Three hours ago...
"They must have an idea that your very existence is already an act of rebellion," Maria scoffed at her younger sister, Evina.
It is a working hour for both of them. Maria was in the fields working as a landscape designer while Evina was a new employee at Sapphire Co.
She was discussing something to her client when she got a text message from Evina. A message that could ruin her career again.
Her coworkers asked for her younger sister's help in submitting a complaint against a director of their company for his dismissal.
"You have just started to rebuild your life again after getting fired from your previous job, Evie." she continued to scold Evina, like she used to when they were still younger.
Evina was always the unruly one even when they were children. She was the one who went against the rules, whether it was the household orders or the school regulations.
Maria would always reprimand her, but Evina's stubbornness would get her in trouble again. Just like now.
"Can't you just let them be? Or just ask someone else to do that job?" she added on. Anxiety could be heard from her voice.
"I guess they must have thought that my name is not spelled as E-v-i-n-a but R-e-b-e-l," Revina chuckled at the thought, annoying Maria all the more.
"That's not funny, Evina Chen. Are you even listening?" the older sister now raised her voice. She peeked back at her working area, hoping she didn't disturb anyone.
Evina cleared her throat, showing that she would be serious now. "Look, I know you're concerned about me, Iya. But they have been in misery for so long."
Evina continued to defend her new colleagues to her older sister. "He has been exploiting them and no one could dare stand against him. Do you expect me to just sit back and do nothing?"
She was talking about Director Zhou, one of the Board of Directors of Sapphire Co. It's only been three months since she was hired as an office manager, and she has already seen how he verbally abused some employees. Sometimes, it's even physical.
Because of her boldness, there are times that she would stand up and contend with him. It is the reason why her office mates gave her the folder containing their complaints.
They have been collecting them but no one could pass them to the higher-ups, fearing that he would retaliate back. Seeing Evina's fearlessness, they made a unanimous decision to give her the files.
Maria gave out a long sigh as a sign of her giving up. She knew she would not win against her sister once she had already made up her mind.
"You're already a grown-up, Evina Chen. I hope you're also considering your career as you make your decision. Anyway, I got to go now. Let's meet later."
After Maria ended the call, Evina also drew in a deep breath before swiveling in her chair, so she could have a better look at the room.
The space was so small for a team of six that she could hear the sound of staplers clicking from her area. Papers were being crumpled and thrown into the bin. A whiff of paper and ink coming from the old files would always invade a passerby's nose.
How long had it been already since she worked at this small company as an office manager?
It was not glamorous, but it was decent and manageable. Evina had just started working here after being fired from her previous job.
Thinking that a smaller group would have less dirty laundry, Evina applied there. However, this situation has proven otherwise.
"Here I go again." she sighed as her eyes studied the report. Evina felt her blood boiling within her as she read further.
"Constant discrediting, use of abusive language, intimidation and harassment!" she grimaced with a clenched jaw, "These are serious issues!"
"Are you just talking about the Director Zhou?" One of the staff must have heard her as she approached her cubicle.
She peeked at who was talking to her, and she was surprised to see who it was. It was Cynthia, the timidest of their department. And she seemed to look bothered.
Evina tilted her head up and answered her curtly, "Yes, Cynthia. I am thinking of doing something about it."
At her words, Cynthia's face brightened up. "Thank you, Evina," she lifted her eyeglasses that is falling on her nose, "That is a splendid idea. It is a good thing that we let you handle this. None of us has the courage to do so."
Evina glanced around the room for more than a few seconds. It was true because among the others, she was the only one who was confident enough to speak for what she believed in.
Even to the ones in a higher position than hers.
"It seemed like she had a bad experience with the Director too," she mused, seeing the conflicted expression on Cynthia's face.
"Do you have something to tell me?" she prompted her on, giving her one of her sweetest smiles.
Cynthia looked around the room to see if there were people around who might be listening to them. Seeing that there were a few coworkers who were just a meter away from them, she bowed her head down again.
Concluding that something was indeed troubling her, Evina stood up and patted Cynthia on her shoulders. She then guided her to somewhere private.
To her surprise, Cynthia didn't object, but just allowed Evina to lead her.
They went upstairs and onto a vacant room. After Cynthia made sure that no one was around, she finally opened her mouth.
"The Director molested me," Cynthia sputtered out through gritted teeth. Her hands were trembling as she spoke.
*************************
The time is always right
To do what is right.
Terrible, right? What would you do if you were Evina? :)
Everything came to a stand still. One could even hear the birds cawing outside the window as they flew in the sky.In shock, Evina turned her head away with her hand covering her mouth as she thought, “No wonder Cynthia couldn’t speak up.”Her stomach tightened as she imagined what the Director could have done to this poor girl. She clenched her fist as she controlled herself from confronting Director Zhou right then and there.“At first I thought he was just being extra friendly. But then he started touching me. I refused, Cynthia continued on narrating her story, “but he told me I would get fired if I didn’t give in.” She wrung her arm as she grimaced while sharing her experience with Evina. Every fiber of Evina’s muscles burned in anger, “I’m sorry to say this, Cynthia. But I think you should have chosen to be fired.”It is what she would do if she was in that situation. No one could ever touch her body without her consen
Present time... “Evina Chen,” Gabriel’s lips curled up as he flipped the card. He put it in the inner pocket of his coat while he walked towards the Sapphire Co. Building. It was noonday, and he was expecting the CEO of Sapphire Co. to have free hours during his surprise visit. But he was the one who was stunned to encounter a feisty young woman who seemed to have gotten on the nerves of her superiors. He was furious at her for wrecking his car and attempting to kick his shin. But there seemed to be something in her that made him want to see her again. “Or not,” he resolved to himself as he stretched his sturdy shoulders. He then entered the main door of the building. **** Some employees were on the reception couch when one of them noticed him. He immediately bolted up. “It’s Mr. Yang!” he slapped his forehead in response. “This spells trouble,” he whispered to his colleague. “How could he be trouble?” his cowor
"So this is where she works," Gabriel's fingers tapped on the table as he continued to observe the structure of the Sapphire Co. Building. It has simplistic designs compared with The Elysian Co. But the windows offered a beautiful view of the landscape of the area, which is captivating to those who have been used to living in the metropolis. "Is that issue enough ground for her to abandon this place just like that?" He contemplated as he recalled why Mr. Li left the boardroom. Even though he was still irritated at her, he was curious about her reason for rebelling against this company. "Here it is, sir." Mr. Li came back in a flash, giving him a folder that contained the answer to his questions. Then he stepped back to allow him to read it by himself. "They were not investigated yet, though. We don't know if they were facts or just mere speculations," Mr. Li defended Director Zhou. Gabriel just nodded his head, pretending to agree with
“I apologize for being late, boss.” Paul bowed to Gabriel as he caught his breath. He immediately opened the door of the passenger’s seat of his master’s car. Paul was Gabriel’s driver and personal assistant. He doesn’t usually leave his employer’s side. But today, he asked to take a leave to assist a family member to a hospital. “What happened to your car, if I may ask, boss?” Paul touched the dent in the executive’s newly bought vehicle. “Don’t ask me again,” Gabriel let out a deep sigh as he recalled his unfortunate mishap with Evina Chen. A flicker of thought came to him, wondering how she was doing after that. But then he immediately shook it off his head after he recalled how she tried to kick his bollocks. “I already called for service. How is your mother?” Gabriel answered, distracting him from asking more about it. He then laid his head on the headrest of the seat. Paul had already started the car. In a few minutes, they were already
Meanwhile… "I'll be there in ten minutes. Hold on, Evie." Maria comforted Evina as she honked her car horn like crazy. She had received the news that her younger sister just got fired. Without even saying goodbye to her colleagues, she immediately left her current location to meet with her. They were on the phone as she drove to where she was. "Take your time, Iya. It's not the end of the world," Evina replied to her older sister in a cheerful way. "Don't pull my leg. I know you too much, Evina Chen," Maria rolled her eyes, making Evina snort at the other end of the line. "Fine. Thanks, Jiejie. I appreciate it," Evina said sincerely before they dropped the call. Evina then picked up the iced tea in front of her to calm down her aching heart. Maria was right. She was devastated with the outcome of what she had done. Even though she believed that she just did the right thing, she was also concerned about her career. She let out a
Ring! Ring! Ring! Evina immediately sat up in bed. She hurriedly stood up, put on her slippers and grabbed on her towel. Like her usual morning routine, she was about to take a bath. It was until she realized that she had nowhere to go. “It must be my body clock or something. You’re now officially a bum, Evina. Welcome to your new life.” She tapped her head three times, making sure it would work properly. She went back to her bed and slumped back to her soft pillows before picking up her phone to check on her news feeds. Now she has all the time in the world to do so. As she was scanning her social media account, she saw that her former classmate just posted pictures of herself on stage with a thousand likes and hearts. She was recently promoted by the company that she was working for. “I’m sure she just licked her boss’ feet.” Evina rolled her eyes. She continued to scroll up her phone some more. As she did so, her face which was prev
Evina immediately searched for The Elysian Inc on the internet. She was familiar with the giant corporation, but she was unacquainted with the people behind the hierarchy. She must have vast knowledge of the company if she wants to be a part of it. “The Elysian Inc. offers a huge choice of software for many purposes. Their software is by far the most used operating system in the country. With an acquired revenue of $107.8 million, the dominating software industry remains The Elysian Inc. The company was founded in 1965 by founder Chairman Rafael Yang.” “Pretty impressive,” Evina nodded her head as she scrolled down the page. However, what caught her eye was the picture of the founder of the remarkable corporation. “I think he looks familiar,” She zoomed in to the picture of Chairman Yang, which was also in the webpage that she was looking at. He looks very attractive for a man his age. His aquiline nose was very prominent over his chiseled, angular fa
"You know how much I want you, Evina," Julian said in a husky voice, completing the frightening ambiance in the car. They were still in the parking lot of an abandoned building where Julian had brought Evina. Still in a daze, Evina froze as she couldn't believe what was just happening. It was only a few hours ago when he visited her in her unit, together with her older sister, Maria. He told her that he knew of a job opening in their company, which made her come with him. "L-let's go, Julian. They must have been waiting for us," she unconsciously blurted out, her eyes frantically searching for a sign that they were indeed in Julian's company. And he would not do what she was thinking that she would do. But the lights continued to flicker, casting shadows on Julian's threatening face. Evina pulled back until her whole body was stuck on the car door. "I've been waiting for so long," He drawled in between breaths. His eyes started drinking her bo
“All right, don’t pick us. It’s your loss, not ours!" Evina gritted her teeth as she marched out of the Tech Studios parking lot.She has worked on this project for months. But the CEO of Tech Studios chose another company as their business partner. As far as she knows, the owner of that firm uses bribes to gain an edge above other tech firms.The sun outside was so scorching hot that one could fry an egg just by cracking it in the ground. But Evina didn't mind as she tramped on it."I hope all you greedy executives go bankrupt. Or better yet, you should rot in jail for the rest of your life!" she screamed at the top of her lungs before opening the door of her car with full force.*Screech!*
Gabriel’s eyes blinked rapidly as he gazed at his bride. His heart almost stopped beating.She looked exquisitely lovely in her dazzling white mermaid cut wedding gown, designed with pearls and choice gemstones. Her flaming red hair was neatly tucked under her veil.“You’re one lucky man, sir,” Paul whispered in his ear, making him nod in agreement. His eyes twinkled with an inner glow.He put his arms behind his back as he awaited his queen to come walking towards him in front of the aisle.As he did so, he drew in a deep breath. He could not imagine himself being wedded, and being much in love with his bride, like this.All his life he has dedicated himself to the company and for him, having a girlfriend, much so a wife, is an additional responsibility.That’s before he met Evina, the woman who made his heart live again.Now she was slowly walking towards where she was. Every step made his heart jump wi
After three months...Evina clutched her waist as she felt fluttery butterflies circling inside it. She bit her lips to prevent them from trembling.She didn’t know that this event would be this nerve-wracking. She thought that since they’ve been together through hoops, this wouldn’t be a stressful event anymore.“Relax, you’re ruining your makeup,” Maria scolded her as she checked her reflection in the mirror.‘Simon, remove your coat. That cake might spill on it. We don’t have a spare your size,” Maria turned to Simon, who was busy eating ice cream at that moment.Evina peeked at the window, her autumn eyes beholding the round tables with beautiful floral centerpieces. Some of the guests were already there.Gabriel must be in another room with his best man, Paul. Was he feeling the same way she was feeling right now?She felt her nervous sweat clinging to her white gown. She want
After three months... Evina clutched her waist as she felt fluttery butterflies circling inside it. She bit her lips to prevent them from trembling. She didn’t know that this event would be this nerve-wracking. She thought that since they’ve been together through hoops, this wouldn’t be a stressful event anymore. “Relax, you’re ruining your makeup,” Maria scolded her as she checked her reflection in the mirror. ‘Simon, remove your coat. That cake might spill on it. We don’t have a spare your size,” Maria turned to Simon, who was busy eating ice cream at that moment. Evina peeked at the window, her autumn eyes beholding the round tables with beautiful floral centerpieces. Some of the guests were already there. Gabriel must be in another room with his best man, Paul. Was he feeling the same way she was feeling right now? She felt her nervous sweat clinging to her white gown. She wanted to take it off, but her friends had a hard t
William felt like he had slept for a long time. His body was sore and he felt a sharp pain in his stomach.His face grimaced as he tried to recall what happened.He remembered going to Chairman Yang even with a gunshot wound. He didn’t want to fail him again.Fortunately, he reached there on time. But he couldn’t recall what happened after that. Everything was already blurred up.While he was contemplating the situation, he heard voices talking around him.“You should’ve bought grapes. You know, Dad doesn’t like peaches.”“There are no grapes in the store. Besides, I remember him eating this before.”“He just ate it because you forced him to. Don’t you remember?”He opened his eyes, so he could see them clearly. It’s Maria and Evina, quarreling over a basket of fruits.He lifted his hand. But as he did so, he noticed that there was an IV set attached
Evina didn’t know how she made it back to the Chairman. Her lids were already swollen from crying.She was about to go to the Chapel of the hospital and pray all night for God’s extension of life for her father. But she wanted to say goodbye to the Chairman first, out of respect.“It seems that you’re finally reconciled with the Chairman, Dad. After twenty long years. And you still have a lot of time to spend your years together,” she mumbled to herself.“You can drink up all night, share your family stories under the night sky. Then we, your children, would scold you both and make you come to bed like you used to do to us when we were young,” Evina rattled on while laughing at her imagination like a crazy woman as she dragged her feet back to where she left the Chairman.To her surprise, she didn’t just see the Chairman with his guards. There were three other people with him.“Evina,” Mar
Feeling a little great, Evina returned to the ICU to check on her father’s state. Her face had a little radiance to it, unlike her appearance when she first came to the hospital. She had just donated blood to her devastated father. She has also encountered a man whom she didn’t know would help them. However, she couldn’t help but worry about her father. His state was still uncertain. She could only cry out to God for a miracle. “He still hasn’t met his grandchildren from me yet,” she heaved out a long sigh as she bit her lips. Her tired and aching feet dragged until she reached the ICU. To her surprise, she saw the Chairman still, sitting in one of the chairs. It was as if he was waiting for the door to open up, so he would be updated on her father’s status. Evina stopped for a moment and drew in a deep breath as she watched the Chairman. He looked like he was a good friend who was deeply concerned about his friend’s condition.
Evina’s pulse quickened as her eyes beheld him. It seemed that her blood rushed to every part of her muscles, making her blood pressure rise up at that moment.She recalled the incident that happened just a few hours ago. His brother attacked Gabriel and her in the parking lot. And he was also the reason why his father was on death’s bed right now.Evina couldn’t control herself. She rushed forward and almost slapped his face. If it weren’t for the nurses who stopped her, she must have hit him hard.“You and your shameless family. Why are you even here?” She couldn’t help but blurt out. He seemed to be working out something with the nurses when they entered the room.Evina was about to donate her blood to her father when she saw Julio, the least of all the people that she expected to see.“Hello again, Miss Chen. Don’t you want to know who saved your father’s life?” His l
Evina’s heart pumped in a frenzy as she traversed the traffic to the hospital where her father was admitted. She still hasn’t moved on from the chaotic scene at the parking lot. To be honest, she didn’t want to leave Gabriel behind. Even with his position, he could still go to jail. The son of Chairman Ming was badly beaten by him. She has already put him in prison. Fortunately for her, the women that he abused spoke up. And there were also other people who helped them, including Gabriel’s connection. But she also has an idea that with his influence, he could easily get out and go on a rampage, if he didn’t serve his penance. She just wasn’t aware that he would attempt to murder her, her father, and Gabriel. Still, there was a much-pressing issue, greater than all these. And that’s the life and death situation of her father. She could have easily gone there if it wasn’t for Julian’s antics. Fortunately, the taxi came to