Found My Elixir THE PENUMBRA TRILOGY/ ON GOING

Chapter 1 WHAT'S BEST?

She never thought her life would turn out like this. As a college student, she always imagined herself living a carefree and happy life, surrounded by friends and loved ones. She'd been trying to get out of situations like this all her life but she still needs her father. She endured a little longer for being an inferior around that woman and that lousy daughter of her. No one can imagine how her life became miserable ever since her father remarried her outrageous step mother. Everything changed.

An attractive and electic, Algeree Junos, a second year college student wearing black pumps, pencil cut skirts and a white blouse for this day, she's now a Psychology student and showing her confident side to hide her nervousness and weariness. She's going to report her given topic and preparing herself in front of her classmates. She's twenty years old, 5'3 in height with a mysterious pretty face matching her long dark hair in a high ponytail. 'Her curvaceous body driving her to endanger situation because a lot of man couldn't take-off their eyes on her.' Well, her best friend told her about that catchphrases and she ignored it always.

"You're beauty is incomparable!" her best friend and classmates Yvonne Prieto praising her again while helping her to set-up the laptop and connect to the projector.

"I'm not sure about that, girl," Algeree replied, sigh heavily for disagreeing, her best friend smirk, pouting her lips. Although her best friend was so proud of her ever since for having a great physical appearance, Algeree accepted her compliment without vanity and conceited.

"That's right. Be humble because everything about you was divine," Yvonne trying to make her best friend calm because she looks pale and nervous due to early and unprepared reports in front of their fellow students.

Algeree has only been in school for three weeks, so she hasn't had much time to get to know her classmates. Nevertheless, for a new student in their department, she did a good job finishing her reports. It's really excellent. She is still having trouble switching courses because law school is serious business, and although she first disliked psychology, she has since come to the conclusion that it did, at least, make her life easier. She is not required to commit numbers and constitutions to memory.

"Cheers! You are good at everything!" Yvonne congratulating her while they're walking in corridor proceed to the next building for another subject and another professor.

"No babe, my life is a mess," Algeree whispered replying to her best friend. It's a fact which she considered herself as an orphan because she doesn't have a parents to lean on, her older sister Alexandra left her alone and staying with her husband.

"Yeah, I know in another part," Yvonne agreed. "But if there is something I can help. Tell me okay? We're not miles away! Don't forget!" she added. She knows Algeree was afraid to call for help, she's independent woman and she's the person who helped and saved her family and loved ones. A youngest but brave, her bravery and strong personality was owed from her late mother.

After a long day she hurriedly go to her apartment alone. She sat in her room, staring out the window at the bustling campus below. Her apartment was at the top of three storey building at the side of her school. This wasn't her kind of place, far from her favorite park and bookshop. That was an attic. She uses her father's credit card, which he lent her, to pay her rent, school fees, and groceries each month.

Her father had decided it would be best for her to finish Psychology course in private school with her best friend Yvonne Prieto; her father knows her best friend since grade school. Algeree also protested with every argument, at the end, she has nothing to do but followed her father decisions and she knows it's also for her, to be safe and free from stressing house. She was questioning him inside her head if she's truly love her for sending away from home or he hated her? She wasn't sure.

Despite of disagreeing her step mother, her father wants Algeree to focus her studies that's why he sent her to a tiny apartment near the school when she entered second year college. Though she don't want to leave her father in the hands of wicked and manipulating woman, she has nothing to do but to obey him. Also, her thirteen years old step sister, Nora, was getting her nerves almost every day just like her mom, Wilora. She has no manners and spoiled brat.

Being the youngest daughter in her family, she had experienced hardships in her life. Her father and his new wife, Wilora, were responsible for raising her and her elder sister, Alexandra, when their mother passed away when she was still a young toddler.

Algeree's stepmother approached her the day before she had to leave her own house and laid a hand on her cheek. "Gee, we are concerned for you. However, this is what's best for you," Wilora said, appearing compassionate, but her body language told a different story.

Her stomach grumbled, instead of feeling better she's doubting that this was best. And it's weird that Wilora touched her, she feel nervous of her next plan of course to owned her father and everything they have. Obviously, she is a hungry leech. "Don't need to worried, I'm not a kid anymore," Algeree replied.

"The best thing I want is, please take care my father because without him. Everything was going to change," she added. Wilora knows it's a warn but she ignore it, trying to make a a sweet genuine smile because her father approaching them.

From the very beginning, living with her father second wife was very, very strange. There is a lot of situations inside the house that made her question herself, if she deserve to be threatened that way? Damn it! Alexandra and Algeree was her father first family but everytime they sleep in they're old rooms seems they are not belong, seems they are unwanted daughters.

"Sure, Gee! I love your dad. Rest assured I'll take care of him and it's my responsibilities anyway. You don't have to worry about him," she said, what a best actress. "Right, Gerald?" she's talking to her husband. He just smile and nodded. Sadly her father, Gerald Junos was aware of his wife attitude and worst doing to his daughters but nothing to do, just zipped his mouth for the sake of his health and peacefulness.

He loves Wilora. He told them that she saved his life and their property but because the siblings hates her, they ignored they're father. That's when her older sister Alexandra force to married a man she couldn't love but because of business matters and connections her father pursue the wedding.

"You have no right to force my Ate Alexandra to married that stranger!" Algeree confronting her father a day before a wedding, she stands for her Ate, of course because her oldest sister was kind and obedient.

"There is a reason behind in every decisions I made, Gee. I hope someday you'll understand it," Gerald touching and caressing Algeree's head while his eyes was obviously unhappy. Alam niyang may mga rason naman talaga ang lahat-lahat na pangyayari sa kanilang pamilya pero sinusubukan lang ng kanilang Ama na maging tahimik ang pamilya. He is a great father somehow, nagkamali lang sa pagpili ulit ng asawa.

"But Dad, kawawa naman si Ate Xandra. Hindi niya mahal ang lalaking iyon. Hindi natin alam kung anong naghihintay na sitwasyon sa kanya kasama ang Hudson na 'yon," may pag-aalala sa boses ni Algeree pero hindi na umimik ang kanyang ama at hinayaan na lang si Algeree sa mga gustong sabihin pa. Her father choose to stop arguing with his daughter because at some reasons, she's hitting the fact, she always had a point in every situations. She is smart at walang ginawa kundi ang depensahan ang mga mahal niya sa buhay simula ng magkaisip siya at maintindihan ang mga pangyayari.

She hates her Ate Xandra because of being a docile daughter, since the day their mother died, her sister became dependable to her kahit pa panganay ito. She's a graduating student this year with the course of Business Administration but she choose to stop. She offered herself to married the son of their father's business partner. Alexandra was a good daughter and sister, she is kind and confident that's why Algeree has a big question about her. Why would she allow their step mother manipulate her? Instead of running away?

'Well, If I were in her shoes. I'll run for myself, I'll run for my life.'