Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kin

“You sure you want to meet Graham personally? You know how stubborn he can be, Kin. To let go of his publishing company will be the hardest thing for him,” my PA stated matter-of-factly.

“I’m not taking it from him, Miguel. He will be paid a substantial amount for it, and I don’t think anyone else would ever pay him that much. He needs to let go since he made a big loss the past year,” I rebuked.

“What about all the staff? Do they get to keep their jobs once the takeover is done?” added Miguel.

“You know I won’t let them lose their jobs, especially the ones with family. I just have to appoint a new set of management, that’s all,” I said reassuringly.

Miguel nodded. “So when are we going?”

“It’s just me, Miguel. I’m giving you two days off. Be with your family, all right? I’m travelling tonight, and I’ll be back on Friday.”

Miguel was beaming from ear to ear. “You’re saying I can have the next two days off plus the weekend?” He asked me just to be sure.

“Yeah. What? Is that so surprising that I could let you off for four days straight?” I stared at him disbelievingly.

“Oh, I’m just so touched,” he sniffled, giving a swipe of fake tears. Then he grinned and said, “Just drive safely, okay.”

I nodded. But then, he just had to add, “May the force be with you.”

“Ughh… You did not just say that, man,” I lamented. Miguel just walked out of the room, laughing his head off.

Miguel had been my best friend since college. Whilst I skipped a few years and headed straight to university at fifteen, Miguel started pretty late, at twenty-five. We were classmates then. A schoolboy befriending a Colombian who strived to gain a degree no matter how old he would be. He approached me first since there was no one willing to consort with a genius teenager, but Miguel took it as an opportunity to learn the ropes of the business. I had the upper hand in international trade since I was a child, for I followed my father to his meetings and learnt the skills first-hand from him. Miguel stopped at bachelors degree when he met the love of his life, while I continued till PhD. When I set up the publishing company five years ago, I wanted him to be my partner, but he was bent on being just my personal assistant, and he had been ever since. When I asked Miguel why he wouldn’t want to be my partner, he said he didn’t want to crack his head thinking of solving problems. He left it to me to resolve things. Well, he was wise in that sense.

I collected the documents pertaining to Graham’s publishing company buying over in Aurora and headed home. There was nothing much to pack, just a few shirts and pants, all the necessities since I’ll be there for only two days. If I start my journey this evening, I will reach Aurora before dawn, and I’ll get a few hours of shut-eye and then head on to meet Graham the following day. Well, that was the plan.

This wasn’t the first time I’ve been to Aurora. It’s quite a whimsical town; the people were laid-back primarily. I’ve always thought this town was created for the Hallmark story setting. I smiled at that thought. Well, not that I’ve ever watched Hallmark movies before. Upon arriving, I drove straight to the inn. Sally, my secretary, had booked a room for me a few days earlier, and in no time, the bellboy led me to my suite. Trust Sally to get me the most oversized room in the inn when it was deemed unnecessary. I will be sleeping alone in a king-sized bed, and somehow, I felt pathetic at myself when I stared at the room setting.

I had a wife four years ago. It was not a love marriage. Though it might sound highly far-fetched, my marriage to Maya was arranged by both parties. Her father was my dad’s partner, and they had made arrangements without consulting any of us. I was without a woman, so I figured it was all right to be matched-made, especially to a sophisticated flight attendant like Maya. Maya, too, consented to her parents choice and decision. We were married in less than a month of knowing each other but in a not-so-simple wedding. It was unlike how I wanted. Maya and her parents insisted on inviting more than five hundred guests and ensuring the wedding received acknowledgements through newspapers and magazines.

Even though my marriage didn’t begin with love, I tried to make it work. I showered Maya with all the gifts she asked for, as she spent lavishly on clothes and accessories. That was my way of showing love towards her. Time was not on my side those days since my company just started to build up, and I had to spend most of my time in the office and meeting clients. I thought Maya would understand since she, too, was busy with her flying schedule. However, something unforgivable happened during our first wedding anniversary.

I was supposed to fly to Belgium for a conference, but I changed my mind at the airport and decided to surprise Maya for our anniversary at the last minute. I knew she’d be at home since I memorised her schedule for each month. Turning back, I smiled as I went into a jewellery store at the airport to get her a necklace. Then, I stopped by the florist and got her roses and chocolates to go with it.

I rushed home only to be greeted by a red Ferrari in the driveway. Nobody in her family that I knew of drove one, neither did anyone in mine. I had my keys to the house and opened the door calmly. Then, I heard muffled sounds from the room above, my bedroom specifically, and my heart started to beat very fast. A heart beating too fast can be a messenger telling us that we need to acknowledge and own negative emotions lurking just below the surface. And, I owned that. My first wedding anniversary became the day I divorced Maya.

Thinking back on the decision that I’ve made in the past, getting hitched in a hurry was never a good move. I now know for sure that love needs to be nurtured. If there were to be a next time, I would have to ensure that my feelings are intact and not swayed by whim.