[KRISTEN]
It never crossed my mind that I would be working as someone's personal assistant, particularly under a man. Yet, I later realized that I had already accepted the job because I desperately wanted to keep myself busy and prove that I can stand up for myself without anyone's help."It seems you're lost in deep thoughts," I heard her approach as she sat on a chair beside me."Actually, yes," I responded with a nod."I knew it. Don't worry; he'll be a nice boss. I guarantee that," she assured me. "Though he's strict, his bipolar attitude is quite tolerable.""Does he have that condition?" I wondered. At some point, I felt nervous about how our partnership would work.Mira laughed and said, "No, but it can be compared to that. Anyway, congratulations on your first day in hell, I mean, heaven, or somewhere in between?"I found her words funny rather than scary, maybe because I used to live as if I were in hell for a couple of years? So, being in that situation is not a new thing to me.Mira went home due to an emergency. As far as I can remember, she mentioned that her cousin is going to have an engagement party, and she also mentioned something about a family dinner. I wonder how Marcus, I mean, our CEO, let her do undertime work, given his strict attitude. Well, that's not my business anymore.Honestly, I'm not sure if I would like to be his personal assistant. I mean, I applied for a job to have some distractions from my tragic past, but since I got here, not a single task was given to me. It's almost 3 PM, and four more hours to go, and I'll be leaving work."Oh, running out of coffee," I sighed.I stood up to get some coffee and decided to stop by his office to ask if he has something for me to work on, but he's not there. So, I just went straight to the pantry area to get myself a coffee, so that I wouldn't fall asleep."This is crazy," I uttered to myself. "Why did I even accept this job? What for? To stare at the computer and wait for it to explode?" I didn't know why, but I started laughing when I realized what I just said."Are you well?" someone asked me.I turned around to see a man fixing his watch, staring at me seriously. Honestly, I'm not sure how to react at that moment; I felt shy being caught up laughing by myself."Yeah," I responded out of the blue. "I mean, yes, sir. I'm good." I said, correcting my response."Well, if you say so," he nodded."Do you want some coffee, sir?" I asked him. He stared at me blankly for a few seconds before responding, "No, I don't drink coffee. Just hand me a glass of water."So, he doesn't drink coffee? He's like someone I knew back then.I quickly responded to his request and handed him the water as soon as I got it. Then I bowed my head as a goodbye, since I can't stand staying inside a room with just a man alone. I took a few steps and was nearing the door when he suddenly grabbed my arm; it was sudden but gentle enough.I threw him a curious look, "Why, sir? Do you need something?"He quickly let go of my arm and then cleared his throat before saying, "Starting from tomorrow, your office would be the vacant office next to mine.""You mean, the one that's locked?" I wondered."Was there any other room you've seen?" He sarcastically responded, which made me feel a bit annoyed."I was just clarifying it, sir." I seriously responded to him."You don't let anyone have the last words, do you?" He started wondering. Well, that's a fact. "Anyway," he continued even before I got to respond. "We have somewhere to go at 7 PM. For now, you need to go home and get changed to something, simple but elegant clothes." He added, as he scanned me from head to toe.He left after that.What's wrong with my clothes? What's wrong with dressing conservatively? And why should I dress elegantly just to work?So, yeah, I had those questions running through my mind while I'm on my way home. I'm glad my place isn't that far from my work. It didn't even take me too many hours to get home. I quickly headed to my room, towards the closet, and scanned every bit of clothes I had in it, but everything was just the same style, long sleeves, trousers, everything seemed so corporate.I called Lynn and asked for her help. She said she couldn't be here early and just told me to check the luggage under my bed, so I did. I carried the heavy luggage to my bed and opened it. A few nice dresses, though short ones, welcomed me.Actually, these are all mine, back when I was still free to do anything I wanted without hesitating. But I honestly don't know if I could wear any of these.While trying to finish scanning the clothes inside the luggage, I suddenly received a text saying, "A silk dress would look good on you, a beige one, if you don't mind."This is weird.I actually have that kind of dress, but getting it from an unknown number? I mean, how come this person knew?I shrugged the thought and uttered to myself, "Maybe it's Lynn."So, following the advice I received, I wore it. Actually, it is my favorite dress; I even wore it at one of the biggest auctions I've hosted, which happens to be the most successful one.Getting ready isn't something I put too much time into. I mean, I was never into heavy makeup, so I decided to go for the light one. Then, after that, I went out to see a car waiting outside. Unsure of whether it's safe to go near it, I decided to just ignore it and quickly hop on my scooter. But then a familiar man suddenly came out."Hey, what do you think you're doing?" He wondered.I wanted to talk back sarcastically, but then I realized that he's my boss, and I should be polite. "Sir," I greeted him.He stepped out of the car and then opened the door, as if he's waiting for me to get in."Go in," he uttered.I didn't know why, but I found myself doing what he said. I got in the car, and then the whole time we're in it, believe me or not, none of us even tried to break the silence until we got to the venue.We both stepped out from the car, and there were so many unfamiliar faces greeting him and seeking his attention. So I decided to go for a walk myself. Since the guard saw me coming out of his car, they didn't even stop me from heading inside.The venue is really wide, and the decorations, as well as the center stage, give me the idea that maybe it's an engagement party.Not long after a few minutes, I suddenly saw Mira walking somewhere."Why is she here?" I wondered to myself.I tried to catch up with her, but she started walking towards someone. I stopped and followed her with my eyes, and then I saw who she's rushing towards.Seeing that person almost made me freeze.MARCUS’S POVThe sound of hurried footsteps and the unmistakable clatter of a stretcher being rushed into the emergency room pulled me from my light slumber. I’d been lying on one of the hospital beds after donating blood earlier. Exhaustion, coupled with the weight of work, must’ve knocked me out.The IV had been removed, and my strength was slowly returning. I reached for my suit, draped over the edge of the hospital bed, shrugged it on, and made my way out without a word to anyone. I didn’t bother checking on the outcome of the surgery. The nurse had assured me earlier that things were under control before she let me rest.Truthfully, I had somewhere else I needed to be. My sister Mira was returning home today, and I was supposed to pick her up. Thankfully, I managed to call in a favor and asked someone else to do it. It’s funny how life always seems to align when Kristen is involved, carving out time for me to somehow be there for her.And here I am, having gone out of my way to h
KRISTEN's POVThe silence between us hung heavy, but eventually, Marcus broke it. His voice was calm, detached.“About the divorce papers—I’ll have them sent to your address tomorrow. Just text me where, so I’ll know.”“Uhm… Sure. I will. Thank you,” I replied quietly. He didn’t say anything else and hung up.So that’s why he called. Just business. Nothing else.With a sigh, I let the thought go and quickly turned my attention back to Daniel. I replied to his earlier message, letting him know it was fine and that I understood why he had to leave. He texted back almost immediately, asking why I hadn’t picked up when he tried calling earlier. Honesty felt like the easiest route, so I told him the truth.His response caught me off guard. He said he was coming back to the hospital. He didn’t want me to be alone, and I couldn’t bring myself to refuse. The truth was, it would be nice to have someone there—someone to lean on.The timing was perfect. Daniel arrived just as the doctor came by
KRISTEN's POVI didn’t know what to feel as I stood in the sterile, echoing hallway. Relief, certainly, that Nathan was alive, but it came tangled with something heavier. Guilt. The man I’d kept at arm’s length—the man I’d fought so hard to shield Nathan from—was the very one who’d stepped forward to save his life without hesitation.Marcus didn’t question or waver. The moment the doctor asked for a donor with B-negative blood, he simply nodded and followed them, as though it was the most natural thing in the world."What happens now? What if he starts questioning why Daniel isn’t a match for Nathan when he’s supposed to be his father?" That thought gnawed at me as I watched Marcus walk away, his silhouette growing smaller until he disappeared from sight.Mom and Dad approached me together. Meanwhile, I stood frozen, staring at the empty space Marcus left behind.Hours dragged by, each one heavier than the last. Finally, the doctor emerged, and we rushed to meet him.“Your son’s condi
KRISTEN'S POV“I’ll give you what you want.” That was the last message he sent before I closed the laptop.At that moment, I didn’t even think about how he might feel when he saw I read his message without replying. To be honest, I was caught off guard.Is it weird that I’m feeling something strange? I expected this message—I knew it was coming. But why does it feel like this?I glanced at Nathan, still sleeping soundly, hugging his pillow tightly.It was still early, so I lay back down beside him, my gaze fixed on his peaceful face. As I watched him, I couldn’t help but admit it—so much of him resembled Marcus. Even his stubbornness, that difficult-to-understand personality, he clearly inherited from his father.I hugged my son tightly, and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep again.When I woke up, it was almost 4 PM. A few minutes later, Nathan stirred awake as well. I planned to get ready and leave after leaving him with Mom, but when I went downstairs, the house was empty. It was
KRISTEN'S POVOverthinking has a way of draining every ounce of energy from your body. It’s been two days, and my mind has been consumed with one question: why is Dad so fixated on buying back our old gallery out of all the properties he could invest in?I stood by the sliding door overlooking the garden, watching Nathan play by himself. My thoughts were a whirlwind until Mom walked by. At first, I hesitated to call her, unsure if this was the right moment. But my intrusive thoughts won.“Mom, can we talk?” I asked, my voice hesitant but firm.She smiled warmly at me. “Of course, dear. What’s on your mind? Is this about Nathan’s father?”I sighed internally. Of course, she’d jump to that conclusion. But no, this wasn’t about Marcus. Not this time. I was too preoccupied with trying to understand Dad’s actions.“No, it’s not about him,” I clarified. “It’s... about something else. Actually, someone else. Is Dad here, by the way?”Mom’s brows furrowed in confusion as she shook her head. “H
KRISTEN's POVLife has a way of playing cruel jokes, and at some point, I stopped fighting it and just went along. Coming back here was supposed to bring me peace, but it feels like I’ve stepped into quicksand. The more I try to settle, the more tangled and suffocated everything becomes.I can’t forget the way Marcus looked at me as the elevator doors remained open, a barrier between us that somehow felt thinner than the air. His frustration was etched into every line of his face, his jaw tight, his eyes burning with emotions I couldn’t quite decipher.That gaze—it was heavy, sharp, cutting through the fragile walls I’d built around myself. For a moment, I stood frozen, my hand hovering over the elevator panel. It wasn’t fear that rooted me in place, but something deeper, something raw.I tell myself it’s all in the past. I tell myself I’ve moved on. But moments like that—moments where his presence feels like an unrelenting storm—bring everything rushing back.But why does he seem so