*Shaken to the core*

The rustling sounds of sheets colliding with each other and the sound of someone groaning in pain made her wake up from her sweet dream. She dreamed about a knight saving her from a horrible situation.

Sitting up, still in a hazed state from sleeping, She turned her head around and her eyes first landed on her boyfriend who was naked on the left side of the bed. Strange she didn't remember that they did something last night so why is he naked?

When she tried to think harder, floods of memories came rushing back to her mind like it was a movie replaying in front of her. Shocked, Ria tried to rub her eyes to distinguish if she's really awake. Then she stared back at her boyfriend again. Her eyes went wide knowing what happened last night wasn't just a nightmare. Everything he did is real! She held her mouth to stifle her gasp.

This damn bastard! She cursed inside her head and furiously stood out of the bed. She was supposed to beat Micheal with something hard that she grabbed somewhere when she heard him whining in pain again.

Wait, she paused midway.

She suddenly felt that there's something wrong with Micheal. She is puzzled why on earth this bastard was still naked?

Wasn't he the one who assaulted her last night? Then why is he nude laying like he can't move on the bed?

She couldn't discern what was really happening. Then her eyes started to scan the surrounding of the room. She almost stumbled to the tiled floor when she saw the broken wooden cabinet. It looked like someone had been smashed to it.

A flicker of memory from last night rolled back to her mind. "What the hell?!" She couldn't believe that she actually kicked Micheal as hard as she could and she saw him clearly flying on the wooden cabinet knocked out.

She thought it was all a dream because inside of it a weak person can be strong, everything is possible but last night's incident really did happen.

If that is so, does that mean her Mr. Knight is real too?

She really didn't know how to decipher what is fantasy and what is real.

Last night when she felt she's on the verge of insanity because of Micheal's disgraceful action forcing her to do things she couldn't do just hit her rock bottom.

It was then her Mr. Knight appeared out of nowhere and rescued her.

She was so thankful that words couldn't express her gratitude.

She remembered him helping her untie her wrists from the bedpost.

He didn't even take advantage of her helpless situation at that moment but instead, her Mr. Knight helped her out. He gently pulled down her dress, wrapped her body with a blanket and scooped her in his warm hug. They stayed like that until her cries turned into sobs and she eventually calmed down.

It was vivid, yet the way he meticulously held her in his arms like she's a fragile thing he needed to give extra care, made her feel so confused about what's the reality and what was not?

Her dream, where he played the part of a heroine made her think twice if it's really a fragment of her imagination because they felt so real.

For example, last night his warm breath and soothing words calmed her shocked mind and body. She couldn't decipher why it felt so good that she almost felt like she's melting under his protective arms. She couldn't deny the tingling sensation escalating in every part of her body where he touched her. She also couldn't understand why she's craving to smell Mr. Knight's addictive scent that still lingered on her sleeping dress. Everything doesn't make sense at all! It's just a dream! But why?!

Ria's head is hurting, half of her mind wishes the part of Mr.Knight is real. He was like the perfect Prince Charming that she had imagined when she was a young girl.

She knew it was stupid to fantasize about a person that her mind must have created because of trauma. She was just wishful and maybe slightly hallucinating because being in those arms made her feel secured like no one would dare to hurt and look down on her anymore.

She snapped out of her daydream and looked at the facts. Firstly she shared a room with her boyfriend and the condo couldn't be accessed by the glass sliding door. She made sure it was locked last night.She walked to their small balcony and tried to open the glass door but like she remembered, it's still locked. Then she walked to the front door and saw all the safety locks were still intact. 'Great?!' She feels like mocking herself after realizing that Mr.Knight is just an illusion. When she thought about how she was untied in the bed post her brain gave her an answer. Maybe after struggling the neckties went loose and she finally can free herself and because for the first time in her life she experienced an extreme humiliation her brain created an imaginary person to ease her mind. A heavy headache surging in when she started to process everything in her brain.

"Help...ohh God, my back hurts.." She was brought back to earth when she heard Micheal's voice. She felt disgusted looking at him. She was surprised that just after what had happened she couldn't push herself to feel pity for him. In fact there's no remorse at all. Especially when his very own existence reminded her how lowly he inferred of her. She couldn't believe that all these years, there was a different side of her boyfriend that she didn't know. An ugly, egoistic and selfish man who thinks only of himself.

Before everything that happened early this morning she was reminded by their past.

Micheal is like her savior. She already spent half a year in Manila when she met Micheal. He was always wearing a business suit and would always order black coffee with milk but no sugar. He had this favorite spot in the coffee shop where I work. He would always sit on the end near the glass door. He was always busy typing on his laptop. Sometimes I thought whomever is his girlfriend she's one lucky woman to have such a reliable man. Thinking about it made me feel envious because I long to have someone I could rely on. It's tough being alone but i know too, relying by yourself builds your self confidence and your very own personality.

Once in a while when I have free time I would come over to his table and ask him if he wanted a new cup of coffee or if she sees his mug is half consumed. I would offer it if I could reheat it.

Her gesture is just a normal thing for an employee in a coffee shop but the way he would refuse her offer or thank her sincerely with a smile on his face that reaches his eyes i couldn't help but admire him, his very gentlemanly and polite, with his 'yes please, thank you Ms.' replies. He looked so cool.

After a while she already memorised his daily routine, she knew that he would always come to the coffee shop in a mid-day or at dawn. He would stay there until it's nearly the closing time of the coffee shop which is at eight o'clock in the evening like his quiet watching over her. This made her feel secure and happy.

One night, when she's on her way home she was so surprised to know that they are actually neighbors. She thought what an odd coincidence it was. Because she was still new in Manila, she didn't have much time to mingle with her neighbors.

All that's in her mind was to make a bunch of resumes that she would give to the receptionists and guards around Makati Area before heading up to her several part-time jobs to make a living.

It was so hard. Rent was too high but because she was very resourceful, she managed to still save money and then with luck she was finally accepted as a receptionist in one of the hotels in Makati.

She was so happy. In her heart, she didn't really mind what kind of work she gets. Either it's a clerk, a secretary, a receptionist or even a call center agent she would send her resume to all available wanted lists in the newspaper. Thinking whatever job it is, she would accept it as long as she can work and gain experience.

She already gave up on her dream to become an interior designer because she spent most of her early days and months in Manila sending resumes to every big companies in the city wishfully hoping one would call her back but sadly realization hit her, she can't be hired because she had no back-up and she also didn't graduate in a well-known university in Manila so there's no hope of fulfilling her dreams.

One day, she meets Micheal again as a receptionist. He was showing her his appointment with some manager in the hotel where she's working. Because they are still neighbors and are always bumping with each other wherever she works, she started to feel something for him.

WC;1571