Chapter 1

Abbey Moran was worried. There were several things that she worried about constantly, but right now, her most pressing worry was that she might be late for work. If she was late again, her boss had told her that he would fire her.

Abbey worked as a waitress in a ChowKing restaurant in Makati, and although it did not pay much, she really needed the job. Abbey was 33 years old and single, but like many pinays, she was the only support her extended family had.

Abbey’s older brother had been a user of the drug known as shabu in Philippines, and he had died during the government’s crackdown on drug use. However, his death had left his widow trying to raise their two daughters aged 12 and 14 when their father had died.

That was two years ago, and the girls owed their schooling and daily subsistence to the help that their mother received from Abbey. That was the Filipino way – family members had an obligation to help. However, if Abbey lost her job, she would no longer be able to support her nieces or their mother, and she would also find it difficult to pay her rent or provide for her own needs.

So, Abbey was worried at the slow speed of the jeepney she was riding in on her way to work. Fortunately, the jeepney managed to arrive at her destination with about 5 minutes to spare before the start of her shift. Abbey ran from the jeepney and just managed to be on time when she entered the restaurant. The manager looked at his watch and told Abbey to hurry up and change into her uniform and help to set up the tables for the breakfast service.