Their first shower together is the only one Shantal will ever remember. Alex doesn’t have a problem with being without clothes and he steps into the bath tub first, urging Shantal to join him.
Bathing for Alex is like eating: he doesn’t need to do it but he enjoys doing it nonetheless, if only to be with Shantal. Shantal feels a little silly telling Alex to close his eyes as he strips to his boxers but he feels even sillier trying to sit in between Alex’s legs in the tub because he takes up so much room.
“Is Shantal really dirty?” Alex asks, hands resting on top of Shantal’s thighs.
“I just showered this morning so not really.”
“Can I wash you anyway? I want to see what it’s like.”
Still a little hesitant, and perhaps a bit self-conscious, Shantal passes Alex the soap and
Over the course of the next five days, Alex has trouble getting out of bed. He doesn’t call his moments of time out “sleep” but Shantal is worried nonetheless, anxiously fidgeting as the few grains of sand finally fall in their hour glasses.Shantal tries to ignore this behavior as best as he can, silently keeping a vigil over their last week. His heart pounds in excitement whenever he sees Alex up and out of bed. Their kisses are sweeter than they have ever been that week. Alex’s smile is so infectious and his laughter is so bright, Shantal doesn’t notice the dimming in his eyes until it’s too late.The fifth day is a Wednesday, Shantal will always remember. He is just stepping through the front door, backpack still on his shoulders, when Alex’s small voice pulls him into the bedroom.“Shantal,” he moans. From the looks of things, he hasn’t gotten
I love you.In the years to come, Shantal would hate herself for not saying it out loud for Alex to hear.With a soft kiss, Alex lets out a rough gush of air. The sound is unsettling and rings of finality but it doesn’t stop Shantal from calling Alex’s name over and over again, hoping for a little reaction.It hits him then, when Alex doesn't move. It’s over.He’s gone.He’ll never see Alex’s smile ever again.He’ll never see that little facial twitch he’s grown to adore. He’ll never wake up in his arms.He’ll never kiss his lips.He’ll never…love anyone else the way he loved Alex.First a broken sound falls from his lips then he sobs against Alex’s unmoving chest, fingernails digging into his shirt. Alex lies benea
SHANTAL'S POV~~~"Whatever I do, be happy and have fun."I told myself as I face my own reflection in the mirror. I was trying to get ready at the time. I don't usually go around checking our family business since our employees were all efficient enough to have their job done with minimal if there was anything supervision at all.Oftentimes, I also informed the HR department prior to my arrival to make sure that I won't be meeting anyone on my way. I used to hate someone's company, after all, not until I met Alex.But this time, I decided against informing them beforehand and I was planning to give our company a surprise visit. This was my way of distracting myself. I wanted to keep my mind off the things that happened to me recently and the most effective way that I saw was to keep myselfbusy. Otherwise, I would just be left sulking inside my room, exactly jus
My office was on the eighth floor of the building so I rode the elevator to get there. There was no one inside the elevator when I get there and I thought that I would be riding it all by myself. Yet just as when its door was about to close, a hand stopped it from closing.Right there and there, a group of employees entered the elevator and unsure of what to do, I tried to turn around. This time, it was my back that was facing them, we were jam-packed inside."I heard that Madam Thunderstorm is coming to work today."I heard someone initiated a conversation and it was received with fervent reaction."Are you for real?! That must be awful.""As much as I hated it as well, I heard someone from the ground floor alerting the HR that they spotted her car at the parking lot.""UHRG! That is an awful way to start the day. I wonder what kind of bad wind that brought her here in this building."
During lunch, I tried to eat at the same place as my employees. The people in the cafeteria were less wary and were busy minding their own business so I did not think that my presence would bring that much ruckus.When I was done getting my meal, I looked around me to check for an available table and there I saw Jodi eating by herself. So I decided to give her a company and shared a table with her.I got two bottles of fruit juice from a nearby vending machine and I casually put one of them next to my cousin's tray. Jodi, on the other hand, was in the middle of chewing her food when I did that, so when she saw a hand at the corner of her eyes, she slowly lifted her gaze.Seeing my face at the cafeteria must have given Jodi a shock of her life that she almost choke upon the sight of me."Are you okay???"I asked unsure whether I should feel concerned first, worried, or
One sunny day, Shantal suddenly felt like going to a library and so she decided to drive and visit the nearest library in her place. Out of the countless books in the shelves, she immediately felt drawn to the storybook section. She let her fingers glide on the borders of the book when her eyes landed on a specific book. She took it and there she saw its title that says, The velvet rabbit doll... For some reason, the book gave her off some sense of familiarity, and before she knew it, she was already immersed in reading the children's book. She reckoned that if Alex was there with him, he would definitely pick the same book. The story revolved around a stuffed rabbit sewn from velveteen. It was given as a Christmas present to a small boy. The boy plays with his other new presents and forgets the velveteen rabbit for a time. These presents are modern and mechanical, and they snub the old-fashioned velveteen rabbit. T
While Shantal was at the phase of wallowing over her newfound love story that died out due to her Android Partner meeting its untimely end, she was also reminded of her past and the old wound that was brought by an old romance was reopened. Unbeknownst to anyone, way before meeting Alex, Shantal had already met a robot the same age as hers. It was right after Zoren's death when she decided to transfer schools. The pressure from the comparison between her and Jodi at that time was not helping as her guardian, Butler James decided to enroll her in a different school. He was the father of her current Butler, Butler John. At that time, Shantal trusted her butler more than anyone else, and the other party also used to be her father figure. Her foolish self, young and wild, at that time, let herself fell in love with the robot and it obviously did not end well for both of them. That was why she was not fond of keeping an Android Partner for herself and even swore not to al
Classses rushed by very quickly as she hop from one to the next and Shantal was only given a breather when she finally heard their Music teacher announced to the class,"Alright, children. Time for lunch""Bye, Mrs. Sales."Shantal together with the rest of the other students answered in unison the they all headed to the lunch room. Shantal fell in line and waited for her cue to get her lunch at the school cafeteria. As soon as she got her food, Shantal sat at the table in the corner of the room. Somewhere that was usually designated for those who don't have friends. just like her. She settled at one of the chairs and thought that she could get peace as she ate her food. Yet just as when she picked up her fork, the same three girls from the earlier class that snickered at her walked over to her."Are you trying to label yourself as a nerd by sitting on your own?"The one that looked like their leader said. Shantal recalled their teacher
"Gosh it's good."Harold said when he got to taste how refreshing the drink was. When he looked at the other two guys, he saw them gesturing to their head but he did not give them much attention."Yes.Sam repeated the same thing with a voice and face devoid of emotion."Something needs fixing."Harold told Sam afterward and so Sam fought back to urge to do and eye roll before replying flatly to him."Okay."This time, Harold noticed that Rico and Michael still keep on doing the same thing so he asked them instead,"What? Is your scalp itchy.""No."The two answered in unison. Jodi on the other hand who was watching all of this farce unfold right before her eyes, could not help but let out a sigh."You sure are made for each other."She said to no one in particular and it was also as seemed she was only talking to herself."Anyway. Michael, I need you to go to Casterly."
"I am right here. Respect my existence."Michael insinuated afterward before he sarcastically added,"Do you guys want be to get you a room instead?""I should not have fallen asleep that night."He muttered to himself as he recalled the night Jodi asked Rico out for a date. He believed that if only he was not asleep that time, then maybe Jodi would also consider dating him.On the other hand, Rico seemed to be out of it and oblivious of him."Lover."The other party mumbled to himself as he observed the tarot card in his hand.'"I did not know this will happen. I feel so lonely."Michael muttered to himself out of despondency and while he was in the middle of self pity. Someone walked into the room.They though the one arrived was some random girl who was in full glam and obviously had just gone to salon for her touch up when it decided to have some coffee."Wow! I told her she would be pretty."
"That robot was sometimes human and sometimes a robot for me and that was why others who can't understand my situation mistakes me as someone who hallucinates and believe a robot as a human just because I am treating it just like one. But for my opinion, my situation was no different from those who loves their pets so much, they even considered them as their child and called themselves as furparents.""My emotions were input into that robot and that person. That is how this miracle happened. That fact completely changed the way I view things. This will be yet another scoop for the reporters present. Nordstorme Corp will go from financing mergers and acquisitions to investing in futuristic industries that involved human sensibilities. Just like what Alpha Tec Inc pioneered years ago.""This is your first change in business strategy in 15 years. Do you have anything mapped out?"One of the reporters raised a question just like what a normal press conference should
On the flip side, just like what Shantal assumed, Mr. Takashi with Mathilde's instruction called for an emergency meeting on that afternood. Which happened to coincide to the time when Shantal will hold her press conference.Moreover, since Mathilde would not be able to make it there since she was still held in prison, her secretary presided the meeting."We shall begin the emergency board meeting."Secretary Ye declared loudly and her voice reverberated in the room. Jiro was also there along with other board members."The agenda is the dismissal of Director Shantal Nordstorme and the cause is as you were all informed. An illness."She continued while everyone was silent and anxiously prayed so they could ever this meeting once and for all. On the contrary, Mr. Takashi was nodding his head on the side and though he was anticipating for this day come.Mr. Takashi nodded his head toward Secretary Ye to signal her to start it once and for
In there, Jodi found a list of shares under her name as well as a soft copy of memorandum of renunciation address to Shantal with her name on it and it was then that Jodi realized that her mom had already long planned about it ahead of the time.As it turned out, Mathilde was thinking of using her influence to oust her cousin out of the position.In addition, inside the flash drive she also found an old email account with records of bunch of emails and it took Jodi more than four hours to go through all of them.But by the time she finished reading the exchange of chats Mathilde had with her hitman, Jodi's eyes was bloodshot.It was unsure if this was cause by her prolong exposure to the screen or if it was exhaustion that was doing this thing on her body, but when she get up from her chair, Jodi balled her hands into a fist.She slammed the door shut behind her back as she left the office and on the screen, the last conversation
It was late in the evening when Jodi received a call out from nowhere. When she checked that registered on the caller ID, she was surprised to see Jiro's name.Truth be told, he was the least person he would expect to contact her. After all, the two of them never talked to each other for ages.Jiro used to be a good friend of hers as well. Just like how she and Shantal were cousins, Jiro and and Zorens were first cousins too so naturally all four of them get to know each other and as a child, they eventually became acquaintances in no time.Besides, since Zoren's parents were a family friend of the Nordstorme they often had an opportunity to hang around during their childhood.However, ever since the day Zoren committed suicide due to the incident regarding the Nordstorme controversy, Jiro also stopped communicating with them.So this made Jodi wonder what had come to Jiro to decide and phone her at this time of the night.But
"In other words, she wants me to become director and cover up all his shortcomings?"Mr. Takashi insinuated after his contemplation. He did not exactly declined the offer this time, unlike before. Although he also did not directly implied that he would do it.Nonetheless, Secretary Ye considered his response as a good sign. At least, the other party was no longer adamant at turning them down.So with the same insinuating manner, she answered him back."That would make it easier for you to do your duties once you become a director. All that was left for you now is to leave Ms. Shantal Nordstrome no other choice but to step down and abdicate the position of board directory to your hands.""Ousting her is not enough. He will just come back. We must make sure he loses the will to come back."Out of nowhere, Mr. Takashi declared with conviction and for a second, the secretary was taken aback by this.One moment, he almost drove her a
"You told Jodi about everything?"Mathilde asked her secretary as soon as the two of them were finally allowed to have some private conversation within the prison hall where she was currently detained. Panic was noticeably present on the other party's face when she raised her question. Meanwhile, the secretary remained silence yet that was all enough for Mathilde to guess her response and not long after that, her shoulders dropped on the side when the realization hit her."I guess she was bound to find out about it sooner or later."She muttered under her breath with despondent undertone.An exasperated sigh escaped Mathilde's lips afterward. But then, she suddenly tenses up when she recalled about something else.Leaning towards the other party all the while grabbing a hold to the iron bars, Mathilde looked around her warily first to make sure that no ears were on them.Only when she confirmed for the umpteenth time that no one was listenin
Adelaine Smith's P o V~~~~While Jodi and I were driving down the road looking for any sign of the robot, I received a call and when I checked who it was, I found out that it was Amanda so I accepted the call right away."Ms. Smith, the robot just got on the bus number 707."I heard her voice telling me the moment it picked her call"Great! Thank you for the information."I replied and not long after that, she hung up on her because I reckoned that it would be best if I could relay this news to the other search parties. In this way they would also know where to start looking. Of course, the first one that I tried to call was my lady boss. However, to my dismay, I was only redirected to the voice call feature of the phone.'The number you have dialed is busy at the moment. Please try your call later or leave a message aft