My Sweet Hyacinth

"What is the antiderivative of X to the third evaluated from two to four chuckling integrate X cubed? Let's review some basics if you want to find the antiderivative of X to the N, it's going to be X to the N plus 1 divided by N plus 1" Melvin clearly explained a calculus problem to his classmate, Crystal one lazy afternoon in their villa.

But the young lady was just beaming while watching the rims of the lips of her gorgeous tutor sitting opposite to her as he talked.

"Sigh!" Crystal took a deep breath of adulation while she propped her face with her left hand.

When Melvin heard her sigh, he casually took a glimpse of her then continued explaining.

"So, the antiderivative of X squared is X cubed divided by 3 the antiderivative of X to the 4th is X to the 5th divided by 5 and 4 X to the 7th is X to the 8th."

Upon seeing that his student was not focusing, he tapped the desk with a pencil to grab her attention.

When Crystal flickered her eyes on him, he sat straight and raised his eyebrows.

"Were you even listening to what I said?" Melvin sternly asked.

"I'm more interested in calculating your perfect facial feature than burying my mind with these suicidal notes!" Crystal uttered with a gist of flattery as she also sat straight.

"Crystal, your parents pay me to teach you calculus so you can prepare for your lesson this coming semester. I don't want to waste their hard-earned money!" he deliberately stated acting like a strict teacher to her.

"We've been studying for almost two hours now. Let's take a break for a while. How about I make you a glass of fresh juice and a sandwich?"

She was about to get up when Melvin's firm voice left her bottom hung in the air.

"Not unless you can explain to me our previous lesson then I will give you a break!"

Crystal slowly looked at his side and gave him a begging smile.

"Melvin, we're friends. Why are you treating me like this?"

"You're right we're friends so I don't want you to fail on your subjects!" Melvin sarcastically smiled while he constantly raised his eyebrows.

The young lady had no choice but to go back to her seat and started putting her mind to their life-threatening lesson.

The gorgeous young lad just smiled at her as he continued explaining.

After their lesson, Melvin bade goodbye to Crystal's mom who was with her Amigas in the living room at that time.

"Mrs. Hills, I have to go now. Thank you for the snack!"

"Thanks, Melvin. How's my daughter today? I'm really worried about her. If only she got at least 3/4 of your skill in numbers, how wonderful!" Mrs. Winnie Hills stated as she twitched her lips.

"Mom! Give your dear daughter some air to breathe, please! Crystal rolled her eyes while chuckling.

"Crystal did well in her class today, Mrs. Hills!" Melvin smiled.

"That's good news. Crystal, see Melvin off. See you again next week, Melvin!" Mrs. Hills smiled back.

"So, are you going home now?" Crystal asked while she wrapped her hands around his arm.

"Yeah! I have to go to our restaurant. My dad is out of town today so I have to help my mom with the deliveries."

As he fixed the strap of his backpack, he stared at her.

"Don't forget your homework!" he sternly said and went to his motorcycle.

"You're so stern. How about if we go to the mall?" Crystal proposed while holding the hand clutch.

"Can't and I am not interested in malls!" Melvin replied as he put his helmet on.

"Have to go now!"

When she heard the sound of an engine revving up, Crystal had no choice but to wave her hand and followed the sight of Melvin with her gaze.

She went back to their home when the motorcycle disappeared on the horizon.

On his way, he was stuck in traffic in the middle of the day. There was an accident that happened ahead of them. A black sedan collided with a white BMW.

"Mister maybe next time you should learn to drive well before you hit the road!" the woman in black sedan scolded the driver of the owner of BMW.

"Ma'am it was you who abruptly hit the break on a green light. That's why we accidentally hit your bumper!" the driver was already sweating all over explaining the same thing to the unreasonable woman.

Melvin who happened to be passing by was just listening. Since he was riding a motorcycle, he could squeeze his ride on the narrow corner.

When he saw a young lady wearing sunglasses probably in her eighteen rolled down the window of their white BMW talking to someone on her phone, he sneered. Coz he heard what the young lady was saying.

"Daddy, our driver is in trouble. I think we have accidentally hit a car ahead of us!" Hyacinth told her dad, Mark, on the phone.

"Hmph! Sure, a princess and daddy's little girl!" Melvin snorted in his thought.

"Please come here quick. The woman just slapped our driver!" Hyacinth was now panicked as she got out of the car and went to their driver's aid.

The police officer whom the passersby called a while ago, had not arrived yet.

When Melvin heard what Hyacinth said, he became vigilant for what would happen next.

The woman didn't just slap the driver but she was also now shouting at him.

"We have a dashcam. It's your fault. Why did you slap him?" Hyacinth was also beginning to get annoyed.

"What? Now, it's my fault! I can't believe this. Just because you are rich you can just bully people like us!" the woman said in a self-deprecating tone trying to get the sympathy of the people around them.

Melvin squinted his eyes on Hyacinth who was brave enough to defend their driver.

"Young Mistress, I am sorry to cause you trouble. Please go back inside. I can handle this," the driver respectfully told Hyacinth.

"Are you okay? Don't worry! Daddy is on his way!" Hyacinth ignored his driver's words.

She checked his cheek that had been slapped instead and got furious when she saw five burning red fingerprints on it.

"What is your problem? You wait till my father arrives!" Hyacinth went in front of them as she was shielding their driver.

"Young Mistress!" the driver was touched by what she did and also Melvin who glued his eyes to them.

"You dare to threaten me with your father!" the woman was enraged as she couldn't get what she wanted so she raised her hand to slap Hyacinth.

Hyacinth closed her eyes in an instant but the woman's hand hung on the air for someone grabbed it tight.

"Who are you to meddle with our affairs, rider?" the woman angrily gasped. Melvin's grip was strong and it was squeezing her wrist tight.

Hyacinth was in awe that she was just staring at the man wearing a helmet.

"Dare to hurt our Young Mistress? Are you courting death?" the driver was furious that he held the woman's shoulders and pinned her on the hood.

"Let me go! Help!" the woman screamed at once.

"Hmph! Your bodyguard is strong, princess!" Melvin mocked.

"Excuse me? Who are you?" Hyacinth asked while her eyes were fixed on him.

"I'm not a princess!" she exclaimed after.

When Mark and Nick, Glen's assistant came rushing, he called his daughter at once.

"Jacinth!"

Hyacinth turned around and upon seeing her father, she ran towards him right away.

"Dad!" she told Mark what happened as they glanced at the woman who was still being held by their driver.

Melvin just shook his head went back to his ride and dashed off.

"Rich will be rich. Poor woman! You didn't get what you want. You might even be put to jail!" he mumbled while riding.

"Jacinth. Sounds familiar!" he thought as he recalled Hyacinth's name.

Meanwhile...

"Dad, a rider helped me a while ago. He held her hand when she was about to slap me. He is~"

When she turned around, Melvin already left.

"He was here a while ago!"

"Do you know his name? Did you thank him?" Mark gently asked.

"No, he just said my bodyguard is strong and he called me princess!" Hyacinth annoyingly replied.

"Master Lee, I didn't know she is your daughter. I deeply apologize!" the woman was now begging.

She had no idea that the people she tried to cheat was from a powerful family.

"You mean if they're someone else, you will continue taking money with these filthy tricks? Shameless!" he roared.

Ever since Mark hated these kinds of people.

"Master Lee, we will take it from here!" the police officers who finally arrived shyly talked to Mark.

"Thanks, officer!" Mark sternly said.

"Hope this won't happen again!" he added.

They weren't just late but their driver got hurt and his daughter almost got slapped by that woman.

Who would not get upset?

"Yes, Master Lee. It won't happen again!" the officer bowed his head at once.

They took the woman to the police station right away.

"Such a thrilling welcome for my daughter, huh!" Mark smiled as he rubbed Hyacinth's hair.

"Dad, we should bring our driver to the hospital to be treated!" Hyacinth suggested as she looked at their driver behind them.

"We'll do that. Then, tell me about this mystery rider!" Mark teased.

"Mystery, no! More like arrogant and annoying!" Hyacinth frowned.

When Melvin arrived at their restaurant in Townsend, he immediately looked for her mother who was busy browsing their sales that day on the computer.

"Mom!" he said.

"Ow, Melvin you are here. How's your tutorial?" Sandra asked.

Sandra was now wearing glasses and she also gained some pounds. Her long straight hair was now cut to shoulder length. But she was still as beautiful as she was before.

"It's good. I have met an accident on the road today!" Melvin replied while putting on his vest uniform.

"What? Are you okay?" Sandra suddenly turned around and checked her son if he got hurt.

"I'm fine. I mean two cars have collided on the road on my way here. Nobody got hurt. Just that it's a bit funny!" Melvin explained while he chuckled.

"What's so funny in meeting accidents? Thank goodness you're not the one who got hurt" Sandra went back to her desk and continued browsing.

Melvin smiled at his mom while telling her what happened. When he was about to take the lists of deliveries for that day, he turned around and stared at his mom.

"When will dad arrive?"

"This evening, why did you suddenly ask?"

"Nothing. I just want to talk to him about something!"

Sandra then shifted her glance at her only child.

"Is it about dating?" she teased.

"Mom!" Melvin exclaimed.

"I'm going now. Are these all the list?" he asked instead.

"There's only one on the list," Sandra suddenly became serious.

She got up from her seat and went towards him. She showed Melvin the address of the place and smiled.

"Handle these packages with care. They are new customers and they said their children once tasted our egg tarts, they seem to love it!"

"Okay! You look and sound serious," Melvin chuckled as he squinted his eyes on the address. It's written, Brent. A two-hour drive from their restaurant.

"That's because this family was the family who helped us before. So, give these packages to them for free. I told them not to wire the money so if they will give you the payment..."

"I will not accept it. Got it!" Melvin kissed his mom on the cheek before he left.

He had a student's driver's license so he could drive his father's delivery car anytime.

He looked at the address again and pondered while looking on the road ahead of him.

"The Haven!" he whispered.

Since he was a kid, his parents instilled in his mind their experiences in life. How do they manage to get out of the dark?

When he was in the sixth grade, his father Milton, gave him his first life lesson. He brought his son to the prison to witness the lives of the prisoners inside. Then after that, he took Melvin to the graveyard.

"Son, if I did not change, there were only two places that I was fitted to dwell in. The prison or the graveyard!"

Melvin looked up at his father who was sternly staring at the place. At his age, he already understood what his father meant.

"Don't follow the path I took, okay?" He then smiled and brushed his hair when he shifted his glance at him.

"Yes, dad!" he smiled back.

His mother's words when he was in high school also kept on ringing in his thoughts.

"You're now a graduate but only in high school. You are not there yet but you are already in the middle of your success. Don't give up!"

"Don't worry, I won't. With you and dad by my side, why would I give up? I've gotten the best parents in the world!"

He smiled upon recalling that scene in his mind.

"Melvin, these families were the ones we're indebted with. Always remember them!"

"Hansen Empire and Lee Group?"

"Yes! Especially the Lees!" Melvin and Sandra told him one night after their simple dinner.

"Lees!" he muttered while driving.

He was thinking about the past that he didn't realize he already arrived in front of Lee's mansion, 'The Haven'.

"Do you need anything?" one of the guards asked.

"I'm here to deliver something!" Melvin politely answered.

When the guard scanned his packages, he let him in right away.

Melvin drove his car in front of the mansion. He gasped in awe and admiration for how the place was being built. It was breathtakingly beautiful. It was not showy but it was also elegant.

He parked his car in front and opened the backseat. The packages were wrapped intact and he was also careful in driving so he knew they were all in good condition.

As he rang the bell, a girl in a ponytail cheerfully opened.

"Are those the egg tarts from Hope Bakery?" Alyssa asked.

"Ah, yes! They are. Where shall I place them?" Melvin asked while holding two styrofoam boxes.

"Wait, I will call our servant!" Alyssa replied.

When a servant in uniform arrived, she took the boxes from him.

"These are heavy. Is it okay if I will bring them in?" Melvin asked again while he looked at Alyssa.

"Yes, it's okay. You can bring them to the dining room. Follow me!" Alyssa casually responded.

When Melvin placed four styrofoam boxes of egg tarts, he left right away.

"Wait! We didn't pay yet!" Alyssa exclaimed.

"It's alright. They are free. We're doing a promotion today!" Melvin lied.

"Promotion? Don't you think that's too much?" Alyssa seemed not to buy his alibi.

"No! It's just alright!" Melvin just smiled at her as he started the ignition.

"Okay, as you said. Thanks then!" Alyssa had no choice but to accept his reason.

Melvin had just driven off when Hyacinth went out of her room. She still heard the sound of his car leaving their mansion.

"Who's that?" Hyacinth asked her cousin, Alyssa.

"A delivery man from Hope. He is too handsome to be a delivery man for me. He is fitted more to be a model!" she chuckled.

Hyacinth just smiled at her.

"You like egg tarts that much huh! Can you eat all of these?" Hyacinth asked Alyssa while she was striding towards the dining room.

"Of course, I can't. But we can eat all of them. It's our welcome gift for you. They're all coming this evening!" Alyssa explained.

When the evening came, the mansion was packed for Hyacinth's home welcoming party. All of her cousins and friends were present either to greet her or torture her with nonstop stories.

"I asked my dad if we could go to Caribbean Bay this weekend and he said yes!" Arielle told them while munching some egg tarts.

"Uncle Glen will always say YES to everything we ask for as long as we are safe and it is not bad!" Mariz added.

"So, are you joining?" Arielle asked.

"Brendan and I have time. I think we can go!" Cendrick replied.

"We can all go too!" Vince Aliz raised his hand.

They were in the middle of their conversation when Hyacinth arrived with her cousin Arvin.

"You should be careful next time. You are in the hot seat again. You're just seventeen!" she was scolding her cousin who had another scandal dating a nineteen-year-old model.

"Media is outrageous. I just picked her up in our hotel then they already made a story that something happened to us!" Arvin was equally upset.

Since he turned sixteen, the media and netizens never stopped eyeing him.

"Because they know that you're the heir of Hansen Empire so you should be vigilant!" Hyacinth concluded.

"Okay, I got it!" Arvin replied as he sat beside Cendrick.

She was their big sister and was taught to be strict towards them.

"Sis, we're going to Caribbean Bay this weekend, you must go!" Alyssa immediately said upon seeing her.

"Okay! We should have fun before the semester starts. Gee! Speaking of the semester! Wait here, I will just talk to my mom!" Hyacinth left their group and strode straight to the living room where her mom and her aunts were chatting.

"Hello! Aunt!" She greeted every one of them.

"What's the matter, sweety?" Rain asked.

"Hmm!" she was a bit shy to speak for everyone's eyes were fixed on her.

"Jacinth, do you want to say something?" Her aunt Rachel asked.

"Don't be shy, sweetheart. What is it?"

"Mom, I think I need a tutor for this coming semester!" Hyacinth anxiously uttered.

Rain and the rest looked at each other first then they also glanced at her right away.

"Which subject?"

"Calculus!" Hyacinth twitched her lips while answering.

She was embarrassed to tell them that she struggled in numbers and equations for all of the Lees were Math geniuses especially Arvin and Arielle.

The two inherited their dads' brilliance in academics.

"I can teach you!" Rachel suggested.

"Really, aunt? Thank you!" Hyacinth was euphoric that she hugged her aunt Rachel tight.

"Anything for my beautiful niece!" Rachel replie

"Jacinth, we'll go to Townsend later. Help me with the work in our boutique only for today!" Rain told Hyacinth one morning while they were having their breakfast on their patio.

"Yes, mom!" Hyacinth simply replied.

"So, Caribbean Bay this weekend, huh. Your uncle Glen really spoils you a lot kids!" Mark smiled while cutting the bread on his plate with a bread knife.

"Yes! Don't worry I will look after my cousins and all of them. Daddy, when will grandma and grandpa be back from the US? I miss them!"Hyacinth asked.

Both Robert and Winston including Nick were now elderly and most of the time they just spent their lives traveling with their wives.

The patriarch and the matriarch of the Lees passed away of old age in the mansion when she was just fifteen years old.

The whole town of Brent and its neighboring towns and cities mourned for the death of the former president of Lee Group.

"This summer vacation and your cousins Carl and Elle will come with them!" Mark smilingly replied.

"I can't wait to see all of them," Hyacinth was delighted that her cousins whom she had not seen in person for years would take a vacation in Brent three months from now.

After their breakfast, Rain and Hyacinth drove to Townsend while Mark went to Lee Group. On their way, Rain was glancing at her daughter who was happily singing from time to time.

"Happy?" she exclaimed.

"Excited! Mommy, can we pass by the university later?" Hyacinth answered with a beaming smile.

"Sure! That's exactly part of our schedule today that's why I told you to come with me!"

Then suddenly, Hyacinth stared deeply at her mom. When Rain glanced at her, she was stunned.

"Wanna ask something?" she said while her eyes were on the road.

"Mommy, why don't I have siblings?" Hyacinth suddenly asked.

She was sometimes envious of her cousins for all of them have either a brother or a sister. Arielle had a younger brother named Dylan while Mariz had a younger sister named Meilin.

"Because your dad didn't want me to feel the pain of giving birth again!"

Hyacinth smiled sweetly at her mom upon knowing the reason.

"Love you, mom!" she uttered out of the blue as she clasped her mom's hand that was holding the steering wheel.

"Love you, too sweety! Can I also ask something? Did somebody in London pursue you before?" she smilingly teased.

"There's one and until now he sometimes calls me!" Hyacinth shyly replied.

Her rosy cheeks were now becoming red like an apple.

"Really! What is his name?"

"James Dean. He is the only son of our directress at school. We have the same age."

"What's his personality?"

"Gentleman!" Hyacinth simply replied.

Rain noticed that she had no interest in elaborating more about the boy so she asked her daughter again.

"You have no feelings for him?"

Hyacinth sat straight first and held the roof handle before she spoke. She also took a deep sigh.

"I'm more comfortable being his friend. I told him a hundred times that he has no hope but.." she shrugged her shoulders before she continued talking.

"He keeps on trying!"

"Well, he must really love you that's why!" Rain gave her daughter a beaming smile before she focused on the road.

"Maybe!" Hyacinth simply whispered.

When they arrived in Townsend, they passed by the Hope Bakery and Hyacinth accidentally saw it.

"Mom, can we buy some bread in that bakery?" she asked her mom while staring at the place through the window.

"Sure! I will just park the car!"

Upon parking the car in front of the shop, Hyacinth got out of the car right away.

"I will just wait for you here!" Rain uttered.

"Okay, got it!" she hastily replied.

When she was inside, she was looking at the different kinds of sweets being displayed on the glass shelves.

"Look yummy and tempting!" she whispered.

She remembered how her cousin Arielle munched the egg tarts during her Homecoming Party.

"Can I help you?" Sandra asked.

"Ahm, I would like to buy some egg tarts and macaroons, please!" Hyacinth replied.

While picking up her order, Melvin happened to pass by carrying a hill of empty boxes for bread and cake.

"Mom, where shall I put these boxes?" he asked his mother.

Hyacinth who suddenly remembered something glanced at the man beside her.

Because his face was covered with the layers of boxes, she couldn't see it but she thought his voice was familiar.

"Place them in the baking room," Sandra simply responded while giving Hyacinth her order.

"Thank you!" Hyacinth gently replied and turned around.

Melvin who was about to go to the baking room heard her voice.

"Jacinth?" he whispered as he looked at the young girl leaving their bakery.

But because Hyacinth already closed the door, she didn't hear Melvin's voice.

"Do you know her?" Sandra asked her son while she was staring sternly at him whose eyes were still glued to the young lady getting in their car.

"I'm not sure!" Melvin answered while squinting at the car that had just driven away.

Inside the car, Hyacinth was also still pondering about Melvin.

"His voice sounds the same as the rider. Must he be?" she asked inwardly.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she moved her head.

"What's the matter?" Rain asked.

"I don't know but the guy in the bakery a while ago sounds familiar!" Hyacinth explained.

"How familiar?"

"Mom, did dad tell you about the rider who helped me the day I arrived from London?"

"Ah, yes! The mysterious rider. The one wearing a helmet. Why? Have you seen him?"

"I don't know but the guy in the bakery a while ago. He has the same voice as the rider. Well, I didn't see his face coz he was carrying some empty boxes!"

"Hmm! That happened almost three days ago but you still remember his voice," Rain smilingly uttered like hinting something.

"You are the same as a dad!" Hyacinth frowned. She crossed her hands over her chest in an instant.

Rain just chuckled.

When they arrived in their boutique, Rain's assistant Taña was arguing with some of their customers.

"Madam, you can't just return this dress to our boutique. You bought this a month ago and look the sleeve was ripped!" Taña carefully explained to the mother and daughter who were both holding their waist as they stood straight in front of her.

"What's wrong with a small tear? It only means that the quality of your clothes here isn't good!" the mother rudely exclaimed.

"What's going on here?" Rain gently asked. Hyacinth was behind her.

"Are you the owner of this fake brand boutique?" the mother raised her eyebrows at Rain.

"Excuse me! Our fabrics here are all of the good quality and we don't sell fake!" Taña's patience was now wearing thin.

"So, can you explain this to us?" the daughter taunted as she tossed the dress on Taña's face.

"Hey! You're rude!" Hyacinth exclaimed in shock as she gave the daughter a sharp stare.

The daughter just raised her eyebrows on her.

"Alright! Calm down. We can nicely settle this," Rain went in between Taña and the woman.

"What do you want us to do?" she then asked the panting mother.

"Give our money back!" she immediately said.

"Okay! Taña, get the receipt from them and give them their money!" Rain immediately said.

"Madam, they bought this in good condition a month ago and they didn't bring their receipt either!"

"It's alright! Do you remember how much is it?" Rain asked the mother.

"I remember, it's $3,000!" the daughter replied when she saw that her mother was still trying to recall how much the dress was.

"Taña, give them the money!"

Taña was adamant but when Rain smiled at her, she gave the mother their money back.

"Take that stinky dress with you. Because of your boutique, we're not coming back to this department store again!" the mother scornfully uttered on Rain's face.

"Hey! We just gave you your money back and it's not even our fault!" Hyacinth was now annoyed.

"Calm down sweetheart. Let them vent their anger!" Rain clasped her daughter's hand.

"But mom!" Hyacinth was frustrated with her mom's decision.

When the two left, Hyacinth stared at her mother. Her almond eyes were asking.

"Anger is a kind of trash. Do you want to be wrapped with filthy trash all day?"

"No, but!"

"I'll take care of it!"

After talking to her daughter, she picked up the phone and dialed the administrative office.

"Hello! This is the owner of Rain Boutique on the third floor. I'd like to report something that happened in my shop a while ago!"

When she told the admin about the incident, the admin made a move right away.

"We got it, madam. We'll block them in our department stores from now on!"

When she hung up, she told Hyacinth that the mother and daughter could no longer go to that department store and its branches.

"Wow! Snap!" Hyacinth exclaimed as she gave Taña a high five.

"That's what I learned from your dad!" Rain proudly said of which the two just nodded and smiled.