2

LEXI' POV

It’s almost five o’clock. I’ve been feeling restless because, in just a little while, I will see James. I can’t explain how I feel. Maybe it’s because after eight years, here I am, ready to love again.

“You’re nervous, Lexi.”

I turned to Savina, who was holding a paper bag. She smiled and handed it to me, which I quickly accepted.

“Happy birthday!” she cheerfully greeted me.

Savina is my best friend from high school, and it seems like wherever I go, she’s always there too. We attended the same college, and, of course, we now work at the same company. The only difference is our department, so her office is a bit far from mine. The Marketing Department is on the 3rd floor, while the Financial Department is on the 6th floor. Since it was almost five o’clock, Savina came to visit me on my floor.

“So, have you received flowers?” Savina asked curiously.

I gave a faint smile. “No. Maybe whoever it is stopped sending them,” I replied.

Every year on my birthday, someone sends me flowers. It started when I was in college. Every birthday, there would be flowers waiting for me at the security guard’s desk. I’d often ask the guard who they were from, but he’d always tell me it was a messenger bringing them.

When I started working at my current company, the flowers were sent here instead. At first, I thought it might be James, but he also witnessed the deliveries since he’s friends with both me and Chloe. He denied sending them, and last year, he even got jealous of that mysterious person.

“Maybe he found out you’re about to accept James' proposal,” Savina teased.

I smiled and sighed. “I don’t know, Sav. I should be excited right now, but as the hours pass, I just can’t calm down,” I admitted.

Savina sat next to me and lightly tapped my shoulder. “You’re just nervous. It’s normal, girl.”

I didn’t respond because I started organizing my things. It was already five o’clock, and I planned to go home to change clothes. I’d been texting James all day, but he hadn’t replied. We were supposed to meet at seven, but I couldn’t shake off the nervousness until he responded.

“Just calm yourself, Lexi. This is your day, okay? You deserve to be loved, and that’s James.”

“Okay, Sav. Thanks for the gift. I’m going home now,” I said.

“Okay, take care and let me know what happens.”

We both took the elevator. Since her things were still on the 3rd floor, Savina stopped there while I went straight to my car. Before driving, I tried calling James, but he didn’t answer. Maybe he was busy with work. He’s the acting CEO of Smith Incorporation, so he’s been occupied lately.

While driving, my phone suddenly rang, and I saw that it was Linda calling. Without hesitation, I answered.

“Linda, what’s up?”

“Are you on your way home, Lexi?” Linda asked seriously.

“Yes, why?” I asked, wondering what was going on.

“Someone sent flowers here. They’re addressed to you, so I called to ask if I should accept them,” she replied.

My heart started racing. I thought that person had stopped sending me flowers on my birthdays, but now it seemed they had been delivered directly to my house. This meant that the person knew where I lived.

“Linda, I’m almost home. Can you tell the delivery guy to wait for me?”

I heard Linda speak, and the delivery man agreed. I didn’t wait for Linda to speak again; I ended the call and quickly drove home. When I arrived, I saw Linda handing a glass of water to a man holding a large bouquet of flowers.

As I got out of my car, I quickly walked toward them.

“Here she is,” Linda said, smiling.

The man turned to me and smiled. “Good afternoon, Ms. Lexi Ann Castillon.”

“Where are these flowers from?” I asked him directly.

“Sorry, Ma’am. Our client didn’t want to mention their name,” the man politely replied.

“It’s okay. I won't tell him or her. Let’s just keep this between us,” I tried to convince him.

“I’m really sorry, Ma’am. Our client is very strict. They’ll find out sooner or later. I don’t want to lose my job,” the man said hesitantly.

“Hija, Lexi, let it go. Don’t be hard on him. I’m sure those flowers are from James. In fact, he’s inside the house,” Linda interjected.

“James' inside?” I asked, surprised.

Linda nodded, and I smiled. I accepted the flowers from the delivery man and signed for them.

“Thank you.”

I walked towards the gate, feeling excited. I was about to let the guard park my car inside when I suddenly heard my sister’s voice.

“What are you doing here? Do you know Lexi is on her way home?” Shiela asked, and I thought she was talking to James.

“Do you know your sister is about to accept me?” James' calm voice followed.

I wasn’t surprised that they were talking. Shiela had been James' blockmate in college, and sometimes they met because they were in the same circle of friends. They were closer than she and I were.

“And how did you figure that out?” Shiela asked sharply.

“Your sister is very predictable, Shey.”

My grip on the bouquet tightened as a sharp pain pierced my heart in the way James called Shiela. I shouldn’t feel this way, but I didn’t know how to explain it.

“Maybe you just tried too hard to courting her,” Shiela said.

“Shey, it wasn’t supposed to go this way. What should I do?” James' panicked voice followed.

I almost stopped breathing as tears began to fall, my chest tightening. I looked at the bouquet in my hands and saw a familiar card—one that came with the flowers I received on my previous birthdays. These flowers weren’t from James.

“James, what’s wrong with you? Just go along with that girl for now. She can’t know our plans,” Shiela snapped.

“You know I’m doing this because I love you, Shey. You promised me that you’d accept me once I followed everything you wanted. How long should I wait? I can’t stand deceiving your sister anymore. You're the girl I want whenever I am with her.”

I slumped down outside the house, overwhelmed with tears. The pain I felt reminded me of the hurt I went through in high school. I was back in a situation where I didn’t know what to do.

“Lex-”

Linda couldn’t finish her sentence because I stopped her. I didn’t want them to know I overheard their conversation. It was enough to realize that I was being played again.

I didn’t say anything more and just pulled Linda with me. Fortunately, there was a path leading to Linda’s room. I preferred to stay there than in my own room, where Shiela would find out I was already home.

Linda helped me sit on her wooden bed and gave me a glass of water, which I quickly drank. She also took the bouquet from me.

“What happened, Hija?” Linda asked, concerned.

I took a deep breath. “They tricked me. James doesn’t really love me,” I answered emotionlessly.

“Are you sure about that? Maybe you’re wrong, Hija.”

I shook my head slowly. “I hope I was wrong. But I’ve heard enough. I’ve been deceived before, and I won’t let them fool me again.”

I clenched my fists. I had endured Aunt Minda's and Shiela’s cruelty my whole life without complaining. I accepted all their mistreatment. But what Shiela did was too much. She used other people to hurt me, and the most painful part was that I considered James a friend, someone I had learned to love.

“Hija, what are you going to do now? Didn’t you plan to accept James?”

I just smiled at Linda. I had no idea what to do. I was completely confused. But one thing was clear in my mind—I was hurting, and I wanted this feeling to go away. This was not what I deserved. Not this. Not again.