Chapter 1

GIA

At the age of twenty-three, I still haven't had a boyfriend. Aside from not being interested in it, who would even like someone like me? As my friend Cleo once said, I look older than our housemaid, Manang Lucinda. Just like now, Cleo is here in the house and we're having a sleepover.

"Gia, seriously! You scared me to death. You're scarier than a ghost with that outfit. Where did you even buy that? It looks like something Miss Minchin would wear to sleep! It's a closed neck, really? Yes, I know your house and your room have air conditioning, but you could at least wear a pair of pajamas," she said, rolling her eyes. I laughed. Cleo Sta. Catalina's family isn't rich. She was my classmate in high school and even in university because of a scholarship. Her father is a clerk at the municipal office and her mother has a small variety store. She has an older brother named Corbin, who's two years older than us.

She's kind to me and always gives me various foods. I jokingly tell her that she might just want me to gain weight. It's just that our family isn't naturally inclined to be plump. Even my mom is skinny. According to Cleo, with my height of five feet and nine inches, I could be a model. I just need an extreme makeover.

"I'm comfortable with this. You see, I don't need a blanket because it's already long, and the sleeves are long too. Plus, it's very soft. You should try it sometime," I offered.

She had a horrified expression. "No, thanks. I might never get married if I wear that to sleep. I might scare my future husband so much that he'll have a heart attack, or he'll run away from me and never show up again. Nevertheless, I'm forever alone, sissy!"

I pinched her. "Cleo, we're only twenty-three and you're already talking about getting married. If you don't want to be forever alone, there's always Natoy. Doesn't he always leave hibiscus flowers by your gate? And he even writes love letters!" I teased her. I know she doesn't like him because he's not only a gambler but also has a speech defect.

"Oh, you! With all the potential suitors you can think of, you still mention that darn guy! Come on! If he were the last person on Earth, I wouldn't. Have you seen his face? Even if I get him dentures and a job, I couldn't bear to be with him forever."

"He's so mean! Fine, let's find someone else. I'll find you a handsome guy at the office," I said as I looked for something to watch on the core TV.

My family owns Core Productions. Well, I own it temporarily. But we can talk about it some other time. For now, I don't want to think about it because I only have one month left.

"Oh no! I've been around the entire company, everyone is taken!" she exclaimed.

"Who knows, maybe there's a new hire," I told her.

She has a crush on Hector Paredes from the HR department. Unfortunately, he already has a girlfriend and she always picks him up in the lobby. She's from another building. Office romance is not allowed in Core.

"When will that couple break up? They're not even a good match! Have you seen how big the girl's belly is? She eats a lot! She should take after me. Look, even though my nose isn't perfect, I still have something to be proud of," she stood up straight and posed as if she were walking the runway in Miss Universe.

Sometimes, I don't understand how we became friends. It just happened one day in our first year of high school when she heard classmates teasing me. I don't know if she's naturally tough or she just didn't want anyone to bully me, but she confronted them and threatened to curse them and give them blisters one by one.

Since then, no one dared to tease me, but you know the looks — they could mean a thousand words. When I first heard her mention curses and blisters, I had no clue. Growing up in the Ganfornina household meant being prim and proper. No slouching, no swearing, and you always have to dress presentably. You can't leave or enter a room without being properly groomed unless it's nighttime and you're going to bed — even then, you have to make sure there are no other visitors.

My father was very strict, as well as my mother, but I felt their love for me. That's how they were raised by their parents, so the way they raised me is the only thing they know. I can't blame them for that. I lost them when I was seventeen. The plane they were on crashed on their way back from Spain. Since then, Tito Alfonso has been my guardian. He was Daddy's best friend since childhood, just like their fathers.

"Earth to Gia! You've spaced out again. Are you thinking about the conditions of the inheritance?" she asked. I told her about it because I didn't have anyone else to confide in.

I nodded. "Yes. That's what I'm thinking about. The deadline is less than a month away. If it were just about hard work, I can manage. I'll start from scratch at work, no matter what it is. But what I can't bear is losing what my father acquired and losing some of my memories of him."

She wiped her face. "Even with immense wealth, it's still difficult. And how can we make someone like JL change? Inday, apart from being scared of marriage, he's not interested in you!"

Ouch. That's true. At the age of twenty-eight, JL changes girlfriends like he changes clothes. It's like he's afraid of commitment. Does he already know that his father has arranged for us to be together?

***

"I received a call from Uncle Alfonso about dinner tonight. He made a reservation at Al Fresco, a high-end restaurant owned by the Pastors. I haven't met them, but they are pretty popular in the business world, especially when their only daughter, Raven, won the race in Moscow a few years ago. Now they have two children and their life together seems happy.

Cleo entered with two milk teas in hand. She handed one to me. "Here you go. I know you're stressed out. Is tonight the night you're meeting JL?"

I nodded. "Yes. His dad just called to remind me about the dinner tonight."

"What time?" She took a sip of her drink.

Being so tense, I took continuous sips. "Six o'clock," I replied.

"By the way, what will you do if JL doesn't agree to marry you? Will that be the end of everything your parents left behind?"

I winced. "I will do my best to convince him. Marriage and a child are all I need from him, right?"

Cleo chuckled. "Girl, marriage is already so difficult—having a child is even harder?! How high is your fever?"

I gave her a side-eye. "We don't need to sleep together. There are other ways to get pregnant nowadays."

"You have such a wild imagination. First question, will he show up tonight?"

"I think so. His dad called him to remind him."

"Okay. So let's say he shows up — you can't just suddenly tell him that you need him to be your husband and have a child — ouch!"

I threw a crumpled paper at her. "Your lines are harsh."

"Seriously! If I know, you have a crush on JL too. Confess!" she said teasingly.

I was playing with my cellphone when it slipped from my hand and fell under the table. Damn it! Instead of letting go of my milk tea, I still held onto it as I kneeled on the floor and struggled to reach it since the space was cramped.

"No. Why would I like him? He's so rude, and he thinks every girl likes him. He should fix his eyes to see the gold in the bronze. If his taste is limited to those who always look sweaty and you can smell their souls through their clothes, then no thanks!" I replied to her. I heard Cleo gasp.

"There! I got—" I stood up and got cut off when I saw who was standing near my table. "JL," I said. Shit. What is he doing here?

"You were saying?" he asked. He wasn't smiling and raised an eyebrow.

Shit. Shit. Shit. It's Cleo's fault. If she didn't tell me about this annoying person, then this day would have gone smoothly.

"I wasn't saying anything," I denied. I fixed my clothes and put the milk tea on the table.

"Just so you know, I prefer modern women. Someone who knows..." he paused slightly before continuing, "Fashion. Beautiful and sexy. And most importantly, confident. I don't like women who are not comfortable with their skin."

I swallowed hard. besides thinking wrong earlier, his words hit me. I am clearly and definitely not his type.

"Why are you here?" I tried to change the topic.

"I came here to pick you up."

"Huh?"

"Before you get any ideas, my dad asked me to pick you up. Dinner is at six," he said to me.

"The restaurant is nearby, you didn't have to pick me up. It's only four o'clock. Dinner is not until six," I reminded him.

He shrugged. "I know dinner is not until six. But you do know that Al Fresco is in Lipa, Batangas, right?"

Huh? I thought it was at the Alabang branch? What did Uncle Alfonso say?

"I didn't know—"

He waved his hand to let me know he doesn't really care about my excuse. Damn. This guy is getting on my nerves. "Fix yourself, get your things, and let's go. I don't like to be late." He sat on the couch near the door and scrolled through his phone.

He smirked and bit his lip. I wonder what he saw. It's so early and it looks like he's already flirting with someone else. Cleo quietly stood up and waved at me to indicate she's leaving. JL didn't even bother to look at her and kept smiling at whoever he was texting. I couldn't help but frown. It seems like I'll have a hard time convincing this guy. I wondered if there was another way to find someone else to marry. Why did it have to be him, out of all the possible choices?

I passed by the washroom and retouched my lipstick. Besides that, I wore no other makeup on my face. My hair was in a bun, and the roots felt tight. I'm wearing a black dress with three-fourth sleeves that reached below my knees. I didn't wear a belt, so it's like wearing a free size. I feel comfortable in what I'm wearing, and I don't care about what others say. My doll shoes are also black with one-inch heels. The only accessory I have is my mom's pearl necklace. It comes with earrings too.

I stood by the side and cleared my throat. "I'm ready."

He gave me a scrutinizing look, and I could clearly see his disapproval of my appearance. I silently muttered a curse. If I engage with him now, it will be even more difficult to convince him to marry me. I'll think about having a child later. One step at a time."