Chapter 2

• Beatrix's POV
• I went home while my mind was floating. I think a lot about debt, work as well as about Gio's return. I remember those times when I found out who that woman he really loved was.
• I looked at my sister Anika in shock. I was only a few months older than her, meaning Mommy betrayed Daddy a few months before I was formed but even if that happened I am thankful that Anika was kind to me unlike Anna.
• "Anika, where are you taking me?" I asked her as she continued to pull at me.
• "I will take you to my friend. That's handsome so fix yourself. ” I was blown away by what she said but I was also stunned by the fact that my eyes almost widened which made her laugh.
• "W-Wait!" She stopped as she raised an eyebrow at me while a smile appeared on her face. "Are you referring to Giovanni?"
• She shrugged her shoulders, "who else?" I quickly touched both of her shoulders while smiling. Apparently all the bad words mommy said to me were gone because of what Anika said.
• “Really? Oh my gosh, what are you waiting for? Let's go dear sister. ” I pulled her like a child and she laughed. Giovanni Castillo is one of the most popular here on our campus. I didn't really like him before but since he saved me at the time when I was about to be raped because of Daddy's friend and that time I started to like him. It was also because of him that I had a little hope in my life to continue my life even though my parents didn't want me.
• We got to the gym and we saw the basketball team practicing. I see that their coach whistle so Giovanni and his team quickly came here with a smile on their faces
• "Hey, what are you two doing here?" He approached us while wiping away the sweat. I hope I'm just his sweat so I can cover his body.
• “Visiting my friend. Well, my sister said to me that she has something to say to you. ” I felt Anika push me so I hesitated to look at Giovanni before sighing.
• "I.."
• "What is it? Are you okay now?" He asked before taking my hand and seeing if the wound I had sustained there was healed.
• "Yes, I'm okay." I quickly averted my hand because apart from feeling the electricity when he touched me, I didn't want him to see that I had another wound there again. "Gio, thank you because—" I won't continue what I'm going to say when someone speaks.
• "Bea, where's Jane?" Levi asked, "why are your socks pink again? Haha, childish."
• "I know where my friend is. She told me she didn't want to see a monkey like you." Everyone laughed except for one and that was none other than Gio's rival, Zacharie Fernandez. He probably saw that I was looking at him so I rolled my eyes at him as he laugh that grabbed the attention of others.
• Giovanni looks at Zack then looks at me.
• I was surprised when he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the gym. I don't know why he pulled me but I was so happy. I couldn't say goodbye to Anika.
• "Gio, where are we going?" I stopped smiling after I asked that.
• "Somewhere. You owe me, remember?" He looked at me and that's when I remembered what I told him. I heard him chuckle.
• " I forgot. Let's go. Let's go there with the vendors outside. ” I pulled him even though his forehead was furrowed. We were close to the gate when I heard someone shout my name.
• "Bea!" I looked up and saw Anika running towards us. Her beauty is still blowing in the wind. My sister is very beautiful and very intelligent. Everyone admires her. Even comparing ourselves to each other we ignore that. Others said that I was more beautiful and kind than Anika, but they say that I act as if I am a child sometimes while Anika had matured if she acted. Anika is also strict, especially when it comes to their volleyball team.
• "What's that, Anika?"
• She smiled at me, “you left me. Hmp, do you think I forgot what you also told me.” She winked at me and I smiled. I wrapped my hand around his arm.
• "Let's go." I looked at Giovanni and I saw how he smiled to us or to Anika only. I don't know but I have a conclusion in my mind but I don't want to jump on it. I waved my hand in front of him and smiled. "Am I that too beautiful to be looked at?"
• "Huh?" I was blown away by what he said and he seemed to come to his senses after he looked back at Anika. "Ah..yeah, you're beautiful too."
• “Too? Who is the other one?”
• "Of course, my friend." I saw how he messed up Anika's hair but I just shrugged it off. We went outside and bought a fishball and kikiam. I notice that they often talk to each other so I feel out of place but that's okay with me because they're friends. I saw a child asking me for food so I just gave him the rest of my kikiam.
• "I wonder why you look like that?" An audible voice at my side was heard. I tilted my head. I saw Zach there staring at the child. It's because there are so many people around us. He's so fast. As far as I remember he was still in the gym earlier. Don't tell me he follows us?
• "What do you mean?" I asked before placing both my hands on my waist as he just laughed. Why did he laugh at me again?
• “You're alone while you go out with him. I wonder why?”
• "Huh? I can't understand you." Once again, I heard him chuckling before he pinched my nose, which made me pouted.
• "You're so cute."
• "Aish, not my nose!" I didn't realize that I raised my voice which caused the others to look in our direction, especially Anika and Gio. I saw Gio quickly approaching us here and he quickly left me to Zach. What is it that the two of them are arguing about and why is Gio so mad at Zach.
• “Not her, Fernandez. She's my girl. ” I was shocked by what Giovanni said and despite that my cheek also blushed from the excessive shaking. This is the first time Gio has told me that.
• “Are you hitting two birds with one stone?” My forehead furrowed because of what Zach said. What is he saying? He's fighting with my baby Gio again but I'm not bad at being angry with him because he's kind to me, he just looks arrogant.
• "No way!"
• "I pity the stone and the other bird because they are the same."
• "Bastard!" Gio quickly punched Zach and the two did start to fight. Anika and I try to stop them but no one l wants to retreat.
• "Shit!" I turned around and there I saw Levi and the other boys who quickly responded to the two and quickly separated them.
• "I won't let you hook if you do something stupid again, Zacharie." Calm but feel the anger in the words spoken by Gio. I was confused by what was happening between the two of them so I looked at Anika who she saw right away. I know she understood that look but she just shrugged. It's impossible that she didn't know what happened to the two.
• "No, you're the stupid here Gio. I already told you that I was not to blame for what happened but— "Zach didn't finish what he was going to say when Anika broke into the conversation.
• "That's enough, guys." I saw the throwback that Zach removed the hold on him of Levi and Kai, another of Gio's friends. I saw how he went away and it even gave me a little look.
• A few months later everything went well and I think I have high hopes for Gio. I never miss sending food to their classroom and because of that her classmates tease him. He also comes with me every time I invite him to come out and I almost laughed when I saw his reaction when I saw that I don't like the mall but we went to the place where I see the city but I wondered why he changed his approach to me and now I see him with my sister while walking so I hurried to go to them but I was surprised when they went to the back of the classroom.
• "You're the one that I love and not your step-sister." I felt my heart ache when I heard Gio's words. Why is it like this? Why do the people I love always drive me away? I thought he would be the one to give me happiness but I was wrong but why is that. No matter what pain the person we love makes us feel, we still do not lose our love for them. It hurts but like I do with my parents I will endure because I can still. I am not the type of woman who because of hearing hurtful words I will give up immediately. I was just laughing at my problem but why is it different now. I wanted to cry, complain to Daddy and ask Mommy for advice but that was not our situation.
• “Van, my sister loves you. I thought you were getting better. ” I peeked out and saw that they were looking at each other while waiting for Gio's answer.
• “I do that because I know you love her but that doesn't mean I love her more than friends. Anika, she's childish and not like you, who is mature enough and I want a girl like you. She's just like a little sister to me.”
• I couldn't stand Gio's words anymore so I decided to leave but I said I wouldn't give up because I knew the time would come when Gio would love me too so Daddy told me that he would marry me to the second son of the Castillo clan. I did not refuse because I knew that Gio was the only son of Mister Castillo.
• Mommy also agreed because it was as if I would no longer live with them and I would give her money, always like that. They always let me pass two but their wife/husband don't like me so I bought my own condominium.
• "Did you plan this, Anika?" Gio asked angrily after the meeting that took place about our arranged marriage earlier. A week ago, Anika flew abroad without saying goodbye and because of that, Gio's treatment of me changed even more. After I saw the two of them in the back of the classroom, Anika followed me and told me that she didn't like Gio but I didn't believe her so she said she was leaving for the US. Am I wrong if I say that I was happy when she left because I had a chance to fall in love with Gio. I know that Anika did that thing because she said she wanted to see me happy and so that I would not try to commit suicide again like I did before because of my parents.
• "I didn't plan it, Gio."
• "Don't call me, Gio. No one is allowed to call me that way aside from my mother."
• "But—"
• “Remember this Beatrix, we will only get married on paper. No physical attachments. ” Suddenly my knee weakened. Our parents went out first because they thought Gio would not leave me but here I am now staring at Gio's car in the distance and standing in the middle of the night.
• I can't help but cry because of what I've been through in life. I know my mommy and daddy did it because they wanted the Castillo family to get along well when it came to business, not because they wanted the best for me .
• I felt something hot apply to my shoulder and I realized that coat. I looked up and saw Zach smiling at me.
• "You look funny while kneeling there."
• I just stared at him which made him laugh even more. I wiped away my tears before I stood up. I approached him because I knew he knew something about the questions I wanted to know.
• "He thought that I would kiss Anika that time when the truth is not," he said as we sat on the hammock here in the park near the restaurant.
• "Are you saying my sister kissed you?"
• "I didn't know you were smart once." I glared at him but he just smiled and continued to speak, "it's the truth. I am one of the best friends he trusted the most. He was courting Anika during those times until Anika told me to go to the park so I did but as soon as I got there Anika grabbed me then kissed me and Van arrived just in time.”
• I laughed sarcastically, “no way. She will not do that.”
• "You don't know her too well. I know that no one will believe me."
• "So, your friendship became a mess because of my step-sister?"
• "Sort of."
• “Do you mean that they are already in a relationship right now?”
• He shook his head at me before looking at the sky, “no. Your step sister loves another person.”
• "Who else?"
• "Van's real rival when it comes to everything."
• "Who is that?" I asked and he was about to speak again when suddenly someone shouted my name and I saw Giovanni looking disgusted.
• "Let's go home. Where are you going? Don't talk to worthless people." He gripped my wrist and pulled me. I waved my hands to Zach and he smiled at me before he did the same.