"Hurry up, Anna!" a voice from downstairs called. "We're already late!" Sarah shouted while waiting for her elder sister.
"Alright! Alright, I'm coming!" Anna answered while coming downstairs. She was wearing a white uniform and black flat shoes. They are both college students from the same department in a private Catholic school.
"Let's go!" Anna invited.
They both went to school riding a jeepney. A jeepney is commonly known as a jeep, the most popular public transportation in the Philippines. It is known for its crowded seating and kitsch decorations, which have become a widespread symbol of the country's culture and art.
After an hour, Anna and Sarah arrived at the university. They tapped their identification cards on the scanning device before entering the campus. Their basic information appeared on the monitor before they were allowed to enter.
Anna went to the restroom first. She fixed her wavy black hair, tied it into a bun, covered it with a hairnet, and added a hair clip. Some nursing students wore light makeup. Their professor wanted them to look presentable, neat, and clean.
Shania came and helped fix her hair, adding lipstick and powder to her cheeks.
"Girl, have you finished answering our assignment?" Shania asked.
"Not yet," she answered without hesitation. "I don't know the right answers."
"Weeh?" Shania reacted, not believing her because Anna was included in the Dean's List.
"It's true," Anna defended herself. "I really don't know the answers… I've been watching Netflix the whole weekend."
"Hmmm, okay, okay… later we'll see. I'm sure you got the right answers. You'll still be top 1 this semester. So proud of you, girl!" Shania said with a smile.
"Tsk tsk," Anna said, smiling back.
After a while, Anna and Shania went to their classroom and sat in their seats. Their friend Frej came and sat next to them.
"I caught my boyfriend flirting with his ex-girlfriend," Frej said.
"Ohhh, I knew it," Shania replied.
"How did you catch them?" Anna asked.
"I read their chat," she answered. "He doesn't know I know his Facebook password."
"Maybe she's better in bed…" Shania said.
They both laughed.
"That slut," Frej said.
Later, their professor arrived.
"Are you ready for class?" he asked while walking toward the center of the classroom. He was short, chubby, and gay.
"Please prepare a one-fourth sheet of paper," he instructed.
"What?" they all answered in shock.
"Yes! We have a pre-test today," he said. "Alright, close your books."
The entire class closed their books and notes.
Their professor started distributing the test papers.
While the examination was ongoing:
"Mind your own paper, class," he said.
"Don't worry, it's just a pre-test…" he added, then suddenly smirked.
"Right, Ms. Rodriguez?" he continued.
Anna Rodriguez was one of the top students among the 60 students in the class. She was also the president of their batch.
Anna smirked and shook her head, disagreeing with her professor.
Everyone looked at her, including her best friend Shania.
After ten minutes, the examination ended. They passed their papers and the checking began.
******************************************
CHAIRMAN YANG POV:
"Everything is ready, Chairman," the middle-aged man said as he handed him a brown envelope while sitting beside him.
"Good," the chairman said while checking the papers inside the envelope. "Have you checked the evidence?" the chairman asked.
The private investigator nodded.
"By the way, Chairman, she's in Paris now. It might take a few weeks before she comes back here."
"Yes, you're right," the chairman said as he took a deep breath. "That is why I need you to finish everything that we started," the chairman added.
"Yes," he answered.
"Alright."
"By the way, you can take a vacation for a while," the chairman said. "I will call you when I need you."
"Yes, Chairman… I'm only one call away," he said. "I have to go."
He stepped out of the car.
Before he closed the door, the chairman said, "I'll send the money to your account."
"Thank you, Chairman," he replied as he closed the door.
"Let's go," the chairman said to his driver.
The driver started the car and drove off. In the middle of the road, the chairman changed his mind.
*********************************************
ANNA'S POV
A while ago, their professor had already started the discussion. After two long hours of talking about the history and ethics of nursing, the class finally ended.
The room instantly shifted from silence to noise.
Her circle of friends quickly packed their things and headed to the fast-food restaurant right in front of the university.
They settled into a corner table, laughter already filling the space.
"Chicken, one rice, and drinks," Anna said as she looked at her friends.
"Hmm… just pasta for me," Shania replied.
"Two-piece chicken with pasta and drinks," Nikki added.
"Me too," Frej chimed in.
Moments later, their table was filled with food, noise, and laughter—stories flying everywhere, from boyfriends to embarrassing moments, and everything in between.
For a while… life felt light.
But it didn't last long.
After eating, they decided it was time to go back to campus.
As they walked toward the entrance, Anna wasn't paying attention.
Then—
Bump.
Her shoulder hit someone's chest.
Papers and folders instantly scattered all over the ground.
"Oh my gosh—sorry!" Anna quickly bent down, panic rising in her voice.
"I'm so sorry!" the old man said at the same time. "It's my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going."
"No, no—it's my fault too," Anna insisted, helping gather the papers. "I was distracted… I'm really sorry, sir. Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine," he said kindly, smiling as he accepted the papers back. "Thank you… all of you."
Shania suddenly paused.
"Oh—this fell too," she said, picking up an old photo from the ground.
The moment Anna saw it—
Her world stopped.
She snatched it gently from Shania's hand.
"W-wait… this is…" her voice trembled. "This is my dad… and my grandpa…"
Everyone froze.
"Really?" the old man asked, surprised.
"And this… this is me," Anna whispered, pointing at the child in the photo.
The man's eyes widened.
"Don't tell me… you're Rosendo's granddaughter?"
Anna slowly nodded. "Yes… I am."
The man exhaled sharply, almost in disbelief. "What a small world…"
"Can we talk for a bit?" he asked gently.
Anna hesitated… but nodded.
Her friends exchanged glances and slowly left, giving her space.
They sat on a nearby corner.
The air suddenly felt heavier.
"Do you want anything?" the old man asked.
"No, thank you," Anna replied politely.
There was a short silence before he spoke again.
"Tell me… are you really Rosendo Rodriguez's granddaughter?"
"Yes," she answered firmly. "If you're asking about Rosendo Rodriguez… then yes."
A soft smile appeared on the man's face.
"I'm Marvin Yang," he finally introduced himself. "Your grandfather… he was my best friend since high school."
Anna blinked. "Best friend?"
"Yes," he nodded. "The last time we spoke was about eight years ago."
"Eight years ago?" she repeated softly.
He nodded again.
"He passed away eight years ago, Mr. Yang," Anna said quietly.
"I know…" he replied, voice lowering. "That's why we lost contact."
He looked down at the photo in his hand.
"The last thing I remember… we agreed to meet here in Manila."
Anna swallowed hard. "My family was supposed to come here too… but it didn't happen. He had a heart attack."
Silence.
Heavy silence.
"I got this photo from him," Marvin said softly. "He told me he was finally coming with his family…"
He exhaled shakily.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then—
Anna glanced at her wristwatch.
"Maybe you'll be late… you should go," Marvin said suddenly, forcing a small smile.
Anna stood up quickly. "I'm really sorry, Mr. Yang."
"No, it's okay," he replied gently. "By the way… I didn't even get your name."
She smiled a little.
"Oh… right. I forgot," she said softly. "I'm Anna… Anna Rodriguez."
He paused.
Then smiled warmly.
"Don't call me Mr. Yang," he said.
Anna tilted her head.
"I'd rather you call me… Lolo."
That word made her freeze.
In the Philippines, Lolo means grandfather.
Anna stared at him for a moment… then slowly nodded.
"Please," he added softly.
She smiled and gave a small wave before walking away.
That night, Marvin Yang watched her leave with a strange warmth in his chest.
"Rosendo…" he murmured. "Your granddaughter… found me."
Later that evening, Anna and her sister were on their way home.
The jeepney ride was slow—Manila traffic as usual, endless and heavy.
Anna rested her elbow by the window, watching the city lights blur past.
Then—
"Wow…" she whispered.
A black Porsche passed beside them.
Sleek. Silent. Expensive.
"I wish… I could drive something like that someday," she said softly.
"Someday we will," her sister replied. "But… who's driving it?"
"Is it a he or a she?" Anna wondered.
"Is he handsome or she pretty?" her sister teased.
They both laughed.
And then—
The Porsche window slowly rolled down.
Everything paused.
The driver was revealed.
And both of them froze.
"OMG…" Sarah whispered.
"Wow…" Anna breathed out.
"He's… super duper handsome," Sarah said.
"He looks familiar…" Anna murmured, squinting slightly. "Wait… he looks like—"
"Who?" Sarah asked immediately.
Anna's eyes widened slightly.
"Daniel Henney…"
"What? No way," Sarah said instantly. "Daniel Henney is way more handsome than him."
"I know!" Anna laughed softly. "I just mean… he kinda looks like him."
They both giggled, still watching the car.
"I'm sure he already has a girlfriend," Sarah said.
"100%," Anna agreed.
Then—
The traffic light turned green.
And just like that, the black Porsche disappeared into the night… leaving only curiosity behind.
***************************************************TOM POV
He parked his Porsche and stepped out, heading straight into the elevator going up to the 24th floor.
As the elevator rose, his mind drifted back to earlier.
Two students… laughing and giggling inside the jeepney.
He smirked a little.
"They were probably talking about my car," he thought to himself.
A small, amused smile formed on his lips.
The elevator bell finally rang.
Ding.
The doors opened.
Tom walked out, his shoes echoing softly in the quiet hallway.
Ten rooms away from the elevator—his room waited.
He played with his keys while walking, his mind still half stuck on that strange encounter earlier.
Then he stopped in front of his door.
He unlocked it.
And—
"Ta-da!"
A loud party popper exploded in front of him.
Tom startled for a second… then laughed.
"Oh my goodness, babe," he said, pulling her into a tight hug. He kissed her forehead. "What are you doing here?"
He looked at her, still surprised.
"I thought you were in Paris," he added.
His girlfriend giggled.
"I missed you," she said softly.
"I missed you too," he replied without hesitation, pulling her closer and kissing her lips.
She smiled against him.
"Yes… I was in Paris before I came here. I just wanted to surprise you," she said.
"Well… you definitely did," Tom said, hugging her again.
"Come on… I prepared something for you," Mildred said, holding his hand and leading him toward the kitchen.
"Yehey," Tom smiled as they walked together.
The kitchen was already set up.
When Tom saw the food, his eyes lit up.
"These are my favorites," he said in surprise.
"I know," Mildred replied softly. "That's why I cooked them for you."
"Aww, babe…" Tom said, pulling her into another hug from behind. He kissed her neck gently.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Mildred turned around slowly.
And without warning—
She kissed him.
A deep, long kiss.
They both closed their eyes.
Like they had been waiting for each other for too long.
Because they had.
Tom and Mildred had been in a relationship since high school.
But they were forced apart when Tom's grandfather strongly disapproved of their relationship.
Mildred had been taken in by Tom's grandfather when she was only five years old. Her parents died in a car accident while traveling in London.
Since then, Tom and Mildred grew up together under the same roof—starting as friends… until somewhere along the way, they fell in love.
And even after everything…
They never really let go of each other.
*****************************************************ANNA POV
Anna and her sister finally arrived at their rented house. They both changed their clothes and started doing house chores.
Anna and her four siblings were living together while their parents stayed in the province. Two of her older sisters were already working, while her younger sister was still studying nursing at a private university.
Anna was the third child among seven siblings.
Their father was a farmer and also ran a small welding shop.
That night, while they were having dinner, Anna's eldest sister, Karen, suddenly spoke.
"I won a house and lot," she said, her voice full of disbelief.
"REALLY?" they all asked at the same time.
Karen nodded.
"Oh my gosh!" they shouted.
"I can't believe it," Anna said, still shocked.
"Is it legit?" Dianne asked, raising her eyebrow.
Karen just shrugged her shoulders and smirked.
"Maybe it's a scam," Sarah said cautiously.
But despite that, hope slowly filled the room.
They all felt something they hadn't felt in a long time…
hope.
"How I wish it's true," Anna whispered to herself.
"Haisst…" Karen stood up and walked to the bedroom. She came back holding a piece of paper from her handbag.
"Look," she said.
The moment she showed it—
"OH MY GOSH!" they all screamed excitedly.
"Shhh!" Karen immediately shushed them. "Do you want the whole neighborhood to hear you?"
They covered their mouths, still smiling in shock.
"Yes… I already called the agency to verify if it's legit," Karen explained. "I asked them how and why I won. And they said it was luck… they said it was given by God."
She paused.
"They said I won through a raffle."
Silence fell for a second.
"Where?" they all asked in unison.
Karen explained everything in detail.
And just like that…
The sadness in their home slowly turned into excitement.
They started packing their things, their hearts suddenly full of anticipation.
A week from now, they would be moving into a subdivision—no more renting, no more cramped living.
Just a new beginning.
Next Chapter 2: The ContractStay tuned 😊