Chapter 5 5

Vee walked into the office the next morning with a fiery temper. The pressure regarding the whole "boyfriend-boyfriend" issue at home was already intense, and on top of that, she couldn't shake off the audacious guy who extorted money from her.

That lunatic had the nerve to pull a stunt like that. It left her seething.

"Miss Vee, I'm sorry for the late notice but your first appointment today with Mr. Chua was cancelled..." Candy, her secretary, began.

"What??! Why?" Her blood immediately boiled. She had come in early for that appointment, and now she was receiving a late notice? Unacceptable!

Candy hesitated, biting her lip before answering. "It's an emergency. Family matters. His wife is asking him to return to China as soon as possible."

Vee's forehead creased in frustration. She had spent the whole night preparing the proposal for that Chinese client, only for it to be cancelled because of a family matter? It just didn't sit right with her.

"Alright, go back to your desk. Sort out my next appointment with Mr. Tan. See if we can reschedule it to an earlier time today."

Candy nodded and hurried out of the room. Vee heaved a sigh, then slapped the documents she was supposed to sign with Mr. Chua onto Candy's desk. Candy's eyes widened.

"But Miss Vee, these are the unsigned documents with Mr. Chua."

"Do you think I don't read? I know! And I'm telling you to shred them right now. I don't want to do business with him anymore. He's pissed me off. If he can't separate family matters from business, then I have no business with him. I can't stand unprofessionalism."

Candy winced. She didn't agree with her boss's decision, but she had no choice. If that was her boss's stance on it, then so be it. She picked up the documents Vee had left behind and headed towards the shredding machine.

"Oh, Miss Vee!" Candy called out. "I just wanted to let you know that many of your classmates called to confirm your attendance and that of your boyfriend's at the reunion. Also, there were calls from the media inquiring about your rumored boyfriend."

Vee rolled her eyes. That meddlesome Amanda had already started spreading rumors.

"Tell them all that if they can't wait for my official announcement and for that blasted reunion, they can go jump off a cliff! Send them some rope! Pesky pests."

Candy winced at her response.

***********

"Sis!" Cassy greeted her excitedly. She gave her a quick kiss before continuing. "Dad called earlier. He asked how you were, and I told him you have a boyfriend!"

"You told him what?!" She glared at her sister. She thought the day's stress was finally over, only for her nosy sister to add to it.

"I told him you have a boyfriend. I even asked him to come back home sooner so he can meet your boyfriend when you bring him here!"

Vee grabbed her sister by the hair, ready to give her a piece of her mind.

"Ouch, sis!" Cassy protested, quickly moving out of her reach. "Why are you getting mad? Dad was actually happy about it. He told me to call you."

"What!? I'll pull your hair out, Cassy!"

But before she could get her hands on her sister, Cassy burst into laughter and dashed away.

"Wow, dude!" Mike arrived while Black was eating. "That's quite a spread, fit for a five-star hotel. Is this the 'El Nino' fish fillet?"

Black automatically handed him a light punch. Mike never missed an opportunity to tease him about his meal of two small dried fish he bought from a nearby corner store.

"You're such an idiot. You'd even dare to joke about it."

"I was just kidding!"

"I don't have money, so don't joke about it now. Rice is expensive these days, so get out of here!"

"I'm not here to eat. You got a new job, right?"

He glared at Mike. "I got laid off! It's all because of that crazy boss of mine. He singled me out the other day, saying I'm always late! If not for the fact that he's probably off his rocker, their agency wouldn't be so far from my house."

"You're the one who's off their rocker, walking from here to your job. You end up getting there by noon!"

"You imbecile! How can I do sideline work without walking? Your brain is in your feet!"

After they finished eating, he shoved the dirty dishes towards Mike. "Wash these, so you can be of some use!"

"Me again? I just got here-"

"Any complaints?"

"Did I say anything?" Mike scratched his head.

He sat down by the wooden window of the house he was staying in. He'd been here for a few months now. It was dirty, chaotic, and noisy, but he was slowly getting used to this life.

"Why don't you just go back home?" Mike asked as he washed.

"I'm not going back there! Why did you even come here? Need money, are you turning into an addict? Tough luck, I don't even have a cigarette, let alone money!"

"I actually have more money than you! I just came to visit."

"Wow, dude, we're not in the same league!"

"If you really don't want to go back home, I can recommend you to my friend's restaurant. They're looking for a waiter. Only middle-class customers go there, no one will recognize you. You're good-looking, you'll get in even without my recommendation."

Black raised an eyebrow.

"A waiter?"

"Yeah, you've worked as a utility guy before, which is even harder. Are you interested?"

He needed a low-profile job. A waiter in a middle-class restaurant? It seemed fine.

"Alright, I'll apply tomorrow. Mind your own business, I can handle it. And you, leave already. I'm closing up, or else my landlady, who's starting to look like a thousand cups of coffee-money, might show up."

"How many months have you not paid?"

"Two. It feels like I owe millions the way that whale of a landlady nags for rent."

"This outfit of yours must be from hell, Tol..."

Black shook his head, then laughed with his friend. "Not really, Tol. If it were from hell, I would've left home a long time ago. But it's even more of a hell at our place. And don't forget, Lucifera's there!"

Mike sighed at his response. But truthfully, he was really enjoying this kind of life and had no plans of going back home.