Vanessa woke up in the middle of the night because even though it was already late, her room was still very hot. Before she went to sleep, she had even placed a small fan beside her bed just to lessen the heat a little. And just to make things worse, her bed was hard as a freaking stone. Her back ached every time she lay down. She honestly didn’t know how she managed to survive this kind of setup. And she doesn’t even know if she will get used to it.

She changed her position and closed her eyes again, hoping sleep would come back to her senses. But bad luck seemed to always follow her and sleep had already abandoned her completely.

She finally decided to leave her room and of course, just like her luck, her room was the only one in the whole house without an air-conditioner. That’s how selfish her husband could be. Very gentleman, as it is.

Sometimes she wondered if Gian was Lucifer’s brother. All he just needed now were horns on his head. She shook her head and reminded her mind.

I’m basically a maid here, right? So, what do I expect?

“Does Nanang’s room have an air-con, I wonder?” she asked herself.

She slipped into her slippers, grabbed her pillow and blanket, and decided to sleep on the sofa instead.

She really couldn’t stand her bedroom. Hot, hard bed, and no comfort at all. Why did she lose her air-con the moment she got married? Where was justice? Why did it feel like luck kept running away from her?

She set her pillow and blanket down on the sofa, then went to the kitchen to make herself a glass of milk, maybe that would help her fall asleep.

But then she saw Klenth, her husband’s man, busier than a flirtatious cat in heat. Klenth was typing something on his laptop. She walked closer.

“So, how’s Gian’s balls? Still intact?” she asked while laughing.

She stopped for a moment to peek at what he was doing. He was working on a PowerPoint presentation. Probably for school.

“Still black,” he answered. “Why are you still awake?”

She shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep.”

He nodded. “I see.” Then she went back to typing.

“You want coffee?” she asked.

He seemed polite enough, but you know what they say, don’t judge a book by its cover. Maybe he was just pretending to be nice.

And besides, the guy was her age. Didn’t Gian always say he didn’t like younger ones?

Look who’s lying now, she thought bitterly. If he wanted someone younger, he could’ve just told me. I’m easy to talk to.

She rolled her eyes in disgust. Maybe her husband just didn’t like young girls. Maybe he preferred boys. After all, Gian liked soldiers, not caves.

That thought made her smile to herself.

“Yes, please. Black coffee. Thanks in advance,” Klenth replied.

“You really like everything black, huh? Even Gian’s balls.”

“Just a little,” he said dryly, looking down at the mug she placed in front of him.

Ugh, how boring. She thought to herself. I guess my husband doesn’t have good taste after all. If it were up to me, I’d prefer someone a little louder. Like Gian used to be…

Gian again. Always Gian.

After making the coffee, she sat down beside him.

“By the way, what’s your course?” she asked.

“Electrical Engineering. You?”

Wow, a future engineer. She was impressed.

“Education. A future teacher. But if things don’t work out, maybe I’ll just be your future instead,” she teased with a playful laugh. Let’s see if Gian thinks he’s the only one who can flirt.

“You’re kind of flirty with that line, girl,” Klenth said, imitating a gay voice.

What the hell? She was shocked. An engineering student who’s also gay? Seriously?

“Oh my god, are you gay too?” she blurted out.

He burst out laughing. “No! I was just joking. I’m straight.”

Yeah, right. She blew on her glass of milk. “Good. That’s better.”

If you say so.

Why are there so many gays these days? she wondered. And worse, most of them are good-looking. Should I just turn lesbian? Ugh. No.

“By the way, I don’t believe you’re Kuya Gian’s maid. What are you really to him?” he asked seriously, locking his light-brown eyes on hers.

“What do you think?” she shot back, meeting his gaze. “How about you? Are you Gian’s boyfriend? Or maybe one of Janine’s boyfriends? No offense, but Gian has plenty. Honestly, I can’t even count them on my fingers anymore.”

She sipped her milk while hearing him laugh. Goodness, his laugh reminded her so much of Gian that she almost wished her husband were straight.

“Hey, I’m not joking,” she insisted. “I’m not even badmouthing your boyfriend.”

Klenth laughed even harder. “I can’t believe you actually thought I was Gian’s boyfriend. Jesus!”

“Wait, Kuya? Gian is your cousin?”

He nodded, taking another sip of the coffee she made.

“Yeah. Kuya Gian is my third-degree cousin. We grew up in the same compound in Butuan, only for the Saldivar family. Even with the age gap, we’ve always been close.”

Oh god. For Christ’s sake, my instincts failed me again. Do I even have a brain left?

“But still, I can’t get over the fact that you thought I was his boyfriend,” Klenth said, laughing again. “You made me laugh so hard but I don’t even know your name. What’s your name, honey?”

She caught the way he called her honey.

Does he think I’m a bee?

If Gian had said that, she’d probably faint from happiness. But since it came from Klenth, deadma. She doesn't care.

“You made me your clown, idiot.” She rolled her eyes.

“I like it when you do that,” he said.

“When do I do what?” she asked, puzzled.

“Uh, nothing.” He forced a smile.

“So, what’s your name again?” he asked.

“Vanessa Alvarez-Saldivar,” she answered. He raised his brows. “You heard me right. I’m Gian’s wife.”

The moment he heard it, Klenth choked and spat his coffee all over his laptop.

She laughed at his reaction. Of course, anyone would be shocked to know she was married to Gian Saldivar.

“What the fuck!” Klenth cursed. “My god, the laptop! This is Kuya’s laptop!”

That’s what you get, playboy. Throwing ‘honey-honey’ at me.

“Good night, Klenth,” she said, grabbing her milk and walking away.

Maybe I should change the taste. Engineers aren’t my thing anymore, she thought to herself.

~

She woke up with a start when ice-cold water splashed across her face. It felt like it came straight from the fridge.

“Who the hell poured water on me?!” she shouted, still rubbing her face.

Another splash of cold water hit her. Damn it! Maybe it was Klenth, getting back at her for what happened last night. It wasn’t her fault his cousin’s laptop got soaked in coffee!

“What the hell! Do you want me to pour boiling water on you?!” she screamed again, wiping her face with her blanket.

“Try it.”

Her eyes shot open when she heard that voice. Gian.

Of course. Who else would ruin her morning? He was holding a pitcher, clearly the one he used to drench her.

She glared at him, her chest heaving with anger. Who the hell would be happy waking up like this?

Calm down, Vanessa. Calm down. She told herself.

But no. This couldn’t be solved with calmness.

“What’s your problem, Gian?” she yelled.

He ignored her and just stood there.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed her pillow, throwing it straight at his head. Bullseye!

If only she were Cinderella, she’d throw her glass heel at him instead. He turned to her, his light brown eyes burning with anger, his thick brows furrowed.

“Did you just throw your pillow at me?”

Obviously! She wanted to snap, but she kept it to herself.

“You’re lucky it was just a pillow. That was just practice,” she muttered.

She was fuming, but she had to control herself. Tiis-ganda. That’s the price of being married to this drama queen.

She stomped over to grab her blanket. Her neck hurt from sleeping on the sofa. And it made her even angrier remembering her hot, uncomfortable room last night. All because of stingy Gian.

“Why did you pour water on me?” she demanded.

“Why did you throw a pillow at me?” he asked back, holding it up.

“I asked first, so answer me!” she screamed.

“I’m your boss here, Vanessa, so don’t order me around!” he yelled.

She rolled her eyes again. Oh my god, he even copied my tone. He’s really pushing my limits.

“I wasn’t ordering you, I was asking! That’s different! And for the record, Gian, you’re not my boss. You’re my husband, you gay idiot!”

“You wish, girl! God, I don’t have a wife as bratty as you. Ugh, the drama!” he snapped in his flamboyant tone before storming off like a runway model.

She swore under her breath. What kind of curse is this?

What had she done to deserve this karma?

She stomped her foot in frustration. God, I just want to drag Gian’s face to my cave so he’ll finally be straight!

“So, irritating!”

Vanessa sat alone in front of the computer. As usual, she was in their department’s computer lab. This had become her usual spot ever since her life turned into a mess.

It’s been a week since her nosy cousin Mae left for Isla Verde. Apparently, she’s living there now with her grandma on her mother’s side. Vanessa had never set foot on that island, but based on Mae’s stories, it was really beautiful, breathtaking even.

But after one accident, she wasn't sure she ever wanted to go there. An accident she never wanted to remember.

Now, she had no choice but to finish their research paper alone. They had started it together, but now Mae was gone. Such a waste. They were already graduating, and now this had to happen. Life’s really unfair sometimes, you never know what’s coming. Life is so unfair. She let out a sigh.

And seriously, Mae? She had to spread her legs and not even use protection? Not even withdrawal?! Dios mio. And that’s why this country’s population keeps going up, too many unwanted pregnancies.

All she could say was, knowledge is power!

Vanessa shook her head hard. Why was she even stressing about Mae’s problem? She had more than enough of her own! She closed her eyes tight and let out a long sigh.

She opened her Facebook account.

Hay naku, Vanessa! That’s why you’re not finishing your thesis because you’re busy flirting with Facebook! And then what? What will you get out of it? More issues. More problems. And now you’re stuck with your thesis because you keep scrolling. Think, girl, think! Her brain scolded her.

Sometimes her brain actually made sense.

She was about to log out and close Facebook when she saw a picture. It was from her sister Sharon’s wedding with Sir Lloyd.

It was Sharon flashing a peace sign beside… wait a second… him. The guy with the stinky armpits!

Don’t tell me Sharon is close with this guy? Vanessa blinked a few times, hoping maybe her eyes were just playing tricks. Nope. Still him. It was him.

“Is this a sign that Alvarez actually likes me?”

Vanessa almost jumped out of her chair when she heard that voice. Her heart skipped and started beating like crazy.

Oh no. No, no, no. It was him. The guy from the picture. Standing right behind her.

She closed her eyes and prayed that it was just a dream. Sharon, when will luck ever kiss me instead?

The guy cleared his throat. “Well, silence means yes,” he teased. She heard him laugh behind her. She raised her eyebrows.

“I look handsome there, right? Don’t worry, I used Rexona today. My armpits smell good now.” He even smells his own armpit.

She rolled her eyes in disgust. Oh, wow. The confidence of this guy! She turned to him and raised an eyebrow.

“Are you a mushroom?” she asked.

“Why?” His lips curled into a grin.

She laughed. “It’s not a pick-up line, stupid.”

The guy burst out laughing at her comeback. “You’re really something,” he said, pouting, then sat beside her. “Wait. I just need to update something. I can’t open my account here in the lab,” he explained before walking over to the lab staff.

Did I ask? Vanessa wanted to snap back but held her tongue. Weirdly enough, her sass didn’t work on this guy.

She looked back at the monitor and checked who posted the photo. “Alex David Fuentes,” she read aloud.

So that was his name. And apparently, they were already Facebook friends! Since when did I accept a friend request from Mister Stinky Armpits?

“You’re staring at my picture, huh?” Alex’s voice came again. “Admit it, you think I’m handsome. Don’t deny it. I won’t get mad.”

She frowned. This guy really was like a mushroom, popping up everywhere. She turned to him and glared.

“So, your name is Alex David Fuentes?” she asked slowly.

Alex grinned and nodded.

“It’s pronounced Day-vid, not Da-vid. My God!” he complained dramatically, even smacking her shoulder. “You tortured my beautiful name!”

Her jaw dropped. “Do you want me to call you Ey-lex instead of Alex? Now tell me who’s the dramatic one between us?” she shot back.

Alex chuckled and took the computer beside her, even though there were a lot of other empty seats. She wanted to complain, but she didn’t want to give him another reason to call her “dramatic.”

He placed his dark blue bag under the desk, fixed his chair, and even dusted off his slacks like there was dirt on them. She made a face. Wow, this guy might actually be more dramatic than me. She shook her head.

He looked about 5’6” tall.

Seriously, Vanessa? You’re measuring his height now? Do you have a tape measure in your bag? her brain teased.

But to be fair… he was tall. About the same height as her husband Gian. She shook her head quickly. Nope. No comparisons allowed. Gian was her husband. Case closed.

“Anyway,” she said to Alex, trying to change the topic. “Are you friends with Ate Sharon?”

“Maybe yes, maybe no. What do you think?” he teased. “Why do you ask? Curious about me? Yieee.” He laughed, which only irritated her more.

“I’m serious! What’s so funny about that?” she snapped.

“Oh, well.” He cleared his throat. “Sharon and I—”

“Oh gosh, don’t tell me you’re her ex-boyfriend?” she cut in, making him laugh again.

“You’re unbelievable. Why ask if you already have your own conclusion?”

She rolled her eyes again. Ugh, men.

“So, what then?” she pushed.

“Sharon is my co-writer. We collaborated on the Hacienda Series—”

“What the! You’re Davina?!” She blurted out, her jaw dropping. She looked him up and down. “You don’t even look like a writer. And why Davina? I thought Davina was a girl!”

Alex laughed even harder. “Well, well, well. Looks like you’re one of my readers.” He winked at her.

“Excuse me? The only reason I read your works was because of Sharon,” she lied. Truth was, she was a fan.

“Then thank you, Sharon!” he said, grinning.

Eighteen red roses, eighteen candles.

It was Vanessa’s debut, the day she had been waiting for, the day everyone had been waiting for. The word happiness wasn’t even enough to describe how she felt. It was like she was floating in the clouds.

A dream birthday party.

A venue filled with pink balloons, baby pink lights mixed with white lights that brightened the whole place, sweet music wrapping around every guest, rose petals scattered across the carpet, a grand chandelier, and a huge birthday cake.

She smiled, her pure black eyes showing how surprised she was. Only one person knew about her dream party. Gian, her one and only ultimate crush.

She looked around the whole venue. All her friends were there, witnessing her dream birthday come true. The party she had always wished for. Slowly, she walked down the stairs of their house, though it no longer looked like a house because of the glamorous design inside and out.

She almost felt sorry stepping on the rose petals along the way. She wanted to pick them up instead of crushing them with her heels.

She was wearing a pink tube dress made by her cousin, Ate Sharon. The back was half open, showing her white bare skin. The dress hugged her body tightly from her bust down to her waist. It was ankle-length, with a slit three inches above her knee, showing off her shapely white legs.

At eighteen, She already had a woman’s perfect figure, inherited from her mother. A body that most women could only dream of. People sometimes asked how she achieved it, but she would just smile, she had no idea either.

Her eyes drifted to the brain behind the whole party, Gian. Among all the gay guests, he was the only one not wearing a gown. Her lips curved into a mischievous grin. Wow, my crush looks so manly today, she thought.

Standing next to Gian was her dad. The two of them were really close. When she finally reached the bottom of the stairs, her dad walked up to her.

“Happy birthday, my princess,” he greeted with a warm smile. Her dad was her first love, isn’t that true for every daughter?

Overwhelmed with joy, she hugged him tight. “Thank you for everything, Daddy,” she whispered.

Her first dance was with her dad. Vanessa had always been a daddy’s girl since her mom passed away. Her second dance was with her younger brother, Jason, who even teased her about helping him court his crush.

She laughed loudly while dancing with him. Looks like her brother might get a girlfriend before she even had a chance.

“What’s the name of your crush?” she teased.

“Her name is Ellena. She’s gorgeous, Ate. And she’s really smart too.”

“I just asked for the name, Jason,” she burst out laughing when her sixteen-year-old brother scratched his head.

“She’s not smarter than you, right?” she teased again.

“Of course not! I’m still smarter,” Jason said proudly. “But she’s really good in Filipino. Ate Van, she speaks so well.”

She grinned. “A yes or no would have been enough.” Jason scratched his head again, making her laugh harder.

Her little brother was turning into a real young man. To think, at sixteen, he was already planning to woo a girl. The Alvarez charm never fails, she thought with a smile.

But when would her crush ever court her? That was the unfair part about being a girl, you can’t make the first move.

Her last dance was with Gian, the mastermind of it all. He was the one who insisted on planning the whole thing. As he reached out his hand to her, time seemed to slow down. She thought writers were exaggerating when they described such moments, but now she realized it was real.

Dancing with Gian was a dream come true. She never imagined this would happen. For her, Gian was the most handsome of all except he was gay. But tonight, there was no trace of that as he held her. He was handsome, brooding, and adorable. And he smelled so good, like a real man.

She rested her head on his shoulder. “Thank you, Gian,” she said.

Words weren’t enough, but she knew he wasn’t asking for anything in return.

“You’re welcome. And happy birthday, Vanessa. You’re so beautiful tonight,” he replied, in his real voice. At that moment, she wasn’t talking to “gay Gian", but the man she liked.

“Of course, my Ate Sharon made this gown,” she teased, laughing. Sharon was not only her cousin but also Gian’s ex-girlfriend.

If anyone asked her who made her most insecure, the answer was obvious, her cousin Sharon. Sharon had everything: beauty, talent, brains. And she even had Gian once.

But that relationship ended when Gian came out and admitted he only dated Sharon as a cover. She still didn’t know whether to be happy they broke up or sad that her crush was supposedly gay. Deep inside, she refused to believe it.

“Ew, I feel sick just remembering that,” Gian laughed. Vanessa chuckled too. Try harder, Gian, she thought. No matter what you say, I don’t believe you’re gay.

“Anyway, honey. I love your body. How do you even have such a perfect figure? I’m jealous,” Gian said, his hand brushing gently against her side.

Jealous? Is that really what you’re feeling, Gian? she wondered.

“Well, Gian—”

“Janine. Call me Janine, Vanessa,” he cut in.

She laughed again. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t accept that Gian was gay. His strong build, his six-pack abs, his V-line, she had seen them once and almost touched them. Could a real gay man have abs like that? If yes, what a waste.

Sometimes she asked herself why Gian pretended to be gay. But no matter how she thought about it, she never found the answer. Or maybe she just didn’t want to accept it.

“Okay, okay, Janine,” she laughed. “Thanks again.”

“Save your thanks for later when you open my gift,” he told her, kissing her forehead. “Happy birthday again, honey.”

Yes, honey. That was what he always called her. And that was one of the reasons she kept falling for him. Gian had everything she wanted in a man, handsome, kind, sweet, caring, mature, and yes, even abs.

A playful smile formed on her lips. Did she really just say abs? Well, that was the extra package, like extra rice everyone wanted.

Would she let him slip away?

Of course not!

Later, when she went back to her cousins’ table, her brother Jason was nowhere to be found. Probably sneaking a chance with Ellena. Her dad, meanwhile, was busy with his business partners.

“Hey, Vanessa! Happy birthday!” her classmates greeted.

“Thank you, guys! Thanks for coming,” she said cheerfully.

“You’re always welcome,” Erick, one of her classmates, added. He handed her a gift, and the group squealed. Everyone knew Erick liked her, he was the showy type.

“Oh, Erick!” she teased, laughing.

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” she added, making her friends scream again.

“See? I told you Erick has no chance with Vanessa,” another classmate joked, making Erick scratch his head in embarrassment.

Erick was cute, but Vanessa’s heart belonged to Gian.

“Friends pa rin tayo, Van?” Erick asked with a smile.

“Of course,” she nodded. Who wouldn’t want to be friends with a guy like him?

After chatting, Vanessa returned to her cousins’ table. She sat beside Sharon, her cousin who had just given her a special gift, a book.

When Vanessa opened it, she was shocked. “What? You wrote this?”

Sharon smiled. “Yes. I’m the author.”

Before she could react more, Gian appeared. “Can I borrow my honey?” he asked.

“Of course,” Sharon replied with a smile.

Gian took Vanessa’s hand. “Let’s go upstairs. Your gift is in your room.”

Her eyes lit up in excitement. “Really?”

He nodded.

It felt like a dream. Just like Cinderella’s night, except she didn’t want the clock to strike midnight. She didn’t want to wake up if this was a dream.

When they entered her room, her eyes widened. On her bed was a huge box.

“Is this for real?” she asked.

“Why don’t you open it?” Gian said.

Slowly, she untied the ribbon. Inside were books, eighteen books, one for each year of her life. She gasped and turned to him, smiling brightly.

“Oh my God! You’re the best!” she exclaimed. Then, without thinking, she kissed him on the lips. “Can you be mine?” she asked.

“No. I don’t want a kid,” he replied.