✷MAYBE✷
_______________
As the sun peeked through the slightly parted curtain, its warm hues illuminated the luxurious room that exude elegance and comfort.
With a frown, Diego stirred from his sleep, he open his eyes slowly, he had never slept peacefully for a long time in forever. His frown went deeper as he tried to recall what the hell happened last night. As he made to leave, a fragile hand around him gave him a pause.
His sight caught Candy’s head gently placed on his chest, as she sleeps. The hell?! What is she doing in his room. She was naked, and half of her body was covered with the quilt.
Last night memories floods in..
‘Hey Candy, can I?’ His word rang in his head, he also recalled how he had asked her to stay and how gentle he was last night. That was crazy of him!
“f-__-k” He cursed, slowly removing her hand from himself. Swinging his feets to the ground, hangover hit him hard and groan.
‘Happy birthday, Mr. President!’ He recalled how his employees chorused those words. The anger that was supposed to surge in at that moment came in.
____
When he was nine, a group of people of whom he called a family chorused the same word to him. They all stared at him with what he believed as love.
He remember his young self blowing out the candles on the cake. The cheers and wishes made him smile a little, something he hardly does ever since his mom’s death.
While the party was going on, young Diego felt the sense of foreboding. Everything doesn’t seem right.
“Take me to the hospital” He said to the old butler of the mansion.
“Why young master?…”
“Just do it!” His young self exclaimed. In the car, Diego felt the strange feeling. His young body was trembling, it feel like he was burning inside, his chest clinching and coursing intense pains into him. He managed to tell the butler not to let anyone know where he is…
The butler panic as the boy passed out inside the car. He was rushed into the wards and was attended to. The doctor discovered, he would have met his demisal if he was bought to the hospital a minute late.
___
Diego clinched his fist and jaw hard, he wore a robe to cover his nakedness and stride out of the room.
After a while, Candy woke up from her sleep. Her gaze fell on the empty space beside her. He was up before already? She scolded herself inwardly, as she had plan to wake up before him.
Her mind drifted to the night they had. His gentle touch, words and stares made her heart flutter again. The feeling of her holding him close and caressing his dark hair made her smile.
‘I love you, Diego’ She recalled her word, and thought she was crazy. Does she really mean them? Or she had said those out of pleasure. Getting down from the bed, she knew Diego must be dealing with hang over at the moment.
After dressing herself up in a casual cloth, she head downstairs. Her eyes caught the man focusing his gaze in his system. There was a frown on his face, and his aura cold.
Walking towards him, she greeted with a smile, but got no reply from him. Candy saw the way his jaw clinched hard.
Did something happen?
Ignoring his cold attitude she stepped towards the kitchen to prepare ginger tea for his hangover. She dropped it before and sighed when he caressed his forehead.
“Please drink this, it’ll help” She said.
He suddenly close his system creating a loud thud, Candy’s breath halt the moment he lift his cold gaze to her.
“What do you think you’re doing Candy?” He grumbled so cold, she wondered if he was the gentle man last night.
“What do you mean?” She muttered.
“What’s with the birthday, the dinner, gathering and the f-__-king wishes? Do you think I need that?” He inquired, his voice cold… So cold.
“I was just trying to make you feel better” Candy spoke, his harsh words was getting on her nerves already.
“I never asked you to. Why can’t you just stop wasting your time on me and mind your f-__-king business?”
His word pierced through her heart like daggers.
“It was your birthday, and I wanted do something at least…”
“f-__-k birthdays” he cursed.
“Why are you so riled up?” She flared up this time. “I didn’t mean any harm. I understand you have a dark past but letting it mold you is wrong. You act nice sometimes and then change all of a sudden…”
“Nice?” he scoffed, as if mocking her word. His hand reached for the glass of tea and in the next moment, he smashed it against the wall next to him. The clashing sound made Candy jerk.
“Do you still think I’m nice?” He asked, as he watched her face contorted into fear. That’s what he wanted. Letting her get into her head is not good.. since everyone seems to betray him at the end.
“Maybe those little stupid act I’ve been doing lately has been confusing you little woman”
Candy stood there without uttering any words. Tears thr_@tened to come out of her eyes but she manage to hold it in.
He stood and walked towards her, his hand tucked into his pocket.
“I told you to stop acting nice, it sucks” With this, he walked pass her.
Candy’s fist clinched beside her, his words crushing her hard. Maybe she was wrong, this man’s heart is like a hard stone she couldn’t crush. His cold gaze was the same as when they first met. Maybe she had let his action and words gets to her.
She let out a soft chuckle as tears slowly stream down her face. How pathetic, she had confessed her love for him last night even though he was asleep. Maybe it’s better if he didn’t hear it.
She stood there, letting her tears out.
Maybe she should have listened to Jameson..
Her action yesterday, drive her back to square one.
___
Getting back to work, Candy’s response to others was slow. She tried her best to hide her hurt feelings.
“Candy, you alright?” Yazmine asked and Candy snapped back from her deep thought.
Jameson who was passing by stopped his track when he saw the look on Candy’s face. It better not be what he is thinking.
“I’m fine, I’m just tired. Thanks a lot for yesterday, I really appreciate” She said.
“Alright, if you can’t handle today’s work. You should probably leave” Yazmine said.
“No it’s fine”
“Candy, can I have a moment with you?” Jameson interjected with a serious face. Candy nodded and Jameson took her away from Yazmine.
“I thought she’ll be squealing with joy today” Yazmine mumbled. She draw out her phone and saw the anonymous guy message. Without opening it, her gaze drifted to Aiden.
A frown settled on her face when she found him talking to a slightly short strange girl with a bright smile.
Aiden ruffled the girl’s hair while the girl laughed out loud. She punched Aiden’s chest playfully when Aiden seems to tease her.
“What the..” Yazmine muttered and found herself walking towards them.
“Hey!!” She exclaimed catching both Aiden’s and the girl’s attention. The girl was really pretty, round face, small nose and round eyes that made her look so adorable.
“This is working hour and you’re busy playing around?!” Yazmine yelled at him, while Aiden stared at her in confusion, wondering why the harsh voice.
“I’m sorry ma’am” Aiden apologized. Yazmine handed a bunch of files to him.
“Go and start working immediately” She ordered and the walked away.
The girl had a worried look on her face. She immediately bow her head to Yazmine.
“I’m really sorry ma’am. I just wanted to know where my brother work, I got carried. I’m really sorry”
“Brother?” Yazmine eyes widened.
“Yeah, she’s my little sister. She came to check up on me” Aiden replied behind her. Yazmine immediately felt crazy by her action, she surprisingly felt relief by his statement.
“Anyway, did something happen? Who could have ruined your mood this morning?” Aiden asked curiously.
“Nothing, just get to work” She said, walking away immediately.
“I should go now, I’ll see you soon brother” The girl said and left.
“Okay bye, Andrea”
Aiden gaze went to Yazmine’s retreating back. His lips slowly curve up into a knowing smile.
____
Getting around a corner, Jameson face Candy.
“What do you want to talk about?” Candy asked.
“What happened to you?” Jameson inquired, and she blinked wondering what he meant.
“Nothing, I was just tired…”
“Don’t lie to me Candy. I know you more than you imagine. Was it Diego?” His serious expression, confused Candy a little.
“It’s nothing James” She whispered.
“Nothing? Your eyes are bit red, you must have cried. And you said it’s nothing? What he do?”
“James, just forget about it okay?”
Getting to know his guess was right, Jameson went back in. Candy got worried.
“James? James where are you going?” She asked but the man kept walking fast towards the elevator. He closed the door before she could reach him, heading to the last floor.
Slamming the office door open, Jameson stepped in and found Diego reading some documents. His gaze went straight to him.
“Can’t you knock?” He asked.
“Leave the boss and assistant relationship aside. I’m here to talk you as a friend. Who is Candy to you?” He asked.
Diego slowly drop the files in the table, his gaze devoid of emotions.
“Just a wife? What?… Did you she complain to you about me?”
“Diego what the hell is your problem? Why doing you keep pushing people who care about you away? I still see no reason why you should be this cold to her. All she was trying to do is to fix you..”
“I don’t need fixing James and even if I do I never asked her to..”
“She tried to make yesterday a good one for you and all you could do is to hurt her?!” Jameson’s voice was already shaking with anger.
“I don’t care how she feels James. People around me get hurts so what?!”
“You don’t mean those word, do you?” Jameson asked. “You really don’t care about how she feels. You really want to push her away?”
Diego kept quiet for a moment..
“You know the day I first saw her. Maybe shouldn’t have bought her to the alter to marry you. Maybe I should have just take her and help her solve her problem. Maybe I should have leave you to marry that Ɓîtçh Venessa.. cus you always push those who wants to heal you. Do you want to stay in that pain forever?” Jameson asked.
Diego could only clinched his fist.
As tension hung in the air, Jameson’s words lingered. Diego’s internal struggle reflected in the furrow of his brow.
“You think pushing her away is protecting her, Diego? Sometimes, letting someone in is the only way to heal,” Jameson continued, his gaze unwavering.
Diego finally spoke, his voice edged with frustration, “She doesn’t need this. She doesn’t need me”
Jameson sighed, “Maybe she needs exactly what you’re too scared to give. Maybe it’s time to confront your own demons instead of shutting her out. You won’t know the value of something unless you lose it”
The last sentence got Diego..
The door open and Candy find her way in. Feeling the tension in the air, she swallowed. Her gaze met with Diego but she avert her gaze almost immediately.
Jameson turn his gaze to her. “Let’s go” He said to her softly and held her hand, taking her out of the office.
Diego ran his fingers into his hair. He was going crazy already with everything around him.
Yeah one more thing… He heard her confess her feelings to him.
‘I love you, Diego’
For a moment, he thought he might have heard her wrong but deep down he knew he didn’t. So many people have said those words to him but he got hurt at the end.
“f-__-k” He cursed under his breath.
His phone rang, breaking the train of his thoughts. He reached for it to end it but when he saw the word ‘Old man’ flashing on his screen, he decided to pick it up.
“Grandpa” He muttered, his voice almost breaking.
“Grand son.. I heard got a strange information today and I strongly hope it was a lie” The old man’s voice sounded on the other line.
“What?” Diego asked.
“The woman you got married was infertile. Tell me this isn’t true son”
Hearing this, Diego clinched his jaw. The words seems to anger him.
“She isn’t infertile old man. She just have a slim chance of giving birth” His voce sounded a bit cold.
“What’s the difference Diego? How do you expect me to see my great grand children?…
“Divorce her….
____
“You shouldn’t have done that Jameson” Candy said, as they walked towards the elevator.
“Oh, I needed to. Beside I can’t just sit back and watch him hurt you” Jameson said.
“Hm” Was all Candy could say. She was speechless about everything.
“We are going on a business trip tomorrow. I’m sure that would make you feel better” He said.
“That’s great” She said, with a force smile.
“I h@ťě your mood today Candy. How can I cheer you up?” He asked, stopping his walk. Candy did the same and face him.
“You don’t have to worry about me” She chuckled.
“How about a hug? It’ll make you feel better” He said, with a lovely smile as he spread his arms.
Candy wanted to reject but he insisted. She then nodded and gave in. She wrapped her arm around his waist, while Jameson patted her back gently.
Candy felt a little warmth but not like last night, with Diego. But at least she was glad she felt a little. Jameson looked down at her.
“Do you feel better?” He asked lightly.
“A little” She smiled against his chest. “Thanks James” she mumbled.
Meanwhile, two female figure stood from a distance. One has a shock look while the other wasn’t surprised. Yazmine and Jackie.
Jackie didn’t know when she was squeezing the plastic cup of coffee in her hand..
“What the….”
༆𝑻𝑩𝑪༆