Chapter 3: Whatever I Want, I Get It
1363 Words
"This is just the first day," Travis said, shaking his head. He didn't really follow through on what he promised.
Aaron shrugged before walking back into the room and sitting down on the chair behind the desk, causing the young director to follow him in.
"You said you wouldn't do it." Travis sat down in the opposite chair, crossing his long legs and folding his arms, looking at his nephew intently.
"I met this person last night, and we almost got involved. I thought if I met her again, I should finish what we started. But this morning, she turned out to be my student."
"Just leave it. You can find someone else. If you want, just buy it easily. There are plenty of women, Aaron."
"But this one left me hanging."
"Just settle for someone else."
"That's not how I do things." He needed to close the deal one by one.
"So, you insist on getting it?"
"I didn't know she was my student. Or are you going to fire me? Go ahead. I'm fed up with teaching anyway. On the first day of the semester, you overloaded my schedule to mess with me, didn't you?"
"So you won't get distracted," he admitted, teasing his nephew, so Aaron wouldn't think about bad things at college.
"I'll just quit, watch me."
"No, you won't. The best way is to quickly produce results and become the vice director." He's been juggling two positions for almost a year now, and it's exhausting, always coming home late because he's waiting for his capable nephew to help out.
"Here's the deal, uncle," Aaron came up with an idea.
"If you want me to be the vice director, let me get involved with this person, and I'll deliver results." He raised his eyebrows playfully. If you want him to produce results, there must be something in exchange.
Travis shook his head and got up to leave the room without making any promises.
He had just come to greet his nephew and would go back to clear his work. Today, it would probably be late by the time he got home because there was a lot to clear on the first day of the semester.
Aaron hurriedly packed up to head home, drove out of the college gate, and turned around to the other side when he saw someone waiting for a bus at the bus stop.
He rolled down the window and honked, startling Alicia, who was lost in thought about the earlier incident. Looking ahead, she saw it was the person who had teased her.
Aaron nodded for her to get in, but Alicia ignored him and looked the other way.
He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, thinking hard about how to get the young woman to willingly get into the car.
He rolled up the window, sat in the cool air conditioning, playing some chill music.
Beep!
Alicia was startled when a bus honked at the car in front, followed by loud shouting.
"Hey! This is a bus stop. Why are you parking here, blocking the way!"
Aaron heard the shouting from outside but wasn't fazed. If Alicia didn't get in, he would keep blocking the way.
"Hey! You want to start something, huh!" The bus driver looked like he was about to confront him, making Alicia quickly run to open the left door and get in. Aaron, who had the engine running, immediately drove off.
The young woman sighed in relief, unlike the car owner, who reached over to turn up the music volume. Yet, he could still hear Alicia asking,
"Did you intentionally have the bus honk to get my attention?" she asked with a slightly displeased tone. Why is he like that?
"Yes, that's right. Now you know that if I want something, I'll get it. Don't be stubborn next time."
Alicia was taken aback when he didn't deny it, and she felt a strange chill run down her spine. On the outside, he seemed cheerful and polite, but once you got to know him, he was incredibly self-centered. Maybe it was because he was the only grandson in the family, always being indulged. But she was the youngest daughter too, and she didn't act like that.
"Are you thinking about me?" Aaron raised an eyebrow with a smile, while keeping his eyes on the road. With her staring at him like that, she was definitely complaining about him.
Hearing that, Alicia quickly averted her gaze back to the road, thinking about the situation she was in.
Why did she have to meet him? Could she blame her sister, Kyla, for introducing her to this man?
If she hadn't gone home with him last night, hadn't kissed him, they would have just been a teacher and a student. After each class, they would go their separate ways. But now, he was trying to control her in every way.
"Thank you for the ride," she said, raising her hands in a gesture of gratitude when they reached her house. Even though she didn't want to come with him, she acknowledged his kindness.
"You're welcome. I'll pick you up tomorrow," he said.
"No need," she replied. Today's events had given her enough of a headache. She didn't want to go anywhere with him.
"If you don't want a repeat of today, don't think of leaving before me," he said with a smile, but his serious tone sent a chill down Alicia's spine. How was she going to get out of this situation?
She nodded reluctantly before getting out of the car, watching him drive away before walking into her house feeling dejected.
"You're back? Whose car was that? It looked familiar," Kyla asked her sister.
"It's a friend's car; they just got it," Alicia replied.
"Oh, okay. Go take a shower and come eat. I made your favorite mushroom soup with sweet leaves and ant eggs," Kyla said.
Usually, her sister would come home from school starving, so she always had food ready.
"Thanks a lot, sis," Alicia said, hugging Kyla, whom she loved as much as a parent.
"What's up with you today? Why are you being so affectionate?" her sister asked.
"Nothing, I just wanted to hug you. Thanks for everything you do for me," Alicia replied.
"It's nothing. You're my only sister. If I didn't do it for you, who else would I do it for? Now go take a shower and come eat," Kyla said.
"Wait for me just a moment, sis," Alicia said, pulling away and walking into the house. Her home was a single-story concrete house with a zinc roof, built by her father and his friends.
They were construction contractors, so they built it themselves without hiring anyone. It was simple but enough to live in, with wooden windows and doors, and the floor inside was covered with linoleum.
They have been living together, just the two of them, since their father passed away, and their mother died of cancer several years ago, which made her sister Kyla become the head of the family, taking care of her only sibling.
Her sister works as a housekeeper for two wealthy families, traveling to and from work every day, earning a thousand a day.
She worked hard to send Alicia to study for a vocational diploma after graduating from high school. Whatever others have, her younger sister must have too.
She invested in buying cosmetics for Alicia to wear to school because she never had the opportunity. Instead of spending on herself, she devoted everything to her.
How could she not love this sister who had done so much for her? Every Father's Day and Mother's Day, Alicia never forgot to bring garlands to honor her.
With just one more term left, she will graduate, and she doesn't think she'll pursue a bachelor's degree because the expenses are high.
She plans to move to Bangkok for work, where there should be plenty of job opportunities, and she will invite her sister to live there with her.
She is the only family she has to worry about, so Alicia thinks it won't be difficult if they have to relocate.
- Writer
