12 - Date

A/N: The chapter ahead is raw, which means it has not yet been proofread or edited.

***

"Good morning, class."

"Good morning, Sir."

Kalonice's mind was running somewhere else that she didn't notice the arrival of their professor. She's staring outside the window, tapping her pen on the table, and sighing.

Candice is bothering her. Her silence and cold treatment is. It's a few days and the girl is treating her as if she's not there. It's obvious that Candice is upset. Since then, she had been awfully silent and lifeless.

She palmed her face and clasped her hands together.

What should she do? She don't think it's the right time to tell her the truth. As much as possible, she don't want Candice to know the truth. But living in a lie is exhausting. Candice...is not built like her. She's not like her. She's still a child and a child will look for whatever it wants.

"Miss Montecristo, are you listening? Is everything alright?"

Kalonice flinched. Her eyes were wide when she saw the professor.

"Sorry, Sir... What is it?"

"I'm asking about your progress. The initial defense will be next Monday. Is everything alright? Sir Midas didn't do anything to you again, right?"

"N-No, Sir... I was.. I was worrying about my sibling, Candice. That's all."

The professor nodded, "Alright. So, to continue..."

Kalonice stayed in her room when the class was dismissed. Her mind is stressing about finding a way to reconnect with Candice. What is she gonna do? Bring a man and tell her it's her father? Or enter a relationship and tell her that she's getting a father soon?

Midas sat beside her.

"Is she still angry at you?" He asked while flipping the pages of her notebook. It has drawings on it. Doodles and sketches. Must be during boring classes. And her penmanship is so beautiful. The most perfect cursive writing he's ever seen. Like that from the old times.

"Yeah. I don't know what to do. She's not talking to me and sleeping with me. I can't give her what she wanted."

Midas nodded, adoring her cute doodles and writing.

"You should explain it to her. Why you can't and why she doesn't have a father."

Kalonice sighed deeply, "I already did."

"But who's her father, though? And why can't you tell him about her existence?"

"He's at his prime and enjoying the most of his bachelor life. Candice happened and he wanted to abort the baby. That's why...he's dead to me. To us. The moment he chose abortion, he's dead to me."

Midas stopped from flipping the pages and grinning at her silly doodles to stare at her. It sounded different to him. It meant a different way. It was as if she's speaking from her perspective. Well, it's her who raised Candice, the closest to her and her mother, and the only one who knows the truth. But still...

And then he came to contradict himself. There are women who's pro abortion. 'Their body, their choice'. However, once a man demanded it, it's wrong and the woman is a victim? It's so complicated.

Human nature and its complexities.

"Then...find a man to be her father???"

Kalonice furrowed her eyebrows and turned to him. She didn't realize that he was really there. She thought she's talking to an imaginary Midas.

"You make it sound so easy. It's not as easy as 1, 2, 3. It's as hard as choosing gifts. I hate men."

"Stop hating me."

Kalonice looked utterly disgusted.

"I said 'men', not 'boys'."

Midas gasped from that cruel take. Kalonice snatched her notebook from him and organized her things.

"Look here, woman! You can't disrespect me like that every chance you get! I'm---"

"I'm your boss! I'm Midas Yzaguirre and blah, blah, blah," Kalonice mocked while making faces and rolling her eyes.

Midas's face turned red.

"I'm gonna make your life a living hell."

"It already is."

And he's speechless again because he can't say anything that will make him win.

He stomped his foot and stood, "Peasant! Follow me, I'm hungry."

"It's not in the contract that I should follow you around like a shadow. I have plans, too,"

She picked up the plate a junior asked her to finish. Just the coloring and polishing. Her pay is 5,000 pesos.

"Remind you, Ms. Montecristo, you signed another contract. So, follow me."

And he walked out first, with her hunching her back to follow him lazily.

Both ordered for pasta in the cafeteria that's a lot like a fancy restaurant. Kalonice spread the plate while they wait and brought her materials out.

"So, how much for that?"

"5,000 pesos."

It's not bad, he thinks.

Midas watch her work, staring at her resting face. He's seen angles of her face and it doesn't have a flaw other than being Kalonice Montecristo. Oh, how he hate her guts! It's undeniable that she's really beautiful.

Larry's spy, the President, took a picture of them and sent it to him.

Larry, attending an important meeting, got distracted and opened the message.

From: ALY-IC PH President

They're doing well. I think he's smitten about her.

Larry let out a boisterous laughter, stopping the meeting.

"Ah, continue, continue," he said as he hold himself back. He forwarded the picture to his wife.

To: My Goddess Mommy Wife 👑

Aww, look at him, Mommy. I think he's got a crush on her already nyahahaha

Gwynedd, his wife, heard her phone ring. She's breastfeeding their youngest and putting her to sleep. She reached out for her phone to read her stupid husband's message.

Seeing the attachment had her eyebrow arching. She zoomed in and found her son staring intently at the new girl. And what's that she's seeing? A little smile? A smirk?

"Mommy! My hand got stuck! Help!" Her boys cried out, so she dropped her phone to go to them.

Their hands were in the fence of their playpen. Not stucked at all.

"It's a prank! Nyahahaha!"

She sighed with a hopeless smile. Her boys are so cheeky.

Hmm, she should surprise them sometime. She will meet this girl in person herself.

Would that be an honor or a horror?

***

"Marvelous! All are marvelous!" Larry praised as he go through Kalonice's presented plates.

The plates were done as her school outputs, projects, and activities. She kept all of it to include in her folio. Then, she thought that it would be great if she will show it to Larry and he love it! All of it!

"Wow, all of these."

Midas snorted, thinking that his father is over-reacting.

"May I keep this, Ms. Montecristo? You know what, because of you, I just thought of another idea. You bring out the best in me!"

Larry hid the plates again in the envelope's.

"An auction convention. I will host an auction convention for your works."

Kalonice sat frozen in the plush leather chair across Larry, her mind struggling to process the words that had just left his mouth.

An auction. For her.

Her plates. Her designs. The first-ever in YAEC history.

The weight of the moment pressed down on her chest, making it hard to breathe. She stared at the CEO, searching his expression for any hint of a joke, a misunderstanding---anything that might make this feel less surreal. But there was none. He was dead serious.

"I---" Her voice caught, her throat suddenly dry. "Sir…an auction? You're hosting an auction convention… because of me? For me?"

The CEO leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. "Not just because of you, Kalonice. Because your designs are extraordinary. The kind that could change the landscape of this industry. It's only right that the world sees the---and compete for them."

A nervous laugh bubbled out of her before she could stop it. Her hands clutched the armrests as if grounding herself to reality. "Sir, I---I'm just an intern. This has never been done before. What if---"

"You have no idea how many clients have already expressed interest in your work. We're just giving them the opportunity to bid on something truly one of a kind."

Kalonice's heart pounded against her ribs. This wasn't just a compliment. It was validation---on a scale she never could have imagined.

Her fingers trembled as she ran them through her hair, her mind racing with both exhilaration and fear. This could launch her career into the stratosphere. But it also meant pressure---expectations higher than she had ever faced.

"I knew someone who's like you. Brilliant mind, extraordinary talent. He was once called the 'black sheep' of their family for being indifferent. People say he had it easy since he's already from an affluent family, but they're wrong. His family hated his dreams and want to strip it away from him. Talent and passion requires determination and courage. He loved drawing and he will change the world with that. That's Octavius Lisieux. And Kalonice, you're the Octavius Lisieux of this generation."

Kalonice's tears welled up.

"People love new things. Meaning, his career is over. Mwahahaha! His company will soon be mine!"

Midas gave his father a bored look.

Crazy.

Kalonice wiped her tears away and nodded.

"I will trust you, Sir."

"That's right, Ms. Montecristo! Trust me! High five!"

Kalonice chuckled did a high five with him.

Midas shook his head while rolling his eyes. His father have favorites, that's for sure.

Larry dismissed both of them and called Secretary Sean to plan about the upcoming auction. They even called the main company in the US to settle the location and dates.

A week from now, four days before Valentine's Day.

Larry chose the date himself.

After all, what's a better gift than a house and lot?