Faster [ON-HOLD]

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

GRACE'S POV

The porter just put my luggage inside my cabin and left. And it was already ten PM when my phone rang. "Hey, Wins."

(Yow, susunduin ko kayo mamaya isa-isa. Let's get wasted around eleven forty-five, what do you say?)

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Is jet lag not uso on you?"

I heard her sigh. (Well, let me remind you, Miss actress. I brought you four here to join me on my quest.)

"You mean a drunk quest."

(Ugh! Just come with me and get drunk, please?)

I laughed at her again. "Okay, okay. But make it twelve midnight. I still have a lot to prepare and I need to rest my head and body for a while."

(Whatever.)

I was about to reply again when she ended that call. I just shook my head. That woman really is something.

I wanted to do what I told Winslet I'll do when my phone rang again but this time, it was Loey.

"Hey, Loey. I'm already here—"

(G-Gracey... You know I love you so much, and I want you to relax as much as I want myself to, right?)

Confused as I was, I nodded. "Yeah... Why ask? And why sound so... panicky?"

She let out a deep breath. (Oh, trust me, my talent. It's not just panic that I'm feeling right now. I also want to burn the management. Ilang taon kitang inalagaan sa industriyang ito tapos hahayaan lang nilang babuyin ang pinaghirapan mo?)

My eyebrows furrowed. "What... What do you mean, Loey?"

My manager sighed again. (Grace, I want you to be stress-free right now, but I don't think you won't want to know this.)

I can feel myself getting a lot more anxious as I wait for Loey's words. "Loey... please tell me already."

She took a deep breath. (Th-There's another issue.) I could feel my heart beating faster. (And it's worse than the first ones.) My heartbeat stopped. (A rumor spread that you had a sexual relationship with your former leading man.)

My jaw dropped. Never in my entire life have I ever thought of this day coming. I... I just can't!

(I'm so sorry, Grace. I have already talked to the management and told them about this false rumor, but just like the first one, they told me the same reason—the same thing.)

I could feel my legs turn to jelly, and my body just fell on the bed. I couldn't breathe properly. My head is turning. I... I want everything to stop moving.

(Grace, I'm so sorry—)

"M-Manager... I'll... I'll end the call. I ahm... I need to breathe."

(Sure, Gracey. I'm sorry again.)

I slowly nodded and ended the call as I stared into oblivion. I... I don't know what to feel. Rage? Disappointment? Embarrassment? Pity on myself? I just... I don't know.

I just found myself looking for Winslet's number on my contact list and called her immediately. (Oh? Ba't ka napatawag, señorita—)

"P-Pick me up. P-Please... Let's... Let's drink."

I noticed her short silence before speaking fast. (I'll be there.) She then ended the call.

I turned off my phone, not wanting to surf the internet and search for the issue that popped up again.

I felt so weak. Like I can't do anything even if I want to. Like I can't do anything to defend myself.

It only took a couple of minutes before I heard someone knocking on my door. I weakly opened the door and saw Winslet outside.

She stared at me for quite some time before grabbing my wrist. I just then noticed Abigail and Korin behind her. "Tara na," Winslet said as she pulled me away from my cabin.

I was looking for Jelly when Abigail spoke. "Mukhang hindi available tonight si Jelly."

Naiiling naman habang nakangiti si Korin. "Not that she's unavailable, male-late lang."

My forehead creased. "Why? Is she feeling okay?"

Winslet scoffed. "Oh, she's feeling great, actually. Mukhang nakarating na sa langit sa sobrang great. Someone is making her feel alive."

I heard Korin laugh and Abby tsked. "Heaven? Feel alive? Then she's not okay. She's probably sick. Have you sent her to the clinic?"

Abby shook her head. "No need for the clinic. Unless she'll visit my clinic in two weeks after this."

I got even more confused, somehow forgetting my problems. "Why would she do that?"

Korin laughed again. "Grace really is our baby, 'no?" We stopped walking since we had already reached the entrance of a club. Korin slightly pinched my cheeks. "What Winslet and Abby were talking about is that Jelly is currently may ka-toot."

From my creased forehead to my eyes slowly widening, I realized what they were talking about. "Jelly is already having se—"

Korin quickly covered my mouth as she chuckled and shook her head sideways. "Yes, our Gracey. Jelly is already doing toot with someone inside her cabin."

I was still shocked at the moment. "W-What? W-Why? W-Who?"

"When, where, how." Winslet, who was no longer groping my wrist, rolled her eyes. "Nahiya naman sayo yung mga tanong, 'di mo pa raw nilahat."

Abigail shook her head. "So, it'll just be us four dealing with your problem and our own, and Jelly will just follow once she's done enjoying creating life."

"Is it really enjoyable? Does it really make you feel alive? Does it really bring you to heaven? To cloud nine?" I couldn't help but ask in pure curiosity.

Korin was the first one to respond. "'Yung toot ba?" I nodded. "Hmm... well... oo, masaya siya, nakakabuhay ng dugo, at madadala ka sa langit lalo na kung magaling ang partner mo."

I slowly nodded my head. Korin was, after all, the first one who had proof of that action. "Does it make you forget your worries?"

"It makes you forget the whole world, and just think of the two of you as you enjoy the moment." Korin teasingly smiled at me. "Why are you curious? You want to try?" I honestly nodded, which caused Korin's smile to drop. "There are many things to forget some worries for the meantime, Grace. Oo, masaya ang toot, masarap, pero hindi ibig sabihin nun ay iyon ang gagawin mong solution. At lalo na sa status mo ngayon, toot is the last thing you'll need right now."

Korin's words got me thinking. Is s*x really the last thing I'll need right now?

"Tapos na ba kayong mag-seminar? Gusto ko na kasi talagang uminom," Winslet interjected.

I just smiled at her. "Okay, fine. Let's go. I would also like to drink now. Too much stuff going on in my head," I said as a joke, but all three of them didn't laugh and just stared at me with worry. That's when it dawned on me. "You, guys, already knew, huh?"

Abigail nodded. "Yeah, your issue was like a missile bomb. A lot reacted. And we all wanted to sue your management for doing nothing."

I sadly smiled. "Just... just let it be for a while. Besides, we only got three days to spend stress-free, right? Let's not waste it."

I just heard them all sigh before Winslet pulled us into the club. Well, it's time to get really wasted and start the fun in this fun vacation. I shook my head to remove the worries that were starting to invade my mind. Nope, not tonight, not during this stress-free vacay. With that, I entered the club with a smile.

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