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Twenty Seven
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2024-10-29 19:42:56“What kind of question is that, Dianne?” I asked, feeling kind of annoyed.
“A stupid but significant question,” she said.
My eyes were already welling up with tears, but I have to hold them. I promised that I wouldn’t cry after Joshua. I know what Dianne wanted to point out, but I couldn’t accept it.
“You need to move on, Anna,” she suggested. “Not for me, not for Gabriel. You have to for yourself.”
With that being said, I cried. I couldn’t hold my tears anymore. I hugged her in the hopes she could provide me with strength, but her strength isn’t my strength.
---
“Good morning, Miss Jean,” I greeted her.
“It’s a good thing you came in today,” she replied. “Gabriel, Anna’s here,” she called out when she saw him.
“Good,” he nodded. “Brief her on what’s happening today.”
It&rs
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I’m angry, but I can’t do anything. I’m just his secretary. I pushed aside my emotions when Don Miguel. I can deal with my emotions later.“So let’s start the meeting?” Don Miguel started. “Take notes, Miss…” he hesitated. “What’s your name again, Hija?”“I’m…” I started but didn’t finish.“She’s Anna Miller,” Gabriel answered for me and Miss Jean smiled at his gesture.“Okay, Miss Miller, take notes.”“Okay,” I smiled and readied the voice recorder in case I missed something important. I also have my old-fashioned notebook and pen but it’s a good thing I have a voice recorder.“I like you, Anna,” Don Miguel added.“Dad,” he called his Dad’s attention. “Stop flirting with my secretary in front of my Mom,” he emphasized the word my. He&
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He parked under the tree like before. This is where she took him for the first date. If she could even call it a date. It was a shock that he remembered how to get there.“No! Why are we even here? We should get back to the office,” she demanded.He offered his hand for support to get out of the car.“Please,” he whispered. It almost sounded like a plea.“Okay,” she finally agreed, taking his hand.It’s one-thirty. They still had not eaten. She knows she’s hungry, but she didn’t want to ask Gabriel a favor. She’s angry and she had to stay angry. She sat on top of the car’s hood and Gabriel leaned behind it.“Why are we here?” she asked again.She looked up at the tree’s branches and laid on the hood. It was relaxing as the breeze blew against her skin. It was a magical feeling.“I just want to be with you.”She sat back up. &l
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Alexandra was taken aback by Gabriel’s warning and foreshadowing. Her face turned pale, but in the end, she just laughed. “So, what’s the emergency? Lance told us Anna had an emergency and you went with her,” Alexandra looked alternately at them. “But it looks like there was never an emergency. Is there any happy emergency that I don’t know about?” “Why do you care, Alex?” Gabriel asked back. Alexandra was about to answer, but Don Miguel came rushing in. “There you are,” he said and hugged Anna. “Come on, Dad!” Gabriel exclaimed and Don Miguel let Anna go. ‘Sorry, Hijo,’ Don Miguel smiled. “Have you eaten? I’ll send you to the restaurant, if not.” “We’re fine, Sir,” Anna answered. “Don’t call me sir, Hija. Call me Tito instead, but it’s better if you call me dad. I’ll be happier if you're his wife,” Don Miguel said and looked at the blushing Gabriel. “No offense meant, Alex,” he added. “None was taken, Sir,” Alex emphasized what she called him. “You shouldn’t have said that,
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“Bring her. Knowing Alex, I'm sure she’ll bring her new guy,” Lance whispered to Gabriel while pretending to pay attention to their parents.“As if it’s that easy to convince her.”“But I’m telling you, it’s better if you bring her.”“What if I bring Gene instead?”“You’re crazy, brother. She’ll assume you’re just messing with Anna. Would you like Anna to look like a fool?”“You're right. I’m sure it’ll be in the headlines. I could hear it now. ‘Jerk CEO made a fool out of a multi-billionaire businesswoman’.”“Right, and you don’t want that, right?”“Anna will kill me. That’s for sure.”“Praise the Lord! I hope Anna Hemsworth Miller would straighten your way.”Both of them laughed.---Anna answered her phone quickly when it rang to Clarity’s familiar tune.“Hi,” Gabriel said from the other line.“Hello. Do you miss me already?” she said playfully.“Maybe,” he said. “I think I’m going crazy for you.”“No,” she interrupted. “You’re just a natural crazy.”“You are one funny girl, Anna M
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In Anna’s eyes, everything slowed down – the music and the people dancing. Even Alexandra was in slow motion. Anna could see Alexandra talking, but she could not make any sense of it. Gabriel was calling me and pulling me away. Dianne was crying and Lance was comforting her. All of a sudden, it was only her and Joshua left in the ballroom.“Anna?” Joshua said softly.“I thought you’re…” she said – voice breaking. “I thought you were dead.”Everything became blurry. Her eyes welled with tears. She’s confused and wanted to run. She’ll leave everyone and everything. She thought she was invincible. She made it through four years of her life without him. She was successful without him. She could not understand why she was feeling weak.“Anna…” Joshua said, almost out of breath. “I’m sorry. Let me explain.”He was trying to touch her, but she moved away. Joshua continued to try, but Gabriel push his hand away.Gabriel looked at Anna. He’s now her knight in shining armor. Anna saw anger in G
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Everyone in the room made a fuss. She didn’t hear but she knew they were judging her.“It was him, the man of my dreams. Unbelievable, isn’t it? Anna Hemsworth Miller had a love life even though she wanted a private life, but you heard me right. I met the man of my dreams in that blogging team. He was kind and sweet. He was caring and thoughtful. He does not pretend to be anything that he’s not. He was just a humble blogger waiting for the right time to shine. And what brought me closer to him? He was not rich.”Everyone went quiet, even Dianne and the Anderson Family. Joshua, however, was sweating like a pig.“Yes. Once upon a time, I fell in love. I loved someone who was not rich. I know you’re wondering why I’m saying this, but this is just to prove that I was not a gold digger or a social climber to get to where I am. My family belonged to the lower class, but we were lucky enough to afford three meals a day. I was attracted to that guy because he understands me and because I thou
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“Congratulations, Dianne!” Anna hugged her. “I’m excited for you!”Anna looked at Gabriel who was smiling from ear to ear and also looking at her.“Good job, Dude! I’m happy for you,” he said, averting his eyes from Anna.“Kuya, I’ll be first this time.”“Don’t worry, Kid. I’m not too far behind,” he smiled and looked at Anna.Don Miguel cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “Let’s enjoy the night people. Hit it, DJ!”***Anna and Gabriel went out. The party’s getting a bit noisy for them. Old people went home to rest, leaving the party to younger people. The speakers blasted electric music, almost blowing them out“I envy them,” Gabriel said.“Why do you envy them? Once upon a time, you’ve also been married.”“So, you’re the one who should envy them.”“Me? Why me? I’m perfectly fine. That’s why I’m still single. Why should I envy them?”“What?”She knew he'd react.“You heard me right, Mister Gabriel Anderson. Besides, I don’t have anyone courting me, so, I don’t have any b
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Dianne married Lance Anderson for two years. It would have been three, but they chose to wait a year because Lance didn’t have a best man. Lance didn’t want any other best man. He only wanted his brother, Gabriel. Dianne gave birth to a lovely daughter, who is three years old. It turned out she was pregnant before Anna went away.Dianne named her daughter Annie as a tribute to Anna, her best friend. Annie is just like Anna. In her early years, she’s been brave and carefree. She doesn’t like the smell of her mother’s tea but she’s addicted to the smell of her dad’s coffee. Surprisingly, Annie also likes cheese and grapes. She reminds Dianne so much of Anna.Dianne was five months away from her second baby with Lance. I’m thinking of naming him after Gabriel but she wasn’t sure if Lance would allow it.Gabriel thought he couldn’t make it without Anna, but turns out he could. He realized more people are willing to stay beside him, even in his darkest times. It’s a good thing he has Lance
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“Shall we find another bar or shall we crash at my place?” Lance asked.“I think we should go to your place. So, Anna won’t complain of any smell,” Gabriel suggested, thinking he was funny.“You think you're funny, right?” Anna said, still feeling feisty after the scene in the bar. “Continue that and you'll regret having met me.”“But, of course, I’m just kidding,” he hugged Anna from behind and she wasn’t sure if Gabriel's turned on or he was hot from alcohol. She could feel his warmth amidst the cold air.Their laughs echoed in the almost empty parking area. This night, they are just normal people having fun. Who would think they are a CEO, a sibling of a CEO, a multi-billionaire businesswoman, and a friend of a multi-billionaire businesswoman? Who would think they are all connected while should usually be fighting over power and other company issues? No one!***Anna was impressed when they arrived at Lance’s condo unit. It looked stunning in its black and white interiors and furni
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“Congratulations, Dianne!” Anna hugged her. “I’m excited for you!”Anna looked at Gabriel who was smiling from ear to ear and also looking at her.“Good job, Dude! I’m happy for you,” he said, averting his eyes from Anna.“Kuya, I’ll be first this time.”“Don’t worry, Kid. I’m not too far behind,” he smiled and looked at Anna.Don Miguel cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “Let’s enjoy the night people. Hit it, DJ!”***Anna and Gabriel went out. The party’s getting a bit noisy for them. Old people went home to rest, leaving the party to younger people. The speakers blasted electric music, almost blowing them out“I envy them,” Gabriel said.“Why do you envy them? Once upon a time, you’ve also been married.”“So, you’re the one who should envy them.”“Me? Why me? I’m perfectly fine. That’s why I’m still single. Why should I envy them?”“What?”She knew he'd react.“You heard me right, Mister Gabriel Anderson. Besides, I don’t have anyone courting me, so, I don’t have any b
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“Okay, that was unexpected,” Don Miguel smirked. “Let it be a reminder to those social climbers, gold diggers, and cheaters. You might have met your karma already. You wouldn’t know when they’ll strike.”Everyone laughed, except Alexandra, Madamé Rebecca, and Joshua.“Don’t leave yet, I still have my announcement,” Don Miguel added when he saw Alexandra leaving.“It has been twenty-six years since I started the Anderson Group of Companies, and I think it’s about time I give my throne to someone worth my trust. To someone who also worked hard for the company. It’s time for him to take over. Gabriel, son, prove me that I'm doing the right thing. And if you want to ask why not Lance? It’s because he has a different announcement. For now, I'm calling Gabriel for an impromptu speech. Gabriel?”“Wow! I don’t know what to say,” he looked at Don Miguel who just exited the stage. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll make you proud dad. You would not regret giving me your throne, but honestly, Dad, this is terri
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Everyone in the room made a fuss. She didn’t hear but she knew they were judging her.“It was him, the man of my dreams. Unbelievable, isn’t it? Anna Hemsworth Miller had a love life even though she wanted a private life, but you heard me right. I met the man of my dreams in that blogging team. He was kind and sweet. He was caring and thoughtful. He does not pretend to be anything that he’s not. He was just a humble blogger waiting for the right time to shine. And what brought me closer to him? He was not rich.”Everyone went quiet, even Dianne and the Anderson Family. Joshua, however, was sweating like a pig.“Yes. Once upon a time, I fell in love. I loved someone who was not rich. I know you’re wondering why I’m saying this, but this is just to prove that I was not a gold digger or a social climber to get to where I am. My family belonged to the lower class, but we were lucky enough to afford three meals a day. I was attracted to that guy because he understands me and because I thou
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