Chapter 4

I was fidgeting in my seat while waiting for Miss Cindy. I could barely breathe as I stared at the glass door of our cubicle with Chelle because of my racing heart. My forehead and palms were sweating, and I felt like today was my last day. "It's really your last day! Do you think Sir Jax will let you get away with what you did?" I wanted to yell at the part of my brain that was always the villain. It kept saying things that made me lose confidence in myself. What if Sir Jax sues me? Oh my God, where will I get the money for that? What if I get fired? He'll probably charge me a lot because he almost burned down his house. I slapped my forehead. I was thinking all sorts of things, and I was sure one of them would happen. I heard Chelle let out a deep sigh. She was also restless. We were both waiting for Miss Cindy to come back. She was still talking to Sir Jax in his office about what happened yesterday. I was embarrassed for Miss Cindy because she always defended me whenever I did something stupid. I filled my lungs with air before letting out a heavy sigh. I just wanted to disappear and become poop, to be honest. "Why did you even touch Sir's kitchen? You know he hates you." Chelle sounded accusatory. While Miss Cindy was always ready to save me, my co-worker was always nagging me whenever something bad happened. I don't know, I don't understand myself either. Why do I always seem to be at fault in Sir Jax's eyes? What happened yesterday was the worst. I became even more nervous when I remembered what happened yesterday. It was a good thing the fire didn't spread and Sir put it out before it could consume the whole kitchen. I can't imagine what would happen to me if that fire had gotten bigger. I'd be in jail for sure. I looked at her with tears in my eyes. I shouldn't have come to work today because I was sure I wouldn't have a job anymore. There was no hope of fixing my mistake, but Miss Cindy called me and told me to report to work. I really hesitated whether to go or not. I didn't want to see Sir Jax's anger. "I just wanted to help, okay? His house was so messy, and he looked like he had a hangover, so I offered to cook him food. And besides, he looked pitiful sleeping on the sofa in his own house surrounded by wine bottles. If he hadn't dragged me out of the kitchen, I wouldn't have left my cooking!" Even though I felt guilty about what happened, I couldn't help but blame Sir. I didn't have any bad intentions in his wife's kitchen. He suddenly pulled me out even though I was still cooking! He's also at fault! "Just let it be, I just hope Miss Cindy can save you. Sir looked so angry earlier. He's really scary, Bree. If I didn't need the money, I would really leave this place. Our other colleagues downstairs were scolded by Sir earlier, Lexi almost peed herself out of fear!" I felt the same way. I was just enduring Sir's attitude because I was in a tight spot. That's probably why they get paid a lot here because they have to endure our boss's bad temper. I need the money for the next school year. I'm almost graduating from college, and I want to fulfill my dreams for my mom and dad. I took a deep breath again, hoping Miss Cindy had good news. I sat up straight when I saw Miss Cindy enter the cubicle. I stood up and my eyes widened when I saw her looking at me seriously. I swallowed hard. I looked at Chelle, who seemed nervous too, and like me, was waiting to hear what Miss Cindy would say. Miss Cindy's face was emotionless, so I didn't know what the outcome of her conversation with Sir Jax was. Miss Cindy didn't tell me anything either, whether she would defend me or not when she called. She just told me to come to work today and wait in our cubicle, and that's what I did. "You owe me your life, Ms. Ocampo. Mr. Samaniego wanted to press charges against you since you caused the fire on some parts of his mansion. Also, he wants you out of the company and makes you pay a huge amount of money for the damages done." I'm sure my face went pale when Miss Cindy said that. Chelle, who was behind me, gasped when she heard that. I couldn't help but bite my lower lip. This is what I was afraid of! I'm doomed! I wanted to cry and roll on the floor. It's so unfair! But no words came out of my mouth, I just stared at Miss Cindy while my eyes started to water. I'm going to lose my job, and I'm being sued! Where's the justice in that? Miss Cindy raised an eyebrow when she saw my reaction to what she said. There was no pity on her face. She cleared her throat before speaking again. "Luckily, I was able to convince him to just let it slide and give you a chance to redeem yourself. Mr. Samaniego is not always lenient, miss Ocampo. I hope this incident will serve as a lesson to you. Never mess with someone else’s property." She said firmly, still staring at me. I couldn't speak after her last statement. Was I hearing things? Sir Jax is giving me another chance? I'm not going to be sued and I'm not going to be fired? I blinked several times in front of Miss Cindy. "Really, Miss Cindy?" I was overflowing with joy. I really thought today was my last day! I wanted to roll on the floor again, but this time out of joy, not out of sadness. But I'm really grateful to Miss Cindy because somehow, Sir Jax didn't sue me. I don't know what would have happened to me if that had happened. "Thank you so much, Miss Cindy. It's my fault. If I hadn't been nosy, that wouldn't have happened. I owe you a lot." It would be sad if I got fired because I've grown attached to my colleagues here in the three months I've been working here. "I'm not done yet," she said flatly. "I told him not to fire you since we are short of employees, especially now that the annual ball is fast approaching. You will be put on probation for a month. Just make sure you don't do anything stupid. Don't embarrass me. And also, you will be transferred to the team in-charge of the annual ball. You'll be there for now so Mr. Samaniego won't be too hard on you." That's all she said before leaving our cubicle with Chelle. Chelle let out a sharp scream when the door closed. She jumped and suddenly hugged me tightly. She shook my shoulders hard. Miss Cindy's words still hadn't sunk in. I couldn't believe Sir Jax agreed not to fire me. He's the kind of person who doesn't spare anyone, it seems unlikely that he would give me another chance. I looked at Chelle when she suddenly started squealing like crazy. Her face was also red. "I told you! There's something between you and Sir, girl! He fired so many people before. A small mistake and you're fired, no forgiveness even if the person in a higher position is at fault. But you've made several mistakes with him, and you're still here! Don't you see? Ha?" Her eyes widened as if she had discovered something important. I was forced to break free from Chelle's hug and hit her arm. She flinched because she didn't expect me to do that. "What are you talking about!" I glared at her and looked behind me to make sure Miss Cindy was really gone. I turned back to Chelle, who was now giggling. "Stop thinking about that. I'd rather believe there's something between Sir Jax and Miss Cindy. And I wouldn't dream of Sir liking me. Hello? He's such a jerk!" “Yeah, right! This girl is still in denial! Your nose twitched, which means you were thrilled too!” Chelle wasn't satisfied and let out a loud laugh, as if we were the only people in the office. “I just know it! I have a strong feeling about Sir Jax. I even suspect that he’s your secret admirer, the one who keeps sending you flowers. Wow! You’re really gorgeous, girl!” Chelle added excitedly. I wanted to cover my face in embarrassment at what she was saying. That was impossible. I could clearly see how much he loved his late wife—what am I compared to the women he's dating now? I smacked Chelle again just as she was about to speak. She was saying all sorts of nonsense. Wasn’t she afraid that our colleagues might hear her? “Whatever. I’m going to the cafeteria. I suddenly got hungry.” I walked out, leaving Chelle behind. I didn’t want to talk to her when she brought up that topic. It was embarrassing and annoying. It was impossible, given the way our boss treated me. Sir Jax’s office was on the 30th floor, which was also where our cubicles were located. In fact, our entire team handled all of his transactions. Chelle and I were closest to the CEO’s office, right next to Miss Cindy’s office. Our cubicles had a glass partition, so people outside couldn't really hear our conversations—same with Miss Cindy, who was Sir Jax’s executive secretary. As I walked toward the elevator, I ran into Elise Trinidad, the daughter of the President of the Philippines. I paused for a moment and looked her up and down. She walked with an air of arrogance, her chin held high. I glanced at her outfit. She wore a very sexy red dress with thin spaghetti straps. Everyone knew she was head over heels for Sir Jax. Even though her outfit was quite revealing—her large chest was almost spilling out—it was undeniable that she carried herself well. She looked sexy yet classy. I raised an eyebrow at her outfit. It was obvious she had dressed up to attract Sir Jax. A little tug, and her chest would be fully exposed; a slight bend, and her butt would be visible. I just shook my head. Sir really had an irresistible charm despite his bad attitude. “He’s still grumpy even though he’s handsome, so he’s still a no-go,” I muttered to myself before stepping into the elevator. As soon as the elevator doors opened, I was met by a little girl sniffling and wiping her tear-streaked cheeks. I froze at the sight. She looked so pitiful, sitting in a corner while people walked past her, paying her no attention. I quickly approached her and crouched down so our faces were level. She didn’t speak when she saw what I did. She just kept sobbing. Her nose was red, and her eyes were full of tears. I was amazed at how beautiful the child was. I smiled at her. “Hi. Why are you crying?” I made sure to keep my voice gentle so she wouldn’t be scared. She was dressed in a Frozen-themed gown with a small tiara perched on her messy hair. Judging by her size, she was about seven years old. Instead of answering, she cried even harder. Panicking, I pulled her into a hug to comfort her. “I want my daddy. I can’t find him,” she sniffled, her tears still flowing. I felt a wave of sympathy wash over me. Where was this child’s father? Wasn’t anyone looking after her? There were so many bad people around. “There, there, baby. Ate will help you. Are you lost? Were you with your daddy here?” I glanced around, but she didn’t seem to have anyone with her. “What’s your name so I can help you?” “My grandma said I shouldn’t talk to strangers. I don’t know you, ate, so you’re a stranger.” She answered between sobs, wiping her wet cheeks. Oh dear, she speaks English fluently. My street-level English might not cut it here. I just hoped she understood Tagalog. I wanted to scratch my head but stopped myself. Suddenly, my stomach growled, a sign of my intense hunger. I hadn’t eaten breakfast earlier because I was restless. Now, I was feeling the hunger. But I had to help this child find her father first. “How can I help you if you won’t talk to me? Are you lost? Where’s your mom?” I gave her a small smile. My God, this child was so beautiful! “I was just wandering, and I lost my yaya. I’m here to visit my dada because I miss him,” she pouted, as if sulking at her father. I nodded. So, she was looking for her dad. Even though I was starving and wanted to eat, I couldn’t just leave this poor child alone. Something about her tugged at my heart. Her innocent face, combined with her tears, reminded me of myself, missing my parents terribly. “Who’s your papa? So I can take you to him.” I ran my fingers through her messy hair. She looked like she was of mixed descent, with brown hair and gray eyes—something about them seemed familiar to me. The child hesitated for a few seconds as if deciding whether to trust me. She wiped her tear-streaked cheeks again before speaking. “My papa owns this building.” I sighed in relief. She did understand Tagalog after all. Then, I froze. Did I hear her right? Did I mishear her? I stared at the little girl’s face, my mouth slightly open as I realized that she was Sir Jax’s daughter. They really did look alike. Her eyes were the same shade of gray as his—that’s why she looked familiar. “You know, I know your papa. I’m one of his secretaries, and I can take you to his office. Would you like that?” I asked. “By the way, what’s your name?” She wiped her now-dry cheeks before answering. “My mom named me Amythyst, after her birthstone.” She hesitated at first, looking at me carefully. I held my breath when our eyes met—it was like looking into Sir Jax’s eyes. She had inherited them completely, and because of that, I felt my cheeks suddenly heat up. Damn you, Bree! You’re letting Chelle’s words get to you! “Are you sure you’re not one of the bad guys? My dad will punish you if you lie—he hates liars.” I smiled and wiped away the remaining tears from the corners of her eyes. I ran my fingers through her tangled hair and adjusted the tiara on her head. She let me do all of it. I raised my right hand before speaking, showing her my company ID hanging from my neck. “Promise, I’m not one of the bad guys. Let’s go?” I stood up and offered her my hand. “Okay po, I trust you.” Amythyst took my hand. I smiled, noticing how small her hand was compared to mine. I couldn’t believe Sir Jax had such a cute and sweet daughter. Amy followed my lead as I guided her. We went back to the 30th floor. My nerves kicked in as we approached Sir Jax’s office. I still had unfinished business with him, and I didn’t know what I’d do if I faced him now. I wasn’t supposed to see him yet, but what else could I do with the child? I couldn’t just leave her alone—she might get into trouble, and I’d be blamed again. I just wanted to smack my forehead. This week had been full of mishaps. I had been extra careful, but it seemed like bad luck was out to get me. Our cubicles were right across from the CEO’s office. Maybe I could just ask Chelle to take the child to him. Yes! That’s what I’d do to avoid seeing Sir Jax. It was safer that way. I was about to push the glass door of our cubicle when someone spoke behind me. “What the fuck are you doing?” His voice was low but full of warning, demanding a good explanation. I froze upon recognizing the voice. My lungs stopped working, and my heart nearly jumped out of my ribcage. My God! “Daddy!” Amy’s high-pitched voice rang out as she pulled her hand from mine. I bit my lip, dreading facing Sir Jax. “What are you doing with my daughter? What are you planning?” His voice was now dangerously accusing.