CHAPTER 13: JUST HERE BESIDE YOU

A very strong slap touched Maxine’s cheek. Due to the force of its impact on her face, it seemed to be numb, and only a shrill sound continued in her ears. She stood up and stopped her tears from falling. When she raised her eyes, Chelsea’s glaring eyes met hers. It is full of anger and hatred towards the half-sister.

In so much shock, Mrs. Garcia shouted and immediately ran toward Maxine. "What do you think you're doing?!"

After helping her daughter, she even tried to slap Chelsea in return, but she was stunned by the words she uttered.

"Go ahead and try it, so everyone knows how desperate a woman the two of you are," she told her stepmother solemnly.

When Maxine felt the itchy pain on her cheek, she touched it and suddenly laughed so hard that anyone might think she was losing her mind.

"Say it! Spread the word; that's what you're good at, right? Destroying everything I have? Always be you; always be the hero! You're so selfish, Chelsea. I'm your sister but you treat me like that?" she said as the tears began to fall.

"You act really well," Chelsea said while still clapping. "Do you think you can get over me by playing the victim? Why don't you complain about it to yourself, after all, you're the one who can't be satisfied with what you have? You're filled with envy. You have the courage to boast that you're better than me, and now that you've got Mark, you're still jealous of me. You're pathetic Maxine," Chelsea added before silencing Maxine.

"The Buenavistas just picked you up and now you start to behave like that? Uneducated child! Is that how you will repay me, Chelsea? After I dressed you up and treated you as a second child, this is how you will treat us? Is being a brat the inheritance that your mom left for you?" Mrs. Garcia exclaimed.

"Don't you ever bring up my mother’s name. No matter where you look, you're not my mother and you will never be. You're just a mistress who can't be satisfied with her life. That's why you were so happy when my dad married you, weren't you? Because you thought you already had it all. You're only after money from dad; I don't know why he can't see that. Stop pretending that you consider me your second child because I never felt that way!" Chelsea replied angrily to her stepmother.

"Shut up! You have no right on screaming in my face! You were just your father’s child and nothing else, while me? I’m his wife and we are his family."

"Do you want me to give you a medal for that? I've put up with you two for a long time. I've put up with everything you've done to me and especially the things you did just to ruin my life. Now that I'm no longer in this house, you want me back. For what? Because you're jealous of the life I have now; that's why you want to take it from me? Aren't you tired of your demonic attitude? Satan must be so ashamed of your evilness. You both can now take his crown in hell." Chelsea's anger overflows as she grits her teeth. "This is the last time I'm coming here, so stop looking for me. I don't want to see your faces again!" Chelsea shouted and walked out of that house. She didn't even bother to take the things that she left anymore and left them at the Garcias' house.

…

Chelsea's tears began to flow as soon as she realized she was far from the house she grew up in. Her tears are choking her again, and they are racing to fall. She could hardly see what she was going through because of the blurring of her eyes due to her tears.

"It's really good, and I've forgotten for a long time that you're my sister..." she mumbled, referring to Maxine while still sobbing because of mixed feelings.

As Chelsea walked, she remembered the happy times she had with her ex-boyfriend, Mark. And the times when she and Maxine were still getting along when they were still young and relied on each other to get through the tough times. Her tears flowed even more because of the memories she knew she could never get back. As she was wiping away her tears, a man suddenly bumped into her.

She didn't bother to look at who she bumped into and immediately apologized to him. Because her tears are still flowing and she doesn't want other people to see them, especially when she is outside. Her phone and wallet were inside her bag so she had no choice but to walk back to the Buenavistas' mansion.

After apologizing to the person she bumped into, she was about to walk when the guy suddenly stopped her and held her by the arm. Chelsea slowly raised her eyes and was shocked to see who it was.

"You? What are you doing here?" Chelsea asked in shock when she found out that Red was the one she bumped into.

"Weren't you taught in school to always look where you're going?" a serious question from Red to the tearful Chelsea.

Chelsea could no longer bear the weight that she was feeling, which is why her tears immediately began to flow again. She was speechless and just sat on the road. Red just stared at her and carried her into his car with a blank expression, seems like everything that is happening is normal.

When they got into the car, Chelsea was still crying. Red didn't say a word and just drove quietly. When they got to the stop light, Red held the steering wheel tightly and looked annoyed at Chelsea, who still wasn't done sobbing.

"You're a crybaby; if you used the time you cried to plan how to bring down those who oppressed you, your time would have been meaningful! Don't waste your time crying as if you're the only one pitiful," Red said, annoyed.

Chelsea was shocked by his shouting and suddenly stopped crying. "...I-I'm not crying."

"Not crying? Did you then put all of a pharmacy's eyedrops in your eyes?" Red asked sarcastically and continued driving.

Chelsea did not answer and immediately straightened herself.

"I just slipped on the road earlier… and uhm—and I hurt my butt, that’s all." She lied.

30 minutes passed, and Red suddenly stopped the car. Chelsea, on the other hand, just bowed and looked deep in thought.

"I'm just disgusted by your stupidity! Get out!" Red shouted angrily at Chelsea.

Suddenly, she came to her senses and got out of the car. "Why are you so upset today?" she said while getting out of the car.

When she got off, she was surprised that she was in front of Sky Ranch. A famous amusement park in Tagaytay. She immediately turned to Red and gave him a surprised look.

"Wait for me there; I'll just find a place to park." He said this while leaving.

Chelsea was left alone. Since she was a child, she had never been to such a place, so her amazement was intense. After a while, Red arrived.

"What are you looking at? Let's go," Red said.

Chelsea was astonished as she followed Red. They stopped at a ticket booth. This is necessary to get inside the Sky Ranch.

"Two tickets please," Red said to the staff.

After they paid the entrance fee, Red reached out and grabbed Chelsea's hand. Chelsea was surprised by his sudden action and just stared when he suddenly put the ticket that was made into a bracelet on her.

"We can't go in if you're not wearing that," Red murmured.

"Uh, okay," Chelsea answered awkwardly.

They first went to a waffle shop. Red offered it to her, but Chelsea simply refused. Red pulled her towards the man who was making cotton candy.

"How about that? Do you like that one?" He asked Chelsea.

She only answered him with two shakes of her head. Red frowned at her refusal.

"Then what do you want?" Red asked seriously.

"I'm thirsty; I think the water in my body has run out because of my tears earlier," Chelsea said jokingly while still laughing.

"Okay. Stay here."

Ten minutes later, Red returned with two mango shakes and water.

"Here." This gave Chelsea a mango shake.

"How did you know that mango is my favorite shake flavor?" she asked curiously while sipping the mango shake that Red bought.

"I don't know. Mango is also my favorite," he answered.

They walked, and when they entered the park, different rides appeared to them.

"Who do you want to ride first?" Red asked Chelsea seriously while her face showed no reaction.

"Huh? Who?" Chelsea asked in surprise at Red, as she didn’t get to pick up on what he just said.

"Nevermind, you're slow," Red said while pulling Chelsea in the extreme shot.

This is a game where you pay 100 for one ball and 200 for 3 balls. All you have to do to win is manage to shoot three balls in the ring to get the prize. You can choose from a variety of prizes, such as stuffed animals or food.

"Hey, I don't know how to play basketball, dammit." Chelsea looked worried at Red.

"Who said you were the one to play? Just stand there and hold this,” he said while giving his drink to Chelsea.

"Three balls, brother," Red said to the man guarding the extreme shot game.

"You look like a sharpshooter, sir, and you only bought three balls!" the staff said happily.

"I'm really a sharpshooter. Right, love?" Red grins as he looks at Chelsea.

The people cheered at him. Others are teasing the two. Chelsea couldn't look directly at the embarrassment Red caused.

"Watch me," Red said with a wink at Chelsea.

"Put it in for me, please!" the gay man said.

The people around them laughed. Chelsea also blew out what she was drinking because of what he said.

In Red's first turn, the ball went in very well. The audience roared with applause. His second turn is to shoot it anyway.

"Miss, kiss your boyfriend for the encouragement!" Temptation of young viewers.

"Yes, please!"

"She's not my girlfriend, she's my wife," Red said with a smile that made Chelsea's cheeks turn red right away.

"Hey! Look at her! She looks like a tomato!"

"That's it, kiss, kiss, kiss!" people shouted again and again.

Chelsea's look could not be painted in shame. Red suddenly approached her and whispered.

"Do you want people to call you a killjoy?" Red whispered.

Chelsea sneezed slightly. "Just on the cheeks," she said shyly, and suddenly gave Red a kiss on the cheek.

The people started screaming again.

"Last one, sir, when you shoot this, you will get a prize! Good luck!" The staff said happily while handing the ball to Red.

Red takes his position to shoot the ball. The surroundings were silent, waiting for what Red would do next. When he left, it seemed that Chelsea was still in slow motion and was trembling. When the ball suddenly entered the ring, Chelsea screamed in delight and couldn’t stop herself from hugging Red, which surprised him. There was a commotion around the temptation that occurred.

"Congratulations, sir, and because of that, you can choose any price. Go pick one!" The staff said happily.

When Chelsea realized what she had done, she immediately released herself from the hug. Suddenly, Red took the drinks that Chelsea was holding.

"Choose now," he said.

That short word sent a tickle to Chelsea's core.