Chapter 2: Past Wears A New Face
1295 Words
Evelyn wished na sana kainin na lang siya ng buo ng sahig. Ilang pagkapahiya pa niya ang kailangan niya.
Shit talaga!? She cursed herself in mind.
The rest of the office buzzed around her, pretending to go back to work, but she knew better. Their eyes still followed her, the woman who caught the new CEO's attention-and maybe, his silence. And Evelyn hated attention. Especially from ghosts wearing suits.
She tried to steady her breathing. Focus. Focus on the spreadsheet in front of her. Numbers were predictable, unlike people. Unlike men who vanish without paying for a night that was never supposed to mean anything.
"Hey," Margo whispered again, now kneeling beside her desk like they were plotting a rebellion. "You okay? Parang lalagnatin ka. You're pale."
"I'm fine," Evelyn lied. Her voice was strained. "Just... overwhelmed, I guess."
Margo frowned, clearly unconvinced. "Are you sure hindi kayo magk-"
"No," Evelyn cut her off. Too fast. Too sharp. "No, we've never met."
Margo blinked. "Okay, calm down. Di naman ako nag-aakusa. Nakakailan ka ah hahahah. Seems na- "
" Huwag. Mong. Ituloy". Sabay diin ng kanyang mga salita.
But she was. Not with words, but with that look in her eyes-the way a friend senses something off and doesn't know yet if it's a secret or a scandal.
Evelyn forced a smile. "I just don't want to get into any trouble."
"Then don't fall, literally and figuratively," Margo jokes, trying to lighten the mood.
"Sa asshole na 'yon! No way! Antipatiko kamo." Margo just laughs off. A while nahulog is Evelyn. The next thing she's also falling to the person. Literally.
"Hahaha...tapang mo gurl hahaha"
Evelyn just shrugged it off. Pihado na laman siya ng chismis. Maliit lang naman itong opisina. But since it's already acquired by Vega Group. It is so sure na maging magistic na itong opisina soon.
---
Hours blurred. The office returned to its usual rhythm, but Evelyn couldn't shake the weight in her chest. Her fingers moved on autopilot, typing reports she wouldn't remember writing. Her mind was stuck in rewind, pulling fragments from two years ago.
A hotel room. Dim lights. Cold sheets.
A man who never gave his name.
And her, desperate to feel anything other than loneliness.
Evelyn had been drunk on disappointment that night. Her boyfriend had left her for a promotion overseas, ghosting her without explanation. She'd gone to a bar with blurry intentions and clearer regrets. That's where she met him. Cynio. He had a different name then-if he gave one at all.
They didn't talk much. Just enough to agree to things they'd pretend not to remember the next morning.
Except she *did* remember.
She remembered how he looked out the window afterward, as if haunted by something she couldn't touch. She remembered how he handed her money-more than necessary-then paused, as if regretting it. As if wanting to speak but deciding against it.
She remembered refusing the money and slapping.
Fuck! That man!
She remembers how she stormed out of that room. Na naging sakse sa kahalayan niya ng gabing'yon.
"Argh." Napatakip siya ng bigbig. Mukhang napalakas ata. Halos lahat napatingin sa kanya and she give a peace sign ang laugh awkwardky.
Frustration.
This is beyond awkward. Working with you asshole boss who happened na nakatalik mo. Kita mo para nga di to wala lang.
Sabagay it's been a weeks. Baka madami pa itong naikama bukod sa kanya.
---
Evelyn was printing a quarterly summary for her department when her manager, Mr. Liao, approached her desk. His posture was stiff, and that alone made her stomach sink.
"Ms. Jimiñez," he said curtly. "CEO Vega has requested to see you. His office. Now."
The stack of papers trembled slightly in her hands.
"Did he- I mean bakit?"
"No. But best not to keep him waiting."
Oh no no ... this is not happening. Dami namang ganap ngayong araw. Kakabakaba.
She prayed for herself sa isip niya. Na sana this would be good. Paktay talaga tayo jan.
---
The hallway leading to the executive floor was pristine-too pristine. It smelled like new leather, steel, and power. Evelyn walked with measured steps, heels clicking like countdowns.
She reached the glass door marked **CEO - Vega Group** and took a moment to breathe.
Breathe in.
Walk in.
Don't collapse.
Now she is already compose.
She knocked.
"Come in."
His voice was still velvet and ice.
She slowly entered.
The office was minimalist but coldly beautiful. Black marble desk. Floor-to-ceiling windows. No family photos. E malamang bagong dating lang e. No clutter. Just a man staring out at the skyline like he owned the entire city-and maybe, in some way, he did.
Cynio turned.
For a moment, he just looked at her. No recognition. No reaction. Just the same unreadable stare. Mas lalo ata siyang kinabahan sa ginawa nito.
"You asked for me, sir?" she nervously asked. Ahhh that's a brave move.
He motioned to the seat across from him.
She sat, hands on her lap, spine straight. f**k parang kinakarne ata siya. Aside from gusto niya itong murahin at sapakin ulit.
Shit baka lastday ko na dito
"I did," he said at last. "You're Evelyn Jimiñez. You've been with Valmores & Co. for... three years?"
"Yes, sir."
"You're in data analytics."
"Yes."
"I read some of your reports. They're... meticulous. Accurate." hah take that! Mr. Supladito na masungit na appreciative naman pala. Ah pwede.
"Thank you, sir."
A beat.
Then: "Do I know you?"
Evelyn's heart stopped. Shocked.
Oh no!
"I don't think so," she said too quickly. "I mean, maybe in passing-"
"No," he said, interrupting her. "Not in passing."
He leaned back, folding his hands. "I remember faces. I will never forget them."
Evelyn swallowed. Her mouth was dry.
"If we've met before," he continued, "you'd tell me, wouldn't you?"
Would she?
Would it matter?
"I'm not sure what you mean," she said, her voice a whisper.
Cynio studied her, eyes narrowing slightly. "A week ago," he said. "A hotel near Rockwell. Rainy night. Room 715."
Evelyn's skin turned cold.
He remembered.
She opened her mouth, closed it again.
"I didn't recognize you at first," he added, almost like an apology. "You look different. Stronger. Sadder."
Sadder my ass!
She stood abruptly. "Is this why you called me here?"
"But I'm so sorry to disappoint you but sir I have never been to that place." Shoot! That was alie.
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he sighed and nodded like he did understand what I'm saying.
"Nevermind" he said. "I called you here because I need a department head I can trust. Your files show initiative. Your former manager speaks highly of your ethics. But I also called you here because..." he paused.
"---
Evelyn left the office with a storm in her veins.
She walked fast.
Ay kong alam niya lang talaga ang inis ko. I need to control. Almost got caught. For a cold hearted person! He is Shameless!
---
Later that night, Evelyn stayed at her desk long after everyone else had left.
The lights were dim. The office is empty. Only the low hum of machines and the occasional creak of the old building kept her company.
She was typing numbers into a spreadsheet when a soft voice broke the silence.
"Still working?"
She turned.
Cynio.
He stood near her cubicle, no longer wearing his jacket. His white shirt was slightly wrinkled, sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
He looked... human.
"Tinatapos ko lang po 'yung backlog," she replied, too formal. Sinimulan niya ng magligpit ng desk. Well walang pasok bukas. At marami pa siyang kailangan taposin kaya itake home niya na lang ang iba.
Past 11pm na din.
Silence.
"Goodnight, Mr. Vega," she said formly
As she walked away
- Writer
