Nine- The past

SARAH PIERCE

Five years ago, a twenty-year-old me joyously escaped my father's house in Lanville city thanks to a bachelor's degree programme I got in another country.

This new country, United Zenna, marked a new beginning for me and my need to heal from the toxicity I grew up in. And the universe listened to my innermost desire, because two months into my programme, I met Nathaniel Storm, a businessman who had come to my school to deliver a speech.

He was twenty-six years old then, and his company was making enviable strides in the entertainment industry.

Like a dream, Nathaniel — who had asked for my number to replace the shirt he ruined with iced coffee — became a steady presence in my life.

At first, I was suspicious of his affections, which deepened each time we met. I even thought it was illegal for a person to look at me the way he did.

But my heart learned to trust him, and I realised that I desired him too.

We started dating after three months.

Nathaniel, to me, was like spring. I had been yearning for exciting freshness all my life. He came and brought exactly that.

My soul truly danced because of him.

And while I never told him about the details of my life with my family, he sensed the deep scars I carried and, with calm gestures and twinkling eyes, he always assured me that those scars would not be any deeper.

Though not fond of promises, I held onto that and immersed myself in the joy of our relationship. And it made it better that no matter how my father and sister tried to probe into my life, they never got to find out who I was dating.

I enjoyed this bliss for one year and eagerly looked forward to experiencing more.

But the day we planned to celebrate one year of our relationship, Nathaniel did not show up. I still remember the white sundress I wore that day, the one he said made me look like sunlight. I waited for him at the restaurant, counting the minutes like heartbeats.

He never came.

My calls and messages were never replied to, but they were read. Eventually, they weren't read anymore.

Nathaniel went from being the spring in my life to someone unreachable. No matter how I searched for him, I failed to find him, and this deepened the scars in my soul.

And as if his heavy silence wasn't jarring enough, I found out after days that I was three weeks pregnant.

So, there I was, alone, confused, scared, battling with Nathaniel’s disappearance, and wondering if I would be able to survive with a baby at that age.

I ended up dropping out of school. I found a quiet neighborhood to settle in and swore never to yearn for Nathaniel, who easily broke his assurance as though it were a brittle brick.

It was not that easy.

While surviving with my growing pregnancy, I often thought of Nathaniel. On some days, I hated him so much that I shivered on a hot day. On other days, I cried because of how much the hatred was hurting me. Some days, I missed him, and I would cry because of how foolish I felt.

I became a huge mess, but Raya's birth changed that.

When I held her tiny body in my arms after a scarring nineteen-hour labour, my hatred for Nathaniel became firm, but I did not let it drive me. I set that hatred aside and chose to focus on my daughter and to live for her.

But life became harder. So terribly hard that three years later, I came back to my father's house to seek help.

And… you know the rest.

Five days have passed since my last conversation with Nathaniel. Raya started kindergarten yesterday, and I resumed a six-hour job at a nearby supermarket.

It is nothing fancy. I have done this in the past, so it won't be hard. Also, my salary for a week in this supermarket is a month's pay where I used to work.

So if I work for a thousand years, I just might repay the broken vase.

“I see you are adjusting well,” my sister's voice unexpectedly snapped me out of my tiredness. She dropped her item on the counter- a pack of cigarettes. Her crimson lips spread into a grin when our eyes met. “This place suits you.”

I ignored her, scanned the box, and said, “Your total is nine dollars, ninety-five cents.”

“Is my man aware you are working here?” She sneered while holding out her card- the very one I used to dream of having because I foolishly thought I would have a role in our father's company.

I charged the card and returned it to her.

While waiting for the receipt to print, she continued, “He must have found out the kind of person you are.”

“You are not here to shoot a movie,” the impatient woman behind Rosaline raged. “Leave if you are done.”

“I am still talking to her,” Rosaline almost screeched, her eyes shifting to the woman. “She is a bitch that stole my man from me. I have the right to be here.”

Oh God… Rosaline… This fool. Does she think I can't tell what she's trying to do? Even if she goes to space to announce what I did, I will not budge, and I will definitely not allow shame to embrace me. At this stage of my life, feeling ashamed is an unaffordable luxury.

“I am sure you are the problem,” the impatient woman retorted. And her stained T-shirt told me that she was a fed-up mother trying to get through the day. “No wonder your man was stolen.”

“Excuse me?” Rosaline gasped, and her voice caught the attention of other people. “Do you know who you are talking to? I am Rosaline Pierce of Pierce Fabrics! You-”

“Excuse me.” I butted in because the woman was about to unleash her frustration on Rosaline. “I am done attending to you. Please step aside so I can attend to others.”

“Sarah!” I barely looked at her. “This is not over. I will be back.” Rosaline stormed out, her heels clicking loudly against the floor.

“Are you okay?” The woman before me surprisingly asked, and I almost commented that I was meant to ask her that question.

But, I nodded and attended to her while ignoring the people occasionally staring at me as if waiting to hear if I truly stole my sister's man.

~~~

NATHANIEL STORM

“What did you just say? “ I questioned the report the head of bodyguards just gave.

“Rosaline Pierce confronted Miss Sarah at her job,” the man repeated.

“Rosaline Pierce.” I crumpled the paper beneath my hand. “She keeps crossing her boundary. How do I get rid of her?”

“Killing her is not an option,” Amir, my secretary, reminded me, and I almost sighed.

One time. Just one time, I suggested murdering a business rival, and it was a joke.

Amir then continued, “How about giving the Pierce family what they want?”

“Hmm.” I fixed my eyes on his low cut. “Going back to our initial plan?” My gaze flickered to his eyes, which were wondering if his idea was good enough. “That could work.”

He breathed hard; anyone passing by would think I just put him through the worst test. I sometimes wonder why I was graced with a dramatic secretary.

“I will handle everything, Mr. Storm,” Amir replied. “I will report back before the end of work.”

“I look forward to it.” I turned to the bodyguard. “What about Raya? Any report?”

“She appeared comfortable.”

“Hmm. It is the second day, it is too soon to tell.”

“You are worried about them,” Amir stated, his hand swiftly drawing back one of the chairs opposite me. He does that whenever he goes into gossip mode.

My eyes narrowed. I replied, “Any sane person would be worried. Miss Pierce looks like she has been through a lot.”

“But two days ago, you said she gets on your nerves. I did not even ask you about it, you just blurted it out of nowhere.” Amir wiggled his brows, and my eyes darkened. Doesn’t he have better things to commit to memory? “Is there something else you are not saying?” he further asked.

And I scoffed at his suggestive statement. “The only relationship between Sarah and me is our contract. I will treat it as I treat every other business contract.”

“Will you?”

“Amir, get up.” My sternness appeared, and he was wise enough to listen. “My worry stems from my desire to ensure that the contract works in my favour. I will not hesitate to remove any obstacle that threatens what I want.”

With subtle discomfort, Amir nodded, coughed, and muttered, “I understand.”

Then, I faced the bodyguard. “Mr. Ray, who is in charge of keeping an eye on Miss Pierce?”

“My brother, Roy. He is as good as I. You can rest assured that nothing will go wrong.”

I was not concerned that something terrible would happen. I am certain Miss Pierce handled her sister, she appears confident and focused on whatever her goal is.

“I need you to look into Miss Pierce’s past,” I eventually instructed.

“But you said you weren’t interested,” Amir butted in. “I could have done it long ago.”

“You have too much on your plate,” I bluntly replied. “Mr. Ray, I want to know about Raya’s father. I can imagine him showing up later to disrupt my marriage.”

“Oh.” The bodyguard nodded. “We should settle him before that happens.”

“Just locate him. Let me know once you do.”

“Alright, Mr. Storm.” Ray walked out seconds later, and I blessed the day that I was introduced to his services three years ago. Thanks to him and his team, corners have been cut, business enemies have been revealed, and my journey since I established S.L. Storm Entertainment Company has become easier.

“Is looking for that person a good idea?” Amir’s question brought me back to the room. “What if Miss Sarah hears about this?”

My seat twirled and I faced the city view laid out before me. “If she hears about it, I will know who to fire.”

“Ahh, I see.” My statement did not shake Amir. “Whatever you want, Mr. Storm.”

“Since when do you exhibit sarcasm with me?”

“Huh.” He feigned ignorance. “Nothing. Nothing.” Then he clicked his tongue and asked, “When are you going to tell Miss Pierce the truth? The other truth.”

“She doesn’t need to know about it. Enough about that.” If I let him, he would start to dig into my words, searching for meaning where there is none. “What is next on my calendar?”

“The meeting with the recruitment team about the new signees.”

As it was my ritual, I closed my eyes to empty my mind. So, after saying, “Give me five minutes,” and after Amir left, I proceeded to shut down all thoughts unrelated to business.