The Surrogate Wife (COMPLETED)

Chapter 1 - Sky Full of Stars

Hi my dears, so nice to be back in my comfort zone. I will be wrapping up Mainit na Pasko next weekend so that I can concentrate on this story. I just want to thank you for the very encouraging reception and nice comments for the Prologue. You've seen how Richard met Nicole, now let's go back to two nights before.

Please don't forget to comment and share your views with me, lovies. Enjoy :)

 'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars
I'm gonna give you my heart
'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars
'Cause you light up the path

Two nights ago, March 31, 2017

It was the first night of the Coldplay Head Full of Dreams Concert in Singapore. Maine walks hurriedly towards the stadium, in search of the right entrance corresponding to her Standing Pen A VIP ticket. At SGD 298, she gets the ticket, some merchandise, and the nearest possible view of the band. The show doesn't start till 7:30 in the evening but to her chagrin, at barely 5:00 in the afternoon, the line was already long. With a shrug, she falls in line as well, ready to wait for two hours till the gates open and let them in.

She had been a fan of Coldplay ever since her dad introduced her to the band when she was barely eight years old. On the ride to school, with Nicole sleeping in the back seat, her dad took out a CD of Coldplay's first album "Parachutes" and introduced her to the songs Yellow, Trouble, Don't Panic, and Shiver.

"Papa, who's that?"

"Who's what?"

"That band....who's playing?"

"Oh. Coldplay, a British band. You like it?"

"Yes! I will have my own band when I grow up."

"Of course you will, princess, you can have anything you want, if you set your mind to it."

She laughed at the memory. Wrong, papa. I may have set my mind to it, but I don't have the talent. She could write though, and write really well. She was head of creatives for Supernova Digital, a start-up marketing company she setup initially for just content writing services but was slowly evolving into a full service digital marketing agency, now providing mobile app, web design and digital media management. It was a lucrative business shared with her business partner, former professor Kyle Melendez.

Thankful for her angel of a partner, Maine took a seven-day leave for some R&R in Singapore, capping it with the Coldplay concert. She chose to spend the week alone, a habit she acquired since she was in high school and got bitten by the writing bug. She was no social butterfly, she preferred working in the sidelines, away from the watchful eyes of judgmental people in her social circle. She had a solid reputation of creating seamless campaigns for her clients, but always kept to the confines of her office, meeting only with the client bigwigs when they specifically ask for her.

Now, waiting in line for the gates to open for them, she lived for simple joys like this. No need to dress, just ripped jeans, black t-shirt, her Coldplay cap and sneakers, and she was ready for a night of magic, with her head full of dreams.

-----

The gates were about to open and people were getting antsy. Richard stood patiently, waiting for his turn as people around him impatiently clamored for the gates to be opened as it was barely an hour before the concert. He surveyed the area and shook his head at the crowd. He was willing to bet there were many here who knew less than three songs sung by Coldplay and chose to be here only to be seen. It was sad really, so many people wanted to see the concert and he felt bad for many who were true blue Coldplay fans but were not given the opportunity to buy ticket.