Her mom had noticed that she and Tom were in an argument because she rarely picks his calls or reply his texts which was unusual. She pretended as if she wasn’t aware for days, hoping they would mend up soon but when she saw that it was getting longer than usual, she had to step in.
Amber had just came back from work that very day and went straight to shower because she was extremely tired, thanks to the extreme work at the mall that day as they were sorting the new orders that came in. She finished cleaning herself up and came up to the table to have some food her mom already dished and just as she settled down, her mother opened up.
“What is going on between you and Tom? Are you both not going to make up? Until when will you continue this fight?” she suddenly asked to Amber’s surprise.
Amber wanted to cover it up and lie that they had made up but she felt she should discuss it with her mother to see her own point of view. She went on explaining the incident that happened between her, Charles and Tom to her mother who was listening with rapt attention.
“My Boss didn’t support me that day, I was so pained because I was the victim, yet I had to apologize because I was the poor one and they are the rich customers we cannot afford to lose. Do you even know the cruelest thing? He made sure I knelt down in front of him before he received my apology, that bastard!” she explained, tears falling down her face.
Her mother wanted to reply with why she didn’t just leave the job to them instead of bearing the shame but remembered that she only withstood that shame because of her. She was at the hospital back then and if she had quit her job, it would have been difficult for the both of them.
“I never knew you went through something like this, my daughter. How pained and heavy must your heart have been?” she rose up to console Amber who left the tears to flow freely on her face.
She went on to ask if that was the reason why they are fighting now because if it is the reason then why did she agree to date him in the first place without settling such a situation first but she shook her head that the cause of their fight was although related to that, it wasn’t because of the incident.
“He wants me to go along with him to the wedding of that bastard” she revealed and the mother was perplexed.
The situation at hand needs to be approached logically, that she understood but the feeling of her daughter too is also involved. She knew she has to be careful in her judgment so she doesn’t hurt her daughter on both sides. If she tells her to go, then that means she will have to go through the pain of the incident, fresh in her head as she’s seen Charles laugh and giggle with others as if nothing happened and if she is against her going then she would be pitching Amber against her boss as a disobedient employee which would affect their relationship just like it is happening.
The entanglement of the situation caused her to sigh heavily first as she thought of the approach she would take towards the matter. After thinking for a while, she finally decided on a wiser approach.
“Do you like Tom as your man?” she suddenly asked and Amber wondered what sort of question was that. It was obvious that she’s head over heels for Tom even though they are fighting right now, that fact still doesn’t change, she’s trying to prove that she won’t be a pushover for Charles the second time.
With a raised brow, she replied her mother’s question “Yes of course, I really like him even in this argument”.
With that answer confirmed, she went ahead to ask another question, “Do you like your job enough to keep it?” and that question made Amber confused the more.
She had always love her job even before she started to date Tom, that was the reason why she returned, the money attached aside. “Of course I do, I have fun at my workplace and they pay me well so I have no reason to hate it” she responded, trying not to lash out her frustration of the sudden questions being thrown at her.
Her mother was not done with her, she still had one more question before she contributes her thoughts on the matter so she went ahead to ask the last question.
“Do you trust your man?” she asked finally and Amber paused for a minute.
It was a question she couldn’t rush to answer like the first two. She thought about the question in silence and went through the memories of Tom in her head. They had went through many ordeals together and each time, he had always stood on his words without changing sides no matter what. Even in their relationship, he was always true to whatever he says and had never hide anything from her, even the things about himself and his family. Those were enough reasons to trust him but she doesn’t understand why her mother was asking for such though.
“Yes, I do trust him. There is no reason for me not to” she answered finally and her mother clapped in the air.
“That is enough then. Since you trust him, why not trust his decision and go? If he does anything to disappoint you there then you can do anything, you can make any decision and I will support you” she said to her with an assuring voice making Amber’s face drop.
She was expecting her mother to preach against her going but here they are, she wants her to fulfil his wish and then carry out her judgment based on the outcome. That seemed like a fair deal to her after all and just decided to go with that even though things will remain the same between them until she’s able to make a decision.
*****
Everyone at Charles’ employee got a package bearing the wedding invitation and the gifts that was distributed by the chairman and as soon as the team leader Charles harasses got hers, she stood up immediately and marched to the bathroom with it.
The scenes of every single time when she was harassed by Charles flooded her head and she shouted so loud that people at the office wondered where the shout was coming from. She stood in the stall and cried her eyes out.
He was getting married while smiling happily on the gift box where his picture with his fiancée, Joy was attached but she was passing through the agony of what he had done to her. He had broken her but he’s going with his own life as if nothing was wrong, that was too much and unfair for her to bear but what could she do? If she reports her to the HR department, they would only scold her or give her money to shut her up, if she refuses that, they will threaten her and if she reports to the police, he’s wealthy enough to wiggle his way out of it and even counter sue her for defamation, there was no way out to get revenge anywhere and that fact of her helpless made her heart rip to pieces.
After crying her eyes out, she washed her face and dumped the package in the trash can before moving back to her table. Even though she tried to hide the fact that she cried, it was still obvious to anyone who pays attention to her face so she tried hiding it by covering her face with her hair as she worked at her table.
The giggling of the ladies blushing at the gifts and wedding invitation while commenting about how lucky the wife is was getting to her and she couldn’t bear to hear them praise him and tag him a good man that is finally getting married.
She stood up from her table in anger and went to their midst with the intention to yell out his secret but she couldn’t when she got there. She ended up scolding them for being lax at work instead of getting their portion of work done and they all scattered, all resuming their works at the sound of her voice.
She was always considerate and quiet so they didn’t understand the reason why she was suddenly that way but who were they to question her? They only grumbled to themselves as they watched her go back to her seat.
****
Tom went to the clothing session after his work for the day and bought a dress, shoe and accessories which was packaged into his car by his driver before leaving. The next morning being the wedding, he sent the driver with the package to pick up Amber at her home because it was a Saturday.
Amber was eating at the table when her doorbell rang and she went there to see the driver waiting in front of the door with a bag in his hand.
“Mr. Joe, what are you doing here?” she asked in surprise and he stretched the bag towards her, “The boss said you should put this on for the wedding and I should drive you there” he answered and she rolled her eyes in anger.
Even though she was boiling, she still took the bag and went to change before going with Mr. Joe. She was not expecting him to pull this kind of card and he will make sure to hear from her for doing this to her.