Chapter 7

Chapter 7.

A sigh of relief escaped Ivy’s lips as she walked into the bakery that stood right across the street from her office. The smell of freshly baked goods always had a weird calming effect on her, one of the reasons why she thought she would become a baker if she failed to pass the bar exams or even afford an education at all. 

“Lucky you.” She muttered, taking in the happy smile on the face of the sales attendant. For a moment, she wondered what her life would be like if she had just chosen this life. The life of a baker; a simple one. 

She most definitely would never have crossed paths with Carlos, that’s for sure. Still, the past cannot be undone which is why she had decided to take her future and that of Carlos in her hands. 

The lively chatter of customers and sales attendants came to life again in her ears as she pulled herself out of her thoughts and approached the counter.

“What would you have today, miss.” the beautiful Black American lady asked, smiling at her. 

“Two Empanadas and one Pastel de Tres Leches please,” she replied, returning the smile.

“Enseguida!” 

“Oh and a latte too,” Ivy added. The attendant nodded in acknowledgment.

The attendant was swift with her order and in a matter of minutes, Ivy was making her way to one of the tables. Her stomach growled and she could not wait to be fed and she could not pass blame. She had skipped lunch today so that she could clear up the loads of work on her desk. 

Ivy’s excitement dropped a notch when she realized that there were no empty tables. There were either families or couples seated at each table. “I knew it, I should have ordered takeout,” she grumbled.

There was a man seated alone on one of the tables but if there was anything she did not want after having such a long day, it was having to spend her free time awkwardly seated with a stranger. Decided, she made a U-turn to the counter to request a takeout when she sighted a couple leaving one of the tables that happened to be located behind the lone man. Her excitement was back on and she began approaching the table.

As she approached the table, she noticed strange reactions from the lone man she had sighted earlier. At first, it seemed like he was trying to adjust in his seat, but she noticed the way he kept reaching for his throat with his hands as if trying to relieve an itch that would not go away.

Ivy slowed down, noticing that something was off. His face, which had been a normal color just moments ago, now paled into a red color as he panicked, his breathing strained and forced. His movements became more clumsy, and he knocked over a glass as he tried to call for help but no words came out, his gaze fixed directly on her.

Confused, and uncertain of what was happening, she rushed over to his side but by the time she reached his table, he had slumped to the ground, trembling violently. Desperate to help, she quickly put down the tray in her and knelt beside him, lifting his head onto her thighs.

“Sir, please stay with me.” Ivy urged, trying to steady her voice as she was starting to tremble with fear. 

Frantically, her eyes searched the store, hoping someone else would notice and come to their aid but everyone seemed caught up in their business. “Someone call an ambulance!” she screamed at the top of her voice and that did the magic.

Curious eyes turned in their direction, and suddenly, everyone sprang into action. One of the customers quickly dialed for help. “We need an ambulance. A man has just collapsed and we don’t know what’s wrong.” 

The ambulance arrived just in time, and the paramedics wheeled him out on a stretcher. “Are you his guardian?” One of them asked, stunning Ivy.

“No. No, I’m not.” She replied, still shaken. “He’ll be okay, right?” She asked, her brows creased with concern as she glanced at the man who was already being attended to in the ambulance. 

“Of course. You can tag along if you want.” 

“No, it’s alright.” she declined, her gaze fixed on the man as they closed the doors and drove off.

“Look who's back?” Juan threw his hands in the air, as Ivy walked into the room, rolling her eyes at him.

****************************************************************************

“Hi, Juan.” Her voice was monotonous. She sinks onto the couch, taking off her heels as she reaches for the jar of water and glass on the table.

She had called Juan hours before her day ended at work to wait for her back home. Juan knew where her spare key always was. He was the only one she could trust and that meant she had nothing to hide or fear when he was in the picture.

“You look exhausted.”

“Enraged, you mean.” She set down the cup, wrinkled lines forming on her face.

“It took every fiber in me not to pounce on the bastard right there and then in his office.” she tightened her fingers in a fist, her gaze distant. 

“The fact that I have to endure seeing his stupid face every day makes my bones shiver in disgust.” 

“There are other ways to get back at him, you know? You don't necessarily have to work for him or endure any of that.” Juan's tone was laced with concern. 

Ivy shook her head, hinting at her disapproval of his words. “As much as he disgusts me, this is something I must do. We have to get close enough to find more loopholes we can use against him.” She said with defiance in her tone, her eyes filled with determination.

In the three years that Juan had come to know her, trying to convince her otherwise whenever her mind was fixed on something was almost impossible. He knew to let her have her way rather than stop her. Maybe this is indeed the only way Valerie can heal from her past hurts and move on as Ivy, her new self.