Until Our Last Breath

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?"

All efforts to reach Auden proved fruitless as his two vigilant guards stationed at his office entrance would not grant access to Evelyn and Brenda.

"I'm done for, Miss Brenda. Where do I begin? How will I provide for my children?" Evelyn's tears flowed uncontrollably, her lips trembling with emotion.

Feeling compassion for her colleague, Brenda embraced her warmly and allowed her to weep for a while.

"But why were you late, Evelyn? Is there an issue with one of your children?" Brenda inquired once they let go of their embrace.

Sniffling, Evelyn wiped her face and proceeded to explain the events that caused her tardiness.

"To hell with that despicable driver," Brenda fumed with anger.

Evelyn whimpered again and grasped Brenda's hands, pleading with her, "Please help me, Miss Brenda. This job is my only means of supporting my children. I can't afford to lose it, please."

Brenda's heart ached for her colleague and tears welled up in her eyes. "That man doesn't strike me as someone who would take back his words, Evelyn. We need to come up with another solution," she suggested.

Evelyn burst into a fresh wave of tears, her shoulders heaving with sobs.

Brenda paced back and forth, brainstorming on how to assist Evelyn. Suddenly, she stopped and a bright smile lit up her face.

"I have an idea, Evelyn!" she exclaimed, clutching Evelyn's hands with excitement.

Evelyn's tears ceased as she sniffed and eagerly awaited the good news.

"Remember Quinn, the friend of mine who visited last year and admired your work?" Brenda's face beamed with anticipation.

It didn't take long for Evelyn to recall who Brenda was referring to. "The man with long hair who acts like a woman? Yes, I remember him," she replied.

"Excellent!" The sound of Brenda's palms coming together in sheer delight echoed through the hall.

"Do you recall how much he wanted you to join him, Evelyn? Your designs are adored by him and he was willing to pay whatever amount you named."

Evelyn let out a heavy sigh. It was impossible for her to forget how that man had pestered her that day, incessantly begging her to leave her current job and work for him instead.

However, she couldn't shake off the thought that this man, who acted almost like a woman, was being serious about it.

"I will give him a call for you now, Evelyn. I'm certain he would be absolutely ecstatic to have you on board," Brenda interjected, already on her way back to her office to fetch her phone.

Upon her return, she was already speaking to Quinn on the phone.

"I hope you're not playing a trick on me, Brenda. That brilliant designer is going to work with me? Me?!" Quinn exclaimed with excitement, a slight smile creeping onto Evelyn's face.

"Yes, Quinn. I'm not joking. When would you like her to come in so the two of you can discuss this?" Brenda carried on.

"How about right now? Can she come now? I just can't wait to see her again. Oh my goodness, Brenda. You have no idea what this means to me," Quinn's emotional voice rang through the phone, causing both Evelyn and Brenda to let out a soft laugh.

"Enough with the drama, hang up and I'll give her your office address so she can come see you soon," Brenda quickly responded, ending the call immediately.

"How can I ever repay you, Miss Brenda?" Evelyn broke down into tears once again, embracing Brenda tightly.

The older woman smiled and gently ran her fingers through Evelyn's hair. "The only way to repay me is to always remain true to yourself, Evelyn. Never change who you are."

Later, Evelyn exited the building and headed to meet Quinn. She slowed her pace and stole one last glance at the facility, tears threatening to spill from her eyes once again.

She still couldn't believe it. She had worked there for nearly a decade.

At a mere six months old, her children were barely past infancy when she began working at Glamour Designs and Textiles. And just as abruptly as it began, her time there was unceremoniously ended, leaving her devastated.

What a cruel twist of fate.

Evelyn swiftly brushed away her tears, taking a deep, resolute breath as she resumed her walk. However, her determined pace was abruptly halted when a familiar car caught her eye.

Not just any car. It was the same flashy vehicle that had splashed mud all over her dress earlier that morning, leading to her dismissal.

Without a second thought, she rushed towards the car, parked among countless others in the lot.

As she neared the car, she nodded to herself incessantly, as if to reassure herself that she wasn't mistaken and this was indeed the same car with that familiar license plate.

Without a moment to lose, she circled the car and pounded on the driver's side door upon realizing there was someone in the driver's seat.

"Get out of this car right now, you reckless driver!" Evelyn demanded, continuing to bang on the car in a careless frenzy.

The driver quickly emerged from the car, looking bewildered as he met Evelyn's gaze.

He didn't recognize her at all, making it even more confusing as to why she would be so aggressively attacking his car.

"What seems to be the issue, miss? How may I be of assistance?" the young man, around thirty years old, asked politely, catching Evelyn off guard.

In her mind, the driver who had ruined her dress earlier in the day would not have the gall to be so courteous.

What a jerk!

"Everything is wrong because of you, careless driver! Do you have any idea what you did to my dress this morning? Your recklessness got me fired!" Evelyn shouted at the man, trembling with fury.

She had never lost her temper in such a way before.

The driver didn't seem surprised at all and appeared to already know who was truly at fault.

"I apologize for your misfortune, miss. But I must inform you that I was not the reckless driver who ruined your dress. In fact, I just arrived a few moments ago and-"

Evelyn's eyes widened in shock, disbelief etched in her expression. "What?" she exclaimed, "Now you want to deny the obvious?"

"Don't misunderstand me, Miss. This may be the car that provoked your anger, but I can assure you I wasn't the one behind the wheel. My boss was the one who brought this car here," the driver calmly clarified.

Evelyn's gaze narrowed, curious to know who this mysterious boss was. But before she could inquire further, a deep, familiar voice interrupted them.

"What's going on here?"

Both Evelyn and the driver turned their heads simultaneously, spotting Auden Bernard striding towards them.

Upon catching sight of his sudden appearance, Evelyn went through a brief surge of nerves, which were betrayed by the expression etched upon her face.

However, she quickly put on a brave look and strode towards him, determined to explain the situation.

"Thank goodness you're here, sir. I am sure you will take back your words about firing me once I clarify the events that have transpired," Evelyn uttered earnestly.

However, before she could continue, Auden Bernard interjected, his tone cutting and cold.

Evelyn abruptly fell silent, fixating her gaze upon his stern face.

Auden Bernard continued, advancing towards her and casually slipping a hand into his pants pocket.

"People like you are the ones I hate the most. Blaming others for your own misfortunes is a gross display of character," he asserted.

Evelyn's brows furrowed in confusion. "Please allow me to speak, sir. What I'm trying to say is that, if not for the incident with the driver splashing dirty water on my dress, causing me to have to change, I would not have been late for work," she retorted, her frustration evident in her raised voice.

"Then it appears that you are too ignorant to acknowledge your own mistakes as well," Auden Bernard remarked pointedly, sauntering past her towards the car, the door already open and waiting.

"Oh, and in case you didn't know, I happen to be the driver of this vehicle earlier this morning," he announced, halting directly in front of her with a sly grin etched upon his features.

It was one of those creepy smiles that sent a chill down one's spine.

Instantly, Evelyn's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?" she murmured incredulously.

"Yes, you heard me correctly. In my opinion, it would be in everyone's best interest to have you fired. Your incapacity and incompetence render you useless to work for me," Auden declared in disgust, raising one hand in emphasis before tucking it back into his pocket.

Without sparing Evelyn another glance, he bent down to enter the car and drove off, leaving her chest heaving rapidly.

She was unsure if she had misheard his final words or if they were simply a product of her own imagination.

While gazing at Auden Bernard's fast-moving vehicle, tears flowed from Evelyn's eyes like pearls slipping off a string. It was then she comprehended the harsh truth- it had actually happened.

The reckless driver who cost her job was the new CEO. And as if that wasn't enough, he had also hurt her deeply by deeming her useless and foolish.

In Evelyn's opinion, her job was like a third child to her. She cherished her work just as much as she cherished her children.

In fact, being a cloth fashion designer had always been her aspiration since childhood. She held her occupation in high esteem and always put in her utmost effort to produce satisfactory outcomes, which earned her adoration from her colleagues.

But Auden Bernard had managed to make her feel completely worthless with just a few spiteful words, without even witnessing her diligent work.

As she recalled his callous remarks and the disgust plastered on his face, Evelyn let out a sob. And another. And another, fresh tears drenching her eyes once more.

She tried to compose herself, but she couldn't help feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed.

**

Quinn grasped Evelyn's hands possessively, expressing his enthusiasm for having her in his small store.

He had been praising her non-stop ever since she arrived in a cab, not even allowing her to pay for it as he rushed towards the taxi and paid for her instead.

Under Quinn's admiring and elevated words, Evelyn couldn't help but feel good and let go of her pensive mood, beaming along with the joyous man.

Quinn, an average height man in his late forties, had a weird habit of acting feminine- coloring his long hair, applying makeup on his face, and constantly chewing gum.

Rumor had it that he was not a straight man, but rather a gay man.

"Brenda told me about the new boss," Quinn stated sorrowfully as they reached his office.

Remaining silent, Evelyn simply smiled and took in the office, her gaze landing on the numerous fashion images adorning the walls.

Her smile widened, as though merely laying eyes on these pieces had solved all her problems.

Quinn joined her at the wall, continuing their conversation with an uncontainable excitement.

"I can't say I'm happy with how you were treated at Glamour, but I'm beyond thrilled to have you here," he exclaimed with a grin.

"Who designed this skirt?" Evelyn inquired, gesturing to an image on the wall.

Quinn's smile faltered. "It was my former employee, Anna. She left last month," he replied.

Evelyn glanced at the skirt again. It was a stunning velvet blue straight skirt, adorned with gold claw glitters along the hem. Despite not being a tangible piece yet, it exuded a captivating beauty.

"Why did she leave, if I may ask?" Evelyn queried, turning to face Quinn.

His smile turned sad. "She said she was disappointed in me. That I haven't lived up to her expectations and am still far behind in the fashion industry compared to others."

Hearing this, Evelyn felt a wave of sympathy for him, but she offered a reassuring smile.

"You won't give up, will you?" she asked, a small spark in her eyes.

In response, Quinn's usual bright smile returned as he shook his head dramatically, his chin held high.

"My ultimate dream is to sit in the same conference room as the top international fashion designers. With that in mind, how could I possibly give up?"

Evelyn gave him a thumbs up and offered kind words. "I wish you all the luck in achieving your dream."

The following day, Auden Bernard was led by Brenda to the department of designers, which consisted of three women and one man.

The workers immediately stood up upon Auden's arrival, fear evident in their expressions.

Ever since the previous day, when he had entered and presented himself with a formidable air, they had all been intimidated by him.

Auden, on the other hand, roamed from one desk to another, skimming through their sketchbooks and monitors.

With his hands tucked in his trouser pocket, he strolled by an empty seat, but his attention was captured by something on the desk and he picked it up.

It was a sketch of a sleeveless black mini dress, embellished with glittering stones on the bust area and a unique pleating detail at the hem.

To the surprise of everyone in the room, Auden's face broke into a faint smile as he absentmindedly sat on the desk and continued admiring the dress.

After a moment, he stood up and made an announcement, "I want the designer of this sketch to bring it to life before the end of the week."

The team exchanged glances, unsure of what to make of Auden's sudden change in mood.

But when no one responded, his voice turned stern, "Is that clear?"

Finally, Brenda mustered up the courage to speak, "The designer of this dress won't be able to bring it to life as per your instructions, sir. You had asked me to fire her yesterday," her tone laced with sarcasm and her eyes showing a hint of satisfaction.

A crease formed between Auden's eyebrows as he muttered, "I told you to do that?"

"That's right, Mr. Bernard. You've fired the best designer on our team," Brenda emphasized each word, thoroughly enjoying the look on Auden's face.

As his fists clenched and his intimidating figure trembled with anger, Auden bellowed, "FIND HER AND BRING HER TO ME NOW!"

Startling everyone in the room with his sudden outburst.