ANNA POV
Anna woke up early in the morning. After taking a bath, she quickly got ready for school. Her sister Sarah was already waiting downstairs.
An hour later, they arrived at the university.
"Yo!" Shania called out as she walked toward her in the hallway.
Anna stopped and waited.
"So… how was your date?" Shania asked teasingly.
Anna shrugged. "It's not a date."
"Ohhh really…" Shania smirked. "He's your type. I still remember him…"
Anna laughed and shook her head. "Stop. It's not what you think," she interrupted. "He might be my type—or let's say… he's my ideal man—but he's not the guy."
They started walking upstairs.
"Bad," Shania sighed dramatically. "What happened?"
Anna groaned. "He called me a slut… a mistress," she said, whining.
Shania stopped walking. "Oh my gosh… that's harsh. Does he even know you're still a virgin?" she whispered.
Anna gave her a look. "Come on, that's not even the issue," she said. "He's just… so mean."
Shania sighed and shook her head. "You know what? You don't deserve him. There are a lot of fish in the sea, girl. Don't lose hope."
Anna smiled faintly. "That's not my point," she said. "How could he even say that to me? Ugh… he totally ruined my day."
Shania raised an eyebrow. "You said he's a family friend, right?"
"No! Not like a super-duper close family friend," Anna corrected quickly.
"Hmmm…" Shania smirked. "I thought he was the one."
"Oh my goodness, he's not. He's rude!" Anna insisted.
"Hmm… LQ?" Shania teased.
"LQ? Love quarrel? Seriously?" Anna rolled her eyes. "How can it be LQ? We're not even dating, duh."
But deep inside—
Anna knew something felt different.
And that made everything even more complicated.
ANNA POV
Shania nodded. "Right… I know. I just want you to cheer up," she said as they walked toward their seats. "Besides, you're not allowed to have a boyfriend until you graduate, right?"
She sat down and leaned closer. "Hey… are you sure Sarah doesn't have a boyfriend? Most of her friends are guys."
Anna glanced at her while opening her notes. "Of course, I know her," she replied calmly. "And if she does want a boyfriend, that's her choice—not mine."
"Whoa," Shania said. "Is anyone courting her?"
"No one," Anna answered.
"Guess what? She and her best friend Paolo would be perfect together."
Anna smiled. "She likes him."
"What?!" Shania gasped. "Oh my gosh! Does he know?"
Anna nodded. "He confessed."
"And then?"
"They stayed friends…"
"Friends with benefits?" Shania teased, laughing.
Anna shrugged. "I don't know. But I'm sure… they're just friends. For now."
A few moments later, their professor arrived, and the class began.
After hours of medical-surgical nursing discussions and quizzes, they finally had their lunch break.
Anna and her friends headed to the school canteen.
"Hi," Kevin greeted, smiling.
"Ohhh…" Shania whispered teasingly.
"How are you?" Kevin asked Anna.
"I'm good," she replied, smiling back.
"Good. Have a great day, Anna," he said before walking away—his girlfriend waiting for him nearby.
"Ouch," Shania teased. "He greeted you while his girlfriend is right there. Boom!"
Anna shook her head, holding her tray. "He's just being friendly. No malice."
"Friendly?" Shania repeated.
"He's a fuckboy," Frej suddenly interrupted.
"What?" Anna laughed.
"Boom," Shania added. "It's true. And you're the next target."
Anna rolled her eyes. "And where were you this morning? You skipped class," she asked Frej.
"Boyfriend issues," Frej sighed.
They all laughed.
"Now I understand why your father doesn't allow you to have a boyfriend," Shania added.
Anna laughed with them.
After another long class, Anna went home.
She stopped by a nearby supermarket first.
Half an hour later, as she walked toward the mall exit, someone suddenly held the door open for her.
"Hello, Anna."
She froze.
Tom.
Standing right in front of her—with a fake smile.
Anna raised her eyebrows and walked past him without a word.
"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly.
Tom shrugged. "It's a mall. I wanted coffee. Why not?"
"Tsk," Anna scoffed and continued walking toward the driveway.
"Hey," Tom called, following her. "I'm sorry. I know I offended you…"
She didn't stop.
"Can I at least say sorry?" he asked, his voice more serious now.
"No," Anna replied firmly, continuing to walk away.
ANNA POV
After a few seconds, Anna suddenly froze.
She saw her elder sister, Karen, walking toward the mall—coming from work.
Anna's eyes widened.
"Oh no… no, no!" she whispered in panic.
Without thinking, she turned and ran back toward Tom.
"Cover me," she said urgently.
Tom blinked. "What?"
"My sister is coming. I need to confirm something… I think she's dating her colleague," Anna explained quickly. "Come on, I need to hide!"
Before Tom could react, she grabbed his arm.
"Here," Tom said, pulling her toward a darker area in the parking lot.
They stopped in the shadows.
Tom instinctively held her hand as they both leaned slightly, watching from a distance.
"Is that your sister?" he asked.
"Yes," Anna whispered proudly.
Tom nodded slowly, observing. "She doesn't look like you… she's pretty."
Anna shot him a sharp look. "Pssst… I know," she hissed.
Karen and her colleague walked past them—close enough to hear their footsteps.
And then—
They held hands.
Anna's eyes widened even more.
She stared, completely shocked.
Once they were out of sight, Anna slowly turned to Tom.
Their faces were closer than she realized.
Her heartbeat suddenly felt louder.
For a moment—
She forgot why she was even hiding.
"It's confirmed," Anna said, giggling.
"How can you be so sure?" Tom asked.
"Because they were holding hands."
"Ahh… like this?" Tom lifted their hands together teasingly.
Anna quickly pulled her hand away.
"Hush!" she snapped.
They continued walking along the driveway.
"So… if they're dating?" Tom asked again.
"Nothing," Anna shrugged. "I'm just happy. Finally, she has a boyfriend."
Tom raised an eyebrow. "Wow… is that some kind of achievement?"
Anna sighed. "Yes! Because they're finally okay. Their relationship has always been on and off before…"
"Ohh…" Tom muttered, watching her.
"And that guy… he's her first boyfriend," she added.
She suddenly stopped walking and looked up at him.
"And why am I even telling you all this?" she asked.
Tom just smiled.
"I'm supposed to be mad at you. We're not even friends. So why am I explaining my sister's love life to you?" she continued.
"I don't know," Tom said lightly. "But… we're friends, right?"
Before she could react, he playfully messed up her hair.
Anna froze.
Something strange hit her chest—fast, unexpected.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Bleh!" she stuck her tongue out, then quickly turned away. "Don't follow me. My goodness."
She started walking faster.
But Tom followed anyway.
Suddenly, he grabbed her things.
"Let me help you," he said casually, continuing to walk ahead.
Anna stopped. "Hey!" she shouted.
"Hurry up!" he called back, waiting for her.
Anna sighed… then smiled despite herself.
"Haissst…" she hissed, then ran toward him.
"By the way… did you block me on Instagram?" Tom asked suddenly.
Anna froze.
"…Yes. I did," she admitted, embarrassed.
Tom smirked. "Hmm…"
Anna frowned. "How did you even know?"
Tom shrugged slightly. "Mildred and I were talking about you last night. She said she followed you and even tagged you in one of her posts… so I checked."
He paused, watching her reaction.
Anna quickly cut in, defensive.
"Because you're rude!" she blurted out.
Tom stopped walking.
"Wait—what?" he said, confused. "Rude?"
YES!" she answered, her voice breaking slightly. "Because you said those things… do you even know how much it hurt?"
"I'm sorry… that's why I'm here," he said quietly, his eyes fixed on her.
She let out a short, bitter laugh.
"Ah, so you came here just to say 'I'm sorry'?" she said, shaking her head. "Wow… I'm impressed."
"HahahaAHAHA," he laughed sarcastically, but it died almost immediately in his throat. He looked away for a second. "Seriously… I really want to apologize," he added, his voice softer now.
"Mm," Anna replied shortly. Her arms tightened around herself as if she was trying to hold her emotions in place. She looked anywhere but at him. "How is she?" she asked suddenly, changing the topic—too fast, too forced. She could feel how awkward the air had become between them.
"She's fine," Tom said. "She flew back to Paris last Thursday… and next week she'll be here again."
"Okay," she whispered, nodding even though she wasn't really listening. "I… uh… I need to go," Anna said quickly, already stepping back.
"Yeah… sure," Tom replied.
He handed her a couple of plastic bags of groceries, his fingers brushing hers for a second longer than necessary. Neither of them said anything about it.
"Thank you," Anna said quietly.
And then she left.
Tom stayed there, watching her walk away until she disappeared from view. A small grin tugged at his lips—but his eyes stayed empty.
"Oh dear… why did you ask her that? Did you block me?" he muttered to himself, replaying everything in his head.
Then his expression shifted.
"Ugh… are you out of your mind, Tom?" he whispered, running a hand through his hair as he stood there alone, swallowed by his own thoughts.
***********************************
ANNA POV
Anna opened the main door. Sarah was already inside, sweeping the floor.
"What is our viand tonight, bro?" her sister asked.
"Pork adobo," she replied, then closed the main door behind her.
"By the way, I saw Karen with Ben," Anna said while washing her hands.
"Really?" Sarah stopped sweeping and walked toward the kitchen. "They're reunited," she continued.
"But they didn't see me… I hid," Anna said as she started cutting onions, garlic, and ginger.
"Do you really think he is the one?" Sarah asked.
"Only God knows…" Anna answered as she put the chopped onions and garlic into the boiling oil in a casserole. "Maybe he is," she added softly.
Sarah left the kitchen and went back to sweeping, while Anna stayed busy cooking their dinner.
A few moments later, Dianne arrived with her boyfriend Jayson.
Dianne led Jayson to the maroon couch before going to the kitchen to get a glass of water. She handed it to him after.
Jayson drank the water and gave the glass back. Dianne returned to the kitchen and asked about their viand.
"Look who I saw at the mall this afternoon," Anna suddenly said, with a teasing tone.
"Who?" Dianne asked, immediately interested.
"It's Ate Karen… with Ben. They were holding hands… fingers interlaced," she said, raising her eyebrows.
"Wow… finally! LOVE IS SWEETER THE SECOND TIME AROUND!" Dianne said happily.
A few minutes later, Anna finished preparing dinner. They were already eating when Karen arrived with Ben.
"Ahem," Sarah cleared her throat as soon as Karen stepped in.
All of them looked up.
Karen and Ben simply smiled at them.
"Wow!! Congrats!" Dianne said excitedly.
"Ice cream… ice cream!" Anna teased them.
An hour later, they all shared ice cream they had ordered online. The room was filled with laughter, giggles, and light teasing.
After dinner, Sarah and Anna went upstairs.
Anna lay down on Sarah's bed.
"How's your exam?" she asked.
"Good," Sarah replied.
Anna shifted, lying comfortably on her stomach.
"How's your relationship with Paolo?" she asked casually.
Sarah frowned slightly. "And what about us?" she said, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"I'm just curious about your love story," Anna replied with a small smile.
"With Pao?"
Anna nodded.
"Just friends… that's all. He's willing to wait," Sarah answered.
"So… meaning there's touchy-touchy?" Anna teased.
"Ewwww!" Sarah quickly reacted. "That's not included! We're just common friends… that's all. We're neither dating nor in a relationship. He knows I'm not allowed to have a boyfriend, and he respects that."
"Mm," Anna responded.
"And since when were you interested in my love life?" Sarah asked, suspicious.
"Of course I am. Some of my friends keep asking about you," Anna replied smoothly.
"Even most of our professors ask the same question… even seniors and freshmen," Sarah added.
Anna smiled. "Seems you're the famous one," she said. "A lot of students are interested in your love story… maybe you'll be the queen and he'll be the king at prom."
"Oh no," Sarah said, walking toward her desk. "You know me—I'm not interested in that. Hmmm… Shania is prettier. I think she's the right one for that."
Anna laughed softly. "Alright!"
Sarah studied her for a moment. "Hmm… and you?"
"Me? What about me?" Anna asked, confused.
"I heard Kevin is dating someone else now… I heard she's from Mass Com," Sarah said.
Anna laughed. "OMG! You're late on that gossip."
Sarah smirked.
"Yes, I'm fine. I'm eating," Anna replied.
"Really?"
"You know me."
"Alright, alright," Sarah said.
Anna smiled and went back to her room.
**********************************
CHAIRMAN YANG POV
Chairman Yang and Marvin were talking inside the study room.
"Do we need to tell him right away?" Marvin asked.
"No!" Chairman Yang answered firmly.
"When are you going to tell him?" Marvin asked again, curious. "Mildred is now in Paris… maybe it's time to let him know."
"No. Not this time," Chairman Yang said. "You need to convince him first to work in the company."
Marvin frowned slightly. "Are you sure about that?"
Chairman Yang looked distressed. "This is the only way…" he said quietly.
"Anna already knew about the contract we made," he added. "I… I already told her."
"Did you brief her?" Marvin asked sharply. "What did she say?"
"She doesn't want to… but I know she will accept my offer soon."
Marvin shook his head. "Pa… the three of them will get hurt. Are you willing to sacrifice their feelings for the sake of the company? They will curse you."
Chairman Yang didn't respond. Instead, he took a deep breath, heavy with regret.
"Tom needs to come back to the company," he said finally.
"I will try to persuade him," Marvin replied after a pause.
Then Marvin continued, "I heard Daniel is coming next summer."
"Yes, I know that," Chairman Yang answered. "And he is the next in line. People will choose him because he is more capable than Tom."
Marvin stood up. "Daniel is easy to talk to… that's why many prefer him over Tom. He's mature… and goal-oriented."
He sighed. "How I wish this would end soon."
And with that, he left the room.
Chairman Yang remained standing alone.
For a moment, silence filled the study.
He wondered if he was truly doing the right thing—because the lives of these three people might change forever… all because of a single piece of paper
**************************
ANNA POV
After chatting with her sister, Anna went to the bathroom and took a shower.
The warm water ran over her small frame—five feet tall, slim, and quietly tired. She closed her eyes for a moment as she washed the day off her skin, as if she could rinse away her thoughts too. She wiped her tan skin with a cotton towel and slowly dried her black wavy hair, standing in silence with nothing but her thoughts.
When she finished, Anna walked to Sarah's bedroom beside the bathroom.
She knocked once… then opened the door slightly."What are you doing?" she asked, still standing at the doorway.
"Answering my assignments," Sarah replied without looking up.
"Okay… goodnight," Anna said softly, then left.
Her voice was light, but her mind wasn't.
Anna returned to her room, turned on the lights, and opened the window. The night air slipped inside, but it did nothing to calm the noise in her head.
She sat on her bed and picked up her phone.
For a while, she just stared at the screen.
Then she called her parents.
An hour passed. Their voices filled the silence in her room—familiar, comforting, grounding her in a way nothing else could.
When the call ended, the room felt heavier again.
Anna opened Instagram.
And just like that… her thoughts drifted back to Tom.
Her fingers paused over the screen.
For a second, she hesitated—like her heart was arguing with her mind.
Then, quietly… she unblocked him.
And followed him.
Her breath caught slightly, like she had just done something she couldn't undo.
Anna turned off her phone and placed it carefully on the table.
The room went quiet again.
She stared at her books… forcing herself to focus.
But her mind had already wandered somewhere else.
Somewhere she shouldn't be thinking about.