Be My Dream Family

Chapter 02

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SMILE TNTN ORTHOPEDIC

Oliver's PoV

"The door is closing."

I said to myself as I stood in Faye’s clinic, holding a bag of biscuits and bread.

"Right. Base of her tone, I'm sure that Faye doesn't know. She would've thrown a fit if she had to found out." I reassured myself.

"Right, Faye doesn't have it. The person who bought it must have it."

I said to myself referring to the foot spa that Faye sell.

"I just have to get that person's phone number. It's okay, everything will be fine..."

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Faye's PoV

"Ms. Faye, will you really not take the position as the director?"

Our Head asked, his tone a mix of frustration and impatience, as we stood at the clinic's front desk.

"We can't give you a raise right now, but you will be treated differently."

"Faye S. Marquez, the director of the physical therapy center. You will have a business card too."

"I don't even need a business card. I'm not doing it."

I told him politely refusing his offer.

"Seriously? Then, Ms. Corpuz, you should be the director."

He said, turning his attention to my colleague.

"I don't have enough experience to be the director yet."

My co-nurse also refused.

"My god. I have never seen people refusing a good title."

"I told you, that a physiatrist who invested a lot in our clinic... will start working at our clinic soon."

"Setting up the center was one of his terms. We need someone to be the director of the center to show this physiatrist that we're ready for the change."

He explained to us, and after a while Ms. Corpuz spoke.

"Do we really need a physiatrist? We already have a lot of patients."

Ms. Corpuz questioned, her voice tinged with skepticism.

"But they don't help us make money. We need patients whose conditions are not covered by health insurance. Is this clinic mine? It's our clinic."

"Hays, you guys have no sense of solidarity. You really shouldn't be like this, I'm so disappointed."

He said, his disappointment evident in his voice. He turned on his heel and left the front desk when no one responded.

"Of course, It's his clinic. How could he be so shameless to say he won't give you a raise?"

"I bet he will give her a title just to make her do more work."

She added, her tone a mix of sarcasm and bitterness.

"Ah, just forget it. You know he always tries to pay us a little as possible. Let's get back to work."

I told them and check the list but not for long Ms. Corpuz call me again.

"Ms. Faye."

She said and then pointed a finger at the door, when I look to that direction I saw Oliver standing at the door with a bag on his hands.

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Oliver's PoV

"Why did you buy so much when you don't have much money?"

Faye asked, her tone both puzzled and concerned as she glanced at the bags of food I had brought.

"Also, I told you to wear a suit whenever you leave the house. Do you want to let the entire world know that you're jobless?"

She added, making me look at my own clothes.

"I didn't have time to get changed. You barely eat your breakfast. I thought you were hungry."

I explained to her while she is making coffee.

"Oohhh, you're so sweet and attentive."

One of Faye co-nurse entered the room looking at the food I brought for them.

"Ms. Faye, I'm so jealous."

she added with a thumbs up, her expression one of admiration. I handed her the tray of biscuits and bread.

"Oh, thankyou."

She said, taking the tray with a smile.

"Enjoy it."

I replied, and she smiled back before leaving the room.

As I turned to Faye, I saw she was preparing to leave as well, carrying a tray of coffee.

"Honey, wait..."

I stopped her, gently hold her shoulders.

"Can I borrow your phone? I left mine at home. Nancy asked me to pick something up for her, but I forgot. I can't remember..."

"Don't forget to put my phone there."

She reminded me, handing over her phone with a resigned sigh. I quickly closed the door and check her phone.

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Nancy's PoV

Astrid and I were settled on the couch, engrossed in a movie, when my brother suddenly spoke up.

"Then what is the next step?"

"What do you mean?"

I asked, not taking my eyes off the screen.

"The five stages of grief."

He said while taking a bite in his chicken.

"You're not interested in studying, but you're curious about that?"

"Gosh, nobody eats fried chicken before noon."

He claimed trying to change the topic and put the blame on me.

"You said you are hungry after the lesson. You ate most of it."

I told him finally giving my full attention to him.

"Just answer my question. What comes after denial."

"Hays, it's anger, you fool. Anger. He gets upset, so he gets angry thinking, 'Why is this happening to me?'"

I explained, slightly exasperated.

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Oliver's PoV

"I'm in the apartment complex now. Please call me."

I text to the person who buy the foot spa.

Not even a minute pass, the person call me.

"Hello."

"Why did you come here? Don't tell me you change your mind about the discount?"

The person on the line told me, I can tell she's annoyed.

"No, that's not why I'm here. Somethings wrong with the machine, my wife sold it without knowing it."

"I'll fix it for you. Where are you now?"

I said to her, trying my best so she could understand.

"It worked just fine. What are you saying it's broken. You guys are such weird people. I'll blocked both of your numbers, so don't call me again."

She said sharply before ending the call.

"D*rn it."

I muttered to myself, frustration mounting. I started pacing, scanning the buildings around me.

"LADY WHO BROUGHT THE FOOT SPA!"

"LET ME JUST TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT IT. PLEASE!"

"LADY WHO BROUGHT THE FOOT SPA!"

"WHY WOULD YOU BE SO SUSPICIOUS OF ME?!"

"LET ME TAKE A LOOK AT IT."

I shouted at the top of my lungs, my frustration reaching a peak. After a few moments of shouting, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see the security guard approaching.

"Hey. Leave now. What are you doing?"

He said firmly, grabbing my arms.

He guided me to a bench in the playground area and gently made me sit down.

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"I worked really hard to save up the money. I went all the way to a traditional market... instead of a nearby supermarket... just to save 20 or 10 cents."

I told the security guard, my voice filled with frustration.

"My wife gives me 50 cents for giving her a massage for an hour. My son felt sorry for me. He gave me 10 dollars from his allowance and I accepted it."

"That's how I saved up that money. I worked so hard to do that."

I continued, as if explaining to a close friend. The security guard listened intently, his expression sympathetic.

"You should have taken the money out when she said she'd sell it."

He commented.

"I was going to take it. I didn't know it would be sold so soon."

I told him, he just sigh upon hearing that.

"I just had to hold on to it until this weekend."

"I told my friends that I would finally join them on their fishing trip as a fully paid-up member. I told them that confidently."

I tell him trying to hold back my emotions.

"I know how it feels when you're the only one who doesn't have money."

"How about you tell everything to the person who bought it... and ask her to give you back the money?"

I stopped for a moment and think of what he said.

"Do you think she'll give me back the money?"

I asked him with a small smile, trying to build up the hope.

"No. I wouldn't If I were her. I could just play dumb."

My smile immediately banished from my face when I heard that.

"Don't give up hope. You should try everything you can. You work so hard to save up the money."

He told me.

His words sparked an idea in my mind. Maybe there was still a way to resolve this situation.

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"Ladies and gentlemen, we have an announcement to make. The resident who purchased..."

The concierge paused, looking at us with a puzzled expression.

"Foot spa."

I whisper to him. He go back to the microphone and continue the announcement.

"a foot spa... this morning through an app, pleace contact the office--"

Before he could finish, I desperately grabbed the microphone.

"I will give you a refund."

"Hey, stop it." -- "What are you doing?"

The concierge and the security guard tried to restrain me, grabbing at my arms.

"In return, let me just take one quick look, okay?"

I said before finally letting it go.

We waited almost 10 minutes in this office before someone call.

"Thanks for calling..."

The security guard and I leaned in closer to the concierge to hear the conversation.

"Ah, hello."

"I see, I understand."

"I see, a cr*zy man... He sounded like a w*ird man. And you're too scared to come and see him?"

My eyes widened because of what the person on the line said to the concierge.

"Of course, I understand. The playground? You put it there, so he could take it and get lost?"

When I heard that I didn't even hesitate to say thankyou to the concierge and quickly get out of their office and run to go to the playground.

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When I reached the playground, my eyes scanned the area frantically until I spotted a familiar box next to the seesaw.

I sprinted over, my heart pounding with a mix of relief and desperation. Throwing open the box, a wide smile spread across my face as I saw the foot spa inside. However, my relief quickly turned to despair as I searched the box for the money, finding nothing. I shook the box aggressively, but still, nothing came out.

"Is it not there?"

I muttered, my voice hollow and defeated as I stared blankly at the empty box.

Realizing the money was indeed missing, I snapped back to reality. I ran back in front of the building and, unable to contain my frustration, began to shout at the top of my lungs.

"Fine. Take it! TAKE THE MONEY!"

"But can you give me back just a half of it?! Just a half of it, okay?! Please!"

My voice cracked as I pleaded desperately, my sanity slipping with each shouted word.

After several moments of screaming like a madman outside their apartment, I finally calmed myself down. Exhausted and defeated, I decided to leave, the last vestiges of hope slipping away as I walked away from the scene.

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"Right. I knew I couldn't go on that fishing trip. I was so stupid to keep the money in there."

"Even so, how could she take all that money? No, I'm to blame. I never get anything right. Oliver Marquez, nothing goes well in your life."

I muttered to myself, feeling the weight of disappointment and frustration as I walked down the street.

My eyes then landed on a lottery shop next to me. My steps faltered, and time seemed to stand still as a thought struck me. The garden, the rainbow, the pig, the dolphin…

"Hahaha, right. I forgot about the dream."

I said, a flicker of excitement breaking through my despair.

"I'm so upset about that chump change when I'm going to hit the jackpot, hahahaha."

I chuckled to myself, the prospect of a turnaround lifting my spirits.

Without wasting another moment, I dashed into the lottery shop. I quickly filled out the lottery slip with the numbers from my dream, the anticipation building with each stroke of the pen.

When I finally held the ticket in my hand, a wide smile spread across my face. For the first time in a while, I felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, this time, luck was finally on my side.

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END OF CHAPTER 02