MELISSA’S POV I pulled up at the parking lot of Legalstone Solicitors. As expected of an infamous company like Legalstone, the interior and ambiance screamed luxury. From the model of cars parked here, no one had to tell you the employees of this company are filthy rich and well-to-do. Well, it isn't anything unexpected because eighty percent of the attorneys who work here come from wealthy generations. The other twenty percent are also self-made business moguls, who ventured into law probably for the fun of it. That's why someone like me never dreamt of working for Legalstone Solicitors. I've not even once imagined myself working here. Never. But here I am today, clutching an envelope and some files in my hands, riding the elevator to the 18th floor, where the interview is to be scheduled. The ride was smooth yet slow. My heart pounded rapidly in my chest as I leaned my back on the horizontal pole in the lift, anticipating for the door to chime open soon. While wai
MELISSA’S POV I froze, my eyes moving in between the interviewers in a daze. Since when did interviews become so simple like this? Swallowing a chunk down, “Umm… you mean tomorrow? The day after today?” I asked while blinking. “Yes dear, no need to waste time. You can start working right away. Here at Legalstone, we do our best to be efficient. Besides, you were highly recommended so the interview was more of a formality,” a gentleman from the interview board remarked. My confused face contorted into disgust as soon as I processed his words. What does he mean by I was recommended? By who? I’m certain I know not even one person who works at Legalstone so who could have probably invited me? Could this be Listowel’s doing? Recalling his name alone made my mouth turn sour. Masking my disgusted look with a smile, “What do you mean by that? The gentleman’s brows raised as he also asked, “By what?” Tilting my head in the puzzle, “What do you mean by what you said earlier… that I
MELISSA’S POV “Yes, even I am surprised because that is very rare of him. He hardly commends his staff not to talk of making recommendations. You must have made quite the impression on him?” “I see…” I said, wondering who this Giovanni of a director is and what could have probably been his reason for the recommendation. The lady didn’t say anything again, but I could sense her unwelcoming demeanor even though I wasn’t paying much attention to her. As the elevator rode downstairs, my mind swirled with different thoughts. I was trying to figure out where in particular I might have met this director or how he got to know me. After a couple of minutes of trying, I finally gave up and silently prayed that my recommendation was based on my portfolio and that things would not end up like what happened at Gordon Inc. “I hope it wasn’t a selfish decision,” I said and immediately covered my lips with my hands as I realized the words had flown out of my lips unconsciously. “We
MELISSA’S POVI rode a taxi to the airport immediately I left Legalstone. I was in so much hurry that so I left my car at the company. The realtors I had consulted in regards to the new place I wanted Crystal and Nancy to live had sent me numerous messages so I was in a rush. It was already time for my flight so it didn't take me long and I was aboard. As I sat in the plane, my mind raced for a while. I thought over and over again about my decision to work at Legalstone. I knew working in Aphrodite will expose me to Listowel and Wendy’s drama but I was willing to take the risk. I won't let their brouhaha stop me from realizing my goals of becoming one of the best attorneys in countries. But while taking this huge risk, I still have my daughter in mind. I don't want to see me as a failure neither do I want her to be living in constant fear. After several arguments with my inner self, I came to the conclusion that I will rather buy a home at Zeus instead of renting. By this, my
MELISSA’S POV The room instantly went dead silent as Nancy and Crystal exchanged some silly glances. For a moment I thought they didn't like Hollandia Palace. Maybe I might have raised their hopes too high as they seemed not to be moved nor fascinated by moving to Hollandia. Crystal was the first to break the loud silence that had enveloped the room. Holding her waist, she let out a chuckle and teased, “Mummy… we are too broke to move to Hollandia. This is such an expensive joke.” My brows furrowed slightly as I turned to look at Crystal. How does she know the meaning of “broke?” And why does she even think that we are? Bending to her side, my lips pouted as I asked, “Sweetheart, that's not so nice of you. Why do you think mummy would lie to you?” “Mummy, I know you're just joking around. My friend at the academy told me that only rich people live in Hollandia. She even said, some of the actresses that appear on the television live there”. “Yes dear, they do. And we ar
MELISSA’S POV Luckily the road was quite empty as today was a weekday and most workers were already at work so there weren’t many cars on the road. Because of this, I stepped on the gas. I wanted us to meet him as early as possible. Through the sides of my eyes, a smirk tugged on my lips as I realized how tightly Nancy had clutched onto the holder at the upper part of the passenger door. “Girl… relax and sit properly. I’m not going to kill us,” a chuckle escaped my lips as I said. “Can you slow down a bit? I understand we are in a hurry but…” Nancy said, sounding like cold water had been poured down on her. Her words caught up in her throat when I stepped on the gas even harder, causing me to burst into laughter. Nancy has always been afraid of moving vehicles and anything associated with speed. She drives like a tortoise and uses years to cross roads. I don’t know why and when that phobia started but I’ve not thought much of it until today. Taking one more glance
MELISSA’S POV “I think we will go in for this.” I finally said to the realtor on our third round of inspections. We had already checked on four different apartments but none of the designs fitted our taste. With that, the realtor handed me the document which bore the transfer of ownership agreement, prepared for me to sign. Glancing at Nancy and Crystal who were also gazing at me with so much delight in their eyes, I heaved a heavy breath before I accentuated my signature. Afterward, I handed over my credit card after which a sum of $180,000 was deducted. Yes. I didn't just rent the apartment. I bought the full house. Crystal jumped and spun around in excitement. “Can I have a big room? With a desk and a big shelf for my dolls?” “Yes, my love. You’ll have your room, and yes, a big space for you to arrange your kids as well,” I said, smiling wall to wall. Nancy hopped onto the queen-sized bed, spreading her arms wide as she giggled like a child. “I can’t believe this
MELISSA’S POV Nancy glared at me, her lips pouted as she fumed, “Are you trying to make fun of me or what?” No…, why would I? I'm just concerned.”I said back, fighting the urge to burst into laughter because I know very well her current relationship status. “Melissa! Are you trying to tell me you don't know how bad I am at relationships? Or you've forgotten that my last talking stage barely lasted a week?” Slipping from the couch to the floor, I burst out into a loud hilarious laughter as my guts threatened to burst from the choke. Nancy has always had bad luck when it comes to men. All the men she's ever gone on a date with either had a flaw that was too much to ignore or had an overly cringeworthy perfection. I brought up the question of kids just to distract her from the subject she was pushing to discuss. Leaning back on the couch, she rolled her eyes at me and said, “I know you are just trying to be messy. I won’t mind you.” I didn’t say anything again. I only l
MELISSA’S POV Listowel kept the fork he was holding down and leaned back into the chair. He narrowed his eyes at me and simply asked, “Why Not?” “Because it was a mistake?” was my response. I busied myself with cutting the steak in front of me. In a deep gentle tone, “Look at me….” he demanded. As if I were a robot who could be controlled, I lifted my gaze from the plate to meet his. His pupils dialed, and his eyes widened as soon as our gazes locked. “For me. What happened between us was not a mistake. I cherish everything we shared.” I couldn't help but scoff at his words. Even though deep within myself I wanted to believe his words, a part of me couldn't help but scoff. I have to admit. It has become very difficult for me to let go of the past and trust him again. A part of me wants to give it a shot especially now that he's no more with Wendy but a part of me also dreads this decision most. Leaning forward, he moved his hands across the table to hold me. I instin
MELISSA’S POV The soothing sound from the fountain at my far right was the only thing that could be heard amidst the clatter of plates and in the restaurant where Listowel and I were seated. To disguise ourselves, Listowel had on a cap while I covered half of my face with a scarf. We made a stop at a boutique nearby to buy it because Listowel thought it would be awkward if we both came to the restaurant wearing a mask. A black mask to be precise. Thankfully, when we walked in, there were very few people here. Even the few people around were also busily eating, chatting, or having a meeting with their colleagues. No one seemed interested in who we were. Despite this, I requested that we sit at the secluded side of the restaurant and the manager was very kind to allow us. A few minutes adterfettubg seated, a slim petite lady who from the black mini dress with a white collar and tie she was wearing; hinted that she was a waitress, stridden to our table. Listowel on the
MELISSA’S POV “Back off…” I sneered. “What if I don’t?” He asked in a low whisper, his hot breath, fanning against my face. I inhaled sharply and rolled my eyes before muttering in annoyance, “Then I will be forced to—“ Before the words could fully leave my lips, he shut me up with a kiss. I pushed back slightly but his firm grip on my neck weakened my effort. I couldn’t understand why Listowel was being so careless. Was he not aware that any slight mistake could land us over the news? I closed my eyes and kissed him back for a while but as soon as I realized his hold on me had loosened, I bit him hard on his lips. “Ouch…,” he winced and I couldn’t help but let out an evil smirk. “Serves you right…” I remarked, trying hard to suppress myself from laughing at the face he had made. “Did you have to bite me?” he retorted, but I didn’t say anything. I only pulled up the nose mask and stared straight ahead. He didn’t push further. He turned on the engine and started the
MELISSA’S POV My mind wandered to Listowel as soon as the call ended. He was the one who handled everything that night so it was not too out of the ordinary that I was feeling obligated to call him. But as I finished putting in his contact number, my thumb hovered on the screen while I contemplated whether I really had to call him or not. Thinking aloud, “Should I call him or not? Won’t it be too awkward if I call him at any little inconvenience? Besides, Melissa… why are you acting like he’s your guardian or some sort? Since when did you start depending on people? No. You don’t need to tell him. Just go to the station, give your statement, and come back home. Simple. “ I battled with my thoughts as I put down the phone and headed back to the dining area. I had settled on the idea that I would be going to the station alone until something crossed my mind. Listowel still needed to know that the police called since he was also at the crime scene. I’m sure he
MELISSA’S POV Listowel had called out after me several times, probably confused at my reaction. But I paid no heed to him. I threw and sunk myself onto the bed. Even as I pressed the pillow hard against my ears, I could still hear him calling my name and asking if he said anything wrong but I didn't bother explaining anything to him. I could only thank my stars he was still oblivious and had not suspected anything. ****FLASHBACK ENDS*** Something flickered in me as soon as my eyes fell on the pink sticky note on the dining table. It bore Listowel’s handwriting. Yes, I still remember his handwriting because since I worked with him. Back when I was working at Gordon Inc., all my work projects had to be approved by him before any other proceedings so I pretty much recognize it. A broad smile formed on my face as I read the message. It read; “Hey, you had a good sleep? I made your favorite breakfast. I know I’m not the best cook but make sure you finish everything.
MELISSA’S POV A soft yawn escaped my lips as I sat up on my bed. My eyes darted, searching around for only God knows what. I live alone so it was so unusual for me to wake up and dart around like this. It felt as if I was expecting to see someone. Slightly lifting my hands, I stretched myself before rising up and heading to the living room. As I opened the door that separated my bedroom from the rest of my apartment, I was greeted with an appetizing aroma. My brows knitted together as I tried to process what was happening. Halting in my tracks, I squinted my eyes as I tried to figure out if what I was seeing in the dining area was real. To make sure I wasn't daydreaming, I rubbed my eyes a couple of times but as the savoring aroma that had engulfed the room filled my nostrils, no one had to tell me that whatever I was seeing was real. Yes. For the first time in months, since I moved into this apartment, there’s an actual breakfast on my dining table. My eyes flicke
KEVIN’S POV The thick silence that engulfed the car was too loud to ignore. For a split second, I thought the boss was ignoring me and probably didn't want me to disrupt what he was doing on his tablet so I kept my lips shut and drove out of the garage to hit the road. Listowel usually listens to the early morning news on his way to work so I turned on the radio and lowered the volume to a level that helped balance his attention on both the tablet and the radio. I had not thought much of it earlier but turning on the radio kind of eased the tension in the car. It's been a few minutes since we hit the main road but Mr. Gordon had still not asked me to continue with what I was about to tell him earlier nor has he made any sound. I had not thought much of it earlier but turning on the radio kind of eased the tension in the car. Suddenly, “What was it that you needed to tell me?” his deep commanding voice echoed from the back seat. He removed the glasses he had on and
KEVIN’S POV My head throbbed as I sat on my bed this morning. The hard liquor I had consumed yesterday was definitely the cause of the pain. Yes, I had threw up the one Wendy made me drink while we sitting at the counter so it was so odd for me to have felt this way. But the truth, I went back to drink more last night. My chest tightened with fury as I tried to recall the events of the previous night. A pang of guilt washed over me as I also recalled my indifferent attitude towards my boss these past few days. I felt mad at myself for doubting him and believing that Wendy deserved better. I couldn't help but replay the scene I had witnessed last night. Wendy, whom we all knew to be obsessed with Listowel was tightly entangled in another man’s arms, kissing him like there was no tomorrow. Initially, I thought I was hallucinating so I got off the car and hid closer to have a proper look. It was indeed her. Even though she had on a scarf which had covered most o
KEVIN’S POV“Ouch..” Wendy let out a loud shrill cry, as she clutched her stomach. “Why what is it?” Her cry caught me by surprise, making me spring up to my feet. I sprinted to her side and assisted to get up on her feet. “My…. my tummy. It aches. I need to go to the washroom now,” she answered, although her tone sounded a bit dramatic to me. I attempted to hold up and maybe escort her to the washroom door but she yanked my hands away. “Thanks but I can go by myself. It isn't really a big deal. I think I just had too much to drink.” she said, making me confused as to what she meant. “Alright… easy there,” I said, letting go of her hands. “I'll be waiting for you here then. No. No need to wait. You can take the lead.” she shouted as she made her to the ladies. “Woww…” I said, taking out money from my wallet and placing it on the bill. The harsh cold breeze greeted me as I stepped outside the bar. I shook vigorously my head in anticipation of getting the influence of the alcoho