The Wake
As Maki reached her house, she sat at a bench in their expansive garden.
She has gone through three dates with three attractive and interesting women but she has no clue kung sino ang true love niya pa din so far.
Just then, her butler, Jeremy, arrived.
"Sir Stephen is here to see you." Jeremy said.
Stephen arrived looking cool and casual.
Parang walang utang na malaki.
"Hi sis. Kamusta. So sorry to hear about Dad. Im here to pick you up to go to the wake."
In reality, Stephen and Maki were really close.
They would hang out together.
But all that changed when Stephen discovered gambling.
He was really hooked.
Maki tried to help him and get him professional help.
The last straw was when Stephen lost a whole company to a business rival because of betting. To think na yun yung biggest bread and butter ng conglomerate nila. It was really a huge blow.
Maki knew she had to step up and take over. So their dad threw Stephen to their statellite office in Las Vegas, that way even if he gambles all the time, the money will just go back to them.
Maki tried hard to learn the ropes, and forgot her life before and submerged herself into the business.
Maki looked at her kuya who was busy playing online slot games.
She then remembered how many employees are depending on her to keep their businesses afloat and here is her brother without a care.
Maki asked her driver to drive them off to the wake of her dad.
In the car, Stephen was telling him stories of his escapades. But Maki has a lot on her mind.
She dare not talk about business either. She doesn't want her kuya knowing her moves.
She can't remember if Stephen is trusthworthy enough so she just decided to keep quiet.
They then arrived at the wake.
The place is pure of business powerhouses.
But Maki, while familiar to the scene, kept everything professional.
She really has no emotional ties with these people given that she cant remember them.
She then went to the coffin of her father who looked so peaceful.
Before the accident, Maki is so used to seeing her dad serious and making problems disappear. He never smiled as well.
Maki stayed quiet all throughout the entire time at the wake, observing, taking notes of conversations, and all.
After a while, she asked if she could go home.
She got a text from Atty. Valerio.
"Hi Maki, you got several days to meet four more girls. Hope everything is ok."
Maki lie on her bed awake.
She then scrolled through her photos in her phone and saw a girl she was embracing.
They look happy.
Could it be her?
She compared the pictures on her phone and the profiles.
She discovered the name of the girl: Coleen.