Jonathan's POV
For others, it was a new morning, but for me, it felt like yesterday.
And yet something just didn't feel right.
I woke up, took a bath, and got dressed.
The silence lingered as I followed my routine and schedule.
But this silence wasn't like any other silence.
This one lingered longer than the others, as there was not an end to it.
It just lingered.
Pressing deep within you.
I picked up my watch and realized my wallet was missing. I opened my mouth.
"Nic…"
But I stopped.
Pin-drop silence filled the room.
Not the type that was just silent.
The type that made every other sound, even the ticking of the clock, sound like a bomb.
"Get a grip, Jonathan."
"She's not here."
To anyone else, the words were simple, but for me, they were no less than a knife stabbing in the heart.
I continued getting ready, searching for my wallet, then my file.
I went to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee, but we were out of sugar.
"The CEO of Rollings Designs can't even stock supplies."
I sighed, grabbed my file, and walked out.
I drove myself today, and midway the car slowed down.
I stared at the dashboard and let out a small laugh.
The patrol was empty.
"Of course."
I stepped out and stood beside my car as people passed by and cars roared, clearly stating everyone's life was moving on.
My stomach hurt.
Not because I was hungry, but because yesterday I had to drink with a client.
I remembered the doctor told me to keep it minimal.
Nicky would always remember to keep the pills in my coat pocket, and the soup would always be ready if I told her I'd be coming over.
She would have a warm soup bowl ready for me.
Now…
No medicine, no soup.
I hailed a taxi and called my assistant to deal with the car.
Rollings Designs
"Mr. Rollings..."
My assistant brought some papers for me to sign.
I picked them up and began to glance at them.
"Mr. Rollings," he said. "That's the stocks list."
"So?"
"So…" "You already verified it. The blue gems stock is still pending confirmation from you."
"Then why are you showing me?" My voice was a bit louder than needed.
"Mr. Rollings," he said a little timidly. "Don't you always…"
"Okay."
I put the paper aside and picked the other one.
"Mr. Rollings," he said. "This is a design for the Italy party."
"Hmm."
I was sketching on the lines when…
"Mr. Rollings," he said again. "This design is for the Italy party."
But this time he emphasized the words.
"What?"
"Mr. Rollings," he said. "The design draft is the final one, and the lines…you approved them last time."
A slight relaxation washed over my face as I examined the design. I recognized the design.
I realized I was only supposed to confirm and stamp so it could go to the designer's room.
"Take it."
As he left, I opened my email.
Regretted.
A hundred-plus emails…unread.
Ever since Nicky left, I have been doing things half-mindedly and half-heartedly.
"Mr. Rollings," he said. "The Harmon design drafts…"
"I'll go get them myself."
He had a surprised look.
I knew why.
I never went there for the drafts.
Usually she would send Veronica with the files.
But now more than the file, I wanted to find out some facts.
Harmon Designs
I entered her office just as she was talking with one of her staff.
"Miss Smith," he said. "Ever since Miss…"
I saw Imelda glaring at him.
"I mean Veronica,"
A pause.
"Ever since she left, the work has been chaotic. The ones we hired in her place barely did a quarter of what she did, and I'm not even talking about tasks like coffee, delivering files to clients, and—
"Enough," Imelda yelled, annoyed at him.
"But Miss Smith," he said. "She used to handle both…"
Again she glared at him.
Then her expression softened as a controlled, measured smile spread across her face.
"Harmon Designs does not depend on one person."
Her tone was calmer now.
Almost deliberate…maybe cause she saw me.
"We're functioning perfectly."
I didn't react to her words.
I only watched her.
I didn't hear her words.
Only her tone and her timing.
I only observed her and nothing more.
While entering her office, my gaze fell on the place where once Veronica's desk used to be.
Near the trash cans.
A small desk barely enough space to keep the files she used to maintain.
Hers was the least important desk with the most work of all.
Seeing Imelda was a little occupied, I came out to grab a cup of coffee.
And overheard the staff again.
"You know," one of the staff said, unaware of my presence. "When Veronica was here, Miss…" Imelda wouldn't even let the cleaning lady clean her desk area. She used to come and clean it herself."
The cup crushed in my hands as I heard them.
Pause.
Another adds:
"She always got last-minute tasks that made her stay back longer than the rest of the staff."
I still didn't react.
But after what he said, my expression was hard, so I turned away, as I didn't want them to know.
"I heard from the account department; she wasn't even paid for the extra time she worked."
I didn't want anyone to find out how much I was affected.
Cause…
There were still lots of things I needed to know and sort out.
As I came back, she was still talking to the staff.
"She was a good worker; that I'll give in to."
Then in a lighter tone:
"But she had a weakness that made her do things others won't; that makes replacing her a hard matter."
"Jonathan," she said in a soft, controlled voice, "she resigned; I didn't kick her out."
"And…" She leaned over.
"Isn't her use...done? Now we just need a clerk."
Again, I didn't react and just walked away.
Driving back home
As I was driving back home, I had to stop at a signal light.
I turned the car engine off as there was a long line.
It was the perfect time to recall the facts.
Her desk near the trash cans.
The staff's tone was calling her Veronica when Imelda would be around and Miss Smith when she wasn't.
Just like one staff said, I just had a feeling she wasn't an ordinary woman, just in trouble.
The timing of everything that happened in the one year.
I muttered:
"She chose to endure."
Pause.
Then quieter:
"If she did…was it for me?"
I recalled her line in the letter again.
Once yours, now only Janet's mother.
Then I began recalling the behavior patterns between Imelda and Veronica.
Imelda is calling Veronica for every small work.
Serving at parties.
Making coffee for the entire staff.
Delivering files to her home and clients at night.
Interrupting Veronica's normal life.
Giving her last-minute tasks, making her the only one left back at the office…all alone.
The biggest shock…
Veronica did everything and never let anyone know about this…
Not even me.
If I had known…
I wasn't accusing her of not telling, but if she had, I might have seen the pattern earlier on.
And things might have been different.
Club Aura Gardens
I was almost home when Imelda called me out for dinner, saying Fredrick booked it, so I couldn't refuse.
I drove over to Club Aura Gardens.
Imelda kept on talking about an upcoming auction that was important for our companies.
Not that I wasn't listening, only I was a little distant.
Suddenly she tilted her head.
"You're distracted again."
"Jonathan?"
I let out a sigh.
"Nothing."
"I was just thinking."
"Thinking?" she asks. "About what?"
"Work, what else?"
She looked at me in the way she looked when she was studying me.
And…
I knew she wasn't convinced by what I said.
Back at the apartment
Imelda insisted on going back to the mansion, but I refused, so I dropped her back at her estate.
Again…
I was sitting alone with a cup of coffee.
I fixed my gaze on my phone.
I picked it up and dialed Veronica's number.
This time…
I let the ring go all the way.
She answered.
"Hello."
"I knew she would give my number."
"How are you?"
"Hello?"
Call ends.
Tears rolled down my eyes after hearing her voice.
For the first time in my life, I didn't have the strength to speak to her.
I felt so suffocated; words just wouldn't come out.
My phone was still in my hands.
"You really planned all of this…"
"You thought I would be fine after you leave…"
"Maybe even thought I'd marry her."
My face relaxed.
I was no longer angry about why she left.
I didn't admire the fact that she knew from the beginning.
Just a realization of content fell upon me.
I leaned back and was looking around randomly.
Again, everything repeated in my mind.
Her desk's place.
The staff's words.
Imelda's reaction.
I paused.
"Why didn't I notice her before…"
I paused.
Then my fingers tightened around my phone.
"…everything was going on right in front of me, and I…"
"Actually, I shut my eyes."