What is Hate?

When you search HATE on Google, it says that it's when you feel intense or passionate dislike for (someone). It's synonym is loathe, detest, despise, dislike, abhor, execrate and so much more.

In Urban Dictionary, it says that hate is when you dislike someone so much that if you and that other person were in an empty room with a knife in the middle, one or both would be dead.

People are driven to hate someone, because that someone did something to make them angry. And that anger keeps on escalating to the highest peak, for whatever reason.

You wish he'll just vanish in the whole universe or get assigned in the war zone area and stay there forever. Sometimes, you will get the urge to murder him and chop him into tiny little pieces—without caring at all of the consequences. Everything about him just irritates you, even the good things that he did for others. You always assume the worse of him.

That's what I feel for Carter Monteiro.

Contradictory to the Oxford Dictionary, Meriam, the Wikipedia, Google, or whatever dictionary in the world, for me, the only meaning of HATE is my nemesis Carter Monteiro. And Hate is even spelled C-A-R-T-E-R.

I hate the guy, extremely hate him. He's the most obnoxious, arrogant, bad-mannered, ungentleman and meanest asshole animal that ever existed in this planet – even the whole universe!

No... no way. Categorizing him as an animal is a big insult to the animal species, especially to the adorable cats, dogs and rabbits. Carter Monteiro is nothing but a beast! A reincarnated Lucifer!

Well, there are things I love about Carter though...

First: I love to see him... fall inside the dirtiest mud hole. He'd be so damn gorgeous for all the swimming worms, rats and leeches.

Second: I'd adore him... if he'll be trapped inside a cave of nowhere. I can imagine him chased by hungry bats and mosquitoes. That will surely give me the biggest laugh.

Third: I love to watch him... inside an abandoned cemetery alone with eerie sounds of crickets and howling dogs. I want to see him tremble and shiver with fear. Let's see how far his fearless macho gigolo act would go.

Well, I'm not such a bad person wishing him dead. I may be a bitch, or act like a real bitch sometimes, but I don't wish anyone dead. Even in animals, fishes or insects like ants or a worms. I don't want to see them suffer – another reason why I'm trying to be a vegan, but often fail.

HA! I almost yelled.

I let out a long sigh and left the annoying highlighted news online below the internet search box. Darn it. I shouldn't have looked at it in the first place, it just spoiled my day.

The news: Carter Monteiro dated a celebrity lawyer, Jenna Justice last night in a very fancy new French restaurant in California. They looked so good together... blah blah blah... I scanned the words and read only the ones in italics.

She's very smart. Carter answered when he was asked what he liked about Jenna Justice.

"Shush! You said the same thing when you dated a veterinarian last month!" I knew I looked stupid being alone in the car making funny faces and imagining myself talking to Mr. Hotshots Carter Monteiro. "Smart-- smart-- smart. Everyone got it, okay! You only date smart girls."

I lifted my phone again and it instantly opened when my face was detected. I touched the google search box and typed Old Smith Art Museum.

I was looking for some old images of the Old Smith Museum and compared it to the actual museum standing in front of me. I immediately found a picture taken a hundred years ago and was surprised at the changes on the appearance of the museum.

It used to be a beautiful white building, but now it turned gray with patches of black molds, fungi and dirts and the cracks were visible on the mouldings and windows. The once well manicured grass and flowers with lively healthy trees that surrounded the whole building were all gone. There was no single flower left and the grass grew too long, in green and brown colours. The trees were cut down because it was constantly attacked by insects and pests.

I was in Huntington New York, sitting inside my white Ferrari 458 that was facing the Old Smith Art Museum while waiting for my appointment with the owner, Mr. Jameson Murphy.

I arrived thirty minutes too early. I guessed I was just too excited to tell him the news in person that I was pushing through in buying the building-- the whole museum persè, including the arts, artifacts, antique items, priceless paintings, rare collections and everything inside the museum.

I had been wanting to get hold of the museum the first moment I saw it. My friend, Nick Young mentioned it when we bumped at each other at Starbucks cafe. The owner-- Mr. Murphy was his former history professor and was force to sell the museum because no one among his children would care in running it. Nick knew that I was a sucker of arts, paintings and artifacts. We both are. We became good friends after meeting often in many art gallery exhibits. So I said yes, and he introduced me to Mr. Murphy right away. Now, I'm so excited to get hold of the said property.

I always dream of having my own art museum and gallery. Since I was a child, I developed my fascination in arts and designs in different medium, historical items and unique pieces. I enjoyed taking care of precious things, no matter how big or small there were-- just watching them gave me utmost happiness.

I know this is something that I would excel, and I know that my parents would be so proud of me. I want to follow my heart's desire... and this is it.

Even my boyfriend, Zion Petrakis supported me. Yesterday, I had a chance to talk to him about the museum and showed him how much I wanted to acquire it.

"How much?" Zion asked without removing his eyes from the document he was signing.

He was a very busy man, every minute counts on him. Different businessmen all over the world would come to see him and ask for his appointment - hoping to do business with the Petrakis. He was even busier than my dad or anyone I knew in the business world. And now, I was only given fifteen minutes by his secretary to talk to him-- and to think I'm his girlfriend.

Zion was a workaholic. Ever since he graduated university six years ago, then worked in his family business, he had been so occupied non-stop working sixteen hours everyday. I often wondered if he would grow tired of the routine-- working like there was no tomorrow.

What is wrong with him?

Even his parents thought the same. The once happy jolly teenage boy I knew became a hard emotionless man. I could not even remember the last time he really smiled.

He really needed a vacation, but no one could drag him away from work - even me who is his girlfriend.

One time, I had a courage to tell him that he was torturing himself by being a slave at work, he did not have to work too hard, because money wouldn't make him happy. But in return, he just looked at me very oddly, like I was out of my mind - a lunatic. Since then, I kept my mouth shut. I was just embarrassing myself.

"It's two billion dollars." I answered and saw his expression changed in disagreement.

"It's a lot of money for a small property."

"I know. The items in the museum made it very expensive, and it's even worth more than two billion dollars, Zion. I had it inspected by a professional art appraiser."

"You can invest it to a more profitable business that will double your money in five years. That way, it's worry free and less hassle. You can do whatever you want-- travel around the world, just relax, take a vacation and go shopping."

That's a great idea! Why don't you do that? I wanted to tell him to do what he suggested but stayed quiet.

Though he was right about investing the money instead of buying a museum. He made me think twice. Handling money, managing finances and proper investments was his forte, I should trust his opinion.

But my alter ego did not want to give in.

"This is what I want Zion, my dream since I was a kid to live in a museum. I always envision myself as a medieval princess that dances around the museum while you're playing football, smashing the priceless urns and waking up the spirits of the dead pharaohs... " My imagination run wild as I continued talking and trying to make him laugh, but Zion was oblivious to everything that I've said and interrupted me.

"I still think that its not a good investment." He said firmly.

Did he listen to me or not? I guess not...

I heaved a sigh. I gave up. I could not make him laugh. I forgot, he was an emotionless robot. I checked the time on my wrist watch. Darn it! Time is running too fast, I only have five minutes left with my boyfriend.

"I'm going to use my trust fund."

He stopped signing a document and finally, looked at me straight. "You can only get it when you're twenty five, right? You still have two more years to go, Athena."

There was that tone again, sounding like an older brother rather than my boyfriend.

I cleared my throat and said what I really meant to say to him. "Unless I'll get married very soon."

"You sound very desperate to get hold of that museum." He tossed the signed documents in his outgoing tray.

"I am desperate. I want that museum as soon as possible, before anyone would. Will you help me Zion? Let's get married and.." My statement was cut off when the door opened and his secretary came in to inform that his next appointment was ready.

I had no choice but to stand up. But I needed his answer before I would go. "What's your answer? Will you help me?"

He looked at his watch impatiently then nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Of course. I'll see you soon, Athena."

"You mean you're agreeing on marrying me for the museum?"

I saw the hesitancy on his expression, but eventually he nodded. "Yeah. I'll marry you." He said it firmly like he'd just closed a deal.

Hmm... I wondered if I should give him a kiss or shook his hand. But nah...I did not want to embarrass myself again.

Zion is Zion, that's what he is. He's my boyfriend but we don't do romance. Weird huh? But I'm very patient with him. Someday, he will learn to open up his heart and love me in return.

I went out of the building singing.

♫♪Happy (sha la la)

♬♯It's so nice to be happy (sha la la)♪♭

Everyone should be happy (sha la la)♫♪

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