CHAPTER 12: VISIT AT THE GARCIA'S

CHELSEA

I was suddenly awakened from a deep sleep by the rays of the sun touching my face. I immediately looked for my phone to check the time. It took me a while to find it because it fell under my bed.

It's 8:24 am; it's too early.

I went straight downstairs and noticed that Redemon’s office door was slightly open. I stopped walking to look at it, but no one was there. Maybe there was an early meeting, so he left. Before I left, I closed the door of his office and continued downstairs.

"Good morning, Manang!" I said happily to Manang Fe. One of the maids here in the mansion.

"Good morning to you too, ma'am!" she also said in a friendly greeting.

I just smiled and went straight to the kitchen. I was surprised when I entered to see Redemon drinking coffee while busy reading the newspaper he was holding. I guess he noticed my arrival because he looked at me.

"Mr. Buenavista, why are you still here? Don't you have work today?" I asked.

"I did; I was just waiting for you to wake up so we could eat together."

Did I hear him right? Does he want us to eat breakfast together? What kind of good spirit can merge with this monster and suddenly change its behavior?

"Uh... is that so? Alright, what do you want me to serve you this morning?" I asked with a smile while walking to the kitchen.

"Sit here beside me." I was stunned by what he said. "Manang Fe will do the cooking, so sit here," he added.

I was caught off guard by what he said. Am I still dreaming? I gently pinched my thigh to find out if I was dreaming.

"Don't be delusional. You don't know how to cook, and you might even set the whole mansion on fire, so Manang Fe will do the cooking," he said while chuckling. "Manang Fe, please prepare our breakfast," he ordered.

Is he belittling me? Gosh!

"Aren't you planning to sit down yet?" Redemon asked while looking at me. I rolled my eyes as I sat next to him.

…

After Manang Fe finished serving breakfast, Chelsea and Red started eating. In the middle of their morning, Chelsea’s phone suddenly rang. Red looked at her and wondered who was calling her so early.

"Are you going to answer that or not?" Red asked Chelsea gruffly. She had been staring at her phone and not answering the caller.

"It’s dad..."

"What's the problem?"

"Uh... It's nothing... I'll answer this first, go on with your food." He said and quickly went to

the garden.

When Chelsea answered the call, she didn't say anything and waited for the person on the other line to speak. She was surprised by her father's sudden call which was not his habit before.

[Hello? Are you there?] Mr. Garcia said on the other line.

"Yes, dad, is there a problem? Why did you suddenly call?" Chelsea asked her father in surprise.

[Nothing. I just wanted to check if you were okay there. How are you? Do they treat you well there?"] Mr. Garcia said worriedly.

"I'm fine here, dad. I'm in good condition, and Redem—I mean Red! Yes! Red is taking care of me well, you have nothing to worry about."

[That’s good to hear. I'm happy that your husband is taking good care of you. If you have time today, I would like to see you so that we can bond together. It's been a long time since we visited your mom together. I'm sure she misses seeing us together.]

"I don't have anything to do this morning, dad. I can visit there." Chelsea answered with a smile.

[Alright, for sure your aunt will be happy when you come for sure.]

Chelsea didn't pay attention to what her father said and ran back to the dining room, where she saw that Red had finished eating. She caught her breath before starting to talk.

"Dad wants to see me, and we're going to visit mom. Mr. Buenavista, can I go home first? If you don't have anything to do today, you might want to come along so mom can meet you too," she smiled at Red.

Red feels the joy that his wife feels. It was evident in her smiles, and only now did he see that Chelsea was this happy.

"You can go. I'm sorry; maybe next time I'll come with you. I have an important meeting later. I'll just send you my gift for your family," he said as he hurriedly stood up from his seat.

"Oh, right. Do you want me to drive you there?" Red said while adjusting his collar.

"No, it’s fine. I can do it. I'll just commute. Good luck in your meeting later," Chelsea said calmly.

Feeling sorry, Chelsea immediately went to their home. When she got to their front door, she felt hesitant to ring the doorbell. She was worried that she might see her ex-boyfriend Mark inside again with her sister Maxine. She still hasn't figured out how to deal with those two.

…

She was about to press the doorbell when the door suddenly opened and her stepmother came out. She smiled at Chelsea as if she were so happy to see her.

"Chelsea, you're already here, and you've brought another gift! Come on in, come in, and sit down," her stepmother offered in a cheerful voice.

Upon entering, Chelsea immediately put her things on the table, including her bag. She looked around to look for her dad, but she didn't see him anywhere.

"Where's dad?" Chelsea seriously asked.

"Oh...Your dad went out for some business errands. He'll be back soon," she said with a smile.

…It turns out that it's all just a trap. Why did I believe that my dad was worried and wanted to see me when he called earlier?...

Chelsea was about to leave when her stepmother suddenly stopped her. She held her by the arm, and Chelsea immediately looked at her evilly.

"Hija, what I'm saying is true. Your dad is just taking care of something right now; it's an emergency, so he couldn't inform you about it. But he told me to take care of you while he was gone," she said while stopping Atanasha from leaving.

"I'm leaving; this is your last trick on me, and don't expect anything else to come." That was the last thing she said before she left the house. Before she could totally leave, her stepmother said something, but she didn't pay attention to her and closed the door.

When she got out, Chelsea just remembered the belongings that she had left inside. She also forgot her bag. She simply facepalmed.

"I was so annoyed that I even left my things behind," she said problematically.

She walked back to their house, and when she slowly opened the door, she was stopped by what she heard. Her stepmother and her sister Maxine were talking.

"Open the things she brought, sweety; it appears that her husband gave this to us," her stepmother said cheerfully as she scraped the contents of the paper bag one by one.

"Is that a watch? It looks so expensive. I wonder how much this cost…”

"Mom, there's a designer bag and perfumes. The Buenavista is really rich, and they're just giving things of this value away," Maxine said to her mother.

“This will bring us a lot of money if we sell this one by one.” Mrs. Garcia said as her eyes were twinkling in delight.

"Mom, we won't be as rich as the Buenavistas just because of those. Look at that slut's bag, Mr. Buenavista obviously spoiled her and bought her designer bags," Maxine said enviously.

Chelsea continues to secretly watch her demonic family. She was right in thinking that those two planned on her coming here. But she still can't believe that her father was able to let her stepmother and sister do that to her. She also couldn't believe that her dad had lied about wanting to visit her late mother's grave with her.

"Why is that slut so lucky? I really feel it, mom; she charms the men she's in a relationship with, so that's just the way it is." Maxine added while starting to look at Chelsea’s things.

"Don't be jealous of her, sweety. You are much more beautiful than her. You can also find someone like Mr. Buenavista.”

"Hmm anyway, you're right about that. If we look back then, Mark loved her very much. He pursued and courted her for almost 4 years, and when he got that slut, he also exchanged her for a good one like me," Maxine said, so proud of herself.

Her mom smiled as she agreed. "She was just like her flirtatious mother! She needed some money, so she flirted with rich men.”

"Exactly!" Maxine responded politely.

"Mom, it looks like I'm getting what that slut is doing. Haven't she and Mark been together for a long time? I have a feeling that she really has no intention of marrying Mark and is only making it last so she can steal wealth from the Chua’s! And even after I slept with Mark, he still wanted to marry that slut, which is why I made a way for him to see me and Mark together," she said to her mother, smirking.

Mrs. Garcia hugged her daughter as if she were so proud of her. "You did a good job, sweety. But you probably know that you can't tell your dad about that, right?"

"I know, mom. I'm not as stupid as that slut,"

When the door suddenly opened and Chelsea spat out, their conversation came to a halt. The shock and nervousness on their faces were so visible.

"It's a good thing I forgot my things here. Thanks for my bag, and I got to watch a great show, from the two of you!" Chelsea said with a smile as she entered the house.

"You—When did you come back?!" Maxine asked nervously.

"What did you hear?" her stepmother inquired.

"I heard everything. Yes, the value of that bag is just like trash to me. Just like Mark, he is trash. That's why those things are perfect for you because you look like a trash bin with a mouth."

Maxine’s nose seems to be blowing some fire in anger. "How dare you?! If you are really that great, you'll be able to steal Mark from me!"

"Are you crazy, Maxine? Do you think our brains are on the same level? No matter where you look, whether after money, status, or skills, you can't compare Mark to Red. Maybe Mark is even too shy to be compared to a Buenavista. So why would I leave Red for a piece of trash?"

Words that made Maxine’s head heat up. Maxine immediately raised her hand to slap Chelsea, but Chelsea immediately caught Maxine’s hand and gave her a very strong slap that shook her whole being.