Chapter 6

What am I even supposed to do here now? Deanna wondered as she gazed outside from her bedroom window.

She was incredibly bored—unlike in Bicol, where she always had plenty to do the moment she woke up.

Should I watch TV? Play games on my phone?

Ugh, boring! I'd rather plant crops like I did back in Bicol, then harvest them with Grandma Delilah. But that's impossible now… Grandma is gone. I have nothing left to return to in Bicol except memories—memories of her and Grandpa.

Sighing, she stepped out of her room to get some fresh air outside.

In the garden, she saw the gardener busy trimming the plants.

"Good day, sir!" she greeted. The gardener turned to her and smiled.

"Good day to you too, Señorita Janna."

She chuckled at the way he addressed her.

"It's De-yah-na, not Janna," she corrected him with a smile.

"Oh, my apologies, Señorita De… Deanna. I must have misheard when Doña Estrella introduced you to us," he said sheepishly.

"No worries, sir. By the way, have you been working here for long?" she asked.

The gardener nodded. "Yes, Señorita. It's been about ten years now."

"Wow, that long?" she remarked.

"Yes, Señorita. The Ashford family is kind, so I've stayed here all this time," he replied.

"Hmm. That's pretty obvious—except for Grandma's two grandsons," she muttered under her breath.

The gardener chuckled. "That's just how those two are, so don't be surprised."

"I'd love to bump their heads together—" She stopped herself and changed the subject. "Let me help you instead. I'll sweep up the trimmings," she offered as she picked up a broom.

"Oh, no need, Señorita. This is my job, and I can handle it just fine," he declined politely.

"It's alright. I actually miss doing things like this. Back in Bicol, I used to plant crops and harvest them with my grandma. But I won't get to do that anymore," she said with a hint of sadness.

"Why not, Señorita?"

"My grandma and grandpa have both passed away. There's nothing left for me to return to—only memories of the times we spent together," she admitted.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but that's life, Señorita. It's good that you're here now; at least, being in a new place might help ease your grief," the gardener consoled her.

"I suppose so, but everything has changed so much. I'm not used to this kind of life. I grew up poor, so I don't even know why my late grandma entrusted me to her friend, Doña Estrella," she confessed.

"You'll get used to it, Señorita. There's no changing the past, so all you can do is embrace this new chapter of your life," the gardener advised.

"I hope so. Anyway, let's change the topic. Where are the parents of Grandma's grandsons?" she asked curiously.

"You don't need to know everything," a voice behind her suddenly cut in.

Startled, Deanna turned around and found herself face-to-face with a serious-looking Amaury.

Her heart pounded, but she chose to remain silent. Tch. What's his problem? I just asked a simple question! So annoying!

"You're also a bother to the staff here, so it's better if you stop meddling," Amaury added coldly.

Deanna felt her cheeks heat up in frustration.

"Sir, I'll be going now. Sorry for the disturbance," she said to the gardener before quickly turning away.

She stomped back inside the mansion, fuming. Just as she reached the hallway, she ran into the other person she despised—Claude.

"Hi, Deanna! How's your day?" he greeted her with an irritatingly cheerful smile.

Ugh, another one!

"Shut up. My day is already bad enough, so just leave me alone," she snapped, rolling her eyes before storming off to her room.

This is all Grandma Delilah's fault! If she hadn't left me in the care of her friend, I'd still be in the province, living my peaceful life!

Once inside her room, she slammed the door shut—loud enough that anyone nearby could hear. But she didn't care.

If only I could go back to the province… But I can't. I need Doña Estrella's help to finish my studies.

I just have to endure this. Once I graduate, I'll leave and find a stable job. Then, I'll repay Doña Estrella for everything she's done for me.

For now, I have no choice but to put up with her two monkey-like grandsons.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door.

Who is it now? Please don't let it be one of the monkeys.

She opened the door and was met by a stunningly beautiful woman.

"Good day, Señorita! I'm here to take your measurements for your school uniform," the woman greeted cheerfully.

Deanna stared at her for a moment, only to realize—Oh! She's not just a woman, she's a gay man.

"Ah, good day to you too! Please, come in," she replied, stepping aside to let Angel inside.

"I'll send the uniforms here as soon as they're ready," Angel said while taking her bust measurement.

"Alright," Deanna replied briefly.

"Stand up straight—yes, just like that. Wow, you're so sexy! Your body size is almost the same as my mannequins!" Angel complimented.

"I don't know why, but no matter how much I eat, I never gain weight," Deanna shared.

"That's a blessing, Señorita! No need to stress about dieting. By the way, I'm Angel. I've been working here for a while. I handle the outfits for Doña Estrella and her grandsons for important events—I style their hair, do their makeup, and pick their clothes. So if you ever need help getting ready for a party, just call me!"

"Oh, really? Wow, rich people really live differently. Back in my hometown, we just wear whatever's available. Events are rare because they're expensive," she said.

"Well, you're part of the rich now, Señorita! You can have anything you want," Angel teased.

Deanna chuckled. "Material things don't matter to me. If my grandma were still alive, I would have stayed in Bicol. No amount of wealth can replace my home. Life there was hard, but it was happy."

"You'll get used to this life too, Señorita De—wait, what's your name again?"

"Deanna," she answered.

"Ah, Deanna. Alright, I'm done measuring. I'll leave now—I need to sew this quickly since your classes start tomorrow."

"Huh?! But I'm not even enrolled yet!" she blurted out.

Angel grinned. "You don't have to worry about that. The late husband of Doña Estrella was the former chairman of Universidad de Ashford, so she's currently managing the school."

"Wait… I just realized! The school is named after their family—Ashford University!"

"Yep! And that's just the tip of the iceberg. You'll learn a lot more the longer you stay here," Angel said with a knowing smile.

Learn more? What else is there to know? Is this family hiding something?

"Alright, thank you, Angel! Take care!" she bid farewell.

She walked Angel to the door and watched him leave.

There's more to this family than I thought…