"Betty, we need to talk," Miguel said, trying to stay calm, cleaning the little drink stain off his lips, he continued. "I don't remember agreeing to get married, let alone have an engagement party."
Betty's smile faltered for a moment before she recovered. "Oh, Miguel, don't be shy! I know you're excited about our future together."
Miguel's frustration boiled over. "Betty, listen to me. We are not engaged. I don't know what kind of game you're playing with my father, or what he has promised you, I am not interested." He whispered harshly to her hearing alone before standing up to walk out.
Betty's face fell, and for a moment, Miguel saw a glimmer of something else - something almost like desperation, but he could not careless.
Betty's eyes flashed with anger, but she quickly composed herself. "Sit down Miguel. Fine, If that's how you want to play it, it's no big deal but listen, you're not going to humiliate me in front of our friends and family, in fact I will not let you do that."
Miguel sighed, rubbing his temples and sat down back. He had a headache coming on. "Betty, there's no engagement, no wedding, no future together. I don't know how many times I have to say it."
Betty's smile was sweet, but her eyes were cold. "We'll see about that, Miguel. You're not going to get rid of me that easily, I know you, you are in love with me but too scared to accept that fact."
As they finished their lunch and parted ways, Miguel couldn't shake the feeling that he was in trouble. Betty was sweet and all that naive but she was not going to let this go, and he had a feeling that she was going to make his life very difficult in a haste to make him love her.
When he got to the office, he was surprised to see Audrey walking down the hallway, looking more beautiful than ever. He noticed the eye bags underneath her eyes making him wonder how many sleepless nights she had had. His heart skipped a beat as he wondered if she would be happy if she knew about Betty's plan.
But Audrey didn't even glance in his direction, and Miguel felt a pang of disappointment.
Miguel's eyes followed Audrey as she walked away, feeling a pang of longing. He wished she could see things differently, see through his heart so as to know how much he loves her. Maybe then she would have given him a chance.
But for now, he had to deal with the mess that was Betty. He couldn't believe she was still clinging to the idea of them getting married. Didn't she understand that he didn't feel the same way?
As he sat at his desk, trying to focus on his work, Miguel's mind kept wandering back to Audrey. He wondered what she was doing, if she was thinking about him too.
Just then, his phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number. "Hey, Miguel. We need to talk."
Miguel's heart skipped a beat as he wondered if it could be Audrey. But when he responded with a simple "Who is this?", the response came back as "Someone who knows the truth about Betty".
Miguel's curiosity was piqued. What could this person possibly know about Betty? And how did they get his number?
He typed out a response, "What do you mean? Who are you?" and waited anxiously for the reply.
As he waited, Miguel felt being watched. His office door was locked and there was no one else in there with him. Feeling perplexed and unable to shake the feeling off, he stood up, checking every crook and corner for anything that might look suspicious but could not find anything.
Slumping on his chair, he took out his phone to call Robert. "In my office now" he said before hanging up.
Minutes later, Robert walked his way towards Miguel's office and knocked at it. The door was pulled open almost immediately and Robert was dragged in. Miguel seems to have been pacing around the office, he looked worried with his hair scattered and tie loosened. Writing out the unknown phone number, "make sure to find out whoever is behind that number"
"Yes sir" Robert bowed before leaving the office.
*********
Audrey released the breath she did not know she had been holding, she had seen Miguel way before he had noticed her and could not help the worry that crept up her heart at his appearance. He looked disheveled but still very much handsome that this silly mind of hers wants to run to his arm and circulate him with her warmth while her heart could not bear to near him for fear of being hurt again.
Before getting back into her car, Audrey went around it to check for any misconduct as the disappearance of her godmother was making her extra cautious of her doing. Entering her car, she checked around again to be sure and signed in relief at not finding anything mischievous.
As she started the engine and began to drive away, Audrey couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that lingered within her.
Audrey's grip on the steering wheel tightened as she felt the familiar sting of tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She wouldn't cry again, she told herself firmly. She wouldn't let him have that power over her even after so many years, she imagined if she had not been hurt in the past maybe she would not have dreaded love this much.
As she turned onto her street, Audrey noticed a black sedan following her. Her heart skipped a beat as she wondered if it was the attacker again or just a mere coincidence that the car was going her way. But as she pulled into her driveway, the sedan drove past, and Audrey let out a sigh of relief. She was being paranoid, she told herself. It was just her imagination playing tricks on her.
But as she stepped out of the car and onto the porch, Audrey couldn't shake off the feeling that she was being watched. She glanced around, but there was no one there.
Shrugging it off, she entered her house, locking the door behind her. She went straight to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea, trying to calm her racing thoughts.
As she waited for the kettle to boil, Audrey's mind kept drifting to her godmother. What was she doing now? Where is she?
But as she poured the water into a cup, she felt a cold breeze behind her. Looking back feeling scared, her eyes widened in surprise and fear before losing consciousness.