Chapter 28: Chapter 28

I continued to serve the hospital’s accounting department until my resignation took effect. At the same time, I was learning more about Kim Yuan Microelectronics. I didn’t see Kim after that trip with him since he was out of the country the whole time. However, Miss Trish kept communicating with me and sent me some files and links to go over. The previous manager who resigned due to some personal reasons also took time to orient me with the full responsibilities.

Time flew fast, and Ara was already in his seventh month of pregnancy. Her nose became larger, coupled with lots of pimples and dark brown patches on her face. Her nape, neck, and underarms darkened, and an ugly linea negra mapped her abdomen, aside from gaining weight.

One Sunday afternoon, Ara and I took a walk around the subdivision. I avoided topics related to Tim, so I no longer knew about the progress of his relationship with Maezy.

“Yen, you should see Tim. He’s becoming more handsome with the expensive clothes Maezy bought for him,” Ara said, her eyes glowing with pride.

I suddenly stopped walking, my eyes darting at her. A sense of pity and guilt surged within me.

“What’s happening?” Yen said, perhaps wondering why I reacted that way.

I took a deep breath before I opened my mouth to speak. “Ar, I’m already worrying why Maezy showers her with expensive things."

“Why? What’s wrong with that?” Her answers surprised and disgusted me. She’s unbelievably innocent but stupid.

“Why would she buy things for him?” My voice was a little higher already, showing my irritation.

Ara also stared at me. Surprised. “Look, Yen, Maezy is meticulous. You can see it in how she dresses up and how she arranges her things in the house. You could also see how Jaykee screams over small dirt on his shirt. Perhaps, she doesn’t want to sit beside a shabby driver.”

I didn’t reply. I hope she would take my reaction and Nanny Sylvia’s advice as cues. But she had a point. Her resistance to see the truth also weakened my desire to tell her what I knew. I didn’t want to hurt her.

“Can you also see how Sylvia, the nanny, carries herself? She also dresses well.”

I tried to recall Sylvia’s clothes at the back of my mind. She was wearing a set of denim shorts and a branded top that day.

“You’re right,” I said, resigning to her stubbornness.

“See?”

I sighed. “Ar, I will be starting my work at Kim Yuan’s next week.”

She stared at me, her eyes glowing, then jumped and hugged me. “Congratulations, best friend! You deserve this higher opportunity.”

I giggled, then turned serious right away when something came into my mind. “But I will be leaving our babies to Zed when I will be on travel.”

“No worries about it. Zed is a saint; can’t you see it?”

I laughed. “What are you talking about?”

“When I passed by your house this morning, Zed was busy cleaning the lawn. The other day, he was washing the car. And every time I see him, he was either cleaning, doing laundry or cooking.”

“It’s what he wants, then let him be.”

“How blessed you are. Tim does the opposite. He always barks at me, asking for dog food and services. But it’s alright, as long as he stays as handsome as always.”

Before I could reply, a car screeched and stopped in front of us. The window on the co-pilot’s seat rolled down.

“Ar, Yen, come to the house for dinner. My old man is there,” Maezy waved enthusiastically and closed the door. Tim was beside her, but he only looked at us. He didn’t even smile or greet Ara.

Kim must be back from another country already.

I looked at Ara, expecting that she was hurting. But I was wrong. Her grin even reached out to her ears.

“Let’s go back to the house and change, Yen. Hurry up!"

I furrowed my brows and scoffed. “Why are you grinning?”

“Haven’t you heard her? Dinner, she said. It means they have lots of Japanese food because the old man is there. Let’s go!”

There was the term ‘old man,’ again. I was hurting. Kim was never old to me. He had the vigor of a man in his prime years. And with this thought, I imagined his hardness, going in and out of me, something Zed could never do.

Before we reached home, Tim’s voice interrupted us.

“Ar, Yen.” We both turned to him, and he gave us a weak smile. Ara was indeed right. He became more strikingly handsome in his apparently branded shirt, jeans, and sneakers.

“Hello, Tim. How’s the new job?” I asked.

“No problem. I can still study,” he replied.

Ara held his arm and pressed her head on his shoulder. To my horror, he pulled out his arm angrily.

“Stop it. I’m tired.”

He turned and left us while we followed him with our mouths hanging open. Then he stopped and looked over his shoulder and said, “Ar, don’t wake me up later. I don’t want to be in the dinner.”

Ara glanced at me and said awkwardly. “He must be so exhausted. Working and studying is indeed difficult.”

I really wanted to choke Ara at that moment. Why couldn’t she see his coldness towards her? And that coldness was not because of exhaustion but because he had already replaced her in his heart. And maybe, his bad mood was because he was jealous that Kim was at home.

“Yeah. He is indeed exhausted,” I sneered. So exhausted in bed with Maezy!

A few minutes later, Ara and I went together to Maezy’s house. Ara was dumbly cheerful that I felt like choking her again. But the thought of seeing my dreamed man overwhelmed me, so I tried to put my anger aside.

“Miss Ara, Miss Yen, welcome!” Sylvia greeted us with a smile, then whispered, “The old man is here.”

I had another reason to choke someone. And this time, it was Sylvia. And I knew that later, it would be Maezy. She was the mastermind in calling Kim an old man.

As we entered the living room, my eyes fell on the huge photo frame hanging on the wall. The man in his photo had silver hair and a wrinkled face. But despite his age, he still looked elegant and handsome. I stared at him closer. I couldn't explain why, but his looks resembled someone in my mind.