Chapter 86

MANNIE’S POV

By the time I got home, it was already 11pm.

"Damn! I really came home late." I muttered under my breath as I dragged myself up the stairs, one tired step at a time. My bag strap dug into my shoulder. My eyes felt heavy. Even my breath came out slow, like the day had squeezed every last bit of energy out of me.

“Sigh, I came home too late today. I hope they are asleep already.”

The corridor light flickered weakly above me.

I reached the door, turned the knob—

Creak.

Creak…

The familiar sound echoed in the quiet hallway.

The living room was dark. Completely dark.

I turned on my phone and lifted the screen like a small flashlight, sweeping it slowly across the room.

Old habit.

A mother’s instinct.

Something I learned the hard way. One time I had almost stepped on one of the kids sleeping.

There was also a time—before this job—when I had come home late and didn’t check the living room. One of the kids had waited for me there… and slept off on the cold floor. The next morning, she caught a cold.

Since then, my mom and the kids have always waited for me.

Until I practically begged them to stop.

I stepped further into the room, scanning corners, chairs, and the rug.

Empty.

“Good,” I whispered.

I moved toward the children’s room and slowly pushed the door open.

Eight small bodies lay curled on the bed and mattress—soft breaths, warm blankets, tiny feet sticking out, hair scattered across pillows.

Peaceful.

Safe.

My chest loosened instantly.

I shifted to my mom’s room next.

She lay on her side, snoring softly.

Thank God.

I closed her door quietly and entered my room.

The scent of the restaurant clung to me—fried spices, smoke, Beth’s beer, and the faint taxi smell. It wrapped around me so tightly that I could almost taste it.

“Ugh.” I sighed. “This needs to go.”

I took a quick shower. Warm water ran down my back, easing the tight knots in my shoulders. By the time I stepped out, my muscles no longer felt like stone.

I dried off, slipped into loose clothes, and collapsed onto my bed.

My phone buzzed with a tiny notification.

“Huh? What now?” I muttered, opening my email.

Another hair product from Dominic.

“That man,” I whispered tiredly as I swiped the notification away.

Still, a small smile tugged at my lips.

He actually meant well… in his own strange, cold way.

I set my alarm and placed the phone beside me.

Sleep claimed me instantly.

---

The next morning

Ting!

Ting!

The alarm screamed into my ears like someone was shaking a metal tray beside my head.

“Ugh…” I groaned. “Why does morning come so fast?”

I stretched, cracking my back slightly.

I reached over and switched off the alarm.

“Finally, some peace.”

My feet touched the cold floor, and my morning routine started automatically.

“Prepare the kids’ food before six… bathe them… pack bags… get ready for work…”

I muttered the plan out loud, warming up my brain.

In no time, pots clattered softly in the kitchen.

Rice simmered.

Eggs fried.

Lunch packs opened.

Between stirring and packing, I bathed each child one by one—tiny arms raised, sleepy eyes blinking, soft giggles mixing with small grumbles.

“Hold still,” I said, rinsing soap off Sophia’s shoulders.

“But the water is cold!” she whined.

“Then stop dancing inside the bucket,” I muttered, trying not to laugh.

By the time everything was done, it was 7:20 a.m.

That was when my mom finally emerged from her room.

I wiped my forehead with my wrist.

“Finally done,” I sighed and slung my bag over my shoulder.

“Mom, we’re off. Your food is on the counter. Please help me pick the kids up from school today. Thank you.”

I held Zane’s hand with my left hand and Sophia’s with my right. They held their siblings and their lunch bags with practiced coordination.

“Mannie.”My mom’s voice stopped me near the door. She crossed her arms.

“Can’t you ask David to come visit us? It’s been a while.”

“YES, MOM! When is Daddy coming?”All the kids chorused loudly.

My jaw clenched.

I bit my lower lip hard.

“Mom,” I whispered sharply, “can you not put me in a spot every morning?”

Her eyes widened like she didn’t know what she did.

“He will come when he wants to,” I said simply, pushing the kids gently toward the door.

As I stepped out, I heard her sigh deeply behind me.

“Mom should better drop whatever sneaky plan she is forming,” I muttered.

---

A cab took us to school. I kissed each of them on their forehead before letting them go.

I watched as their small hands waved as they ran off with their tiny backpacks bouncing behind them.

I turned and headed to work.

---

At the company

The moment I entered the building—

Voices rose.

As usual, the whispers, hisses and gossip clinging to the air like smoke.

“I heard she seduced a monster.”

“What? She doesn’t even look the part.”

“Are you dumb? Someone said she slept with the president in the conference room.”

“Ah! That’s mad!”

Their whispers floated everywhere.

I kept walking.

At this point, their nonsense didn’t even scratch me. Especially when all they said were just exaggerations.

When I entered my department, the girls were actually… quiet.

No mirror-touching.

No lipstick reapplying.

No dramatic posing.

My heart dropped.

This silence wasn’t normal.

This was the kind of silence that came when David appeared last time.

“God, please let it not be David,” I prayed silently. “Let today just be a rare quiet day.”

I turned toward my desk—

A man stood there.

Black suit.

Dark shades.

A rectangular package in his hands.

I froze.

Then I recognized the logo.

Dominic’s hair product.

Of course.

I approached him cautiously.

“Thank you for delivering it,” I said quietly. “Tell him I said thank you and I appreciate it.”

“I will, ma,” he replied politely. “But it’s better if you call to tell him yourself.”

“Okay… thank you. Let me see you off.”

“No need, ma’am. We came by private jet. It’s on the roof. We’ll leave from there.”

I blinked.

“O-Okay… thank you.”

He turned and left.

The moment the door closed behind him—

The whole department exploded.

“Private jet?!”

“Who delivered hair cream in a private jet?!”

“Is she human?!”

“Maybe she IS sleeping with the president!”

Whispers fired everywhere, fast and wild.

By noon, the entire floor probably heard the story twisted ten times.

---

Secretariat office

Halfway through the day, someone sent me to submit a file.

I carried it and headed toward the Secretariat, hoping for a peaceful walk.

Wrong.

The moment I stepped in—

I heard her voice.

That sharp snarling voice of hers that dripped with jealousy.

Dianna.

She stood in the middle of the office with a small crowd around her, looking like she was born to spread chaos.

The moment she saw me, her eyes lit up with poisoned triumph.

“Oho! Look who’s here—Miss Mannie, the seducer!”

I blinked.

“…What?”

She stepped closer, smirking.

“Tell us, how did you seduce men to get this job? Because what other explanation is there for HAIR PRODUCTS being flown by PRIVATE JET to you?”

People gasped. Someone even pulled out a phone.

My eye twitched.

Slowly.

Deeply.

I inhaled.

Then exhaled.

I stepped forward.

My voice came out calm. Too calm.

“Dianna… do you hear yourself?”

She scoffed. “Don’t act innocent. Someone like you—”

“Someone like me what?” I asked, tilting my head.

Her smug expression faltered.

I smiled, sharp and clean.

“Before you embarrass yourself further, let me warn you.”

Her eyes narrowed.

I continued, still smiling.

“If you want to go to Dominic to report me, you better have evidence. Because if you go empty-handed—like you always do—it will only look like jealousy and backstabbing.”

Her face stiffened.

“And someone who lies about a colleague to the president?” I leaned closer. “It won’t just be childish. It could cost you your job.”

The crowd murmured.

She swallowed.

Her fingers trembled slightly at her sides.

I stepped back.

She opened her mouth—

But no words came out.

Just anger and hot, burning humiliation that turned her neck red.

She spun around, ready to storm off.

“Dianna,” I called sharply.

She froze.

Everyone looked at me.

“I came to submit a file.” I lifted it slowly. “So here it is. If anything happens to it…” I gestured to the crowd, “…the people YOU gathered can testify.”

Her nostrils flared.

She stomped forward, snatched the file from my hand so aggressively that the papers bent—

Then marched away in pure anger and hatred.