The Royal Contract

It had been two days since Adam had left. She would be a hypocrite if she said she did not miss him. She felt a loss that she had never felt before, not in her past relationship.

This time, she knew what she felt for him was unfamiliar and different from what she had ever experienced.

If this was the definition of love, then she could only conclude that she had never been in love before. Frankly, it was the most incredible feeling.

"And you deserve it." She decisively declared, using these words as her new mantra in life.

If she could turn back the clock, she would not have settled for the mediocre relationships she had in the past.

She would have realized it was not love she had felt for those men but a false sense of security. Nevertheless, it was a lesson she would never forget.

"Serena, are you ready?" She heard Sister Nenita calling to her behind the closed door. She had been in her room preparing for some time. But was she ready?

She had thought of taking the next available flight to go home. Of course, she longed to see the man that had shown her that she still had a chance for happiness.

However, she still needed to tie some loose ends and keep some promises she made before she could leave.

"Just a minute." She responded as she stared at herself one last time at the reflection in the small mirror in her room. "Almost done."

She believed she owed to stay due to those kind people who helped her get back on her feet. And she could not break another promise to these kids who barely had enough reason to live for the future.

She had to be their beacon of light in their darkest days. She had to bring hope back into their lives. She could not just abandon them just like their parents did.

"Wow!" Sister Nenita expressed her amazement. "You look incredible. Stunning!" She hastily added the last part, visibly seeing how her eyes glowed as she gazed at her.

She was attending a children's function at the hospital. She had promised to help the kids in the Cancer ward through their various fundraising activities.

"You are so beautiful." Even the kids standing beside the nuns expressed their infatuation.

How could she blame them when she hardly wore anything but a simple dress, jeans, and a shirt since she came leaving with them? Then, she barely wore makeup on her face.

Now, she wore an expensive gown with her face made up, her hair tied in a neat bun with a few twisted tendrils cascading down the side of her cheeks.

"Thanks." She had always enjoyed hearing the praises from her fans. It had been the basis for the effectiveness of her performance as an actress.

But she had never allowed the glitter and glamour of her fame to blind her from the truth. Her beauty and stardom were just temporary. It would eventually fade away.

That was why she had honed her craft, hoping her talent would keep her long enough in the industry and not just her looks.

"You are all too kind." She appreciated the authenticity of their love and concern for her. They were not a fan but her extended family. She guessed this was the life she wanted, simple and peaceful.

Sadly, she lost track of her goal and plans when she entangled her path with the wrong crowd. Then, she had weaved her life into a web of lies and deceit, trapping herself with a man whose only purpose was to own her.

Thankfully, she found a way to escape that hellish relationship just in time before she completely buried herself in the hole she dug for herself.

"I think you are ready." Sister Margaret marched closer to her. "Doc Sebastian is already waiting for you at the foyer." She informed her.

She took a final look at herself in the glass door, seeing a faint reflection of her appearance on the clear surface.

She could not see anything wrong, and nothing was out of place. She guessed she would define herself as perfect. At least, that was how people described her appearance.

"Ok. Let us go. We do not want to keep Sebastian waiting." She looked at the nuns who were coming with her. Unlike her, they wore their usual black habits, nothing fancy like her.

But the little ones chosen to accompany them had worn something special, buying them some new piece of clothing that would fit the occasion.

"But, wait." Serena stopped in front of Fabio and knelt before him. "We'll just fix this." She tinkered on his little bow, straightening it and smoothening the rest of his already crumpled shirt.

What could they do? Fabio was an active young boy. He would move around like a spinning top. He would only stop when he had spent all his energy.

"Now, you are looking quite dashing." She said with a cheerful smile.

"What is dashing?" He suddenly asked, probably hearing the word for the first time.

"It means you look like a handsome Prince." One of the older young girls said. "I read that in a fairy tale book." She explained.

"Yes, that is correct. You look like a dashing Prince." She agreed with her. "All of you look like Princes and Princesses." She complimented each of them with their elegant clothes.

"Really?" Fabio seemed surprised. But he quickly recovered as he smiled, standing straight and looking confident. "I can be a Prince. My parents probably own the grandest palace somewhere out there."

Of course, she loved his self-confidence and sense of humor. He never failed to make her laugh, even in her saddest days.

"I am sure." Serena believed every child was entitled to their dreams and imagination. She was not about to ruin that for this little boy. "And all of you can be anything you want to be when you grow up."

She wanted to inspire them to dream and work hard to achieve them. She believed everyone had a promising future if they were brave enough to strive for it.

She would not be an actress if she had abandoned her dreams and blindly followed her father's advice. She would have probably ended up as a career woman, a lawyer, a doctor, or a profession she never wanted.

She was not saying something was wrong with those jobs, but that was not what she would choose for herself.

"You mean to say. I can also be an actress." One of the girls shrilled excitedly.

"Yes, if that is what you want. But you will still need to study hard. Acting is not all about standing in front of the camera. It requires more." She told the younger girl.

She had seen the adolescent girl act during their in-house play activities. She was good. With more practice, she could get better.

"I did not know that." The girl looked astonished as she explained how hard it was to be an actress.

Many thought that being beautiful was enough. At first, many use it as a stepping stone. But eventually, the fans and people around the world would demand the quality of each performance.

It was a demanding career choice, but what job was easy? Frankly, she could not think of one. Her father and brother had to work from dawn to dusk.

Then, the lowest-ranking crew in a film set had to be the first to arrive and the last to leave. Therefore, she could not see the difference between both jobs, except for the pay, but both must do the hard labor.

"You are still young. Why don't you think more about what you want to do with your life, set a goal, and work hard on achieving it one step at a time?" It was the best advice she could give her, based on her experience.

"There is Sebastian. I want you all to thank him for inviting us to this event." Serena instructed the young kids as they approached their handsome host.

He was another example of a career-oriented man who had to go through a ring of fire before achieving the level of success he had today.

"I will become a doctor." One of the kids dreamily said as she looked at the man of the hour.

She heard that she had a major crush on their attending physician. But who would not? He was intelligent, handsome, kind, and so forth. What else would a girl ask for?

"You can do that too. I know you can." Suddenly, Serena felt like she was giving a career session with the kids. But when was the best time to talk to them about their goals in life?

She believed it was while they were still young and impressionable. There were many jobs they could pick from, but the bottom line was. They must choose it for themselves.

Still, she would opt for a career where she could be happy even if she had failed several times. Because, in the end, success was all about how she felt about herself.

It was a hard step to reach the top but a well-earned victory.

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