The Mighty Has Fallen

Chapter Two

The conversation I had with my father the other night had been easy that I couldn't believe it happened. Still, I know better than to be deceived by dad. It's true that he said he'd let me be but I'm not about to let my guard down, I'm still on the lookout if he ever tries anything again.

I spent the whole morning in our library, doing research after research. Halfway through college I already have this idea in mind, a will to create something that will benefit the majority. I took all the knowledge I can take from the best schools in France, to be well equipped for what I have planned of doing. When everyone expects me to be a wife to some billionaire who doesn't treat me as his equal, I'm about to conquer the world by myself.

Tanghali na nang maisipan kong magpahinga at napagpasyahan kong sa resort iyon gawin. I packed my sunscreen, sunglasses and book, then changed into a pair of side tie bikini under a tunic dress. I used Roy's Sahara jeep parked upfront.

Cameron Hotel and Resort is considered to be one of the most luxurious in the business. Costing billions of dollars to build. This one in our hometown is the main branch, this is where it all started a couple of decades ago. Then it branched out to other parts of the Philippines, not as huge and as grand as the Soledad CHR. It conquered the international waters exactly ten years after it was launched. We now have several CHR in US, all over Europe, Australia and in Abu Dhabi, one that boasts the most prestigious marina development in the Middle East.

People are crowding the resort during summer, well during the entire year but it's jam–packed in summers. All the three-hundred-eighty-something grand rooms and suites were fully booked. Here's where you'll meet celebrities you've always seen on TV, tourists, those who organized big company events. With over forty meeting and conference rooms for them, CHR had it all covered.

I stared at the beauty that is Cameron Hotel and Resort. The white sand beach, myriad of pools and fountains, marble imported from fifteen different countries and over a thousand Swarovski crystal chandeliers. Dad did all these and no, he doesn't think I'm capable of doing the same thing.

I shrugged the bitterness and headed to the beach where I planned to spend the rest of the day. It's hard to look for a spot a little secluded and away from the crowd, not when hundreds of people in their bikinis and board shorts are parading under the sun.

The beachside luxury sun loungers are filled with bikini–clad women. Families are sitting on their blankets and folding chairs, with their umbrellas open to hide them from the harmful rays of the sun. I should've called Vince and asked for an overwater bungalow with private sunning deck had I known there's a little to no luck on finding a spot in the public beach.

Pinagpatuloy ko ang paglalakad at ang pag-iwas sa mga bata na masayang nagtatakbuhan. I lift my sunglasses over my head to see the white sand beach and blue, sinuous waters. Maging ay dagat ay napuno na ng mga turista na nagtatampisaw. I've always loved the beach, the distinct smell of the seawater and the soft sand. Every time I look at the line where the sky meets the sea it creates a sense of peace and calm within me.

After almost fifteen minutes of walking around, I finally found a nice spot. I take off my dress, lay a towel and sit down with my book. This beach is one of the cleaner ones in the country, no pull tabs, gum wrappers, and glass lying beneath the sand.

I'm halfway through reading The Moment of Lift, I started reading it last night after my conversation with dad and it kept me awake until two in the morning. The author of the book provides an unforgettable narrative backed by startling data, tinalakay nito ang mga problema na mas na nangangailangan ng atensyon - child marriage, lack of access to contraceptives, gender inequity in the workplace. I enjoyed reading it because all that's written were true, I've always believed that if you want to lift a society up, you need to stop keeping women down. That when you lift up women, you lift up everybody – families, communities, the entire world.