Chapter 6

Ericka was surprised when Señor called her. He had apparently arrived and was currently in the lobby. She knew he had been accompanied by his nurse, but she thought his arrival was scheduled for lunch. It seemed to be earlier than expected, and Almira happened to be there too. After rescheduling a meeting with Mr. Diaz, she went to meet Señor.

He smiled brightly upon seeing her, sipping his coffee. She greeted the nurse before addressing Señor. "Isn't it a bit early, Señor?" she asked, taking a seat on the adjacent sofa.

"Almira called me, hija. She said she has good news," the old man replied.

"What is it?" she wondered, sensing there might be some mischief behind his words.

"Never mind, I'll tell you later... Where is my grandson?"

She called Monte, and the old man was directed to the penthouse. "I'll take you to the penthouse, and I'll make sure Sir is attended to when the food arrives," she said with a smile, pushing the old man's wheelchair herself.

She pressed the elevator's open button, waiting for everyone to exit before entering. She swiped a card, ensuring that it would only open up to the penthouse. Monte had given her a duplicate since he often sent her files there.

"Is that card for Monte?" the old man asked.

"No, it's mine. Sir gave it to me when he was still living in the penthouse," she replied. She didn't want to lie to the old man; that was the truth.

"Isn't my grandson bringing any other ladies there?" he teased.

"Oh, Señor, your grandson is a good man," she joked.

The door opened, signaling their arrival. "My grandson's living arrangement is impressive," the old man remarked.

"I have it cleaned every week, even though he hasn't stayed here for months. Just in case of an emergency, he can have a comfortable sleep."

"You really know what he likes, don't you?"

"We've been together for a long time, so I know all his likes and dislikes," she explained. Her phone suddenly rang. "I'll just answer this... Hello, Miss Marie? Ah yes, I'll come down to pick them up... okay, thank you. Señor, the food has arrived. I'll just attend to them."

"Sure, hija. Nurse Jeremy is here anyway. I'll wait for you here."

She responded with a smile and a wave. She fetched the food delivery and headed back up to the penthouse in less than five minutes. The nurse was massaging Señor's legs, the old man lost in thought.

"Place the food on the table," she instructed the two carriers. She decided not to open the containers to retain the warmth of the dishes. She had already canceled the meeting with Mr. Diaz. "Señor, the food has arrived."

"Ah, go ahead, hija. I'm still having a massage from Jeremy. Will you bring Monte up?"

"Yes, I will. I just need to go to the office; I have a lot of work to finish today. I'll be leaving for now." Señor smiled at her.

She swiped the card again and pressed the elevator button for their office floor. She realized she still had her iced coffee with her. Taking a sip, she found Almira had a good taste in coffee. Marie greeted her as she entered.

"Ma'am," Marie greeted, "Miss Madrigal's parents are here."

"Oh?" she was surprised by the news.

"Someone arrived, seemed like a couple. Then, someone who looked like Miss Almira, very arrogant, just walked in directly. I didn't recognize them because they were wearing masks. I overheard someone saying they're Almira's parents."

So, the governor is here. Why would they suddenly schedule appointments when they hadn't planned anything for today?

"Thank you, Miss Marie," she said, entering the office. Monte didn't like her knocking since, according to him, it was their shared office space.

People inside glanced at her, engaged in conversation. Almira had a triumphant smile, holding onto Monte's arm.

"Is she your secretary?" Almira's mother asked.

"Yes, she's Ericka," Almira replied.

"Dear," Almira's mother stood and approached her, "do you have any manners?"

"Excuse me?" she was surprised by the comment.

"You didn't even knock, dear. You know your boss has visitors." Almira's mother looked her up and down.

"Miranda, stop it," the governor intervened.

"This woman should know her place here, right?" her snobbish response came.

"Tita," Monte's voice broke in, "I gave her the right to enter without knocking because this is our office."

"Monte, hijo, you shouldn't give special treatment to your EMPLOYEES. They'll take advantage of you," the lady replied. "So, dear, we're having a conversation; you can leave."

She could see the delight on Almira's face. It seemed the woman was overjoyed that her mother was insulting her. Now, she understood where the woman inherited her unpleasant personality.

She didn't say anything. Instead, she took her seat and started working.

"Hello? Are you deaf?" Miranda asked.

"No," she replied.

"So, you're not mute and deaf. You heard what I said, didn't you?"

"For your information, Mrs..." she looked at her coldly, "I'm working here during working hours, so I'll be working. Do you have a job? Probably not. Also, if that's how your daughter hears you, insulting people, no wonder she talks the same way. Before you ask me for manners, maybe you should reflect on your own."

She saw the governor and Monte laughing, and Almira's face darkening.

"Look, young lady," Miranda blushed, "maybe you don't know who you're talking to?"

"I know you. Do you want me to recite your biography here?" she asked.

"See, Monte? How can you stand working with this woman? She has a sharp tongue," Miranda said.

"It depends on who's in front of me. Your daughter has been bullying me for a long time, so I won't allow you to treat me the same way!" she boldly responded.

"You're bullying Ericka?" the governor interjected, looking at Almira.

"No... no... of course not, Daddy," she replied, receiving a glare from Almira.

Almira's mother stopped there, perhaps recognizing that her daughter was indeed a bully. Almira seemed to fear her father.

"Darling, don't believe that woman. You know how kind our daughter is," Miranda glared at her.

Monte's phone suddenly rang, slightly diffusing the tension. "Yes, yes, Grandpa... alright, we're coming up." He ended the call. "Well, let's go upstairs. Grandpa is waiting. Ericka, you take care of things here."

She ignored Monte when he opened the door.

"Sorry about my wife, dear," the governor approached her.

"It's okay, Governor," she smiled.

"Don't worry; when I find a replacement, I'll replace her," he joked, winking.

She just shook her head at his remark. After they left, Monte approached her.

"What did the Governor say to you?" he furrowed his brow.

"He just apologized. I wish everyone were like that," she retorted, rolling her eyes at Monte.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked.

She remained silent. The door opened as Almira entered.

"Baby, let's go. Grandpa is waiting," Almira pulled her out.

There, she breathed a sigh of relief. She felt a newfound boldness and couldn't help but laugh. She thought the Governor would be angry with her response to his wife. Fortunately, he wasn't an enabler. She continued with her work as if nothing had happened.