4

Mia's POV

Two weeks later

“ Erm... Aren't you going to have breakfast? I... I made you breakfast but of course I got help from Madam Lisa,” I said feeling awkward. I wasn't sure if I said that I prepared it alone, he would want to eat.

“ Jeena, throw away the food she made,” he ordered. He was going to throw away the food I had spent my time and effort making just because he didn't like me. I clenched my fist and fought back the tears that wanted to flow so badly.

“ Yes, sir,” the maid was hesitant but she couldn't lose her job because of me of course.

“ Don't ever cook for me. I never asked you to, to begin with so stop playing wife,” he frowned. Did he think I was insincere? Besides, wasn't he the one who told me that even if it's just on paper, I should still perform my wifely duties?

“ I-I’m sorry,” I stuttered.

“ Neo, get the car ready,” he said walking out of the dining room.

“ Yes, sir,” Neo, his secretary replied.

“ W-will you be back early?” I looked away the moment I asked, using the tip of both my index fingers to touch each other.

“ Who do you think you are that I should be reporting to you?” He glared at me. I didn't know when I took a few steps back in fear.

“ T-that’s not what I meant when I said that,” I fidgeted, tears began to roll down my cheeks. Why was he treating me like this? Sometimes, I find it hard to believe that it was the same Azek that had been nice to me, the same Azek I had fallen in love with. I even thought at some point that he might have had feelings for me, was everything just in my head? Would he be happy to be with me if I told him who I was? No, I doubt that.

“ I have better things to be doing than having to deal with you,” he said leaving the house with Neo. My knees went weak and I came crumbling down but a strong arm around my waist prevented me from hitting the floor.

“ Madam Mel?” I looked back to see that she was the one who had prevented me from hitting the floor.

“ Don't dwell on how Azek just spoke to you, he can be cranky sometimes,” more like he was cranky because it was me. “ You need to head to work, you don't want to be late,” she smiled at me. She was so nice to me that it made me doubt if all she was showing me was nothing but a charade.

“ Thank you, Madam Mel,” I managed to smile as she raised me.

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Getting to the convenience store, I began to take stock of things with Lizzy who was close to me at the shop. The store hadn't opened for the day yet so now was the perfect time to cross-check everything.

“ I think that's about all,” Lizzy concluded, closing the inventory records.

“ Yes, I believe we've had it all sorted out. We better open the store now,” I sighed. I had just come and yet I felt exhausted having to go through every single good.

We opened the convenience store and in less than five minutes of opening for the day, customers began flooding in. The store was built in a rather strategic place as it was located in a busy neighborhood. Businesses like stores, cafes, and restaurants would thrive here, especially since it was a rather crowded neighborhood.

“ Look over there,” Lizzy whistled to get my attention.

“ What is it, Lizzy? We're supposed to be focusing on our jobs,” I answered in a low voice. We were auxiliary attendants I would say since we were mainly behind the counter, in charge of the cash machine so we rarely needed to leave our post unless the other attendants were busy and they needed extra hands. So yes, we were the cashiers and the auxiliary attendants as I would call it.

“ Come on! Just look,” she pressured. Lizzy tended to gossip about nearly everything she saw from new neighbors to cats in the alleyways but the topic that she couldn't resist the most was hot guys. She would never pass up an opportunity to talk about a hot guy she encountered.

“ Fine!” I exclaimed in frustration. Looking at where she had been bugging me to see, my eyes met a handsome man in his early thirties. He was a regular customer at the convenience store and we sometimes spoke, though it was never something deep. He smiled at me and gave me a tiny little wave to not attract attention. I simply gave a warm smile in exchange - not too broad, not too serious. It was just right.

“ Ever since he saw you in this store, he's been frequenting here,” Lizzy commented.

“ Oh please Lizzy, shut it, Lizzy. He's probably hummm, just here for groceries just like every other person here,” I shrugged off.

“ Shit, are you just playing dumb or are you an idiot?” She looked at me with twisted brows. “ He smiles at you, waves at you, and tries to strike up a conversation with you whenever hangs around till you're less busy. Do I have to keep going on and on?” She asked frustrated.

“ Lizzy, just get back to doing your job okay? We don't want to get the attention of the manager,” I advised.

“ She's not even here,” she mumbled. Our manager was very cranky and prone to shouting, the last thing I wanted was to get an earful from her but Lizzy didn't care much. It wasn't her first time and it surely won't be her last.

“ But I'm being for real, I think he's really into you,” she gossiped once more.

“ No, he's not. Besides, even if he is, I'm married,” I reminded her.

“ Oh yeah, I keep forgetting that you are. I mean, you're young and pretty and you attract the attention of lots of men,” she went on and on like we weren't the same age to begin with.

“ So with all these said, I'm not interested in your lover boy,” besides, Azek was a million times finer.

“ Speaking of your husband, how hot is he?” She drew close to me and pried.

“ Lizzy!” This girl was impossible. She reminded me a lot about Nita, too bad Azek wouldn't let me see them again - Nita and Natalia that is.

“ What? I'm just curious. I can't just imagine someone as pretty as you being married to an average Joe. That should be my fate,” she placed the back of her hand on her forehead dramatically. Her bluntness always marveled me

“ Lizzy, please focus for once,” I sighed. She was a handful.

“ Fine,” she pouted. “ You're no fun,” she sulked but knowing Lizzy well enough, it wouldn't last even up to an hour.