Meanwhile…
"I'll be there in ten minutes. Hold on, Evie." Maria comforted Evina as she honked her car horn like crazy.
She had received the news that her younger sister just got fired. Without even saying goodbye to her colleagues, she immediately left her current location to meet with her. They were on the phone as she drove to where she was.
"Take your time, Iya. It's not the end of the world," Evina replied to her older sister in a cheerful way.
"Don't pull my leg. I know you too much, Evina Chen," Maria rolled her eyes, making Evina snort at the other end of the line.
"Fine. Thanks, Jiejie. I appreciate it," Evina said sincerely before they dropped the call.
Evina then picked up the iced tea in front of her to calm down her aching heart. Maria was right. She was devastated with the outcome of what she had done. Even though she believed that she just did the right thing, she was also concerned about her career.
She let out a long sigh as laughter from nearby tables pierced through her ears and drowned her thoughts. This was one of her favorite dining areas. She knew that it would be crowded at this time. But she purposely went there to console herself.
In a few minutes, Maria was already there, joining her misery.
"You know I'm your sister, Evie. I'm on your side. But I'm just worried about your future. With your skills, you could be an executive assistant to a CEO if you want to," Maria scolded her as soon as she sat down at the chair across from her.
Evina responded by inhaling a lungful of air. As much as she wanted to deny it, she was really sad that it had to end this way. She was hoping that she would spend a longer time in Sapphire Co.
She wanted to climb up the ladder, too, and be a successful woman in her prime. After she has saved enough money, she would open up a business of her own. It is the reason why she took up a Business Administration course during her college days.
However, her rebellious nature always crept up whenever she sees injustice being done by the supposedly leaders of the organization she was in.
"Besides, you're not getting any younger, you know," Maria continued on, oblivious of Evina's contemplation. Her gaze rested on a certain table.
There were two kids who were having fun poking on one another. Their mom and dad, on the other hand, were casting sweet glances at each other while playing with them. Evina also stared at them. They were a picture of a happy family.
"How can you even have a man in your life? You know how men hate rebels." Maria rattled on before calling on the waiter.
Evina's eyebrows knitted together at the sudden change of topic from career to having a boyfriend. It is the last thing that she wanted to talk about, with the mood she was in.
"And I hate self-absorbed men. I won't be a slave to someone who'll just force me to do things his own way," she immediately butted in as she twisted the pasta in her plate.
As she said so, she recalled the strikingly handsome man she had just met at the parking lot. He fits in all her descriptions. But there was something in him that drew her to him.
"Maybe it's just hormones. Why does he have to be both rich and drop-dead gorgeous anyway?" Evina thought as she shook her head. She decided to just focus on what her older sister was pointing out.
"Besides, there are a lot of orphanages nowadays. I'm sure one of them will be thrilled to have me as her mom." She shrugged as she brought the pasta into her mouth.
"Evina! You know Dad would not like that!" Maria glared with her arms now crossed against her chest.
Evina froze at the mention of her father. Her face grew dim like a dark cloud formed above her. "As if he would be a good grandfather to them after what he did to us and Mom," she grumbled as she dropped her fork on her plate.
"Evina Chen!" Maria bolted up and put both her hands on her table, startling the other customers nearby. But not Evina. She was used to Maria always getting worked up whenever she badmouthed their father.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
"Saved by the bell!" Evina grinned at her older sister sheepishly as she picked up her phone. But she just faked it. She dialed her ringtone, intentionally.
It's better that they not talk about him. Things are bad enough as they already were.
Feeling guilty for adding up to Evina's sentiments, Maria changed the conversation after her younger sister ended her call. "Do you want to visit Simon?"
Evina's face lit up as she heard the name of her nephew, Maria's son. "Of course! I haven't seen him in a while."
She became too busy punching the clock that she had no time to visit her loved ones. "There is a positive side to this rubble after all!'" she smiled as she anticipated seeing her nephew again after a long time.
After they finished their food, they quickly left and went to Maria's residence.
"Aunt Evie!" Simon lifted his arms while jumping with joy at the sight of his mother's younger sister.
"My, how you've grown!" Evina giggled as she ran towards him. She tried picking him up, but she put him down immediately.
"You'll hurt my back. You're so heavy now," She teased him. In a flash, Simon pulled her to the refrigerator, so he could show her the different foods that he ate.
Evina felt relaxed as she felt a warm heat embracing her heart. As she spent time there, she realized how alone she has been all these time. She didn't just see it because she was too busy knocking herself to make ends meet.
"From now on, I will try to hang out with them more even if I get a new job. I will also visit Uncle Lucan soon," she thought to herself while lying back on the couch as Simon played with a board game on the rug.
"Mom's boring. She always lets me win. I like Dad better. He always won. But he always taught me why I lose so next time, I can be better," Simon bubbled while playing.
It was just normal for him to say it out loud. But Evina knew it could be painful for her sister. Her brown eyes quickly darted to Maria, hoping she did not hear about it.
Simon's mother, Maria, was in the kitchen, but it was just near them. Evina didn't expect what she did next.
Maria turned around and gave both of them a smile. "It's okay. I like Dad better than Simon, too." She then made a face at her son, making Simon scowl.
"No, I'm better than Dad. He told me so," He crossed his arms and pouted.
Evina sighed a breath of relief. Finally, they can talk about his brother-in-law at peace. After all, it has been a year since he passed away.
"How are you?" Evina asked her older sister after she had put Simon to bed. They were now having a coffee before Evina left.
She could hear how Maria seeped in a lungful of air as she must have recalled her life without her late husband.
"It's hard being a single parent. But I'm trying to be strong for Simon. It is even harder for him, especially now that he was already at school," she shared as she gazed longingly at the picture frame beside the television.
The three of them were at an amusement park. And Simon was sitting on his father's shoulder with a wide smile on his face.
Evina felt a thickness in her throat as she watched her older sister trying to be tough on the outside. But she knew that deep down, she was already breaking in tears. She raised her arms and put them around Maria. "You're a good mom. I know Simon is proud of you."
With her actions, she must have cheered her older sister too much, as she received a swat on the arm in return.
"Ouch! What was that for?" she grimaced at Maria.
"That is why you should never try raising a child on your own if you could have a partner beside you," Maria lectured her as she must have recalled their conversation earlier.
"I'll think about it," Evina pulled herself away with a grin.
Even though she didn't admit it, deep down she didn't want to grow old alone. But she hadn't met that one man whom she could trust yet.
With an uplifted spirit, she went back to her car and drove back to her unit.
***************
Families are the compasses that will guide us.
They are the inspiration to reach greater heights.
They are our comfort when we occasionally falter.
Do you also think that there is something positive that will come out of the negative situations that are happening to us? Share your thoughts with me. :)
Ring! Ring! Ring! Evina immediately sat up in bed. She hurriedly stood up, put on her slippers and grabbed on her towel. Like her usual morning routine, she was about to take a bath. It was until she realized that she had nowhere to go. “It must be my body clock or something. You’re now officially a bum, Evina. Welcome to your new life.” She tapped her head three times, making sure it would work properly. She went back to her bed and slumped back to her soft pillows before picking up her phone to check on her news feeds. Now she has all the time in the world to do so. As she was scanning her social media account, she saw that her former classmate just posted pictures of herself on stage with a thousand likes and hearts. She was recently promoted by the company that she was working for. “I’m sure she just licked her boss’ feet.” Evina rolled her eyes. She continued to scroll up her phone some more. As she did so, her face which was prev
Evina immediately searched for The Elysian Inc on the internet. She was familiar with the giant corporation, but she was unacquainted with the people behind the hierarchy. She must have vast knowledge of the company if she wants to be a part of it. “The Elysian Inc. offers a huge choice of software for many purposes. Their software is by far the most used operating system in the country. With an acquired revenue of $107.8 million, the dominating software industry remains The Elysian Inc. The company was founded in 1965 by founder Chairman Rafael Yang.” “Pretty impressive,” Evina nodded her head as she scrolled down the page. However, what caught her eye was the picture of the founder of the remarkable corporation. “I think he looks familiar,” She zoomed in to the picture of Chairman Yang, which was also in the webpage that she was looking at. He looks very attractive for a man his age. His aquiline nose was very prominent over his chiseled, angular fa
"You know how much I want you, Evina," Julian said in a husky voice, completing the frightening ambiance in the car. They were still in the parking lot of an abandoned building where Julian had brought Evina. Still in a daze, Evina froze as she couldn't believe what was just happening. It was only a few hours ago when he visited her in her unit, together with her older sister, Maria. He told her that he knew of a job opening in their company, which made her come with him. "L-let's go, Julian. They must have been waiting for us," she unconsciously blurted out, her eyes frantically searching for a sign that they were indeed in Julian's company. And he would not do what she was thinking that she would do. But the lights continued to flicker, casting shadows on Julian's threatening face. Evina pulled back until her whole body was stuck on the car door. "I've been waiting for so long," He drawled in between breaths. His eyes started drinking her bo
On the other side of the district, Gabriel was having a business meeting with the CEO of Astro Inc. “Congratulations, Mr. Yang. We appreciate your initiative to reach out to us first.” The CEO of Astro, Inc. bowed down to Gabriel as he shook his hand. “It is actually the Chairman’s aspiration to be in partnership with a world-class company such as Astro, Inc.” Gabriel stooped down to him as well. Gabriel just landed the deal. It is a project that The Elysian Inc. has been investing in for months. It put Gabriel in a good mood as he whistled while going to the parking lot at the basement of the Astro. Inc’s building. “The Chairman would be so proud of me,” he smiled to himself as he was nearing his car. Paul seemed to sense the positive result of the transaction. With a broad smile on his face, he opened the car door for him. As he did so, Gabriel’s eyes caught on the dent on its side. His face transformed into a frown as he remembered
Paul froze for a few seconds before he handed his gun to Gabriel. He must have been shocked at Gabriel’s sudden reaction. Gabriel was astonished, too, himself. It was not usual for him to direct a weapon at others. “But this situation was no ordinary incident either,” Gabriel muttered to himself as he was about to go out and defend the woman. As soon as Paul’s gun was on Gabriel’s hand, he immediately pivoted to bolt out of the car. However, when he turned back, he saw a slender arm reaching out to the open door. “Let me in!” It was the woman who was just waving hysterically at them a while ago. She didn’t even ask for Gabriel’s permission. But she immediately crawled inside, pushing Gabriel to the other side of the car. She immediately closed the door and flailed her hand in a swift motion to Paul as she demanded, “Go, go, go! Hurry!” Paul nodded as if he was sensing the urgency of the situation. He immediately stepped on the gas and left the
Evina silently waited in the car as the executive went out to do some errands. His driver or bodyguard stayed with her, making her feel safe somehow. They were in the parking lot of a department store, where the owner of the car asked to be dropped by. She wanted to forget about what happened. But she was too mortified to do so. The thought of Julian harassing her in an abandoned building lingered in her mind, suffocating the air out of her. Her hands frantically grabbed the nearest support she could find as she inhaled a lungful of air. “Are you all right, Miss Chen?” Paul turned towards her and offered her a bottle of water. Evina smiled at him and received the bottle. She then drank from it, hoping it would relieve her discomfort. As the drinking water penetrated through her cells, Evina started breathing normally. “Thank you. Maybe this will go away in a day or two,” she expressed her gratitude to him as she observed him. “He seemed a nice person,
Night has already set in outside the department store. The buyers were already leaving the establishment. Some had fun shopping and was laughing mirthfully as they went out. Others were walking fast as they hurried to catch up the train. In the parking lot, there were three people who were in the same car. All of them wanted to do different things after visiting the store. One wanted to leave the two and go on her own way. Another preferred for her to stay. And the last one was torn between the two. Usually, Gabriel didn’t mind other people’s plans. Why would he care when he already has a lot on his plate? However, this was a different matter for him. Even if she didn’t disclose any information about what happened, he knew an absurd incident occurred in the midst of Jeyong Town. “Get in. Do not make me say it thrice,” Gabriel commanded. Evina froze from her tracks. She already opened the car door and was about to step out. With a frown on her
Evina’s mouth dropped wide-open at Gabriel’s lucrative offer. “H-he was ordering me to stay with him? Is he kidding me?” She mused, her face showing a conflicting emotion of surprise, uneasiness and amusement.They were already travelling to Gabriel’s private estate, even without her permission yet. The roads seem to cooperate. There was no massive traffic along the way. In a few minutes, they were already near Gabriel’s location.“Why would I do that?” Evina asked, as if her answer could change the CEO’s mind. The wealthy man beside her snubbed her as if she was a ghost. Her eyebrows furrowed, puzzled by his actions towards her. Every so often, he would be concerned for her safety. Next, at a fraction of a second, he would be ruthlessly cold, just like she never existed.Evina leaned back on the car seat as she pondered about her dire situation. If she was honest, she wouldn't want to stay at her unit. He wa