CHAPTER 2

It's the weekend, and she only has a few days off where she doesn't have to work and can do whatever she wants for the rest of the weekend. She begins her day by being productive, cleaning her bed before heading to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee.

She opens her balcony after finishing her coffee and sits at her coffee table with her coffee and some toast. From her balcony, she can see how busy the streets are where she lives; elders are exercising with their grandchildren early in the morning, and some mothers are watering their plants while greeting and conversing with one another.

"Good morning, Valerie," Her neighbors smile and wave at her, and she reciprocates with a smile and a wave of her hand.

"Good morning, aunties," She gave them a friendly smile before sipping her coffee and watching the sun slowly rise.

Valerie lives in an average apartment on the second floor, while her landlord lives on the first. She also has another neighbor who lives in the same building as her but on a different floor, and with them, as well as the neighbors outside, she quickly adjusts to their way of life because everyone is very friendly. Also, like Ellen, some of her neighbors know her background since they recognize her immediately, but they treat her like a family and welcome her wholeheartedly, which is why she prefers this neighborhood over her own house with her family there

She returns to the kitchen after finishing her coffee and eating some bread to make a list of all the essential items she will need for the following week on a sheet of paper. Valerie also cleans her apartment before getting dressed casually because she will be going to a large supermarket near her apartment.

When she walks inside the supermarket, she is greeted by a coworker in who's in her 30s with curling black hair and a voluptuous figure

“Good morning, Ms. Farrell.” The lady replied with a sweet smile as Valerie clutched her cart. “How are things with you?”

"It's good to see you, Mrs. Ponds," says Valerie "I'm doing fine, I see you're shopping for your kids."

Mrs. Ponds is one of Valerie's senior teammates and someone she admires; she sees her as a courageous woman who doesn't give up on raising and providing for her children despite the fact that they don't have a father, and Valerie understands that being a single mother is difficult because it requires the mother to do the father's work as well

“Well of course, because my children really adore the meals I prepare for them, particularly vegetables.” Mrs. Ponds laughs as she grabs her own cart. ““It may be challenging, but it pays off when I see my children healthy and happy,” she added

Mrs. Ponds and Valerie continue to talk about random things that they can talk about while they shop inside the big supermarket. They stopped at a café near the supermarket for a break after shopping because they were both carrying a large bag of groceries

“Did you pay your mother a visit on Mother's Day last week?” Mrs. Ponds asked as she nibbled into her strawberry sliced cake. Valerie shook her head as she took a sip of her chocolate beverage “I didn't; I mean, I wanted to, but I know my father will be home, and if I asked her out, she would simply beg me to alter my mind and return home.”

“However, you could at least let her know or offer her something as a token of your gratitude for her; I know your mother misses you terribly because you are going through the most difficult time of your life in comparison to your sisters and younger brother.” Mrs. Ponds said with a sad expression on her face as she looks at Valerie.

"Don't worry, I sent her a gift and also greet her a Happy Mother's Day through text message, and I believe she enjoys it." Valerie smiles as she bites into her chocolate cake after responding to Mrs. Ponds. "Mind if I ask you Valerie, do you ever consider returning home to your family?"

Valerie leans back in her seat, placing her small spoon next to her chocolate sliced cake "Yeah, I miss the days when I didn't have a problem with my father... Who wouldn't miss those wonderful moments when your own home suddenly shuts its door for you?"

Mrs. Ponds smiles sadly as she remembers her two sons while sipping her hot coffee “You are correct, and for me...How could I leave a nice memory for my children when they don't have a father to look up to... I mean, we're not complete.”

"I believe Evan and Karl are already establishing a wonderful memory with you whenever you three are together; you manage to raise them well and become both their mother and father, so I am confident they appreciate your efforts." Valerie comforts Mrs. Ponds and swiftly shifts the subject of their conversation; after an hour, they have finished their coffee and cakes and are on their way home.

Valerie walks down her neighborhood street with a large grocery bag in her hand when a teenage boy approach and told her that his mother wanted her to join them for supper this evening since they were celebrating something, Valerie agreed and stated that she would arrive at 7:00 p.m.

Valerie placed her groceries on her dining table when she arrived at her apartment, then placed them in their designated spots.

[ Honey, your birthday is coming, as well as the anniversary of your grandparents; would you like to come home and celebrate with us?]

Valerie's mother sent her a text message, which Valerie happened to see while checking her company's email.

[ I don't think I'll be able to celebrate because the company I work for will be quite busy launching the new product, sorry mom]

She texted her reply while attempting to avoid her family's home, but she feels horrible about what she's doing for her mother, who appears to be waiting for her to return.

[ I understand, but I hope you will still come. I'll be cooking your favorite food as well :)]

It's now 7 p.m., and Valerie has just finished making cookies since she felt a little self-conscious about going up to the other apartment room without bringing something with her, she now exits her apartment and takes the apartment elevator up to where the teenage boy's family lives.

“Ah-ha! I know it'll be you, the one and only early bird in this building.” The boy's mother said and cheerfully greeted Valerie while entering their home

The Nettle Family, who live on the third floor, and the family of four, they are aware that Valerie is living alone on the second floor, so once a week the mother will invite her for dinner and include her as one of their family, and the two children also look up for her, knowing that she is working on their dream phone company and seeing her as one of the successful neighbors in the neighborhood.

“I bought some cookies Mrs. Nettle” Valerie stated as she handed her the freshly baked cookies she had made and smiled at her before sitting down on the couch.

‘Mrs. Nettle, I got some ice cream.'

‘Good evening, Mrs. Nettle, I also bought some egg tart.'

‘Mrs. Nettle, I ordered some pizza.'

Mrs. Nettle giggles as she recalls how every time Valerie eats dinner with them, she always buys something as an exchange, which she thinks is kind of cute.

Valerie took a seat on the couch next to the youngest children and noticed that the youngest is interested in watching anime, particularly the one that they are currently watching on television, ‘Sailor Sun.'

“Woah, she's so gorgeous, and her transformation is amazing,” the youngest commented, imitating the protagonist they were watching. Valerie agreed and watch the show with her as Mrs. Nettle is preparing their dinner.

Mrs. Nettle finishes cooking dinner after thirty minutes and asks her youngest daughter to summon her father and older brother for dinner, "Faith, can you please call your father and brother for dinner," and her child nods before going to her father's and brother's rooms to call for dinner

"Come take a seat," Mrs. Nettle says, as Valerie walks over to the dinner table and takes her usual seat. Following that, the Nettle family's father and brother emerged from their rooms with Faith and took their usual seats at the dining table. The five of them cheerfully devour the foods that Mrs. Nettle prepared, and they finish their meal in half an hour Valerie wants to assist Mrs. Nettle with the dishes or cleaning the table, but Mrs. Nettle refuses to let her help her in the household and instead tells her to relax in the living room with Faith.

Valerie took a seat next to Faith in the living room and listened to Faith talk about her other favorite television shows while they watched it, and Valerie was content to just listen to the kids talk.

After an hour, Valerie thanks them after dinner and leaves the 3rd floor with some food from Mrs. Nettle. "Thanks for the lovely meal," she says.

She arrived home, put the food in the refrigerator, and had a shower before jumping into her comfortable bed. She was taking a shower when she played a classical masterpiece by a well-known composer and hummed along to it. She then wraps her hair in the towel and dries it with the towel, as well as checking her phone for social media updates and messages from her colleagues.

[ Mr. Cuffe was seen going out of a motel with an intern by his wife, according to what I heard.]

[ Really? What's going on with their group? Mr. Gomez was first caught, and now it's that old

man Mr. Cuffe's turn.]

[ Ikr, We're fortunate that we're not on the same team as them.]

Valerie read some new hot topic from her group chat team regarding a workplace affair involving another group of employees. She turned off her phone and set it aside, as she was uninterested in other people's affairs or business. She jumps on her bed after her hair is dry and reads some fantasy books about a king who will go to any length to ensure the protection of his kingdom and his queen.

‘How lovely and pitiful...the author must love this king so much that she or he gives him all the characteristics that a woman would seek and provides him with a good life, yet the author is so bitter that he or she creates a queen for him who does not look to him in the same way that the king looks at the queen, whom he truly loves and adores.' Valerie sighs as she places a bookmark on the book's pages that she’s currently reading, then places the novel on her bedside table before turning off her lamp and getting ready to sleep.

In her dreamworld, Valerie looks at the back of the two individuals who are in front of a priest something, and she can clearly hear some people chatting about something, as if they are discussing a divorce of two high-ranking people.

‘This appears to be a wedding, but I keep hearing divorce.' She thought as she stared at the woman in front of the priest dressed in an unfamiliar clothing.

Then the scene shifts, and she sees the same woman she was watching at earlier sitting in front of her, quietly crying, “I know he has a mistress, and it just so happens that the mistress becomes pregnant before me... I've also heard that he plans to elevate his slave mistress to the position of empress of Quephochy in order to give birth to the child she carries in her womb... That's why he divorced me solely for the sake of his low mistress...” the woman paused wiping off her tears before continuing “Please help me in my retribution, Zhilux,” the tearful lady said, gripping both of her fists.

Valerie notices wrath in the eyes of the crying lady in front of her and hears a familiar name, but before she has a chance to inquire about what is going on and about the name that the crying lady called her, the scene of her dream changes once again.

“I know that's you, My Empress, but I'll have to wait a bit longer to have you here completely.” The familiar voice of the man told her but she hasn't seen the man's face since she can't turn around and she's facing a field full of gorgeous flowers that sparkle in the light and sway in the breeze. She was embraced from behind by an arm that rested its forehead on the back of her head “Please don't stray out of my sight again, Zhilux, because I will always protect you.” The man who was embracing her from behind whispered something low enough for her to hear, and she was astonished when she instinctively placed her hand on the man's arm.

‘Why is he so warm?’ She wondered to herself as she and the man who was embracing her from behind remained in that posture as the bird above them sang. Then when the man finally let go of the embrace, she’s about to turn around to look at the man with the familiar voice, she's startled awake by her loud alarm clock.

“Ahhh!!!” she screamed as she sprung from her bed. “That's too close...” she said after calming down and turning off the loud alarm clock. She felt disappointing from losing a chance to see the voice of the man whom she’s curious about.

Valerie soon acknowledges that everything is merely a dream, but it doesn't stop her from being disappointed by her alarm clock interrupting her strange and sweet fantasies. She got out of bed little by little, doing her morning routine while listening to a soft lo-fi song that gave her a wonderful morning vibe.

While waiting for her water to boil, Valerie gets her bag of trash then leave her apartment while she’s on her pajama. When she goes to throw out her trash, she runs across a strange-looking homeless man who is also at the trash area. “I’m sorry sir” before heading back to her apartment, she apologized and gave the old man a respectful bow; the old man watches her enter the building then spoke to himself before leaving the area ‘Exactly look like her’.

Valerie doesn't mind the strange homeless man and continues to wait for the water to boil for her coffee when her friend Ellen calls and tells her about last night's gossip.

“Ah yes, I read it last night, but it bored me so much that I just went to sleep.” Valerie stated as she sat in her chair, she heard Ellen sigh on the other end of the line conversation “What should I expect? Salary is the only thing that excites you these days.” Ellen's remark made them both laugh.