"Karina? Where are you? Are you coming home soon? What's for dinner? Are you going to cook?"
Shein answered.
Shein Allegre is my sister. She's the second child after me, and she's graduating from BS Tourism this year. She is the other 'Karina' whenever I'm not home. She guides our other siblings and treats them strictly.
Well, compared to me, Shein is quiet. I'm not.
"This is Karina. I'm walking home. Of course, I'll be home soon and I don't know what's for dinner, and no. I won't cook. I'm dead tired, Shein. Let Zumo cook."
She has so many questions, but I don't mind. It just means that she at least think about me or something closer to my welfare.
She wanted to work while being a student at the same time, but I didn't permit her to do so. I don't want my siblings to be stressed thinking about how to manage their time always. I don't want to divide their attention from studies for part-time jobs or even freelancing.
It's dangerous. Especially, when I know that there are uncountable cases of scams before. I don't want them to be in any danger if possible.
"Okay, I'll tell him. Wait, are you walking from somewhere far again?" She asked.
Did I tell you before that Shein sounds like Enola Holmes? Just the quieter version. She loves to investigate things and watch crime movies. She's a little weird, but a caring sister to me.
"I'm not sure," I shook my shoulders even though I know that she wouldn't see me doing so.
"I told you to just borrow my car. I don't know how to drive anyway," she lectured. Wah! I'm the sister here!
If you're wondering how come my sister has a car, but I don't, it's because it's a gift from her father. Well, before her dad passed away, he gave her some of his assets. Shein and I don't have the same father.
I'm sharing more of those later.
"Oh, shut up, please. I also don't know how to drive," It's a lie.
I used to drive my mom's car before. It's now outdated and really old, its engine can't work properly anymore.
"Tsk! Lies," she breathed. "Just ask for help, if you need one. You're not a wonder woman. You will eventually need someone's help too."
See? She's weird. She doesn't even fit to be a tourism student. She's fit to be a criminology trainee. She's a nagger quietly. It doesn't look like it, but she is.
"Yeah, yeah whatever."
I ended the call.
It didn't even last a minute yet and my phone suddenly rang again. I thought it was Shein again but when I saw the caller ID I suddenly felt strange. Why? Because the Caller ID isn't registered.
Only a strange and unfamiliar number is posted on my phone's screen.
Due to shock, I wasn't able to answer the first ring. I thought the caller would stop approaching me after seeing that I didn't respond.
But I was wrong, it even texted me.
**152 379 0643
Hi, Ms. Allegre. This is Argus Antonius III. Madam Aurora's Assistant and bodyguard. She's asking me to fetch you now. May I ask what is your current location?
What? Is this even for real? How did they find out my cellphone number? I didn't even give any personal information to that woman aside from my name!
I don't intend to come! Please don't call again, I might get bitchy to you. I'm kind of tired due to walking kilometers for four hours now. You won't like my tired-annoyed attitude.
Ringing...
Holy god! What to do? What to do?!
I just pressed the call button! I prayed for them not to call me, but why the hell did I?!
This is honestly annoying.
"Ms. Allegre?" I heard a voice in the other line.
What should I say? Should I tell him the truth? Should I tell him that I don't want to come to that godforsaken dinner? I know it's a humble invitation but I just don't want to go.
First of all, I need to come home. Second, my dinner is supposed to be spent with my siblings and not with this random stranger who happened to invite me for dinner. Lastly, I don't want to come because I'm being cautious.
I don't want to trust a stranger even though she looked nice. No one knows what will happen if I come to their house. Just thinking about them making me dinner makes me shiver.
"Are you still there, Ms. Allegre?" Somebody talked from my phone.
I got shocked once again, my phone fell. It slipped from my grip! Goodness! It's my only phone! Why am I being so lucky, huh?
"WAAAH! THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING!"
Instead of picking up my phone, I stomped on it. Repeatedly until the phone is not near to being recognizable anymore.
"WHY AM I EVEN POOR?!" I shouted in the sidewalks. It's nine in the evening so there are not many people to see me throw a tantrum here.
Or, that's what I thought.
"Maybe because you are?" My attention immediately went to this unrecognizable guy.
He's wearing a helmet so I couldn't see more details of his physique.
"What do you mean?" My annoyed voice suddenly sounded like a curious cat.
"You're poor because you are. No questions, the questions are the answer themselves sometimes too."
Is that a riddle? I don't understand! I graduated my college days with flying colors, but I can't understand this guy.
Then, I realized, why am I even talking to this man? Why am I even throwing a fit over an old phone?
Well, maybe because that phone is one of the most important things in my job? But how about this man?
"Hey! I don't even know you, why are you even talking to me?"
All he did was remove his helmet. I couldn't believe what I'm seeing.
Hell! I must be dreaming.
Good, God! Allistair?!
I still can't believe that Allistair Montero is in front of me now. I don't know how to act or even how to talk to him.I'm still starstruck. The man I kept following for months is now in front of me and talking to me casually. What should I do? Should I ask him questions? What?Suddenly, a strong pour of rain started. I'm only wearing sleeveless, pants and a cardigan. I'm wet, that means, I'm cold."Why are you looking at me like I'm a pot of gold?"Because you are. That's what I want to answer."I didn't know that my handsomeness can make a woman shiver. I thought women only
"Tita A-Aurora?"That's my initial reaction. How big is the possibility that I will meet the person that I ran away from yesterday? The sole reason why I needed to breathe out all my anger and the reason why I got a fever and the reason why I broke my phone... wait.I just used my phone a while ago. It looked exactly like the one I thew yesterday, how come I was able to use it again earlier? With that thought, I ran back to the room where I came from and checked the phone I used to text Shein. It wasn't mine. Its case doesn't look green, it was painted with minimalistic jet black.If this phone isn't mine, then whose phone is it?"It's mine," someone from the door suddenly entered, Allista
Welcome, hun! How are you doing? How're things coming at y'all? I hope everything's well, I'll make sure you won't feel outcasted in this book. I'll make you feel at ease, even if it's just in your wildest daydream. Dream High, Reach the sky. Remember the sky has no limits, after all this story is about reaching an almost impossible goal hahaha! If you're stuck in a situation between pursuing your dream but hurting a person you never wanted to even pinch, and stop pursuing your goal to stop hurting that person, what would you choose? Why? I'd want to relay
Three months ago... Corporate gathering... celebration. Formal elegant dresses. Wines and extravagant red carpet, a walkthrough the stage of honor. There you'll see the shining diamonds hanging from the ceiling just above the center of attention... me. "Congratulations, Miss Allegre! You look stunning in your dress," the host greeted me with a smile in which I fired back. "Thank you, this dress is nothing compared to your businessman suit. Though,I think I'll prefer you in a dress too."
"We've been talking to each other, but I don't know your name yet." He said. Oh really? I thought he knew since I was called on the stage earlier. "Forgive me, I thought you knew." I even laughed a bit, "it's Karina." He smiled, "Karina...what a beautiful name." The way his compliment was delivered was smooth. I can't help but smile, this guy is gentle and walking chivalry. He's a respected supervisor in one of GoodNet's sister companies. He works as a columnist before but yeah, he got promoted tonight too. "Thank you."
"I'm here, baby."Not only the bodyguard and the bubbly girl in pink dress turned. I also turned around to check if the guy who called the pretty kid in pink ball dress was really her father.Now, I doubt it.This man is far from a twenty-nine year old man. I'm not sure if he's really her father because first of all, I don't care. I don't care how old were this girl's father was. I just got curious since her daughter gave an, I think, wrong age for this man.If I'm going to guess his age, he's probably pass as this girl's grandfather. He's, I think, in his fifties but in fairness, he looked dashing, still.Traces of being a gorgeous man in his early years were brought and branded in his features today too.Does he have an older son? At least older than me? Hehehe.What? He's handsome, I'll bet if he had a son, he's dashing too. Psh!Why is there so much handsome people tonigh
"Who were they?"A voice from behind me asked. It was Natan. Only now, I realised. I had a great time talking to that man.It felt like I talked to my father once again, even just for a split moment of tonight. Though, I'm thankful I was able to converse with him or her daughter sanely.Remember, I got bad control over alcohol? I drank one shot earlier when I tried to taste how Natan's whiskey taste like. So, my vision is a bit blurry but I think I can still manage.I'm not dizzy or whatever yet. I hope, I won't."A kid got lost. I talked to her father. They were nice," I answered.I remembered how nice and warm interacting with that man is. It's like I'm talking to an older version of my father if ever he was able to live up to today. Well, that's because my dad was only forty-four when he left me without any notice.Well, common sense, how will he send me a notice if he wasn't even informed that he was dying,
Last night didn't end well. I met a poisonous guy, his name was Natan. I even thought he'd be good as my partner later in life, but thank god. Waters mirrored his true self, he's a fucking con.He's a super-fucking-visor but he talked to me so disgustingly. People with that kind of attitude shouldn't even have a job. How dare he talk rubbish of me? His mind is so polluted, not so good to be mine.If someone will ask him of me, I'll give him on the spot! I won't hesitate. Those kind of trashes belong in dump sites. Not in extravagant parties like last night."Really? He did that? How shameless!"I told Sheena everything that happened last night and same as I, she didn't like how things went but Shee being herself, she loved the ending. The part where I threatened to expose him of his shits, she loved it."Yeah, but don't worry. I don't do threats. I only leave warnings," I winked at her before pressing my keyboard key with cl