The Unanswered

The furious Daniel.

"DID you get there?” Daniel impatiently asked. He’d be waiting for the call the whole night and it was like forever. The second he received the call, he answered it right away since he’d been staring at the screen for hours already. If today was not his parent's anniversary, he would have gone there by himself. He won't trouble Henry.

“You didn’t even say ‘hello’. Impatient, are you?” the voice on the other line complained. And chuckled.

“Cut the crap, Henry! Answer me!” Daniel urged. Henry Frederick was his most trusted partner and best friend. They'd been together since college and they never left each other till that day.

"Orait, orait! I went there, eyeing at her like you instructed me to." Henry answered on the other line.

"So?"

"She's beautiful. Stunning!" Henry talked after a few moments.

"Henry!" Daniel raised his voice. Henry really did test his patience.

"Hey, relax! I'm just teasing you. Since when did you become possessive of her? You dumped her, bro! Don't you remember?"

"I know," Daniel sighed. Why did Henry need to remind him of his foolishness over and over again? For 5 years, he regretted his mistake. It didn't take him long to realise, but nothing he could change. When he met Amanda again the day after the break up, she was chatting happily with her friends. And what suprised him more, she even smiled genuinely at him like nothing had happened. How could she?

"Then?"

"Seeing her again stirred a thousand emotions in me. My heart pounded like it was going to explode any moment. I had to compose myself to not get up and kiss her hard." Daniel honestly confessed. When he first saw Amanda's name on the applicant list, he rejected other applicants on the spot. He waited for her to appear at his door. And when she elegantly walked into his office, he tried hard not to show his true emotions. And when he faced her face to face, he felt like he was struck by lightning. She's stunning! Beautiful! And she was once his. And he did let her go. Why did he let her go? Unfortunately, it's already too late to ask.

"Then why did you let her go? Why did you dump her?"

"I made a mistake. I messed up." Daniel sighed, again. Regret always comes when it's too late.

"You knew it, did you?" Henry stated.

"Yes. And I'm ready to correct my mistakes. I'm determined to win her back. By hook or by crook!" Daniel said earnestly.

"You sounded like a crazy ex. Don't scare me, bro!" Henry commented.

"I'm crazy in love." Pathetic. For someone who left.

"Just shut up! You make me want to throw up!" Henry shut Daniel up. "I already sent her details to your email. Do check. I'm going home. It's midnight." he continued before hanging up.

Daniel stared at his mobile screen for a few seconds. The nerve of Henry! Others might not dare to hang up on him, but Henry would do anything he pleased.

"I heard you already found a new PA!"

Upon hearing his dad's voice, Daniel turned around. His father, Wilson Sinclair, and his mother, Diana Sinclair, approached him and took a seat on the sofa, away from him. They'd been celebrating his parent's anniversary earlier in a small gathering. Their guest had already left some time ago.

"Really, son? That was fast. It's not even a week since you fired your last PA, Daniel!" Mrs.Sinclair interrupted.

"I found someone, dad!" Daniel stated.

"So it's really a male, this time?" Mr.Sinclair asked. He couldn't even hide his curious face.

"No, dad! A girl." Daniel informed.

"But why? You said you would never hire a girl anymore." It's Mrs.Sinclair.

Daniel shrugged. "Yeah! They were just trying to take advantage of me." Thinking of that matter, his blood boiled. As he's a man with no dignity, his former personal assistants would do anything to get onto his bed. Tired of those repetitive scenes, he decided to hire a male assistant. But then Amanda came into the picture.

"And what about the new girl?" Mrs.Sinclair looked confused.

Daniel smiled. "She's different."

"How can you be so sure?" Mr.Sinclair asked in concern.

"Don't let history repeat, son!" Mrs.Sinclair interrupted.

"She's someone I used to know, mum!" Daniel answered with a smile.

"But who?" Suprised by their son's statement, Mr. and Mrs.Sinclair asked in unison.

"We used to study together in college. I'd never seen her for years. But today she appeared in my office. At the interview, in my office." Daniel revealed the truth.

"You said you hadn't seen her for years. How do you know she will not take advantage of you? You might have known her before, but people change. Time changes, people change."

"Your dad is right, son!" Mrs.Sinclair agreed to Mr.Sinclair's statement.

"Others might, but not her. Despite that, she hadn't accepted my offer. I've yet to convince her to work with me. And about taking advantage, it would be me to her. Not the other way." Daniel laughed casually.

"You what?" Mrs.Sinclair was shocked.

"I smell something fishy here. Did you two date?" Mr.Sinclair looked amused.

"We used to." Daniel shrugged.

"Oh, really son?" Mrs.Sinclair suddenly got excited. Feeling happy, her son used to like someone. And it's a girl.

"You said you two used to date. It means you two have broken up. What's happened? Did she leave you for someone?"

"No, dad! I dumped her at the end of the semester."

"But why?" Mrs.Sinclair felt disappointed. The smile vanished from her face in an instant.

"I made a mistake." Daniel sighed. Indeed, it's a big mistake.

"You cheated on her?" Mrs.Sinclair assumed.

"No, mum! I just left her. No solid reason."

"So that's why she didn't accept your offer?" Mr.Sinclair pointed to him after some moments of silence.

"She thinks of me as a stranger." And it hurts!

"You deserve that!" Mrs.Sinclair glared at her son. What kind of gentleman left his girl without a solid reason? She would never be proud of that inappropriate behavior. Even from her own son.

Daniel nodded. "I know, mum." Amanda had a thousand reasons to hate him. To treat him like a stranger.

"So what are you gonna do?" Mr.Sinclair interrupted.

Daniel joined his fingers together. "I'll persuade her to work with me." He was determined.

"Is she pretty?" Mrs.Sinclair asked out of the blue. What kind of girl does Daniel usually date?

"Absolutely stunning!" It's an undeniable fact. Daniel believed if his parents met Amanda, they would say so.

"Then quickly make your move!" Mrs.Sinclair suggested.

"You and your ambition to get a grandchild sooner." Mr.Sinclair stated.

Mrs.Sinclair chuckled. "I'm happy Daniel has a girl in mind. Then I won't have to wait until the next 100 years."

"If you live until then, I'm pretty sure you are a vampire." Mr.Sinclair laughed.

"Mom, dad! It's not like I'm going to marry her. She will only work with me." As much as he wanted Amanda back, Daniel didn't want his parents to get a wrong idea. Not yet. He still needed to work on it.

Mrs.Sinclair glared at her son. "So you don't want to marry her?" She played reverse psychology.

"I don't know. I didn't think about it. Not yet."

"You are so slow, son!" Mr.Sinclair commented.

"I don't think she'll forgive me for what I've done to her." Again, regretted.

"Make her forgive, then." Mrs.Sinclair urged.

Daniel stared at his mother's face. "How?"

"Give her a reason to do so, Daniel!" Mrs.Sinclair instructed. She would happily help her son in this matter.

"You didn't suggest to him making her pregnant, right darling?" Mr.Sinclair pointed out his suspicion. His wife could be wicked sometimes.

Mrs.Sinclair laughed hastily. "I don't want a child out of a wedlock, honey! Of course, marriage comes first."

Mr.Sinclair's eyebrows raised. "If she refuses?"

Mrs.Sinclair stared at her son's handsome face. "Use your charm, son!" She suggested. If they used to date before, so there must be something about him the girl used to like.

"You are smart, darling!" Mr.Sinclair commented.

"I give you three months to persuade her. To convince her to marry you. If you fail, you have to do the IVF. We'll hire a surrogate mother for the baby." Mrs.Sinclair stated. Giving Daniel a final warning. They'd been discussing that matter for months already.

"I don't want to do that!" Daniel objected.

"Then quickly make your move!" Mrs.Sinclair urged her son.

"All right, mom!" Daniel agreed to his mom's suggestion before deciding to leave ten minutes later. Leaving the mansion for his penthouse in the city.

"You are very cunning!" Mr.Sinclair said to his wife right after Daniel left.

"Why did you say that?"

"I know you persuaded him to woo her because you're afraid he might be dating Henry."

Mrs.Sinclair chuckled. "I'm just happy he's normal." The fact Daniel hadn't dated any girl all these years worried her to the core. And there's Henry, his former roommate and best friend who sticks by Daniel's side most of the time. They were unseparable, like two lovers who couldn't stand being away from each other. As a mother, she wanted to see her son get married and have kids of his own like other normal people.

"He's normal. Don't worry!" Mr.Sinclair comforted his wife. Hands joining, they walked together to their room upstairs.