It was Monday, finally a new week. I yawned and tried to get up from bed. I felt pain in my head down to my shoulders, I had a migraine, another migraine.
I closed my eyes to soothe the pain, then I remembered what happened yesterday.
The landlady had thrown our things outside when I arrived from Amanda's house. I had to beg her in public and she only agreed when I promised I'ld be paying today.
I certainly didn't know where to get the money.
How would I come up with the rent in just few hours time?
I stood up from bed totally ignoring the pain and got ready for work. I joined the queue of people in the subway, after all, my car was in bad shape. I kept on thinking of how to come up with money to pay my debts.
I finally reached the company's gate and when I was about to walk in, a little girl held my hand.
"Please, Miss pretty, can you give me some money, I don't have food," the little girl said.
I looked at the adorable girl, she was in rags. She looked just as I looked years ago.
"Princess, are you alone? where is your mum?" I asked her.
"My mum is sick, she has been in the hospital for a long time. Mum is the only one I have, I have to fend for myself since she's sick," the little girl told me sadly.
I couldn't help but shed a tear. I was just like her, years ago when mum was sick, I'ld go begging. I faced different humiliations as a child beggar, until mum died and I promised I'ld never beg again and I'ld be independent, I would never make the same mistake she made.
"What's your name?" I asked her.
"Lily," she replied.
I opened my purse and gave the little money I had left, I also gave her my contact.
"Call me if you need a friend to talk to or if you desperately need anything," I told her.
"Thank you Miss, thank you,' she said very happily, she was so elated.
I smiled as I watched the little girl go. If I become rich someday, I'ld donate to this young helpless people.
Just as I was about to step into the company, someone in black handed me an envelope and before I could ask any question, he or she left. I didn't even see the person's face.
As I took my seat inside, I opened the envelope. It contained photos of a man in black tampering with my car.
Wait, that meant my car didn't just develop fault, it was tampered with.
The person in the photo looked very slim, his face was not captured while the person from earlier had a huge body size. That meant they were different people.
Who could have had a grudge against me to do something like that? and also, who was the person who gave me this envelope and how did the person find out?
My mind kept thinking even while I was working could it be that I offended someone without knowing? Why would someone want me to spend money mending my car? How would I pay the landlady? How would I afford Miss Rosie's payment? Soon it was lunch break and Everly came to me.
"Cherry, are you alright? you look so pale and quiet since morning," she complained sincerely.
"I'm fine," I told her.
"Cherry, it's boring to eat alone, you've not been accompanying me to the canteen ever since the free lunch for intern got cancelled. I've missed our former days," she was saying.
"And you are so stubborn, you wouldn't pay for lunch and wouldn't let others treat you. First, it was the boss you turned down and then, you turned me down. Don't be so tough be...," She was saying.
"Who is our boss?" I asked quickly.
"Well, I...," she stuttered.
I quickly did some thinking while Everly kept stuttering.
The only person I have turned down buying meals from was that stalker.
Wait, that stalker was rich, that stalker was the boss? Was that why he was always everywhere?
"Everly, the guy of the other day, is he Andrei Laurel? Our boss?" I asked.
Everly squinted her eyes, her chocolate skinned face looked like Amanda's whenever she was caught lying.
"I'm sorry, Cherry, he asked me not to tell you, I'm so sorry," she was saying but I wasn't listening.
I never imagined him to be my boss. I had done some research before applying for this job and I had inquired about this company's leaders but there was no much information about him. Just his name, no photos..., He liked to keep a low profile, his biography read.
My eyes still widened in confusion focused on something, a black object on my table's coverage, something I have never noticed. I stretched my hand, grabbed the black pin-like object and inspected it. It was a camera, a security camera.
So his name is Andrei Laurel, he was the CEO of this company, he kept stalking me to get my attention and when I didn't give my attention, he increased my workload, tampered with my car, cancelled free lunch for interns and installed a secretive camera on my desk to watch me.
So, he was the cause of my struggle last week. He was the one bothering me. What did I do to deserve this? Why were all rich men the same? Was it by force to befriend some body?
My mind was completely in thoughts, I looked left, right and at Everly in front. I felt suffocated and couldn't breathe properly. I felt my body fall from my chair and all of a sudden, all I could see was black.
Andrei's POV
I sat on my chair that afternoon. It was Monday, a new week and so I had a lot of things to take care of. I looked carefully at the contract documents on the table. But then, for the first time ever, Jenny rushed into my office without knocking. I didn't scold because I knew it must be urgent.
"Sir, it's Cherry, Cherry fainted and she's being rushed to the hospital," she said
Of course, Jenny knew Cherry. I had specifically told her to watch Cherry's every move.
I stood up quickly, I was about to leave when Jenny spoke,
"Sir, if other workers see you care for her like this, they may get the wrong impression, and cherry may not like it," she advised.
I stopped for a while before moving out, then I headed to the company's hospital.
It was few minutes past 8 p.m. I stood outside the room Cherry was in. I had asked them to transfer her to a private room earlier. I looked at her as she slept peacefully. Her fair skin, long lashes and once red lip looked pale. She still looked as pretty as always. I closed my eyes and couldn't help but sob after recalling everything I heard earlier.
When I reached the hospital, I spoke to the doctor and he said she had a medical history of panic disorder. She passed out due to mental stress coupled with starvation. She currently has a stomach ulcer.
I later asked someone to find out about her and what I heard shocked me even more. Her mother and dad divorced early, her mother died when she was twelve. She had only one relative, her elder sister whom she had been fending for. She started working at age twelve and has been dependent on herself since, she got a scholarship and was able to successfully complete her studies. She took up a loan three years ago to pay her medical bills when she fell sick which she still owed, borrowed from a certain woman, owed her landlord and had to cope with her gambling sister.
Cherry looked so strong and tough but she had her own problems, she had her debts, her troubling sister and her health issue and all I did was add to it. Her mother was fooled by her father, that was why she avoided men not just me but all male figures, I was told.
How did I become so insensitive? How would I ever forgive myself for torturing her these few days? Or how would she forgive me if she finds out? No, she can't find out.
I would never hurt her again, I would do everything to make it up to her, and since she avoids men because of the trauma she suffered during childhood, then I'ld be a difference for her. I'ld show her the nicest me, gain her trust and maybe then I could be an ease with myself.
"I'm sorry, so sorry, Cherry," I whispered as I looked at her another time.
"Bro, you're still here? You have some explanation to do," Steve said when he moved closer.
"Who told you I was here?" I asked him.
"Who else but Jenny?" he answered.
I moved away from the door and went with him to the hospital's cafeteria.
"You did all this without telling me?" he accused.
"Steve, I wasn't thinking properly. I was just so obsessed with her and you know I'm not used to being rejected," I defended.
"Is she a tool? You can't force her to accept your feelings or to be your friend just because of your ego. And look what this girl has gone through, she had so many struggles in life... he was saying.
My heart became even more broken. I took a sip from the wine in my glass and exhaled, I really had a lot of making up to do.