My Miss Independent

CHAPTER 1

"Thank you for this opportunity, Rich!" Nas happily thanked her Senior Manager as she announced to the team that Nas was picked by the Head of Operations to go to Australia to train. Nas cannot contain her joy as this will be her first time going to another country.

It is an all-expense-paid trip as she will be sent there by their company for training. She is excited and nervous at the same time. It will be her first time flying on an airplane. Ever. She is a late bloomer when it comes to traveling.

She may travel a lot now, but it wasn't the case years ago. She could not enjoy her twenties due to some changes in her life during that time. At twenty-two, Nas had a son out of wedlock. Though she was compelled to jump to motherhood even before experiencing full adulthood, she had no regrets. Her son was a blessing in disguise, and she won't have it any other way. This gift was what taught her to be strong and independent.

"Congratulations, girl! Finally, you really will be going this time. I'm happy for you!" Joy, Nas' long-time friend, and colleague excitedly greeted her after the meeting.

She has been Nas' teammate ever since she started working for VAUS, Inc, a well-known, top Australian company. They became close friends as they are already working together for five years. They've been through many ups and downs at work and off work. Joy is one of Nas' few treasured friends.

"Yeah, thanks, girl! Finally!" Nas replied. "I just hope this time, they won't cancel it like before," she added.

Even though she is happy, she is also a bit worried. It was not the first time her company had chosen Nas to visit Australia. She was supposed to go to Melbourne and Sydney last year, but it got canceled last minute. She was devastated and cried a lot because of the missed opportunity.

"Well, I think this time it's for real. They approved all of the migration documents, unlike before," Joy assured her friend. She was talking about the critical documents that were not approved last year - the cause of her friend's canceled trip.

"I hope so," Nas answered, looking concerned.

Wanting to appease her friend, Joy teased Nas. "Are you excited to meet Australian men"? Nas sneered at her friend, "What Australian men are you talking about? I am going there to train and nothing else. Men are just distractions, my friend. Plus, they are all the same," she quipped.

As a result of many failed relationships, Nas became a non-believer of love and dating. She hates dating and anything that has to do with relationships. For her, dating and being in a relationship is her kryptonite. It destroys her. She is determined to be single for the rest of her life.

"There you go again, my friend. I did not tell you to be in a relationship while you are there. I just told you to look at them and appreciate them. If they admire you back, then try. What do you have to lose? You can date and enjoy the moment without being in a serious relationship. It will be a great experience to meet other people and go out while in another country. Don't you think? And who knows, maybe you will meet "the one" there? Maybe Mr. Dreamboy is not a Filipino," convinced Joy while smirking at her friend.

Nas rolled her eyes at Joy. "Girl, all boys are the same - Filipino, Australian, German, or whatever race they may be. They won't fully accept a single mom like me. I'm sure that my future relationships will be the same as my past ones. Plus, you know how bad I am at handling my love life. I have no control. Even if I have learned from my past experiences, I am uncertain if I can enter a relationship now without being out of control. I still don't trust myself, and I am scared," Nas honestly told her.

Joy looked at her friend thoughtfully. She knows how she was hurt by her past relationships. She was broken and left shattered by these jerks. Nas is a very loving and generous person who gives her all for love. Not to mention a smart, independent, and beautiful lady. These pricks took advantage of Nas and used her for their own good. They never valued her. Now, this admirable and strong person hates being in a relationship. She fears being loved and loving in return. She avoids love like a virus.

"Okay, okay. Oh, by the way, what time is our meeting with Ken and his team later?" she asked.

Joy knows well when to divert the conversation. She hates seeing Nas blaming herself for what these jackasses did to her. If there was anyone at fault in those relationships, it was them, not Nas. Her only mistake was loving the wrong people all the time.

"The invite he sent was scheduled at two o'clock," she answered quietly.

Joy knew her friend was overthinking again, so she tried to distract her negative thoughts. "And what are we going to talk about?" she asked again, even if she already knew the answer.

Nas looked at Joy sharply as if she was about to judge her, but she realized her friend was just distracting her from her sad thoughts. Nas is grateful for having a friend like Joy who cares so much for her.

She tried to shift her mood and answered her warmly. "Ken will be introducing his team to us, our counterparts. Then we will do capacity planning for the six months that I will be in Australia. We will be delegating work to ensure that tasks are equally distributed to both the Manila and Australia teams. In that way, no one will be stressed."

Nas suddenly forgot about her gloomy thoughts. She is always dedicated to her work. Being busy makes her forget about her painful past. Her son, family, friends, and work are her saving grace. Without them, she wouldn't know how to live again.