The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air in a small café nestled in the heart of the city. The morning was still quiet, with only the clinking of cups and the soft whir of the coffee machine breaking the silence. At a cozy corner of the café, seven friends gathered around a wooden table, savoring the only time of the day they could truly relax before their busy schedules took over.
Mona took a sip of her black coffee—no sugar, just the way she liked it. Her eyes carried the weight of exhaustion, yet she made sure to attend this morning ritual with her closest friends: Mya, Maria, Alana, Laura, Claire, and Tarrence.
Mya tapped her fingers lightly against the table, hesitating before finally speaking up. "Are you guys free next Wednesday?"
Tarrence, stirring his coffee, glanced at her. "Why do you ask?"
Mya let out a deep breath before finally revealing, "Well… I got an invitation to Aeron and Armanda's engagement party. On a cruise."
Mona immediately placed her cup down, the sound echoing slightly louder than intended. "No, I don't want to go."
Alana reached out and gently squeezed Mona's shoulder. "Gurl, we know he was your ex. But come on, it's on a cruise! We can enjoy the ocean instead of their engagement."
"That's not the problem," Mona sighed. "My schedule is packed this month. There have been too many accidents lately—patients keep coming in non-stop."
The group fell silent. They knew how demanding Mona's job was. As a highly skilled and renowned surgeon, she was the hospital's top priority whenever critical cases arrived. Her boss rarely trusted anyone else with patients on the brink of death.
Laura, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. "What about Ivan? Can't he cover for you?"
Mona scoffed, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Ivan? Replace me? He asks me where to inject a patient every single time."
"Oh, my bad," Laura muttered, raising her hands in surrender.
Maria leaned forward, curious. "Are there any other surgeons as good as you?"
Mona exhaled, leaning back in her chair. Relying on other doctors always came with risks. But when she thought about it…
"There is one," she admitted.
At Selena's House
Mona parked her car in front of a large house with a spacious yard. This morning, she hadn't received any emergency calls yet, so she decided to visit the one person she could trust to take her place.
She knocked a few times before the door creaked open. Selena stood there, looking utterly exhausted.
"When are you coming back to work, Sel?" Mona asked.
Selena yawned before answering, "Next month, Na. I still haven't found a babysitter for my kid."
Mona leaned against the doorframe, considering her options. "My cousin has a bunch of maids. I'll ask him to send some over to you. How many do you need?"
Selena blinked at her, dark circles under her eyes. "Two should be enough."
Mona pulled out her phone and started typing. "If you take over for me, your schedule will be packed. You won't have time to clean your house or do anything else. Ideally, you should be at the hospital full-time and expect to come home late. Patients are overflowing—two months straight of non-stop cases."
Selena sighed, already feeling the pressure.
"So, I'll request three maids and two gardeners. Your house is big, and your yard is even bigger. They'll arrive tomorrow. Write down what you want them to do and hand them the list when they arrive. You better rest up before you take over for me."
Selena paused, thinking it over, before finally nodding. "Alright… I trust you, Na."
Mona smirked. "Good. Now, get some rest. I'll bring you some coffee later."
Selena chuckled softly before shutting the door.
Mona exhaled deeply, staring up at the sky. Things at the hospital would change once Selena returned. But the real question gnawing at her mind wasn't about work—it was about Aeron and Armanda.
Should she really avoid the engagement party?
Or should she go and prove that her past was truly behind her?