Unexpected Love

Chapter 4: A Second Chance

"Hello, I believe you know who is speaking. The boss requests your presence.”

“I don't know who is speaking,” I lied. Since I had stopped working, I feigned unfamiliarity.

“The boss? What Boss?” I asked with total annoyance.

“How many bosses do you have?”

"None," I replied.

“Okay. Mr. Leo requests your presence.”

“I was fired last week. I won't be coming.”

I hung up the phone only to get another call a few minutes later from Mr. Leo himself.

“Come to my office in a few minutes. You will get a pay increase. Tell me your location. I'll send a driver to come pick you up.”

“But I thought I was fired?”

“Do you still want the job or not?”

I thought so hard to prevent my ego from getting in the way. After making me cry like a thief the last time I was fired, I wanted to reject it. But I needed the money. Mario was still on my neck for a file.

I saw it as an opportunity to earn some cash and steal the file if I could.

“Okay. No. 4 Hilton West Avenue. I'll be ready in 15 minutes.” I responded by jumping off my chair to go prepare at once.

I hurriedly called my friend to talk about everything. She gave me some words of advice, and I wasn't very confident about going because Mr. Leo's attitude was very unusual.

I took my bath as thoroughly as possible. I wore the midi pink dress I got from my mom on my birthday, which had an opening on the back. I wore my favorite flat heels, which made me look elegant and formal.

I went to my vanity and dolled myself up in makeup coupled with a shimmery nude lipstick.

I and Mr. Leo still had unfinished business. I hadn't forgotten at all.

In 20 minutes, a two-black Lamborghini with tinted glass stopped right in front of my apartment building. A man in a suit stepped out and approached me, asking, “Are you Miss Annabelle?”

"Yes, I am."

“From Mr. Leo, I was instructed to come pick you up.”

“I was expecting, thank you.”

He opened the car door while I majestically stepped inside. I blushed.

On our way to his mansion, the AC almost froze me inside the car. I couldn't say anything because I was nervous, but when the driver looked through the front mirror and saw that I was close to shivering, he beamed and turned it off. I felt embarrassed.

I was stopped inside the compound while the guard opened the door once more, and I stepped out.

“Rich people do silly things,” I thought.

I was here about a week ago, and now the paintings have been changed. Some parts of the house were undergoing repainting with mosaic flower art designed on the walls.

The last one was better repainting; it wasn't necessary, but I know my opinion on his choice doesn't matter since I'm contributing nothing.

“After you,” the guard gestured, pointing to the door for me to come first while he followed suit.

I walked into the house, and the maid took over and led me to Mr. Leo's private chamber.

I stood, my mouth agape, as I entered Mr. Leo's room, his feet tapping the floor in the slow, doddering steps of a man twice his age. His slight shoulders dragged in his singlet, and he moved gently like one who was trying to prevent a basket of eggs they were carrying from breaking.

The sickness swept so fast that the few days I'd not been to work due to the sack made me lose sight of who he was before the sickness.

He had eye bags and droopy eyes. His shoulders were tired. He looked exhausted. To crown it all, his face was swollen like someone who just woke up from long hours of sleep.

I don't like Mr. Leo, but his situation got me really bothered. He looked like he was going to die soon.

“I'm not dying yet, Annabelle; come over here to have a seat,” he said, gesturing to me to sit in the chair close to him.

He said that as though he were in my thoughts.

“Good morning. You look so sick,” I said worriedly, even though I didn't want him to find out.

“That's because I am.”

“When did you find out about it?” I queried.

“4 days ago.”

“I'm sorry for your condition. You'll be fine.”

“Through your help, I believe I will be fine.” He said he was hopefully turning to look at me while I turned to the other side of the room to avoid my eyes meeting his.

I was confused by what he meant, but I didn't bother to ask. He was unusually jovial; maybe his sickness left him no choice.

“What about your girlfriend?”

“Can we talk about something else?” He asked, dismissing the question. “Do you know anything about meals? What meal do you prepare best? What are your best ingredients for soups?”

“Your questions are a bit of a mouthful, but I'll take them one at a time."

“I love preparing white rice sauce. I love the flavors that come from the vegetables I use in the process. I love salads. I love carrots in them.” I listed my go-to way of making the dish.

“Sometimes I add carrots to my stew; I don't necessarily need salad to consume carrots. I just take a healthy dose.” He looked at me in slight disgust but pretended not to be, and immediately found out I was getting shy.

“I also love carrots, but not as much as you like them. I have ingredients inside, so maybe we can prepare something.”

“Why did you sack me?”

“What do you mean, why did I sack you?”

He looked at me and noticed that my countenance changed, and he started laughing harder. I felt more awkward than ever.

“I did not sack you. The lady who calls herself my girlfriend did.”

I felt embarrassed on her behalf because her supposed boyfriend referred to her that way.

We made food together, and afterwards, he wanted me to cuddle him to sleep, which I did.

“Now is the right time to search for this file." As the thoughts came to my head, my phone rang. It was my mother's cleaner.