Love in the Lines of Duty (Profession Series #1)

Chapter 1

Trigger Warning ⚠️
This chapter contains elements of abuse, which may be harmful or traumatizing to some. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Morning light filtered through the curtains, painting the room in muted shades of gold. I groaned softly as I reached for my phone, my head throbbing from the remnants of last night's revelry. I blinked away the sleep, intending to check the time, but my screen was ablaze with notifications instead.

Curiosity turned to horror as I tapped on the news app and saw my own name splashed across the headlines.

:Elise Chua, Daughter of a Presidential Candidate, Roberto Chua, Caught in Scandalous Club Kissing a guy!

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, and my heart raced as I tapped open the article.

There it was, a grainy photo capturing me and Daniel in a tender moment outside the club. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment as I read the comments—harsh judgments and assumptions from strangers who knew nothing of me beyond this fleeting snapshot.

Tears welled in my eyes as I imagined my father's reaction. The thought of his disappointment, his anger, made my stomach churn. I knew how important his political career was to him, how meticulously he crafted our family's image. And now, here I was, unwittingly tarnishing it all with a single reckless act.

The sound of footsteps approached my bedroom door, and dread tightened its grip around my heart. When Dad entered, his face was a mask of controlled fury.

"Baba!" He shouted at me. Wanting me to get out of my bed.

Mom was in his back, holding his shoulder. Para bang pinipigilan sa anong kayang gawin ni Dad.

  "Do you have any idea what you've done!?" Patuloy niyang sigaw.

"Baba! Bababa ka diyan o kakaladkarin kita!" Lumingaw-ngaw ang boses niya sa kwarto ko.

My throat constricted, words failing me as I struggled to meet his gaze. I wanted to explain, to make him understand that it was just a youthful mistake, a moment of indiscretion. But the weight of his disappointment was crushing, suffocating any defense I could muster.

Dahan-dahan akong bumaba sa kama. Lumapit siya sa akin at agad akong sinampal ng malakas. Napadapa ako sa sahig.

"Robert!" My mom yelled.

"You've embarrassed this family," he continued, each word cutting deeper than the last. "You've jeopardized everything I've worked so hard to build!"

Tears streamed down my cheeks.

"Tumayo ka."

Hindi agad ako nakatayo, nahihilo pa sa sampal na ibinigay niya sa akin.

"Tayo!" He shouted.

Dahan-dahan akong tumayo, naka yuko na ang ulo.

"Wala kana ngang magawang tama! Dumagdag kapa sa problema! Hayop ka!" Then slapped me again.

Sakit ang bumalot sa puso ko. Kahit kailan hindi ako naging mabuti sa paningin niya. Kahit kailan hindi ko naramadaman ang pag mamahal ng isang ama!

"You're grounded for weeks. Huwag kang lalabas sa kwarto mo. Kung may magpapa labas sa babaeng ito! E dadamay ko kayo!" Huling sabi niya bago umalis.

Grounded na naman. Kaya kapag nag club ako para akong hayop na naka wala galing sa kulungan, I feel so free, walang sakit. Lahat lahat malilimutan ko dahil sa alak.

I was only 17. But my life could be any worse than these? I'm I really his child? Bakit niya ito nagawa sa akin?

—

Year had passed since the scandal rocked my world. Despite my dad's stern warnings and the media frenzy that eventually died down, the allure of rebellion still beckoned.

This time,  I found my self  back in the pulsating heart of nightlife, another club, another boyfriend.

Walang buwan na hindi ako magkaka boyfriend. Naisip ko lang na siguro sa lalaking iyon, mararamdaman ko ang pagmamahal na gusto kong maramdaman galing sa pamilya. Naisip ko na baka ang pagmamahal na iyon ang kailangan ko.

The music throbbed in sync with my racing heart as I moved through the crowd, hand in hand with Alex, a rebellious streak mirrored in his wild eyes. We found a secluded corner, hidden from prying eyes but not from the pulsing beat that fueled their adrenaline. Shots were downed in quick succession, each one emboldening us further.

Dancing became reckless, bodies pressed close in a frenzy of youth and desire. Alex's lips found mine, and I kissed him back with abandon, the taste of freedom and defiance mingling with the remnants of alcohol on my tongue. We were untamed, unapologetic, lost in a world where consequences felt distant and unreal.

Hours blurred into minutes, and the night spun on, a whirlwind of laughter and intoxication. But with the dawn came a sobering reality—a familiar flash of cameras, distant murmurs that grew louder with each click of the shutter. The paparazzi had struck again, capturing me in another compromising moment, this time with a different boy.

Morning light filtered through the blinds, casting long shadows across my bedroom floor. I blinked away the remnants of sleep, my head heavy with a mix of regret and defiance. As I reached for my phone, a knot formed in my stomach, anticipating the aftermath of another night spent chasing freedom and rebellion.

Opening the news app was like ripping off a bandage. There it was again, my name plastered across headlines that screamed scandal and disgrace. A photo captured a moment of reckless abandon, me and Alex tangled in each other's arms, lost in a haze of music and alcohol. The comments cut deeper this time, slicing through my already fragile sense of self with their harsh judgments and assumptions.

Tears welled in my eyes, a familiar sting of shame and frustration. Why couldn't they see beyond the snapshot, beyond the facade of privilege and mistakes? Each click of the camera had stripped away another layer of privacy, exposing me to scrutiny I never asked for, consequences I never fully grasped until now.

"Sinabi ko naman kasi sayo, tapusin mo na yang habit mo sa pag babar! Pwede naman tayong mag inom dito sa condo ko eh! Para iwas sa paparazzi!" Si Coleen matapos ko sabihin sa kanya ang nangyari.

Nandito kami sa Condo ni Coleen, my bestfriend since elementary. Hindi ako umuwi ng bahay, alam ko na kais agad kung ano na naman ang bubungad sa akin doon.

"Alam no namang tatakbo yung dad mo diba? So dapat iwas muna tayo sa gulo ngayon." She said opening a can of beers.

"Diba pangarap mo dati ang Modeling?" She asked, out of nowhere.

"Oo bakit?" I asked.

"Eh kasi, may nag open kahapon lang ng model agency, kilala ko ang may ari non, pwede kitang ipasok."

My face lit up. Bata pa man ako ay gusto ko na talaga ang pag momodel. Kaya lang ayaw ni dad nang ganon kaya hindi ko tinuloy.

"Let's give it a try." I smiled.