"A Lease of Love, a contract for 30 days, no feelings allowed." Episode: 05

The New Face of a Storm

One week after my successful first remittance to the Philippines, my mind felt much lighter. Every day, Tatay sent me pictures on Messenger showing the demolition of our old living room roof. It was heartwarming to see the new sheets going up and the sturdy cement being laid down bit by bit. My worries whenever it rained in Bataan had started to fade.

But if things were going well for my family back home, a new storm seemed to be brewing in my life here in Edmonton. And that storm didn't come from the sky, but from the women who had just entered my world.

It all started one Monday morning. I arrived early at the coffee shop to prep the supplies before the morning rush. Stepping into the back room, I was surprised to see a familiar figure standing near the espresso machine, wearing our black apron.

"Aiden, good morning!" Sarah greeted me cheerfully as she walked in right behind me from the back. "This is Bianca. She's our new part-time barista. She's a Pinay too, so I know you two will get along. Bianca, this is Aiden, our top team member here."

The woman turned to look at me. She was of medium height, with dark hair and sharp eyes. At first, I thought she'd be friendly since we were both Filipino, but my impression changed the moment she spoke to me after the two of us were left alone at the counter.

"So, you're Aiden?" she greeted coldly, eyeing me from head to toe without a single smile on her lips. "Sarah says you're good. Well, let me tell you something, kuya. Don't go acting all high and mighty while I'm here. I need this job and I need more hours from Sarah. So don't get in my way."

I stared at her, unable to believe what I was hearing. Before I could even respond, she quickly turned around to attend to the first customer who walked through the door. Right then, I realized that not every fellow Filipino abroad would treat you like family. Bianca hadn't come to make friends; she came to compete.

By ten o'clock in the morning, the second headache arrived. The door chime of the shop rang out, and a group of students from MacEwan University walked in. They were laughing noisily, but one face among them immediately caught my attention.

She was the woman I had bumped into at the West Edmonton Mall food court the previous week—the mysterious girl who had spilled her juice. Now, she was wearing an expensive winter coat with a fur collar, carrying a designer bag, and sporting oversized headphones around her neck.

She was with her two close friends and fellow MacEwan University classmates: Chloe Perez, the wealthy and hot-headed mean girl, and Iza, her calmer, more level-headed friend who frequently reminded them not to cause a scene in public.

"Oh my god, Chloe, ordering here takes forever. Why do you guys always want to get coffee here?" Chloe complained aloud in a spoiled tone to her companions while standing in line.

When their turn at the counter came up, it just so happened that I was on duty at the cashier. When our eyes met, her round eyes widened. She remembered me. But instead of smiling or apologizing again for what happened at the mall, her expression instantly shifted. She rolled her eyes dramatically and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Great. So you're the mall janitor I bumped into," she said airily in Tagalog, deliberately speaking loudly enough for her companions to hear. Her Canadian friends chuckled slightly, while Iza gave a soft, exasperated shake of her head at her behavior. "I knew it, you look like a floor cleaner. And now, you're a barista here?"

I felt a rush of heat crawl up my neck from sheer embarrassment. "Miss, you were the one who bumped into me last week because you were staring at your phone," I answered calmly but firmly, forcing myself to keep my composure while standing in front of the cash register.

"Whatever," Chloe retorted, flipping her long hair. "I want an iced caramel macchiato with oat milk, extra caramel drizzle, and make sure you actually put effort into making it? I don't want my coffee tasting like a dirty rag matching the look of your apron."

"Chloe, stop it, people are watching us," Iza scolded her quietly while giving her arm a slight nudge.

"Let her be, Iza. People from the bottom just move too slowly," Chloe replied with an air of superiority.

I quietly prepared her order even as my blood boiled inside. I handed her the receipt without a word. She moved over to the side of the counter near Bianca to wait for her coffee.

That was when I witnessed an unsettling scene. I watched Bianca walk up to Chloe while her coffee was being made. Bianca whispered something to her, and both of them glanced in my direction while laughing and shaking their heads. I could clearly see these two women talking about me—Bianca, jealous about work, and Chloe, looking down on me because of her wealth.

When Chloe got her coffee, she walked out of the shop with her friends without even saying thank you, while Iza left a tip in the tip jar on her way out as an unspoken apology for her friend's attitude.

After the morning rush died down, Bianca walked over to me with a smug smile playing on her lips.

"Well, Aiden, looks like you made an enemy out of a famous international student?" Bianca teased as she wiped the counter beside me. "That’s Chloe Perez. Daughter of a famous politician and businessman in Manila. She’s loaded. She told me you were quite rude when you bumped into her at the mall, which is why she's wondering why Sarah lets you work right here at the front."

"I wasn't rude, Bianca. You’d know the truth if you had actually bothered to ask her properly," I replied, gripping the cleaning rag tightly in my hand.

Bianca just chuckled darkly, leaning closer to me so the other customers wouldn't hear. "Well, Chloe didn't just complain, kuya. Sabi niya sa akin kanina bago siya umalis... may naiisip siyang paraan para siguraduhing matatanggal ka rito kay Sarah. At tinanong niya kung pwede akong makipagtulungan sa kanya para i-frame up ka."

My blood ran cold. I stared at her, realizing this wasn't just petty high-school mean-girl drama anymore. They were plotting a direct trap against me.

"Don't worry," Bianca whispered, a dangerous, victorious glint in her eyes. "Maghintay ka lang sa susunod mong mga galaw. Sisiguraduhin naming babagsak ka."

By four o'clock, when my shift ended, my feet felt heavy as I got into Leonardo's car. My friend immediately noticed my unusually gloomy aura.

"Whoa, why do you look like you just saw a ghost, bro?" Leonardo asked while fastening his seatbelt.

"Bro, I think two villains just teamed up to ruin my life here in Canada," I sighed, recounting everything that had happened with Bianca and Chloe—and the terrifying setup they were planning.

Leonardo stopped laughing, his expression turning deadly serious. He tapped my shoulder firmly. "Listen to me, Aiden. Abroad, it's normal to run into people who will try to pull you down out of malice and pride. But don't let them win. Let your work protect you. If they want to play dirty, we'll make sure the truth stands out."

Leonardo's words gave me a hard dose of reality, but they didn't break me. As I looked out the window at the heavy snow while riding home, I knew the storm was officially here. They wanted a war? I was ready for Chapter 6.

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