Vexed 01: Calm After A Storm

Note: This is Book 2. Do not flip the pages of this book if you haven't read Book 1, which is Sabotaging My Walkout Queen.

David’s P.O.V.

[January 2016]

“Congratulations again on your promotion, Dave! What can I say? It was well deserved! I lost count of how you’ve always exceeded my expectations. Again, you’ve made me proud! You’ve made us all proud.” Kuya Liam’s smile reached both of his ears, as he shook my hand, and gave me a manly hug.

We were now outside his office and he congratulated me again. On the other hand, I was securing the envelope which contains the promotion document that was given earlier by the HR team. Today was the first Monday of the year at promotion na agad ang sumalubong sa akin.

“Thanks, Sir Liam.” I smiled at him after he gently patted my back. Then, I confidently lifted my chin. Seconds later, I narrowed my eyes as rage fueled me. It clenched my jaws like they were about to break.

Of course, gagawin ko ang lahat para umangat… para wala nang tumapak pa sa pagkatao ko!

I was calling him ‘Sir Liam’ since he had always been the big boss or the CEO here at Evangelista Group of Companies. This was the company where my scholarship had been tied to for five years, so this was where I should apply and hone all my knowledge and skills, right from my OJT days.

As far as I was concerned, I didn’t want the other people to think that because he was my brother-in-law, I would be given a special treatment. I got the promotion because I was the best and the most qualified engineer here—at hindi pa yata ipinapanganak ang taong makakatalo sa’kin.

Fortunately, lahat naman ng tao rito sa EGC ay ka-close ko. Well, puwera na nga lang sa mga babaeng sinaktan ko.

Kuya Liam gave me a five-year full-scholarship grant in college, but I really worked hard to maintain high grades. Iyon ‘yong mga panahong ginawa ko talagang posible ang imposible.

Hindi lang oras, dugo, at pawis ang nilaan ko para lang makapagtapos ng kolehiyo at makamit ang lahat ng bagay na tinatamasa ko ngayon—kung hindi pati na rin ang buhay ko na muntik nang mawala sa akin.

Despite what happened to me during my Student Exchange Program in Germany three years ago, I still managed to finish my Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering: Major in Construction Technology and Management degree with Latin honors.

Calm after a storm, I copped the highest award in college. I graduated Summa Cum Laude. I also wanted to earn my Master of Science in Civil Engineering: Major in Structural Engineering, but that should not be the case right now.

To give more emphasis to my college achievements, I was also able to get the Gray Hawk Award and Best in Individual Thesis Award. It was for all engineering fields at the prestigious *Coach University, beating the other nine candidates including Chad.

Some other people would even want to switch places with me because they thought that my life was already perfect. Now, I could say that I had everything in life. Sariling penthouse sa dating *Quego del Mar na ngayon ay modernisadong QDM City na, iba’t ibang motor at sasakyan, savings at insurance? Meron na ako ng lahat ng ‘yan. What more could I ask for?

Almost every single day, I could hear lots of praises. Pero, ang hindi alam ng marami ay muntik nang mawala ang lahat-lahat sa akin nang dahil lang sa isang malaking pagkakamali.

Nagmahal ako ng maling babae.

But that was all before and I guessed I had to move on. I should not dwell in the past anymore. Malayo na kasi ako sa taong sumira sa buhay ko noon, at hindi na ako kailanman babalik sa dating tangang David na handang gawin ang lahat para lang sa babaeng ‘yon.

“By the way, about our New Hotel Project…” Kuya Liam opened his mouth to discuss a new project and while we were on it, I couldn’t help but reminisce.

“What about it, sir?” It was a good thing that my mind could multitask while listening to him.

Looking back, I started working here in EGC on June 2014 as a Probationary Cadet Engineer—in parallel with my five-month review for the board exam. Mahirap pagsabayin, pero kailangan. Halos wala na akong tulog palagi, pero lahat ay gagawin para lang sa minimithing pangarap.

On October 2014, I took the Civil Engineering Board Examination and was blessed to be the first placer! Yes, I was undoubtedly a board topnotcher. The best of the best—the one and only—David Cristoff.

Ngumiti ako nang mapakla. Hindi naman kasi nababayaran ang resulta ng board exam, hindi ba?

Well, sanay na akong pinag-aagawan ng mga babae hanggang sa hindi lang sila ang nag-agawan sa’kin. After the oath taking, I was suddenly contacted by many high-profile companies.

Kuya Liam was considerate enough by letting me be free kahit na scholar niya ako for five long years. He told me that if I would find a better company than the EGC, he would never stop me from leaving. But I didn’t think in the first place and just chose to stay with the EGC.

Then, I got regularized as Surveying Engineer, and just after six months of proving myself, I got promoted to Senior Survey and Field Engineer. With this new position, I got more experience in the field, and that was the main reason why I got a naturally tanned skin from the sun’s heat.

But I never stopped giving my best shot to continuously excel at work. Sabihin mang nakatali ako sa EGC sa loob ng limang taon, mahal ko ang trabaho ko at masaya ako sa ginagawa ko. Pero dahil nga sa may kaluwagan naman ang schedule ko, isang taon din akong naging part-time instructor sa Review Center kung saan ako nag-review noon.

Sharing my personal advices and experiences, other than teaching the best practices, knowledge, and board exam techniques to the aspiring future Civil Engineers, was indeed a damn good feeling. It happened last year, from January to December 2015.

And now, just after one and a half year of overall hardship and work performance in the EGC, I got promoted to Survey and Field Engineering Section Head—whose work was mainly focused on high-cost bridges, buildings, and hotel construction demands, not just in the Philippines but in the whole Asia. Alam kong marami pa akong kakaining bigas bago ako muling mapadpad sa Europa.

In that case, I suddenly remembered Matthew. He had always been persuading me to be a co-owner of his inherited company from his German father in Europe. Way back being a record-holder of the Coach University entrance exam, the CEO gave me a five-year full-scholarship grant.

Pero dahil nga may full-scholarship na ako mula kay Kuya Liam ay binigay ko na lang ang pagkakataong ‘yon sa iba and the recipient was none other than Matthew Ritter. He was a half-German student who appeared to be a rich kid because of his good looks, but he was unfortunately abandoned by his own father when he was two.

He was my seatmate during the exam and he took up a Business Administration course. On our second year, his father finally acknowledged him and he flew to Europe. Until now, we were still communicating with each other through Famebook. However, I wasn’t able to see him during my exchange study in Germany years ago. Pagmamahal na binasura lang kasi ang inatupag ko roon.

Matthew had always been adamant in encouraging me to run the business with him. Sinabi niya sa’king ako lang daw ang maaasahan niya sa mga panahong ito, kahit hindi naman talaga kami naging super close noon.

But would I go again to Europe after all the heartbreak I went through? Probably, no.

_________________________

Here are the places’ counterparts for you to imagine them better:

*Coach University is just a fictional counterpart for University of the Philippines Diliman.

*Quego del Mar is just a fictional place counterpart for Manila.