Whispers Of Unseen Wounds

EPISODE 9

"...After the party..."

As soon as I arrived home and entered the apartment, I noticed that Auntie was making coffee for me. I walked over to her and asked, "Auntie, have you made dinner yet?" She looked at me and replied, "Not yet, dear. Are you hungry? Tell me what you’d like to eat, and I'll prepare it right away." I smiled and said, "No, Auntie, I already ate out. I was just asking to make sure you hadn’t gone through the trouble of cooking for me." Then I asked, "Auntie, have you had dinner?" She shook her head and said, "No, dear, I'll have dinner after I get home. I'll cook something for myself and the family."

I then asked her, "Auntie, do you like pasta? And do your kids enjoy it too?" Auntie smiled and replied, "Yes, why do you ask?" I suggested, "If I make some pasta for you today, would you take it home and share it with everyone?" Auntie looked surprised and said, "No, dear, why would you go through the trouble?" But I insisted, "Please, Auntie, just this once." She finally agreed, and I headed to my room to change into something more comfortable. After changing, I returned to the kitchen and started making the pasta while Auntie relaxed in the living room, watching TV.

When the pasta was ready, Auntie came into the kitchen and said, "It smells wonderful!" I smiled and urged her to taste it. She took a bite, and I anxiously watched her reaction. After a moment, she looked at me with a playful expression and said, "It’s not good at all." My heart sank, and I felt disappointed, but then she broke into a smile and said, "It’s not good; it’s amazing!" Hearing this, I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness. I packed the pasta into a lunchbox for her, and as she was about to leave, she blessed me, saying, "May you always stay happy." She then left with the pasta.

I returned to the kitchen, put on my earplugs, and began washing the dishes while listening to music. After cleaning up, I finished the coffee that Auntie had half-prepared and sat down in the living room with the TV on, sipping my coffee. A romantic movie was playing, and as I watched, thoughts of him started flooding my mind again, especially after all the talk about him earlier today. I didn't want to think about him, but I couldn't control my mind. So many questions raced through my head: So much time has passed; how does he look now? Does he have more mature, manly features? Where is he? What is he doing?

Then, a sudden thought hit me—that he has a girlfriend the girl I saw at the farewell and They might even be married by now. She would be the one touching him, hugging him, kissing him—all the things I wanted, or perhaps still want, to do. But he belongs to someone else, not me. This realization hit me hard, and I set my coffee cup down on the table, turned off the TV, and headed to my room. I lay down on my bed and eventually drifted off to sleep.

I woke up suddenly in the morning, startled and wondering why I had such a dream after so long. The reason I woke up was that I had dreamt of him—he was standing in front of me, smiling. Shaking off the dream, I went to the bathroom, took a shower, and got ready for work. After gathering my things and having breakfast, I left for the office.

As I walked toward my cabin, my coworkers greeted me one by one, and I returned their smiles before settling into my work. Just then, Anna called, and we started chatting. I told her about the dream I had and wondered why it had come to me after all this time. She said, "Who knows, maybe something’s going to happen." I replied, "What could possibly happen?" We talked a bit more before hanging up, and I got back to work.

I was focused on an important deal with Cisco Corporation that our company had landed—a deal that could bring significant profit to both companies. I wanted to complete the project in the best possible way. Days passed as I worked on the project, and eventually, the product we developed was launched in the market, where it became a huge success. Both companies benefited greatly from it.

Our boss called me and the team into his office to congratulate us and express his appreciation. Afterward, we all returned to our cabins. That evening, I called my mom to share the good news about the successful deal, and she was overjoyed as well. The next day, I followed my usual routine and headed to the office.

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When I reached the office, I greeted my coworkers as usual and headed to my cabin. Just as I settled in, a coworker came in and told me that the boss wanted to see me. After delivering the message, he left, leaving me to wonder why the boss wanted to see me so early in the morning. I put my things down and walked to his cabin, knocking on the door before entering. "Good morning, sir," I greeted him.

He looked up from his desk with a smile and said, "I have some good news for you. We're promoting you." I was surprised and asked, "But sir, I'm already your secretary..." He chuckled and said, "Yes, but we want to make you the secretary of the CEO of an even bigger company. You know, the CEO specifically requested that you be their secretary."

Still in shock, I asked, "But sir, which company are you talking about?" He replied, "The one we recently collaborated with—Cisco Corporation." My heart skipped a beat. "Cisco Corporation?" I repeated, feeling the shock wash over me. He nodded and said, "Yes, but it would require you to relocate to the US since their main branch is there. But that should be easy for you, right? After all, you're from the US originally."

Hearing this, I felt overwhelmed. The very place I had left behind to start anew, the place where he lived, where all those memories lingered—I was being asked to return there. I had grown accustomed to my life here, even though I missed my family, I had learned to live well. And now, I was being told to go back.

Hesitantly, I asked, "Sir, is there any way I can decline this offer? I don't want to go back to the US." He looked at me with confusion and said, "Why not, Emyrin? This is an amazing opportunity. Your salary and value will increase, and I want you to advance in your career." But I insisted, "Sir, I really can't go."

He sighed and said, "I'm afraid it's too late. I've already appointed another secretary for myself, and this is an order—you will go there and work for that company. They'll take care of your tickets and all the necessary arrangements. All you need to worry about is packing." Resigned, I nodded and thanked him before turning to leave. As I was about to walk out, he said, "All the best for your future." I smiled weakly and left his office, my mind racing with thoughts about why all this was happening.

Back in my cabin, I was deep in thought when a worker came in and informed me, "Ma'am, your flight is in a day. Sir's orders are that you can go home and start preparing. You don't need to come to the office tomorrow. Today is your last day here."

After he left, I gathered my things and stepped out of my cabin, only to find all my coworkers standing with the boss, clapping for me. It became clear that everyone knew about my promotion and that I was leaving. They all congratulated me, and Lyna came over, looking a bit sad. "My friend is going away," she said, and I reassured her, "Don't worry, I'll keep in touch." She smiled and softly said, "Who knows, maybe your love story will have a happy ending after all." Her words made me feel a strange mix of emotions. After thanking everyone, I left the office, taking one last look at it before heading to my apartment.

As soon as I reached the apartment, Auntie asked, "How come you're home so early today?" I told her about my promotion, and she seemed a bit sad. "So that means you're leaving me... We may never meet again," she said. I quickly reassured her, "No, Auntie, I will definitely come to visit you. I've grown quite attached to you as well." Auntie smiled and said, "Just be happy and have a safe journey." I then offered, "Auntie, if you ever need a job, I can give you my friend's number. She's also looking for someone to take care of her house." But Auntie waved it off and said, "Don't worry about me. Just take care of yourself." I looked at her gratefully and said, "Thank you, Auntie, for taking care of my apartment all this time." She simply smiled, and I headed to my room to start packing since I had only one day left.

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'Thank you'.
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