Martin could hear the strong wind hitting the windows of the hotel room they were staying in. Martin woke up in the dark and thought about things he had to do.
Martin hadn’t slept, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t sleep. There were way too many things on his mind; what he had promised and what he had to do, and things he still left unsaid.
He carefully took back his arm that was initially resting on Celine’s waist and got up from the bed. Celine was still sleeping soundly, and he didn’t want to disturb her. Under the moonlight, he could see her cute sleeping face, and just the sight made him smile. He thanked her in silence for always being there for him. He was grateful to have her as the only clarity in his world of uncertainty.
The sunrise this morning was so peaceful, and Martin felt the light on his skin so warm that he hadn't felt it in a long time.When we were staying side by side together like this, Martin blamed himself for letting the time pass for so many years before he had to courage to talk to Celine again. If he had gone back to see it as he initially promised, we could have been seeing the sunrise together time and again.But he also knew that everything had its own time—just like his mental wound that needed time to heal. Memories can be forgotten, but deep down, Martin knew full well that he got good memories. All the emotions and every event were still vivid in his memories. He just needed to accept that fact. One day, he had to tell Celine what had happened to him. And that day would arrive soon enough. Before the day
“Martin…why…what is this…what…?” Celine was looking at his new car, confused. “I want to drive you to work in the morning. You don’t have to use your own car. And here… your coffee.” Martin handed her coffee that he had just bought from her favorite coffee shop nearby. “A new car? When did you buy this? And why are you wearing a suit? Where are you going?” She was staring at his favorite gray suit. She looked at him from head to toe and his car. “I went to buy one yesterday after we got back to London in the afternoon. And oh, today, I have some errand to run, so I won’t be around your office.”
Martin knew he was the type of person with limited courage. And when it came to issues that were triggering, he might even call himself a coward. Especially this time when he felt that returning to work was one of the most difficult things in his life.He didn’t want to look at him with pity or, worse, with insults. And there was a possibility of failure. He still remembered every word of insult and hurtful blow to his ego. That reminded him that he was not good enough and that he might not be good enough or ever improve. He stepped into this task, knowing what he had to face. At least the tradeoffs were worth it. He wanted to be better. But it still hurt to face the similar environment he was in—the competitiveness and the fast-paced environment of business. It wasn’t surprising that he had anxiety.If he could choose to live his life as he pleased, he would always be with the woman he loved, but again, with her current wo
Martin didn’t pick up his phone… Celine looked down at her phone. He just sent her a message saying that he wasn’t feeling well, and he couldn’t pick her up this evening and have dinner. He also could not make it tomorrow.When she called him back, she found that his phone had been turned off. What happened to him? She texted him and bit her lip. She couldn’t sit still and wait for him to tell her what was happening anymore. Why did he have to be this quiet about his life when he had already promised? Why didn’t he tell her? Wasn’t she trustworthy enough for him? What was going on? Why did he do that? Why didn’t he
The sound of someone else's breathing other than his own was the first sound Martin heard upon waking up. Drowsily opened his eyes in the dim-lit room, and then there was this touch from someone who was hugging him tightly. Celine... When did you come into my room...? He stared at her sleepy face for a long time, her thick eyelashes, her elegant nose, and her well-formed lips. Martin knew full well that he had disappointed her time and again. Although she was the person he loved more than life itself. He loved her so much that he never thought he could love anyone this much. He loved her too much that he thought he was not supposed to love her once he looked back at himself.&n
It shouldn’t be that bad…Yesterday's anger and frustration were a sudden temper that was too intense for Martin to comprehend. He tried to understand everything that had just happened. His psychiatrist once said that self-encouragement and positive thinking are hard to muster up by oneself. But he could train himself to think of something positive every day. Emotions can be controlled if he trains himself regularly. Still, those dark thoughts emerged again and again with just a small stimulus. With just a few words, he was triggered. And once he realized that everything he had tried to improve himself still wasn’t good enough and that the sins he committed would stay with him until the end of days, Martin went back to his usual routine—the vicious cycle of negative thoughts. There was no future, but the only dark past that still haunts him and the thoughts that were all he could be, a broken man. There was no way out. No one in the professional world and no one could accept him as
The soft hand that was holding Martin’s hand was shaking… Celine was much stronger than him. He gave up. He just gave up and yielded to her. Everything was obvious. He gave Celine a smile with tears in his eyes. She returned with a smile, but her eyes turned to confusion when he let go of her hand. “Martin...” He didn’t let her be confused for long, and Martin quickly hugged her. “….” “Thank you.” He whispered to her ears. Celine’s body was trembling. The increasingly heavier rain made the weather start to get cold. But that wasn't the real reason the woman in his arms began to show weakness. “Without you, I don’t know what I will turn into. Thank you for always being beside me….” While he was trying to express his appreciation, she hit him on the shoulders. “Ouch! Why did you hit me!?” “And I’m not afraid to do it again!” And she hit him again, stronger this time.
“Martin, what are you doing?” Celine's call brought him to his senses. He was distracted by his thought and blanked out for a long time. He looked at Celine, and she seemed nervous. In one glance, he saw fear in those beautiful eyes. Martin clenched his shirt tightly. His hands trembled uncontrollably. “…I never wanted to hide anything from you…I j-just…I am just afraid. I’m so afraid….” His voice shook as he told her the truth. He gritted his teeth, and he could not control his hands, which were still shaking. “What are you afraid of?” There was fear in her question, too. She asked him quietly as if it was a whisper. He knew she tried to remain calm for him, but it was difficult to be calm in a situation like this. He shook his head and took a step back from her. The memories brought him back to that faithful day. Not the day in prison. Not the day he was beaten up until he fell unconscious. Not the day he was la
“Celine, why are you so quiet tonight? Talk to me, will you?” Martin spoke out, breaking the silence. They were back to his room after dinner with her friends. And she couldn’t find words to say anything. She could only sneak a peak at him. Instead of saying anything, she walked to hug him. “What is this all about?” He chuckled and hugged her back. She decided to sleep over at his place tonight. Soon, he will move to a condo she helped him choose, a new property he will buy. It took a while for the deal to go through. Martin wasn’t the bossy one. To Celine, when it came to big purchases, he seemed to be too casual about it. She saw through the deals and negotiated the price for him. It was also not a coincidence that the condo that Martin bought was precisely in the design and style that Celine loved. “I just do what I want to do.” She replied, referring to her hold on him. She wouldn’t let go so easily. Martin chuckled at her strange action and kissed her f
When Celine and Martin sat at the table with Celine’s friends surrounding them, she knew the source of her nervousness. The CEO sat still and observed the conversation exchanged between Martin and her friends. Her friends shot him question after question, but Martin was no longer a man of few words. He smiled and put on all his charms. He got to know her friend one by one. There was Jessica, a hotel heiress, that Martin expertly discussed the business of the F&B industry with. Kimberly, an up-and-coming model, with whom Martin got into an intense debate over the trend of fast fashion ethics. And then there was Marie, a real estate heiress and socialite that seemed to like Martin a bit too much. She just kept looking at him when he told her what he knew about the real estate market. Before coming here, her friends teased her that they would question him to the point that he might run away or be afraid to have dinner with Celine’s friend group again. That didn’t see
Celine had worked with countless executives and talented individuals, and she found out that after working with different types of people, there were people who were considered great workers because they knew how to work smart. Another type is people who are naturally gifted, and then there is Martin. He deserves his own category. Celine knew prior to deciding to partner with him that he was a capable man in every sense of the word. But after one month from the day that he agreed to sign the contract with her, everything happened so fast. Everything that Martin did exceed her expectation. Since that day, he asked to spend two weeks traveling to her factories, met her designers, and called in a marketing consultant. He even flew to Paris and then Japan and also Dubai to meet up with retailers and suppliers. He studied the market and came up with a plan for business expansion as well as product ideas that would fit different markets. He reviewed all of the company’s
“Oh, c’mon, we have taken our relationship to this point. We shouldn’t have anything to hide from each other. Just tell me, Martin.” Celine stared at the man in front of her. He was visibly nervous and clearly in search of the right words. But there was no right word. She knew he might not tell her anything at all. “Martin, please. I deserve to know.” Her voice was soft. She didn’t force him. She was just pleading for the truth. Martin hesitated. But in the end, he relented. “I…I am afraid I will mess it all up.” He confessed. And she frowned. “Messing, what up?” “Everything. Everything here…” He looked around the room. Martin was worried and refused to look at her. “What do you mean? Like messing up the business? You will singlehandedly bankrupt me? Is that something on your mind?” Celine tried to elaborate. She wanted to say that that was utter nonsense but reserved her words. “Yes, exactly that. This is your dream. This
Martin was looking at the white wall and the decorations inside his ‘interview room’ for today. He smiled at what he saw. How could he not like the room when it was he who designed it on a piece of paper and handed it to her that day on the island? The idea materialized into reality because of Celine. He thought of his life as he waited for Celine to finish her online meeting. He didn’t know what his life would become without her. She had always been caring and prioritized his issues as if they were her own. He really didn’t know what he would become without her. Even though this aspect of his life he thought would never overlap with her, his career, she still offered to help him with it.He gave her an answer yesterday. And today, Martin intended to do the same.He had every intention of denying her generous offer.Yes… yesterday, he denied her offer. But Celine being as stubborn as she was, asked him to at least go through an interview, to really talk through the details and let h
“Do you think Celine would know if we are spying on them?” Celine’s parents were lurking in the corner of the room, observing their daughter and her boyfriend from a distance. From this angle, it perfectly gave them a clear view of the couple. It was also a rare occasion for Celine to be in the kitchen at all. They knew that she was a terrible cook. No matter how many compliments they had given to her burnt toast in the past, they knew in their heart that her being in the kitchen was also a risk of a fire that could break out at any time. “I think she knows, but she doesn’t care. You know how she is. She does whatever she wants.” Celine’s father, who pretended to read the news on his tablet in case his daughter looked his way, said. He knew Celine well. She never cares much about others’ opinions if she sets her mind on something. It didn’t take long for their small chitchat and spying that Celine’s mother yelped in excitement after seeing someth
After Martin stood still for a while and let Celine hug him, she let go of him and helped out with other jobs of this cooking task. Martin was quite dumbfounded when it came to the matter of cooking. He hadn’t cooked good food for himself for years, so it was not surprising that it took him longer than expected to prepare the ingredients. He did look up the recipe on the internet and tried to go slow. But he completely lost his confidence when it came to performing a task that produced an outcome. He felt totally out of place and even felt weird holding the pot and pan, and utensils. Celine was always by his side and helped him. She was no great chef, and she admitted it, but Celine still enjoyed the process, definitely a lot more than he did. The pasta was something Martin thought was the easiest menu to make, but even so, he overcooked the pasta, boiling it too long that it became too soft. He just could not time it right. We had to redo the whole thing again. It was strang
Celine came back to Martin’s place around 7 PM. Once she arrived, the first thing she asked of him was for him to shower and dress well because she was taking him outside. She told him that she wanted to take him somewhere. She didn’t tell him where no matter how many times he asked. Celine smiled at him tiredly. She must have a lot of work and responsibility to handle. He felt guilty for making her worried this morning, and the whole incident took some time out of her days. He really wanted her to rest a bit more. Once Martin got in the car, he saw several bags in the backseat. He was a bit curious about its content but thought to pass it. His curiosity didn’t matter. He kept quiet and asked about other things. “How’s your day? A lot of work to handle? Are you tired?” He turned to see that the woman in the driver's seat was smiling in answer. “Seeing you are looking so contented today, I am not the least bit tired,” Celine answered him. That smile
Martin was on the balcony of his condo and staring into the bright blue sky that was considered rare for London. Once he got a chance to confess what happened and explain everything that he faced in life, he felt as if the grey clouds that surrounded him were disappearing.Celine told him she wanted to spend time with him all day, but her business was expanding, and she had meeting after meeting and not to mention the documents she had to review. Even though he wanted her to stay with him all day, he was the one that asked her to go to work as initially planned. He had no business disturbing her work schedule. Celine was an executive and had responsibilities to take care of. She had no time for this. Martin was still confused over what had just happened. His brain returned to the event that took place earlier this morning. His hand kept massaging his temple and his eyes fixated on the vast blue sky.Martin abruptly ceased all movement when he finally realized that he had told Celin