Am I ready to go back?Sure, I miss my family and friends, but I promise myself that I will not go back in my country unless I have made a name for myself. I only did a few projects here, and most of them are assisting my seniors. I did one project for myself and that's it. "Do you not want to go back yet?" David asked. Everyone looked at me, waiting for my answer. I smiled at them and shook my head. "Ms. Penelope is already on the line," Bradly said. I looked at the screen and saw Ellie and her team. They were also in their conference room. "Hi, Ellie and the team!" James greeted them. James started to introduce us to them. "I knew it, it was you, Yelle! I didn't know you were with JDLI now! I was trying to contact you." Ellie said on the monitor. "Opps, where's my manner..." She said and chuckled. Ellie introduced her team and came back to me. "Yelle, did you get my email?" I smiled at her. "I haven't checked my emails for days. I'll check your email later." Ellie nodded
When lunchtime was over, I decided to go to the design team to call Nathalie for a meeting. I know that I can just call her to go to my office, but I wanted to see Yelle. It sounds crazy that I still miss her even though we were together this whole morning for the meeting. I wanted to see her face and also her reaction when she saw how Nathalie and I were close to each other. She only knew that my close friends were Hailey and David. Nathalie is more like a daughter to me than a friend, even though we are the same age. She was my scholar. We went to the same school. She was my classmate. They are not well-off. She was a scholar at our school. We became close because we share the same passion for designing furniture. When she told me that she would not go to college because of financial problems, I immediately asked her to come with me to the US to study. I will shoulder all her needs and she will be allowed to do part-time jobs in the US to send money to her family in the Philippine
"Have you heard about the Zobel group of companies?"Nathalie's eyes widened. "She's connected with them?"I smirked and nodded. "She's the only daughter of Arielle and Lincoln Zobel, the owner of the Zobel group of companies."Nathalie's jaw dropped for a few seconds, then she glared at me. "Don't tell me you hired her here because of her family? I told you I hate people who only get what they want because of connections, especially if it's because of their parents!"I know that very well. The reason why I didn't meddle with Yelle's application to the company. I just let David decide whether to pass her or not. But I'm confident that she'll pass. Yelle's past projects will speak for her. "I'm not the one who hired her. It was David," I said as a matter of fact.Nathalie was about to say something, but I cut her off before she made another wrong assumption."I did not do anything nor tell David about Yelle's background. And you know David, he never looked at people's background or co
A message suddenly appeared on my phone. It was from my brother, Luther. I took out my phone and check his message.My eyes widened after reading his message. My brother is here in the US, and he wants to see me after work. Oh my gosh! I miss him! I immediately agreed and told him where to meet. I can't wait to see him. Hannah nudged me to get my attention. I turned to her and asked, "What is it?" She pointed out my phone and said, "Your line is ringing." Referring to the company phone that was designated for me. "Oh!" I answered the phone.It was Bradley. James wanted me in his office. I grabbed my notebook and pen, and I was ready to go to his office when I saw Nathalie and Hailey go back to their respective places. I assume that they just got back from James' office. Bradley saw me, and he opened the door for me. I said thank you to him and went inside.James asked me to sit on the couch. I nodded and followed him. "I'm sorry about Nathalie's attitude earlier," James said th
"And who the hell are you?" I raised my eyebrows and looked at that bratty girl from head to foot. "Me? I'm James' wife," I said with full confidence. I saw Nathalie's shocked face. I winked at her and mouthed 'Trust me'The bratty girl and her dad took a few seconds to recover from their shock. "I didn't know that Mr. Feria is already married." The old man said. "We got married in the Philippines before I went here to the US," I said, which is true. "And I think you guys should call him Mr. Ottave because Feria was my mother-in-law's maiden name," I said. "Are you some kind of delusional or what?! James isn't married yet! How come no one knew about it!" Ruby said, a bit hysterical. I smirked. "I guess you are not that important to him for you to know. You can ask David and Hailey about it." "Ahhh!!! That is not true! James is mine!" She started to scream. I looked at her with disgust. She was acting so low just because of a guy. Ewww. She glared at me. "You are not his wif
"After I'm done with my work here. And speaking of James... What's with you and him?" I almost choked myself because of my brother's question. "He's my boss?" I said like he was asking a stupid question.I saw in peripheral vision the curious look on Nathalie's face. I guess she has no idea about my marriage with James, which explains her shocked expression when I said that I was James' wife. Well, that's great! The fewer people know about my problem with James, the easier I can solve it. "I heard what you said earlier." My brother said in a serious voice.I cleared my throat. "I-I just said that to irritate her!" I said, I almost stuttered."She has no right to bully someone simply because she can't win a guy! That's so low!" I added it to make it more convincing. "That's good then. But I never thought you would say that, knowing how you two hate each other." Then he chuckled. Nathalie's eyebrows furrowed. "They hate each other?" "Yes! They are like dogs and cats. Always banter
Ellie and I agreed that she would be the one who would discuss the project with the team. Most of the people in JDLI didn't know about my connection with Zobel. As much as possible I don't want the employees from JDLI to know about my background. I know that I am just being paranoid but I don't want them to think that I got the job because of my background. Surely, they will also question my promotion. I went here to prove something for myself. I'm so done with people thinking that all the things I have achieved are because of my background and that my career is going smoothly because I am the daughter of Arielle and Lincoln Zobel. "Cheers to the JDLI and CIC partnership!" It was James."Cheers!" Everyone looks so happy. The event was successful. All of us were looking forward to the new partnership."I have good news for everyone," Ellie said.Everyone turns to her with great anticipation. "I just called Luther from ZGC, they will have their very first Zobel Mall here in the US.
"Are you crazy?!"He chuckled as he continued to trail me to my car.“What? You were the one who declared me your husband,” he exclaimed as we reached my car. “And by the way, I’ve heard Luther’s been asking about us.”I turned to him and rolled my eyes. "I only said that because Nathalie was accused of being your side chick.""Fine. Whatever you say. But when you’re ready to tell your family about us, let me know. I’m more than willing to make the announcement. I’m sure our families will be delighted.""You wish!" I exclaimed before sliding into my car and departing, leaving him standing there.As I made my entrance into the restaurant, my brother acknowledged me with a wave."Did I keep you waiting?" I inquired."No, not at all. I've only just arrived," he responded.I couldn't help but notice his persistent gaze towards the entrance."Expecting someone?" I ventured to ask."Yes, indeed. He'll be joining us for lunch," he replied before waving to someone.Curiosity piqued, I turned
“Excuse me?!”What the hell is she talking about? Why would I ever name my future son Maru? That’s the last thing I’d do—never in a million years!In fact, I might just banish the name Maru from my list of future baby names. I can’t stand it!“Marry me.” He said in a whisper.“But I want Maru Ottave,” I whispered back.“I am Maru Ottave.” He said then he claimed my lips.Fudge! Why did that memory have to pop up now? This is all Mara’s fault!I glared at her. “Don’t say that again!”Mara and her husband just laughed. They think this is funny?! Ugh! I should have ignored the whole thing with their son’s name. Now it’s all backfiring on me.Mara and Andrew were busy tending their new born, while Tanya and I left in the living room. "Tada! Do you like it?" I asked Tanya while showing her the dress I bought in the US. I bought bunch of things for her. Of course I bought some for family, Mara, Andrew and their new baby. But most of my the things in my luggage are all the things I bought
“Mom, Dad, look who’s with me!”Luther and I had kept my transfer back to the Philippines a secret from our parents. We wanted to surprise them—and it was the reason my brother had extended his stay in the U.S., to bring me back with him.My mom gasped, her eyes welling up as she took me in. “Abrielle? Is it really you?”I smiled, warmth flooding me as I nodded. “Yes, Mom. I’m home.”She crossed the room in an instant, pulling me into a tight embrace. My dad followed, wrapping his arms around us as my mom held on like she’d never let go.My brothers stood off to the side, grinning at our little family reunion. Daniel, who had helped plan this surprise, looked especially pleased as he watched our parents’ joy.To celebrate, Daniel had reserved a table at a fine-dining restaurant. As we settled into our seats and began eating, conversation flowed easily, filled with laughter and updates on life.Midway through dinner, my dad looked at me, curiosity in his eyes. “So, how’s James? Did he
Finally, the day had come for us to return to our home country.My brother insisted on extending his stay so we could all go back together with Kyle.We arrived at the airport, the bustling terminal greeting us. My co-workers had already taken their flight back to the Philippines. My brother had upgraded my ticket to first class, but we had to change flights since the first class seats on the original one were fully booked.As we checked in, I spotted James entering the airport. My brow furrowed in confusion. What is he doing here? He was supposed to be on the same flight as the JDLI team.“You’re here,” my brother greeted James with a nod.James merely nodded back, his eyes darting to his watch repeatedly, as if waiting for someone.“Are you expecting someone?” I couldn’t help but ask.He shook his head, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “Why would you think that?”I shrugged casually. “You keep looking at your watch.”“Oh, that… I’m just checking the time. Our flight’s coming up so
"Yelle?"I startled but quickly composed myself before turning to face Kyle.He smiled nervously. "Yelle, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked again.I could see the sweat on his face.I already knew what he was planning when my brother handed me the blindfold, and I already knew my answer.I nodded and smiled. "Yes," I replied.His eyes widened, and he shouted, "Yes!" before pulling me into a hug.I chuckled and hugged him back, hearing my brother congratulate us in the background.I saw James mouth the word "Congratulations!" and even raise his glass as if offering a toast.Then he turned his attention back to the girl he was with. They seemed to be enjoying their conversation, and I even noticed him whisper something to her.Kyle released me from our hug, and we stepped down from the stage to join my brother."Congratulations, Yelle! You finally have a boyfriend!" he said, teasing me with a grin.I just smiled at him. My brother had been the one to help me decide to accept Kyle’s pr
"Are you serious?" I asked, bewildered.James smiled. "Why? Isn't this what you want?""Y-yes," I replied, frustrated with myself for stammering.I was confused. I couldn’t understand what James was thinking. He had always made it clear he didn’t like Kyle, he often sabotaging our dates. Now, he was acting supportive of my relationship with Kyle."Are you sure? Because I can see hesitation in your eyes," James said, reverting to his usual self.I rolled my eyes. "Of course not! I've always wanted to annul our marriage. We both know we don’t love each other, this whole thing was just a result of alcohol," I defended myself.He just smiled at me."Why are you suddenly being cooperative about this?" I couldn't help but ask, needing to understand his true intentions."Simple. Now that you're getting serious with that guy, I’m confident you won’t chase after my brother when we return to the Philippines," he replied with a casual shrug.I glared at him, my anger rising at his reasoning. His
"Luther! Stop pressuring Kyle!" I understand my brother’s point. Since I’m returning to the Philippines, there’s a good chance that the relationship Kyle and I are trying to build might not work out. Besides the challenges of a long-distance relationship, Kyle has a business to take care of here in the U.S. It would be selfish of me to ask him to leave his life here to join me in the Philippines.Kyle and I aren't even official yet. My brother should stop pressuring him; he has no obligation to me or anything.My brother shrugged. "You're not a fan of long-distance relationships, Yelle," he said matter-of-factly.I rolled my eyes. "But we're not official yet! He has no responsibility to me. Besides, I still have work here in the U.S., so we can still see each other. There's no need for him to follow me to the Philippines," I argued.Kyle smiled at me, his eyes softened as he spoke. "We could make our relationship official," he said, catching me off guard.I felt both stunned and pres
“Are you suggesting I’m playing favorites?” James’s voice cut through the tension, surprising both Athena and me.Athena and I exchanged startled glances, unaware that James had been listening.James strode over to us, fixing his gaze on Athena. "I'm sure you have an idea how we secured the mall project," he said, his voice steady and unyielding.Athena looked away, unable to respond, guilt etched across her face. She was one of the few in the company who knew about my ties to the Zobel Group of Companies—a secret James had revealed to her.James turned to the assembled employees, his voice firm yet composed. "Each one of you must understand that I never play favorites. You were all hired solely because of your capabilities and nothing else."He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "I will address this issue once and for all, not just for Yelle's sake but also for the company's reputation. I stand by my principles: this company will never be swayed by personal connecti
"How was day?" My brother greeted me with a warm smile as I returned home. Since he started staying with me, it became his habit to ask about my day. In the Philippines, we rarely find the time for such conversations; our busy work schedules leave little room for personal chats. Besides, our mom insists we avoid talking about business or work when we're together. She believes our precious free time should be spent bonding with family."It was hectic," I exclaimed.Amidst the chaos at work, I couldn't help but beam with excitement. "But I have good news for you!"I found myself unable to disclose the news of my appointment as the interior designer for Zobel Mall project here in the US to him. Instead, James and Luther dominated the conversation, their voices prevailing throughout most of our interaction."What is it?" he inquired, his tone laced with gentleness."I got the Zobel project! I'll be the interior designer for our mall here!" I exclaimed, brimming with excitement.But my b
Luther's POV"Yelle is seeing someone?" I was utterly stunned. Before she came to the U.S., we were all convinced she was here solely to pursue her career. We were certain she wouldn't find the time or even have the interest to date anyone. She had been so determined to make a name for herself."We didn't know about that," I added. "Yelle never mentioned him to us."James nodded, a frown crossing his face. "To be honest, I'm quite disappointed in your sister. I thought she came here to focus on her career and make a name for herself. Yet, in just a few months, she's already found someone to date."A sly grin crept across my lips. The jealousy in James's voice was unmistakable, far outweighing any hint of disappointment. I was almost certain he had a thing for my sister."On second thought," I began, aiming to lift his spirits, "since Yelle never mentioned that guy to us, I don't think she's serious about him."James breathed a sigh of relief. “I certainly hope so,” he murmured, a sha