As Monday came, Claire was still struggling with the news of her parents' eviction.
"Gina, can I ask you for a personal favour?"
"Sure, boss."
"Can you check who is acquiring the Poger Estate?"
"Of course, Claire. Is everything alright?"
"Yes. Can you check their permits?"
"Sure. I'll get it to you as soon as." Gina rushed away.
Gina was very efficient and was back within an hour with printouts of the information she gathered
"Claire, it is our company that acquired the Poger Estate. It is set for demolition. I think all of the permits are in place."
"When is the deadline for appeals?"
"This Friday."
"Thank you, Gina."
"Hey, can you tell me what is this about?"
"My parents are getting evicted. They live in Poger Estate. I'm worried that my mum will not be able to get through the move without a huge impact on her health." Claire said honestly.
"Oh, Claire." Gina gasped. "I can help you write an appeal. Not sure whether we can stop it altogether, but… I think we can secure an extension of the eviction period."
"You think so?"
"Yes. The well-being of the residents will be highly impacted by such short notice. Besides, most residents lived there for several decades. Four weeks' notice is not sufficient. I can try to extend by another 12 weeks?"
"Gina, that would be amazing!"
"See, it's good to have a lawyer of sorts in your team."
"Didn't you drop out of law school?"
"It doesn't mean I didn't learn anything." Gina laughed. "I thought it was boring hence I went for an architectural degree."
"Much of a sameness." Claire shrugged. "Is Zoe about?"
"Yeah, I think she just came in just a moment ago. Hang on, I'll give her a shout." Gina came back a moment later with Zoe.
"I'm worried that Mr Moore will make my life miserable," Claire admitted. "I'd appreciate either your reassurance or some advice."
"What? Why? You've just secured another multimillion contract last week." Gina was the first one to pitch in.
"I don't think it'll be due to my work. I think it'll be because somehow I've irritated him."
"How so?"
"Zoe mentioned that he fired someone for getting in the lift with him." Claire pointed at Zoe.
"Indeed. It was Parker from Finance. He walked into the lift with the CEO." Gina nodded.
"So, I don't think I have long left." Claire sighed.
"Why? What happened?" Gina sat down on the chair on the other side of the desk.
"A few weeks back he entered the lift I was in and I didn't even realise."
"Yeah, I wonder how you're still here," Zoe admitted as she sat down in a chair beside Gina.
"This morning, when I came in, he just got in the lift."
"You didn't enter it, did you?" Zoe checked.
"I did," Claire admitted. Gina and Zoe gasped. "Well, I didn't intend to."
"You didn't intend to?"
"No, not at all. I've slowed down and tried to pretend that I'm distracted, but he held the door for me, so I felt so bad about it and I entered the bl*ody lift." Claire paced across her office. "I really should've thanked him and should've said that I'll take the stairs or something. I feel like I've just walked into his trap."
"Hang on, he held the elevator door for you?" Zoe's eyes widened.
"Yes. I think so. There was no one else around. I mean, it was 5:45, so there was barely anyone else at that time anyway. And he leaned forward and physically held the door to keep it open. It wasn't the case of holding the button, he held the door."
"Two things." Gina leaned forward. "Firstly, why the heck are you coming in at 5:45?"
"I'm working on the BGN Group project. It's the quietest that the office gets so I can work in peace."
"Okay, I'm going to let you off for that one. Even though, I do hope it's a temporary thing. You can't keep working fifteen-hour days."
"Thank you for your worry, Gina."
"Secondly, are you sure it was Mr Moore? He never showed any kindness to anyone. Surely, it couldn't be him. Like, yeah, holding the elevator doer is a trivial everyday thing, but not for the hot-tempered billionaire who treats every person as a vermin and a pest."
"I might've mistaken him for Mr Moore, but also, could I really with all the posters around the city?"
"Easily done." Zoe agreed. "I once mistook some random druggy for a rock star."
"What?" Claire and Gina looked at Zoe with surprise and concern.
"Not much of a muchness. He kinda looked like a singer from that big band."
"Big band? Don't tell me you don't even know the band?" Claire twisted her face in disapproval of her friend's life choices, knowing full well what Zoe did.
"I can't know the name of all of the popular bands, can I?" Zoe shrugged.
"Zoe, dear, please tell me that you didn't do anything stupid," Gina begged her.
"It wasn't stupid. It was probably the most thrilling night of my adulthood." Zoe smiled.
"Did you…?"
"Stop being such a prude, Gina. Of course, I did. He was kinda hot and after a few drinks, his smell didn't bother me that much."
"I still wonder how you're alive," Claire said with a smile.
"At least I'm living my life. You work every day, and if you're not here, you work for your parents. And Gina has picked herself the plainest and most boring boyfriend. They just stay at home and keep watching some stupid shows." Zoe shrugged.
"Hey!" Gina felt hurt by Zoe's remark.
"I'm glad that your life is exciting, Zoe. Now, let me go back to my work-fuelled life. I have a meeting in five."
"Sure, boss." Gina stood up and Zoe followed.
"Keep us updated. If we don't hear from you one day, we'll assume that you were brutally murdered for getting in the elevator with an actual Mr Moore." Zoe giggled as she closed the door behind her.
Claire sighed once left alone. Zoe's words struck a note. She was always working for someone else. She was always trying to do the best she could for her family.
Her parents worked hard to raise her, and ever since she could, she tried to give back to them. They never asked for it. They never expected it of her. And that was more of a reason that she tried her best to help them.
She always studied hard and she was always on top of her class. She worked throughout the university to pay for her tuition so that her parents didn't need to support her. Then she found a great job within the company, and within five years she was the head. For the past two years, her mum was getting worse. And it was only the past year that her mum deteriorated so much that she can't live a normal life.
She was found to have renal cancer months ago. At first, she was treated with chemotherapy and radiation, but once cancer stopped spreading, her kidneys were severely damaged. Now she had continuous dialysis at home. The machines for it already cost a fortune. But it was not a life that could be sustained for long. Another option would be a kidney transplant, but the wait list is long. Neither Claire nor her dad was compatible, which they checked straight away. They now had to rely on a donation. But because her mum had cancer, doctors were concerned that her body wouldn't accept a new kidney. With her being a higher risk, she has been pushed almost to the bottom of the waitlist. Claire was angry that essentially they waited for her mum to die instead of treating her, but she had no power over this. And every time she questioned it and its ethics of it, she has been dismissed by them saying that it was their hospital policy.