“Sorry, Sir. You can’t be mean to me. Even though I work as a secretary, there are still limits for me to fulfill your request. I can’t continue to meet your needs in 24 hours per day,” Mia said, began to raise her voice.
The girl’s brows had twitched in annoyance. She didn’t understand why his boss was so childish.
“So, you have the heart to leave me with Amber? Don’t you already know that the woman is incompetent. She can’t even boil the water. What will my fate be if I’m taken care by her?”
Shaking head in disbelief, the secretary sighed. “Miss Amber doesn’t need to boil water here. So, you can throw away the worry. Now, I have to go. In a moment, she will be here.”
A second later, the girl grabbed the bag, preparing to leave. Looking at the girl’s seriousness, Julian became more panic.
“But I don’t want you to go, Mia. Stay here with me. Sebastian can definitely take care of the company on his own,” the man said with a pitiful look.
“Excuse me Sir. I’m already late,” Mia said before turning around and walking towards the door. She really didn’t care about the CEO’s whine.
Right at that moment, Amber came in with a basket of fruit and a plate of salad wrapped in plastic. Ignoring the presence of Mia who was frozen in front of her, she smiled broadly at Julian.
“Good morning, Honey. How are you today? Is it better?” the lady asked as she walked over and put her things on the table.
“Stop calling me that! I’m not your future husband anymore,” the man denied with eyes wide open.
Instead of feeling annoyed, Amber shook her head with waving index finger. “Don’t say like that, Julian. I know that you love me very much. It seems, your head is still bothered to the point of forgetting our relationship, hm?”
A second later, Amber showed the man the salad she had bought. “That’s why I brought you this favorite dish of yours. I know that you like it very much. This is what you always order every time we eat together at a restaurant,” the lady said proudly.
Watching his former lover’s shameless behavior, the man snorted. They just saw each other for a minute, but he was already feeling very tired.
“Have you had breakfast? How about you eat this salad now?” Amber asked, not caring about Julian’s coldness.
Hearing the sound of Amber tearing the plastic of the salad, a sigh escaped Mia’s mouth. After a while, her feet that were reluctant to take a step, suddenly turned around.
“Sorry, Miss. Master is being forbidden to eat salad. Doctor said that it could worsen his digestion,” the secretary said firmly.
Receiving such a warning, Amber’s lips turned stiff. After a moment of silence, the lady put down the salad plate and pulled the fruit basket to the edge of the fruit.
“Then, how about you just eat oranges? That’s your favorite fruit, right?” she said, trying to shake off the awkwardness.
“And the doctor also said that Mr. Julian is forbidden to eat fresh fruit, especially those containing the pulps,” Mia explained, making the two people who were eavesdropping almost laugh. Meanwhile, Julian suddenly pointed his index finger at his ex-lover.
“You see for yourself, Mia. This woman is incompetent. You can’t leave me with her. I still want to live,” the man said without thinking about Amber’s feelings. He no longer cared about the woman who once occupied his heart.
Not wanting the commotion to continue, Mia finally opened her bag and took out a small book and pen. A second later, she was busy scratching the ink. Once finished, the brief note was handed over to Amber.
“This is the most important information from the doctor. Apart from what is stated on this list, Mister Julian is also not allowed to drink in large quantities. Give him a little water all the time. Otherwise, you will have to endure the unpleasant odor from the very poor disposal.”
Getting an indirect satire, the patient’s eyebrows automatically wrinkled. “Hey, I don’t smell like that!”
Without feeling guilty, Mia turned her gaze to the man. “Good. That means, you won’t make Miss Amber run away. Now, excuse me. I have to go.”
“No, Mia. Don’t leave me. I just want to be taken care of by you,” Julian prevented even though he was not heard by the secretary. The girl continued to walk towards the door.
“Mia …!”
In two seconds, Julian would be locked up with Amber if he failed to stop the secretary from leaving. Feeling hopeless, the man finally grimaced and clenched his fists. “I love you!”
The hand that was about to press the door lever suddenly froze, and so was the lady who still held a piece of paper near the bed. With blood starting to boil, Amber noticed Julian’s sincere gaze on the secretary.
“I love you, Mia,” the man repeated, successfully dispelling Amber’s doubts. The lady realized that her ex-lover’s words were not a lie nor a joke.
“No, Julian. You love me. Is your brain in trouble too? Don’t you remember how you always expects me?” Amber said in a trembling voice. Her wide eyes were starting to turn red.
“Please stop bringing up the past,” Julian snapped unexpectedly. “I used to love you, but not anymore. I realize that the one I should be fighting for is not you, but the girl who is always there, even when I have trouble.”
Shaking her head quickly, Amber grabbed Julian’s hand. “That’s because she is your secretary, Julian. Don’t be wrong. I am the one who is always in your heart. Don’t be fooled by other women who appear in your eyes more often.”
“Sorry, Amber. That opportunity has passed. My sad love was over, along with our relationship,” the man said while pulling his hand from the woman’s grip.
“Now, stop intruding on my life. I’ve given you what you want. Freedom from affection that weighs on your heart. You no longer have to pretend to smile while standing by my side, or laugh when talking about marriage. You don’t have to hold my hand anymore either. It’s all just a lie.”
With a twitching chin, Amber reached for the hand that felt cold to her. “No, Julian. It’s not all fake. Sorry for realizing it too late. I do love you. My heart is empty without you by my side.”
Once again, Julian slipped his hand from the woman’s grasp. “I was never in your heart, Amber. You don’t have to make it up.”
“I’m not making this up. I really miss your caring text messages, your presence that always keeps me safe, and even the smile I never returned,” the lady said in a hoarse voice.
“You don’t have to lie to yourself,” Julian sighed in despair.
Unexpectedly, a single tear started the woman’s cry.
“That’s really how I feel, Julian. I can’t even sleep thinking about you. Now, how about you give me a chance? We can start everything from scratch. I won’t reject you again.”
“It’s too late, Amber. There is no place for you in my heart now. All has been filled by Mia,” Julian said with a cold expression. There was absolutely no curve to his lips. The man had indeed changed the center of attention.
Witnessing the man’s determination, Amber’s jaw began to throb. With a thunderous breath, she clenched her fists.
“This isn’t fair,” the lady muttered before casting a glare at the secretary.
“This is all your fault!” she shouted at the girl. “If you don’t show up in Julian’s life, he won’t turn his back on me.”
“No, Amber. I didn’t turn my back on you, but you were the one who dumped me. Now go. You’re making my scars hurt again,” the man pleaded while placing his hand on the stomach. His colored face was turning back pale.
Feeling her pride had been dropped, Amber snorted and wiped her face. Then, without words, she stepped towards the door, bumping into Mia’s shoulder before disappearing from sight.
In just an instant, the room turned silent. Julian looked at Mia with a faint frown on his forehead, while the girl blinked without focus. Her mind had been hung with many question marks.
“Mia …” the man sighed, expecting attention.
Knowing someone was waiting for her response, the girl took a quick breath. Without returning the gaze, she said, “I hope this is the last time you bring up my name to avoid Miss Amber. Excuse me.”
Before Julian could explain his feelings, the secretary had already left the room. All that remained was the man’s disappointment because his love was not considered real.