Late into the night, Gwen was still awake, busy finishing her homework. Although it was Saturday, she hadn't been able to work on her assignments during the day because she had spent the entire time helping her parents and two younger brothers settle into their new home.

The neighborhood wasn't frightening at all. Their house was located in the city, surrounded by plenty of friendly neighbors. Every afternoon, the streets were lively with people, and several teenagers would often gather outside until around eight o'clock in the evening, when the neighborhood curfew began.

Their new house was quite spacious. It had two floors and three bedrooms—one for her parents, another shared by her two younger brothers, while Gwen finally had a room all to herself.

As the eldest child, Gwen worked incredibly hard in school. She was determined to achieve her dreams and hoped that one day she could repay all the sacrifices her parents had made for their family.

While quietly reading one of her textbooks, she heard a gentle knock on her bedroom door.

It was her mother, Alma, carrying a warm glass of milk.

"How are you doing, sweetheart?" Alma asked with a smile.

"Looks like you still have a lot of work left."

"I do, Mom," Gwen replied. "I really need to finish everything tonight."

"You could always continue tomorrow. It's already past midnight, and you need some rest too."

"I know, Mom. I'm almost done. I promise I'll go to bed as soon as I finish."

"Alright then. Your father and I are heading to bed now. Don't stay up too late."

"Okay, Mom. Thanks for the milk."

"I'm just going to check on your brothers and make sure they're already asleep."

"Alright. Good night, Mom. Good night to Dad too."

Alma simply laughed before quietly leaving the room.

After finishing all of her homework, Gwen began putting away her books and school supplies. As she walked over to close the bedroom window, something in the distance suddenly caught her attention.

About a kilometer away stood an enormous tree unlike anything she had ever seen before.

For some strange reason, it seemed... alive.

She hadn't noticed it earlier, probably because it was only visible from the second floor of the house.

She found herself staring at it for several minutes, completely mesmerized.

Suddenly—

BANG!

A loud crash echoed across the roof, startling her so badly that she nearly screamed.

A black cat landed on the window ledge before quickly jumping away.

"Woaah! That scared me to death," Gwen sighed. "I thought it was something much worse."

She closed the window, climbed into bed, and quickly drifted into a deep sleep after an exhausting day.

The following morning, Gwen woke up early to continue reviewing her homework.

She opened the window once again.

Her eyes immediately returned to the enormous tree in the distance, surrounded by a beautiful garden overflowing with flowers of every color and variety.

Knock... knock... knock…

Her mother's familiar knock interrupted her thoughts.

Every morning, Alma would gently knock on Gwen's bedroom door to wake her up. Sometimes she even did the same for Angelo, Gwen's younger brother.

"I'm coming, Mom!" Gwen called out.

She hurried over and opened the door.

"Oh, you're already awake," Alma said pleasantly. "Go get ready and come downstairs. Breakfast is ready."

"Okay, Mom."

When Gwen reached the dining table, she sat down while scrolling through her phone.

A social media post about the upcoming Valentine's Day appeared on her screen.

She rolled her eyes.

"People in relationships really go overboard."

Angelo immediately teased her.

"Maybe you wouldn't sound so bitter if you had a boyfriend too, Sis."

"No thanks," Gwen replied without looking up. "I'd rather become rich first."

"Really? And when exactly will that happen? When your hair turns completely white?"

He burst into laughter.

"Quiet, both of you," Alma interrupted firmly. "You're at the breakfast table. Eat properly.”

To be continued...

One morning, Gwen was on her way home from school, walking alongside her friend, Merly.

"So, when are you finally going to get yourself a boyfriend, sis? Valentine's Day is just around the corner again! I'm so excited because my boyfriend is going to send me flowers and chocolates once more," Merly teased proudly.

"So what if he does? Is it going to kill me if I don't have a boyfriend? Give me a break," Gwen replied, clearly sounding a little irritated.

"Come on, I'm just worried about you. You've never even had a boyfriend your entire life. Why don't you just give Aaron a chance? He seems kind, and he's handsome too. Ooooh!"

"Oh, please. Romance isn't even on my mind right now. I need to finish my studies first—for my parents and my younger siblings."

"Hello, Gwennie girl! You're not living in the '90s anymore. You can have a boyfriend while you're still studying."

Gwen simply stayed silent. A few moments later, Merly said goodbye and headed home.

As Gwen continued walking, she passed by a massive tree standing just outside the entrance of their subdivision. The area surrounding it was filled with lush plants and colorful flowers of every kind.

She suddenly stopped in front of the tree.

Once again, she found herself staring at it, completely mesmerized. Just as she was about to step into the garden, an elderly woman suddenly grabbed her arm.

"Ahhh!" Gwen screamed in shock, as though she had been awakened from a trance.

"My dear," the old woman said gently, "it's getting late. You should go home before your parents start worrying about you."

"Excuse me, ma'am... may I ask you something?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"What kind of tree is this?"

Her curiosity about the tree was simply too strong to ignore.

"That's a long story, child. And it wouldn't be safe for us to stay here until nightfall."

"What do you mean by that?"

Before the old woman could answer, Gwen's younger brother, Angelo, spotted her and called out.

"Ate! Ate!"

"Oh, there you are! What are you doing out here?"

"I was going to buy a pen from the convenience store, but it's already closed. The shops around here close so early, don't they?"

"Yeah, they do, but—"

When Gwen turned to look at the old woman again, she was gone.

"What is it, Ate? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"Come on. Mom is probably looking for us already."

A chill ran down Gwen's spine when she realized the old woman had completely disappeared. She had vanished without a trace.

When Gwen and Angelo finally arrived home, their parents were already waiting for them.

Without saying much, Gwen went straight to her bedroom. She wanted nothing more than to rest after another exhausting day at school.

She didn't even bother walking over to the window.

She no longer wanted to see—or even catch another glimpse of—the mysterious tree standing silently in the distance.

To be continued...

Even after dinner, Gwen still couldn't fall asleep. Her mind was overwhelmed with countless thoughts—pressure from school, constant teasing about her love life, and the mysterious elderly woman she had spoken to earlier, who had suddenly disappeared without a trace.

Eventually, exhaustion took over, and she drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.

The next morning, her mother knocked on her bedroom door. Gwen woke up immediately and got out of bed.

"Gwen, come downstairs. Breakfast is ready. Your father and I are waiting for you."

"Yes, Mom. I'll be there in a minute."

When everyone was gathered around the dining table, her parents remained unusually quiet. The silence was finally broken by her younger brother, Angelo.

"Ate, do you have a secret admirer?" he asked bluntly.

"What? No. Why would you ask that?" Gwen replied, puzzled.

"Then why were there red roses and a love letter outside our front door this morning when Mom opened it?"

"What? Red roses... and a love letter?"

Angelo held up a bouquet of freshly picked red roses, their petals still vibrant and fresh, along with a short handwritten letter. Their mother was about to stop him, but it was already too late.

The letter read:

"I sincerely hope you will accept my affection, my lady."

There was no signature.

Gwen's eyes widened in surprise. She knew it couldn't have come from Aaron. He didn't even know the address of their new house.

"Let her be, Alma," Gwen's father, Edmon, said with a smile. "Gwen is already a young woman. She's old enough."

"I don't mind if she has a boyfriend," her mother replied. "As long as she finishes her studies first, I have no objections."

"But Mom, Dad, I really don't have a secret admirer. Maybe someone was just playing a prank and left those outside our door."

"Oh, come on, Ate," Angelo protested. "Do you seriously think someone would prank you with flowers that expensive? And there's even a letter! Those look like premium flowers from a fancy flower shop."

"I told you, I don't have a secret admirer! How many times do I have to say it?" Gwen snapped in frustration.

"That's enough, both of you," Alma interrupted. "Finish your breakfast before you end up being late."

"I bet Ate's admirer is rich, Mom," Angelo added with a grin.

"Are you ever going to stop?" Alma replied, shaking her head.

Gwen quietly finished her breakfast and hurried toward the door.

"Wait, Ate! Wait for me!" Angelo shouted as he ran after her.

Still annoyed, Gwen ignored him and continued walking.

"You can go to school by yourself. I have somewhere else to stop first."

"Come on, Ate. I'm sorry. Please forgive me," Angelo pleaded, practically blocking her path.

"It's fine already. You're so stubborn. Now stop bothering me, Angelo. Go on to school and listen to me for once."

"Okay... but let's eat at Jollibee later, alright?"

"Oh, you've got some nerve," Gwen replied with a sigh.

After Angelo finally left, Gwen found herself face-to-face with Aaron.

He smiled warmly at her before offering a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers.

She had every intention of refusing it, but she quickly noticed that many people had already begun watching them.

Not wanting to embarrass Aaron in front of everyone, she reluctantly accepted the bouquet.

To be continued...