DEDICATION
To every reader who believes in love, no matter how imperfect or unexpected.
To those who have faced challenges but still hold on to hope.
And to my family and friends—your support means everything.
This story is for you.
CHAPTER 0NE
Agatha glanced around the restaurant, barely paying attention to the pompous, overly talkative man across from her. Another blind date. She had lost count of how many times she had told her father to stop setting her up like this. This is the last one I'll ever entertain, she promised herself.
"Hey, princess," her date, Simon, called out, clearly noticing her disinterest.
Agatha blinked, turning her gaze to him with forced patience. "Agatha. My name is Agatha, not princess."
"But you are my princess," he replied with a smug grin.
She took a slow sip of her drink before setting it down. "I'm never going to be your princess, mister."
"But your dad approves of us, and my mom already likes you. That makes us a perfect match," Simon said, his smirk widening.
Agatha exhaled sharply. "First of all, my father does not control my life. Second, I don't know your mother, and I have no interest in meeting her. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have far more important things to do." She pushed her chair back and stood up.
"You know, it's very rude to walk out on your date," Simon called after her.
"Oh, really? Tell me more about it," she shot back sarcastically, not breaking her stride.
"So, the rumors are true—you are disrespectful and arrogant," he muttered under his breath.
Agatha turned slightly, flashing him a cold smile. "Trust me, that's just half of it."
She left the restaurant and headed to the parking lot, gripping her car keys tightly. The nerve of that man! Just because she refused to be bullied by men like him, society had slapped the label of arrogant and disrespectful on her.
Shaking off her frustration, she thought about her best friend, Anita, and dialed her number. No answer. After several rings, she sighed and drove straight to Anita's gallery.
At Anita's Gallery
A few minutes later, Agatha arrived at the gallery. She made her way to Anita's office, only to be stopped by the secretary.
"Excuse me, ma'am. My boss is currently indisposed right now. If you could be patient for a little bit—"
Agatha didn't wait for her to finish. She simply walked past and let herself into Anita's office, sitting down as if she owned the place.
She couldn't believe Anita was repeating the same mistake again. After all the scolding, all the warnings, her friend still hadn't learned. Who was it this time?
Agatha walked over to the water dispenser, poured herself a cup of warm water, and sat down.
Then, she heard it.
Moans.
Loud, unmistakable moans coming from the office bathroom.
She rolled her eyes, grabbed her earbuds, and shoved them into her ears. I don't need to hear this.
A few minutes later, Anita emerged, adjusting her dress. She was startled when she saw Agatha, but quickly recovered, spritzing on perfume as if nothing had happened.
"Hey, girlfriend! What a surprise visit. A call would have sufficed," Anita said, flashing an innocent smile.
Agatha threw her a deadly glare before returning her attention to her phone.
Anita glanced at her screen and noticed five missed calls. She sighed. "Chill, babe. I was a little busy."
Almost immediately, a man—tall, mid-thirties, adjusting his belt—stepped out of the restroom. He looked at Agatha and grinned.
"Oh, I see you have a visitor," he said, wrapping an arm around Anita and kissing her cheek.
Anita looked slightly uncomfortable. Under Agatha's blank stare, she quickly pulled away and cleared her throat. "Um, Agatha, this is Josh. Josh, this is my best friend, Agatha."
Josh stretched out his hand. "Pleasure to meet you."
Agatha didn't even glance at it. She simply kept scrolling through her phone.
Josh awkwardly withdrew his hand. "Uh… looks like your friend isn't in a good mood."
"I'll consider that my cue to leave," Josh said. "I'll call you later. Oh, your contact, please?" He handed Anita his phone.
Anita hesitated, then entered her number. "I'm so sorry about my friend's behavior, it's just that—"
"It's okay, babe. I'll call you," Josh cut her off, kissing her cheek before walking out.
The moment he left, Agatha turned to Anita, who was already bracing herself.
"Don't judge me, girl. Don't, please," Anita said defensively.
"You need urgent medical and psychological attention if you think I'm going to stay quiet about what just happened," Agatha snapped.
Anita folded her arms. "So, you're judging me and calling me unreasonable?"
"Don't even try that gaslighting nonsense with me." Agatha's eyes narrowed. "A stranger, Anita? A total stranger? The last time this happened—which was just a week ago—you swore it would never happen again. But here you are. Again! I expect more from you, Anita. I'm disappointed."
Anita sighed. "I'm really sorry, girl. It was a mistake. I swear, this is the last time."
Agatha scoffed. "I've heard that before."
"It's my life and my decisions," Anita muttered.
"Then stop dragging me into them," Agatha shot back, still frowning.
Anita walked closer, pouting. "Come on, babe, I said I'm sorry. And you are part of my life. The decisions you make for me are valid. I love you."
Agatha raised an eyebrow. "Your actions say otherwise."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry—" Anita suddenly lunged, tickling Agatha.
Agatha burst into laughter despite herself. "Okay, okay, stop!"
Anita grinned. "That's more like it."
Agatha's Reflections
Anita had been Agatha's childhood friend. They had been through a lot together. Maybe their pain and traumas were what made their bond stronger.
They had met at the hospital where Agatha's mother died. Anita's mother had lupus and passed away just three days after. Ever since then, they had shared similar struggles—except for one thing.
Agatha's father wasn't a rapist.
Anita's was.
She was thirteen when her father raped her. It had messed her up in ways she was still healing from.
Anita was sweet but stubborn. Agatha couldn't count how many times she had warned her to stop sleeping around, but here they were again. Looking at Anita now, all Agatha could see was the bittersweet past they shared.
"Hey, girl. How was your date?" Anita asked, pulling Agatha from her thoughts.
"It was horrible. No different from the rest. I need to stand up to my dad and tell him to stop setting me up on these miserable dates," Agatha said, frustrated.
"I wonder why you haven't told him yet. Scared he'll cut off your credit card or something?" Anita teased.
Agatha rolled her eyes. "You know I make my own money. It's just my aunt who keeps persuading me. But I'm meeting her today to put an end to it." She sighed. "I need a beer. Got some in your fridge?"
"Of course," Anita said, pressing the intercom. A few seconds later, her assistant entered.
"Get us two bottles of beer, please," Anita ordered.
As they waited, Anita smirked. "Speaking of your aunt, how's she doing? Please tell me she's not thinking of getting back with her ex-husband."
"She'd only do that if she has a death wish. Good thing she divorced him before ending up like my mother," Agatha muttered.