Diane’s P.O.V.

With blurry vision, I woke up with a heavy feeling to the point that I didn’t even want to get up from the bed. My head felt like it would crack open, so I just closed my eyes again and retreated under the soft duvet. That said, I moaned and hugged the pillow beside me because I just wanted to continue my sleep. But, after a few minutes…

Argh! What happened? I held my forehead.

It felt like my head was banging out loud, and I wanted to puke every time my stomach ached a lot. I couldn’t sleep anymore, so I dragged myself up and quietly sat on the bed. I closed my eyes again as if it would take away the imaginary and thick black clouds above my head. Waves of nausea were adding to my stomachache, making me feel useless.

Only then, everything that happened last night sank into my brain—from damn happiness to apparent hatred. It was from the feeling of jealousness up to the state of forgetfulness. Reminiscing, it was building and knotting the agony in my chest again.

It all started when Liam and I went on an aerial tour in Bonito Island. We were so happy while taking lots of photos together and literally eating our Japanese lunch on air. But when we came back to the company, an unfamiliar bitch suddenly kissed my boyfriend right in front of me, and I didn’t even give him a chance to explain. I walked away and ended up nurturing my heartache.

I went to the nightclub, got drunk, twirled myself all around, hazily danced with different men I knew nothing about… until I completely passed out.

Yeah, I was able to forget everything… but it was only for a while. Now, I have to deal with my problem again.

“Oh my God!” I screamed. While recalling everything that happened, I freaked out and immediately looked at myself. My heart was drumming so fast, thinking that I got laid by someone last night or even gang-raped.

“Thank God!” I heaved a deep sigh out of relief when I saw that I wasn’t naked and was wearing a peach lacy dress instead. At one bleary look, I was on my bed.

From what I could remember, I was wearing blue faded jeans matched with a black sleeveless shirt and white three-fourths blouse yesterday, so I was sure that I didn’t have this dress with me. Maybe Mom dressed me up while I was sleeping. Then, I removed the comforter and rose to my feet.

Puzzled with thoughts about how I was able to get home and what was Mom’s initial reaction, I seemed to have forgotten it all when my legs suddenly hauled my whole body to the course of the bathroom. It was because I felt like I was about to throw up. My stomach lurched and gurgled, making me vomit into the toilet bowl.

Even though I couldn’t get anything out while being drained, it felt like something was still squeezing my stomach up to the last liquid that I could spew out. I flushed everything as soon as I was already done before I stood up and splashed water into my face. I somehow felt refreshed, but how I wished that I could also wash the toxins inside my brain.

The mirror showed my expressive eyes, the dark bags underneath them, my pale cheek, and messy hair. I washed my mouth and tasted my tongue—the hard liquor was still rooting there. My hangover was like a grenade, ready to explode real soon.

So, this is how it feels to be intoxicated by alcohol. I didn’t want to feel this way again anymore!

Exhausted, I went back to my bed. I guessed I got the taste of my own medicine as I coughed. I used alcohol to treat my wounded heart, so I had to accept the harrowing pain my whole body was experiencing right now.

That was when I rolled my eyes all around the room. It was a dimmed-lit room, with thick white drapes covering the windows. My forehead creased into a frown when I couldn’t see my antique vanity mirror where I would always comb and style the long hair of my baby sister. My dream catcher was missing in the windows too.

Then, my eyes went wide open when I realized that I was not really in my own room at the moment. Fear and nervousness crept me up as I thought about where I was and who had brought me here. I also realized that I didn’t even own the dress I was wearing.

Where am I? Oh wait, I was with Lorenz last night. But where is he? Is this his house? Did he… dress me up?

Throughout our college life, we only used to hang out at Karen’s place so I had never been at Lorenz’s. I was massaging my head when the door of the room suddenly opened, and that made a slight creak. Due to my surprise, at the same time, fear, I suddenly backed away and covered myself with a comforter while still sitting on the bed.

A woman, whom I thought to be in her late fifties, entered the room, and it looked like she didn’t have the capability to do something bad to me. She had a bright face with light wrinkles on her forehead and neck. For the second time around, I just heaved a deep sigh of relief.

She just headed towards me while carrying a stainless tray with a glass of milk and a bowl of hot soup. The delicious aroma had reached my nose that I wanted to taste it as soon as possible.

“Good afternoon, Hija. It was good to see that you’re finally awake. How are you feeling now? Are you okay? Do you feel a lot better from yesterday?” She greeted me with a smile. After that, she placed the tray on the bedside table.

“I—I’m fine. Don’t worry about me,” I replied meekly before I asked her, “Hmm, I didn’t have my watch with me… what time is it?”

“It is two o’clock in the afternoon, dear. By the way, just call me Nana. I am the caretaker of this house, and I was also the one who changed your clothes, so there’s nothing to worry about. By the way, I made you a mushroom soup. Eat it while it is still hot.” She was still smiling at me and I could feel that she was so caring. The kind of smile she was giving me was so contagious that I couldn’t help myself but smile at her too.

But is it already two o’clock in the afternoon? Oh my God, I’m sure that Mom was indeed worried because I didn’t go home last night!

Mom might be already panicking about my whereabouts, and I wouldn’t be able to lie to her that I was with Karen because my best friend already resided in Cebu. Another thing was the fact that I wasn’t able to report to work.

It wasn’t even required to go to EGC because today is a Saturday. I just wanted to finish the balance sheet that I was working on so that it wouldn’t have to add to my workload next week.

My stomach pitched out of hungriness, so I took the tray, put it on my lap, and prepared myself to eat. The comforter was thick enough for me not to feel how hot the tray was. I had to leave after this, or else Mom would scold me a lot.

I was able to sip a few dollops of soup before I spoke. “Thank you, Nana. Hmm, where is Lorenz?” I asked that made her eyes suddenly widen with shock.

“Huh? Who is this Lorenz you are referring to, Hija? Oh my God, you are really drunk! You don’t even know who you were with last night? Next time, don’t get drunk again or you might engage yourself with another drunken mistake…” she squealed before she continued.

“For Christ’s sake! What if Liam didn’t see you? We could never know what happened to you,” she was so much worried about me, but what she said made me stop eating.

Did she just say Liam? How could that even happen when I was with Lorenz in the nightclub?

Frowns immediately appeared on my forehead as I questioned her in bewilderment. “I begged your pardon, Nana?”

The old woman just immediately understood that I was only making sure of what I heard from her. “Perhaps, the place where Liam saw you were just near here because he doesn’t come here much anymore. You know what? Liam was too picky when it comes to his clothes, and you just puked over his American coat.” Nana laughed before she continued.

“But don’t worry, I already took care of it. Then, Liam asked me a favor last night if I could clean you up and change your clothes. Liam was still gentleman until now—he would not take advantage of you.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I guessed I had been a total mess last night. Anyway, were you perhaps—Nana Lydia?” I asked her. “Liam mentioned to me before that you were a great cook, and it proves with this mushroom soup.”

“Oh, really? I’m flattered, and yes, I am Nana Lydia. So, I assumed that you were the one who encouraged Liam to eat a dried fish then?” She ecstatically smiled before patting me on the shoulder.

Reminiscing about Liam and I being stranded at an inn last year, I ended up nodding at her. “Hmm, I guess so.”

“Well, it was a good thing that my daughter’s dress fitted in you; otherwise, I would have let you wear Liam’s T-shirt. Actually, I was wondering about Liam’s expression last night—he was so worried about your condition. He used to be cold and reserved. Did you know that last night was the first time I had seen him investing too many emotions for a girl?” Nana Lydia elucidated.

That explained everything. Before I lost my consciousness in the nightclub, it might be Liam who caught me in his arms before I fell to the ground.

Liam was probably the one who fought with those men around me last night. I was so drunk that I thought it was Lorenz.

But what happened to my best friend then? Did he just leave me there? How could he?

“Hmm… w-where is L-Liam, Nana?” I asked her before I sipped on the glass of milk.

“He left this morning because he still needs to take care of something in the office. See? Today’s even a Saturday. That child was indeed hardworking! I’m sorry, Hija, huh? Now I no longer wonder why he was so concerned about you last night. He just told me this morning that you are indeed his girlfriend.”

Nana Lydia smiled at me and what she said made me stain my cheeks. Liam really wanted to let the whole world know about our relationship. And just like what Lorenz told me, I was certainly the one who used to complicate things. It was not because of ego but because of my insecurities.

“Liam also said that you have to wait for him here. So, don’t you dare leave and sneak out from me because the two of you will talk later, okay? He already informed your Mom about you, so you don’t have to worry at all.” Nana Lydia was somehow threatening me while expressing her second phrase.

“You know what? I already knew Liam for quite a long time, and you were the only girlfriend that child introduced to me. You two were indeed a perfect match, both gorgeous and handsome! Now, I wonder what your offspring would look like. He or she would be so perfect for sure!” Nana Lydia flattered me that I ended up scratching my head.

I didn’t know why, but a big part of me was shaken by Nana Lydia’s words. That caused me to gradually lose the jealousy that I only felt yesterday. It was slowly replaced by glee, causing my mood to lift and my heart to jump in a surge of happiness.

Does it mean that Nana Lydia didn’t even know that rice cake, Isabelle, who introduced herself as Liam’s girlfriend?

“Hmm… can I ask you a question, Nana?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“How well did you know Liam’s family?” I asked before I resumed eating the mushroom soup. The pain that I felt because of what happened yesterday had already diminished and I wanted to hear something from her that would continue to cheer my soul.

“It has been a long time, dear. Leandro and Liam were just kids when I started serving their family. They were almost my children, so as long as I can, I would still go to the mansion and provide them my services.”

“I actually retired when they went to the States to work on their post-graduate degrees, but Liam let me stay here, in one of his houses with my daughter. Although I knew him to be silent and cold, I guessed that Liam already changed when he met you.”

“He became so sweet now, and I could say that he was already romantically devoted with you. You are such a lucky girl to captivate his heart. Have you two been together for a long time, huh? But why are you getting drunk, Hija? Do you have any problems that you want to talk about?” Nana Lydia asked as she sat on the bed, then hand-combed my hair as if she was Mom.