean..." She looked away, scratching her head. "We do not permanent house. We just rented some apartment. Our house was sold few years ago." She smiled at me before she grabbed her juice and sipped on it. I pouted and nodded slightly. "Does Rael have a sibling?" "He does not have any sibling," she said almost immediately. I did not see Rael until I decided to go home after we ate. But I did not know that he was just at their garden. I saw him there when I went outside. His back was my view. And he seemed to be in deep thoughts while looking at the dark sky dotted with stars. The sky was surrounded by brilliant stars that stretched to infinity. And the crescent moon bathed in the light of the sun made it more stunning. My steps slowed down as I did not want to grab his attention. But I failed because he suddenly glanced at my direction. His hands was dug into his pockets as he watched me through serious eyes. His stare was cold, almost making me freeze. "Uhm, I-I will go now," I uttered softly in a small voice. He averted his gaze. "Is that man your boyfriend?" suddenly, he asked in a low voice. My lips parted a bit, not expecting him to say those words or to say something at all. He glanced at me again when he noticed that I was silent. "N-No. H-He is still courting me," I whispered under my breath. "When will you make him your boyfriend, then? It seems to me that your parents like him very much for you," he uttered, not looking at me. "Simoun is gentleman and very kind. He is not hard to like." "So why don't you make him your boyfriend? You just mentioned that he is not hard to like. Then marry him because I think he is ready to make you his wife." I could not even understand his tone that he used. Sarcastic? Cold? Mocking? I do not know. "I am not ready to get married." I pouted, dropping my gaze on my feet. "And he knows that. I told him. He said that he is willing to wait until I am ready." Silence wrapped around us for a moment. He was just looking infront of him like he did not want to glance at me or what. "What will you do once your memory comes back?" he breathed. Finally, he shifted his eyes at me. His eyes were hooded as though he was tired. "I honestly do not know..." I bit my lower lip as I looked away. We fell in silence again. I stared at him. I was wondering why he was in deep thoughts and I do not know why I wanted to know about it. I wanted to hear his thoughts. I thought he had completely ignored me but suddenly, he sighed deeply. "You should go home now," he whispered huskily after a moment of silence. But I thought that I am going to have a peaceful sleep tonight. But I was wrong... The man was there, again. My tears were falling as I tried to run as fast as I could. I whimpered and my legs collapsed underneath me. I want to wake up. I want to scream but a strong force was stopping me, holding me. I was very scared. Every muscle in my body screamed at me to escape. "Yula! Yula! Oh my god! My daughter!" I felt a pair of hands holding me, shaking me as though they were trying to wake me up. I felt the beads of sweat forming in my forehead when I sat on the bed. I was hardly breathing. My heart leaped into my throat as I shook with fear. I could feel nothing but absolute dread. I could not stop myself from sobbing like a kid because of fear. I hugged my mother tightly. "Ma... I-I am scared. I am scared. Ma..." My arms around her tightened more. She was caressing my back as she planted kisses on my hair, trying to soothe me. Why is that? What is happening? I do not understand. I do not know. Who is that man? Why is he showing in my dreams? What is my connection to him? Do I know him? Does he know me? What is my relationship to him? I do not want this... I do not even know what I am so afraid of. Where is that man? Is he real? Why am I so afraid of his mere presence? What happened to us? I have so many questions in my head and I know that it is impossible for me to answer them at this moment. "Shh... calm down, honey. I am here, okay? Mama is here. Please, hush now," Mama whispered in my ear. But that did not give me peace in my heart. Everytime that man flashed in my mind, all I could feel is fear and nothing else. I can't go back to sleep. I can't and I do not want yo. Mama slept beside me because my fear never left me. I was just staring blankly at the dark ceiling of my room. I could not even close my eyes even for a second, scared that the man would suddenly show up. I could not just keep everything to myself so I decided to tell my mother about it. Even though I know that I will not get any answer from her. All I wanted was to pour out what I was feeling. "That is just probably a dream, hija. And it does not have anything to do with your life. You should not think about it. Forget about it. That was nothing, my love. Believe me," she said in a calm voice. I swallowed and shook my head. "No. I can feel that he is part of my life. He is connected to me, Mama. W-Why do I feel so scared of him if he is just nothing in my life? As if my dream is trying to tell me something?" I could clearly see the pity from my mother's eyes. She heaved a deep sigh as she squeezed my hand gently. "Do not worry, my love. Nobody can ever hurt you here. We will keep you safe. You are safe here. Whatever you are worrying about now, do not let it stay in your mind for so long. You should not be scared as long as we are here." She smiled at me as if telling me that everything will be fine. I tried so hard to not be affected by my dream. I taught myself to not be overpowered by that stranger man... with no face... the man I do not know anything about. But I was able to forget about that when I heard my father that he was letting me to grab the job that Danica has offered to me. I happily told to Nessa and Lucille about that. "Oh my god! Really?! You will be rich, Yula! Finally!" Nessa was smiling widely after hearing the news. "I heard that ten thousand is not even the highest money that you can earn in that bar! God! Treat us some beers when we visit that club, okay?!" Lucille giggled. "Of course. That is not a problem. But you know, I have to save money first before I could treat you," I smiled at them. After a few moments, I saw a familiar car parked on the road. I watched as a woman climbed out of it. She was wearing a white dress and carrying a box just like the othe day. "That woman is here again? Doesn't she have a work or anything?" Nessa commented with annoyance in her tone. "Her father is a lawyer. She does not have to work," Lucille said. "Really? Who told you?" "My ex, Paulito, knows her." "She's a lawyer's daughter yet she is ignorant. Who would even wear a white dress in a farm?" Nikola had a huge smile of her face when she approached us. "Hi, girls! And yes, I am here again," she giggled. "He is still there. You should just wait for him," Lucille told her. "I know. I saw him. He does not have any idea that I will be here. I'm gonna surprise him and I am sure that he will be shocked to see me here because I told him that we have an outing with my friends today." Her smile could not be wiped away. When the farmers, together with Rael, are walking towards here, Nikola's smile got even wider. "Does she think she is his wife? She acts like one!" Nessa whispered beside me when Nikola wiped Rael's forehead with her handkerchief. I saw how Rael tried to avoid causing Nikola to put down the handkerchief in her side. She even took a small step away from him. I looked away and tried my best to ignore them. I made myself busy with talking to Nessa instead. Nikola did not stay longer herr. When she came to Rael awhile ago, she did not come back here in the hut. She went straight to her car and left. I was a bit confused but I shrugged it off. The following days, I did not see Nikola. She has not visited since that day. It has been almost a week now. That made me curious and confused at the same time. I wonder what happened. Or maybe she probably got busy with her own life and she does have not enough time for Rael at all. But I am sure that they are texting each other always. They are probably calling each other and talking the whole time. And I confirmed that when I witnessed something that I should never see. A scene that I will never forget as long as I am breathing.