It's the beginning of summer. So, I decided to go home.

I'm packing all of my things. While I was packing, my phone vibrated.

Alliyah's name pop out on my phone screen.

Message:

"What time is your flight?" she asked.

"4:00 but, I'm not sure what time will I arrive at the airport so I'll just message you when I get there"

"Okiee dokiee"

Afterwards, when I finished packing everything, I immediately headed to the bathroom.

After taking a bath, I got dressed and wore the outfit my mom gave me as a gift, along with the skinny jeans my dad gave me on my 18th birthday. I paired them with the black sandals I bought, which had three-inch heels.

When I finished getting ready, I made sure to unplug everything before leaving — the lights, sockets, and all electrical appliances that needed to be disconnected. Once I was done, I pulled my luggage and stood by the door.

I stared at the entire house for a few minutes because this would be the last day I’d ever see it.

I smiled bitterly and bit my lower lip. “I’ll miss you,” were the last words that left my mouth before I finally stepped outside.

As soon as I got out of the house, I was lucky that a taxi passed by right away. I didn’t have to wait for long, which was good since my flight was only a few hours away.

“Miss, we’re here,” said the driver in a deep voice that woke me up. Because of all the stress and sadness, I didn’t even realize I had fallen asleep during the trip.

“Thank you, you can keep the change,” I said as he finished unloading all my luggage.

I took a deep breath as I faced the airport entrance. I couldn’t believe that when I wake up tomorrow, I’ll no longer be in this place.

“Oh, Shim, what’s with the drama again!” I muttered to myself, shrugging my shoulders before walking inside.

It took me quite some time to find my plane since there were so many people around.

I sat by the window seat—I always preferred it there because I could see the beautiful view outside.

After giving the dinner meal, I decided to go to sleep. I put on my headset and covered myself with the blanket I brought.

Fast forward…

I woke up to a loud announcement inside the plane.

Good thing I was able to get a decent amount of sleep.

I stretched a little, realizing that the woman beside me was already gone. I guess she had already disembarked.

I took my backpack from the overhead compartment before stepping out.

After gathering all my things, I tried calling Alliyah. It was hard to reach her because she wasn’t answering. What could she possibly be busy with right now?

“Come on, answer it!” I muttered as I called her several times, but she still didn’t pick up. The phone kept ringing, but no one answered.

I decided to book a Grab car since it would take too long if I waited for her.

“To this address, please,” I said, handing the driver a piece of paper with the address written on it — the one Aunt Rosemarie had texted me.

Aunt Rosemarie is my mom’s close friend, and she’s also the mother of my childhood friend, Ace. I felt a little nervous because it had been years since I last saw him.

Would he still recognize me?

Would he still consider me her best friend?

I took a deep breath before pressing the doorbell.

“Head maid! I think Miss Shimmer is here!”

“All right, I’ll take care of it,” someone replied from inside.

Even from a distance, I could clearly hear the loud voices coming from inside the mansion. A few seconds later, while I was staring at the front door, it finally opened — revealing an older woman, though not too old.

She was neatly dressed, but what puzzled me was why Aunt Rose didn’t come out herself. I really wanted to talk to her. Maybe that can wait, Shim, I told myself.

“You’re finally here, Miss,” the woman greeted me with a smile.

I smiled back before speaking. “Yes, it was quite a tiring trip.”

“Come inside and have some breakfast. Madam Rosemarie asked me to take care of you,” she said kindly.

“What? Where’s Aunt Rose?” I asked in confusion.

“Oh, they’re not here, dear. They’ve been in Europe for quite some time now. I’m not sure when they’ll be back,” she answered while pulling my luggage inside.

“Ah, I see. I’ll just text her then,” I said politely.

As soon as we entered the house, I couldn’t help but be amazed. It looked so different now compared to when they were just starting their business.

I never imagined they had become this wealthy. But wait—where’s Ace? He’s not here either… Does he still live here?

When I turned toward the kitchen, I saw a young housemaid who looked about my age.

“Hi, where’s their only child?” I asked, but she just stared at me.

“Ace,” I repeated.

“Oh, he’s—” she didn’t get to finish her sentence.

We both turned toward the staircase after hearing the sharp sound of heels clicking against the steps.

“Good morning, Ma’am. Are you going to have breakfast here?” the housemaid behind me asked loudly but politely.

I looked up and down at the woman descending the stairs. She was also staring at me, seemingly sizing me up just as I was doing to her.

“No, I’m not. Who are you?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

I bit my lower lip. No one told me they had a daughter. Well, it’s been years since I last came here, after all.

“I’m Shimmer. And you are?” I asked, returning the question but she didn't respond.

Instead of answering, she just rolled her eyes at me.

I kept my full attention on her until she walked out of the house.

“They have a daughter?” I asked the maid as I turned my attention back to her.

“Ah—” she didn’t finish her sentence again. Her mouth hung open, eyes fixed on the staircase.

When I followed her gaze, my jaw dropped at the sight of a man coming down the stairs, wearing a plain white tank top.

“Ace?” I whispered to myself.

I didn’t know what was happening to me. My heartbeat suddenly raced. I couldn’t tell if it was because I was nervous—because I was seeing him again after so many years—or because there was something else behind it.

I didn’t know what was happening to me. My heartbeat suddenly raced. I couldn’t tell if it was because I was nervous—because I was seeing him again after so many years—or because there was something else behind it.

My palms started to feel cold as he looked at me with a chilling, unreadable expression. I couldn’t even move—I felt frozen in place, embarrassed and unsure.

He was so handsome—fair-skinned, tall, and striking. If before I used to be taller than him, now it was the complete opposite.

“Who are you?” he asked in a cold, deep voice.

“I–I… I’m Shim,” I stammered, hoping he would say something like, ‘Oh, you’re my childhood friend, right? The one I used to play with?’ But nothing like that came out.

After I said my name, he just walked straight to the refrigerator, passing right by me as if I wasn’t even there.

I followed him with my eyes as he grabbed a pitcher and poured water into a glass.

“What are you waiting for? Are you thirsty?” he asked, his tone slightly insulting. I tried not to let it bother me too much.

“Uhmm… are you Ace?” I gathered enough courage to ask, but I didn’t get any answer.

I heard him let out a faint chuckle before completely turning his back on me.

“Miss, I’m really sorry for not answering you earlier,” the maid said nervously. “Sir might get angry if he hears me talking.”

“All I can tell you is… she’s not his sister,” she added in a low, trembling voice.

“If she’s not his sister, then who is she—” I stopped myself mid-sentence as the memory of the girl’s appearance flashed in my mind. From the way she looked earlier,Now I think I know what their relationship is.

When she came down the stairs, a few of the buttons on her blouse were undone, and I saw her adjusting her clothes. I am sure of it—she is his girlfriend.

Do Aunt Rose and Uncle even know about this? Then again, why would he bring a girl into their house if they weren’t official? Come on, Shim, that was such an obvious clue!

“Ahh, okay. Got it,” I said with a small smile.

“Alright, Miss, I’ll take you to your room,” the maid said politely.

She walked ahead, and I followed behind her until we reached the guest room.

“This will be your room, Miss,” she said, placing a few of my paper bags on top of the bed.

“Thank you,” I replied.

“Oh, by the way, where’s my luggage?” I asked. I couldn’t see it anywhere inside the room—maybe the head maid had placed it somewhere else.

“Oh, it’s right here,” she said, pulling open the door. Behind it was my suitcase along with the rest of my belongings.

After I finished unpacking all my things, I took a shower, ate, then went back upstairs. I lay down on the bed and fell asleep.

It’s my first day here. I talked to Aunt Rose last night around midnight. It turns out they’ll be staying there longer because they’re handling a company business. If ever they come back here, it might only be for about a week.

When I woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. I forgot to close the curtains last night, and since the walls of this room are made of glass, the sunlight easily streams inside.

I folded my blanket and fixed the pillowcases before heading to the bathroom.

Good thing each room in this house has its own bathroom—at least I won’t get lazy whenever I need to pee.

When I went downstairs, the head maid was the first person I saw.

She was wiping the glass table in the middle of the living room while another maid was vacuuming the carpet.

“Good morning! What would you like for breakfast?” she asked me with a warm smile.

“Anything’s fine,” I replied with a smile of my own.

I walked straight to the kitchen. When I got there, Rica—the youngest maid which is the daughter of the head maid, Manang Celia—was busy working.

I went straight to make myself a cup of coffee. After that, I sat at the far end of the dining table, even though I was eating alone.

“There’s bread inside the fridge,” Rica said suddenly.

I wanted to get closer to her, maybe have someone to talk to here, but she seemed shy and uneasy whenever I tried to start a conversation.

“Ah, okay. Thanks,” I replied simply as I grabbed the bread and spread from the fridge.

I went back to the dining table and continued drinking my coffee. The silence between us filled the room as I finished my cup.

After breakfast, I headed back to my room and grabbed my phone. I was about to message Alliyah when suddenly her name popped up on the screen. I quickly answered—yesterday, I couldn’t reach her at all.

“Wow! I’ve been calling you since yesterday and now you finally pick up!” I said.

“Oh my gosh, sorry! Yori and the others invited me to hang out. I thought we were just going out for fun, but it turned into a drinking session—”

“Why didn’t you say no? I should strangle you—you just wanted to drink, admit it!” I joked.

“Hey! I didn’t mean to! They said it would just be one drink, then they kept refilling my glass again and again… until I got drunk,” she said, sounding guilty.

“Oh sure, you’re just pretending to be innocent,” I teased.

“I swear! I didn’t mean it. I’m really sorry!”

“Yeah right, sorry my foot,” I replied playfully.

“I mean it! Let’s meet up today—I’ll treat you so I can make it up to you,” she offered.

“Wow!! Are you rich now?” I said, laughing.

“Nope, but I have a job now!”

“Really? Fine then—how about this: you buy the coffee, I’ll take care of the bread or anything to go with it.”

“Hey, I said I’m treating you!”

“Whatever, let’s just do that. Where should we meet?”

“I’ll text you the address.”

“No, wait—you might get lost. You don’t really know the streets here, do you? So I’ll just come pick you up instead.” she sounded so concerned.

“Uh, you can’t. I don’t live at our old house anymore; Mom sold it a long time ago.”

“Then where should I pick you up?” she added.

“Just text me the address. I’ll find my way to you.” I insisted.

“Are you sure? You might get lost—and your parents might come back to haunt me,” she joked.

“Where are you even staying right now? You don’t have any relatives left here, right?”

“I’m staying at my mom’s friend’s house. My parents asked them to look after me. Thankfully, they’re really kind.”

“Where exactly is that?”

“I’ll text you the address. Just message me when you’re at the gate,” I said before ending the call.

A few minutes later, she texted me. I got dressed and left the house, making sure to inform the head maid before going out—just in case Aunt Rose asked about me later.

“Oh my gosh, is that really you, Shim?” she said, sounding half-serious and half-teasing.

“Oh no, you’ve got the wrong person. Who are you again?” I replied sarcastically.

“I’m serious! You’ve changed so much—you’re really beautiful now, I swear!”

“Let’s go already! You’re talking nonsense again. I think you’ve gone crazy,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Wow, that’s how you thank me for giving you a compliment?” she said, pretending to be offended as she followed me.

We spent a few minutes chatting and catching up as we walked until we reached a coffee shop near the university where she's planning to get enrolled.

We entered one after another—she went in first, and I followed behind.

We chose a seat by the window. I’ve always preferred sitting there; you can see and appreciate the view better.

“You order,” I said.

“Okay, wait a sec,” she said, quickly standing up and heading to the counter.

After a few seconds, she came back holding a small standee with a number printed on it—the kind that can stand on its own without support.

“So, what course are you planning to take?” she asked seriously, looking straight at me.

I glanced at her and fell silent for a moment. Her question made me realize I hadn’t really thought about it yet.

“I’m not sure yet. How about you?” I asked back.

“I’m taking up Nursing. You should enroll there too—you’re smart, and at least I’ll have someone with me,” she said straightforwardly.

“I’ll think about it. I really don’t know yet,” I replied.

While we were talking, the waiter came and served our orders on the table.