Chapter 5
911 Words
Seven years passed.
It had been difficult for Avril during those seven years, but she managed to support her children—who completely changed her life.
Yes, seven years had gone by since she left that place and never returned.
She wanted a peaceful life, and Fred was probably married by then—possibly with a family of his own.
Fred had a son and a daughter—twins—who both looked just like him.
As much as she wanted to move on, she just couldn’t forget him, because those children were her constant reminder of Fred.
She worked as a massage therapist now, but it was different from her old job. This time, everything was legal and respectable.
At a nearby resort, she worked the night shift so she could focus on her kids during the day.
That morning, Avril was in the kitchen mixing milk for them when she heard arguing in the living room.
“Give me my egg! It’s mine! Why are you grabbing it from me? You already have one!”
Avril recognized the voices of her twins—Ria and Leo.
“Ria, give that to Leo. I’ll make you another one,” Avril called out.
She walked over to them. Both had boiled eggs—one each—yet they were still fighting over one egg.
Ria looked upset but reluctantly handed the egg to Leo .
Avril sighed. “Stop fighting. You both have school later, and I’m dropping you off. Finish your breakfast.”
Leo said, “Mom, can we go somewhere fun next time? And can I get a Spider-Man pencil case? Mine’s falling apart.”
Ria chimed in, “Me too, Mom! I want a new dress and some pretty hair clips so I can look nice at school.”
Leo answered, “Fine. If you both do really well on your exams, I’ll buy those. We can even go out.”
“Really, Mom?!” both children shouted in excitement and ate more quickly.
Leo just smiled and then prepared their lunch bags.
Soon, Leo took them to school—along with Aunt Matilda , who insisted on watching the kids in their classroom.
The twins were in first grade and full of energy.
Leo was once summoned by the teacher because Ria acted a little rough toward other kids. Ria tried to stand up for Leo whenever she thought he was in trouble. Meanwhile, Leo was gentler.
“Aunt Matilda ,” Avril said, “please just text me if there’s any problem, okay? I need to get to the resort. They said some guests are arriving, so they want me there.”
She kissed each child on the forehead before they headed inside the school gate. She watched them until they disappeared into their classrooms. Aunt Matilda went after them, and Avril —feeling more at ease—left for work.
At the resort, Avril spotted a co-worker, Sharon, who gave her a sleepy wave.
“Sharon,” Avril greeted with a smile. “Good, you’re also here.”
Sharon yawned. “Yeah, I’m not used to both daytime and nighttime shifts. But I heard there are a lot of guests, so maybe that means more tips.”
Avril just laughed and went to their work area.
One married couple came in and asked for a massage, and Avril did a good job. They left her a generous tip.
She liked her current job—despite sometimes feeling exhausted. Hearing positive feedback from clients always made the tiredness vanish.
Late in the afternoon, a new guest arrived.
Avril got ready and looked up at the man.
“Sir, may I—” she couldn’t finish her sentence.
She turned cold and fell silent at the sight of him.
“Miss Avril ,” he said in a low voice, jaw tight. “Nice to see you again.”
She swallowed hard. Regaining her composure, she cleared her throat and looked away.
“Shall we begin?”
She started the massage. But every time her palms made contact with his body, her breath turned shaky
She started the massage, but every time her palms made contact with his body, her breath turned shaky. Seven years without seeing him, yet here they were. He must have been one of the important guests staying at the resort for an event.
When Avril finished, she packed up her supplies and spoke formally.
“All done, sir.”
She hoped that would be the last time she had to see him because the tension made it difficult for her to function.
“Where’s your extra service?” he asked.
Her eyes widened, and she looked at him in disbelief. He was staring right back. He placed a wad of money on a small table. The sight of those bills felt like déjà vu.
She mustered up the courage to say, “There’s no extra service here, sir,” and turned to leave.
He spoke again.
“Why did you leave? Seven years…”
A painful pang hit her chest. She turned back to him. His gaze was intense and unwavering.
“Sir, you know why,” she said. “Because it was only ever about my aunt’s treatment in exchange for my service to you. And besides, you had a fiancée back then. I didn’t want that kind of trouble.”
She left him there, ignoring the way her heart twisted.
- Writer
