Max was dazed this whole morning. Everything felt like she was wading through water.
It was so... So surreal.
She sat on the couch staring at the 65-inch smart TV, unmoving. The news channel was on and on the lower right corner, the date and time flashed interchangeably.
She didn't care how many headlines had passed. Only watching the lower right corner.
At first, she didn't believe her phone and her digital clock.
But after switching to five different news channels of various languages and also checking the world clock online, it started to sink in.
But it was still unbelievable.
How could a forty-seven-year-old woman magically go back to her twenty-seven-year-old self?
She sat like a statue for the whole day. Waiting...
Waiting for a devil to drag her back to hell, maybe. Or an angel to take her to heaven.
But the former was still more likely.
Her phone rang a few times but she didn't take it. She also didn't open her laptop.
She was only pulled back from her reverie when the screen of her TV flashed with an incoming video call.
~Dad~
That one word caused her whole body to tremble.
Stiffly, she motioned to receive it.
Instantly, the worried face of her father filled the screen.
"Max? Maxene? Are you okay? Your secretary just called, saying you didn't go to work today. But she didn't dare visit you 'cause you strictly prohibit anyone to come to your unit. Princess, are you sick? You never missed a day of work so I'm worried... Max?"
With red-rimmed eyes and slightly trembling lips, Max said her usual answer. "I'm not a princess, dad."
She bit her lip to swallow a sob. "I just didn't feel well this morning."
The frown on his face slightly abated when he heard her answer, a bit of a smile also appeared.
"Did you take some medicine? Wait, did you call Dr. Ortega? You should've called us too ah. You know your mom-"
"What know me? Is that my daughter?"
Another face popped up.
"...Hold it there so we can fit! Darling... What happened to you?!"
The elegant lady's smile vanished as soon as she saw her daughter looking like a bum.
Max probably had disheveled hair and she was still wearing her oversized white shirt over plain joggers.
"Are you sick? Where's the doctor? Should we fly home? I'll book it now, it's only-"
"Mom, you're overreacting. It's just a slight fever. I already took a tablet so it's gone now."
Lie.
"Maybe you're overworking. Why stress yourself? You're the CEO! You have the bragging rights to take it easy. When your dad was still CEO, he never missed our date nights and your school activities. While you! You're taking it way more seriously than your dad. You don't even bother to find a husband and start a family! When will I hold cute little dumplings? At this rate-"
"Mom..."
"Okay, I'll stop!" She put her hands up in defeat. "Nico, talk some sense to your daughter. She should know how to take care of herself. If she can't do that, find someone to do it for her!"
Nico looked at his daughter sheepishly while wrapping an arm around the woman beside him.
"Sweetheart, be more lenient ah. When did Max let us down? It's okay to enjoy singlehood and to be careful at choosing a life partner too."
Emilia shot an eyebrow up. "Lenient? Look at your daughter! Look how much her body's inked and look at her hair, god that side of her head that's shaved! If I'm not lenient then who is?! Not that I'm complaining though. Of course, no matter what, my daughter's still beautiful."
Seeing her father speechless, Max decided to help. "Alright, let's put up a ceasefire here. Go, enjoy country hopping. Don't come back here until you're satisfied. I love both of you so much."
That successfully shut her mother up. The lady's eyes reddened.
"Maxene, are you sure you're okay?"
Max was stunned by the sudden question. She forgot that she was never showy to her parents until the latter years of their lives.
But soon, she beamed at them. "I'm okay, ma. Never better!"
"Alright sweetie, love you too. Take care, okay?"
"Bye, princess. Love you!"
When the call ended, tears quietly slid down Max's face.
It had been eight years since she last saw her parents.
Mom passed away first due to heart failure and old age. Dad followed months later. His frail body couldn't take the loss of his other half even though he already had Alzheimer's back then.
Now, they were still hale and at the prime of their lives.
Would it be selfish if she took this as a second chance?
Would it be disastrous if this time around, she would passionately pursue her happiness instead of looking at the world with apathetic eyes?
She didn't know the answer.
Ahh, screw it!
Why send her back if she couldn't undo her regrets?
It wasn't as if she'd kill someone.
She wouldn't right?
Max only looked like a goon. But she was far from one.
Quite.
[... For our Hot Showbuzz News! Superstar, singer-actor Gabriel Lee currently has a viral video scandal online! Can you believe that the innocent little lamb does those things on-cam with another man? The video was reportedly uploaded to various sites an hour ago and instantly gained thousands of views after the first hour. As of now, Pyra Entertainment hasn't released a statement yet...]
Max's ears went static as her eyes gleamed with cold light.
The news announcer didn't look professional at all and was worse than an anonymous tabloid writer.
So today was the day.
She couldn't prevent it after all.
Max immediately fumbled for her phone and connected it to the smart TV to contact her secretary.
Her secretary would have to work overtime today.