Chapter 1 Sweet Mom

SOMEWHERE IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

"You are fired!" Declared a man whom Evelyn was not familiar with. This person was not her boss nor did she have any prior encounter with him. Why then, was a complete stranger suddenly dismissing her?

Just a few hours earlier, she could not have imagined receiving such heartbreaking news. She was happily beaming as Harry, her son, assisted his sister in packing her stuff.

"We love you, Mommy!" Harry and Harper, a stunning pair of twins, chorused in unison to their Mother.

Evelyn, their mother who was crouched before them, grasping their tiny hands, responded, "I love you more, my dears," then planted gentle kisses on each of their foreheads consecutively. "Take care of yourselves," she advised her children while rising to her feet.

"Don't worry, Mommy. You know I can always care for my sister," Harry, a charming boy with raven locks that matched his eyes, reassured his mother with a grin.

"Yes, Mommy. You know I mostly take care of Harry. So there's no need to worry," Harper, Harry's twin sister, interjected.

The pair appeared nearly identical, with only slight differences between them. Unlike Harry's dark hair and eyes, Harper's tawny-brown locks were alike to Evelyn's, and their eyes were the same autumn color.

"No, Harper. I am the head of the house, therefore it is my responsibility to look after both you and Mommy," Harry asserted.

"That's what I dislike about you, Harry. You always speak as if we were not born on the same day. You are just a few seconds older than me, that doesn't make you the head of the house," Harper retorted.

"Soon, Mother will find us a father figure, who will be like our father," she added, glancing at Evelyn with a smile.

"No, Harper! We don't need any father. We are perfectly fine on our own," Harry's nostrils flared, clearly upset.

"That's the truth, Harry. Mommy will soon find us a father and she will not have to struggle to care for us anymore," Harper responded, her emotions mirroring that of her twin brother.

Evelyn, who had remained silent throughout, finally interrupted, "That's enough, kids. No more arguing," she cautioned in a soft tone.

Then she gently caressed their faces, "You both are much too young to concern yourselves with such matters, okay? Now hug each other and no more fights."

In typical big brother fashion, Harry stretched out his arms first and embraced his sister. "I love you, Harper."

Harper returned the hug and echoed back, "I love you too, Harry."

Evelyn gazed at them with a depth of affection in her eyes.

After a few more exchanges, the kids dashed into the kindergarten building, their backpacks bobbing up and down as they held hands.

A gentle smile lingered on Evelyn's lips as she watched them go. "Please take care of yourselves for me, my babies," she whispered tearfully, her gaze still fixed on their retreating figures. Only when they were out of sight did she turn and walk away.

---

A sense of impatience was starting to stir within her as she struggled to find a cab, knowing she was already running late for work.

"Why are there no cabs coming?" she lamented to herself, pacing back and forth in frustration.

Suddenly, a car zoomed by, causing a wave of dirty water from a pothole to splash all over Evelyn's dress.

"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, looking down at her now spotted black and white plaid dress. She glared at the fancy car that had sped off without stopping to apologize.

"Why do some people have to be so careless?" she fumed, attempting to wipe the stains with a handkerchief. But it only made the situation worse, and she had no choice but to change her dress.

After a taxing hour, Evelyn paid the cab driver and entered her workplace. She was taken aback by the unfamiliar security personnel stationed at the entrance.

Despite the change, she greeted them politely and made her way inside. The atmosphere inside was tense, and her legs felt weak as she sauntered towards the reception area.

All the employees were gathered there, their backs turned to the door. No one seemed to notice or pay any attention to Evelyn as she cautiously approached the group.

Suddenly, a deep unfamiliar voice filled the air.

"Why are you just coming to work, woman?"

The crowd gradually split into two, all fixated on a trembling Evelyn. Her gaze met with each worker before finally resting upon a stranger standing before her.

He was dressed impeccably in a tailored slim fit suit, his short blue- black hair slicked down on the sides and full on top. His chiseled cheekbones resembled ice and his eyes gleamed like liquid scotch. He exuded the air of a successful man.

Who is he? Evelyn wondered.

"Um...I was in an accident and had to go home to change my clothes," she explained, intimidated by the man's powerful presence and the fearful expressions on everyone's faces.

"Who is your boss?" he demanded in a stern tone, hands tucked into his pockets as he continued to fix his piercing gaze upon Evelyn.

Evelyn glanced at her colleagues, hoping for some indication as to who the man might be. But none of them could offer any insight, their eyes glued to the marble floor.

"Here I am, sir," a stout woman from the crowd stepped forward, her eyes betraying some resentment towards the man.

"Fire her immediately. This will serve as a warning to others, as I do not tolerate any form of incompetence or tardiness," the man declared coldly, eliciting gasps from everyone, including Evelyn.

"But she just explained why she was late, sir," Evelyn's boss attempted to plead with the man.

"Do you want to be fired as well?" the man interrupted, his firm gaze fixed on the woman.

She swallowed hard, avoiding his gaze and slowly shook her head.

"Good," the man replied before walking away arrogantly, flanked by two men in all-black suits.

"What just happened, Miss Brenda?" Evelyn finally returned to her senses after the man had left.

Trembling, she rushed towards her boss and clutched onto her tightly, demanding, "Please make me understand, Miss Brenda. Who was that man who just left?"

"That was Auden Bernard. He has bought our company and he is now our new boss," replied Miss Brenda.

Everlyn's eyes widened in shock, "What?" she whispered in disbelief, "And h-he has f-fired me a-already?"