Mending Heart's Affliction [Phoenix Countesses: ETHEREAL MAIDENS SERIES I]

Prologue

The neon lights of the bar danced and flickered, casting an ethereal glow over the crowded space. Clad in my daring ensemble of a black pencil skirt and a vibrant red top, had decided to break free from my family's suffocating rules for the first time in my life.

Fuck rules and regulations. This is just a one-night of celebration of my failure.

Hindi rin naman nila malalaman. Maliban na lang kung may makakakita sa akin dito at sasabihin kay Daddy.

"Are you sure about this, girl? Your dad might freak out. I don't know how your family does it, but they have ways of finding out some things. Especially about you." Aurora said as we marched towards the VIP section.

"What happened back? Why didn't Mr. Lim accept your proposal?" Kim asked as we settled in the VIP room we rented at that bar.

I shrugged. "May iba siyang gusto, e."

"Anong ibig mong sabihin? Maybe he wants you to propose something different to him. You know how he is, that old pervert," Aurora muttered some curses.

"That's exactly the problem. He wanted me to have a private meeting with him, just the two of us. When I refused, he backed out. Sabi niya ay siya na lang daw ang magsasabi kay dad." I said, pouring myself a drink.

Sabay pa silang nagmura nang marinig ang pasaring ko. Napanguso lang ako at natulala.

The weight of disappointment from losing a significant investor, one of my father had introduced to me, had pushed me to seek solace in the liberating embrace of the night.

Hindi ako makapaniwala sa matandang manyak na iyon! Hindi niya nga binigyan ako ng pagkakataon na ipresenta ang buong proposal ko.

Nang tanggihan ko ang kanyang hiling, agad niyang kinansela ang miting at umalis. Sobrang bastos!

"Then tell your Dad what happened," Kim suggested.

I smiled sadly. The bitterness from the alcohol went straight to my heart.

"He doesn't believe me anyway, especially when he's already influenced by bad news. The company has been courting Mr. Lim for a long time."

"Well, what are you going to do?" Aurora asked as she poured another drink into my glass.

I was rendered speechless. Wala na akong lakas para pag-usapan pa iyon. Ubos na ubos na ako ngayon. Hindi ko pa nga alam kung ano ang sasabihin ko kay Daddy tungkol dito.

Puwede ko sabihin sa kanya ang masamang intensiyon ng matandang manyak, pero natatakot ako na hindi siya maniniwala at baka mas lalo pa siyang magalit sa akin.

As the alcohol coursed through my veins, I felt a newfound surge of courage. The music pulsed, its rhythm beckoning me to the dance floor.

There are lots of people during those times. It seems like everyone has their own struggles tonight. I wonder what they are going through.

I glanced at the two who were busy lecturing me.

"Hindi ba tayo sasayaw?" I asked them. Agad silang umiling nang sabay.

"Mamaya na! Kararating lang natin!" Aurora hissed.

I nodded and took a sip of my drink. I poured myself another one and looked around again.

From our position, I could see people playing beer pong. Some of them seemed lost in their own worlds.

When my gaze shifted to the other side of the VIP section, towards the entrance, I noticed a woman and a man who appeared to be having an argument based on their expressions.