Charlene had just stepped off the bus when her friend Sheena called. She answered at once.
"Are you already in Manila?" her friend asked excitedly.
"Yes. I just got off. Wait—I'm still hungry. I'll grab something to eat first."
She wandered around the terminal until she found a vendor selling balut. She bought four pieces and asked for directions to her next ride. Being new to Manila, she didn't yet know her way around. Charlene was a provincial girl who had come to the city in search of better opportunities, knowing that work in the countryside was painfully limited.
"Your first priority is to find a place to stay," Sheena reminded her. "There are lots of rooms for rent, but be careful. Once they realize you're new here, they'll try to overcharge you."
"I will. I'll look for something within my budget," Charlene replied as she stood up to throw away the shells of the balut she had eaten.
She walked around for nearly half an hour, but still couldn't find a place she could afford.
Fatigue and hunger were starting to creep in, but she forced herself to endure it. The little money left in her wallet had to be saved for rent—she couldn't waste it on food.
"What? You still haven't found anything?" her cousin asked over the phone.
"Not yet. I'm already tired from walking," Charlene complained as she crossed the street.
"Why don't you take a break first?" Sheena suggested.
"I can still manage. Besides, it's getting dark. I might end up sleeping outside," she joked.
"I'm close by—ah, shoot!"
Her playful tone turned into a startled cry as she was suddenly knocked down in the middle of the road, nearly hit by a car. Irritated, Charlene quickly stood up and stormed toward the vehicle that had screeched to a stop in front of her.
"Hey! Are you trying to kill me?! Don't you know how to drive?! What—are you going to pay for my funeral if you run me over?!" she shouted angrily.
A moment later, the car door opened and a tall, well-built man stepped out, dressed so sharply he looked like he owned the street itself.
"Miss… you were the one who wasn't watching where you were going," he said coldly, removing his sunglasses. "This is a road, and you crossed while using your phone. Are you insane?"
"So now it's my fault?" Charlene snapped. "With that attitude of yours, don't your parents teach you any manners?!"
The man could only shake his head. To him, Charlene looked like one of those people who deliberately got hit just to extort money from the rich—especially since he was the CEO of one of the most famous clothing brands in the country.
"Tell me what you want," he said impatiently. "Money?"
That was the last thing Charlene wanted to hear.
"Do I look like I need your money?!" she shot back, ignoring the growing crowd that had started watching them argue in the middle of the street.
The man was about to respond when his phone rang. He answered quickly.
"I'll be there in a minute. I just ran into a small problem," he said before ending the call. He pulled out a business card and pressed it into Charlene's hand.
"What am I supposed to do with this?"
"Call my secretary if you need anything, miss. I have to go—"
"Wait! You haven't even apologized!"
"Stop wasting my time. I have a meeting to attend."
"I don't care about your meetings! You almost killed me! My leg and my backside hurt from that fall, you know!"
The man took a deep, irritated breath and opened the car door.
"Fine. I'll take you to the hospital. Now get in. You're wasting too much of my time."
Charlene immediately shook her head.
"No! Who knows where you might take me? That face of yours doesn't exactly look trustworthy!"
"What—just… get in, miss," he ordered sharply.
But when Charlene still refused, he had no choice but to lift her and place her inside the car himself before locking the door.
"Hey! Let me out! What are you doing?!"
"Be quiet! You're wasting my time!"
"If you're planning to kidnap me, I'm telling you now—no one will pay a ransom! My family is poor! We live in a small house in the province!"
"Quiet. I don't care who you are," he said coldly as he started the engine. "If you're in pain, I'm taking you to the hospital. So be quiet—or I'll throw you out of the car window."