The Stranger In Me

Chapter 2:Beneath Smiles and Shadow

Marie’s Point of View

•••

For a moment, I forgot how to speak.

The rain had softened into a drizzle, but my heart still pounded as though I were caught in a storm far worse than the one above me. Sitting in the taxi, drenched and trembling, I stared at the man in the driver’s seat.His eyes fixed on me through the rearview mirror.

Simon.

A familiar face from home,from Mandela the place I had left behind with promises too big and dreams too fragile.

Panic gripped me.What if he told my mother? My siblings? What if they found out I wasn’t soaring through the skies as a flight attendant like I had proudly claimed,but scrubbing floors and running errands instead?

“Hi, Maria… what happened to you?” Simon asked, his voice filled with concern as he stepped out quickly, opening the door and offering his hand.

I hesitated before taking it.

“Uh… hey, Simon!” I forced a smile. “What are you doing here?”

It was a weak attempt to change the subject, and I knew it. Simon had always been observant,too observant.

“Why are you soaked? You look exhausted. What happened?” he pressed, his brows knitting together.

“I… I went grocery shopping,” I stammered. “And, um… I slipped. Fell, actually. I was just getting up when you honked.”

The lie tasted bitter on my tongue.

“Okay…” he said slowly, clearly unconvinced. “Where are your bags? Let me take you home.”

“Bags?” My mind froze.

“Yes… the groceries?” he asked, giving me a puzzled look.

For a second, everything went blank. My thoughts spun wildly, searching for something,anything to say.

“Oh! Yes, yes… it’s fine,” I said quickly. “I already placed an order. They’ll deliver everything home.”

“Really?” he raised a brow. “Is that how things work here?”

I nodded too fast. “Yes. Very convenient.”

He studied me for a moment longer, then sighed lightly. “Alright. Come in,I’ll drop you off.”

Without protest, I stepped under the shelter of his violet linen umbrella as he guided me into the cab. The gesture was simple, yet it felt unfamiliar… almost foreign after everything I had endured.

The ride was quiet,too quiet.

I could feel the weight of his questions filling the space between us, pressing against my chest. So, I spoke first.

“Wow, Simon… you still haven’t told me what brought you to Mandela,” I said, attempting a light tone.

He chuckled, a deep, warm sound, his dimple showing just as I remembered. “The same reason you’re here.”

I blinked. “As a flight attendant?” I asked cautiously.

He smiled again,but this time, there was knowing in it.

“Maria,” he said gently, “I know you’re not a flight attendant. So that can’t be the reason.”

My heart sank.

The truth hung between us, heavy and undeniable.

That was when I noticed it,this wasn’t his car.It was a cab.

The realization struck me harder than expected. Somehow, I had imagined Simon successful, settled… everything I had failed to become.

And yet, here we both were,two people chasing something life hadn’t yet given.

“Stop here,” I said quietly as we approached Makati City, just outside the tall glass building of A&K Plane Company.

He glanced at the building, surprised. “Wow… you work here?”

I swallowed hard. There was no hiding now.

“Yes,” I admitted. “But… as a janitor. For now.” My voice dropped to a whisper. “Please… don’t tell my family.”

Simon’s expression softened immediately.

“It’s okay,” he said gently. “I understand.”

Relief flooded me so suddenly it almost hurt.

He reached for my phone without hesitation and dialed his number into it before handing it back. “Call me whenever you need anything. Don’t hesitate.”

I nodded, managing a small smile. “I will. Thank you, Simon.”

“It’s my pleasure,” he replied, his voice sincere, his smile… comforting.

As I stepped out of the cab, the weight of reality settled back onto my shoulders.

My wet linen shirt clung to my skin, and my cargo pants felt heavier with every step as I dragged myself toward the office building. Each movement drained what little strength I had left.

But nothing could have prepared me for what awaited inside.

The moment I stepped into Sir Kelvin’s office,a sharp force collided with my cheek.

The sound echoed in the room.

My head snapped to the side as pain exploded across my face. For a second, I couldn’t process what had just happened. My hand rose instinctively to my cheek, my lips parted in shock, my mind struggling to catch up.

I stared at him speechless.

---

Sir Kelvin’s Point of View

I couldn’t sit still.

The office suddenly felt too small, too suffocating. I paced restlessly, my polished shoes clicking against the marble floor as my thoughts spiraled uncontrollably.

The sky outside had darkened earlier. I had seen the clouds gathering.

And despite everything,despite myself,I wondered…

Did she find shelter?

Did she get a cab?

The questions irritated me.

Why should I care?

An hour later, I forced myself into a board meeting. Numbers, strategies, discussions,they all blurred together. I heard voices, nodded when necessary, but my mind remained elsewhere.

On her.

When I finally returned to my office, I moved toward the window and then I saw her.

Marie.

Stepping out of a yellow cab,but what caught me off guard wasn’t her presence.

It was her smile.Bright,genuine,radiant.

The kind of smile that didn’t belong to someone who had been humiliated in the rain.

For a fleeting moment, my chest tightened.She looked like Maya.

I remembered how Maya used to smile at strangers,especially cab drivers. She always tipped them generously, ignoring my constant disapproval.

“Why not use one of the cars?” I would argue.

And she would always reply, “Sometimes, I just want to live outside luxury.”

I used to scoff at that.

“Let the poor stay with the poor, and the rich with the rich,” I would say.

But she never agreed.

“We’re all human,” she would insist.

She believed in things I had long forgotten.

And after she died… I didn’t just forget them.I abandoned them,completely.

The door opened.Marie stepped inside and before I could stop myself,my hand struck her.

The sound lingered in the air, louder than it should have been.

Silence followed.She didn’t fight back,she didn’t speak.

She just stood there,eyes wide, pain written across her face as tears gathered but refused to fall.

Something twisted inside me.This wasn’t the first time I had hit her,but this time… it felt different.

This time, I saw it clearly.She was breaking and for the briefest moment,so was I,but pride is a stubborn thing.

And mine refused to let go.