Chained Heartbeats

Chapter 2

Dedicated to dylannncares whose my first ever friend here in Wattpad! Yey!

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"I have my present in your room, Sweetie. Congrats!" I was slicing the ham and cheese croissant when a familiar scent invaded my nose and turned my gaze in a man in his usual business suit, clean cut hair, and an attaché case held by his right hand as he appeared in my side and gave a kiss on my head.

My eyes gleamed in surprise and a smile escaped in my lips.

"Thanks Dad. Come, join me here in breakfast." I invited and pointed the long table full with french pastries and freshly brewed coffee on it. I'm glad dahil mas maaga niyang nalaman kaysa sa inaasahan ko. Kadalasan kasi inaabot ng weeks or months bago niya malaman na may napanalunan ako, minsan nga hindi pa.

"Sorry sweetie, we have this urgent meeting at this hour." Banggit niya habang nakatingin sa kanyang relo at sinimsim ang kapeng kinuha niya sa table. I looked down on my meal and played the rye bread with my fork.
Tho I already expected that answer, hindi ko pa rin maiwasang magtanong.

"Okay." I shortly replied and took a bite of sourdough bread.

"Don't worry, we can do it next time." He assured displaying a smile, as he made his way out of the dining room, but made a sudden stop like he forgot something.

"And oh, I doubled your allowance this week. Just check your account." he said as he turned around to faced me.

"Okay, that's all, got to go." He bid a goodbye after I nodded in response.

Yeah next time, last time I remembered he used that line as he meant for like 'after a few months'.

He's busy you know.

He's always like that kind of man. Workaholic.

He will bribe me with costly things as his way of fulfilling his responsibility as my father. Kahit na ilang banggit ko na sa kanyang oras niya lang ang kailangan ko at hindi na kailangan pang gumastos. But he will always made excuses like 'company needs me',or 'it's for your future'.

I somehow understand that part, pero not like this na every three to six months nagkakaroon ng complete family dinner.

Tulad din niya si Mom, a busy woman. She's a stock holder in Bank of the Philippines, and shares a huge asset while Dad is the acting COO of that company. That's actually a confidential information I should never mention to anyone for security purposes. He advised to me that I should put on my forms as his name Joseph Claveria as a client investor of the bank instead of Louis Johnny Claveria, the COO of the board.

Kaya't maya't maya na lamang ang mga meetings niya with his clients at halos maging tirahan niya na yung office niya. And to my Mom Ysabelle Olivar Claveria? Well, for now she's in a business trip in Malaysia.

They're both busy with their dealings that they forgot that I do exist.

What do I expect from a family whose parents were just arranged to be wed, for the sake of business, of course.

I opened the box, at tumambad sa akin ang pamilyar na logo na mansanas na may kagat. The latest Iphone model. I'm currently here in my room and a gift wrapped in gold and white foils in my bed got my attention. Nagtaka ako dahil bago pa naman yung Samsung S8 ko then here I have a new one? I sighed and put the box in my cabinet. I took a glance on the wall clock and decided to prepare myself to school. I have a class at eight!

"Congratulations!" malakas na sigaw ng mga kaklase ko kasabay ng pag ulan ng iba't ibang kulay na maliliit na papel sa kinatatayuan ko, ang bumungad sa akin sa unang pagtapak ko pa lang ng classroom.