-You’re a lousy actress. Come on, I know exactly what the people I recruit are capable of. Otherwise, Lila, with your character, why did I keep you here,” Macos chuckled.
Lila bit her lower lip, fingers clenched into fists, not saying a word. She had mixed feelings.
Macos, that man she liked, had noticed her, knew her well and had appreciated her. And that made her very happy, but she had done something against him that had almost caused a catastrophe.
She dared not admit it. If she did, it would be considered revealing trade secrets and she would have to go to jail.
-Mr. Murillo, I don’t know what you’re talking about, I haven’t done anything,” Lila said in a low voice, her body trembling, her head bowed.
-Lila, don’t deny it! You have many friends from the university, I can easily find out. And why did your account receive a large sum of money from an unknown source at this juncture? You and Yolanda got in touch yesterday afternoon, didn’t you? Your phone records could have been traced with a little help. With all the technology available today, there’s always a mistake and you can’t clean it up,” Albina said word for word.
Lila’s face was turning red and her eyes were glaring at her viciously, as if she was going to pounce on her and tear her apart in the next moment.
Macos stood up impatiently at her refusal:
-We were talking nicely to you, but you won’t listen to us. So tell the police what happened.
-Did you really call the police? -Lila raised her head and looked at Macos in disbelief.
-Why not? It’s my company, and you know how important today’s contest is, yet you stole Albina’s design and leaked it to someone else for a personal matter. If Albina had not prepared in advance, how much damage you would have caused to the company! -Macos said with disappointment.
Lila looked at him anxiously, but could not say anything in the face of his cold and stern expression. Albina’s words truly reminded her that, even if she denied it, one could always find out. And now she had lost. It was all over.
-Macos, are you really not doing me a favor? You know very well that I like you.
-You like me? And you did such a thing? -Macos gave her a mocking smile.
-No, no,” Lila looked anxious. I was just jealous of Albina. She was always ahead of me, and you were so nice to her. Besides, Albina has already entered the next shift, so I didn’t hurt anything with this and let Albina gain fame.
At the end of her sentence, Lila was a bit angry, and she directed Albina a look.
-You mean I have to thank you? -said Albina.
-Well, isn’t it true that I did something wrong, but it made you famous, and now you are a prominent figure in the design world, didn’t I help you?
-What a golden tongue you have! What would have happened to me today if I hadn’t noticed your trick? Victor is number 39 and I am number 40, we would have had the same clothes, and I would have been accused of plagiarism. If the judges were stricter, they would have disqualified me and then not only me, but also the Murillo Group would be the laughing stock of the industry, can you afford that?
-If there were, if there were. But in reality, nothing happened, did it? -Lila lowered her head.
Albina really didn’t want to say a word to him now because it wouldn’t do any good.
-Mr. Murillo, I’m not feeling well, I’m going home to rest.
-Well, tomorrow is the final, it will take a lot of energy. Let me leave everything here,” Macos hastened to say.
Albina nodded, glanced at Lila and turned to leave. As she walked out the door of the company, she saw the police arrive just in time, stopped for a moment and walked straight out the door.
It was no one’s fault but Lila’s that she had done such a thing and ended up like this. It was clear that she had a bright future ahead of her, she was beautiful and talented and, although unlovable, she could make a name for herself someday as long as she didn’t make a fool of herself.
Albina pulled over to the side of the road and sighed, watching the traffic, her mind blank.
-Is everything settled? -Suddenly there was a voice in her ear.
-You haven’t left? -Albina turned her head and met Umberto’s handsome face.
-I’ve been waiting for you downstairs,” Umberto smiled and took out a giant lollipop and handed it to her, “this is for you, it’ll make you feel better.
-Where did you get this candy? -Albina looked at the lollipop, which was bigger than her head.
-A little girl and her grandmother were selling this, so I bought one and wanted to give it to you.
-I won’t be able to eat it all in a month,” said Albina, holding up the lollipop.
-Then we’ll eat it together,” said Umberto with a serious face.
-We won’t be able to finish it, so I’ll leave it in my room as a decoration,” Albina couldn’t help but laugh at his silly comment.
Looking at her pretty smile, Umberto suddenly reached out a big hand and grabbed her chin.
-What are you doing? -Albina froze, her heart pounding.
Umberto came closer and kissed her on the lips, only after a long moment did he release her, his deep voice echoing in her ear:
-I wanted to kiss you before when I saw you speak on stage, you made my heart itch.
-What are you talking about? -the tips of Albina’s ears turned red.
When did Umberto learn to say such tawdry things? Really, it was too much for her.
-Let me take you home.
After the kiss, Umberto was immediately back to his normal self, the rich, cold and indifferent young man again.
Albina nodded and blushed as she got into her car. She was so focused on Umberto that she didn’t notice that the police came out with Lila outside the company.
Her face was horrible and she was struggling, screaming and cursing. Just as they were putting her in the police car, Lila turned her head and saw Umberto hugging and kissing Albina, and her face became even more evil.
How could Albina always be so lucky?
***
Umberto drove Albina home and took the big bouquet of 999 roses out of the trunk.
-Take this one.
The bouquet was so eye-catching that others couldn’t even glance at them.
-Albina felt a little embarrassed and hurried into the building with the flowers.
-How can she be so pretty? I never get tired of looking at her,” Umberto looked behind him and said to himself.
After Umberto left, another car arrived and Miguel got out with a bouquet of flowers, smoothing his clothes in front of the window with a soft smile on his face.
Albina returned home, holding the large bouquet in her hand and thinking about where to put it, when suddenly the doorbell rang.
Holding the flowers with difficulty in one hand, she went to open the door with the other, murmuring:
-Umbert…
When he saw the person standing outside, he shouted:
-Miguel!