Michelle

MICHELLE'S eyes enlarged when she saw a pile of paperworks over the desk. She massaged her temples, trying her best not to explode at any moment.

It had been two months since she got hired and they are giving her a hard time already. She couldn't even say no to Mrs. Stewart, the super strict owner of the Glow and Go Cosmetics, because she knew that the woman would never hesitate to fire her with just a snap of a finger.

Letting out a heavy sigh, she grabbed the papers and started on doing her job. She answered clients' queries and sorted incoming mails. Time seemed to fly so fast, and she didn't notice the time from the wall clock.

She almost nodded her head off but jerked awake, fighting the urges to sleep during the working hours. A few minutes later, she finished the last piece of paper and stretched her arms out while yawning.

Finally! The torture is done!

After placing the paperworks inside the brown folder and put it in Column D from the small locker beside her seat, she grabbed her bag and proceeded out of the building.

She looked upon the dark sky and emitted out a massive sigh, remembering why she entered the job as a clerk. It was tiring, but whenever the faces of her family registers inside her mind, she found the reason to pursue more.

She took out the car keys from her bag and went inside, starting the engine and driving away from the company afterward.

When she got home, she spotted her younger brother sitting over the rug while playing a video game.

She sat beside him and placed her arm around his shoulders. "Well, looks like it was worth buying that stuff anyway, Kevin." Her eyes scanned the living room then raised her eyebrow. "Where's mom?"

He glanced at her then back to the game. "Market."

She got her arm off him and gave a tiny nudge on his shoulder. "You're too focused on that game. You should have joined mom while I'm at work."

When he didn't respond, she shoved his shoulder once again that made him lose the game and gave her a frown-like his face turned into a destructive storm.

She waggled her eyebrows then laughed at his reaction. With that, he grabbed a throw pillow from the sofa beside him then chucked it to her.

She placed her arms out and palms forward while chuckling. "Hey! Stop it!"

It wasn't enough, so he grabbed the other pillow and tossed it to her, making him grin when she fell from her sitting position.

She stayed in that position while staring at the ceiling, taking in a deep sigh while calming herself. He sat beside her and stared up at the ceiling, too.

"I miss dad so much."

He turned his eyes at her and saw sadness in her brown eyes. It had been two years since their father died from a car accident, and it was the most depressing moment of their lives. So, moving on was a real hard choice for them.

He bit his lower lip then diverted his eyes on his lap. "Me too. He's a great father, and I won't ever forget how kind he was."

Silence ate the surroundings, but then it didn't take so long when the door opened and Martha came in with bags of groceries.

They both stood up and Kevin took them from her, marching inside the kitchen. Michelle, on the other hand, helped her to sit on the sofa and gave her a glass of water.

She took it. "Thank you, sweetie."

She beamed and rubbed her mother's back while she drank its content. Afterward, she started coughing in a harsh way with small droplets of blood pouring into the glass.

Furrowing her eyebrows, she grabbed it and took a better look. "Mom... Why are you coughing blood?"

Martha wrinkled her eyebrows as well and stared at it, making her eyes widen.

She plastered on a fake smile to calm her daughter, but Michelle gave her a worried look. She didn't want her children to stress themselves, especially, her daughter who was the breadwinner of their family.

"Don't you worry, sweetie. It's just blood." She masked her nervousness by smiling.

"Just blood? Mom, this is a serious matter! We need to go to the hosptal." She stood up and grabbed her mother's hand, but she took it back.

"I don't need to see the doctor, sweetheart. Besides, I can still do my chores! Stop on bothering yourse-"

Kevin entered in the living room with knitted eyebrows. "What's happening here?"

As Martha's eyes widened when she heard her son, her daughter turned her attention to him without removing her grip on her mother's hand.

"She was coughing blood, Kevin."

Martha shook her head. "I'm really okay!"

"How is that even okay, mom?! You're coughing blood and you'll shout to our faces that you're okay?!" Tears clouded her vision.

Kevin walked towards them, giving them a massive sigh. "Michelle, you will never solve this problem when you are yelling, too."

Martha thought that he was on her side, but she was wrong. He also gave her a stern look with straight lined lips.

"Mom, we're just concern about your health. We lost dad before, and we're both scared to lose you, too. I hope you understand."

She nodded and sighed. "I understand, son."

Michelle's threatening tears spilled out from her eyes and fell down to her cheeks, then she took her hand away from her mom.

She wiped her tears using the back of her hand then gave them a hug. After that, she pulled away and gave her mom a serious stare.

"We will go to the hospital tomorrow, okay?"

---

"Doc, can we see the result already?"

It had been days since they went to the hospital for her check-up, and now was the time for the result.

As they both sat in front of the doctor's desk, Kevin stood behind his mother while rubbing her back.

The doctor stared at the papers he was holding with a solemn feature. "Mrs. Wright, did you ever smoke before?"

Martha furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head. "Never in my entire life."

"Did you have a family member that has lung cancer?"

Michelle placed her palm in the air and gave him a stern look. "Wait, wait. Why are you asking those questions?"

The doctor sighed and removed his eyeglasses. "I'm sorry to say this, but Mrs. Wright has been suffering from lung cancer, stage two."

When they heard what the doctor said, the whole space became quiet. They were hoping that it was all a mere joke, that the doctor was just bluffing and will start on laughing at them. But it was the reality that they had to face.

"W-What? Stage two?" Michelle asked, trying to convince herself that it wasn't true.

The doctor emitted out another sigh. "I'm sorry, Ms. Wright."

"But.... she has never showed any sign of symptoms. So, how come she has lung cancer?" Kevin asked to him with threatening tears on his eyes.

"Lung cancer typically doesn't show signs or symptoms in its early stages. Your mom never smoked once, so she's either exposed to secondhand smoke or she inherited it from her family."

Michelle slumped her elbows over the desk while covering her face with her palms. Martha looked at her children, making her eyes to wet. She remembered the way their faces looked like when their father died, and now it was happening because of her.

She didn't want to be the cause of their sadness. Yesterday, she promised that she would never leave them, but it seemed like she would break their hope.

Everyone was so silent, when Michelle started on sobbing with her hands still covering her face. As her brother saw this, he instantly rubbed her back while sniffing.

The doctor grabbed the tissue and offered, "Take this, Ms. Wright. I'm so sorry for the bad news."

She removed her hands from her face then took it, wiping her wet cheeks and blowing her nose with it afterwards. "Thank you, doc."

He gave her a warm smile. "Just don't stop on praying, everything will be alright. I'll give you the medicines she have to take, but your mom should always eat fruits rich in vitamins and nutrients."

They all stood up and thanked him, then went back home with silence eating their surrounding.

As they sat on the sofa, they all started crying then hugged their mom-like what they would always do when they were kids.

As they got home from their morning routine, Michelle guided her mom to the sofa and both sat on it.

Martha wiped the sweat on her forehead using the back of her hand. "Morning exercises felt so good, but I'm really exhausted, Michelle."

"Mom, the doctor said that you have to take exercise regularly."

Her mom didn't respond and remained silent. That's when Kevin walked downstairs with his backpack.

He kissed their cheeks. "Take care of mom, okay? I chopped some fruits awhile ago and did some fruit shake. They are in the fridge."

There was happiness inside Martha's eyes even though she wasn't smiling. "Thank you, son. I'm so lucky to have the both of you."

"Everything for our mother. Before I go, I want to ask, don't you have work today, Michelle?" he asked.

She shook her head. "It's my day-off today, so I can take care of mom for sure."

"That's good. Well, I should go to school because I'm late."

Martha beamed and held his hand, squeezing it. "Be careful at school, okay?"

He passed her an assuring smile and replied, "I will, mom. See you later, ladies."

Michelle chuckled as he walked out of the house. "He can really light up the mood."

"Just like your dad, " she said.

The surroundings became silent for a few minutes. Martha bit her lip and looked at her daughter with an apologetic look written on her face.

"I'm sorry." She gave her a hearty smile and changed the subject by saying, "By the way, do you still remember your childhood friend? What's her name again?"

"Mom, I don't have any news from her ever since we left Canada fifteen years ago." She stood up and went inside the kitchen.

Martha followed her and saw Michelle, who was pouring some fruit shake into each glasses.

She gave it to her mom and sat on a chair. "Her name is Golden, if I'm not mistaken. We were like siblings back when we're ten."

As she drank her fruit shake, the face of her childhood friend registered inside her head. She smiled to herself when she remembered that Kevin once had a crush on the girl when he was just five years old.

But, ever since they left, she never had the chance to get news from her because the girl's mother was too strict wherein the girl wouldn't get out without doing her chores.

"Are you okay, Michelle?"

She woke up from her thoughts when her mother waved her hand in front of her face.

As she nodded, Martha sighed then gulped the shake until they were done drinking it.

----

The next three days, Michelle went to work since Kevin was there to take care of their mother.

As the elevator opens, she took long steps toward the office then sat down on the chair, only to notice the pile of papers over her desk.

She emitted out a long-suffering sigh and grabbed the paper to begin her job. While on duty, her co-worker named Zach, stood beside her desk.

He wore that same sweet smile on his manly face-which would make any woman go crazy. A fake smile made its way on her lips as she turned her eyes away from him.

"Hello, Michelle. I heard that your mother is sick."

She nodded and continued her work, without glancing at him. The guy sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, trying his best to act as if the news had hurt him.

Michelle remained silent because she knew he was trying to impress her.

'Just go away!'

Even though she wanted to scream that thought at him, she zipped her lips to restrain herself from doing so. The man knew her very well since they were schoolmates back in college. For him, the woman was playing hard to get because she knew that a man like him was head-over-heels to her.

Well, that was a real opposite for Michelle. She was irritated at him for being so arrogant, that he thought he was so handsome and smarter than everyone. That was the main reason she hated the guy.

Zach placed his hand on her shoulder, making her glare at him. "Look, Michelle, I'm just concerned to your family. You're very important to me, that's why your family is important to me, too, " he said with sadness laced in his tone.

"Why don't you stop on bothering me and get back to your own business, huh?"

He shook his head and squeezed his shoulder. "Michelle-"

She removed his hand away from her. "Can't you see, I'm busy? I have piles of papers to finish."

With that said, he sighed and placed his palms in the air. "Fine. But expect me later when you're done with your 'busy' hours."

When he was out of her sight, she felt calm and continued her job. It was already eight in the evening and she was done at her tasks.

She grabbed her bag and proceeded out of the building but stopped on walking when she saw Zach outside with his car parked in front of him. With a straight-lined lips, she strode past him but was pulled back by his rough hand around her arm.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a stern voice.

An arrogant grin made its way to his lips. "I told you awhile ago to expect me when you're done with your job."

"Did I ever accept your stupid offer?"

When he said nothing, she rolled her eyes and removed his hand out of her arm, giving him a sharp glare afterwards. His jaw clenched when she ignored and walked away from him, that made his hands ball into fists. With rage lacing his emotion, he chased and grabbed her arm once again, forcing her to his car.

"Let me go!"

Once they were beside the car, Zach pushed her hard on the door then gripped both of her shoulders with his lowered eyebrows and squinted eyes.

Some patchy red blotches formed on her face. "Why don't you stop on bothering me?!"

"It's because I love you! I ignored all of those girls back then just for you, but you never appreciated those things I've done!" he yelled.

Michelle furrowed her eyebrows. "I never requested for those, Zach! Why don't you find someone else to bother? Stop chasing me around!"

She started on pushing his chest but he slammed her again on the car's door by her shoulders, gripping it so hard that he didn't realize he was becoming violent to a woman.

"You expect me to move on that easily?! C'mon, Michelle! After so many years, my efforts will go into waste all because you wanted me to find someone else to bother?!"

"Yes! Just go away and stop bothering me!" she shouted.

He only tightened his grip on her shoulders, making her wince in pain. "You're hurting me! Let me go!"

"Shut the fuck up!"

Grabbing her petite arm, he pulled her away and opened the door then started on forcing her inside.

But, she tried to fight and screamed, "Somebody, please help me!"

Terrible things entered inside her head, it was all the things that would happen if he achieved to get her, and spend the rest of their lives together. For sure, he was planning on kidnapping her because he lost his temper and was fed-up with her attitude.

"You're crazy! Let me go!" She saw his hand on her arm, so she leaned in and bit it so hard.

He screamed in agony, that made her push him hard away from her. She was about to run when he grabbed her hair and pulled her back to him.

As he started on shoving her inside the car, a man appeared behind him then clasped his shoulder that made Zach turn to him.

"Stop on hurting the woman and let her go, " he said with a calm tone.

Zach gave him a sharp glare and faced him, slamming his finger on his chest. "Who are you to say this to me?! I'm her boyfriend so stay the hell away from here!"

Her eyes widened at what he had said, then shook her head. "Don't believe him! He's not my boyfriend! He's trying to kidnap me!"

"If that's the case, please stop on forcing her-" The man didn't have the chance to finish his sentence because Zach blew a hard punch on his face, making him fall down the floor. A wound and bruise started forming on the side of his lips.

Zach pointed him a finger. "Stay out of this, son of a bitch!"

He turned his attention to Michelle and shoved her inside the car, closing the door afterwards. He was about to leave him alone, but the man stood up and attacked Zach.

They were literally punching each other on the floor as she watched them in horror. In the end, the man won and Zach collapsed on the ground.

He left him there and proceeded to the car, opening it and letting her out. "He's unconscious for a moment but he'll wake up soon."

She stepped out and gave him a smile. "Thank you so much for helping me, sir?"

"It's Nathan. And you are?"

"Michelle."

"Well, Michelle, you should go home because this guy will wake up soon."

She nodded and thanked him once again before running away from there with panic in her head. When she found her car, she hopped inside and drove so fast just to escape the place.