She opened the small gate of their house, but before that, she looked at her right side; It was her Auntie Vilma's house, Ander's mother. It's been empty since Anders parents died, they said it was a car accident but they found bullets in their body, since then, Anders took his father's job to support his sister education, whose now living in London.

She sighed and left; she forgot how much she loves the city, the people, their warm smile, the fresh air and the beaches.

Thinking of beaches, excitement pounded her heart, she smiled and run to her mother's friend's house in the next street.

She stopped in front of a bungalow house, then she knocked on the closed door. As it open, her mother's surprised face greeted her.

"Mama, I am back" she widened her arms to hug her but a big slap landed on her face.

(!)

Shock filled her face, she touched her red cheek and looked at her mother.

"Mama?" fumed was all over her mother's beautiful face, minutes later, the hard face softens and hugs her.

"Oh Gosh! My baby is back" her mother exclaimed and tightened her embrace. Seeing that changes of her mother's mood, Novie poker her face.

She feels suffocated by the way she was embracing her, Novie patted her mother's back and asked her to release her.

"Mama, if you're that happy, why did you slap me?" she complained and caressed her cheeks.

The smile on her mother's face disappeared and Novie regretted ever saying those words.

"You want another slap?" her mother asked, Novie shook her head and asked if she can go back home.

"Ok, wait here." her mother said.

"Hey Sonia, my daughter is back, we can continue tomorrow" she yelled, Novie covered her ears by her mother's scream.

"What are you doing here?" she asked her mother while they walk back to their house hand in hand.

"We are playing card" she winked at Novie and tightened the grip to her hand.

Novie sighed and focused her eyes to the street, her mother and Sonia have been friends since they move to Bohol.

"Novie, did you know that Sonia's daughter met a rich businessman in the capital, she will visit next week and she will bring the man" her mother squeal with excitement.

Novie rolled her eyes, Sonia's daughter Rachel was her enemy, the girl has been bullying her for like forever, and now she has a rich boyfriend, she's certain that Rachel will probably make a banner with a word 'I have a rich boyfriend'.

"You should also try to find a rich man, but make sure he's single and handsome, I don't want my grandchildren to be ugly" her mother laugh by her own words. Novie twitched her lips and thought,

(Mother, if you only know, you will probably let my brother rot in the prison as long as I marry Ken)

She knows her mom, she will probably choose her son to be in the prison as long as she gets to marry a rich man, but that doesn't mean her mother doesn't love her brother Brent, but her brother is a troublemaker guy who loves to break woman's heart.

"What about Brent? Where is he?" she asked, curious.

Mary sighed and looked at her, "He came out from the prison some hours ago, they said they didn't have enough proof he killed a person, so probably, he's hiding from the women he slept with" Mary shook her head, disappointed.

When they reached their house, her mother asked her to sleep and rest.

When Novie entered her room, she saw that they have painted it to light blue. Suddenly, she can feel the tears forming in her eyes after realizing that her parents painted her room just like how she wanted it.

She sat on the bed and noticed the new mattress.

"Goodness, papa's salary was not much and yet, they still bought me a new mattress" she feels touch by her parent's love for her. Even she didn't call or message them, they still looking after her.

After changing her clothes to a short and plain t-shirt, she lay on the bed.

Ken's figure appeared in the ceiling, and once again, a pain pokes her heart.

She wiped her tears and fall asleep.

–

Her mother's scream and the commotion downstairs woke her up. Her body lifted and immediately run downstairs.

Her eyes widened to see her father chasing her brother who was hiding behind her mother.

"Papa, I told you, it was a mistake, they didn't have any evidence" her brother insisted while avoiding all the slippers and shoes her father was throwing at him.

When her father almost caught him, her brother runs towards her direction and hides behind her, Novie flattened her expression.

"I don't think papa will stop chasing you just because you're using me as a shield" she walked to her mother's direction but her brother was like a squid encircling his big body around her.

"You are their favourite child so yeah, you're the best shield I can use" he replied.

Seems like her father had calmed down, he throws the shoes on the floor and sat down.

"What happened to you Brent?" she asked, though she already has an idea.

Her brother sat next to her and crossed his legs.

Novie could see that his body became bigger, even his muscles. He loves going to the gym not because he cares about his body but to use it to get a woman. He had his own apartment, but he only brings his girlfriends there, he never once introduced his girlfriend to them.

He often stays at their parent's house especially when he's hiding from the women who want to murder him for breaking their hearts.

Unlike her, Brent has a brown skin just like their father, her mother always says that Brent's face was just like my father when he was young, while her features, they said she got it from her mother.

"What are you doing here?" her brother asked rudely, she creased her brows and turned to him.

"I live here, why are you here?" she replied, yelling at him.

"I live here too. You're 25 Novie, you need to move" he messes her hair which she hates the most. She clenched her fist and punched his arm.

"You're older than me, why don't you go and starts a family" her brother took her arm and wrestled her, while Novie tried to fight back using her small body.

The two continued wrestling and hurting each other while their mother went to the kitchen to prepare the dinner.

Their father sat on the single sofa and turned the television on, but because of the yelling and screaming coming from Novie's mouth, her father could not concentrate, he slammed the remote on the table and turned to them, fuming.