Your Boyfriend Is My Husband

Chloe's POV

I was in front of our house, waiting for our driver. He dropped off my mom at the office first because her car was at the auto repair shop. While I balanced my books over my chest, making drawings on the ground with my foot, a black van suddenly pulled up in front of me. I tilted my head to look at it and smiled. The gang. The door swung open, and Liam was sitting closest to the door.

"Hey, Chlow, what's up?" Liam said in his deep, fruity voice. Evo was seated next to Liam, smiling at me.

"What are you doing here, Chloe?" Evo asked. This man always spoke in an appealing voice.

"I'm waiting for Mang Nestor," I replied. Mang Nestor has been our driver for over 3 years since we moved to Manila.

I was born in Bataan, but we moved to Manila over 3 years ago when I was 15 years old. My mom accepted a job offer from a company that was hard to resist, they said.

My mom is an accounting manager and a single mother. My German father left her after she got pregnant with me. I've been on this earth for over 18 years, but I've never even caught a glimpse of my father. Lucky me!!

I only know his name - Niklas Hoffmann - but I use my mom's surname - de Jesus, Chloe de Jesus. And the house we live in now is one of the company's gifts. Not entirely a gift, because my mom still pays the entire amount. It's like a house loan, but the company covered 30% of it.

"Just come with us," Evo offers. The window on the passenger side rolls down, and Kelly greets me with a smile.

"Good morning sister, move in," I just smiled.

"Come on, Chlow, sit with us," Liam says.

"You go down first. Sit next to you," Evo instructs, and Liam obediently climbs down. Evo gets out too and helps me in. The two of them get back in, and Evo sits beside me. I'll just text Mang Nestor.

"Chloe, why are you so pretty?" Liam asks.

I smile, "Maybe, because there's no such thing as 'ugly' in your eyes, as long as they're wearing a skirt," I teased, and everyone bursts into laughter.

"That's because not all girls can be swayed by your sweet talk, dude!" Yuan teases.

"Shut up, Yuan! Maybe you're just too weak when it comes to girls. Damn! I already sent you a seductive lady, but you just sent her away. Maybe you're gay," Liam's response is just a loud laugh.

Oh! Liam really is a ladies' man. I wonder how many girlfriends he's had. He always seems to make them cry. I think all our girl classmates have been his girlfriend at some point. Friends fight because of him. Enemies team up just to get back at his current girlfriend. Let me rephrase that- his fling.

I turn my head to my right to look at Liam as my head leans against the car's backrest. But it turns out Evo had also leaned his head forward, so our gazes meet with our faces just inches apart. He looks serious while looking at me.

Why is this man so handsome? So kind, not arrogant despite all the attention he gets. He's still humble. He doesn't use his good looks to attract girls. He even avoids them when they flirt with him. He's perfect! More than perfect.

Oh my! My eyes nearly popped out of my head, holding my breath. Suddenly, Evo's face moved closer to mine. From inches apart, it became just an inch. His eyes widened in surprise. I gulp repeatedly.

He quickly pulls back. "Liam, what the heck?! You're so restless!" he scolds Liam. Due to Liam's fidgeting, he accidentally pushed Evo closer to me. I immediately look away from him. Argh! It's embarrassing! I feel like my face is turning red.

When we reach the school, we all head to the classroom together. The two lovebirds behind us are so sweet! - Dyllan & Kelly. They'll say goodbye to each other like it's going to be forever. They act like they're going to a faraway place.

When we reach the front of the classroom, Troy immediately hugs Kelly and pulls her inside.

Haha! Dyllan's face is priceless.

"Bye, hubby!" Kelly shouts. Dyllan swears and gives Troy a dirty look.

Well, Dyllan was asking for a kiss, and Kelly's cheek was ready, but she suddenly disappeared. Dyllan also looks cute when he's annoyed, so Troy and Rex always tease him by flirting with Kelly.

"Hi, Evo," Cheenie greets Evo.

"Hello, Cheenie," Evo greets her back.

"Hello, Cheenie, when are you going to answer Evo?" Liam interjects. Cheenie just smiles, and Evo quickly dismisses Liam.

Junjie comes out of their classroom, which is right next to ours. Cheenie and Junjie are classmates, and I think they're childhood friends. We're all in Senior High. Junjie immediately beams when he sees me. He's been a persistent suitor. Junjie was about to approach me when Liam suddenly pulls me in.

"Let's go, Chlow, let's go inside." I didn't get a chance to speak as Liam drags me into the classroom.

"You know, Chlow, you and Junjie don't match. Umm... I think we're a better fit, I'm cute, right? Should I court you? Do I stand a chance? I promise I'll be serious," he smiles at me while holding me. To be fair, this guy is good-looking too. But I'm sure you'll end up in tears if you entertain him.

"No, Liam. If I entertained you, it would be like hitting myself with a hammer or using a sledgehammer to break my own heart," I told him but still smiling. This guy is really persistent. I know he's not serious anyway. I freed myself from his hold and took my seat. Mannilyn is beside me and she kisses me and Troy. Kelly and the others are in the next row.

***

I'm so hungry! Just one more subject and it's break. We're in our specialization subject now. Kelly, Troy, Liam, and Evo are my only classmates here. We just entered.

Suddenly, Liam sits next to me, where Troy is supposed to sit.

"Let's switch seats, Troy," Liam suggests.

"Can you not, Liam? Stay in your own seat." Troy responds, a bit irritated.

"Come on, let me sit here, you sit next to Evo." Evo is seated behind me. Kelly is beside me, and Troy is on the other side, but Liam snagged his seat. Troy finally sighs and sits beside Evo.

"Chlow, can we be partners for the Chemistry project we're doing?" Persistent Liam again.

"Sorry, Liam, Chloe and I are partners," Evo said from behind me.

"Come on, Evo, you and Princess Grouch can be partners."

"No way! Rex is my partner," Kelly quickly responds. Kelly is really thankful that Rex showed up. They don't get along with these two.

"Chloe, can I borrow your English textbook?" I heard Evo. So I quickly turned my body to look at him. But everyone groaned afterward.

It's like the world stopped turning. I couldn't move my entire body, I was frozen. Oh my! My first kiss! It finally happened! Just as I turned, Evo's face was so close to mine. So his lips met mine.

Evo slowly pulled his lips away. Our gaze locked! He was shocked too. I gulp and gulp and gulp until my mouth is dry. Slowly, I leaned my body forward.

I saw Kelly was shocked with her mouth agape and eyes wide. Liam had the same reaction as Kelly.

Oh my god! What happened?

"Oh my god! Chloe, Evo, you just had your first kiss with each other!" I heard Kelly. Amusement is clear in her voice.

"Are you okay, Chlow?" I heard Liam with a hint of concern. I looked at him. He doesn't look amused, he actually seems concerned. I nodded at him. I heard Evo sigh. But he's not saying anything, and I don't want to look at him either. I felt embarrassed. Our teacher arrived, and I stayed quiet for the rest of the class.

*****

I was under the tree, sitting on the stone bench, lost in thought. I remembered what happened with Evo. Wow! I couldn't believe it happened. I hardly even looked around the class until it was over.

"Hey, Chlow," someone sat beside me.

"Hi, Cheenie."

"Um. I heard what happened earlier?" Oh my! I firmly shut my eyes for seconds long and opened them again.

"I'm sorry, Cheenie, it was an accident," I apologize.

She smiled, "I know, it's okay," she said.

I know she meant it. Cheenie is one of the most genuine people I've known. She's so kind, no wonder Evo's courting her.

"But you don't really have feelings for Evo, do you?" I felt a bit awkward with what she said, even though she was smiling.

"N-No! I-It's not like that! What are you thinking!" I almost stuttered my response. Do I sound defensive?

She laughed, "Sorry. You know what Chloe, I really like Evo, I really do."

"Then, why haven't you said yes to him if you like him?"

"How could I? He's not even courting me," I looked at her, giving her an inquiring gaze. She nodded.

"I don't know, he's confusing. We enjoy each other's company. When we talk on the phone, it goes on for hours. But geez! He never says he's courting or trying to court me. I'm just waiting for him to say 'I love you', I'll definitely say yes," I sighed at what she said. Because I knew Evo is indeed courting. I don't know! Or maybe he's just shy. God! With how perfect he is, he's still shy.

"And you, Chlow, haven't you ever liked Evo, even just a little bit?"

"No! Come on, not even a little," ugh! Why is she asking me this?

"Good! I have no competition then," she said playfully, and followed it with a laugh.

"Chloe! Evo!" I heard someone yelling my name and... Evo? Cheenie and I turned to look.

"Evo!" We both exclaimed.

"W-what are you doing here? Oh god! Did you hear... Arghh!" Cheenie covered her face with her palms. She looks too embarrassed. It seems like Evo overheard our entire conversation.

"What are you doing here, Evo?" I ask.

"Um. I just.. um. nothing, I just saw Cheenie, so I approached." I nodded my head. Why does he not seem happy? He should be happy if he heard what Cheenie said.

"Hey, Chlow. You're taking so long, Evo. You should just call Chloe," Liam calls out to me.

But why? They should have gone home by now. And what did he say?

"Come on, Chloe, let's go together. Mang Nestor called Evo, he's been trying to reach you for a while. Your mom's still at the office, he said you should just ride with us." Liam went on and on. I was too lost in my thoughts to pay attention. My mind was elsewhere anyway.

We got in the van once we reached the parking lot. After a few moments, Evo arrived and immediately got in. He didn't sit beside me this time. Liam was in between us. I looked at Evo, he closed his eyes. Why does he look upset?

***

"Hi, Pretty Yaya, is Kelly here?"

"She's inside, Pretty Chloe, come on in." I entered after the nanny opened the gate. I went straight to the main door.

But I stopped when I heard that it seems like what happened between Evo and me was the topic of Kelly's conversation.

"Finally, Evo, your lips are no longer virgin." Kelly said and laughed. I also heard Aunt and Uncle laugh.

"Why don't you just court Chloe instead, Evo? Hay! But it seems like she doesn't like you either. Why doesn't your charm work on Chloe?"

"Will you please shut up, Kelly! You keep saying the same thing over and over. So what if Chloe doesn't like me, I don't like her either!" Evo shouted at Kelly. I instinctively held my chest. It's like my chest suddenly tightened! It hurts to hear that.

"Chloe, why haven't you gone inside yet? Come on," yaya pulled me inside.

"Kelly, Chloe is here." I don't know why, but my attention suddenly focused on Evo. He looks surprised to see me.

"W-Were you there just now, Chloe?" Evo asked. I nodded slightly. I didn't want to lie, I wanted him to know that I heard what he said. That he's rude! He's not rude, Chloe, he was just telling the truth. Yeah right, conscience. You're absolutely right! Definitely right.

CHAPTER 2

"Chlow, you're really beautiful," hay! Here we go again. Joking around with Liam, who can be quite persistent. I'm at Evo's house now. We're working on our Chemistry project for the upcoming Science Fair. Currently, we're going through the step-by-step procedure of our experiment. We really need to perfect this so we don't mess up on the day of the fair. We're making a Candy Molecules project. We have to create fun, colorful, and delicious molecule structures out of candy, like H2O and CO2 molecules.

"Why aren't you working on the project, Liam?" I ask him.

"I think I'm already done."

"Who's your partner?"

"Caroline." Hmm! Now I know. Caroline is probably doing the project all by herself.

"You really got Caroline," I say and smile.

"I don't know why, Chlow, you're the only one who's indifferent to me like this," I scrutinize him. It's like his voice suddenly got serious.

"Because Chloe is too smart to just fall for your tricks," Evo answers while busy with our project. Liam just looks at him out of the corner of his eyes and then turns his gaze back to me.

"Why don't you notice me, Chloe? I'm handsome, you know, charming!" Liam continues, and his voice is back to its flirtatious tone. Hehe!

"If I didn't know you, I might have fallen for it. But thank God! Because I know Liam Montemayor too well. A man who has done nothing but just play around." I return my attention to what I'm doing.

Liam brushes aside a strand of my hair covering my cheek. He tucks it behind my ear.

"I can change, Chlow," he says. Both of us are surprised when Evo suddenly pounds on the wooden center table where the three of us are gathered.

"For heaven's sake, Liam! Can you please leave for a moment? How are we supposed to finish this if you're causing a disturbance?!" Evo snaps at Liam. What's his problem? I've never seen him this irritable before.

"You're so grumpy, man," Liam teases and then laughs. Liam takes some cookies instead of leaving.

"Chlow, have a snack," Liam insists, trying to feed me. I was about to refuse, but he's being cute! I just smile and was about to bite the cookie when Evo snatches it from me and eats it in one go.

"Are you leaving or do I have to kick you out!?" Evo threatens. I just sigh.

"You're so grumpy! No wonder Cheenie still hasn't answered you. You're too serious and boring," Liam says.

"How can she answer him when he's so shy," I joke and he looks at me. Gosh! He seems annoyed, he's staring at me so seriously.

"Just kidding, man," I joke again. Liam and I burst out laughing. His face gets even grumpier.

"Joke only, Evo. You're just too serious," I apologize. He doesn't say anything and focuses on what he's doing.

"I'll leave for now, Chlow, before I get kicked out by grumpy over here," Liam jokes again and Evo gives him a stern look from below. Liam quickly leaves. I glance at Kelly, who's also busy, and hear her trying to send Dyllan away.

"Go there for now, Dyllan, we'll finish this," Kelly says. Rex and Agatha are here too. Agatha is leaning on Rex's shoulder, and Dyllan keeps smelling Kelly's hair while the four of them sit on the floor.

"Am I really boring?" I suddenly look at Evo when he speaks up. I give him an inquiring look. What is he talking about? But he just shakes his head. His phone suddenly rings on the table. He picks it up and answers the call.

"Hello, Cheenie," ooh it's Cheenie. Evo stands up and goes to the door. I follow him with my gaze until the door closes.

"Hay! Cheenie and Evo! Do they really suit each other? It doesn't seem like it," I mutter. Hays! What am I talking about? Tsk. You're being nosy, Chloe. After a few moments, Evo returns and sits down. He avoids eye contact and busies himself with what he's doing.

After a couple of hours, we finally finish what we were working on.

"Thanks God, we're finally done," I say as I stretch my arms. We tidy up before leaving the study room together. The room was truly dedicated forSure, here's the translation:

---

This is where Evo and Kelly usually work on group projects or group studies.

We all went down together, and just as we reached the bottom, Cheenie entered.

"Hi, guys!" Cheenie greeted and immediately approached us. Oh! She went to Evo. She kissed Evo on the cheek. Confusing! They didn't do that before.

"What are you doing here, Cheenie?" Agatha, her classmate, asked.

"I'm just visiting my boyfriend," she replied shyly. Wait! Boyfriend? Who?

"Boyfriend!" everyone exclaimed, except for me. Cheenie held on to Evo's arm.

"We're together," Cheenie answered.

"Really! Since when?" Kelly asked.

"Just earlier," Cheenie replied. How? We've been together with Evo almost the whole day.

---

-Evo's POV-

"Am I really boring?" I suddenly asked. Chloe looked at me, her eyes questioning. I just shook my head and refocused on what I was doing. Seriously! I'm just trying to be kind and nice. And they find it boring! What do these girls want? Like Liam, who just sweet-talks them, gets them to say yes, and then leaves. I'm not that kind of person. I have a lot of respect for girls. Then, my phone suddenly rang. I picked it up from the table – it was Cheenie. I swiped the screen to answer the call.

"Hello, Cheenie," I stood up and left the room.

"Hi, Evo,"

she greeted me.

"Did you call for something?"

"Not really. I was just bored. What are you up to?"

"We're just finishing our project."

"Oh, I see. Sorry for the disturbance. I'll call you back when you're not busy."

"Cheenie, wait," I stopped her.

"Yes."

"Well, um," I wasn't sure if I should continue.

"Evo," she called my name when I fell silent.

"Um, Cheenie," I let out a breath and looked up. I wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do, but here goes.

"Cheenie, if... um... if I ask you to be my girlfriend, would you agree?" I asked hesitantly. I heard her cough, as if she choked.

"Um. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Cheenie! Just forget what I-"

"Yes! I agree," she cut me off. Ugh! I shouldn't have! Damn! What am I saying? Why did I ask her to be my girlfriend if I don't really like her? Evo! Stupid! How am I going to take that back?

"Evo, hello!" she called me when I was silent again.

"I'm still here."

"So, you're my girlfriend now? I'm your boyfriend?" She asked and I sighed.

"If it's okay with you."

"Of course!" She said enthusiastically.

"Can I come over later? So we can talk in person. Since you're busy, I'll just go. But if you don't like my idea, it's okay."

"Sure, come over," she said before saying goodbye.

Cheenie is fine. She's nice, and a lot of guys like her and want to court her. But she's always turned them down. I overheard her conversation with Chloe at school. And from what I heard, she actually likes me. I like her, but not as a girlfriend. But everyone thinks I'm courting her. I'm not correcting their wrong assumptions either. Because Cheenie herself just smiles and laughs it off. I'm just embarrassed, what if I offend her?

Well, let's see. I feel like we'll get along. And besides, the girl I like doesn't like me back.

I went back inside and we finished our project before going down. Cheenie was already there, and she immediately approached me and kissed me on the cheek.

"What are you doing here, Cheenie?" Agatha asked.

"I'm just visiting my boyfriend," she replied, seeming shy.

"Boyfriend!" everyone exclaimed, except Chloe. Cheenie held on to my arm.

"We're together," Cheenie answered.

"Really! Since when?" Kelly asked.

"Just earlier," Cheenie replied.

"Wow! Congrats!" Kelly cheered.

"Excuse me! I'll go ahead," Chloe suddenly left without even looking at everyone.

**

Why is Chloe so quiet? She's been in the classroom since earlier, and now she's here in our specialization.

"Chlow, can I borrow your English book?" She handed me the book without looking up.

"Thank you," I said, but

she didn't reply. What am I going to do with this book?

"Um, Chlow, can I borrow your... um, Math book?" She raised her head and handed me the book without looking up. Ugh! Why is she like this? Does she have a problem?

"Class dismissed," our teacher announced. Everyone stood up. I just looked at Chloe while she packed her things. When she stood up, I stood up too and followed them, along with Kelly.

"Hi!" Cheenie greeted us as soon as we got out. She immediately approached me and linked her arm with mine.

"Hi, Chlow!" Junjie greeted. What is he doing here? He approached Chloe and... kissed her on the cheek. Why did he kiss Chloe on the cheek? Kelly, Troy, Mannilyn, and even Liam looked surprised.

"Congrats Chloe! So you and Junjie are together now," Cheenie said. They're together? Since when?

"You guys too? Since when? Chloe, why didn't we know?" Kelly asked.

"Sorry, I only told them last night. I was going to tell you all today," Mannilyn and Kelly squealed and hugged Chloe. They were so thrilled.

"We even have the same number for our upcoming monthsary. Let's go on a double date sometime. What do you think, Evo?" Cheenie suggested. I just managed a small smile. So they're together too!

"Let's go!" Liam suddenly said in a tone that seemed annoyed. He even bumped into Junjie. I wonder what his problem is?

****

"CHEERS to Evo becoming a full-fledged bachelor!" Enzo shouted, raising his shot glass. He's really crazy!

Everyone laughed, except for Liam, who seemed to be going through something. We cheered and all took a sip of our drinks. We're in a bar now. Dyllan's band is performing.

"What's it like having a girlfriend, Evo?" Yuan asked. I'm not the only one who hasn't had a girlfriend yet. Yuan hasn't either. As far as I know, he hasn't had a girlfriend yet. He's too dedicated to his career, and he really takes care of his love team with Hershey. Their fans are too intense, and they often receive nothing but criticisms and threats from everyone who's linked to Yuan. It's also possible he has a girlfriend that we don't know about.

"It's alright, pretty normal," I answered.

"Isn't it said that when you're in love, you can't sleep or eat because you're constantly thinking about your beloved?" Enzo added.

"Why, were you like that with Coreen?" I playfully asked him, followed by laughter. She was his girlfriend back in 8th grade. Their relationship only lasted a week. But Liam, he's something else. Ruthless. He doesn't hold back. He'd go after anyone who shows interest in him. He might have even dated more girls than the fingers on one hand. He could already court girls even in kindergarten. He made a girl cry because he stole a kiss from her when we were in kindergarten.

Two girls approached us. "Hi guys!" they greeted. One of them sat next to Liam.

"Hey Liam, maybe you'd like to stay overnight at my place later?" she asked without hesitation. Liam looked at her.

"I'm not in the mood! Maybe next time. Um... Sarah," Liam said, sounding unsure of the name.

"My name is Kristine! We hung out just last week and you've already forgotten my name!" The girl left, annoyed. We all laughed when she walked away.

"Damn it, Liam! I've been a player too, but I never once forgot a girl's name," Dyllan commented with a laugh.

This guy's being a player in a different way. He gets into relationships without real feelings. But now he's serious about my twin. It turns out, he's liked Kelly for a long time, he just couldn't admit it. Sometimes, his sweetness towards my sister gets annoying.

"These girls are so frustrating! A little touch and they're already dropping their panties!" we burst out laughing. What's up with this guy? It's the first time he's turned down a girl. And now he's annoyed with a girl who's easy to get. This isn't the usual Liam.

"What's your problem? Do you have a fever? You turned down a girl," Enzo said.

"Yeah, dude. You've seemed irritated for a while now," I added.

"Why did Chloe like Junjie?" he suddenly asked. His statement furrowed my brows. Is that what's been bothering him? Could it be true that he--

"Do you have a crush on Chloe?" Yuan asked suddenly. He didn't answer, downing the contents of his shot glass and letting out a sigh. Yuan, Enzo, and Dyllan burst out laughing.

"Do you have a crush on Chloe!? Oh, don't even think about it. You'll just get rejected. There are plenty of decent girls out there for you. She won't be interested," Dyllan teased.

"You guys are idiots!" he said, clearly frustrated. I leaned against my seat. It's true, he has a crush on Chloe. I can't blame him. A lot of guys like Chloe, not just because she's beautiful, but also because she's incredibly kind and a genuinely good person. I raised my shot glass and brought it over to Liam. He raised his as well, and we cheered.

"Not Chloe, dude. I'll be the first one to block you if you try to court her. You're not a good match. She's too good for you. It hurts, but accept the truth," I said seriously. I'd definitely stand in his way if he tries to court Chloe. Chloe doesn't deserve him. Harsh, but it's true. He'd just end up making her cry.

"What are you talking about?! I was just commenting!" he denied. But I'm not convinced. His actions and mood have been different since we found out that Chloe and Junjie are officially together. Even if I were the decent one, Chloe deserves someone better. Tsk. I overheard Chloe say that she doesn't like me, that she has no feelings for me. Turns out, she's always liked someone like Junjie.

Chapter 3

Chloe's POV

"Aaahhhhh!" I screamed loudly when the emcee announced that we won the science fair.

"Oh my god, Evo! We made it!" I hugged him tightly while squealing in excitement. But I was interrupted because of what I did. Evo hugged me back. I slowly pulled my face away until our faces were inches apart. Our eyes met. I swallowed hard because of his gaze. Is he angry? He didn't even smile. My arms were still wrapped around his shoulders and his hands on my waist. It felt like I couldn't move my body. His way of looking at me was so hypnotizing.

"Congrats!" I suddenly snapped back to reality when Cheenie approached us. I quickly let go of Evo. Cheenie held Evo's hand.

"We really don't stand a chance when you two are paired up. Both of you are a perfect pair," Cheenie commented.

"But we are a perfect couple!" then she added followed by her pent-up chuckle. She's definitely right. They're perfect together.

"And we as well. Perfect together!" Junjie interjected as he put his arm around my shoulder.

"Yeah, right. But we have a problem and we need to fix it," Cheenie said.

"Problem?" I asked, puzzled. Cheenie just nodded.

"Let's go. We need to talk," Cheenie pulled Evo, leaving both of us bewildered. I exchanged a questioning look with Junjie. He just smiled and gently held my chin between his thumb and index finger.

"We're going to explain," he said, giving my chin a little squeeze. He led me out of the pavilion, his arm still around me. We headed towards the school garden. Cheenie and Evo were already sitting on the swing seat. It had a roof, and four people could sit on it. Junjie and I joined them, sitting side by side. I faced Evo, while Junjie faced Cheenie. Our knees were almost touching because it wasn't very wide.

"So, what's this problem you're talking about, Cheenie?" Evo asked.

"Don't you know that Junjie and I are childhood friends? And we're both Chinese," Evo and I nodded, even though we both looked equally confused about what the problem was.

"In our families, arranged marriage is still a practice. And Junjie and I are scheduled to get married someday," Cheenie said. Evo and I exchanged glances. I quickly looked back at Cheenie and Evo. Evo's jaw visibly tensed as he looked at us. It was surprising and irritating at the same time. But I didn't feel annoyed. I'm weird!

"But for now, our parents can't know about our relationships. Because if they find out, they might send us to another country, or worse, make us get married right away," Cheenie explained.

"That's not the only issue. My cousin saw us at the mall yesterday, Evo. She reported it to my parents. But I made an excuse that I was just accompanying you to buy a gift for your girlfriend, who's also my best friend," Cheenie looked at me.

"And that's you, Chloe. I said you were Evo's girlfriend. But it seems they're not convinced. They asked why they haven't met you yet if you're his best friend. And they want to meet both of you," she sighed. What? Evo's parents really want to meet us?

"Cheenie!" we all turned our heads when her classmate called for her. The classmate hurried over to us.

"Cheenie, your parents are here. They're looking for you," her classmate said urgently. Cheenie quickly stood up and looked in the direction where her classmate came from.

"Oh my God! That's my mom!" Oh no! There's her mom coming this way. Cheenie quickly grabbed my hand and pulled me beside Evo. Evo, on the other hand, got off the swing seat and waited for Cheenie's parents to approach.

"Hi, mom, hi dad! Wh-what are you doing here?" she greeted them nervously as they got closer. Cheenie seemed visibly tense. She kissed their cheeks.

"We were just going to pick you up," her mom said, then looked at us. Evo then stood up and approached Cheenie's parents, giving the woman a kiss on the cheek.

"Um. Mom, dad, meet Evo and Chloe. They're the ones I've been telling you about," we stood up, and Evo approached.

"Hello," I greeted Cheenie's parents, and Evo did the same.

"So, you're Chloe, my daughter's best friend," her dad came up to me and kissed my cheek.

"I'm glad to meet you, dear," he said after the kiss.

"And you're Evo, Chloe's boyfriend," her mom added with a knowing smile and a nod. Evo smiled and nodded back.

"Wait. Why don't you invite them, Cheenie? It's Cheenie's birthday next week, her 19th birthday. She doesn't want to have a party, so we've decided to go to the beach instead. Join us," Cheenie looked at us and nodded as if she was telling us to agree.

"But you see, um..."

"Chloe, come on, please agree!... Evo. It's just in Batangas," Cheenie pleaded with us.

"Alright, dear. You should go. After all, you're Cheenie and Junjie's friends," Cheenie's mom urged, so I nodded.

"Good. So, let's go, Cheenie. Junjie, come join us. We're going to meet your parents," Junjie looked at me, seemingly asking for forgiveness, and bid his goodbye. I just smiled at him and gave a slight nod. They said their farewells and left us with Evo. Evo sat back on the swing seat. He wiped his face with his hands. He seemed troubled by the situation. I sat down in front of him.

"Are you okay?" I ask him.

"Are you sure, Chlow, that we're going? We will go there and pretend to be a couple," I shrugged. Then both of our phones chimed. I grabbed my bag and pulled out my phone and Evo's from his pocket. It was Junjie who texted me.

[Chlow, I want you to be there. Come with us, okay? The day will be boring without you. Please!]

I looked at Evo, and he looked at me too. "It's Cheenie. She wants me to be with her on her birthday," he said.

"Junjie wants the same," silence lingered between us. Until I broke the silence.

"Why are Chinese families like this? Why do they have to force them into a marriage when they don't even love each other? Isn't that unfair? Or is that just how rich families are?" Evo just smiled.

"What if, Chloe, I become your boyfriend for now? You wouldn't be ashamed of me, would you?" He said with a smile.

"Tss. How could I be ashamed of someone as handsome as you? Half of the girls in this school are dreaming of you. Do you think I'm still being picky?" I teased him, and he just laughed.

"You brat!" he pinched my cheeks playfully.

"Ouch! Evo, come on! I know I'm cute, but you don't have to pinch me," we both laughed. We both have problems, but we can still manage to laugh.

***

I heard the sound of a car outside. I quickly got up from the bed and peeked out the window. Maybe it's mom. I saw an unfamiliar black car. I saw a man quickly get out of the fancy car and rush to the passenger seat to open the door. My brows furrowed when I saw my mom step out of the car.

"Who's that guy?" I asked as I observed the man. Oh! I think he's my mom's boss. Yeah, it's him. I've met him before at the gatherings my mom attends. She sometimes takes me along to the events she goes to. Why is her boss dropping her off?

They even kissed on the cheek. Tsk. Are they that close? I saw my mom go inside, and the car left. I need to talk to my mom. I'll ask for permission to go to the beach. I went out of my room. I'll just wait for her here upstairs.

After a few moments, I heard the loud clack of heels on the stairs. Until I saw my mom coming up. A sweet smile immediately appeared on her lips when she saw me.

"Hi, sweetie. You're not asleep yet," my mom asked as she made her way up. I gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Who gave you a ride?" I asked.

"That's my boss. He offered to drive me home," I just nodded. Her car is in the auto repair shop again. It really seems like it's falling apart. We both headed to her room.

"So, why are you still up?" she asked and we entered the room.

"I'm just waiting for you, mom," I sat at the edge of the bed. She placed her bag on the couch.

"Why?" she asked and walked towards the closet. My attention was on her bag. I only saw it now, and it looks expensive. It's brown. I stood up and took the bag. I looked at the brand. Prada.

"Chlow, why are you waiting for me? Do you need something?" I turned to face my mom, who was currently picking out replacement clothes.

"Nice bag, mom," I commented instead of answering her. She turned to look at me.

"Just a gift from the big bosses. I was awarded the best employee of the year," she explained. I put the bag down and sat back on the bed.

"I wanted to ask for permission. It's Cheenie's 19th birthday. Evo's girlfriend and Junjie's childhood friend. We're invited by Evo to go to the beach. Is it okay if I go?"

"Aren't you going to have a problem with Junjie's family?"

"What do you mean by that, mom?"

"Sweetie, your boyfriend is Chinese. In Chinese tradition, arranged marriages are common. They have to marry someone who is also Chinese. Plus, we're not wealthy, and I'm a single mother. Our family isn't exactly ideal. I don't want you to get hurt because of this," my mom was right. We're already facing a problem now.

"But mommy, he's just my boyfriend. We're not getting married yet," I said and followed it with a soft laugh. My mom sat beside me and seemed lost in thought.

"It should have been Evo as your boyfriend. I glanced at my mom, surprised by what she said. She laughed loudly.

"Don't you like him? He's a handsome young man, and he's very kind too. I even thought he was courting you. There's something about the way he looks at you," tss. My mom is really something. She just says whatever comes to her mind.

"But seriously, dear. If it's Evo you end up with, I'd be at ease. I know his family is good, and I know he'll love and accept you no matter what our situation in life is."

God! She's really serious.

Well, she's right. Evo's parents are very kind. Cheenie is very lucky, but even her parents reject her. How is that fair? Evo's family is one of the richest in the country. Tito James is a successful businessman, running a real estate company, an architectural firm, and two universities. And Tita Chelsy is the most renowned architect in the country. She's even well-known in other countries. Their livelihoods are dizzying in their height. Meanwhile, we're like this. We're not poor, but we're far from being rich. Our lifestyle is miles away from theirs. We don't even have a business. How will Junjie's family accept me, when Evo's family, who are incredibly wealthy, are hesitant too? And our family isn't complete.

"Are you lost in thought?" my mom interrupted my thoughts.

"Nothing, mom. So, can I go with them? It's just in Batangas. Maybe for two days."

"Okay. As long as Evo is with you."

"Thanks, mom."