Boyfriend For Hire

Boyfriend 1

Jillian

If living a royalty-like life is everyone's dream, then why am I running away from it? Why am I dripping from sweat and tears as I chase my freedom?

If this is indeed a life of royalty, why does it seem so bad unlike what others have been trying to reach? If this is the kind of life that they want, I'd rather be a commoner.

Funny how the world works for the people on both sides. Both wanted to get hold of an opposite of their own, a mirror of their world that is twisted as it reflects what they want to achieve for themselves.

Ang mga nasa laylayan, gusto nilang makaangat at maasam ang kalayaang gawin ang gusto nila. Ang mga nasa itaas naman, gustong makawala sa mga matang sinusuri bawat kilos nila at mamuhay na normal.

Malayo sa responsibilidad at mata ng iba.

Malayo sa mga dapat at hindi dapat mapagbigyan lang ang gusto nilang makita.

Do they honestly think that people with power, pride, and money are happy? Do they think that we're free?

I guess not. Or I am just at the other side of the privilege. Privileged but rotten inside.

"Jillian! I've been looking for you, babe. What happened?" Her brown orbs greeted me as she looked at me worriedly.

Parang isang tulak lang ay iiyak na ito dahil sa pag-aalala niya. I sighed, "I. . . don't know, Iya. They just introduced me to a random stranger telling me that we're bound to get married."

Kinuwento ko sa kanya ang nangyare noong party. That was last Friday and she learned about it because the news had wings. Kalat iyon sa iba't-ibang blogsite at socials.

Who wouldn't know the merging of the Monroe and Fuentes? We are the talk of the town because as everyone can see, our families are on top of the business world.

What a cruel world. I didn't know that arranged marriage exists until today's time. We're not even Chinese for the damned's sake!

"So it's true . . . I heard about it from my cousin! May ibang nakakita sa'yo at tumakbo ka raw. Even the guy was nowhere to be found. It seems like both of you disliked the idea." aniya.

"Yeah, we both disapproved of that marriage. But you know that's not how it works, right?"

Sabay kaming napanghinaan ng loob at bagsak ang balikat na tumingin sa kawalan. Being in a rich family sucks. They envy me because I am well off and could go to any university that I want, buy the things that I like, travel from one country to another, and I have the beauty of a goddess with high intellect.

I could only scoff mentally every time their rumors get to me. If only they knew, they'd be thankful that they don't have to experience that.

"What now?" she asked.

Pati siya ay napapaisip ng paraan para lamang makatakas ako sa tali na ginawa ng magulang ko para sa akin at sa lalaking hindi ko kilala.

Nagkibit balikat ako, "Do you think there's a way out of this cruel fate?"

I've never disagreed with what my parents wanted nor tried to disappoint them. It makes me think and reminisce about my life for the past years of being a puppet which I have only realized now.

A puppet, huh?

It seems that way to me and surely not how others view it. Ang akala nila sobrang masaya at maswerte ako sa buhay ko dahil magmamana ako ng kompanya.

Oh, but reality sucked.

I am not happy. Nothing about what's happening makes me happy and lucky.

"I really envy her. Nasa university natin siya at matalino! May trabaho na rin agad pagkatapos mag-aral at may mapapangasawa pang gwapo. Wala rin naman siyang dapat isipin na magagalit dahil wala naman siyang kasintahan, 'di ba?"

For a moment, I stood like a rock in my place. Nagkatinginan kami ni Iya nang matauhan at kita ko pang unti-unting nanlaki ang mga mata niya.

"You know what I'm thinking, babe?" she asked, more like confirming her thoughts.

Tumango ako at desididong tumingin sa kanya. "Of course, I know what you mean and I'll definitely stop this crap one way or another."

Kuminang ang mga mata niya at ngumiti ng matamis, uttering something that shook my world.

"So, who's gonna pretend to be your boyfriend?"

Nalaglag ang panga ko sa tanong niya. I wasn't able to grasp what she said and just stared at her for a minute.

"What? Come again?" Siya naman ang napanganga at hindi makapaniwalang tumingin sa akin.

"Don't tell me . . . it's not what you think - what I thought we both have in mind!"

Naguguluhang umiling ako, "No. I thought we're trying to investigate Rain if he has a girlfriend and sabotage the merging."

"That's not what I meant! Consider it too, but that wouldn't be enough. I was thinking if you could find someone to be your boyfriend."

"And like they'd believe that nonsense! No one would ever believe that I'm seeing someone!"

"And why not?!" She held her waist, eyes looking at me widely, and her nose unbelievably large at this point.

"Look, Iya. . ." I reached for her arms, trying to make sense with just two words.

"Do you recall who you're talking to? I'm Jillian, alright? Jillian Monroe. I study my ass off, work every weekends, and scare people away. How are we supposed to make them believe that I have someone aside from you who's close to me? Am I making sense here or do I have to explain it bit by bit?"

Inalis ko ang hawak sa kanya at nadidismayang lumingon sa paligid. Mabuti nalang at walang tao sa hallway at baka marinig nila ang sigawan namin. Thankfully there's an old building before our classroom which is connected to the backdoor of the cafeteria.

Dito kami madalas dumaan ni Iya dahil bukod sa short cut, walang masyadong napapadpad dito bukod sa mga nakasalubong namin kanina.

"You have a point, yes, but rumors are rumors. We can spread that you're dating without racking our brains out. We just need one candidate, one guy who can act as your boyfriend. That'll be enough, babe. Alam mo namang kahit ano'ng gawin mo maraming mata ang nakatingin sa'yo. That's how you start a war."

She's right. I'm slowly surrendering to her idea of looking for a subject to pretend to be dating me. But how? And who? Can we trust anybody?

"Looking for a trustworthy person is hard let alone convince that person as well," I stated.

Natahimik ito at tila napaisip sa sinabi ko.

I was ready to give up our conversation when she looked at me with a bright face. Her eyes were literally shining as if she had turned on her invisible led lights inside her pupils.

"Then. . . why don't we start finding the guy on the dim alley?"

Oh, no. . . The guy with broken glasses.

- - 𓆩♡𓆪 - -

Boyfriend 1 Updated!

It took me months to edit this chapter. Hope you like the new version and probably the final version.

What is perfection? Lmao.

Enjoy reading!
LilianPersephone_