" What happened to you, why did you go to the hospital,? " Clara asked worriedly with a frown.
" Oh, it was a minor fever. . . the doctor told me to rest for a few days. . . don't worry. . . I'll be fine, " Mira muttered softly. Although she was not lying when she said she was sick, the main reason was she wanted to stay away from the company for a while.
Clara's brows knitted and she sighed, " Okay dear. . . have a speedy recovery. "
" Mmmm. . .thank you " Mira murmured from the other end then paused and softly asked, " Uhm... did you cry, Clara? "
" Huh? ". Clara was flabbergasted, ' how did she know. '
" Your voice sounded hoarse. " she heard Mira said and realized that her voice really sounded different. ' does that mean Mr. Long noticed something.' she gasped.
" Clara. . . " Mira frowned from the other end and wondered why she was silent.
" Oh, it's nothing. . . get well soon dear, bye. " She quickly hung up and Mira was left flabbergasted from the other end and stared at her phone then sighed. She was sure something happened to her friend.
Clara stared at her phone gloomily and heaved a sigh, then gently removed the heart-shaped sticker on its back and tossed it inside the trash can.
___
After Clara left, Carl chuckled sadly with clenched fists. So that was it, she doesn't love him, all his efforts were all in vain or did he not try enough.
He shoved all the documents on his desk and gave the table a hard kick. The pain he felt earlier and the times he saw her with Jack were nothing compared to the ones he was feeling now. So she only saw him as her boss, he thought she would be surprised and happy at the same time if she saw him, however, he only saw fear on her face.
He slouched down on the couch and heaved a deep sigh. ' You're my boss. . .'. Her voice echoed in his mind and he rubbed his forehead slightly. then stood up and staggered toward his private suite.
" Clara. . . " he laid on the bed and softly whispered her name while staring up at the ceiling expressionessly.
********
Clara dragged her leg out of the company and stood in front of the bustling street and the things that happened a few hours ago kept flooding her mind.
She was just a country girl, how silly of her to think that he would actually love her. So all his kind gestures were actually because she was in dire situations.
She sighed heavily and started sauntering toward the bus stop.
She thought about her best friend and took out her phone but stopped midway and sighed again.
No, she can't tell Maya, as her best friend was also dealing with her own breakup and then put back the phone inside her bag.
She spotted the bus from a distance, which was already filled with people, and was about to take off and held her bag tightly then ran toward it before it could drive away.
Carl sighed in his car and watched her back until she entered the bus.
He had slowly followed behind her from the time she left the company.
He stopped his car by the roadside and watched with a gloomy expression until the bus took off and then turned his car and drove in a different direction.
********
*The Next Day*
__ At Cha Mansion __
" Mummy. . . let go, I don't want to go. " Lucy whined and rubbed her sleepy eyes.
" Oh silly girl, aren't you happy that your cousin is coming?." her mother grabbed her from the bed and pushed her toward the bathroom. She was wearing a maroon dress with floral patterns and her hair was tied in a bun which made her look younger.
Lucy yawned and pouted her lips. " mummy. . . why must we pick her from the airport?,. . . and besides, Ah__". Her mother opened the bathroom door and shoved her inside.
She shook her head with a sigh and wondered why Lucy never got along with her cousin.
Vivian was supposed to come last week but was held back by something which she didn't know. She smiled contentedly, feeling happy that her stepson would finally settle down.
Vivian was a very sweet girl and she knew if Carl married her, then their family ties will become stronger and maybe her father would forgive her for what happened many years ago.
She sighed and sat down on her daughter's bed, her thoughts wandering to that incident. She knew it wasn't Carl's fault and took the blame when her father demanded an explanation for what happened, as she was the one that requested to bring the child to her wedding. She had planned to take in the child after the wedding but then. . .
She sighed again then heard the bathroom door opened.
" Mummy. . . why don't you ask brother to go with you?. Lucy whined and sauntered toward the bedside table with a pout.
" Why should I call Zach. . . you'll be the one to follow me to the airport, quickly dress up, it's almost time for her flight to descend." Her mother went to her closet and picked a yellow dress with floral patterns.
" No mummy!... I don't want to wear that. " Lucy shouted while drying her hair and her mother sighed then picked another pair of clothes.
" mummy. . . must big brother marry her,? " Lucy muttered sadly and put down the hairdryer.
" Aren't you happy that your big brother will marry your cousin?. " her mother sighed and place a pink blouse and white jeans on the bed.
" What if big brother has a girlfriend. . ." she pouted and picked the clothes.
" If your big brother has a girlfriend, Zach would have informed your father already. "
Lucy thought about the paper she saw in her big brother's office with a frown. " But__"
" Lucy!!! ". Her mother was agitated and glared at the stubborn girl in front of her.
" Sorry Mummy. . . " Lucy pouted again and slowly walked to the walk-in closet to wear the clothes.