Alodia blew her breath before she pressed the doorbell button of his condo unit at around eight in the evening.

“A-Alyanna?” Emerson’s face was surprised to see her there when he opened the blue-gray door. He wore a white sando and a pair of board shorts, revealing his well-built body. He was taller than she realized, when she was now close to him. Her height was just up to his shoulder.

Why did he call her by that name with those luscious red lips? Didn’t he recognize her? Didn’t he know that Alyanna had a twin sister and that his girlfriend just died? 

Their eyes held for a few seconds. His eyes were light brown and beautiful, which was enhanced by a nearly perfect eyebrows, which was a bit thick though. His nose was straight that she thought he must have good genes.

Suddenly, an idea came up in her mind. She slowly pulled her lips into a sweet and sunny smile. So, there was a way that she could avenge her sister’s death while her sister was not resting in peace in her unblessed grave after all.

“Why? You didn’t expect me to come today, hon?” She learned about her twin sister’s endearment to him when he called while she was on Skype with Alyanna.

“I-I thought that…” he said haltingly.

She pushed him by his chest and went into his condo unit. It was quite cozy. The living room was clean and complete with appliance such as flat screen TV, VCD player and Xbox, among others. The window to the right had a thin curtain of light green, making the place look neater. 

Just when she looked the left where a bedroom and a hallway were, a naked woman came out of the bathroom with her hair fresh from the shower. The latter was frozen to see her holding hands with Emerson and her eyes grew wide in fear and confusion.

“Hon, did you think I was already dead?” Alodia turned to look at Emerson and let go of his hand like she never saw the naked woman.

He blinked while looking at her. “A-Alyanna…I-I can explain,” he started.

“I was just so pissed off of you that’s why I spread out the news that I was already dead! I even anticipated that you would come to my funeral. But when you still didn’t come to our house, I decided to stop my prank and come to you instead. I want us to get back together, hon.” She even caressed his broad chest with what she considered was sensual enough to arouse him.

He blinked at her like he couldn’t believe his ears. 

Alodia looked at him with sultry sherry brown eyes. He was quite a muscular man with a boyish-looking face, dark hair and fair skin. She thought he was just the right kind of man that her sister would like to have as a boyfriend. But this man, he wasn’t her type at all. She loved her man to be… well, basically manly, dark and oozing with sex appeal even if he wouldn’t be so handsome. That’s why until now, she hadn’t found the perfect man that would make her attracted to so much, to fall for head over heels. 

And Emerson? He was just so boring for her taste. Not that she was putting her sister’s taste and standard in men so low, because Emerson could sure give someone a striking smile that could make women swoon. 

But not her. Not Alodia.

“Alyanna, I thought that you don’t—” he started once again.

“What? Aren’t you going to chase this woman away or not?” It sounded like she threatened him, giving him a death glare.

The woman had her mouth hung open and Alodia just threw her a mocking smile while taking note of her sexy body. But her boobs were just so big that they were like a pair of papayas that were ready to fall from the tree. How could Emerson replace her sister with this kind of woman?

“Grace, can you leave us alone?” He looked at the other woman who was still standing there, listening and watching them, who didn’t seem to take notice of her nakedness.

“Emerson! Is it because of the…?” the other woman started to protest.

“Will you leave us now? I just want to talk to my girlfriend here,” he said in a firmer tone. His eyes warned the other woman not to argue.

The woman was clearly pissed, her face red and nostrils flaring. She took a white silk robe in the bathroom to cover her naked body. Then, she took her clothes with her as well as her purse and marched out of the condo unit, slamming the door behind her after giving Emerson a “go to hell” look.

Alodia turned to him when the other woman left angrily. He smiled at her and he embraced her small waist. She could feel his hard manhood that was rubbing against her abdomen. She wanted to cringe because of it. Although he smelled like conifer and citrus, she was sure that woman had already done more than sniffing this guy. And that disgusted her even more.

“I missed you so much, honey!” He started to kiss her cheek and neck. 

Alodia let him while frowning. When he was about to kiss her mouth, she evaded it and pushed him toward the bed. 

“Playing hard to get now, Alyanna?” He could almost not believe it.

Does this mean that something already happened between him and my sister? Could it be the reason why my sister wanted to die because he is a damn filthy player? But is this the reason as well that she couldn’t break their relationship because they already had sex? Maybe I’ll never know the reason why but you must pay, you shitty jerk!

Her hands balled into fists while thinking these questions. She hated this man more than ever. And she wanted to give him a lesson!

“Hon, just think of this like I am… playing with you,” he said with a sexy grin that he could ever make.

She blinked. And she had just devised a plan. “Well… okay. Besides, I… missed you already. But… I’ll play with you because you always give in to me anyway.”

Did she just say that in a sexy way? 

Alright. She’d give him what he wants. She pushed him hard toward the bed when they entered his room, and he lay down there on the white covered mattress with an excited grin on his face. The jerk was already breathless. She watched him close his eyes, and he was indeed anticipating something like a naughty game she’d play with him. Deep inside her heart and on her mind, she was reaching out to strangle this man to death!

Alodia searched for something to tie Emerson up with. And she found a duct tape in one of his dresser drawers. How it got there, she had no idea. She just took off his clothes and tied his hands and ankles apart to the headboard and the foot of the bed.

She surveyed her accomplishment. He was splayed. His eyes were still closed and the grin was just wasn’t wiped off from his fuckboy face. She looked at him with hatred and she wanted to puke because of his nakedness. She could see his huge manhood standing so erect. She never saw something so horrendous as he.

In reality, she’d never seen a naked man in her life. She never thought it could be so ugly like this! He was unshaved down there. She wondered how her sister could take it, and how could she have sex with this man with an ugly member!

She never understood why she killed herself because of this hateful and unworthy person! How she really loathed this man! If it weren’t a crime to kill a person, she would have already done it earlier!

She searched some more in his wardrobe and she noticed a whip as well as a belt. She took the former and went to the kitchen to get the ketchup, mayonnaise and cheese as well as spoon and fork. She went back to him who was still tied to the bed posts.

“Honey, just when did you know how to play?” He watched her when he saw what she had in her hands.

Alodia closed the black gate of the big white house. She paused to look around her. It was a sunny winter day. She knew it would be muddy later on because of the melting snow under the sun. She looked around her. There were only a few people around who were bustling with their daily activities—either going to work, school or somewhere else.

Her eyes rounded when she saw a man shoveling the snow from the path of his garage all the way toward the gate so that his car wouldn’t get stuck. Perhaps, the street snow cleaners were already done earlier that day and he had to shovel the rest of the massive snow drifts. His back was right to her and she couldn’t see his face. And yet, her heart was drumming so hard. She was about to go deaf because of the loud pumping of it.

Then, a handsome face of a man came into her mind. Yes, she recognized this man although he had his back to her. He was tanned as ever. He was apparently well built far more better than before. His slightly beaky nose was looking arrogant as ever while the set of his jaw and lips were strong and manly. More than ever before. His dark hair seemed thicker and curlier than in the past. 

Didn’t he have a haircut at all? Just when did he arrive? Has he found me yet? she nervously thought and asked herself.

“Alodia, let’s go!” Nicu, the little Romanian boy, seemed to wake her up from her dreamy state.

She turned around right away before the man who was shoveling the snow could see her. She was really nervous… and afraid.

“Let’s go,” she agreed with the little kid, forcing a smile on her red lips.

They still had to walk to the bus station to commute. The station was about three minutes from the house. Unfortunately, one of her employer’s cars, the one she usually uses, was broken and wasn’t repaired yet, while the other one was used by her employer, Nicu’s mother, who was a career woman. They had been together for quite a while now. It was already about three years and they were quite close like friends or even family.

She wasn’t only Nicu’s stay-in governess but also his nanny. And she loved him like her own son. Therefore, she would do everything for him just like his own mother. Nicu was a sweet and caring boy. She was indeed lucky.

She would send and pick him up from school every single day. And whenever she finished every household chore, she would either cross stitch or cook for the three of them.

 “I saw you staring at that man back there. He’s our new neighbor,” Nicu observed. While speaking English, he got the other passengers’ attention. She was half- Filipino and half-American. Her late mother was a Filipino and her irresponsible father was an American, who turned tail upon learning her mother got pregnant and whom she never met in her entire life. 

Alodia was not the only Asian in Iaşi City, she was always an attention grabber because of her unique features.

Even though Romania is not particularly a very rich country because it is also the world’s source of workforce around Europe and other rich countries, it is seldom that Romanians meet someone like her everyday. And there were also a lot of poor people in the country like the gypsies. Alodia learned and heard there were some opportunists just to get by. Not being racist or anything at all, but it was indeed true for some. Nonetheless, it didn’t take a particular ethnicity to be opportunists since it depended on the individual. Hence, she had nothing against the gypsies really.

Especially that there was this one particular Gypsy man she gave her heart to. It was Harman Mihalache. The man that she just saw shoveling the snow drifts merely across her employer’s house! And that wasn’t good news. At all.

“Are you listening to me, Alodia?” Nicu tugged at her scarf to get her attention when she didn’t answer.

“Huh? I’m sorry. Did you say anything, Nicu?” she inquired. She was lost in her thought while staring at the bus window. The grocery stores, pawnshops, flower shops and people walking on the pavements as well as others were not registered in her vision as her brain busily remembering that gorgeous Gypsy.

She thought that she had already forgotten all about him within those three years. But then, she hadn’t. And she had to remember that she had countless sleepless nights because of him. But she had to forget him.

And if they really loved each other truly, then she had to endure this another heartache in her life…

“I wanna surprise Mama. Maybe we could go to the mall first and then we’ll go to her office after school,” Nicu suggested.

She blinked without comprehension. “Why are we going to surprise her?” she asked the little blond boy with blue-gray eyes.

He sighed. “You really were not listening to me, Alodia. It’s Mama’s birthday! Did you just forget about it?”

She laughed half-heartedly. “Of course not!” But she did forget about it. It was gone if she did ever remember it earlier. It was because of Harman’s fault for appearing in her life again. She never expected it! “I was… uh… thinking if I could make some salad and bake a cake for her birthday,” she lied. The truth was, she was just thinking about all those now.

The boy nodded but his eyes were still full of doubt. She could not blame him for that. He was after all a bright kid. “I think you’re disturbed or something today,” he continued to observe.

Who? Me? Disturbed? her mind echoed. Then she laughed again at the little kid. She was of course! And not only disturbed, but she was also worried and stressed to the highest level!

What if Harman saw her because she was just living right in front of his house? Well, if it was really his new home now. She even left Bucharest so that their paths won’t cross again but here he was! In Iaşi! Where else in Romania could she hide from him? She wondered at another possibility to hide from him.

However, she couldn’t just easily get away as she wanted to. She had no other family other than Nicoleta’s.

Alodia said goodbye to Nicu when she already made sure that he was in his classroom. She went to the mall to buy the necessary ingredients that she was going to use for baking and cooking to prepare for her employer’s birthday. She was totally going to prepare a surprise for Nicoleta’s birthday. She was sure that the latter would be happy about it.

While looking for the ingredients in mind, she didn’t notice the man who was pushing his cart that was filled with groceries. She bumped into it and some canned goods hit her shoulder, making her groan in pain while massaging that assaulted part.

“Pardon!” She heard the man’s voice who spoke in Romanian. He continued to profusely ask for her forgiveness. Her mouth suddenly hung open. That familiar voice!

Harman! her mind shouted, making her heart thump so loud against her rib cage. Shit! Why is he here in all places?

She tried hard not to look over her shoulder. But damn that neck of hers. It seemed to have its own mind and turned toward the owner of that sexy baritone voice. It seemed that time and space didn’t exist as they looked into each other’s eyes. Those black curly lashes and dark brown eyes…

“Alodia?” He recognized her instantly. 

She looked in front of her to escape from his staring eyes. She quickly took the things she was going to buy and walked away fast. She wanted to get away from him as soon as possible. But he chased her and held her by the arm.

“Let me go!” she said firmly without turning and looking at him.

“I have been looking for you for years!” he told her.

She couldn’t stop herself from looking him in the eyes then. He what? He was looking for her for years? When was it? Since she was gone? But why? Didn’t he understand why she went away? He should have known it by now! And he should have hated her! Was that why he stopped her because he wanted to confront her?

She swallowed the huge lump in her throat and blinked fast. She raised her chin because he was way taller than her five feet two.

“And there’s nothing to talk about, is there?” Even though she was a bit guilty, she didn’t want to show it to this man.

She tried hard to take back her arm and went to the cashier to pay.

But he was still on her heels. She could hear the soft steps of his shoes against the white tiled floor of the mall. She knew that his strides were longer than hers but she tried hard to ignore him.

She paid everything and he followed her quickly without paying. But the staff there chased Harman to make him pay for the goods. When she looked over her shoulder, she could see that he took in a deep breath and took some money from his wallet and paid everything. Afterward, he chased her again outside the mall, ignoring the people’s stares.

“Alodia!” He called her name.

But she didn’t turn around like she never heard anything. She hailed a cab and got in quickly. She shook her head at the taxi driver when he thought they were together. She told him the address and they were off.

“I think he’s calling you, miss,” he said in Romanian while peering at his rear view mirror.

“I don’t know him,” was her only reply.

But the driver grinned at her. He obviously didn’t believe her but she didn’t care.

“Looks like he knows you well, then. Besides, he’s after us now, driving his car,” he revealed.

“What?” Her jaw hung open and her eyes widened.

She looked behind them and she could tell that it was that brand and make of the car that she saw in his garage earlier this morning.

“Shit!” she cursed. She then turned to the driver. “Could you lose him, please? I will pay you handsomely,” she requested the driver.

“Well, if you say so,” he said and grinned at her again. He stepped harder on the accelerator as long as the traffic could permit.

However, Harman was still close on their tail. She calculated the money that was on her. Could she really pay for the taxi? Why was he being so persistent? She was pissed. She ground her teeth and her heart was beating so hard. What did he want with her?

She then decided to tell the middle-aged driver to just send her to the address she’d given him. She paid him before she got off from the cab. He then winked at her.

“Seems like he won’t let you go, miss.” The fat driver grinned widely.

She didn’t answer and the driver waved at her before he drove off. She quickly took the keys from her winter coat and shoved one inside the keyhole of the gate before Harman could park his car.

“Alodia!” he called her again. But she was already inside the gate and locked it fast enough before he could even grab her. She ran toward the big house, and when she was in, she also locked the door as if he could still follow her inside.

She took a deep breath and rested her back against the door. She was out of breath after their chase. After a few minutes, she then decided to peer from window. She could see that he was still out there, staring at the big house of her employer.

“My God! Why wouldn’t he just go away?” she murmured to herself.

Her heart seemed to be crumpled so tightly in her chest. His face looked so sad and his shoulders were slumped. She swallowed hard and blinked away the tears that formed in her eyes. She had to stand her ground of not going to see him and talk to him again in spite of what she felt for him until now.

After a few moments of watching him, he turned around and walked away. But she knew damn well that he was going to come back. He already knew where she was. And should she get out of Nicoleta’s haven of a home? Her employer knew of her story with Harman. It was because she thought of her as a friend. And she was a good person and a good soul. Nicoleta understood why she did it to Harman.

“But wouldn’t you need to talk about it before you decided to do what you had to?” Nicoleta asked her then.

It was like only yesterday. But it was already three years ago. And she blinked again to try to shake it off from her memory. She went to the kitchen instead. She had to keep herself busy so that she wouldn’t think about Harman and what was in the past when they were still together. She had to remind herself that it was all a game and nothing more!

She just had to forget everything that was between them even though he was just nearby. Even if he was going to confront her about it—or not…

She sighed when all the “ifs” started to appear in her mind.