Love at the Nth Time

The Second Chance

Chapter 18

A half-Japanese, half-Filipino became my partner on the offer dad requested. His new business clients had a side venture in Fashion which, building trust and a welcoming gift, a runway show held by dad's management would happen in the next three months. The theme for the original clothes to be displayed was western, yet Jason's knowledge and extraordinary talent suited him for the fun that would happen.

"Are you not gonna go out drinking tonight? I'd be meeting a pro artist. You'd enjoy this for sure." He smirked. I chuckled and counted numbers with my fingers on the task I needed to finish.

"I better finish the first layout the design team will depend on."

"Wow, you never fail to do your best when it comes to vogue. Maybe, I should use the job as your dad's substitute." I rolled my eyes because of acting like a bastard; I'd hardly get a chance to win.

Jason tapped me a bit on my shoulder as we walked down the hallway. I gazed at where his eyes darted at. Jason left as Rose stood in front of me. "Do you need anything?" I inquired, pushing up my glasses a bit.

"What's wrong with you? I came here to talk to you."

"You see. I'm busy-"

"You're just avoiding us. Change of hearts? Don't you wanna mind our business now?" I gazed away. I didn't know her older sister was this stubborn. Well, she's persistent, so no doubt.

I looked at her. "Listen, Rose, your sister, is too good to mess with. I'm a foreigner. I'm the liberated type of person who's into cigarettes, beer, and women. Tell me, am I no different to that bastard?" She looked surprised by what she heard from me.

"No. You're gentle towards Celine." I clenched my fist to stop the emotions starting to build inside me and put my hand in my pocket.

I looked down. "I don't know what you're talking about. You knew me all wrong."

"Celine told me you're so kind to her, and you never showed any bad intentions towards her even though you liked her-"

"Cut it out!" I shouted a bit. Some people passing through the hallway looked at us. "You never know the truth behind the words of people, behind their actions. What do you know?!"

I felt so messed up. My relationship with Rose was starting to rumble too. I hated the feeling of trying to correct all of the mistakes I'd made, but the other side of me kept on haunting me that I would never be me without the past I did.

"Here." I gave the documents to my dad's secretary.

"Thank you, Seth." I sighed as Ms Anna left my office. I needed a breather.

Wanting to change the scenery around me, I moved out of my office onto the open balcony of our company building. The place was newly opened yesterday, and it's exclusive for certain people to linger.

I yawned and stretched my arms, sleepy as I couldn't have enough sleep because of the immediate project requested by my dad. Dad let me do my work as a fashion designer whilst starting to mingle with his business affairs.

That day I met Celine.

The decision of who would own the company's rights as soon as he retired was not final yet. Since he only had two sons, the eldest already had his own company. I was the first line to inherit this firm. f**k the company. It was the main branch, and it's not impossible to add more extensions. What a way of living my life. Should I leave without notice, then go to a deserted island? How could I continue my hobby of creating clothes? If I wanted to make a runway in an isolated place, I'd need money, and it'd only be a matter of time before my name would spread in the public.

Annoying.

Annoying.

Annoying.

The motion of my hand from sketching increased as my emotion heightened.

"Ah Seth-" Startled as I turned around when Win called me, and he was with Celine. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Win cleared his throat. I turned around to face upfront and continued my work. My hand trembled, and my heartbeat was beating so fast.

"Seth, they came here to have a meeting with your dad and the other top earners of your staff in the business, since you're the one who endorsed most of them. They're asking if you could come," Celine uttered casually. How long had it been since I last talked to her and who's fault why I did not interact with her?

"No. I'm busy."

"Oh, really," Win sarcastically cut into the conversation.

"Um, sis, asked if y-you could at least," she softly replied.

"Why are you here? You're not even interested in doing that business like what your sister's doing, so you know what I feel, right?"

"Ah, I'll leave you guys and help Rose," said Win, and shut the door. I took a deep breath. I got annoyed. It had been two months, and she would appear as if nothing had happened. The world didn't revolve only around her.

"I resigned from work, our team's getting bigger, so my sister needs me a lot all the time. It's not bad to help other people." I pushed up my glasses a little up my nose, took all the papers on the desk, and stood up facing her.

She's looking at me with a poker face of hers. A little breath came out of my mouth. She did have no idea the trouble she left in me, now that I was getting used to not being aware of her presence—what a selfish prick.

"I don't wanna see your face anymore." She gazed away and laughed a little.

"Yeah, sure. I don't care. I'm just here for business, not for personal stuff." My heart pounded. I felt defeated. It blanked all my senses, and solely the crushing of my heart was all I could ascertain. "Well, if you don't want to come, it's fine. Who cares if you're not around?" Celine muttered. The things in my hand dropped on the floor. She looked up at me. I could feel the warm liquid falling down my cheeks. I bit my lip to stop it from shaking and clenched my fists to stop myself from acting weak in front of anyone other than me.

"S-Seth…" I lifted my left hand to stop her from coming closer.

"E-enough, please, j-just, just leave." I couldn't stop my eyes from crying as I slowly picked up the things I had dropped. I was shaking, hurt over the words that pierced me straight in the heart. I never felt these emotions from others whenever they said any harsh things to me, because I didn't care less but from the mere words coming from her, as though a hint of my existence was nothing.

I bit my lip and covered my mouth as she hugged me from my right side. I cried more. Her embrace warmed me, the faintly sweet scent emanated from her and the pain I buried inside me as I resembled myself of a dog being abandoned, and the problems I had to deal with my life burst out at once.

"Here." I took the canned coffee she bought, sat beside me, and clung her arm to me.

"Get off."

"I'm sorry." She moved away. The night filled us with the lights coming from the company building. Celine aided me to stand up as I wailed, and she helped me sit on an extended bench.

"The meeting is going now. You need to be there," I uttered as I sipped the coffee.

"It's fine. It's not like they couldn't do it without me." I could see in my peripheral vision that she was looking at me while I was drinking the coffee. It's too bitter.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be mean. Y-you're just so annoying. I thought you'd be happy when you saw me." I looked at her, pissed off at what I'd heard.

"Why would I? You never respond to my calls and texts. You even blocked me. Who's stupid would be happy to see someone as cruel as you?" Her eyebrows furrowed, and she shied away.

"Well, you know, I'm in the middle of moving on. How could you be so dramatic? You're acting differently sometimes." She softly laughed, and added, "You cried lately. I feel happy."

"You're happy you made me cry, such bravery." She laughed completely and held onto my shoulder.

"I don't know. I feel like it's an honour to make you cry. You're not that kind of person anyway. You're more like my sister, who has this strong personality and aura, but yeah, she's a crybaby when it comes to her boyfriend." She chuckled.

I moved her away from me a bit and looked at her thoughtfully. "Don't get too close."

My heart throbbed as she looked away. "Sorry. I-I'll go now." I didn't look at her as she strolled through the door.

I must reserve myself from her to protect myself from hurting again.

It's not because I was stupid in knowing I already had the chance to be closer to her. It's due to the uneasiness and cowardice with regards to the life I had and hers surrounding us.