It has been a week since I've arrived here in Rome. I've been getting a lot of messages from Martin's side of the family about the wedding they've been really rude to me since I ran away and left Martin heartbroken that I should've done this and that instead of leaving him on our wedding day, I should've declined his wedding proposal instead of becoming a runaway bride. How could I say no to his proposal when he proposed to me at the damn mall! It would be so embarrassing to decline his proposal. I've been getting a lot of messages din from the side of my family they've been sending me videos of Martin when I ran away with the captions of;
He's totally gay good thing you didn't marry him!
He cried so bad while looking at the damn mirror!
I bet na mas Nanay pa yan sa'yo if you married him and had kids (well reading that I laughed really hard 'cause my cousin really had a point)
And many more! The videos they sent me made me feel bad and guilty since I should've talked to him before the wedding but how could I? he was so pre-occupied with the wedding he complained about everything since it was simple the flowers aren't lively enough, the venue isn't grand enough it won't match my this and that. I mean who does that well Martin does! I woke up on our wedding day because he woke me up at 6 in the morning nagging about the wedding and how imperfect it was I had plans on telling him that I don't want to get married anymore but he nagged and nagged. There's this tradition that you should never see your bride before your wedding since it's bad luck, but then Martin broke that tradition just because he wanted to nag at me he even called me and texted me a thousand times for one week saying that I was really cruel since I left him on our wedding day, some texts were pretty insulting, he even nagged again about how imperfect our wedding was and it was a shame for his image.
Now I totally get why my parents were very happy when I told them I didn't wanna get married to Martin he's a sick, self-centered a-hole! and I wasted a year and 3 or 4 months of my life because of that guy when I could've spent it working and traveling with my parents!
Enough of all the Martin crap. I am Bridgette Levianah Neri. 26. I am a daughter of a chef and a beauty queen well my mom's now a famous chef din. Both of my parents are known for their wine business and their amazing restaurants in Europe and Asia. I have four siblings Kuya Bullet who's 30, Kuya Brayden who's 28, Kuya Brick who's 27, and our youngest brother Brickston Levi who's 14. I am also a chef I bake and cook I have my own pastry boutique in the Philippines and in some parts of Europe. I am on my way to our vineyard here in Rome pupunta muna ako sa cafe kung saan ako madalas pumupunta whenever I am here in Italy.
I ordered myself some coffee and some croissant. I decided to sit at an empty table for two and started eating my breakfast when a tall and handsome guy approached me he looks really familiar...
Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. No. NO NO NO NO don't come near me... damn!
"Bridgette? Is that you?"
Damn!
"Uhm do I know you?" I raised my eyebrow
"Masungit ka pa din. I see it's me, Chase Roberts. Batchmates ta'yo back in high school"
I acted as if I was remembering him. I'm good at acting kaya since I was a member of the drama club back in high school where I was always the main lead or the female lead.
"Oh yeah I do remember you now"
He still had that charming boyish grin on his face.
"Is this seat taken? Uhm do you mind if I sit?"
OF COURSE, I DO YOU THICK-FACED JERK
I smiled "Of course not"
So the thick-faced jerk is now sitting in front of me what a great way to start my day!
"So Bridge what have you been uhm up to these days?"
"I've been working for my family's business" tipid kong sagot I'm not really comfortable that this thick-faced a**hole is sitting comfortably in front of me well let's just say that I was in love with him ever since I was in elementary, so when he courted me I acted like I didn't care that we were together but I did, of course, he was my first love!
"That's nice I've been working at a small law firm here in Rome. I heard you got married last week"
"I ran away" napaubo naman sya. He spilled some of his coffee too which is really disgusting.
"Uhm oh" he looked at me weirdly
"Any problem with that" tinaasan ko nalang sya nang kilay ugh men
He chuckled "Nope I also have a kid the mom ran away though. She's five" he then showed me a picture of his daughter the kid didn't look Filipino well chase isn't pure Filipino din naman his mom is a Filipina and his dad is an American, but the kid had Italian features.
"Her mom's Italian right" he nodded
"She worked at the same law firm with me but she ran away two years ago we lost contact ever since"
He deserved to be hurt for what he did to me but this was just so much I saw the sadness in his eyes. I feel sorry for him and his kid. I experienced that too my biological mom left my brothers I think I was seven when she left, then my mama, the mom I have now is my dad's best friend. She raised me and my brothers as her own, then when I was in 6th-grade papa decided to marry her and make her our biological mom. Where's my mom? I honestly don't know too, I don't have plans on looking for her either I love the mom that I have now and I am more than contented to have her as my mom.
"But at least your daughter has you all you have to do now is to be the best father she could've ever have. Be her mom and her dad at the same time"
He smiled "Thanks"
"Anytime" I looked at my watch I had to leave now
"As much as I wanna talk more I have to leave I still have to go to our vineyard"
"If I may ask sa La Encender ka ba pupunta?"
I raised one of my eyebrows again with his question "Yes. Why?"
He smiled "My family's house is just across the entrance of your vineyard, you'll have to walk for 30 minutes..pwede kitang ihatid if you want"
Damn this leaves me no choice
"Okay. I wouldn't wanna walk for 30 minutes"
We went out of the cafe and rode his car. The whole drive was really silent I just scrolled my phone for some messages and hindi nga ako nagkamali tadtad nang messages ang messenger ko. So I decided to block all of Martin's rude relatives, I didn't notice tears were already falling down from my eyes a handkerchief appeared in front of me. I looked at Chase and he gave me that sympathetic look which I hated I don't wanna look weak sa harap nang ibang tao, but I needed the handkerchief so I got it from him and wiped my tears.
"I won't ask why you're crying. Don't worry"
"Thanks" I smiled but deep inside I feel like shit.
When I reached our vineyard I told Chase to have lunch with me but he declined since he still had work to do and that he still had to fetch his daughter who was in school. So I told him to bring his daughter here so that we can have dinner, as much as I hate Chase he drove me here so I needed to give back the favour. The momen I entered our mansion here in the vineyard everything looked the same, well except for new furnitures and more paintings. I love to paint and I also love buying paintings and going to art galleries, which reminds me that I have been invited to an auction which is next month, it'll be held in London which is my next stop. Seeing the view from our balcony somehow makes me feel better after all the shitty messages Martin's family sent me. Most of our workers here are Filipinos well we also have Italian workers and so far the way they mainatined the mansion and the vineyard is incredible might as well visit them later. For now I'll have to cook for myself and the helps around here. I went to the kitchen and I was shocked when I had al the ingredients that I needed, maybe dad told the helps to buy supplies.
I decided to cook my specialty Kare-Kare Le Encender. This specialty of mine was taught by my mom. Cooking was our favorite bonding before when she left me and papa. She and Papa taught me how to cook at a very young age. We bonded through baking and cooking. I have a very good memory that's why I still remember every angle of hers, as much as I want to forget everything that reminds me of her but I can't give up on my passion just because I want to forget my mother and cooking reminds me of her a lot. I shook those thoughts of my head and started cooking.
to be continued...
Btw
Levianah is pronounced as (Levia-nah)