LIEN went to the nearby coffee shop to finish her article. Her air-condition unit broke, and she could not stay inside her condo when it’s scorching hot. The summer heat made her feel like she was in hell. Damn, global warming!

“Good morning, Miss Lien,” the barista greeted her.

She was a regular at the coffee shop ever since she moved to the condo in front. Most of the staff knows her.

“Hi, uhm…”

“The usual?” the barista asked.

Lien smiled and shook her head. “It’s scorching hot today. I’d like to have venti strawberries and cream and French toasts.”

“Sure!” The barista punched her order.

She handed him her card for the payment.

“I’ll just wait for my order on my table.” She pointed to her favorite spot.

“Alright.” The barista nodded.

Lien settled to the table and opened her laptop. She was about to start writing her article when someone caught her attention—the man who just entered the coffee shop. She stood up quickly and walked towards him.

“`Pa—”

“Oh, hello there, Miss… Esguerra,” he said.

Her fists clenched. He did not even let her finish what she was about to say, and he was talking to her formally. How could he do that to her? Was it even possible for a father to forget about her daughter? As far as she can remember, he never had any brain trauma or injury. Lien’s chest tightened. Suddenly, it was hard for her to breathe. Pain and hatred started to consume her. It wasn’t the first time he made her feel that way. It was always like that whenever they meet.

She wanted to cry; she wanted to scream. But she could only do that in silence.

“Strawberries and cream for Miss Lien,” the barista announced.

She walked to the counter with a heavy heart.

“Your French toasts are still heating up,” the barista told her as she picked up her drink.

“Will it take long?” she asked with a hoarse voice. Lien could not hide her feelings very well, most especially when her father was still around.

“Ah… it will only take two minutes.”

“Can you just make it to go? I’ll take it home,” she said.

“O-oh… okay. Wait.”

The microwave beeped, and the barista left the counter. After a while, he handed her the French toasts on a paper bag that she grabbed quickly.

Lien packed up her laptop again and marched to the door of the coffee shop. But when she opened the door, her face bumped into someone’s broad, good-smelling chest. She looked up and saw a familiar face looking down at her. Whoa, he was that tall that he was literally looking down at her. It felt like she bumped into the Eiffel tower. Lien did not expect him to be that tall.

“O-oh… I’m sorry.”

She was about to step aside to take her leave when he grabbed her arm to stop her.

“Wait.”

His baritone voice echoed in her ear.

“H-huh?”

He got something from the back pocket of his pants, a blue handkerchief.

“Your nose is bleeding.” Lien flinched when his handkerchief touched her skin.

She pulled his hand away and sighed.

“I’m sorry, but I am in a hurry. Thanks for your concern,” she said.

His forehead creased. He was about to say something, but Lien did not give him the chance to. She walked away.

LIEN went back home. She locked herself inside her room, curled on her bed, and cried. Why does fate have to be so cruel when all she ever wanted was a happy life?

For the past years, she only lived in misery. Her mother took her own life when she was young. Lien could still recall how her mother took her last breath while hanging on a rope. It was traumatic; the memory still haunts her in her dreams. His father abandoned her right after her mother’s funeral. And now, her only anchor, her best friend who happened to be the man she loves, got married, leaving her behind too. Her loved ones were disappearing one by one as if it was a curse or a punishment. She wondered what kind of sin she had committed in her past life for her to live her present life so miserable.

She was suddenly pulled out of her reverie by her ringing phone. She knew instantly who was calling her because she has this designated ringtone for her editor-in-chief. And then, Lien remembered that she hadn’t sent her article for tomorrow’s release. She groaned as she rolled to the other side of the bed to get her phone.

“Lien! What the hell is wrong with you? It’s just a revision, and yet you couldn’t send it on time!” Gianna, their editor-in-chief, nagged on the other line. “Seriously, you’re getting into my nerves nowadays, Lien. Report to the office tomorrow. I want to talk to you in person.”

The call ended.

She lay flat on the bed and stared blankly in the ceiling.

Lien did not even like to be a journalist in the first place. What she dreamed of from the very start was to be a children’s book author. But she set aside that dream and pursue a course and career in journalism. Why? Because she wanted to know what it was like to be in her father’s world. She wanted to get recognition from him. But she failed and failed over and over again.

“Should I give up, or should I keep chasing those not meant for me?”

As if the devil heard her, the last part of her mother’s suicide note echoed at the back of her head.

‘I couldn’t take the pain anymore. I could only think of taking my life out of misery. I can no longer feel this pain when I am gone, right? I am sorry for leaving you behind, dear… I want you to live a happy life I wasn’t able to have. One day, we will meet again…’

Lien left the bed and went to the rooftop.

“Mom!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

A gust of strong wind slapped her face, hitting her the reality that she was indeed like her mom. Lien was weakhearted.

“I didn’t get to live a happy life,” she cried. “It’s a mess, Mom! I was living in misery since you left!”

She climbed to the railings without thinking of the danger she was into.

“Mom, please…” She gasped for air. “Please take me away from this life. I couldn’t take it anymore…”

Just when she was about to jump, strong arms appeared from her back and wrapped around her waist, pulling her away. She tried to fight back and clutched into the barriers. But the man behind her was stronger, and soon he succeeded.

Lien fought like a wild cat, causing them to fall into the cemented floor. His grip loosened, giving her the chance to free herself from him.

She stood up.

“What the hell—” Her brows furrowed when she recognized who tries to meddle with her plan. “You again?”

It seemed that the good-looking guy next door was a nosy one.

He got up on his own and brushed the dust off of his clothes.

“Don’t you dare die in front of me,” he said. “I hate it.”

She put her hands to her sides. “And why do you care?”

“Because I’m a doctor, and I vowed to save lives.” He grabbed her arm. “You scratch your elbow.”

Lien grimaced. Now that he mentioned it, it hurts. She started crying.

“Why?” he asked with furrowed brows.

“It hurts!” she yelled.

“Look at you.” He sighed. “You tried to jump off from a high building, and now you’re whining like a kid over a scratched elbow.”

She sobbed.

He gave her a light pat on her head. “Stop crying…”

Lien’s heart somersaulted inside her chest. Wait. Her heart did that?