Chapter 4


    (Anj’s POV)


    Go straight to the hallway, and then turn right…


    I heaved a deep sigh as I carried the elegant arrangement of sunflowers, anthurium, hydrangea, and


    heliconia for the offering Mrs. Wilbur ordered from Sister Grace. She usually donates at the nursing


    home, but I seldom see her because she is mostly out of town, joining her husband on his business


    trips.


    The housekeeper had other flowers to bring, so here I am, forced to look for that room where Mrs.


    Wilbur expected the offering should be. I didn’t have the time to memorize the direction because I was


    also in a hurry to go back.


    Anya said that instead of meeting me, ire was friendly enough, offering to pick me up outside the


    gate of Wilbur’s mansion because Aunt Rose asked her to run an errand before going to the party.


    “It’s a ck SUV,” she told me. “When you get there, let’s meet in the lobby.” She has repeated those


    words many times, worried that I would wander and get stuck in a room called the library or study


    room. She often joked that when I was young, no one could lure me into going with a stranger because


    I disliked candies and choctes, but anyone could kidnap me by giving me a book.


    I used my back to open the ajar door wide after finding the room.


    “Finally!” A woman’s voice eximed, making me stop walking. The tall arrangement of flowers made it


    difficult to see who it was, and even if I tilted my head to peek at the owner of the voice, I still couldn’t


    see her.


    “The offering?” Another voice asked, but from a man.


    What is wrong with these people? Why don’t they just tell me where to put the flowers so I can go?


    “Umm… Yes!” I answered, hesitating at first, but my hands were getting numbed already, so I had to


    put this heavy thing down. “Where can I put these?” I asked, not moving anymore because I noticed big


    antique vases and was afraid I might trip and break them.


    I hear someone walking toward me. “Here, let me help you,” he said, taking the flower arrangement


    from me. “Why are you even carrying this heavy thing?” he chuckled as he ced it on the center


    table, then turned to me again.


    “Woah! The god would be pleased,” beamed the woman, maybe the same age as Anya. I saw her


    pressing her lips to suppress a peal ofughter.


    “Hmm,” murmured Jake, touching his chin as he studied me from head to toe. “Indeed,” he said,


    agreeing with Jackie.


    Jackie goes to the same university I am studying at, but I am sure she doesn’t recognize me because


    she belongs to a famous group of students. Anya, Dn and I usually call them the elite as they are the


    sons and daughters of celebrities, wealthy businessmen, and government officials. We belong to the


    crème de crème group because if not for the schrship, the three of us won’t be able to get into


    that school.


    “Can I go now?” My eyebrows knitted, wondering why Jake was studying me as if he was unsure of


    something. I have seen him in the nursing home several times, bringing goodies to the residents during


    special asions, but I doubt he remembered me.


    “Where are you going?” Jackie walked toward me, cing her arms on my shoulders. “Didn’t they tell


    you about the party?” She asked as we went out of the room, walking side-by-side.


    My forehead creased as my eyes narrowed. “Umm… They did,” I answered hesitantly, wishing I owned


    a cellphone so I could call Anya.


    “Oh, Good!” Jackie said. “The ck SUV is in the driveway. Wait for me there, okay?”


    I nodded, walking toward the driveway and thinking ire probably knew the famous Jake and Jackie


    Wilbur. When I got out of the mansion, the driver opened the car door for me, and although I doubted it


    for a while, I plopped myself inside the car after the arguments I had in my thoughts.


    “Umm…” I heaved a sigh when Jackie entered the car and sat next to me. “Where’s ire?” I asked,


    panicking she was not in the car with us.


    “ire?” She nced at me before looking at the gadget in her hand. “She’s in the other car with


    Jake,” she answered, but her eyes were fixed on her cellphone.


    I heaved a sigh of relief, looking out the window. When I breathed in, I inhaled the scent of Jackie’s


    perfume, loving the bold but not overpowering floral scent. I have never bought perfume in my life


    because, first off, I don’t have money to buy one, and second, I create my own signature scent.


    Making my own perfume has been a hobby I have liked doing ever since the chemistry project I did in


    the ss in high school.


    The one-hour ride was quiet, and the only noise I could hear was the chime of Jackie’s cellphone


    whenever she received a reply from whoever she was texting. I closed my eyes, trying to figure out


    what I did wrong because Anya said the party ce was only half an hour away from the Wilbur


    Mansion.


    I opened my eyes when Jackie’s driver stopped the car in front of a private resort. From the outside, we


    could hear the loud music, but when I peeked outside the window and saw the ce Anya had


    described, I realized this must be it.  She must have miscalcted the time and ce again, which


    happens very often, especially when she is busy.


    Quietly, I followed Jackie inside, but as soon as we entered the foyer, she left me, joining her friends. I


    felt like an ugly duckling left in the middle of a crowded pond, panicking about where to go, how to find


    the stairs, and wanting to cry in an unfamiliar environment. But before all those things could happen,


    Jake had already held my hand, leading me to the room at the end of the hallway.


    When he opened the door, the room was filled with loud music that sounds vibrated through my body,


    but it seemed every guest didn’t mind as they chatted and drank. My eyes widened to see some men


    and women dancing with their bodies almost glued to each other. I had to swallow hard, seeing couples


    making out, not minding other people around.


    “Drink up!” Jake said, giving me a ss of something green in it. I followed him, quickly consuming the


    weird taste of green juice in the ss. Heughed when I coughed as heat crept on my throat.


    “What’s this?” I asked curiously, my face crumpled after drinking the weird juice.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    “Appletini. You like it?” He had to lean his head closer to my ears so I could hear it. When I get out of


    here, I am sure I will suffer from hearing impairment.


    I shook my head.


    “Have another shot,” He gave me another ss. “Drink up!” he said again, and I did. I licked my lips,


    tasting the drinks on my bottom lip. The cocktail drink was much better the second time. He gave me


    another, instructing me to drink up.


    On my third ss, I was already feeling warm and fuzzy that I wanted to take off my shirt. I already


    liked the taste of the alcohol that I took another ss from the waiter who walked past us, but before I


    could drink it, Jake held my wrist, tugging me to the spiral staircase.


    When we got on the second floor, I almostughed seeing three men sitting on the couch as if they


    were the big bosses in the movies, but when the man sitting in the middle raised his head, my eyes


    widened, recognizing the gorgeous young man immediately despite my brain bing fuzzy.


    What is the monster in the red Ferrari car doing here?


    His forehead creased, but he did not recognize me because my face was no longer puffy. Only the red


    spots remained, which invaded my whole face.


    “Are you kidding me, Jake?” he asked furiously. “Why did you bring-”


    As I walked toward him, my nostrils red in anger, remembering how he insulted me. I did not let him


    finish what he was saying, and without thinking, I poured the liquid onto hisp.


    “Argh!” He growled, standing up as he felt the cold liquid. “Are you crazy?” he grabbed my upper arm,


    pulling me, more like dragging me to the room. He opened the door, banging it hard as he closed it,


    startling me.


    He walked past me, entering another door. Taking my chance to escape, I held the doorknob, opening


    it, but I couldn’t. My heart hammered inside my chest, feeling the fear of being imprisoned inside the


    room with a stranger.


    “Stop wasting your energy on that. They already locked it outside,” he said, going out of the bathroom


    with a towel in his hand as he tried to dry his pants. With what I did, he looked like he peed on his


    trousers.


    “What? Why?” My eyes were round, teary, and afraid as I asked him. “What did I do to you?”


    “Nothing. They must be pissed at me, bringing me an ugly offering,” he hissed.


    “What?” I asked again, forgiving him by saying the words ‘ugly offering.’ “Would you care to exin?”


    Suddenly for a genius, I felt stupid for the first time. “What am I supposed to do?”


    “As an offering, you’re supposed to please me tonight!” He exined briefly, causing my eyes and


    mouth to gape in shock.