Chapter 2

“Happy birthday!”

I just looked at her lazily and didn’t even bother myself to reply. She rolled her eyes at me and my eyes widened in shock when she clung her arms on mine, making us look so close together. Annoying.

“Tsk,” I tried to pull my hands away but she locked it even harder in her arms so I just sighed and boredly shook my head. What a nuisance.

“Come on! The amount of visitors you have downstairs!”

“I don’t want to go there.” I said and stared directly at Molina’s brown eyes. Unlike mine that’s dark and expressionless, she has a pair of expressive brown eyes that looks softie and happy.

She frowned, “What? No way! Today is your birthday, come out and don’t just take blood and sleep!”

Molina is a… I don’t know if she’s my friend, I don’t even know what’s friend is for. Just when I came here four months ago, he was also often here at the mansion. All I knew was that he was Lea’s friend and they had two more with them that I had never met.

One of them was allegedly followed by a man in El Nido and the other was in Baguio because he entered the Philippine Military Academy. I don’t know if that’s true but I’m just not curious even though I don’t really care.

Lea and Gavin don’t come here often anymore because they stay in Manila where Lea goes to college while Gavin works there. They have a condo to stay in while the penthouse Gavin planned there has not been completed.

So now, this woman is tailing me. At first her nuisances didn’t really work with my attitude so pushed her away several times and ignored her, but she was determined to get close to me for reasons I don’t know. Eventually I just got used to her always scratching and popping up wherever I am. I think she’s lonely.

“Later.” I just answered and finally removed the coil of his hand from mine.

She sniffed and nodded before sitting on my bed and using her cellphone. I went straight to my study table and arranged my things. I was fixing my PHLEB kit when he came in earlier so it’s broken now. I don’t like messy, noisy, bright and too crowded. I get annoyed quickly when that happens.

I grabbed my books and put the utensils back in the table drawer. I silently went to the cabinet because my room had no walk-in closet. Until now, I still stay in the guest room – which Loren, Sage and daddy don’t want. They also can’t do anything if I don’t want too big a room. It’s not as useful because I use very little compared to them.

I pulled out a high neck mini dress slipover type. It’s beige and just bought, Gavin gave me a gift.

“Wait, girl, are you serious? Your birthday is fucking today and what do you think you’re wearing?”

I stopped looking for flats when Moli spoke. The noise she really is. “Don’t even get me started,” I just answered and chose the beige flat shoes as well.

But Moli being Moli, of course she won’t oblige. When she saw that, her eyes widened and seemed to be offended because of my choice.

“Oh my god, Sadie! You really lack sense of fashion! Argh!” She threw her cell phone on my bed and then marched toward me.

I just frowned and looked at her.

“Wear a sleeveless dress, or tube top! Lea has a lot of clothes in her room-”

“Why are you so eager on making me dress like you? We’re different, Moli. This is what I want.” I insisted that he stopped.

“But it’s your birthday-”

“I don’t even celebrate my own birthday. I’m just doing this for them.” I replied that the reference was to my family.

I know they have prepared a party for me and even though I don’t want to I still respect them. This is the first time I’m going to have a birthday with them so I’ll just give it a go. It won’t happen again because I will make it clear that I don’t want the next celebrations.

“Tss. Fine!” She stared at me and went back to bed to pick up her cellphone. She was wearing a spaghetti strap crop top in white and a black mini skirt.

She still frowned when she said goodbye to me. “I’m just out, maybe Lea is already there. Get ready!” She reminded me and didn’t wait for my answer.

She left my room as I continued to prepare. I was shaken as I entered the bathroom and undressed. I removed my turtle neck sweater and examined myself in the large mirror of the sink.

My eyes automatically darted at the upper part of my chest were my burn scar lies. It’s a bit large and really evident if I won’t hide it. My mood went scrap upon seeing it. This is the reason why I always wear high neck or turtle neck shirts. I got this scar from the accident 18 years ago.

I was only a year old when a fire broke out in a mall where my mother and I were staying. I didn’t know what exactly happened, daddy and aunt just told me- ‘Gavin’s mom. I was said to have disappeared then, and had not been seen again for eighteen years.

And for those eighteen years I lived in the Orphanage. People don’t like me there because I’m too quiet and unfriendly. I also didn’t expect to be adopted when my eighth birthday came. I continued my studies because the old man helped me take care of me. We both served as maids at Gavin’s home in Manila.

How ironic right? I can’t believe what happened either. It is true that the world is very small. Now Gavin is dead to Lea who stood in my place among the people I was struggling with just to get an education.

But I’m not mad at her… I mean Lea. I don’t hold grudge towards her since I understand that she’s not at fault for this. Here I am again. I have come to know my real family and am still helping Mother Ida – the one who took me in.

I’ve been in this mansion for four months, I’ve gotten to know my siblings and father better, hopefully, but every time I see this scar on my chest it seems to take me back to the past. This scar really has its own way of ruining my day. Don’t silence me.

When I finished taking a bath, she put on the dress. It was close to me so my body was shaped. I went to the vanity table and looked for piercings. I put two helixes, an upper lobe, and a standard lobe piercings in the left ear. While on the other side is just an upper and standard lobe.

I also put on a light lipstick that I always use when I go in, I dried my hair with a hair dryer and sprayed the perfume that Lea gave me before. He put on my flat shoes and walked out of the room without looking back.

I caught up with some of our house maids who were carrying many trays. They went out to the garden because that’s where daddy prepared the stage. By the grace of his own body, his condition is improving, it’s just that he can’t work much anymore, Loren and Sage are helping him with the company while Lea is still studying.

We all agreed that Lea would inherit the company. First of all, I don’t like that kind of job. I will be a doctor like Loren and mama and Med tech is my pre-med course. That was my plan so I had no problem with their decision. And one more thing, that’s also what Leah learned and I know that’s her dream. She deserves it though.

“Hey Sadie.”

I looked at Vincent who was just coming in from the garden. I nodded at him and continued walking, as he was approaching, I slowed down my walk so that I would not be too rude if I passed him. Even though that’s really what I want to do.

“Happy birthday!” he greeted and I nodded again, without smiling. He chuckled and handed me a small paper bag. My eyes went down and saw a ‘Tiffany & Co.’ brand on it.

I lazily got it from his hand and said ‘thanks’ without smiling.

“Seriously, can’t you smile? It’s your birthday oh, I guess you just smile when you take our blood.” he joked but I remained stern. I just look at him and tried not to blink, obviously making him uncomfortable.

Well, it’s true that they are my source of blood, urine, etc. Loren, Sage, Ricci and him. They are good to practice because their roots are obvious and I don’t have a hard time finding them. That was the first thing I noticed when I met them. Actually, that’s really the first thing I look at people. I’m obsessed with veins.

Andrei didn’t want to because he was afraid of the needle. It was very artistic, so I made up my mind that when the day came when he agreed to take my blood, I would use a 10cc syringe on him.

Luke, on the other hand, is not close to me. I had only seen him twice in four months and never once spoke to him. I also don’t want to talk to him because we both don’t seem to accept the conversation. Though I would love to try his veins too. It looks good.

“I only smile when I see people in pain.” I said half honestly.

They probably get hurt when I take blood especially since they never used a 3cc cup. Because they don’t know that the syringes have sizes so I intentionally have large items and I don’t show the smaller syringes so they have no choice but to tolerate the pain. I also remember when the ball hit their genitals, when they were playing rehearsals and getting tired, I smiled.

I don’t know, I get excited when I see them struggling.

“Whoa, then it’s okay for you to hurt me as long as I make you smile.”

My forehead automatically furrowed and he raised an eyebrow. And that’s when he hurriedly raised his both hands in surrender. “Happy birthday again!” He said and quickly squeezed my cheek.

Before I could curse him he disappeared in front of me and returned to the garden. I frowned and rubbed my cheek as I looked down on the road he was walking on. To my annoyance I stopped going to the garden and decided to go to the kitchen for a drink. If I don’t calm down now, I might block all the visitors there.

I was still holding the paper bag Vincent had given me as I walked towards the kitchen. I was about to go straight to the refrigerator, when I saw outside the kitchen the back of a man staring inside the countertop.

My forehead furrowed sharply as he did not move. He was just standing straight so I was free to examine his back. He’s wearing a white dress shirt, folded until his elbows. Because of that I saw the peeking veins in his hand. I was so bitten on my lip when I saw that his hand was so ideal for practicing. He’s also wearing a black pants and shoes. My eyes narrowed when I saw this back.

Is it Luke? But what is he doing here?

Surprisingly, I would have just left, but when I heard Lea’s voice I was stunned to take a step.

“I didn’t give my number okay,” Lea said in an irritated voice.

“Okay.” Gavin replied. Oh, are they the ones talking? And why is Luke here?

“You don’t believe me!” Lea was still a little irritated. I approached but it was just right so that no one could see.

“Let’s talk about it later Bernice-”

“And why are you calling me by my name now?!”

Here I am now a few steps away from the backward Luke. Gavin and Lea were in the kitchen arguing but not so loudly.

“Alright baby, I’m sorry…” Gavin gave up.

Leah blinked and folded her arms.

“And now you’re the one who’s mad here,” Gavin said as I shook his head. Very under stupid.

When I felt that they were finishing the conversation I left there first and walked away a little. And I was right, because Luke turned around quickly and seemed even more surprised to see me watching him.

Those eyes… it’s dark and gloomy. I can easily see the pain and regret there the moment his eyes met mine. I raised an eyebrow and folded my arms while not taking my eyes off him.

He seems so startled and bothered by the fact that I caught him watching them fight. He looks so troubled that I might think he’s in love with Lea by the way he watched them earlier. And I’m not dumb dude, I know you have feelings for my cousin’s girlfriend.

I thought he wasn’t leaving when we heard Lea’s footsteps coming out of the kitchen, but one of my eyebrows rose even higher as she quickly averted his gaze and walked away to pass me.

When the smell of his perfume hit my nose, I held my breath and slowly exhaled. That scent… I even forced myself to turn around and sniff the traces of his smell with the extra fragrance. It was obviously masculine.

Leah came out and immediately smiled when she saw me, as if nothing had happened.

“Sadie, happy birthday!” She went to hug me and I just nodded.

Gavin just looked at me too and raised a brow, I rolled my eyes at him and let them walk away as I recall Luke’s eyes showered with pain.

I just stood there for minutes and found myself slowly smiling. He must be really hurt huh,

How interesting.