My entire day was ruined because of the gossip I heard about myself. I was not even motivated to do my work, and I couldn't even bring myself to go out to the restroom. I just wanted to avoid the stares I was getting from people around me.
When it was time to clock out, I immediately fixed my things and told Mira that I would go home right away. But she stopped me.
"Can you help me find a gift for Damian? Next week is his birthday," she said.
Though I was not in the mood to go out, since she was asking for a favor, I nodded and forced a smile. I didn't want her to think that I was affected, though I was. I just didn't want to bother her or Dominic about it. It was my problem, and I should deal with it personally. Maybe later on, the rumors would die down, and people would forget about me.
We went to the parking lot, and there, some people were looking at us as if we were culprits. Was it already spread throughout the entire company? Who did it? Our department boss?
"Are you okay, Sera?" Mira snapped me out of my thoughts because I wasn't even responding to her first call.
"Ah, yeah. I'm fine."
She smiled, and then we went to her car. We went to the mall and strolled around. Mira wasn't even sure what to buy.
"Why not ask Dominic about it? He might have an idea."
"I don't want to ask him because he will surely spill it to Damian. Knowing Dominic, he's quite talkative," she laughed.
We went inside the department store and looked around in the men's section.
"Or maybe I should buy him an expensive watch? A wallet? Shoes? What do you think?"
"Are you willing to spend that much on someone who isn't even your boyfriend?" I asked.
She bit her lower lip, maybe realizing that Damian wasn't her boyfriend yet.
"Just make it simple. Damian surely has everything. He can buy whatever he wants. I know you have money, but you shouldn't compete with him," I said.
She went quiet, maybe thinking about what I said.
"I know what to buy him!" she suddenly said.
I didn't ask and just followed her. There, I saw cute little house slippers with a panda design. They were inside a box and looked aesthetic, perfect for gifting.
"This only costs a thousand. Do you think it's cute?"
Knowing Damian's personality based on what I had observed, he was like Lucca, dark and gloomy. But this gift might change that.
"It's cute," I answered.
She smiled widely, and we went to the cashier to pay. After that, she invited me to a Japanese restaurant for dinner.
She asked me to choose whatever I wanted, and it was her treat because I accompanied her in looking for a gift. But actually, I didn't do much.
I let her decide what to eat since it was her treat. We waited for about 15 minutes before the order arrived. I still didn't have an appetite because of what had happened earlier. I was still feeling down and unmotivated. Mira noticed that I was just playing with my sushi and not eating it.
"Are you sure you're okay, Sera? You look stressed."
I was taken aback when she spoke and immediately took a bite of my sushi. I tried to smile, but it felt fake.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
I forced myself to eat more even though I didn't want to anymore. I didn't want Mira to notice that I was down.
After eating, Mira told me to go to the park and stroll for a while so the food could settle.
She even bought ice cream and gave the other cone to me.
"Thanks," I said.
Mira just smiled and licked hers. I silently did the same, even though I was already full from earlier.
"Do you know that ice cream helps me calm down? It helps me forget my problems, at least for a while. This is my comfort food," Mira said while we were walking and eating.
I didn't respond and just waited for her to continue. But she suddenly stopped walking and faced me. I stood there holding my ice cream.
"I know you're not okay, Sera. I can feel it."
I was a bit shocked when she brought it up again, but I didn't speak.
"Why do I always feel like you're hiding something from me? Didn't I already tell you to be open with me?"
I just stared at her, not knowing how to respond. I could sense the bitterness in her voice.
"I know something happened in our boss's office this morning. You looked so down and stressed. I waited for you to tell me something, but you didn't. Then in the comfort room, it happened. You heard everything, but you pretended like it was nothing. How can your sadness be healed if you don't open up to someone? Why do you deal with everything on your own?"
It hit me hard. I wanted to cry, but I bit my lower lip to stop myself. I didn't want to cry in public while holding an ice cream. I could feel the coldness in my hand as it slowly melted.
"I'm sorry," was all I could say. I didn't want to say anything else that would make me cry.
"Why are you always saying that? We're sisters, right? Sisters help each other. If I have a problem, I always tell you right away. If I'm not okay, I don't hesitate to tell you. Please do the same. I don't want you to burden yourself. I know you, Sera, especially when you don't talk."
"Can we finish our ice cream first, then go back to the car? I'm not feeling well."
She nodded and ate her ice cream. I did the same. We strolled a little until we finished, then went back to her car.
As I got in, my gaze was lost, staring blankly ahead.
"Tell me now."
I couldn't hide anything from Mira, could I? She was the only one who knew and understood me. I looked at her and let my tears fall down my cheeks. Mira looked worried as she watched me cry.
"Sera…"
"Our boss said bad things about me. He said that I am a flirt, that I was flirting with Dominic, which is why I was not at the company for almost two weeks. I thought it was okay since the owner of the company told him personally, but I don't know why he thinks otherwise. He made me look bad… like a slut. He even said that I was dreaming of becoming Dominic's partner, that Dominic is heaven and I am just the ground, based on our status," I spoke nonstop while letting my tears flow down.
Mira was about to cry with me too. She easily gets attached when someone cries in front of her.
"Sera… why didn't you tell me earlier?" she asked while holding my hand.
"I had no plan to tell you. I thought I could bear it myself. I don't want to burden you."
"Burden me? Since when did I ever tell you that you are a burden? If the comfort room scene didn't happen, you wouldn't have told me, right?" she asked.
I nodded. She sighed deeply and let her tears flow down her cheeks too. We were both crying while she wiped my tears away.
"Don't let anyone step on you like that. They don't even know you to say those words. And our boss? He deserves to be punished for thinking of you like that. You didn't even force Dominic to take leave. He's the one who asked for a favor," Mira kept talking while frowning. I could barely understand her expression because everything felt so overwhelming.
"Don't tell Dominic about it. I don't want him to go to our boss just because of this. I don't want our boss to think that Dominic is our backup," I said.
"Then what? Let him keep bullying you? We're in the same department, Sera. He won't stop."
"I can manage. Just don't tell Dominic about it."
"But he's the reason why you're experiencing this, isn't he? Shouldn't he solve this problem?"
"He didn't know this would happen. Just let it be. If I can't bear it anymore, I'll tell him."
Mira didn't respond and just stared at me. I pleaded with my eyes, and after a minute, she finally nodded.
"I'll be with you wherever you go. If someone tries to mess with you, I'll mess with them too," she said, sounding stronger and braver.
I smiled. I am so lucky to have a friend like her. This is the nth time I've kept my problems from her. I admit I feel guilty, but my intention is not bad. I just don't want her to think that I am a burden. She has her own problems too, and I don't want to add mine.
Mira gave me a tight hug. I hugged her back while closing my eyes. If Mira wasn't beside me, I don't know what would have happened to me. Maybe my depression would get worse… or I might even be dead by now.
We stayed like that for a few minutes before Mira and I decided to go home. At first, she wanted me to stay at her condo for the night, but I refused because I knew we wouldn't be able to sleep early. We had work tomorrow, and we couldn't compromise our sleep.
Mira sent me home. The car stopped in front of our gate.
"Thank you again, Mira. I owe you a lot," I said.
"Promise me you won't hide your problems from me?" she asked, reaching out for a pinky promise.
I did the pinky promise and smiled at her. "I promise."
She smiled back and gently touched my shoulder before I got out of the car. I stayed at the gate for a while, waiting for her to leave.
As the car disappeared, the man who had been standing near my gate, staring at me like a creepy ghost, was there again. He still wore the black suit I had seen before.
I took a deep breath and decided to approach him to confront him for staring at me like that. I should face my fear; this was the time.
I was about to cross the street when a car passed by, stopping me from crossing immediately. When it finally left, the man who had been standing there was gone too. I looked around, but he was nowhere to be found.
"Seraphina. What are you doing here?"
I turned around to see who was calling me. It was my neighbor, my grandmother's friend. I greeted her with a smile.
"Good evening, Grandma," I said.
She walked closer, fanning herself with a woven abaca fan.
"Who were you with?" she asked.
"I was with my friend."
"A woman or a man?" she asked curiously.
"A woman. I was with Mira," I answered politely, though her questions felt a bit off.
"I saw you yesterday entertaining different guys. Some of them even entered your house."
Grandma was referring to Dominic and Lucca, the men I let in my house.
"Those are my friends, Grandma," I replied politely, though I already wanted to end the conversation. I was not comfortable talking about my personal life with a neighbor.
"I thought they were your boyfriends," she even emphasized the word boyfriends, as if implying I had two and was cheating.
"I don't have a boyfriend, Grandma. They're just my friends," I said, now feeling uneasy. I wanted to leave, but she kept asking questions. It would also be rude to walk away suddenly. She was like a grandmother too, old and curious.
"They're so handsome, aren't they? Why not choose between them?"
I forced a smile. "It's not what you think, Grandma. I don't have any special feelings for them. We are purely friends," I said, emphasizing each word so she would understand.
She nodded, and that was my cue to leave.
"I need to go inside now, Grandma. I still have a lot of things to do," I said.
She nodded and smiled.
"Take care of yourself, dear," she said.
I bowed my head and smiled back. "Thank you for your concern, Grandma."
I went inside and closed the gate. As soon as I entered the house, I let out a sigh. Today was so stressful, from morning until evening. But thanks to Mira, I was able to release some of the pain I had been holding since morning. The heaviness was not entirely gone, but at least it had lessened.
I immediately went to the bathroom and took a bath. I needed to let myself feel the cold water to calm my body and mind. After that, I went to my room and changed my clothes. My phone beeped, and when I checked it, it was Mira telling me she had arrived home. I texted her back, once again telling her how grateful I was to have her as a friend and thanking her for comforting me tonight. I also reminded her not to tell Dominic anything because I didn't want things to become complicated. After that, maybe because of exhaustion, I fell asleep right away.
The next morning, I arrived at the office ten minutes early. It was also the time when our department boss arrived. He looked at me from head to toe, then smirked.
I used to think our boss was kind. But now I take my words back.
I went to my desk and opened my computer. Minutes later, Mira arrived and greeted me with a smile.
I smiled back.
"Did our boss arrive already?" Mira asked.
I nodded.
"Did he say anything bad to you?" she asked.
I shrugged. "He just looked me up and down, then smirked," I said like a child reporting to her mother.
Mira frowned. "He's two-faced. I thought he was kind, but now he's showing his true colors," she said. Mira and I had the same thought. For the years we had been working in the same department, I had never seen our boss act arrogant or angry like this. It all started when he found out that Mira and I were close to the CEO.
"I hope Dominic fires him!" Mira said out of anger.
"Hey. Didn't I tell you not to tell Dominic?" I asked.
"I didn't," Mira said.
I nodded. "Let's work now. We'll just talk during lunch," I said, then focused on responding to the emails I received.
Mira and I were busy. Orders piled up, and more customers were inquiring about the products we were selling. It was only interrupted when someone outside called my name.
"For Seraphina."
I looked at the door, and it caught the attention of everyone in the office, including my boss, who was peeking at me.
"Yes?" I stood up and went to the delivery guy.
"It was sent to you. Two drinks, for Seraphina and Mira," the delivery guy said.
I received the order and thanked him. People were still watching me and what I was holding. I immediately sat back down and placed the drinks on my desk.
"Dominic, right?" Mira asked while giggling.
"For us," I emphasized the word us, because the drinks were not only for me.
"How thoughtful of our boss," she said while chuckling.
"Lower your voice. We might attract attention," I whispered.
"You already did, girl. Everyone is envying you for having the CEO as your friend," she said, still smiling while looking at the drinks.
"Oh, he ordered coffee! I like it!" Mira said, then immediately took hers. Mine, on the other hand, was a strawberry milkshake.
"He remembered what I said before," she added.
"What did you say?" I asked.
"That you don't like coffee, so he bought you a strawberry milkshake instead."
I was about to respond when my phone beeped. I received a text from Dominic.
I saw you and Mira are busy working. Don't work too much. I sent drinks for both of you.
I replied:
You didn't have to. We're okay. We're doing our job.
I thought he wouldn't reply anymore, but I received another message.
Want to grab lunch? Tell Mira to join too. Damian and Lucca will be there.
When I read Lucca's name, I decided not to go.
I have something to do during lunch break. I can't make it. I'll just tell Mira she should go.
What errands, Sera? It's okay if you're late. I'll just tell them.
That statement made me stop and remember how our boss had been looking at me earlier with judgmental eyes. If Dominic told my department boss I would be late, it might cause another issue or rumor, which I didn't want. I didn't like people talking about me.
No need. Have your lunch without me. Don't let Mira come back to work late.
After that, I put my phone in my bag and faced my computer again. While scrolling, I told Mira that she would be joining Dominic for lunch later. I also told her that Damian would be there too, which made her eyes sparkle.
"What about you?" she asked.
"I'm okay. I have some things to do. I already told Dominic too."
"You're sure you'll stay here alone?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"I'll be away for a while," Mira said.
I chuckled. "I can manage, don't worry."
Mira looked at me with hesitation, but I responded with a fake smile.
As much as possible, I wanted to avoid Dominic to avoid rumors. I didn't want my department boss to bully me more just because I was close to Dominic.