"It's you and me. Together," he says. "Us against the world."
*****
All my life, I've never trusted men. The image of them planted in my head is the figure of my abusive stepfather who has made my mother and I live in hell.
But then, an encounter w...
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Two years later...
I hum, looking at my own reflection in the mirror, getting ready for the big day. Blackpink's song 'Pretty Savage' accompanies my morning, boosting my energy.
Today is the first day of my internship, and I'm nervous as hell but at the same time so excited.
A smile tugs at my lips as I look at my appearance today.
I'm quite satisfied with the mix-match of a white blouse, a nude blazer and black trousers that I'm wearing. The heels complete the look perfectly.
I sweep my now long dark brown hair over my shoulder, reaching the middle of my back. It's styled in loose waves, and I love it.
I've put makeup on, still natural but presentable for an office look, my lips covered in my favorite pink lip gloss.
Staring into my own face, I can't help but think that I look so different compared to how I looked a few years ago.
It's funny that back then, I'd always covered my face with my hair and hid my sky blue eyes behind those thick glasses, just to avoid someone's rage because they reminded him of Mom.
Tuck is long gone, so there's no need to cover them anymore. It feels so much better now that I won't have to hide myself.
In short, I've escaped from that hell. And I'm very proud of it.
It feels so overwhelming to be able to achieve what I have now. I've enrolled in a university here in Texas.
I can say that I've managed Mom's money quite well. And I've also got a good part-time job here.
As usual, I prefer to work in a bookstore, because while I'm waiting to assist the customers there, I can still steal some time to study. Or if I don't have anything to study anymore, I can read some other books.
I don't spend extra money to indulge myself in luxury -- I spend just enough to help me survive the basic needs.
I don't starve myself, I have enough clothes and I have a shelter to live in, which is this apartment. I never moved to another one because I like it here.
It's pretty decent compared to the other lower to middle class apartments, and what I like the most is that the owner, Marcia, is very kindhearted and warm.
She's almost 60 now, living here at the ground level. She lives alone, but her son, daughter in law and grandchildren sometimes come here to visit her.
I still remember how I cried the moment I received the wonderful news that I got accepted to work as an intern in one of the biggest oil companies in the country.
Apparently, all my hard works and struggles pay off. I've been studying diligently and have maintained good academic records.
Choosing the major that I love kind of help. I'm always passionate to study Business Information Strategy.
