Chapter 2

"What if I resign so I don't have to respect you anymore? What do you think?" I stopped walking and looked at him with a mixture of arrogance and defiance. "Will you accept my resignation letter?"

We are now outside the meeting room. Our co-employees glanced from time to time, but none of them tried to mediate the possible quarrel between the two of us. It was a potential fight between the branch manager and the finance manager. No one will try to intervene.

When I was a newcomer here at Hornbrown Investments, I gave him a resignation letter because I couldn't get along with him. It was so hard for me that I see him often making out with different girls when I go there to report. That was so disgusting!

I'm not having a hard time because I like him. I was struggling because I loathe him. He has no ethical manners!

It's a good thing now that he doesn't do that anymore, or should I say that it was my fault because he almost got caught back then? I was that close to reporting him to the management, honestly.

Anyway, he didn’t accept my resignation letter back then. He just tore it up while looking at me intently. The expression he showed me during those times was dark… as if he was aggravated because of what I did, but he did nothing except gulp twice.

I was so close to strangling him because how the heck did he have the guts to tear up the resignation letter I pulled up an all-nighter with? But fortunately, I was pulled over by Shainara out of Kleinder’s office.

"Hmm... do you think you can, Sandara Vernace?" he asked back, apparently challenging me if I could resign at this point. "Inflation spikes badly… and how about your promotion? You’re waiting for it, right?”

Blackmailer.

"Motherfucker," I said loudly before I raised an eyebrow at him. His expression darkened because of that.

Kleinder doesn’t like people who curse at him, or fight back at him, at least. Too bad because I don’t want that either. I am not someone he can easily manipulate. Our personalities would clash badly at this point.

I knew that I shouldn’t say that because we were in the company, but that slipped out of my mouth so suddenly I didn’t have the chance to think about it anymore.

But this jerk did worse. 

My eyes widened when he suddenly leaned me against the wall, and kissed me on the lips, hungrily. In less than a few seconds, I felt him licking my lower lip as if he was telling me to welcome his kisses by opening my mouth.

It felt like time passed by exponentially. I wasn’t able to speak nor move. I couldn’t even blink my eyes as I felt one of his hands caress my waist, while his other hand traveled onto my hair, pulling it a bit while deepening the kiss.

I groaned. I heard him chuckle because of that.

I was disgusted with myself. I just wanted to bang myself on the wall because I let him insult me ​​like this. Still, I couldn’t move my body. It felt like time stopped for me.

"A kiss for a curse, Sandara," he whispered a bit hoarsely in my ear as he parted his lips from mine.

I gasped hard when I felt his tongue lick my ear lightly. I still wanted to push him but it seemed like I was already a statue in my position. With that, I cursed myself in the back of my mind.

"Do you want to insult me ​​more?" he asked as he was teasing me.

I wanted to ask him why he was doing this to me, but I'm afraid to open my mouth because he might kiss me again when I speak. His grin widened, even more, when he noticed what I did.

"If you really want to, then, go on," he even urged me to speak as his gaze went darker like he was trying to manipulate me to fall into his trap. "My lips are waiting for every curse of yours."

"CALM DOWN, my girl. You might die because of a heart attack at this point.” Shainara calmed me down as she approached me. “Breathe into your nose, and exhale with your mouth. That would help you calm down.”

She even caressed my back as if I had a huge problem in life and I needed her comfort. 

We are now here in my office. I didn’t know that Shainara was waiting for me here while I was in the meeting room earlier.

"That baby-faced jerk is annoying!" I exclaimed in a loud and irritated tone. 

I whimpered for the second time when I suddenly remembered Kleinder, making Shainara laugh out a bit as she saw how annoyed I was.

“He kissed me…” I complained as I held my lip, unconsciously. “That jerk! I haven’t had my first kiss yet… and all of a sudden, he took it just like that?”

I can’t believe him.

I was upset when I stared at the coffee I bought at Starbucks. Since I was annoyed with Kleinder earlier, I forgot to drink it while it was cold. Aside from Kleinder stealing my first kiss, I'm also annoyed right now because of my coffee. I don't like to drink coffee that isn't cold. Maybe I'll just give it to Shainara because this witch eats and drinks almost everything.

"What are you, a kid?" Shainara chuckled as she showed her tongue at me before she sat down in the swivel chair in front of my table.

“It’s just a kiss,” she explained casually. “What are you, a teenager who must need to protect her lips… and the only person who can kiss you is the person you will love, marry, and spend the rest of your life with?”

I raised a brow as I looked at her intently. She just shrugged her shoulders as she moved her swivel chair, enjoying herself turning around all over again.

“Wake up! We’re now in the modern era. Stop thinking that we’re still in the old-fashioned world.” Shainara snapped at me.

"So… what do you want me to do? Kiss everyone I met? Regardless if I know them or not?” I glared at her before I crossed both my hands on my chest and stared at her intimidatingly.

"Nope." She shook her head before looking at me. “What I was saying is that… Don’t make that kiss a big deal! You’re already twenty-five. Our age won’t even be found in the calendar after a few more years.” Shainara moved her head and whispered something to me. “You were even lucky that he kissed you. I just wished that it was me!”

Oh. My. Gosh.

I almost wanted to vomit when I saw the gleam in her eyes. She looked dreamy like she was so jealous because that jerk kissed me. If she wanted me to exchange my lips with hers, I would do it without any hesitation. Even for free.

What’s with Kleinder? Why are they swooning over him?

And here I was, feeling exasperated as he killed me with madness!

"If you want to kiss him, just go," I told Shainara in an annoying tone because instead of empathizing with me, she even looked like she wanted to throw a fit because Kleinder kissed someone else and not her.

“As long as I’m alive and kicking, I won’t ever be happy that he kissed me,” I said as I came back to my senses. “Never in my wildest dreams. That annoying, rude jerk!”

I rolled my eyes.

“You’ll never know, my dear,” she said with a teasing tone in her voice. “It was too early to say that! Who knows? You might fall in love with him soon!”

Again, she just giggled before she played with the upper part of her lip with her left hand. 

She looked hot when she did that, maybe because of her exquisite facial features. One of the things I noticed was her well-defined jawline.

Mine is also defined but hers is much better. Her black hair was so long it reached down to her waist. At first glance, no one will think that she’s just a manager here in Hornbrown Investments. She looks more like the owner of the company because of her fashion skills and the expensive aura she always has with her.

I, on the other hand, also have long black hair. Even though it's not as beautiful as my best friend’s hair, that's fine with me. Sometimes, people can’t help but compare us, although it was unnecessary. 

But I do think we’re beautiful in our own way.

I won't be surprised if someday, Kleinder flirts with Shainara too, but I hope she won’t become vulnerable if that happens. Kleinder is well-known here in the company as a womanizer who can’t be loyal to just one woman!

Also, he was a member of No Mercy, but only I know that news so far.

No Mercy is one of the most well-known gangs here in Manila, and since I still don't have time to search about it, that's all I can say.

"But seriously, that kiss wasn’t a big deal. Like it shouldn’t be," she repeated as she stood up in her seat. She looked at me before she laid both her hands on the table. "I can kiss anyone. Do you want me to kiss you too?" She even held her lower lip as she said that, slightly teasing me.

"Hard pass, girl,” I answered as I let out a chuckle, causing her to roll her eyes at me.

People say that I am at the right age to settle down, but I still have no plans to get married or even have a boyfriend. Not now that I am under observation to become the branch manager of the Cavite Branch, and not now that my career is starting to improve and develop.

I also have some unfinished business I need to take care of.

"It's just a joke, you fool!" she took back what she said as he slapped me lightly on my right cheek. “I can have this, right?” She lifted the coffee in her hand. “See you later!”

Shainara took a sip as she walked out of my office. She may be a mind reader, knowing that I’ll give her the coffee later on. Or maybe she just knows my personality damn well. 

“Crazy…” I murmured as it was my turn to sit on the swivel chair. I massaged my forehead lightly as I was thinking about the kiss, again.

How can I strike back at him? How can I get my revenge for my pitiful lips?