Chapter 3

"DOES it mean that you won't go to the club tonight?" Meera asked while preparing her daughter's food pack. "How much did you get from that old man?"

"He gave me four thousand dollars," Angela said in a low voice. "I gave the one thousand dollars to my boss—"

"What?" Meera asked, disgust was apparent in her face. "You shouldn't give that much to your son of a bitch boss."

"He didn't know that the old man gave me another three thousand dollars. It's my extra service," she said and heaved a sigh. "I don't want to talk about it, Meera. I feel like throwing up whenever I remember what happened last night."

Meera rolled her eyes ceilingwards. "I don't want to say this, but it's good that you got more than what you're being paid."

She nodded. "Yeah, three thousand dollars was almost one hundred fifty thousand pesos. And it can support our needs for two months. House bills, rentals, Aleli's meds…" she trailed off when her daughter walked out from the bathroom. "I didn't finish my studies, and I don't have any skills…"

"But, you promised me that you'll get a new job, Angela," Meera insisted and held his arm. "Angela—"

"Do you think it's easy to find a new job?" she asked. "Decent jobs of people like me can't earn much money that can support Aleli's heart medication."

"Mom?" Aleli asked upon hearing her name being mentioned. "Did you just call me?"

Meera went to her child. "Mommy's just telling me to don't forget to put your favorite chocolate drink in your food pack."

Aleli narrowed her eyes. "Just like what you did yesterday."

Meera chuckled. "But I bought you a new one, right?"

Angela smiled while watching her best friend and her daughter giggling at each other. She was really thankful for meeting Meera when she was at the peak of her misfortunes. She thought of giving up during that time, but Meera came and saved her.

She shook her head to ditch the past that's threatening to cloud her mind. Angela must forget everything that happened in her past. She must forget all the people that ruined her, hurt her, and abandoned her. Angela was a different woman now, a different person with a different soul.

"Mommy, I'll see you later." Aleli waved back at them before she went inside her classroom.

Angela smiled. She could do anything for her, for the only person that gives sunshine to her dying soul. If not for Aleli, she might have given up her life to those people that abducted her. Angela tasted bitterness with the term that she used.

'Abducted?' she asked herself. 'I was abandoned… Hated…’

"Are we going now to Dr. Yummy Santiago?" Meera asked as they walked the streets from Aleli's school. "I've waited for this moment to see him again."

Angela rolled her eyes heavenwards. "That sounded different for me."

Meera grunted. "I just want to see him. Do you know that I'm calling him almost every day just to hear his handsome voice—"

"And, you're using Aleli's situation, so you have a reason to call him?" Angela cut off. "Meera, doctors are untouchable people."

"He's kind to us," Meera said, sounded hurt. "And, he always asked for you. It's kinda annoying, you know."

"He's kind because Aleli's his patient," she said matter-of-factly. "Do you know what does it mean?"

Meera crinkled her nose. "Why are you so cynical?"

Angela didn't answer. She waved to a passing Taxi cab that will bring them to Aleli's doctor.

"Your gift certificate, did it also come from that man?" Meera asked as they ride the cab. Her brows were furrowed in curiosity.

Angela heaved a sigh. "You're so nosy, Meera."

"Well, I'm just asking," Meera said. "How much is the certificates threshold?"

Angela narrowed her eyes to her friend. "I know what you're thinking, Meera. Don't worry, you can come with us to the department store."

Meera clapped her hands like a child. "That's good news!"

Angela laughed. Meera worked as a liaison officer in one of the private clinics along with the Land And Transportation Office. One of her duties was to steal clients from the other private clinics around the area, sometimes, she part-timed as a parking lot's assistant. That's where she gets her money for her everyday life when she found Angela.

And, the rest of their story was history…

The Taxicab stopped in front of the Philippine Heart Center. Angela and Meera got off after they paid the driver for more than the meter showed. They always do that to avoid arguments with some abusive drivers.

They were about to enter the building when her phone rang. Angela pulled out her phone from her cheap shoulder bag, her brows furrowed upon seeing the unknown numbers registered on her screen.

"Who's that?" Meera asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know," she said and disregarded the call. “`Must be one of my co-dancers.

"Why you didn't answer? What if it came from the old man? Asking you out again for three thousand dollars?"

Angela scowled at her friend. "Why do you sound like as if you're now supporting my job?"

Meera laughed. "I'm just kidding—ouch!"

"I'm sorry, Miss," said the tall man in a black leather jacket that bumped with Meera. "I didn't see you."

"It's because you're not looking—oh…" Meera's voice became soft suddenly. "It's okay, sir…?"

Angela arched a brow. She can't believe that her friend was this weak towards men. She glanced at the man, and she can say that he's good-looking—the type of man that wouldn't look at someone like them.

"Tac, please call me Tac," the man said and offered his hand to her friend whose smile was about to extend up to the other street. "I'm really sorry."

"No, it's fine," Meera said as she shook hands with him. "It was partly my fault."

Angela rolled her eyes. "Meera, I'll go ahead."

"Wait," she hooked to her arm. "We'll go ahead, Tac. It's nice to meet you."

The man just nodded and waved at them. As they turned their back to him, she heard somebody called the man's name. Angela knotted her forehead, that voice was familiar.

"Did you see the doctor that we're looking for?" the deep male voice asked the man that bumped with Meera.

Angela stopped on her toes. It couldn't be…

***

Next chapter