CHAPTER 3:
Tristan thought that his parents also abandoned him after what happened. But after hearing from Drayven that they will pay a visit for him tonight, he has now a reason to boost his self-confidence. According to his brother-in-law, his parents didn’t come to Danica’s burial as well, he presumes that his parents have no courage to face Danica’s parents without his presence and he understands why they felt that.
Their family has a business, but they got bankrupt while running it. That’s when Danica came into his life and save this business, she invests and made a promise that she will never let their family suffer once again. Therefore, Danica’s death affects their business as well. Tristan is worried about what future they will face now that they lost their loyal investor. That’s why he wants to talk with his parents regarding this matter.
Before the incident happened, all of Danica’s promises to his parents were granted. They had a good relationship and they always tell to his wife that Tristan is lucky to have her, and he agrees with that as he knows any man would be happy having an intelligent, responsible, business-minded, and beautiful wife like Danica. He knew there are so many men out there who wished to have her, and he is lucky indeed to win her heart.
It was the same in his wife’s family. Before the accident, Danica’s parents were also proud of him and they also told him that he deserves their daughter. Their business fell, but it is not because he has no marketing strategy at all. The Ignacio family salutes him in terms of how he manages to still operate the business even though they only have small capital compared with their competitors. Tristan still made it on top despite their advantage. His diligence when it comes to business caught Danica’s parents lead him to get Danica’s heart as well.
Tristan suddenly realizes that he is smiling as he reminisces about those times. But when the remembered that his luxurious life ended and he goes back to failure once again, that smile fades away. He was still hurt and he hates himself, but he was trying to stay strong believing that his parents will save him from this miserable situation.
“Bro, they are here… your parents,” Drayven said.
He tries to feel the surroundings to imagine what is happening around him. Tristan knew that Drayven goes outside a while ago to fetch his parents outside the Hospital to lead the way to his room. As he heard Drayven’s voice, he also heard the doors open and some footsteps assuming that his parents were there with him.
“Thanks, bro,” he answered as he sits out of his bed.
Tristan didn’t hear a response from his best friend, and he also don’t know what is his parents doing right now. Drayven didn’t mention if his parents already knew about his condition, but he presumes that they are now observing him as they stay quiet. He just hopes they will—
“How stupid of you, TJ. You look like a failure.”
He didn’t want his parents to pity him as he lost his wife, he just wants them to comfort him and made him feel they were still there to support him after what happened; that’s why he asked Drayven to let them know he is now awake. But hearing those words from his father, he regrets asking them to come and visit him.
“I thought you loved your only son, but it sounds like you already lost him and you don’t care anymore,” Tristan said bitterly.
Drayven was shocked, he never imagines Tristan’s father will badmouth his son in front of him. His gaze turned to Tristan’s mother, she was just holding her husband’s arm as if she was controlling him to do something against her son. But her mouth is shut, she is about to cry as she witnesses her family talking in that way but has no courage to interfere.
“Yes, I just come to check if you’re alive because I wish you were not! You are just an embarrassment in our lineage, you made our family a piece of trash!”
Tristan’s mother begins to cry in silence as she lets go of her husband. She was standing right in front of her son but acts as if she is not there. Drayven wants to remind her that she was supposed to defend her son, or at least make her husband stop badmouthing Tristan. But like her, he has no courage to interfere as he knows the issue here is outside his line.
“Are you done insulting me? You may now go. Thank you for nothing.”
Tristan controls himself not cry, his father already called him a failure and he doesn’t want to satisfy him more. He knew that his mother is watching him as well, he can hear her sobbing as she witnesses her husband saying those words to her son. But like in the old times whenever his father scolded him, she can’t stop him. She just cries on the edge while waiting for the both of them to stop. He was assuming that his mother comes along to at least ask him how he feels right now, but he was wrong. They both disappointed him more.
He suddenly heard the door slam; it means his parents already left. “Lock the door, I don’t want another visitor,” Tristan commanded.
Drayven may not know what he feels, but he understands why Tristan acts cold after hearing those words. But he can’t just do what he says because Tristan’s mother stays in his room without his knowledge. He was about to tell it to Tristan but she made a gesture to make him stop.
She slowly walks near beside her son’s bed while Tristan lies and covers his whole body. Her son acts totally like her, cry in silently. She wants to hug him, but she still has no courage to do that. Instead, she just looked at her son’s best friend and the only person she could trust.
Drayven read her lips as she says, “Take care of him.” He nodded in response, then she left with a smile.
CHAPTER 4:“This room will be yours from now on. Feel at home!”A few days after Tristan talked with his parents, he requested to get a discharge at the hospital right after the doctor advised that he only needs time to rest more. Then he asked Drayven to accompany him until he got recovered and adjust to his new condition.Tristan knows that asking Drayven for this is too much, but he has no choice. No one can take good care of him anymore and the only choice he could do is to stick with his brother-in-law. The moment he asked Drayven to have him, that is the same moment he admits that he is a failure like what his father said. But he doesn’t care anymore, what matters to him the most right now is to survive this hell until he gets his sight back and to get back what he lost.“I think, I should familiarize myself with every edge of this house so I could move freely even if you left me here,” he commented as he holds a chair.Drayven still felt pity for Tristan, but he doesn’t want hi
CHAPTER 5:Summer vacation is here, and most young adults and teenagers who still need to study take this opportunity to take a break from cramming and sleepless nights just to study. It was like they get out of a battle and they need to rest for now. But for someone who needs to continue the battle, vacation is just a dream.Karina is an adult woman who is still in college, and the reason why she still needs to study is that she stops going to school after she graduated grade 12 believing that it is enough to get a decent job to support her family. But it is not, her age at that time was not enough to work at a company because they prefer college graduates instead of her.That’s the time she realizes she stops her study for nothing. After getting rejected several times by many private companies, she just envies her batch mates and old friend taking the course they like in college while… questioning herself, “Why I had to experience poverty to the point it stops me to reach my goal to
CHAPTER 6:Karina started to scan the whole house in a second she enters. She just wanted to make sure that she was not going to die cleaning a huge house. Most importantly, the reason why she insisted to meet the guy who contacted him online is that Karina wanted to discuss already her goal and why she grabs the job that Drayven offers.“Mr. Ignacio—”“You can call me Drayven, you don’t need to be formal since we are the same age and we are going to live under the same roof,” he interrupts. “Please come in and take a seat.”She was shocked. Karina is aware that Drayven is young and she sees him as a single man that has no choice but to look over his brother-in-law for some reason. Her boss never mentions in their previous conversation why he needs to take care of a man like TJ, but she assumes that maybe his wife is an OFW who was forced to work for both of them because of the unexpectedly happened to her husband.Karina doesn’t want to judge the blind man, but that is the only thoug
CHAPTER 7:Drayven told Karina that she can leave as soon as she is done discussing all matters that she is concerned about; so, she could take her rest early. Her job as their maid will start tomorrow before she goes to her part-time job. She was worried about what will happen on her first day as their maid because Drayven also informs her that she will be with Tristan alone, she is afraid of what could happen between them when Drayven is not around.Karina never works as a maid before. She may be an expert on cleaning or doing some household chores but she only did that in her own house, she doesn’t know how to act in other’s houses. The only thing she can do is the way she acts in her part-time job as a crew in fast food and a waitress in a restaurant, and she is aware that it is way more different from a role of a maid.At the time that she lay on her bed, she immediately asked herself why she accept that job if in the first place she doubts herself if she can do it or not. Then,
CHAPTER 8:It was six in the morning when Karina arrived after her part-time job. She was shocked when she saw Drayven standing at the gate, but she already knows why… probably, Tristan told him what happened yesterday between them. Karina is not afraid even though Drayven is ready to scold her, because she knows she only did what she thinks is the best for that kind of situation.“Good morning, Drayven,” she greeted.Drayven stays serious while leaning on the gate, so there is no chance that Karina can avoid him. He sighs and says, “Good morning, are you done with your part-time job?”She smiles and answered. “Yes, I’m done. Thank you.”He nodded. “Okay, you can sleep for now because I already cooked breakfast for Tristan. Just make sure to make lunch for him and clean the house so he won’t shout at you again. You know, he might not see what you are doing, but he can smell.”Karina thinks how lucky is Tristan to have Drayven to be his brother-in-law, she is now starting to wonder if
CHAPTER 9:Karina only works at Drayven’s house yesterday, so she presumes that it was too early for him to plead with a maid to stay. He doesn’t know everything about his newly hired maid, and Karina sees him as too naïve to trust her this much just because he judges her nice. She just learned recently that you can see the real personality of a person in his actions, not in his nice way of treating you.When Drayven pleaded with her like that, the only thing that she could say is ‘yes’ because she wants to give him peace of mind. But at the back of her head, she is not sure if she can do what she says. She may not mention it at the start of their deal as a boss and a maid, but Karina has no plan to stay here any longer because being a maid is more stressful than her other work as a waitress.She was stress not just because Tristan always gets mad at her and he always acts self-centered and cold. But she hates the part of having a responsibility to maintain the cleanliness of a house
CHAPTER 10:Now, Karina is asking herself why she leaves just because Tristan asks her why she comes home past six o’clock. She just realized now that she could avoid arguing with him if she explains that Drayven talks to her outside and it takes almost half an hour. But while she walks and thinks that Tristan hated her, that gives her a satisfaction feeling that she did what is better for her mental health.“The moment I got home, I will just send a message to Drayven saying thank you at least. I hope he won’t get mad for what I did.”Karina is wondering what would be her family’s reaction when she goes home, but she knows that, unlike Tristan, they will listen to her and they will understand what happened. It may be hard to find another job that could fit into her schedule, but she will just accept the consequences… she keeps on reminding herself that it is going to be fine.Meanwhile, Drayven is in full hands in his work in the office. He needs to attend a meeting with an important
CHAPTER 1:Dark. All he sees is a dark place with nothing. He tries to move his body and feel his arm, chest, and face, and check where he is. Tristan felt a soft cushion where he is lying, a tiny cloth that engulfs his half body from his foot until his chest. As he moves, the bed was creating a sound that leads him to think he is not in his house.“Why I can’t see anything? What is it covering in my eye?” he stood up, panicking as he notices that he is actually in some place he was not familiar with.He tries to remove the bandage covering his eye but someone grabs his arm to take it away from his face. Tristan tries to remember what exactly happened to him… why he suddenly felt like all his muscle is aching and why he feels like he has some wounds in some parts of his body. He senses a needle injected in his left hand; he smells medicine all over the place.“Don’t move yet, TJ. You’ll hurt yourself if you insist,” a man's voice suddenly murmured beside him. He stops Tristan from gra