CHAPTER 3

“$5 per hour, Jennie!!!”

Screamed Gabriela over the phone, pissed at the offer made to her at the job she had an interview for the day before.

“That money won't even cover two days of Diego’s medical appointment, what am I going to do now?”

Gabriela kept pacing across her room, lifting her eyes upward and uncontrollably biting her nails, a bad habit she had learned whenever she was anxious.

“Calm down Gabe, you’ll find a better job, just be patient”

Jennie reassured her and promised to help her in her job hunt.

“I need to go now, my shift will start soon, I will call you later on, take care”

Gabriela’s goodbye was sad and weak, she was tired of all these jobs that were paying peanuts.

She grabbed the rectangular card on her desk, given to her by Jimmy the other day, and became lost in thoughts, she was scared but desperate.

The Ramirez family needed a miracle at this point and Jimmy’s offer was looking like that miracle that would solve everything.

“I can lift the burden on mum with this, and I can help my family’s finances and who knows….”

She paused, stood still, and took a deep breath 

“Go back to school and be a graduate just like how Dad envisioned it”

After her dad’s death, a lot of assets meant for them were forcefully seized by her dad’s side of the family, leaving them with nothing.

As a result of that, Gabriela kissed goodbye at the opportunity to attend a higher institution despite her dad’s dream of seeing her become a graduate.

She had to work several jobs to make ends meet and support her family.

Now she had the opportunity to end their struggles and give herself and her family a better future.

She lifted her dad’s framed picture from the table and felt her heartbeat increase, her eyelids heaving, at this point she was pushing her tears so hard.

“Family first, you taught me that Papa”

Gabriela remembered the gentle words of her father.

With a bit of hesitation, she dialed the number on the business card, and after one ring, a deep, mature voice answered.

“Hello, this is Jimmy Furguson, of the Ramsey empire, how may I assist you?”

“I'm interested in the offer, but before I go ahead I want you to send the contract so that I can review it first”

Gabriela said firmly and with a strict tone.

“Consider it done”

Jimmy responded to her request.

She hugged the call and placed her hands on her hair, bent down to the floor, and broke down in tears.

She cried bitterly, hugging her dad’s frame.

Choosing family over her pride, was a tough decision, but letting this opportunity slide away would be madness of the highest order.

She wiped her tears away and stood up from the ground, impatiently waiting for Jimmy to send the contract details.

Immediately after she received the P*F, she forwarded the contract to Mrs Wilson, a woman who had helped her mum in the past with legal work, and then she waited.

After a couple of hours, Gabriela grabbed her coat and decided to clear her head by taking a walk down to the cemetery to see her dad, she tapped her ears with earphones and played slow, classical music.

That was the type of music that kept her relaxed and in a serene mood. It was her little way of shutting out the world and being herself.

Gabriela stopped by a florist shop to get flowers for her dad.

“Hi Miss, Please I want a bunch of daisies and two white roses”

That was her dad’s favorite combo.

When she arrived there, she sat on the green grass and changed the flowers by removing the old ones in there.

“Hi Dad” Gabriela began

“I miss you so much, guess what? I have good news”

She said excitedly.

“I will be going back to school soon and I will study hard and be a graduate, just like you wanted”

Gabriela looked upward, she was tired of crying, she smiled weakly and looked at her dad’s engraved name on the tomb 

“I miss you so much, Papa”

Gabriela stayed silent for a while sitting next to her dad’s tomb when she noticed someone standing in silence and looking sadly at a tomb.

When she looked at his direction, she saw a familiar face.

“Simon Ramsey?? What is he doing here”

Gabriela thought to herself.

Simon held two different bouquets of red roses which he placed on the tomb and without saying a word, walked back to the car that was parked close by.

After the black SUV drove off, out of curiosity, Gabriela stood up and walked to where he was standing, it was two tombs next to one another and a framed picture of a woman with a baby was also there.

Gabriela read the name engraved on the tomb,

“Jessica Ramsey…..Simon lost his mother?”

A wave of pity and compassion washed over her, such an arrogant and mean person once had a loving mother he cared about, was her decease, the reason Simon's heart could have hardened?

Gabriela stood there thinking and confused at the same time.

“Who is that baby?”

The second tomb next to Simon’s mum read David Ramsey.

“He had a brother too?”

Gabriela couldn't believe it, the strong and intimidating image of the powerful Ramsey was a facade to hide a man who was genuinely caring and family-oriented.

She wondered what had happened and the thought of seeing Simon in such a vulnerable position made her feel sorry for him just for a second.

Two minutes later, she received a call from Mrs Wilson, the legal attorney she submitted the job contract for a review.

“Thank you, Mrs Wilson, I’m grateful to you for always being our family's legal backing”

Gabriela appreciated her for the swift review and all the advice she gave Gabriela concerning the job.

After a long call with Mrs Wilson, she headed home, walking slowly and determined to bring a change to her family’s situation.

Gabriela wasn’t sure whether she was walking into a blessing or a trap, but she was willing to take the risk for her family’s sake.