CHAPTER 2
1798 Words
KIRSTEN WAS IN the storage room, grabbing dog food for Amara—Ice’s bulldog. She couldn’t help but smile as she recalled the nice compliments from the people in the living room. They praised her beauty while she wore the dress she was planning to wear for Ice and Lorraine’s wedding tomorrow. Even Lorraine, who had come to terms with not getting her request fulfilled, couldn’t help but compliment her. Hearing those words made her happy, even easing her annoyance toward Ice for comparing her face to Amara’s.
When Kirsten stepped out, carrying Amara’s food, she headed straight to the fourth floor, where Ice’s room was located. Amara’s room was there too, complete with its own bed and bathroom. Amara was a smart dog and knew exactly where to relieve herself. Kirsten was the one who bathed and fed her, making it feel like she was the real owner as she took care of her daily.
When she reached Ice’s room, it was empty. Amara, however, was lying on her bed. Kirsten called her, and the dog immediately got up, wagging her tail excitedly at the sight of her.
“Baby Amara, come to your Mommy Tin,” Kirsten said with a smile.
Amara jumped off the bed and ran to her. Kirsten sat on the floor and stroked the dog’s face.
“Are you hungry, baby? I have your meal now. Eat a lot, okay?” Kirsten said with a grin.
Amara barked in response, making Kirsten smile even more. She was just glad the dog was so well-behaved and not a hassle to take care of.
Her attention shifted to the door as it opened, revealing Ice, who looked irritable. He walked straight to his bed and threw himself under the covers.
“Daddy Ice wasn't in a mood, baby, so behave, okay?” Kirsten whispered to Amara.
Kirsten stood and began preparing Amara’s meal. She washed the dog’s food and water bowls in the sink before setting them on the floor. While Amara ate, Kirsten’s eyes were on Ice.
“Sh*t!” Ice suddenly yelled, slamming the bed with his fist.
Amara looked toward her owner and barked. Kirsten noticed Ice glancing at them.
“Come to Daddy,” Ice said softly.
Amara paused her eating and ran to him. Ice adjusted his position on the bed, and Amara jumped up, lying down beside him like she was hugging him. Ice stroked her face and kissed her, even letting the dog lick his face.
“Why so pretty, Amara?” Ice said, kissing her forehead.
Kirsten suppressed her laughter upon hearing Ice’s words. Earlier, he had called her ugly and said she looked like his dog, but now he was calling the dog pretty. In her mind, she thought perhaps he didn’t really mean what he had said about her earlier.
“Maybe he thinks I’m pretty too—ow!”
Kirsten’s thoughts were interrupted when a pillow hit her square in the face. She shot a glare at Ice and threw the pillow back at him.
“What’s your problem!?” Kirsten yelled.
“Your smile is disgusting! You must be fantasizing about me!” Ice snapped.
“Y-You? F-Fantasize about you? I only do that with attractive people! You’re so gross!” Kirsten stood up. “I’m leaving! Feed your bulldog yourself!”
Kirsten stormed out of Ice’s room. Her annoyance toward him, which had subsided earlier, returned with full force. His behavior just got on her nerves.
In the kitchen, Kirsten took over the tasks from the housemaid, wanting to tire herself out enough to sleep early.
“Tin, I might get scolded,” said Esang, the maid assigned to the kitchen.
“Auntie Esang, I’m a maid here too,” Kirsten insisted.
“You just care taker of Sir Ice’s dog.”
“It’s still the same thing,” Kirsten argued.
“If you were a real maid, you’d be staying in the maids’ quarters. But no, you’re on the third floor, Tin.”
“Auntie Esang, please... I just need to tire myself out so I can sleep early tonight.”
“Don’t you have work?”
“I’m on leave.”
“Fine. I’ll help Aster outside. Just explain if Ma’am Ivy asks, okay?”
“Yes, don’t worry, Auntie.”
After finishing the dishes, Kirsten grabbed some snacks and a soda, heading to the pool area to relax. She smiled upon finding the area empty. Though the Miranda family treated her kindly, she still felt awkward being idle around them.
When Snow, Ice’s elder sibling, was still living in the mansion before getting married, Kirsten didn’t really have much to do. Snow got upset if she wasn’t by her side, which, although it worked in her favor, still made her feel embarrassed. Snow had treated her like a younger sister, and Kirsten loved her for it. Thanks to Lorraine and Snow, she learned that not all wealthy people looked down on those like her.
She sat down, gazing at the clear pool water while snacking. Despite her fatigue from being the maid of honor for the wedding, she couldn’t help but smile, imagining how beautiful the reception would look tomorrow. It had a garden theme with white and pink for the attire, except for the groom and bride. The reception would be held in a large garden with a gradient design of green, yellow, and white.
She slapped herself lightly, reminding herself not to be happy about it since her friend didn’t seem thrilled about the event.
Sighing, she said, “What a life!”
“Hey, Kirsten!” a voice called out suddenly.
Annoyed, Kirsten turned toward the voice. She recognized it instantly and widened her eyes before quickly turning away. It was Ice.
“W-What are you doing!? P-Put some clothes on!” Kirsten stammered.
Ice was only wearing red underwear, making her uncomfortable to look at him. Her skin crawled as she couldn’t help but notice how... noticeable certain parts of him were. To her, it was unusually large.
“H-Hey! Put some clothes on already! Don’t you own a bathrobe!? W-Wait! Did you seriously come down here wearing just a piece of underwear?” Kirsten asked, incredulous.
“Yup. Why? I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of. Other than being extremely handsome and carrying something big—”
“E-Enough! You’re disgusting!”
“Sorry... Just let me be. I want my last day to be memorable to everyone,” Ice said softly.
Kirsten turned to look at him, feeling something unusual in his words. She stopped caring about his lack of clothes and focused on his face, which looked filled with sadness. He smiled faintly at her before running and jumping into the pool.
“Ice,” Kirsten whispered.
***
LATER THAT NIGHT, Kirsten was already in her room, preparing to sleep. As she tried to close her eyes, Ice’s earlier words kept haunting her mind. To calm herself, she got up from her bed and decided to check on him in his room.
When she reached Ice’s door, she tried turning the doorknob. It moved, indicating the door wasn’t locked. She stepped inside to confirm if he was there.
“Ice? Are you in the bathroom?” Kirsten called out.
There was no response, which made her anxious. She rushed to the bathroom to check, but he wasn’t there either. She was about to leave when she noticed a white piece of paper on the drawer. She quickly ran to it, her hands trembling as she picked it up and read the note.
“Bye! Keep smiling, everyone.”
- Ice Miranda
Tears started welling up in Kirsten’s eyes. Without wasting another moment, she sprinted out of the house. Her first thought was the swimming pool, so she ran there as fast as she could.
Upon arriving at the pool area, she was out of breath from running nonstop. Clutching her chest to calm her racing heart, she called out, “Sir Ice! Are you here?”
She searched every corner of the pool area but couldn’t find him. She even checked the nearby bathrooms, but he wasn’t there either. Her heart pounded like a galloping horse in her chest as panic set in. The only thing she was sure of was that he hadn’t left the property—his car was still in the garage.
Kirsten rushed back inside the mansion. She stopped abruptly when she saw Ice sitting on the rooftop of the house. Her body began to tremble. Her suspicion had been correct.
She ran again, this time faster, as tears streamed down her face. She was gasping for air but didn’t care about herself. All that mattered was stopping him from doing whatever he was planning. She couldn’t bear to lose another person she cared about.
When she reached the fifth floor, she had to pause, completely winded. It felt like she couldn’t go any further. She thought she needed at least a minute to catch her breath.
“Lord, please... touch his heart. Don’t let him go through with this,” she silently prayed.
Still breathing heavily, Kirsten pushed herself to continue running until she finally reached the rooftop. There, she found Ice still sitting, deep in thought. When he moved, her eyes widened in alarm. She sprinted toward him and, upon reaching his back, grabbed him in a tight embrace and pulled him backward, causing them both to fall to the ground.
“What are you doing here?” Ice asked flatly, devoid of energy.
“What were you planning to do?” Kirsten sobbed, her voice filled with anguish.
“I just want to disappear... to end my suffering,” Ice admitted softly, trying to hold back his tears.
Kirsten sat up, straddling Ice, who remained lying down and staring blankly. Without hesitation, she slapped him hard across the face—once with her right hand, then with her left.
“You’re so selfish! All you think about is yourself! What about big sister Snow? What about Auntie, Uncle Mamita... M-Me? Ice, what about us?” Kirsten shouted.
“I’m not happy anymore,” Ice confessed.
Kirsten slapped him again. “Is that the solution? *ath? Don’t waste your life, Ice! There’s so much more you can do! You arrogant sad boy! You’re so infuriating I could curse you out!”
“B-But...”
“Fine! I’ll agree to what you want! I’ll ruin your wedding!” Kirsten shouted as she stood up.
Before leaving, she kicked him in the side for good measure. As she walked away, Ice called out a soft “thank you,” but she ignored him. She was furious with him. She knew she would never forget this night.
~~~
- Writer
