Chapter 3 The new Driver

Chapter 3

Third Person POV

Zafierra left her room and wanted to go downstairs to ask her husband if she could avoid riding in the same car with him, especially since her stepsister was there. However, before she could reach the bottom of the stairs, she heard her stepsister yelling.

"Babe! I don't want her to go with us! Can't we make her ride in a separate car?!" her stepsister shouted loudly.

*Same as you, b****! I can't stand being in the same car with you either, or I might end up punching you.*

"Fine, fine. Wait, I'll call the new hire. He might have already arrived," Laurence said, ending his conversation with Karina.

"Hello, Raven, have you arrived at the dock?"

"Oh yes, yes, I need your help right now. Okay, I'll wait," Zaf heard her husband saying.

Zaf immediately went back upstairs, feeling relieved that she wouldn't have to be in the same car as her stepsister. *I really can't bear to be around that flirtatious woman.*

An hour later, Zaf heard a noise from outside, so she quickly went down to the living room to talk to Laurence, hoping she could leave ahead of them since she would be with the new driver and the elderly Nanay Edeng. As soon as she reached the living room, she heard people laughing.

"So, that's your role here, Raven. Thanks for arriving today; I really need you at this time," Laurence said.

So Raven is my driver's name. Nice name.

"Lau!" she called out to her husband, who immediately turned toward her.

"What?" he replied coldly.

She forced a fake smile. "Can I leave ahead? After all, I'll be with Nanay Edeng."

"Do what you want, Zaf. You're old enough, and besides, your personal driver is already here," Laurence replied indifferently.

He's so insensitive. He didn't even bother to ask how I'm feeling after my father's death.

Without looking back, she left her husband and returned to her room to get her suitcase. "Nanay, let's go. We'll leave ahead," she said to the elderly woman who was sitting quietly in a wooden chair by her computer table.

The old woman silently followed her. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Zaf saw her stepsister watching her with raised eyebrows.

"What? Don't look at me as if I've stolen something from you, because we both know who the real thief is," Zafierra said to her stepsister.

Before her stepsister could react, Zaf quickly walked away.

"Let's go, Raven," she said before leaving the house. She heard her stepsister's angry yell, which made her laugh as she imagined the look on her face. I bet her face is as red as a tomato. Pffft...

"Where are we going, ma'am?" the driver asked Zafierra.

Why does his voice sound familiar?

Unable to resist, Zaf glanced at the rearview mirror, and her jaw dropped. *Impossible. How did he find me and end up as my driver? What should I do? Will he recognize me? Oh gosh, this is so embarrassing. He won't tell my husband, will he? And maybe he's forgotten about me, or didn't recognize me since it was dark that night. I hope so...

"To Cagayan de Oro, Raven," she replied, avoiding looking in the mirror.

"Noted, ma'am," he said in a deep voice.

Zaf quickly closed her eyes, trying to block out the memory that kept playing in her mind. While she had her eyes shut, Raven kept sneaking glances at the rearview mirror, surprised at how different she was from the woman he met in the Maldives. *She's beautiful, and thank God her idiot husband is blind. How could he not see her beauty and kindness? Why did he even marry her if he truly loves her sister? What a fool.*

"Where are you from, son?" Nanay Edeng suddenly asked.

Raven shifted his eyes to the elderly woman sitting next to Zafierra. "I'm from Manila, Nanay."

Nanay Edeng frowned, "That's far, son. Won't you miss your parents or relatives?"

Raven chuckled softly. "I'm used to it, Nanay, so it's okay to be away from them."

"Is that so? It's good they allowed you to come. How old are you, son?"

"They didn't really have a choice, Nanay, and I'm 27 years old," he replied politely.

"I see. How long is the trip, son? I think I'll take a nap for a while," the elderly woman said with a chuckle.

"The trip will take about four hours, Nanay. Go ahead and rest. I'll wake you when we reach Cagayan de Oro."

"Alright, son."

The trip continued quietly, and Raven was thankful there wasn't much traffic. He wasn't sure about Cagayan de Oro, though, as he'd heard news about its traffic jams being as bad as EDSA's. The drive from Surigao City to Cagayan de Oro usually took around four hours.

Four hours later, they arrived in Cagayan de Oro. Raven was about to speak when the elderly woman stirred.

"Have we arrived, son?" she asked.

"We're just in the city, Nanay. Where do we go from here?" he politely asked.

"Where exactly are we, son?" she asked again.

Raven looked around and saw a mall named Limketkai Mall, with a hotel beside it called Limketkai Luxe Hotel.

"We're at Limketkai, Nanay."

"Ah, turn there, son. I'll guide you from here."

"Who told you to hire a driver? Does Laurence know about this?"

She rolled her eyes before looking at her stepmother. "Laurence personally hired him, Ma. If I were the one to hire him, I wouldn't have the money to pay him." She let out a long sigh and sat on the bed, wanting to go back to sleep as she was still drowsy.

"You probably requested this from him again, didn't you?" her stepmother accused.

She rolled her eyes again at the baseless accusation. "Mama, this is your son's fault. If he hadn't been constantly complaining, Laurence wouldn't have hired me a personal driver. And please, if all you have to say are judgments and accusations, you can leave. I'm tired from the trip, so please, leave me alone." She said, laying down on the bed.

"Don't tell me when to leave your room or what to do, Zafierra. I'm here to tell you not to dare mention anything about your marriage to any of the guests. My son has already introduced Laurence as his fiancée. The moment you open your mouth, it's goodbye to the Zamora mansion for you, Zafierra Kyen Vega." Her stepmother's words were serious, especially as she addressed her by her full name.

Zafierra remained silent and refused to look at her stepmother. She was filled with bitterness, knowing there were many ways she could be blackmailed. She had no leverage, not even as Laurence's wife.

After a few moments, Josephine left, and the older woman, Nanay Deng, entered the room to check if Zafierra would like to have dinner.

"Dear, are you going to eat dinner?" Nanay Deng asked her.

She listened to her body, but she didn't feel hungry, and she had no appetite. "I won't be eating dinner, Nay. You and the driver can go ahead," she said, turning on her back and pulling the blanket over herself.

She wanted to sleep early to rest, not wanting to look like a panda in front of the guests tomorrow.

"Alright, I'll leave you be. Just call me if you get hungry, and I'll prepare something for you," the older woman reminded her, to which Zafierra only responded with a nod. Minutes later, sleep overtook her, and she drifted into a deep slumber.

It was the final day of her father's wake, and the visitors came in droves, especially his business colleagues. "My condolences, dear. Zandro was so young to be taken from this world, but there's nothing we can do. That's life-some come, and others go," a social but kind elderly woman said sadly. Zafierra simply nodded to express her gratitude for the woman's visit to her father's wake.

The family had been very busy, especially in the evenings, since most of the guests were occupied during the day. Zafierra sat in a chair near her father's coffin. "Thank you for being with me, Dad. Even though I sometimes couldn't hold my tongue and spoke harshly to you, I love you. Please tell Mom I miss her," she whispered to herself.

"Dear, you should eat. Let's eat in your room," Nanay Deng said.

Zaf looked at the older woman and saw her pleading eyes. She sighed deeply before standing up. She hadn't been eating properly for days, so she understood why Nanay Deng was worried. "Okay, Nay," she agreed, standing up.

They walked together toward her room, and on the way, Zaf saw her stepsister happily chatting with some elders. She felt like she was losing her mind because even during the wake, Karina only cared about herself.

"Sister!" Karina suddenly called out.

Zaf turned toward her stepsister, noticing the furrowed brows of the elders she was talking to, intrigued by Karina calling her name.

To Be Continued....