Chapter 01

"Okay..." I told myself as I stood outside the airport. It's almost 1AM but for some reason, it's hot and I was tired and I felt dirty from all the traveling I did. I was already looking forward to sleeping and eating! I wanted to try sinigang because I once heard Dad saying that that was my mom's favorite. I also heard that she grew up in the province and that she wanted to bring me there, but she didn't have the chance. I had a whole bucket list of things I wanted to do! I couldn't wait to settle down so that I could do them all!

I looked around. I needed to get a ride to be able to go to the condo. There were people who were being picked up. I didn't arrange for any ride for me because to be honest, this whole me going to Manila was really... unbecoming of me.

"Hi," I said to the guy who was standing beside me. We didn't know each other, but we were from the same flight, so... I guess we're connected that way?

He looked at me. He was maybe a foot taller than me and he was wearing a light gray jogging pants, white shirt, Gucci slides, and there was a headphones on his neck.

"Can I ask? What's the most efficient way to get around Manila?"

"Grab," he said.

"What's that?"

"Like Uber? Or Lyft?" he replied.

"Oh. How about Taxi?" I asked because if it's like Uber or Lyft, then I'd still need an account. And I didn't have an account. I didn't even have a number here yet. I should get a local sim card as soon as possible—oh, and inform Dad that I was still alive... if he was interested.

"Not the best choice," he said. "At least for me."

"Why?" I asked.

Before answering, he looked at me that made me feel conscious because of how he was looking. "Sometimes, they charge way too much," he replied. "But it's up to you."

I pouted. I didn't have much money... I mean, I had the money my mom left for me, but I was saving that for school. My college fund was used for my sister when she was diagnosed with cancer. I agreed to that and no one forced me to give it up. Even if I hated what she did to me, I am still happy that she's alive. The only difference was that I didn't want to be her sister anymore.

"It's not like I have a choice," I mumbled to myself and then looked at the guy. "Thank you for answering my question," I told him with a smile because so far, the first person I talked to here in Manila was nice. So far, good experience!

Dragging the cart containing my luggage with me, I was about to go outside but I heard someone calling Miss from behind me. Normally, I would just ignore that, but I felt like the nice stranger was calling me.

"Zondra," I said when I turned around and saw that I was right and it was him who was calling me.

"Zondra," he replied.

"Do you have anything to say?" I asked.

"I actually have someone picking me up—"

"Oh, no," I said. I mean, I was not stupid! I would never voluntarily go inside a stranger's car. I watched too many crime documentaries to commit that mistake!

"What?" he asked, his forehead creased.

"I'm sorry if you got the wrong idea, mister—I wasn't asking you for a ride."

His forehead was still creased. "I... wasn't offering you a ride?"

My lips parted. "Oh."

Shucks! That was embarrassing!

"I'm sorry then," I said, trying to salvage what was left of my dignity. I tried to look like I wasn't embarrassed to death, but with the way he was looking at me, it almost seemed like he was enjoying my discomfort!

"It's fine," he replied. He showed me his phone. "Anyway. Since I have someone to pick me up, you can use my Grab account to book a ride."

I looked at him and it was my turn to look confused. "What?"

"I mean, only if you want to," he said, his hand on the back of his neck. "It's still up to you."

"If I use your account, you'd know where I live."

"I'm... not really interested in where you live?"

"Ouch," I said.

He laughed. "Do you want me to be interested?" he asked and my eyes widened a bit. He's a flirt, this one. But I chose to ignore what he said. I was still trying to move on from my break-up. I didn't want to entertain the idea of dating anytime soon.

Boys... gosh, the headache and heartache they give you!

"Is the fare difference like really massive?" I asked because I was really trying to save money. I was told that Manila's not like US where parttime jobs pay nice money. And I didn't want to ask my parents for allowance. At this point, I felt like I'd rather starve to death than to ask them for money.

"Kinda."

I sighed. "Fine," I said and then he handed me the phone and let me input the name of the place. After that, he booked the ride for me... but the payment's connected to his credit card. "Oh, gosh. How do I pay?" I asked him because I didn't have cash with me! My money's still in dollars. I still needed to have them converted to peso.

"No, it's fine," he said. "Is it your first time here?"

"Yes."

"Consider this as your warm welcome to the Philippines," he said, casually shrugging. The fare's like ten bucks! It's still a lot of money!

"I'll pay you," I insisted because I didn't like the thought of owing money to someone.

"No, it's fine," he said.

"No, I wanna pay."

"It's only five hundred."

"Still."

"Fine," he said. "Where's the money?" he added.

I pouted. "Do you accept dollars?"

"Do you plan on paying dollars in the taxi?" he asked.

"Kinda," I replied and then he ran his fingers through his hair like he was exasperated with me. But it's already 1AM! The money conversion stall was already closed.

"Bank transfer," he said.

"Okay," I replied. "What's your details?"

"I'll just send it via email," he said. He handed me his phone but even before I could type in my email, there was a message from the driver saying that he was already in the pinned location. He saw it. "Your ride's here," he told me and then looked around and pointed at the silver car. "That's it."

I thanked him and then began to drag my luggage with me. When I stopped in front of the car, I saw on the window's reflection that he was standing behind me.

"Do you need something?" I asked, but instead, he just shrugged. The driver was kind enough to help me place my luggage inside the trunk of the car. I would've brought more of my things but the baggage fee was outrageous. I felt like I had to leave half my life back in Nashville.

"I guess... thank you," I said.

"No problem," he replied.

"My email's [email protected]," I said, hoping that he'd remember to send me the details of his account because I really wanted to pay him.

He nodded again and then talked to the driver before he said bye to me and then closed the door of the car.

* * *

The first week was tiring. I had to stay in a hotel for two nights because the past tenants didn't clean the unit. I had to pay someone to clean it because I really couldn't! I felt like the whole unit needed to be scrubbed down. Maybe they're still pissed because they've been staying here for three years and then I just kinda told them two months ago that they needed to move out because I'd be staying here.

I didn't want this, too... but what could I do? I just really couldn't stay back home any more. I felt like I was suffocating everywhere I looked.

"Done with cleaning the unit," I said as I wrote in my agenda notebook. I'd been doing this since I was little. I had these lists—the weekly goals, the monthly goals, the yearly goals, and the lifetime goals. Harper said that I was just setting myself up for disappointment by doing this. But I told her that I liked knowing that I have goals to achieve—it helps me get up in the morning knowing that I have things to do.

God, I missed Harper... why did she have to betray me? I always thought blood was thicker than water... but I guess I was wrong.

No. I shouldn't be thinking about her. She made her choice to choose a guy over me. I shouldn't feel guilty for the choices that she made. As far as I was concerned, having cancer isn't a license to be an asshole.

"Oh, my gosh. Thank you," I said to the registrar when I was told that the enrollment was already done. I googled the best schools in Manila and so far, the first option was SCA, but the enrollment was already done. I also tried Brent, but the enrollment was done, too. But thankfully, St. Bridget's still open for enrollment!

After listing down all the things I needed to pass, I went to the mall to buy grocery for myself. This was easy for me since I basically ran the house back in Nashville. My dad's always busy working and my mom was always with Harper in the hospital. I was always in charged with doing everything in the house. I could do this. I could live alone.

"Done with the condo... Done with enrollment... I still need to buy couch... but where do I get the money?" I asked myself as I stared at my almost bare unit because the old tenants took all the things with them. In their defense—it's their thing.

As I was strategizing about how I could manage to look for a job while studying, my phone vibrated. I saw my dad calling. I hesitated to answer because to be honest, it really hurt me when he said nothing when my mom told me to stop being selfish and to just let Harper be happy.

"What?" I asked as I answered the call. It was a FaceTime call, but I chose to turn off the camera because I didn't want him to see me.

"How are you?" he asked.

"Fine."

"Good..." he replied. "Do you need anything?"

"No."

"Do you need money?"

"No."

There was silence on both our ends. Maybe I should've just let the call end. But I wasn't that cruel—he's still my dad. He, at the very least, still deserved to know that I was still alive and not dead in a ditch somewhere.

"You know you can always come home, right?"

"This is my home now," I quickly replied.

"Zondra—"

"Do you have anything more to say? Because I'm busy."

He was silent for a few seconds. "Just... be safe," he said. "And Harper—" he added, but I quickly ended the call before he could finish saying what he wanted to say.

I took a deep breath and reminded myself not to cry. They didn't deserve my tears. And I didn't deserve their betrayal.

While I was trying to figure out how I'd survive here in Manila, my phone vibrated again. I ignored it because I thought it was my Dad. I just continued making plan a, plan b, plan c, and so on. I just needed to make it work. I didn't want to go home. This is my home now. Sure, I didn't know anyone here, but I could make friends. I would make friends.

After deciding on just taking few units so that I could work, too, I grabbed my phone. My forehead creased when I saw an email from a certain Dominic Miller.

[email protected]

Sorry it took me long to email you. Are you still alive? Anyway, if you still wanna pay, my bank info is attached.

My eyes widened upon realization that it's the airport guy. Oh... so that's his name! I felt so stupid because I didn't even ask his name! He didn't volunteer it, anyway. When I thought of him, I just refer to him as airport dude.

But his name's Dominic Miller... sounds gwapo. 

**
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