The Dubai meeting was in full swing, and the atmosphere was charged. A male and female pair had organized the event and came on stage clad in bright red. The color itself appeared to embrace life with energy, beckoning to the audience. But Adrian's gaze was not on the speakers. He was staring at the door, almost through the gate, willing Jenny to return.Where had she gone? Adrian's mind was a storm of questions. Had she gone for air? Or was it to powder her nose? In Adrian's thoughts, of course, it crossed that she might have gone to relieve herself; however, with time slipping away and still no sign of her appearing, his worries began to build with concern over where she was.He continued watching the stage when the speakers announced the next one in line, and the words 'Diamond Company Limited" reached his ears. The Diamond Company Limited representative went to the podium, adjusting the microphone, commencing his speech. There were murmurs across the crowd, and all of a sudden, Ad
Disgustedly, Adrian sighed; responsibilities lay heavy upon him as if to suffocate. His eyes moved through the room, over the sea of expectation on the faces, fluttering hands, whispering murmurs, crowding the air with tension thick with perfume, cologne, and the smell of freshly printed papers. "It's getting harder," he said softly enough that only he could hear it.With that, the next company was introduced- it sounded as if they were being announced in some long-forgotten imperial court: "A&Z Company Limited!" thundered the speaker from the microphone into the welcoming room. Clapping hands and cheering greeted the representatives of A&Z Company as they strode toward the stage. The applause sounded like relentless waves crashing against the shore, full of zeal.Adrian squinted as he calculated all his strategies and machinations while the watcher observed the present scene. The adrenaline in his system was pounding in his heart like an embargo drum. "Chevron Company, should get rea
Minutes turned into hours as Mr. Zan stood by, waiting for Jenny to walk out of the ladies' room. His air conditioning motor started vibrating and soon it was beyond the threshold of audible perception but damps in harmony with the slow rhythm of his heart. For the hundredth time, he looked at the dial as the hands of time crawled across its face. It had been thirty minutes since he had been told to wait, but Jenny was still conspicuously missing.His gaze moved toward the security men, somewhat narrowed, as he put the question out to them- "Are you sure she's in there?" Confident nods came his way. "Yeah, look, she's coming," said one of them, somewhat softly, in a soothing tone. Mr. Zan immediately snapped his eyes toward the door of the ladies' room, with his heart now galloping in its euphoria. A woman walked out looking exactly like Jenny.Their gazes locked; he smiled warmly. "Mrs. Jenny!" he exclaimed, feeling relief. "We've been waiting for you for ages. Our company is next,"
The darkness weighed on Adrian. Alone, he stared at the smartphone screen, and slowly the worries came and began overshadowing him. He tried calling Jenny for the final time. But this time it was even worse. "BEEP" the dial tone resonated inside his mind as a sad song, tying a heavy string to the future of uncertainty residing in front of him.He was losing within that desperation clutching his heart. His once sharp and focused mind began to wander off aimlessly and could not concentrate on anything apart from those haunting images of Jenny.The incessant maelstrom of questions swirling in his head formed different shapes, and all were more tortuous than the first. "Man, how am I getting through with this thing right now?" He held the phone in a grip that suggested it was the only rope that could hold him alive.His fingers raced across the screen with both urgency and desperation, and though the seconds trickled by in almost a freeze, every second seemed like an eternity as he stared
Standing there, dumbfounded, my eyes flew back and forth between those two people before me. What are you doing here, Dad?" I softly asked Samuel, turning my head towards him. Then to the other figure, a man whom I never have seen before, yet for all intensive purposes, he seemed familiar. "And you too, what are you doing here?" I added, narrowing my eyes while trying to place him.And then, like someone thrusting a sudden sunbeam into a cloudy day, it came to me and I recognized him, Julian. The name whispered through my mind, and I shivered. The pair exchanged a glance, Samuel and Julian, then both burst into laughter. A cold wind seemed to sweep the room.They laughed heartily and then, with a peal of laughter, fell silent, looking at each other with watery eyes. They turned towards me, then laughed again as they dug their faces in. That sound pierced through the fog of my confusion and terror and left me feeling naked and vulnerable.My throat mounted a steeplechase over my heart-
Samuel looked at Julian with a mix of concern and confusion as he observed Fidelia's odd behavior. "Maybe she has taken some hard drugs; that's why she's behaving like that," he said in a low, thoughtful voice. Julian narrowed his eyes somewhat, his expression skeptical but then nodded in agreement.Her eyes glowed and her face twisted with a new terror. "Yes, I am mad," she said rather bitterly. Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Due to the agony my mother went through. I shouted because she was in a state." Her words were poured forth in a flood, raw and unrefined. "No one was able to comprehend, not knowing her monster husband did it all, just so he could extort money.For a moment, Fidelia's eyes were fixed on Julian, boring into him with fierce intensity. "And you, Julian," she shouted at the top of her voice reverberating through the entire room. "You wanted me to have sex with you, right?" Her words hung in challenge and accusation in the air. In that instant, a longer ripple of
Nested deep in the shrubbery of the guagua bushes along the winding road, shadows loomed long and dark upon the earth as Adrian continued driving. Putting the car to a halt with the engine sputtering to a stop, Adrian sat in silence, staring at the telephone tracker. Somewhere out there, according to the stats by the GPS, Jenny was to be found, yet her exact whereabouts remained clouded in uncertainty. His frustration red-hot beneath the surface, Adrian felt he might explode with anger at any moment. He ripped off his shirt, the fabric tearing against his back, a white singlet visible underneath. He kicked off his shoes, bare feet trembling with rage and ready for the kill. He was a man on a mission, backed by an awesome determination to get Jenny and save her.Adrian sat there, chest heaving, and gathered every ounce of courage for the battle ahead. The path ahead was fraught with dangers: conditions under the guagua bushes kept many secrets and few ever braved them. Yet he was read
The message on the phone caused Adrian to stare in horror with bulging eyes. The pang of hurt and disappointment had begun as the mind raced with questions. He answered immediately, smashing his fingers on the keyboard. "Zan, why?? What's this for?" was his message, his eyes glued to the phone, waiting.But there was none from Zan. The silence felt heavy, and the seconds ticked like hours. With his anxiety building, Adrian's mind wandered all over the place. There was a feeling of dread; his insides were churning.Just as he was about to lose all hope, the message popped. "We are going back to already, sir," was an obscure, foreboding message from Zan. Adrian's eyes sharpened, and his mind was racing with questions. "Why?" was again written furiously, with trembling fingers, full of anticipation.The words of Zan were so incisive and quick, like a punch to the gut. "Did you violate any rules?" asked Adrian, but though he had surprised questions, he was mostly involved in important mat
JENNY POVThe bailiffs were rather coming at them; movement was swift and fine tuned. "Let go," said one, coming towards Samuel and Julian.Samuel was apparently fighting bailiffs and raised his voice in protest, "It can't be! I'm innocent, I tell you! I'm innocent!"Julian, however, seemed defeated; eyes cast down as the bailiffs cuffed him. He didn't resist; didn't fight; just stood there, shoulders slumped in resignation.Bailiffs led them away in a straight line as Samuel kept shouting and protesting, his voice blending up with noise-making. Julian was around, quiet, with that sight on the floor.The doors of the courtroom shut behind them, and the spectators trickled out, whispering amongst themselves about the shocking verdict. I, my mom and Adrian stood there watching bailiffs take them away. Justice was served, and they would pay for what they did.When going through the corridors where we just walked out of the courtroom, my mom turned to us now with a grin on her face, with
JENNY POVWe made our way into the apartment, all that added weight dragging behind us, "We do not require Gabriel anymore,' I said to Adrian, my voice firming with determination. Days trailed into weeks before, finally, the court date came. The tension flickered in the air as we sat together in our living room. He looked at me expectantly, trying to read my eyes. By the concern in his voice, Adrian finally asked, "How did we go about it, baby?" he added. "We haven't seen our evidence."I fell sprawled over the bed with a whirl of thoughts. Suddenly, my expression transformed from one of despair into hope-filled determination. I straightened my back, locked eyes with Adrian, and declared, "I've got it," as that spark within me surged. It struck me with an idea that signaled I knew perfectly the next thing we would do.It was a regal, breathtaking court with high ceilings and dark-paneled walls. Inside it had been set for the audience and witnesses - row upon row of polished wooden ben
JENNY POVContrary to what I vaguely recall about the trial, with little less than half a month to go, I walked my final tour of the evidence. I took a long walk up the stairs toward the safe box where all the documents and evidence were kept, my heart racing.When I opened the safe box, the second surprise awaited me; it was empty. All our evidence was missing! Panic swept over me, and I reached in to search frantically, hoping maybe I had mislaid the documents. But the truth was clear: everything was gone.Unbelievably so. Everything we had worked for and all our evidence had vanished. It felt like the wind was knocked out of me. How could this happen? Who took the evidence?Panicking, I called Adrian and the lawyer, stuttering. "It's gone," I said. "All of it."Adrian was calm. He reassured me: "We'll figure this out. We'll get to the bottom of it. Don't worry. We'll find a way to move forward."But I felt uneasy now. That meant our case was in trouble. Samuel's team would probably
JENNY POVWe had amassed all the evidence and, with Gabriel's expert counsel, we were quite confident of a solid case against Samuel. Upon consulting our lawyer, we scheduled an appointment to discuss the next steps and finalize the court date.There was a nervous energy fluttering around me as I followed Adrian into the lawyer's office. What would the lawyer say? After that, will it be possible for us to carry on with our case? Just the sight of Adrian's stoic demeanor reassured me, and I inhaled deeply again to control my nerves.Gabriel was inside the room, coffee in hand. He gave a little nod of acknowledgment as we settled in, while the lawyer began to go through the evidence.She finally said, after looking through the papers, "Let us go over the plan one last time. We will be bringing the lawsuit.” Then, we prepare for Samuel's team to respond, which will probably include trying to discredit you or the evidence."Adrian nodded, jaw tight with determination. "We are ready for th
JENNY POVWhen we broke away from each other after the hug, the memory of him really made me grateful for Adrian. Surely he was that support system I needed at this moment. "Thank you for being here for me," I said with quavering words.Adrian smiled at me, took my hand, and replied, "For always, I am here with you." "We'll face everything that comes."Rejuvenated, we took our seats one last time to review the evidence. The lawyer had told us that the case was strong, but we had to be prepared for every event. Adrian and I were going through the adaptations, underlining the crucial points, and exchanging views on strategies.As the day darkened, the tension in the room built up. Both of us were waiting for the return of this breath-holding event, wishing it would end soon so that we could all finally move on. But it was obvious that this required patience and tenacity.And then, just when we were seeming to take a break, the doorbell rang. Adrian went to answer it, and I could hear so
JENNY POVThen she turned to us with a playfulness glinting in her eyes and said, "I have a question for you two." Adrian and I exchanged curious looks, and I asked, "What is it's, Mom?" She fixed her gaze upon us, darting between Adrian and me, before eventually saying, "When should I expect my grandchildren, please?" The question hung expectantly between us, twinkling as a little playful tip made both of us smile and ponder on how to answer it.Adrian stared at me, a sly smile spreading across his face as if he was daring me to respond to my mom's query regarding grandchildren. "Soon, Ma," he said, his voice teasingly mischievous as he tried to deflect her curiosity. My mom's eyes sparkled with mischief while teasing me: "I know Jenny won't say anything." Her words hung in the air, humorous but full of innuendo, and made me laugh loud, feeling my cheeks burning.The night pressed on: the ambiance of darkness shielded us, and we were slowly traveling back to our rooms, slowly paying
JENNY POVThe days morphed gradually into weeks, while weeks would gradually morph into months, and my mom was really okay after that. "Thank you so much, Jenny," she said to me, holding my hand. Her voice was much better now, and we were chatting well. She didn't get sick anymore, and the doctor visits were not frequent by now since the workers kept caring about her with kindness and compassion.Adrian and I used to go and visit the hospital together to bring her favorite food and flowers. We sat down to watch movies or even play games, but even though it was at a slow pace, she was getting back. The hospital room of care was now much brighter with laughter than it had ever been used to and filled with sadness and concern.It was like any other day; we were just chit chatting when suddenly, a glittering tear glistened in Mom's eye. "I'm very grateful to you, Jenny," she said with a shaking voice. "You have been my stronghold during this journey." A warm hug followed from me, elated a
JENNY POVIn the course of her recovery, I fleeted back home to refresh myself often. The workers would live with her, looking after her needs, and updated me about her conditions through regular phone calls, sometimes giving me a good laugh or two while hearing stories on her improvements.We began to develop a bond through these talks, and soon I would be on the edge of my seat waiting for their calls. They told me all about the jokes she told, her smiles, and how determined she was to recover. I laughed and appreciated their kindness.One day, I asked them all over for breakfast in appreciation of the small things they did for my mom. They came with huge, toothy grins and gifts of sunshine-dripped fruit and fragrant flowers. Here we were around the table, sharing together in a hearty meal.Mrs. Jenkins said, "We're so proud of your mom's progress, Jenny. She's a fighter." I smiled, feeling all the more blessed to have them with me. "Thanks to you all, she's getting a little better
JENNY POVAt first, the workers got busy setting up my mother for the transport to the hospital. I watched as they transported her into a stretcher, their faces serious."We'll get her the help she needs," Adrian said, his voice reassuring. "We'll make sure she's okay."I nodded, and hope washed over me. Maybe, just maybe, we could get my mom back on her feet. Maybe we could undo the damage that Samuel had done.But for some reason, all along the way that took us out of the house into the open, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the opening act--the warm-up--for a longer and tougher journey ahead.As the workers placed my mom in a car, an entire jigsaw puzzle of emotions filled the air: relief because actions were finally being taken; then apprehension of what could come to pass in future. The workers whose eyes had been somber just a few moments ago suddenly spoke."Pleeeeeeease, Jenny, let us help,” Mrs. Jenkins said, her voice being a little shaky. "We'll assure that y