Rosamia: When Petals Speaks

CHAPTER 2 IGNORING ALTHEA

The next morning, I arrived at Dysons Corporation earlier than usual. I thought being the first one in the office might calm my nerves, but the moment I stepped out of the elevator, I saw him.

Cobe.

He was leaning casually against the glass wall, a paper cup of coffee in his hand, as though he had been waiting. His blazer was perfectly fitted, his confidence radiating in a way that made people automatically notice him.

“Good morning,” he greeted smoothly, a small smile tugging at his lips.

I blinked, caught off guard. “G-good morning, sir.”

“Sir?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Please, just call me Cobe. I don’t want formalities between us.”

My cheeks warmed. “Right… Cobe.”I said

He handed me a cup of coffee.“I wasn’t sure what you liked, but I thought I’d try. Caramel latte?” He said.

I hesitated. No one had ever brought me coffee before, not even Joaquin, who usually teased me for being caffeine-dependent. Slowly, I accepted it.

“Thank you.”

Cobe’s eyes lit up at my response.

“Perfect. You’ll need it today. Sales department days are never easy.”

I sipped the coffee nervously, my heart pounding harder than it should. His presence was… overwhelming.

By noon, the whispers had already started.

“Isn’t that the CEO’s son?”

“He brought her coffee?”

“Lucky intern. He’s never shown interest in anyone before.”

I wanted to hide, but Cobe made that impossible. He’d pass by my desk more than once, asking questions he could have easily asked someone else. He sat near me during lunch, leaning in as though I were the most interesting person in the room.

And every time, my chest grew tighter...not because of excitement, but because I knew someone else was watching.

Joaquin.

He had always been close, always by my side. But today, I noticed how his gaze lingered from across the cafeteria, his fork untouched on his tray. When our eyes met, he quickly looked away, pretending to laugh at something another intern said.

A pang of guilt stabbed me.

Why did it feel like I was betraying him, even though I had done nothing wrong?

After lunch, I found Joaquin in the hallway, stuffing papers into a folder with unnecessary force.

“Hey,” I said softly, approaching him.

He glanced up briefly, his expression unreadable. “Hey.”

“You didn’t eat much earlier,” I pointed out. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he replied quickly, his tone sharper than usual. “You don’t have to worry about me. You have… other company now.” He added, My heart sank.

“Joaquin…”

He avoided my gaze, adjusting his bag strap. “Look, I’ll see you after work, okay? I have some errands to do.” And before I could say another word, he walked away.

The rest of the day dragged painfully. Cobe continued to appear whenever I least expected it, holding open doors, asking about my classes, casually offering advice about the corporate world. Anyone else would have been flattered. But the more attention he gave me, the more I felt Joaquin slipping further away.

When the workday finally ended, I rushed to the lobby, hoping Joaquin would be there like always. But instead, I found Cobe again.

“Heading home?” he asked, his smile easy, his voice warm.

“Yes,” I murmured, glancing around. No sign of Joaquin.

“I could drive you,” Cobe offered. “It’s late, and I’d feel better knowing you got home safely.”

For a moment, I considered it. He was being kind. But deep inside, I knew accepting would only create a distance between me and Joaquin that I wasn’t ready for.

“Thank you, but it’s okay,” I said politely. “I’ll be fine on my own.”

Cobe tilted his head, studying me with curious eyes. “You’re… different, Althea. Most people jump at the chance to say yes. But you…” He smiled again, though softer this time. “You’re interesting.”

Before I could respond, he stepped aside gracefully. “Until tomorrow, then.”

After I got on the bus, Cobe left as well. The bus ride home felt heavier than usual. I stared out the window, thoughts tangled.

Why did Cobe’s words echo in my mind? Why did Joaquin’s silence hurt more than it should?

All I knew was that something had shifted today. And deep down, I feared that no matter what I chose, someone would end up getting hurt.

.....

When I got home, I went straight to the sofa and collapsed onto it. A few minutes later, Papa arrived from work.

“I brought some food,” he greeted me with a smile. “It’s from Kokoy’s birthday party. There were so many leftovers, so I packed some. Would’ve been a waste if I didn’t, hahaha!” he explained, laughing at his own antics.

I stood up to welcome him and took the food from his hands. After setting everything on the table, I started eating while opening my phone. I sent Joaquin a message on Messenger.

“Did you get home already?”

I saw that he’d read it, but there was no reply. So I typed again.

“You didn’t wait for me. Looks like you already have a new best friend there, huh?”

I was only pretending to sulk. The truth was, he had already grown close to a lot of people. And I wasn’t upset about that, if anything, I was happy he was meeting new friends, even from different schools, fellow interns like us. But what stung was how he had ignored me the entire day.

It felt like he was avoiding me.

Why else would he stay so quiet? He saw my messages. I know he did. And yet… nothing. Not a single word.