Marina's POV
" Marina! You're late again!" My head of department shouted as I got into the staff changing room.
" I missed the bus."
" The new boss is around apparently he's on a firing spree."
" I thought he was coming in next week."
" Well he definitely likes suprises."
I pulled my hair up in a messy bun as I picked up my cleaning supplies to get to work.
" Miss Marina" I turned back as I heard my name behind me, I was cleaning the reception.
It was James from Human resource.
" Hello there James, how are you?" He had a sad face on as he approached me. I looked at him closely as I tried to figure out what might be the problem.
" Here" he said stretching a white envelope to me, I reached out taking it from his hands
" That's for you." He looked at me with pity eyes before walking away. With a confused facial expression and a curious mind I tore the envelope open.
' you're to leave the premises with immediate effect.' that lime kept replaying in my head as I got to my boss' office.
" Sandra what is this?" I asked her immediately I entered.
" You had it long coming, you were consistently late. Then at noon you're running out again."
" Sandra you of all people know how much I need this jobs. My mum is literally dieing slowly."
" I know." She said sighing in frustration.
" So you're going to do something about this?"
" This orders came from above not from me or the supervisors."
" From the new CEO you talked about this morning?"
" Yes Adrian Cross. I'm really sorry Marina, I can't do anything."
" Sandra we are friends, you can't do this to me. Do something." I shouted. I desperately need this job.
" Marina leave, so that I don't have to call the security for you." Tears dropped down my eyes.
" I thought I had a friend." I spat out angrily before walking out.
It was just ten o'clock AM and my next job starts by twelve.i had two hours to my self. I stared into a space not knowing what to do and where to get another morning job.
" Curse you Adrian Cross" I muttered as my eyes roamed around park from where I was sitted. My eyes landed on a mother and her five year old daughter. The girl was on the swing while her mum pushed her.
Flashback
" Mum this is my favourite place in the whole world." Little Marina said as she got down from the slide.
" I'm happy you're having fun sweetie."
" I want Mia to join me." She said referring to her sister that was cradled in her mum's arms.
" Your sister can't join you but in the next few years she would." Her mum said with a chuckle.
" Then who do I play with? The other girls don't like me because I have a short hair.
" If they don't love you the way you are then, they aren't worth being your friends. Why don't you try talking to that girl over there, she seems lonely."
" Ok mum" she said walking to the girl her mum pointed at.
" Hi, my name is Marina. Do you want to play with me?"
The girl nodded with a smile.
" My name is Sandra."
End of flashback.
I strolled into the restaurant at exactly noon.
" Marina? Seems today is my lucky day." The restaurant manager said as I walked to the staff room at the back.
" What do you mean?" I asked confused halting on a spot.
" You came in early today, at exactly twelve." He said with a grin while I rolled my eyes at him.
" Haha, very funny." I said sarcastically.
It was peak period at the restaurant. Many customers swarming around, some came to pick up lunch, so were having lunch while I was serving and taking orders. Few hours later the once crowded restaurant became scanty.
The clock was slowly ticking towards five pm. I had managed to distract my mind over the fact that I just lost a job. I leaned on the counter exhausted looked forward to when I would get off work. I was tired but I had no choice, I couldn't lose another job.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, I looked around to be sure the restaurant manager wasn't close by. I walked to the staff room locking the door behind me before pulling out my phone from my pocket. It was an unknown number, I hesitated for a minute. It could be a spam call but I eventually picked the call.
" Hello?" I said.
" Is this Marina Lyle?" I hear a feminine voice from over the phone.
" Yes this is she"
" This is Doctor Sasha. Your mum, Mrs Lyle has just been admitted into Saint George's hospital. You need to come as soon as possible."
My breath hitched as all the air emptied from my lungs. I felt suffocated. I could feel my heart racing and my throat tightening. I can't lose my mum.
" Marina, are you there?" The voice on the other side of the phone jerked me back to reality.
" Yes I'm on my way now." I picked up my bag and rushed out of the restaurant. As I walked quickly to the bus station I tried calling Mia severely.
" Wrong time to ignore me Mia."
I got to the hospital, my heart racing.
" Mrs Lyle, which room please?" I asked the receptionist desperately. I got to the room and the sight I came face to face with was heart shattering. I held unto the wall to keep myself from falling, tears streaming down my face as I kept staring at my mum lieing on the bed lifeless.
I can't lose mum.
Adrian POV
The house looked the same, just a few exterior additions but nothing serious. Burnley was already waiting on the steps leading into the house when I drove in.
" Welcome sir, your father sends for you. He's in the study." He said immediately I alighted from the car.
" Burnley, I'll see him later. " I said walking past him to the door. The days of being his puppet are over.
The sounds of classical music filled the air as I stepped into the house. My lips curled into a smile, that was my mum. She was a huge fan of the likes of Handel and Mozart. You could see the way her eyes lit up at the mention of those old people.
" Hello Mum" I said leaning on the doorway of the kitchen. She turned to look at who was at the door before turning back to what she was doing.
" Get away from me, you don't love me no more." She said with a British accent
I smiled at her reaction before walking to her and wrapping my arms around her.
" I missed you so much mummy."
" I missed you to my son." She said wrapping her hands too around me. Few minutes later we pulled away, my mum was literally the only woman I love. She was the only reason I came back. Lowering my pride and obeying my father. She was my soft spot. I know it sounds too much for my mum but I've seen this woman go through hell for me.
" Have you see your father yet?" I rolled my eyes at how that man tends to have a lot of people in his arms.
" He can wait." She let out a small chuckle.
" Are you Hungry? I made grilled chicken and pasta."
" Sure."
I took my time climbing the stairs after eating. I made a turn and entered into the study. The familiar scent of old books enveloped me. As I walked through the aisle of shelves I ran my hand on the books. The study held many dreadful memories of my father trying to make me his perfect puppet and him using my mum as a punching bag.
Flashback
They had no idea Little Adrian was back from school. He heard screams from his room. He followed the sound trying to figure out the source of the sound. He finally found it, the study door was partly open so he entered. From the spaces in the shelves, he could see his mother on her knees begging with tears streaming down her eyes while his father had a belt in his hand. His eyes widened scared as his father used the belt on her several times her wails and begging made Adrian hate his father.
End of flashback
" Welcome back my son." He said immediately I stepped into the study.
" I see you did a little wood work in here?" I asked observing the new additions in the room since I was last here.
" What is this I'm hearing? Board of directors have been Calling me non stop."
" Well it is what it is."
" You can't just go to work the first day and feel you can fire people, without reasons."
" You wanted me back to run the company. I'm came back here on the condition that I would run things my way."
He looked at me straight into my eyeballs then a smirk played on his lips like he had some tricks up his sleeves.
" Well I also have my own conditions too."
" I believe you remember the co founder of Cross Tech?"
" Yes Mr DeMarco....what about him?"
" Well your marriage to his daughter Vivian DeMarco is in the next three months." I stared at him before letting out a small chuckle.
" That's not happening." I said walking away from him.
" Think hard and clear. Your mum or your freedom." I halted on a spot at the mention of my mother. I turned around to look at the monster grinning in front of me. I wonder why my mum stayed with him all these years. I walked out the study without saying a word.
I couldn't sleep, I tossed and turned but I still felt restless. I stared up at the ceiling thinking about nothing in particular till I heard a knock on the door. I stared at the door as I wondered who it could be.
I walked to the door to see who it was. It was my mum.
" Hey mum" I said opening the door wide to let her into my room.
She walked in looking around as if trying to observe something.
" They did a good job with the interior." She said before lowering herself on my bed to sit down.
" Is something wrong mum?"
" No not at all, come and sit with me." She said patting the space beside her. I walked over there and sat beside her, we just sat there in silence.
" You're getting me scared mum." After few more minutes of being silent.
" Adrian, you know I love you, and I would do anything for you."
" Yes mum and I love you too."
" You have to get married to Vivian DeMarco."
" No mum, I'm not doing that." I said calmly still sitted beside her.
" Adrian, it's the only way!"
" Only way for what? I can't believe he got to you too." I looked at her shaking my head in disbelief. You could tell I was getting angry just by the tone of my voice.
" That the only way you get to keep the company and save me!"