Becky's POVMy dad was an electrical contractor running a small firm with about fifty employees. Business was good, and we lived in a modest bungalow in a middle-class neighborhood, Wendy, my younger sister, and I attended good school. Then, in February, all that started to change. “Dad, what is it?” I was alarmed. I just returned from school, exhausted, only to meet my dad clutching his chest.He stared at me gasping soundlessly.I immediately knew he was having a heart attack. I called emergency services, then my mother.I hung up and turned to my father and began performing CPR. Help finally came and he was taken to hospital.He was wheeled into the ED, while I sat worrying in the waiting room.Would he be okay? My Mom came in. “What happened? Where is he?” “A heart attack. He has been taken to the ED,” I explained, getting up to hug her, but she brushed me away and sat down.“Tell me what happened?” She demanded.Sighing, I sat beside her, and explained everything.“I am sure he
Becky's POV“She is joking right!” Jennifer said when I told her all that had happened the previous evening.I shook my head. “She is dead serious. I tried talking to her this morning, but her mind was made up.”“But why is she doing this? You are her daughter too.”“Maybe she is grieving.”“So are you. You are grieving just as much as Wendy.”“But I am an adult. Wendy isn’t.”Jenny snorted. “Grief is grief, no matter the age. He was your dad too. Why is she making your life so hard? What are you going to do now?”“Get a job, get my own place.”“In eighteen days?”“Seventeen!” I said, depressed.“Don’t you have relatives who could take you in?”“No. My Dad was an only child. My mom has only her sister, that is where she will be going, and I’m not welcome.”“I wish it was okay to live with me in the dorm,” she said.“I will be okay. Like my mom said, I am an adult now.”“Where would you find a job to pay you enough to get a place of your own in a few days?”I thought. “I can wait tables
Becky's POVI could not help the tears streaming from my eyes down to my cheeks, as I walked into Jennifer's home.“Are you kidding me!” Jenny exclaimed when I told her that I had been relieved of my job.“You mean you threw away a high-paying job just because you could not control your temper? What’s wrong with you, Rebecca?”“He called my dad lazy.”“So? If your dad was so great, you would not need this job,” Jenny said, squeezing her face.I had been slumped in her chair, now I jumped up instantly, facing her, “what did you say?” I demanded.“You heard me,” she shot back. “You need to face it; your dad should have done better.”Her words hurt, but I knew they were true. I sat down on her bed and buried my face in my hands.“I am sorry,” she said, coming to sit beside me. “I shouldn’t have said that.”“No, you are right, I am an idiot. I have lost a job I badly needed. Now I am in a jam. What do I do?”“It is going to be okay. Maybe I can convince my parents to let you move in.”I sm
Phillip’s POV I felt bad about getting her fired, I had truly behaved like an ass and her response had been justified. After she had left, the supervisor bent over backwards to make sure I wasn’t mad at her behavior.“Please forgive this insult, Mr. Dale,” he said, a little panicked. He was worried I would report to the manager and he would lose his job. “I promise it won’t ever happen again. I don’t know how she was hired, but please rest assured I will make sure you never encounter such ill-mannered staff here ever again.”“You should not have fired her like that. I already told you it was nothing, it was just a slight misunderstanding,” I insisted.“But she insulted you, sir, that is completely unacceptable.”“And I have overlooked it. Please give her another chance.”He stared at me as if wondering if I were drunk.“I am happy you can overlook the incident, sir, but she cannot work here again. She went against our policy. It would set a bad precedent if she was allowed back, sir
Phillip’s POV “Another delay? Why?” I demanded angrily. “This is the third time this has happened. If you don’t want us to have the goods, then give us back our money. We will go elsewhere!” “I am sorry, Mr. Dale I really am,” the representative of the chemical company apologized hastily. “But it is not our fault.”“Stop making excuses for your incompetence! If you are not ready to do business, then tell me!”“But Mr. Dale, you sent an email at the last minute asking us to make some changes. I told you it would cause a delay, and you said you wouldn’t mind.”I tried not to shout.“I don’t understand you. I want the shipment here by Monday, or the deal is off.” I hung up.What does he mean? What last minute changes? I had negotiated this deal three weeks ago and the shipment was supposed to have been delivered ten days ago. I had deadlines to meet, the delayed shipment meant missed deadlines and angry customers. Dale Enterprises won’t remain the biggest conglomerate in the country i
Becky's POV I couldn’t believe my prospective employer was Phillip Dale, the Adonis who had gotten me fired. Seeing him, I thought I would be angry, but all I was imagining was his lips on mine.And his apology surprised and pleased me.Maybe he wasn’t such an ass after all. I thought. I was contemplating forgiving him till he said,“You should have controlled your temper though, when dealing with customers you have to be polite no matter the provocation.”I was wrong. You are still an ass.Then he talked about my not having a college degree as if it were a crime.But despite my dislike of him, I couldn’t help the way my heart beat by merely looking at him. He was handsome and I was already falling for him. "Behave yourself Rebecca, he doesn’t notice you," I told myself.Throughout the interview he treated me as if he were doing me a favor talking to him, like I was too socially inferior to him and it annoyed me.But I needed the job, and luckily I had been able to persuade him to g
Becky's POV I was slightly annoyed by the interruption. I had wanted to ask more about Phillip Dale and his heart break. Now my chance was gone.We helped Anna into her wheelchair and took the elevator downstairs.Then we entered a dining room, large enough to hold twenty people.Lunch was grilled chicken breast with mustard, and it was delicious. Anna kept up light conversion while we ate.I can’t remember the time I enjoyed such a happy family meal, or had anyone show interest in me. At least not since my dad died.When we were done, she asked me to sit with her in the garden. Ms. Bright excused herself to go discuss a few things with Phillip.We sat in the garden with Anna telling me humorous stories about growing up in Arkansas.Then Phillip walked over to us.“Phillip dear, Rebecca and I are just getting to know each other. She really is a wonderful young lady.” Anna praised me.Phillip frowned. It was clear he wasn’t happy to hear it.“Come join us. You work too hard. It’s Satu
Becky's POVI was up by 6 a.m and sat beside my window watching the sun rise.I had laid awake most of the night, too restless and excited to get much sleep. I went to my drawer and took out Anna’s timetable. I read through it like a test paper trying to memorize everything. I was anxious not to make a mistake and give Phillip Dale an excuse not to retain me. By 8 am, I was dressed and ready. Since Anna seemed like a woman who liked people acting naturally, I dressed in a green t-shirt and blue jeans. I drank a cup of coffee, and afterward I felt restless, so I decided to head out and explore the garden.I strolled around the mansion admiring it when Phillip came out, dressed up in a blue suit and white shirt, with a matching blue tie. The morning sun caused his gold-coloured hair to glow. He was reading something on his phone and didn’t seem to notice me.My heart beat quickened as I looked at him.Wow! I thought, could a guy be this handsome?He raised his head and our eyes met. I
Becky’s POV“Are you okay?” Jenny asked as we left the café.“Sure,” I nodded.“I hope you aren’t thinking about Jerry, the jerk?”“A little. I don’t want the loser making trouble for me.”“Relax. He won’t. He is just making noise. Come on, let's go pick out your wedding dress.”I winced. I didn’t want to go with her because I knew her very well. She would pick out the thinnest, most expensive dress in the shop and I was right.“No way Jenny. This dress barely covers me,” I protested as she pulled it from the hanger.“So? It is a wedding, and not a funeral dress. This is perfect.”I squinted my eyes, “No it isn’t.”“Try it on and see.”Sighing, I did. It was worse than I imagined.“I need something more covered up,” I said, frowning.We tried a few more dresses, but still couldn’t find the right one.The store assistant asked us to come on Saturday afternoon when a new shipment would have arrived.“Okay, we will be here on Saturday, and I promise to get you a dress,” Jenny said.“I ca
Becky’s POV“We read you are getting married, congratulations,” he said.“Thanks.”“You are preparing for the wedding, right?” Someone else asked.“Yes.” I answered, not sure what to make of it.“Would you be able to juggle working and preparing?”“It will not be easy actually, but I will try.” I shrugged.“How about you take time off and let us handle things here until after the wedding?” The manager suggested.“No, I can’t. I have to run this place.”“When you come back,” the company’s accountant added. “We will help you hold this place down. Meanwhile, concentrate on your wedding.”Everyone agreed. I didn’t want to, but their suggestion made sense. So I had no choice but to obey.By 3:00 PM that afternoon I was waiting for Jenny at the airport. Her plane was late and l was getting impatient when I saw her coming towards me. “Becky!” She said, hugging me tightly. “It feels like centuries!”“I have missed you too,” I said, putting her bags in the truck.“I have so much to tell you a
Becky’s POVA week has passed, and I still hadn’t gotten over the shock of my discovery. Phillip tried to help me heal, but I was still upset anytime I thought of how much time I had spent not knowing my real mother. I tried to imagine if she had ever come around to visit. She hadn’t. She just abandoned me.Luckily I had already quit Lenora Fashions, so I didn’t have to go there or see Sandra. She called me almost every day, but I ignored those annoying calls. I wanted nothing to do with her.“Sandra called me. She says she has been calling you, you aren’t picking up,” Phillip said at breakfast one morning.“Why is she calling me? What does she want?” I snapped.“To talk to you.”“She has survived years without talking to me, or even seeing me so why the sudden change?” “Babe, I know you are hurt and angry, but please you have to calm down and talk to her. She is your mother. And she loves you.”“No, if she did, she wouldn’t have abandoned me.”“She does. She didn’t abandon you. Try
Becky POVI ran as if someone was after me. I didn’t know where I was going and didn’t care. I just wanted to get away. Running, I had only one thing in mind: Sandra was my mother! I had lived with her for weeks and never realized it. Phillip was aware, why hadn’t he told me? Who else knew? I imagined that I had run a few feet, but I was shocked when I saw where I was; in the center of the town. I must have run for an hour, perhaps. My heart and legs ached. I observed around, and noticed a café I often went to across the street. I went in and ordered coffee immediately, eager to calm my nerves, and get hold of the situation at hand.It was unbelievable for me. I preferred to run away because I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I was suddenly very furious. All along I had been living with April who didn’t love me, thinking I was the problem, not knowing my real mom was so close and didn’t say anything. If I hadn’t started asking questions, would she have still kept silent? And why had m
Becky’s POVOn Saturday afternoon Sandra called me.“Rebecca, how would you like to come to dinner this evening?” She asked.“Yeah, sure but,” I hesitated. Phillip and I planned to go to a movie. “Phil and I have plans.”“I won’t keep you long. I promise. I want to talk to you. It is kind of important.”“Is everything okay?”“Yes. Please come.” She sounded serious.“Okay sure. When and where?” I asked worriedly.“Five in the evening. At my house. I will be waiting for you.”“Who was that?” Phillip asked, coming to join me in the living room.“Sandra. She is inviting me to dinner this evening. I will try to be early so we can move on with our plans.”“Sure.” He joined me on the sofa. “Are you okay? You looked troubled.”“Sandra’s tone speaks of anxiety. I don’t know what it is, but it sounds serious.“Really? Have you told her you are leaving her company?”“Yes, but she said she was okay with it.”“Then relax. I am sure it is nothing. Maybe she just wants to sort a few things out,” he
Becky’s POVI looked at the door, but did not see anything unusual. I turned back and was shocked to see Phillip on his knees, holding out a sparkling diamond ring.My hands flew to my mouth; my skin turned crimson red, embarrassed by the number of people staring at us.“Will you marry me, Rebecca?” I could hear some people in the background saying, “Awn!” “Say yes!”I didn’t need much convincing. I had longed for this day.“Yes!” I screamed excitedly.He slipped the ring on my finger, and kissed me. Observers clapped while I blushed red.I couldn’t wait to get back to our car.“Phillip! Did it have to be in the public?” I asked, still flushed.“I love you. I want the whole world to know.”He kissed me, then started the engine. When we got home we changed into our pajamas and cuddled together in the living room, while sharing a bottle of our favorite wine.“How would you like our wedding?” Phillip asked as we sipped our drinks.“Something small, but beautiful.”He laughed. “It cannot
Becky’s POVOr could my mom have been lying to her sister? I didn’t think so. Why should she? I shut my laptop, and began thinking far back. Growing up, I had sometimes wondered if she was really my mother the way she treated me. Now after hearing this, I had my answer. But I needed more. Where would I get them? The only people who could have told me were her and my late Dad. I doubt if she would accept to tell me. I thought of Aunt Helen. Perhaps she knew something, and if she did, would she open up?I decided I will have to visit her and find out. But first, my arm had to heal. I was still sitting in the garden when an emerald green car drove in. I was wondering who it was before Phillip stepped out. He saw me and waved.“Nice car,” I complimented, walking over to him.“Do you think so?”“Sure. I love the color, and I know Anna would love it too,” I told him.“Anna? You think this is for her?”“Isn’t it? You talked about buying her a new car some weeks ago.”“Yeah, but her doctor
Becky POVI gasped in fear. “What is that?” I asked in alarm.“Relax. Dinner is about to be served,” Phillip grinned.“By setting us on fire?”He laughed. “It is the food that is being set on fire. This is a Hibachi restaurant. We eat and are entertained.”I have heard of such a restaurant, but had never been in one. I watched the chef perform magic tricks, and settled down to be entertained.It was a lot more fun than I had imagined. Phillip fed me the food so all I did was relax and enjoy. When it was over, he drove me to see a movie.“I enjoyed today. Can we do it again tomorrow?” I said.“I will be happy to. Maybe I will find another interesting place.”“How did you find this one?”“I was searching for something to entertain you.”“Why?” I asked teasingly.“Because I love you.” I smiled, and kissed him.“How about we skip the movie and just go home to enjoy each other’s company?” I suggested.Phillip was okay with my request as he said, “Sounds good to me.”It was late when we go
Becky’s POV“What does it look like?” he asked, nibbling my ear.“It looks like something romantic,” I said, staring at the picnic basket near the swimming pool.“Yep, a picnic by the pool,” he grinned.“Have I told you, you are romantic?” I teased.“No. Never.”He kissed my forehead, then led me to a deck chair. He gently brought out the food from the basket, laying them on the table.“Do you like it?” He asked.“It is cute, where did you steal the idea?”“Steal? No way, I thought it up myself. Are you saying that I am not romantic?”I laughed and learned back in my chair, watching him-- wealthy, handsome, and romantic, I really was a lucky girl.We sat down to our little picnic. “Did you tell Anna I was going to be living here again?” I asked. He looked uncomfortable. “Well I tried to but…” he hesitated.“What is it?” I asked.“Gran doesn’t really remember you,” he said sadly.“What? She does not?” He shook his head.I sighed unhappily. I was sad, but not surprised.“So it has got