The Wish You Left Behind

Chapter 4: The Heir

YOKO

How can Yoko forget the woman's face? She interrupted her alone time, and now she's in the company grounds?

She glances at Marissa, who's standing behind the tall woman.

Is her friend pulling a joke and trying to get on her nerves? If that's the case, this won't be the first. But then, Marissa knew how bad she felt after meeting the stranger.

As though sensing her thoughts, Marissa bites her lips and shakes her head.

Yoko regarded the stranger again.

Who knows, she might be another angry lover, stalking her and planning some revenge.

When the woman's gaze landed on Yoko's now-swollen cheek, she did all her best not to cover it.

"I'm going to ask you again," she said firmly. "What are you doing here?"

Beside her, Ice gently grabs her arm, as though to calm her. But it did little in taming her growing annoyance.

"I'm —. Well. You see —." The woman scratches her neck and sigh. She straightened her shirt, though there were no creases to begin with. She stood straighter, too, towering over the three of them. "I'm Faye Peraya."

"That didn't answer my question."

Ice tugs at her arm.

Marissa emerges from behind the woman. "Yoko, Faye is a bodyguard, and —," she clears her throat, takes a deep breath and tries again. "And I think your brother hired her for you."

The three of them gawk at Marissa.

The elevator ride to her office is probably the longest 45 seconds of Yoko's life, not to mention the most quiet too. She swears she can hear everyone's breathing. And at the far back, Marissa is hiccupping.

"Can I get you some water later?" Ice asks her.

"No. I'm fine."

Once the elevator finally dings, Yoko walks as fast as her crutch will allow. Beside her, Ice is fighting back a snicker.

Somehow, the doctor finds a lot of things funny lately.

"What is it?"

"I remembered something. Let's talk to your office," Ice said.

"Faye and I can wait here. And I'm going to call Big," Marissa suggested.

Yoko throws one last glance at Faye, who somehow finds the ceiling interesting.

"Please do."

Because right now, Yoko cannot think of anything she can say to Big, other than cursing.

Ice wipes her teary eyes and can't stop laughing. Yoko throws a warning glare in her direction, but it's of no use.

"I'm sorry," Ice said before taking a deep breath. "Just — I didn't know Big was serious last night when he said he hired a bodyguard for you."

"Still, how come you didn't mention it earlier?"

"Come on, I really thought he was joking! He's wasted when he said it last night."

If it was a joke, it would really be funny. But right now, just the thought of having a bodyguard is anything but fun.

Yoko smacks her cheek with an ice bag that Ice prepared for her. She cannot afford to have both a swelling cheek and a growing temper at once.

What was Big thinking?