Lawrence, The Hotelier (Published Under POP FICTION)

PROLOGUE

I woke up with my head pounding and I feel like my brain is about to explode. The hangover medicine that I took did not work this time. And I knew why. My jackass friends and I got wasted till kingdom come and I did not even get to have a proper sleep. I might cancel the meeting that is about to happen one hour from now because of this throbbing head of mine. And I hate canceling meetings.

That asshole of a loser named Ian. Why do we have to suffer with him every time he lost his damn balls? He just came back from the United States from checking his girl, oh scratch that, from stalking his girl, and after all he had gone through, umuwi siyang biguan.

If I were him, I would have kidnapped the girl and live in a faraway land so no one could find us. Well, that was a creepy thought. But it's Ian we are talking about. That is his personality. And he might do it if we say so. But then again, even if he got this "ladies' man" tag on his name, and a few were calling him a manwhore, he's good person. A good son. And that man, believe it or not, is head-over-heels in love with Elena.

Sa aming magkakaibigan, siya ata ang unang nagmahal. We all just laughed at him whenever he starts wailing and telling us how much he loves that girl. Of course, none of us could ever relate, especially me.

Love? I wonder who the fuck invented that L word? I don't give a fuck about it. I shook my head with passion. I don't even think I am capable of loving someone the same way Ian loves Elena. How am I supposed to love someone when I don't even know what it feels like to be loved?

When was the last time I was loved? I could hardly remember. What I remembered were the series of motherfucking hell and hardships I went through as I was growing up.

I lost my parents when I was fifteen. They were murdered right in front of our very eyes. If only I could forget that dreadful day, I would. T'was the most painful tragedy no child deserves to experience in his lifetime. Yet, it happened to us. It was life-altering. Because after that, things were never be the same again.

They say kids have the purest heart and soul. They forgive and forget things easily. I might have agreed. But because of the tragedy, I thought differently. I can't forget and there is no way I can forgive those criminals who killed my parents. Sure, justice has been served but in the depths of my heart, I loathe them all to the core.

Because of what happened to our parents, I needed to grow up fast. I was just fifteen but the burden I had to carry was too much I almost gave up. Ni hindi ko nagawang magluksa because I had no time for that. I can't even remember when the last time I shed tears. My father used to tell me that no matter what, I need to pull myself together. I need to have a strong mind and that my heart should be made of steel. My father embedded me the idea that no matter what it takes, the company should be remained in our name. And that we need to protect it at all costs. Because protecting the company means protecting the life of its people. So, for me, crying for our loss was just a waste of time.

There were certain moments that I condemned my parents. There were times that I blamed them of my sufferings. I blamed them every time Veronica screamed from her nightmares. I blamed them for everything. If only they took the death threats they received seriously, things could have been avoided. Their lives would have been spared. Veronica and I would have had better childhood memories. They could have seen what was coming, but I guess they didn't try hard enough. Sana ay kasama pa namin sila ngayon.

But I could only wish.

I spent my teenage years studying how to manage my parents' business. At young age, I knew damn well that it wasn't easy. It would never be. I had given more than my blood, sweat and tears. I had given up everything. I almost lost the legacy of my parents. The company almost collapsed. I was more than thankful to the seniors who remained faithful to our family. They helped me. They guided me. They believed in me.