Miss Misunderstood (Revised and Translated Version)

Chapter 8

It was a scorching morning when I woke up the next day—still surprised by the new atmosphere and weather. I still thought about the delicious dinner I had that night that I first thought was just a dream.

I ate a lot, though. I even forgot the proper table etiquette because I ate giant oysters and lobsters with my bare hands.

Filipino food has a unique taste. Even some kinds of seafood I missed the taste. I hope Mom's newly hired maids wouldn't spread the word about what happened last night because it was embarrassing. For sure, they had been thinking I looked like I didn't eat for days.

It was 10:00 am when I woke up, that was why it was already hot. I didn't turn on the air conditioner when I went to bed because I was already tired. My whole body was dripping with sweat with the humidity. I was awake, but my spirit was still asleep. I stayed lying down even though I was already sweating, but when I suddenly remembered my plan for the day, I got up.

I almost forgot where I planned to go and when I remembered, I hurried to take a bath with high hopes I would see him in his office that day.

I searched for the most comfortable clothes in my luggage, and there I realized I needed to go shopping for summer dresses while rummaging around. I found one dress that was not too revealing.

I was about to meet a friend and not go on a date, so a simple peach maxi dress was okay. I paired it with wedge heels that were skin tone in color and let my long hair down.

After getting dressed, I put on red lipstick when I saw my pale face in the mirror and wiped a matte-pressed powder to hide the tiny freckles all over my face after applying a cream. It was a 3 in 1 cream with a concealer effect and sunblock. I almost forgot my lotion. It was hot outside, so I had to put some on my arms, neck, and legs.

When I was done, I couldn't remove the smile from my lips. There were butterflies inside my stomach.

After making sure I looked great, I went out to look for the driver. I couldn't just take the car because I needed a license. 'Even if I have money to pay when I get caught, still best to obey the law.'

From Greenhills San Juan, we traveled to Sampaloc, Manila, where the Engineering Firm owned by Martincu was located. The current Chairman, CEO, or President was Felix himself, while the COO was his older sister's husband, who happened to be an Architect.

Their eldest, Lea, owned a coffee shop. Aunt Eugene's recipes were those bread and pastries they sold there, and the bestseller had always been the cheesecake I missed. Only Felicity's career was far different. He started his company with his blood and sweat.

The company was nearer, so Felix was the first I visited. The trip took more than half an hour, and it was already noon when we arrived. I asked the driver to wait because Felix might have already left. 'I was making sure because I didn't want to take a taxi alone.'

The employees were on their lunch break, so I met many of them on their way out.

I grabbed people's attention as soon as I entered the entrance. The guard checked my bag while one of them asked what my agenda was. I told them I would like to visit Felix, their boss, and they gave me a meaningful look.

They made me write my name in their logbook, and then I signed it. When I was done signing, they made me walk through a scanner to ensure I wasn't carrying a weapon under my clothes.

While walking, I heard the two women talking about an actress one of them had seen in a show. They were talking in Filipino, but I understood very well.

Maybe they thought I didn't understand because I looked like a tourist. After all, Dad looks like me. From the shape of his face to the sharpness of his nose. Even the color of his eyes that seemed grayish with one look. I was often mistaken for someone in Turkey, so it wasn't new.