Away From Home

|Chapter 13| ✔

For the past weeks, Kimberly's work had absorbed her like a sponge and filled her with an unbelievable amount of stress. From her father's sudden news of battling with cancer which concluded the reasons why she dislikes being raised into a family full of riches.

Yes, they were extremely wealthy, no doubt. But deep inside no matter how much Kimberly's family has tried to hide it or pretended to be the happiest people that ever step foot on this earth. No matter how much they didn't want to come terms with it, indeed Austin's family were miserable.

Like many others instead of trying to fill their empty hearts with unending love that could be found from God and family. The Austin's buried themselves with work. And lots of work. A family genetic trait they couldn't escape.

Which explained why her mother was never home as busy her dad was at the time tried to play both parts when she was young, she remembered her father's words.

* Flashback *

"Daddy, where's mom?" she cried, today was the day mother nature decided to play her a visit. As usual, her mother was yet again absent and missed another piece of their broken lives.

"She's not here, Kimberly. You know that." says her father.

"You can tell me. What's wrong," Cesar suggested, not knowing what else to do.

She clenched her hands in her stomach as if it'll do you any good. It was hard to know how to express anything at the age of eleven.

"You don't understand." she felt another sharp pain that attacked her lower abdomen.

"I need her!"

Her father sighed and took his cellular device.

"Let's call, aunt Sophia. I'm sure she'll know what to do."

Infuriated with her family. She snatched her father's phone. "I don't want anyone else but mommy!" she wept.

"Look at me Kimberly!" he gently shook her.

Her watery eyes faced her father.

"She's not coming, okay. Your mother has to save the world. Because that's the sacrifice, we all made. Because she was destined to be great."

* End of flashback *

What her father had worked so far for will soon to be of no use because there's a high chance he'll not live long to enjoy the reward of his hard labor.

And of her one and only assistant having to leave her side due to a cause of a family emergency. It was all too much for her.

I can't do this!

It never crossed her mind that she had to lose her one and only, most trusted partner Jacob Turner in a blink of an eye.

So much for counting on people.

Nor was she thrilled about having constant dreams about a particular man. A man that had gotten on her first, middle, and last nerve. It ticked her off just thinking about him. Moreover, the fact that dream was once a reality had made her madder.

* Flashback *

"Are you in need of help, madam?" An incredibly well heighten man with thick dark hair that hung around his center brow and shoulders. Full of beard that looked as if he was the only man on this great earth that can pull off such style. On top of that as if he couldn't get any more dreamy. He was blessed by the gods with a dash of perfect olive skin.

He gently taps the caramel-skinned woman to gain her attention. But couldn't because she was more occupied in repairing the flat tires instead of to admire his striking beauty.

"Oh yes! I need a man to save me," she answered, falsely as she batted her lashes at him. "Because I'm a damsel in distress, right? Have a nice day."

Was she mocking him?

"Here, let me help." he stepped closer and aimed to help, but the stubborn woman would not allow him to do so.

She dismissed him, "No! I don't know you. I don't need your help."

"Yes, you do. you need my help, and you know it." He took more steps closer to her.

* End of flashback *

Good thing, I will never see him again.

It felt weird that after she had woken up from her dream, the first person that came to mind was her new employee, Mr. Sternberg.

With that, guilt kicked in and ate her up like the enormous whale that swallowed Jonah because he decided to run away from God. I caused more stress that she didn't think she had the strength to endure.

It's not like I'm cheating on him.

We're not together. We were never intimate.

She groaned, because of tiredness and of course because of the blooming love-triangle between the man she met long ago and never saw again.

Not in a relationship with each other in kind of way.

Plus the man she has to interact with every single day while she went to work.

So why, oh why, do I feel guilty?

"Where's Jacob when I need him?!" The exhausted boss buried herself around the numerous documents that surrounded her.

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