Chapter Three

Slowly tapping her fingers against the wooden table, Sierra impatiently waits for anything unusual.

'Good morning, Mr. Agustus.'

It was so quiet she didn't even have to try hard to hear them perfectly. In fact, the voice of Alek and whoever he was with was so clear she could imagine a woman politely standing in front of her husband.

'Any update from the damaged vessel?' He didn’t just sound serious. It’s more than that. Alek sounded authoritative. Not just bossy, he sounds like a boss.

It all sounded so natural.

Then, why is he pretending he is scared of his boss? He would often say how their employer had no room for excuses. They even had to postpone their honeymoon because of an important meeting. Was any of that even real?

Whether or not it was true, she would find out soon.

'Yes, sir. Operations resumed to normal at six today. There were setbacks but no major problems.'

'I see. Give me an update before lunchtime. I want to make sure everything's alright before the day ends. We can't let any more problems happen.'

'Sure, sir. I'll get back to you on this.'

"Interesting," she commented. Her back rested on the chair. The movie continues to play, and even with an exciting scene of a woman getting angry at the lead male, throwing mud at him, Sierra could not spare any attention. All of it was on the audio of Alek and his company.

‘Any important meetings this week?’

‘Yes, sir. There’s-’

'Sir?' It was from another voice. She knows the work is decent, but the arrangement was eerie and too formal. As far as she was concerned, Alek handles records, and there's no employee working for him.

It's not even a big office, for goodness' sake. They were all acting as if they were on the top floor of a tall building.

She could never imagine Alek in such a place, but it seemed like it would suit him after listening.

‘Just send it to me by email. I’ll work around the schedule. I’ll inform you if changes need to be made.’

This wasn’t ideal. It was never a good idea to spy on some just because. This was the first idea that came to mind in pursuit of knowing the truth. It was the initiative first before the hesitations reached her mind. Most of the time, conscience plays a positive role, but Sierra is determined to brush it off once, just enough to get some evidence.

And here she was, getting it.

The bell on the door ringing signaled the arrival of a customer. A familiar face had her smile all ready with an empty basket when she entered the shop.

Without looking, Sierra hid what needed to be hidden on the desktop while the movie kept playing. There was not even a tiny hint of panic on her face.

“Miss Martin!” Sierra greets while removing her headset. “Right on schedule, I see.”

“Always, dear.”

Sierra handed her the bunch of daisies she had already prepared beforehand. On Tuesdays, Miss Martin would visit the grave of her husband, which she just lost a year ago. Sierra always makes sure to pick the prettiest white daisies, making sure every flower is fresh at the same time.

The old lady looked around the shop for more flowers. Taking deep inhales, enjoying the mixed scent of flowers in the room. Her daisies were tied using a blush pink ribbon, as Miss Martin always requested.

“A little bird told me you got married.”

“Yes, just yesterday.” Raising her hand, Sierra showed her wedding ring. “By the way, little bird?”

“Oh, you know this town, dear. The flu spreads fast, but gossip spreads faster. Last night, I heard about the news of you getting married, and this morning, someone told me that-” she leaned a little closer and signaled Sierra to do the same even when it’s just the two of them in the shop. “Landon was caught cheating with someone else. Tried to hide, but Margaret swears she saw with her own eyes that Landon was with a girl who wasn’t Laurie.” Her voice lowered even more when she mentioned the poor wife’s name.

Sierra is usually never fond of gossiping but living alone, and she needed some people to have her back when needed and someone who could keep her updated. Living in a foreign place, she is surrounded by strangers and they may be nice to her but sincerity could never be mentioned. On the small island of San Antonio, it’s easy to like someone, just as easy as stabbing them in the back.

Despite all of Miss Martin’s meddling, Sierra still faked an interested look with slightly parted lips for a more believable look of shock. “No way. Does Laurie know?”

She doesn’t even know someone named Laurie. Maybe it was that woman who would always give her a fake smile. It would be a bother remembering the name of people who don't like her for petty reasons. Such a waste of time. She still doesn’t deserve to be cheated on though. No one does.

“For sure, now she does. I’m sure she’d deny it. You know her, always determined to keep a certain image.”

Sierra handed the basket now full of daisies, fearing the old lady might stay longer and gossip even more. Now is not the time to listen to unverified rumors.

“Here you go.”

“Always, pretty. Thank you, Sierra. Love looks good on you, dear.” She touched her cheek as she said those words.

“Thank you,” she replies. Knowing too well Miss Martin would play a significant role in spreading a scandal about her if ever something would come up. The main reason why she entertains the dreadful little talks of town tales. They say keep your friends close and enemies closer. She believes in keeping the gossip around you all the time. Today, it might not be helpful, but you never know what will happen in the future.

After making sure that Miss Martin had indeed left, that her shadows could not be seen and she was out of earshot, Sierra sits back at her chair and resumes the interrupted listening. Alek was talking to an unfamiliar female voice and they were talking about business. Maybe her knowledge about Octagon Solutions was limited but she knows enough to understand that Alek is not just the kind of employee he says he is.

Taking notes of deliveries and unclaimed packages? Listing down the monthly revenue on their branch? It was stupid of her to believe so.

‘The main office needs you. I know you are doing everything you can but this arrangement can’t last long. This company needs its owner.’

‘I need more time.’ He told someone. ‘Just make sure you do everything not to get the wedding registered and tell me when things are done. Understood?’

‘Understood, sir. I’ll give you an update but consider it done.’

Her hand found a nearby scissor she used to cut the ribbon earlier. Without noticing, her grip on the thing tightened until her skin became pale. Drops of blood fell on the table from a cut. The bottled-up emotion, especially betrayal, made her chest tighten in pain. It would be easier if she could break down right then and there but all she could think of was how to trap him in his own lies.

'Never trust anyone.' Her mother would often remind her of when she was young. For a child, it didn't make any sense.

It was easy for her to trust people, but the thing about Sierra was that she could only give one chance. Even the most minor damage, even the slightest scratch is considered broken. Once broken, her trust could never be repaired

“Why is he doing this?” Sierra sighed as she wiped the blood on her fingers, not even wincing. "Just why."

The silhouette of a new customer waits outside. Sierra closes her laptop and holds the bleeding area. She was putting on a rehearsed pained expression when the door finally opened.