A lovely hero never dies, so shall a princess who's about to be the new queen of Parriño's. Vuixionne Aza C. Valentine—and she's ready to burst herself out. Well, nothing's new. I have always been a queen to our family, bakit hindi sa mga Parriño, diba? I mean, I have a reason why and I will always have that reason be my ally.

"Aza—"

"Get your hands off of me. We're not close, remember?" I blinked my eyes twice together with my twinkling fake eyelashes, pointing my fingers at Zain—the little centipede who was adopted by my Mom 19 years ago and I've always been so sick of hearing his voice.

"I did not tell you yet about our new rules and regulations." I popped my lips after applying my dark red lipstick before tuning my attention at him again.

"Social distancing, okay? I don't want any virus laying on my skin again. That's it. And also, if you need something kaya tinawag mo ako, go and ask Mom. Napapaawa mo naman siya kapag desperado ka." I blatantly added, making him silent. I made sure to have my heels heard as I go away from the nerd. God, kagigising ko lang, putting my make up on, tapos ibubungad mo sa akin tong nerd na 'to. What a shitty move, Lord. Have me my peace!

"Hi, Mom! I looooove pancakes, thanks!—"

"Hindi para sa'yo yan." hinampas niya ang kamay kong nagtatangkang kunin ang plato na may laman na mga pancakes.

"That's for my niño, Zain." she scolded and ignored my sulky face.

"Zain, your breakfast is ready!" she yelled, babying the 21-year old adopted fucking guy before glancing at me. "Ito, banana chips and yogurt for you. You're on a diet, right? You have three pending magazines to get a cover with. Have discipline, Aza." dagdag niya pa before offering me my plate. I irritably rolled my eyes bago lumantak sa banana chips. After the third swallow, I slammed the table and got myself away. Nakakaburyo kumain ng plain breakfast. That's super cheap! I haven't been able to taste some expensive-looking foods since locking myself up with this fucked up career! Nakakaubos ng pasensya! Pero wala akong magagawa, artista si Mommy, e. So as to keep her image pure, I need to follow every pressuring orders from her.

8:27 AM, I found myself lying on a couch sa set ng photoshoot namin. Everyone treats me like a princess, and they're my slaves! Haha, at least, I'm able to experience what I wasn't able to experience from my own family since that Zain came. Gano'n, mas pinahahalagahan pa ang ampon kaysa sa real and biological child. What kind of a mother is she?

"Vuixi, the magazine director wants to change your pose. Hindi raw bagay sa cinematic background nung magazine." I sighed after being called out. Tumango lang ako, then I proceeded to the photoshoot center—changed my pose according to what the director wanted and got praised for being flawless.

"Great job, Vuixi. I know you'd do well." Cheuan said, my acting brother every time na may schedule ako sa set dito.

"Of course, kuya. You know me so well." I sighed before proceeding. "And also, sabi pa diba na— speaking of the devil." I got interrupted when suddenly, Adrion, the current heir of Parriño's came forward.

"Letter from Dad." I held my chin, ticking my tongue before setting my eyes on the letter, nakalagay sa loob ng transparent envelope. I smiled a little, pretending to be interested and anticipated sa letter na gustong ibigay ng mga Parriño's. Haha, they want me so fucking desperately well. They want me so bad. But you know what I want? It's not a 'what' actually, it's a 'who'. Si Adrion lang ang habol ko, nothing and no one else.

I opened the seal of the envelope at bumungad sa akin ang formal printed photo paper na naglalaman ng letter ng tatay niya—and all about it was an invitation sa ribbon cutting nila sa Sta. Cruz, opening another branch ng business nila. I, again, released a fake smile, put out my signature pen saka pinirmahan ang letter.

"Sure. See you there—"

"Just so you know lang, Aza—"

"I already know. Cut that shit off and I'll go home. I don't need to hear that repetitive and cliché instruction of yours, okay? I'm good and I know, ribbon cutting, hindi ako kasali. Imbitado lang, hindi kasali. I understand." singit ko kay Adrion na pangangaralan na naman ako about sa arrange marriage na gustong i-file ng tatay niya sa aming dalawa. Sus, hindi ko rin naman pipirmahan. Si Adrion ang habol ko for one certain reason, at hindi ang makipaglampungan sa kaniya. Kaniya na yang ari niya at ang titulo ng pamilya niya. I need something else, and that something can only be obtained by Adrion. Mandidiri lang ako kung magpapakasal ako kay Adrion.

- Cassandra Oxine Fuentivas' Point of View -

"Tita, may family gathering daw sa Sunday? I just heard kina Hiro, nag-usap usap kami kahapon." I initiated the first dialogue, trying to have a formal exchange with my Tita whom everyone thinks I would depend my life with. Hell fucking no.

"Yes. You'll be meeting your other cousins na hindi mo pa name-meet before." I just nodded, trying to understand the idea of having a sudden family gathering. I remained myself composed, naka-side eye nang onti kay Tita na busy sa gadget niya.

"Hays." I sighed, releasing my frustrations. I kept my poise under control, remaining composed. I crossed my legs before having my eyes locked on Tita's, now glaring like a tiger. I raised a brow, signalling of what happened—but she remained glaring until she gets off the couch before proceeding to her room.

That was definitely super strange.

October 23, 2023—now at the terminal, waiting for a bus to come na dederetso sa Baguio. Sa Hill Station kami mag-gagathering, napagplanuhan nila. Sakit sa ulo, wala pa akong tawag na natatanggap. Whatever, parang hindi rin naman ako matatawagan—binara-bara ba naman yung dapat na formal interview. What kind of specie are they, anyway?

"Let's go." Tita invited which I immediately accepted. The trip didn't go as expected, it was a fucking boring ride while hearing the monotonous snore of my Tita. Just what the hell were those? It was like a bear who wasn't able to sleep for the entire fucking year! Kainis!

"Agatha, Hiro! Oh my God, you guys look so fabulous today!" I greeted with a smile, sweetly overflowing through the beats of this elegant restaurant. Dami pwedeng gawing rendezvous, pero ito yung napili. Though, at some point—medyo uninteresting kasi ang layo pa ng bniyahe namin ni Tita, but I guess, sulit naman siguro.

After a little while, we embraced each other after our little chat—at sa saktong paglupot ng kamay ko sa likuran nila, sa saktong pagtinta ng oras na i-bend over ko ang ulo ko para maka-buwelo sa yakap nila, placing my head behind their back—nakakita ako ng isang masalimuot na dalaga. Matapobre. Illusyonada. At buwakaw.

Si Vuixionne Aza Valentine, ang nag-iisang anak ng Tita ko mula sa pinsan ng Mama ko. At a bright figure, siya yung anak ni Tita Oyi na anak ng pinsan ni Mama mula sa kapatid ni Lola. Kumplikado, diba? Basta, all these people came from the other side of my Lola's family kuno. Parang tanga lang kasi ang sabi nila, hindi nila kilala ang ancestors nila or ayaw lang nila ipaalam kung sino ang Lola ko kaya hindi ko rin alam totally yung whereabouts nitong mga 'to. Basta ang sabi, ang ancestral line nina Aza, kasama sina Hiro at Agatha, nanggagaling sa ugat ng kapatid ni Lola—and I don't know who the fuck they are.

After all the drama, nakaayos na ang venue para sa amin. Tila biglang lahat ng mga tao na naka-dine in, nasa amin ang atensyon... pero hindi pala. Kay Tita Oyi pala sila nakatingin who walks gracefully from the entrance of this restaurant—Hill Station. I could see all the flashes of their phones na parang modelling show 'to, may pa-red carpet pa yung mga waiters, so planado 'to? And sila ang main character? Just because artista ang pamilya nila? Lol, very bitchy ang datingan. Mga papansin.

"Okay, okay. Hahaha." Tita Oyi put everyone in silence as she makes her so-called super strong enticing voice. "Thanks for the flashes, thanks for the red carpet. Thanks, manager! But I came here for a private business with my ancestors, my family, my blood link, so please if I may, manager? Hm?" ngumiti siya na parang may ipinapahiwatig, then the manager already understood. All the helpers immediately came from table to table at isa-isa nang nag-aalisan ang mga customers, nagrereklamo pa yung iba lalo na yung sumigaw na isang oras na sila naghintay, dahil lang sa echuserang artista, pinaalis sila.

Haha, totoo naman.

Everything is getting processed until kami na lang ang natira.

"Finally." I heard Tita Oyi from afar as I sat to my designated seat. Hindi ko alam kung bakit at anong purpose ng family gathering, but I'm pretty sure na it has to be something about the matters we failed to resolve before—tulad ng kamatayan ng nanay ko. They could not solve the matter and that's why hanggang ngayon, may burning spark pa rin si Tita Oyi saka yung mother ngayon ng current heir ng Parriño, si Sasha Parriño, ang pinaghihinalaan na pumatay sa mga magulang ko.

"I... changed my birth certificate—"

"For what?" singit ni Tita Ash, yung kasama ko pumunta rito kanina.

"Ayan ka na naman Ashley. You already know what's that for! And it is— to keep my image. Clean and wise, pure and white." Tita Oyi answered before calling the waiter—nilapag na rin ng waiter lahat ng available menu for all of us. Fifteen kami rito, pero tanging iilan lang ang kilala ko. Si Tita Ash, Tita Oyi, Hiro, Agatha, at saka si Aza. Sila-sila lang. Unfortunately, I could only remember some of them dahil sa masangsang na dila nila—specifically, Tita Oyi at ang anak niyang si Aza.

"Oyi, why would you change your birth certificate? So does that mean hindi ka na Fuentivas? And if so, bakit pa tayo nag-family gathering?—"

"Wait for a bit muna kasi, Tita Ash. We came here for a reason! At saka kung nagpa-change ng birth certificate si mommy, why does that affect you? After all, nasa lowland pa lang kayo while nasa big time na kami." Aza interrupted. Sabi na, e. Kaya ayaw kong nag-fafamily gathering. Puro tension lang yung nangyayari.

"Awww, honey— you— you really like speaking facts for me. Waiter please!" Tita Oyi raised her hand, calling the waiter out para ipa-prepare na yung order namin. Hindi nga nakarating sa amin yung menu dahil sila ang may control, sila naman daw kasi ang magbabayad.

"Voliuo, stop! Ano ba! Nakikiliti ako!" Agatha murmured from my right side, kasama niya kasi yung boyfriend niya.

"Respect the table. Kayong dalawa, hanggang dito naglalampungan kayo?" intrimitidang savi ni Tita Oyi, nakataas ang kilay, inaayos ang manggas—smirking like there will be a sarcastic dark void coming out of her plastic mouth. Tumigil na rin naman ang dalawa. As usual, yung mama ni Agatha at ni Hiro, ka-close si Tita Oyi, magkapatid din kasi sila while Tita Ash, yung kasa-kasama ko ngayon sa bahay—na-leleft out dahil sa ibang angkan ang direct ancestor ni Tita, kumbaga parang saling ketket lang kami rito sa family gathering nila.

Ewan ko ba kung bakit big deal sa kanila yang mga ancestors nila, e, kahit pagtagpi-tagpiin natin ang linya—sa dalawang tao pa rin kaming lahat nagmumula.

"Hayaan mo na, Ate. They're teens! They're just having fun!" uttered my other Tita, si Tita Taya.

The food got served after a little while, cutting their boring conversation. The time when I was about to get my spoon, and the other utensils—biglang nag-vibrate ang Louis Vuitton kong bag, may tumatawag sa telepono coming from an unknown number. Now that I had the reason to get out of the dining table, pinayagang akong pumunta sa labas ng restaurant to make my call. I cannot make a call sa restroom, I hate having my phone heard lalo na't sila lang ang puwedeng makaririnig sa akin ngayon.

As soon as I went outside, I pressed the green phone button, at isang recognizable at malalim na boses ang bumungad sa akin.

"Hello?"

- Acrimonious Heart, Chapter 2 -