"Excuse me, everyone!" Kim's voice sliced through the rising commotion among the board members. And immediately, the atmosphere stilled.
"Whatever reason Miss Yen had is none of our business. What we need are her potentials and capabilities. Besides, it's already five years ago."
I didn't expect Kim would defend me before those intimidating figures of Kim Yuan Microelectronics, Asian. But he should
"But Mr. Mori, people…" the man who dared to voice out his question insisted. Perhaps, he was about to say that my past issues would affect the company's reputation. And people would pester them about it. However, I had no idea what kind of past they were talking about.
"Please. Let's move on to another topic. Miss Yen is not ready to talk about it. You may bring out your issues to me later."
Kim swept them a chilling gaze, and everyone fell silent after that. I could still see that some of them were about to open their mouths to speak b
“Kim’s wife? But what about Maezy?” “There’s was no marriage between them.” “What?” I gasped; my eyes almost fell out from their sockets. “Kim is just paying for the price of a sinful indulgence.” I was about to ask further, but the attendant came over to take our orders. I felt like sitting on needles already that I could no longer stay seated for a long time. I excused myself and went up to our room. My mind was flooding with strange thoughts already – from those repeated dreams, the building I saw near the company, Kim’s business partners calling me Jakara. I felt it in my heart that somehow, all these were related to my life. I did a video call with Zed once I got inside the room. He was already changing into a suit, preparing for his speaking engagement that night. The tailored piece that hugged his well-built body made him look extremely gorgeous. I couldn’t even take off my eyes on him. “Is there a problem?” Zed asked, smiling b
“Jellyfish, help!” I screamed from the top of my lungs as a soft and slimy thing brushed against my legs. Wriggling my body and kicking my leg to shake it off, I could only watch in horror as the gelatinous, invertebrate animal floated away from me. I had heard how dangerous some of them could be and that their stings could be excruciating. Some of its species are even lethal. “Anybody who cangeta vinegar?” a voice rang in my head beforea pair of strong arms lifted mefrom the water. I got stunned when I saw that it was Mr. Kim. Just a while ago, I took a plunge under the water after a strange emotion overwhelmed me. Mr. Kim Mori, the man in my dreams, just punished me with a glass of wine after losing a game. It was a swimming competition under the moonlit night where I lost consecutively for three rounds. Who could ever win under his gaze? I even felt like dying in thrill and excitement every time he looked at me. I knew I had
Kim Yuan Microelectronics, Philippines. I stared at the bold letters printed on the white banner that hung above White Sand Beach Resort's main entrance. Its pastel-blue shade turned into neon glowsas it reflected the bright sunlight under the noontime sky. I was almost tempted to squeal when that company name reminded me of what happened last night. And I wondered if Mr. Kim had remembered it. I knew women could be at his beck and call, and that experience may mean nothing to him. I expected him to forget about it the moment he would wake up in the morning. I met Mr. Kim Mori one time when I went to his company to see Ara. He just passed by and didn't notice me, but that first glimpse of him created in me a lasting impression. After that, whenever I saw him, especially when in his signature business suit, I always found myself imagining him. The stunning looks that drew everyone's eyes to him, his imposing aura that commands respect and admiration, and the ele
After A Few Months "I, your officiating minister, now pronounce you as husband and wife." The four walls of the church vibrated when the loud round of applause erupted from the crowd. Some of them squealed and laughed while my closest family members cried for joy. I smiled and ran my eyes through all of them. I knew that those who knew me very well were very happy for me. Who would ever think that I would still get married at the age of 30? "You may now kiss the bride," the voice of the minister cut through my reverie, and suddenly, I got nervous. I already asked the minister to make his sermon a solemn one--no jokes or teasing as much as possible. Yet, I had forgotten to ask him ahead to skip this part. I didn't want my family and friends to see me kissing a man, even if he was already my husband. No, don't get me wrong. It's not that I didn't like kissing, but I grew up in an extremely conservative fa
I woke up with an arm around me. Sleeping the whole night cuddled in his arm was a wonderful feeling. It was something I would have wanted to do earlier, now that I know how it felt. I grew up doing the upright way my parents set for us, and that included the limitations I should keep as a woman. Touches between sweethearts should not go beyond hand-holding, though it was difficult to keep in my case. Though I had a strong conviction against pre-marital sex and that my husband and I had kept the rule, we still defied light intimacies like kissing and hugging. I was still in my thoughts about those rules when I felt him moving. Seeing that I was already awake, he pulled me closer and kissed the top of my head. I thought he was ready to devour me since he had already regained his energy. I waited and closed my eyes, and to my surprise, I heard him snoring again. A beep on my phone diverted my thoughts from him. I grabbed it from the bedside table, and when I saw the ca
A week had passed since our wedding night, and still, our intimacies stayed like that. We did not go beyond making out and heavy petting, and I could not understand why. Every time I felt we were about to do it, he would stop and dress me up. I justified his behavior as an act of thoughtfulness and consideration. Perhaps, he did not want me to get scared. He knew about my upbringing, and he probably decided that we should not hurry things out. We would have the whole lifetime to do it, anyway. One afternoon, as I was arranging our things into our new matrimonial house, my phone vibrated. I put down the set of figurines and picked up my phone. It was a text message from Ara, my best friend. "Yen, can you please come over? I want to introduce you to my friend from Japan." Since her house was only a few blocks away, I agreed. In less than a few minutes, I already saw Ara's wide and teasing smile. However, she did not have the time to mock me. "Come, hurr
My husband was not successful in his entry. It was so painful that I felt I would bleed to death if he forced me. I had broken into stages of orgasm during the foreplay, but all the pleasure disappeared when his head hit my entrance. I was trembling and sweating, and suddenly I didn't want him to touch me."It's excruciating at first," he said, "but most of the women say that an extreme pleasure will follow.""I know, but I can't take it," I protested; I didn't even believe the sense of pleasure would happen after a few days, not until my wound would heal."Okay, we will try again next time," he said, and I hugged him tightly, moved by his thoughtfulness.My thoughts then drifted to an incident in the past when two college lovers rushed into the hospital where I worked as the head accountant. I was in the admitting office when the in-charge interviewed the boyfriend who processed their admission."Sir, can I have my downpayment later? We were in a
Four months had passed. I attended a Marriage Encounter Seminar, and I was their resource speaker for the women on behalf of my husband. He had another speaking engagement as a motivational speaker, so I came to his rescue. The conflict was not Zed's fault, but the company for changing the schedule at the eleventh hour. We were both relieved that the organizer agreed on the alternative plan, only to learn later that the event was for Kim Yuan Microelectronic's another teambuilding activity.This was what Mr. Kim talked about when we were at the resort. I was glad that he still remembered it.However, the organizer arranged the schedule directly with Zed and not through me. Perhaps, he was avoiding me.Zed specialized in personal development training, highlighting the importance of changing one's mindset towards a better lifestyle and higher financial standing. He got lots of appointments, especially from companies that promoted team-building and companies speciali
“Kim’s wife? But what about Maezy?” “There’s was no marriage between them.” “What?” I gasped; my eyes almost fell out from their sockets. “Kim is just paying for the price of a sinful indulgence.” I was about to ask further, but the attendant came over to take our orders. I felt like sitting on needles already that I could no longer stay seated for a long time. I excused myself and went up to our room. My mind was flooding with strange thoughts already – from those repeated dreams, the building I saw near the company, Kim’s business partners calling me Jakara. I felt it in my heart that somehow, all these were related to my life. I did a video call with Zed once I got inside the room. He was already changing into a suit, preparing for his speaking engagement that night. The tailored piece that hugged his well-built body made him look extremely gorgeous. I couldn’t even take off my eyes on him. “Is there a problem?” Zed asked, smiling b
"Excuse me, everyone!" Kim's voice sliced through the rising commotion among the board members. And immediately, the atmosphere stilled. "Whatever reason Miss Yen had is none of our business. What we need are her potentials and capabilities. Besides, it's already five years ago." I didn't expect Kim would defend me before those intimidating figures of Kim Yuan Microelectronics, Asian. But he should "But Mr. Mori, people…" the man who dared to voice out his question insisted. Perhaps, he was about to say that my past issues would affect the company's reputation. And people would pester them about it. However, I had no idea what kind of past they were talking about. "Please. Let's move on to another topic. Miss Yen is not ready to talk about it. You may bring out your issues to me later." Kim swept them a chilling gaze, and everyone fell silent after that. I could still see that some of them were about to open their mouths to speak b
I stopped and stared at the building through the glass wall, trying to compare it to the one in my dream."What's wrong?" Kim's voice disrupted my thoughts."Oh, nothing." I resumed walking, but I noticed that Kim was stealing glances at me."What?" I stepped ahead, then turned and faced him, getting his full attention.He held my gaze for a moment then pulled up his brows together. "Why do I feel something is bothering you?"I turned and glanced at the house again. "That building seems familiar."To my surprise, Kim's eyes lit up, and he smiled."Really? You must have seen it in movies. One time, a filming group rented that building."I bit my lower lip and squinted, letting my mind run through my memories. My thoughts then flashed to some movie scenes I had watched before. And Iindeed thought I had seen this building in one of those movies."You're right," I nodded and resumed walking."This way, ple
The ringing from my alarm app pierced into my ears and had me bolting out of the blanket. I proceeded to the corner where I placed my suitcase, then pulled out a new set of business dresses with my thoughts on my dream. Surprisingly, it's about Kim running after me again in that same snow-covered place. What made me wonder more was the seeming continuation of my first dream. It felt like adé·jà vu. Where it had ended in an elevator the last time, it now extended to another scene. And the scene wasn't anything simple or expected but something beyond my imagination– an intimate scene with Kim! Of all the men out there, why him? I even had trouble forgetting that scene with him on the beach one time. Zed is now my husband and should only be the only man in my mind. I was betrayinghim already by imagining Kim during those unsatisfied moments I had with him. I could hardly believe I dreamed of something like that! Yes,
I hurried to flip the cover back to its place as soon as I saw the doorknob moving. And at that moment, I wondered how a thief handles his racing heartbeats every time he steals. All the while I was flipping the pages to hunt for information about Kim, my eyes were also on the door, accompanied by loud pounding in my ears. "Sorry," Kim said as he sat back across from me. "It was Cris, Trish's fiance. He is also joining us in the meeting later. He's one of Kim Yuan's shareholders." "Really? Trish is already engaged?" My eyes sparkled in excitement for her. "Yes. By the way, he's not just a business partner, but a cousin." That explained why Kim and Trish seemed comfortable with each other. From other people's points of view, their closeness seemed unusual. Anyone might even think they were into an illicit love affair. "That's wonderful to know. And why does Trish still work for you? Why not at her fiance's company?" Kim chuckled
In about six hours, we were already stepping on the bustling premises of Tokyo International Airport. Kim's driver in Japan fetched us, and to my surprise, we headed towards a hotel inside the airport, the Royal Park Hotel. "What are we doing here?" I asked, scanning my eyes over the façade of the huge building. "You're pregnant. You need to rest for a while," Kim responded, glancing at the building before us. "Sir Kim, can you take Miss Yen with us on all our coming business trips?" Trish butted in, stopping me from thanking Kim right away. "With her around, I can also enjoy the special treatment for a pregnant woman." "Silly girl. But by the way, Trish, from now on, you will be accompanying Yen in all her travels while she is pregnant." "What?!" Trish squealed, making Kim's driver frown. I couldn't help noticing his reaction from the rear-view mirror. Trish was sitting beside him while Kim sat next to me in the passenger's seat.
“What are you two saying? I have habitual panic attacks?” I burst into the living room after hearing them mentioning the term ‘panic attack.’ “You misunderstood us, Yen. Zed only wants to mean you’re scared of guns and any explosives.” I looked at Zed, then back to Kim. “I’m sorry, dear. I have been used to using the term because it’s sometimes included in oneof my topics, “Overcoming Fears" and "Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zones." I shifted my gaze between the two of them again, although Zed had convinced me with his explanation. Seeing the guilty looks on their faces, I lost my intention to go deeper. And besides, we only have a few minutes left before risking the cancellation of our flight. “Wait, I’ll get your suitcase. Please excuse me, Mr. Mori.” “Please have a seat, Kim.” I walked over to the sofa, leading the way for Kim. I then sat down ahead of him, gesturing for him to sit down across from me. He followed me, b
I woke up in the morning, bothered by the dream. It looked so real to me. Unlike my other dreams, where the settings or location suddenly changed, the succession of that short dream was steady. I wished I had seen the name of the building. But what amazed me more was the snow-covered surroundings. I couldn’t recall that place in the past. I may have been to other countries before because of my job, but I couldn’t imagine myself walking in the snow.Perhaps, Kim’s love story trailer that Ara revealed had hooked me subconsciously because it appeared in my dream. And what made it funnier was that I became the Jakara in that dream. And Kim is in love with me? I giggled. Dreams are indeed crazy! "Good morning, dear!" Zed's voice disrupted my recollection of the dream. The smile on my lips even quickly disappeared. What would Zed think if he sees me smiling to myself? "Good morning. You always wake up early." I gréeted him while pulling myself out o
After dinner, Miss Trish called to inform me that she had already sent the flight details to my email. Zed helped me prepare my things and even placed them in a small suitcase. He made sure that I had all I would need for a two-day trip. Though we only had to be there for a day and would be back by night, Zed wanted me to stay so that I could rest. He thought I would be exhausted at the end of the day. Thus, it wouldn't be good for my pregnancy.We were about to go to bed when my phone sounded. The screen displayed Ara’s face the moment I picked up the phone from the bedside table.“Yen, are you awake?” Ara spoke right into the line as soon as I pressed the blinking green icon."Yes, of course," I replied. "What's up?""It's Tim. I feel something isn't right anymore.""Tell me more.""He told me that Maezy wants him to stay in their house so that he could be there whenever she needs to go somewhere."I frowned and fe