Chapter 1: Textmate, callmate, soulmate
I IMMEDIATELY woke up when I heard the sharp voice of Aunty Linda. That is my Aunty, who was known for her kindness, and because of her kindness she wants to hurt me.
I filled with my fear, I quickly got out of my bed and rushed downstairs, where I was immediately confronted by a furious Aunty Linda, her face turning red because of her anger.
"You're totally useless! All you do in your life is to make mistakes! Look at this! Why is there a hole in the middle of my undies?" Aunty Linda yelled at me, seething with rage.
"Well, Aunty, it's just that it's hard to remove the dirt from your undies, so I used all my strength to scrub it. I didn't intend to make a hole in the middle of your panties. Why do you even have panties like that?" I tried to explain.
"You damn girl! And it's my fault that you tore my panties!" Aunt Linda slapped me out of her anger.
It was still early in the morning, but I had already lost my appetite because of her verbal abuse. And it wasn't just that, but I was certain that she would punish me for tearing her red panties as she taught me her lesson.
"Because you tore my undies, you won't leave this house until you clean the entire place!" Aunty Linda declared.
My eyes widened. No, this couldn't be! I have an interview today at Dhuean Lee's Company!
"A-aunty, you know I have an interview at Dhuean Lee's Company, and if--"
"You're such an idiot! Do you really think you'll get into that famous Company? They won't accept you there, not only because you're useless, but because you're also ugly! You don't belong at their Company, you're only fit to be a maid. Just clean the house, and you might gain something. You'd only waste the Company's time, as they won't accept you. Look at how ugly you are," Aunty Linda made insulting words at me.
Tears showed up in my eyes, but I tried my best to hold them back. I clenched my fists tightly due to the insults she threw at me. She had a point; I was truly ugly. What company would be interested in me? My name is Beauty, but my face is the complete opposite. I felt like screaming and crying all night long due to the combined pain and disappointment.
There was nothing I could do but stay and clean the house. I just wanted to give it a try, to see if I would be accepted by the company. But what if Aunty Linda was right? I might end up getting hurt even more. It was better for me to face the truth.
Before leaving me alone in the living room, Aunty threw her red panties at my face.
"Buy me a new pair of undies from your next salary, and the colour that I want of my underwear is red! Get it?" she demanded.
I wanted to cry, not because of the panties she wanted me to buy, but because of the panties she threw at my face, which carried an unpleasant smell.
I took a shower and ate, I fried an egg, reheated the rice, and added a little salt and sugar. I also made myself a cup of coffee. Once I finished eating, I began cleaning the entire house.
As I was wiping the floor, my spoiled cousin Scarlet came downstairs, accompanied by Sidney, her twin sister. While Scarlet was extremely spoiled, Sidney was the complete opposite of her, quiet and rarely intervening in their conversations. She's an introvert.
Scarlet and I made eye contact, and she gave me a scornful look, while Sidney smiled at me subtly.
They are my cousins on my Father's side because my Father and Aunty Linda are siblings. I became an orphan when my parents died in a car accident, and the truth is, this house is actually mine. However, Aunty Linda claimed it for herself that the house was hers after my Father passed away. Our house is large and beautiful, and you wouldn't think that I live here with a snobbish Aunt.
I wanted to move out, but I don't want to leave the house to Aunty Linda, as she might fully take possession of it. Besides, my Father's last wish before he died was for me to never leave this house because it's the only inheritance he could give for me, because I am their only child.
I feel like I am Cinderella, but Cinderella is more beautiful compared to me. I have a dark complexion and curly hair, similar to Moana's hair, but Moana is still more beautiful than me. I have pimples and thick eyebrows and also I wear thick glasses.
I used to believe that I looked like Belle from "Beauty and the Beast" based on what my Father said, but when my parents passed away, I realized that I don't really resemble Belle. Everyone knows, especially my Aunty Linda, that my name may be Beauty, but my face is the opposite.
I sighed as Scarlet bumped me, while Sidney apologized for her twin's actions.
I finished cleaning the entire house, but Aunty still ordered me to clean the yard. I wanted to catch up and go for my interview, just to give it a try, but it was already past noon when I finished my tasks at home because Aunty and Scarlet kept giving me orders.
Even though I was exhausted from their demands, I still managed to cook their lunch. They almost didn't leave any food for me, and all that was left was two dried fish and some tomatoes. I didn't complain anymore and just ate instead of making a fuss. Besides, I was really hungry, and if I complained, Aunty Linda might not feed me for the whole day.
I went up to my room to rest after finishing my tasks. I quickly dozed off due to exhaustion, and when I woke up, it was already around six in the evening. I immediately cooked so that they could have dinner later.
After eating, I went back to my room, being the first one to finish, as they might not leave any food for me, as usual.
I checked my cell phone and found a text message from an unknown number. I pressed it to read the message, and my eyes widened when I read it.
Unknown number:
Hi, Ms. Beauty, how's your interview? How are you?
My heart started pounding rapidly. That's right! He had my number because it could be seen in the caller box of the social media app. I only tried it out because I had nothing else to do at the time, not expecting him to take my chat seriously, especially since he was Prince Yuahn Lee, the CEO of Dhuean Lee's Company, known for his intelligence and knowledge of multiple languages.
I quickly typed on my keyboard, slightly trembling with nervousness.
Me:
I'm not okay.
I facepalmed when I remembered that he might not understand Tagalog, and I was ready to translate it to English when he texted me again, but to my surprise, his message was in Tagalog too! I felt a bit foolish because he was indeed the CEO of Dhuean Lee's company, and everyone knew how intelligent Prince Yuahn Lee was, being well-versed in many languages.
Unknown number:
Why are you not okay?
Me:
I didn't make it to my interview.
Unknown number:
Why? Is there any problem?
I wasn't sure if I should tell him the truth because I was having second thoughts. In reality, I didn't use my own picture as my profile picture on that social media app because I knew I wasn't attractive. Instead, I used Scarlet's picture. Scarlet was indeed beautiful if you looked at her, but her personality was the complete opposite. I should have used Sidney's picture instead, but she wasn't into social media, unlike Scarlet, who always posted her own pictures on social media.
They looked similar because yeah, they are twins, so it would be fine.
Unknown number:
Are you there, Ms. Beauty?
Me:
Yes, sorry, but I can't tell you the reason.
Unknown number:
It's okay. By the way, I have something to ask.
Me:
What is it?
Unknown number:
Where did you apply for work? There's someone with the same name who also applied for a job, but she didn't show up.
I froze at his text. My eyes widened as I realized it! My heart pounded heavily. He shouldn't find out because he would probably avoid me if he did.
But what if he avoided me? I was used to it anyway, but why was I afraid of him finding out who I really am? My fingers trembled as I typed on the keyboard, deleting what I had typed several times due to nervousness.
Me:
Uh . . . I applied at Jol's company. I'm far from your company, and maybe it's just a coincidence that we have the same name, and also not to show up for the interview.
Unknown number:
Oh, I see. I thought it was you.
Me:
That's not me.
Unknown number:
Same surname, just a coincidence?
I couldn't type on the keyboard anymore due to nervousness! I didn't know what other lies to use to avoid him knowing that I was the one who applied to his company. He shouldn't find out! It was a good thing I didn't make it to my interview earlier.
I sat up abruptly as my phone rang, and it was Prince calling! I calmed myself down and hesitated whether to answer or not, but in the end, I picked up his call. I even tried to lower my voice to imitate Scarlet's voice.
"Hello."
"Hello, Ms. Beauty. I'm glad you answered my call," there was a hint of joy in his voice.
"Why are you called?" I nervously asked.
"I just wanted to hear your voice. It's beautiful, just like you."
My heart raced, a mix of nervousness and excitement, but I also snapped back to reality, realizing that he wasn't complimenting me but Scarlet since I used her picture.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Uh . . . have you eaten? What are you doing now? Are you okay?" He asked rapid questions.
My breath almost stopped as I held it in. I knew I shouldn't feel excited, but why couldn't help but to smile? This was the first time I received care since my parents passed away. Even if I tried to suppress my smile, I couldn't, because someone was asking if I was okay, even if I wanted to lie, and it wasn't just anyone—it was the famous CEO himself, not some random person on the street.
I let out a sigh.
"Yes, I've eaten. How about you?"
"I'm eating in my office while talking to you."
My heart thumped even harder.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"A-uh . . . I'm not."
"Can you tell me now, why? And if you are not ready to share it, it's okay. I respect you."
My entire face felt warm, and I didn't know why. I found myself confiding in him about what happened between me and my Aunty Linda.
"She did that to you?!" he shouted.
"It's okay, it's my fault," I said calmly.
"Where do you live? I want to help you. It doesn't seem right what your Aunty is doing to you."
I didn't know why Prince was so kind to me, especially when I was only feeding him lies. However, what I told him about me and Aunty was true.
"N-no, it's okay, and I'm used to it with Aunty. She loves me, even though it's not obvious hehe," I bit my lower lip because it was evident that Aunty Linda didn't really love me.
We talked about various things until midnight. I even asked him if it was okay for him to talk to me while he was working in his office at home and he said that his fatigue disappeared more when he spoke to me. I didn't know if I should believe it or not. He kept insisting on helping me with Aunty if I wanted her to leave my house, but I always declined because I didn't want him to know where I lived. I also didn't want him to know who I really was.
"Thank you for today. Good night! Ms. Beauty --oh, it's already midnight. HAHA!"
"HAHA! Thank you too, bye!"
I smiled as I stared at the ceiling in my room. I kept thinking about our conversation. Could it be . . . he's my soulmate? Just kidding! I'm ugly anyway.
A/n:
There's no need to be ashamed of wanting to improve your grammar or writing skills. Recognizing areas for improvement is a positive step towards growth. It's perfectly fine to seek out different perspectives and consult dictionaries to enhance your understanding of unfamiliar words.
Accepting constructive criticism is commendable as it allows you to progress and develop your skills further. Keeping your writing simple and accessible to a wide audience is a great approach. Remember, English is just a language, and it's not a measure of intelligence or worth. It's essential to communicate effectively rather than trying to impress others with your language proficiency.
Self-education is a valuable pursuit, and there is no shame in engaging in it. If you make mistakes, it's okay.
Btw, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but please refrain from insulting the author. I wrote this story in English for the readers who wanted the English version, and it's appreciated by those who understand.
Thank you!