Chapter Twenty-Six

Her parents were dead!!!

"What!? Since when? How? Why-"

"They died in a car crash. A hit and run. I was only sixteen years old back then."

Her answer was not what I expected. No wonder she's living alone. I always thought that she was just rich enough to be independent and have her own home. However, it turned out she didn't have much of a choice about it.

I love being independent. My parents even support it. But just thinking about not having my parents around in the living world is unimaginable. For the first time since I met her, I felt bad for her.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"There's no need for that. It's been seven years since then. Uncle Rodney, Diane's father, took me in until I turned 18. He's also the head chairman of the Board of Directors of the company. He's basically my business advisor."

"Oh... that must have shaken up your company back then," I commented.

"Oh, not really." she disagreed. "No one apart from me, Uncle Rodney and his family, and few trusted executives knew of their death."

"You kept it a secret? But why?"

"I am the only heir. I was also still young back then. We didn't want an ownership struggle against the shareholders. So, Uncle Rodney told them that they survived the car crash, but sought medication abroad."

Oh... Talk about rich people with company drama. But wait... If it was a secret...

"So almost everyone in your company didn't know about this? But why tell me? Shouldn't you be afraid that I might tell someone or sell your story to the media?" I said feeling a bit proud of myself for thinking like a smart person.

To my disappointment, Claire didn't seem to look fazed. She even laughed mockingly as she gave me her signature devilish smile.

"You think you have the spine to threaten me? How amusing. Don't forget that we have a deal. I still have leverage against you."

Oh damn! I thought I'd get her with that. How could I forget we have a deal?

"I was just asking! I wasn't going to do it anyway. I'm not that kind of person, you know?"

She didn't say a word. But the soft smile she gave me brought me the assurance that she had not taken offense. Without another moment to pass, the waiter came with our orders. The meals taste as good as they look. As we ate dinner, we talked about Ryan and Diane and our next step with our plan.

After dinner, we bid each other goodbye. I thanked her for the meal. But as expected, she brushed it off saying that it was her responsibility since she took so much of my time. I drove back to my apartment feeling elated.

When I reached home, I spotted a worried Ryan outside. He sighed a relief when he saw my car entering the driveway. But the moment I stepped out of the car, he went dragon on me.

"Where have you been all day!!?!?! It's already past 10 pm! I have been calling you 70 times now!!! It kept saying your number is unavailable! What the hell! I was planning to call the police if you are not here by midnight."

"Relax. Let me explain. I'm fine I had been with Claire the whole day. My phone got snatched that is why you can't reach me." I began to explain.

"What!?!?! What happened? How? Are you alright?" my brother said throwing questions at me.

"Okay! Okay! I'll tell you. Let's get inside first." I said as I ushered Ryan inside.

Looks like I will also have a long night. But still, it didn't make the day any less happy. The stolen phone incident almost felt like a distant memory. And that's thanks to a certain not-so-evil snake. Though I can't see it for myself, I am certain that I had an ear-to-ear smile on my face as I walked into the apartment.

One Saturday morning, I found myself driving to a small but exclusive subdivision. Claire asked me to come over to her place to help her in typing her research paper. We could have done it in our own homes. But, Diane will be home today and we couldn't pass on the opportunity to show her our "getting along" stage.

Claire had explained to me that the subdivision, which is owned by her company, has strict security. She advised me to just follow through with the security procedure and not panic or complain. I didn't understand why she would say that. Did I look like someone who would complain or panic over a security inspection?

Then I came to the subdivision entrance. Only then did I realize that she wasn't bluffing when she said they had strict security. Not only was I asked to leave two IDs, but I was also asked to step out of my car for further inspection. They patted me everywhere, and took my fingerprints, and my picture. They also inspected my vehicle and took pictures of the inside.

Afterward, another guard came back from the guardhouse. He said that they got a guest confirmation from Miss Solistre's residence. That confirmation gave me the clearance to finally enter the subdivision. One of the guards even guided me on my way to Claire's house.

We stopped in front of a two-story house. It's big but not like a mansion. It's like a mini-mansion with a large garden. I thanked the guard who assisted me. I parked my car in front but did not block the gate. I rang the doorbell thrice. Then, I wait.

About a minute later, I heard footsteps approaching the gate. Then the gate opens.

"Hi, Kuya Justin Cyrus!"

"Hello, Diane! Long time no see." I greeted her back.

It's been so long since I last saw Diane. I'm glad she's still as cheery as ever even though she and Ryan already broke up. It gave me hope that soon, our plan will succeed.

"It's definitely a long time. Come in! Come in!" she said creating a path for me to enter.

I took a good look at the garden. It's beautiful and... very practical.

"Are those grapes?" I said pointing to one of the plants in the garden.

"Ah, yes! Ate J. Claire loves to garden during her free time. When she's busy, Manang Lilia takes care of her plants. She's our only housemaid but she's not here today. Saturdays are her day-offs." Diane explained.

"Okay. Oh, wow! Are those cabbages?"

"Yes, Ate Claire enjoys growing her food. We get most of our fruits and vegetables here. If there was any excess, she had Manang Lilia sell them at the public market. Then she uses the money she earned to sustain her garden or buy a new plant seedling."

Wow! Talk about being sustainable. It gave me the idea of what I'm going to do once I have my own place.

Diane then led me inside. We entered the living room and I began to appreciate the interior. Claire sure likes to keep it simple. The ambiance looks so simple yet classy. Diane took the initiative to explain the interior design. It turned out Claire has a minimalist taste. The simple design also gave me an idea of what I would do to my future house.

I looked around the living room. Speaking of Claire, where is she? I was about to ask Diane when I heard footsteps coming from the stairs. I looked at the stairs and there I saw the person I was looking for. However, she's not alone.

A woman was clinging onto Claire's arm as they went downstairs. I took a good look at this woman. The way she dressed would earn a scolding from my mom. The flirty way she hanged herself on Claire made me feel uncomfortable. My conservative views resurfaced at the top of my mind as they drew closer.

"Oh? You're already here. I'll be right back. You can hang around with Diane in the meantime." Claire said as she walked out of the house with the woman.

The woman didn't say a word to us. She just took a glance at us briefly then returned her attention to Claire. The way she behaved towards us triggered a feeling of irritation in me. She acts like we're nothing.

When they were out the door, I turned to Diane who didn't look pleased at all. She sighed in frustration and looked at me.

"Now you know what it feels like to live with a lesbian."