Tiredness

Chapter 21

Martina’s POV

I got home feeling completely exhausted. My whole body ached, and my legs felt heavy as I stepped out of the car. I never imagined this job would be this demanding. When I accepted it, I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but this? This was on another level entirely.

It was already past 9 p.m., and I was just getting home. The day had been long—too long. I had followed Herrick to every single meeting he had scheduled, just like he told me earlier in the morning. From one location to another, with barely any time to rest or even breathe.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside the house, dragging my feet slightly without even realizing it. My body language alone showed how tired I was.

Immediately, I saw my mom sitting in the living room. The soft glow from the lamp beside her lit up her face. She looked up the moment she heard the door open.

Of course… she was waiting for me.

“Mom,” I called softly as I walked in.

“You’re back, Martina?” she asked, her voice gentle but filled with relief.

“Yes, Mom. I’m back,” I replied, dropping my bag on the chair nearby. “Why aren’t you asleep already? You should have gone to bed without waiting for me.”

She smiled warmly at me, the kind of smile that always made me feel safe, no matter how stressful my day had been.

“I just wanted to make sure you got home safely before I went to bed,” she said.

I sighed softly, but this time it wasn’t out of frustration—it was affection.

“Okay, I’m back now,” I said. “Let me take you to your room.”

She gave a small nod in agreement.

I walked behind her and gently held the handles of her wheelchair. Slowly, I pushed her down the hallway toward her room. The house was quiet, and the only sound was the soft movement of the wheels against the floor.

Mom didn’t say anything, and honestly, I was grateful for the silence. My head was already too full.

When we got to her room, I helped her settle into bed. I adjusted her pillow and pulled the blanket over her properly.

“Goodnight, Mom,” I said quietly.

“Goodnight, Martina. Get some rest,” she replied.

“I will,” I assured her, even though I wasn’t entirely sure how restful my night would be.

After turning off her light, I closed the door gently and walked straight to my room.

At that point, I didn’t want to think about anything else. All I wanted was to freshen up and sleep. I didn’t even have the energy to think about dinner, let alone eat.

I quickly stripped off my clothes and headed into the bathroom. The moment the water touched my skin, I let out a quiet breath. The warm shower helped ease the tension in my muscles, even if it was just a little.

I stood there for a while, letting the water run over me, trying to wash away the stress of the day.

Eventually, I stepped out, dried myself, and changed into my nightgown. My body felt slightly better, but the exhaustion was still there, weighing me down.

I was just about to lie down when I suddenly remembered something.

My phone.

I hadn’t used it all day.

I walked over to my bag and brought it out, unlocking it quickly. The moment the screen lit up, my eyes widened slightly.

Several missed calls.

All from Vera.

I blinked.

Right… I had put my phone on silent earlier in the morning before entering the 8 a.m. meeting with Herrick—and I completely forgot to turn it back on.

I stared at the screen for a few seconds before deciding to call her back.

If she was still awake, she would definitely pick up.

And knowing Vera, she was probably still out… or at least not asleep yet.

The phone barely rang twice before she answered.

“Martina!” she yelled immediately.

I pulled the phone slightly away from my ear. “Vera, what is it? I just saw tons of missed calls from you.”

“Yes, because I couldn’t reach you!” she shot back. “Why weren’t you picking your calls?”

I sighed tiredly and sat down on the edge of my bed.

“I had a really long day at work, Vera. I didn’t even have time to check my phone.”

“Oh… I get it,” she said, her tone softening a bit. “You sound exhausted.”

“I am,” I replied honestly. “I just got home. I left the house at 6 a.m. this morning.”

“What?!” she exclaimed. “That’s way too long! Why?”

“It is,” I admitted. “But I was told the job would be demanding before I started. I just didn’t expect it to be this exhausting… it’s practically draining.”

“Was your boss mean to you today?” she asked suddenly.

I frowned slightly.

“Of course he was. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have made me work for that long,” I replied.

There was a brief pause on her end.

“Hope you didn’t say anything to annoy him last night,” she said.

I blinked in confusion.

“Wait… what do you mean by that?”

There was another pause, but this time it felt different.

“Have you forgotten that Herrick brought you out of the club last night when you got drunk?”

I froze.

“Wait… are you serious?”

“Of course I am,” she replied. “Don’t tell me you don’t remember anything.”

I sat up straighter.

“I thought I imagined seeing him at the club,” I said slowly.

“You didn’t imagine anything, Martina. I was looking for you everywhere before I finally saw you outside… with him.”

I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration.

So it was real.

He was actually there.

And yet… he didn’t say a single word about it today.

“I was so surprised when I saw him,” Vera continued. “The same mysterious billionaire we were trying to avoid in one club just showed up again in another.”

I let out a tired sigh.

“Why can’t I remember anything? It’s so annoying,” I muttered.

“You will, eventually. Don’t stress it,” she said. “And for the record, he didn’t seem angry when I spoke to him.”

I paused.

“You spoke to him?”

“Yes. He said he brought you out of the club because you were drunk and could easily be taken advantage of.”

I went quiet for a moment.

“He said that?” I asked.

“Yes, he did.”

I leaned back slightly on the bed, staring at nothing in particular.

I didn’t understand him.

One minute, he was cold, strict, and almost impossible to deal with. The next minute, he was… considerate.

It didn’t make any sense.

“I don’t get him,” I murmured.

“Me neither,” Vera said. “But at least he helped you.”

I yawned, too tired to think further about it.

“We’ll talk tomorrow, Vera. I really need to sleep,” I said.

“Alright, babe. Goodnight,” she replied.

“Goodnight.”

The call ended, and I dropped my phone on the bedside table.

I pulled the duvet over myself and closed my eyes.

But the moment I did, flashes of last night started creeping into my mind.

My eyes snapped open immediately.

“Oh, Martina…” I groaned softly, rubbing my hair in frustration.

Why did I have to drink that much?

Out of all the things I could have done, I had to drink until I completely lost control—and somehow ended up speaking casually to my boss.

I shut my eyes again, shaking my head slightly.

At least… I didn’t insult him or do anything embarrassing.

That alone was a huge relief.

And since he didn’t mention anything about it today…

I should just keep quiet.

Yes.

That was definitely the best option.

No need to bring it up.

No need to make things awkward.

I exhaled slowly, finally allowing my body to relax into the bed.

Tomorrow would come with its own stress.

But for now…

I just needed to sleep.

And this time, sleep came quickly.