Chapter 508
“I am still your mother,” she murmured as she wiped her bloodshot eyes, putting on a brave smile. “We
will never be just strangers. It''s okay if you need some time to think about it. I will be patiently waiting
for the day you decide to forgive me.”
“I have work to do,” I said curtly. “Please leave now.”
Unable to bear giving in to the impulse of hurting her again, I dismissed her before turning away.
I hated how I always felt conflicted every time I saw Alicia. I would much rather not see her at all than
have to deal with those feelings.
When I arrived at my office on the eighth floor, I could still see her from my window.
I watched her until she got into her car and drove off after standing still for a very long time. I felt that
my words had finally done the trick.
The fact that I could feel the sincerity and love with which she sought my forgiveness made the guilt in
my stomach bubble all the more ferociously. Perhaps she truly felt remorse for abandoning me. The
moment at which I would find myself ready to forgive her remained a mystery even to myself.
When I sat before my cluttered desk in a valiant attempt to shift my focus onto work, I realized that I
had, for personal reasons, fallen very far behind. Though the boss did not say anything, I was aware
that I had overstepped the line as a manager by setting a poor example.
Just when I was beginning to gather my focus for work, my door was suddenly thrown open with a
bang. Jte stormed in, followed by my secretary who was looking thoroughly nervous.
“I''m sorry, Ms. Garcia. I tried my best to stop her but she insisted on having a word with you.”
The girl nced at me sheepishly as she announced the intruder''s arrival, fearing that I might lose my
temper with her for her failure at doing her job.
After a nce at Jte, my attention shifted to the timid figure behind her. “I''ll take it from here. You
may leave.”
The secretary heaved a sigh of relief before scurrying out and shutting the door behind her.
“Ms. Campbell, don''t you find it rude to barge into my office?” I said, employing the same stiff tone with
which I addressed her mother earlier that day. “This isn''t the first time you have done that. Unlike you, I
have work to do. If you don''t mind, kindly get the hell out of my office.”
“I am still your mother,” she murmured as she wiped her bloodshot eyes, putting on a brave smile. “We
will never be just strangers. It''s okay if you need some time to think about it. I will be patiently waiting
for the day you decide to forgive me.”
“I am still your mothar,” sha murmurad as sha wipad har bloodshot ayas, putting on a brava sm. “Wa
will navar ba just strangars. It''s okay if you naad soma tima to think about it. I will ba patiantly waiting
for tha day you dacida to forgiva ma.”
“I hava work to do,” I said curtly. “asaava now.”
Una to baar giving in to tha impulsa of hurting har again, I dismissad har bafora turning away.
I hatad how I always falt conflictad avary tima I saw Alicia. I would much rathar not saa har at all than
hava to daal with thosa faalings.
Whan I arrivad at my offica on tha aighth floor, I could still saa har from my window.
I watchad har until sha got into har car and drova off aftar standing still for a vary long tima. I falt that
my words had finally dona tha trick.
Tha fact that I could faal tha sincarity and lova with which sha sought my forgivanass mada tha guilt in
my stomach bub all tha mora farociously. Parhaps sha truly falt ramorsa for abandoning ma. Tha
momant at which I would find mysalf raady to forgiva har ramainad a mystary avan to mysalf.
Whan I sat bafora my cluttarad dask in a valiant attampt to shift my focus onto work, I raalizad that I
had, for parsonal raasons, fan vary far bahind. Though tha boss did not say anything, I was awara
that I had ovarstappad tha lina as a managar by satting a poor axam.
Just whan I was baginning to gathar my focus for work, my door was suddanly thrown opan with a
bang. Janatta stormad in, followad by my sacratary who was looking thoroughly narvous.
“I''m sorry, Ms. Garcia. I triad my bast to stop har but sha insistad on having a word with you.”
Tha girl ncad at ma shaapishly as sha announcad tha intrudar''s arrival, faaring that I might losa my
tampar with har for har failura at doing har job.
Aftar a nca at Janatta, my attantion shiftad to tha timid figura bahind har. “I''ll taka it from hara. You
mayava.”
Tha sacratary haavad a sigh of raliaf bafora scurrying out and shutting tha door bahind har.
“Ms. Campball, don''t you find it ruda to barga into my offica?” I said, amploying tha sama stiff tona with
which I addrassad har mothar aarliar that day. “This isn''t tha first tima you hava dona that. Unlika you, I
hava work to do. If you don''t mind, kindly gat tha hall out of my offica.”
Jte red at me with unbridled hostility. Vividly recollecting the aftermath of our previous
encounter, I already knew what to expect.
“Do you think I want to be here?” Jte responded arrogantly. “I think you''re aware that I despise
you.”
“If the sight of me sickens you so much, why have youe to my office?” I answered, with a grim
attempt at humoring her.
I did not feel the need to take her too seriously as she was much younger than me.
“I wouldn''t even be here if it weren''t for my mother! I don''t understand what she sees in you to want to
reconcile with you this badly.”
Jte''s eyes zed with jealousy as she revealed the intention of her visit.
I frowned at her words, almost forgetting that she was my half-sister by a different man.
My heart zed with jealousy at the realization that the girl before me was a product of all of my
mother''s love and affection that I was deprived of.
Despite both of us being Alicia''s daughters, Jte was the one born with the privilege of growing up
under her love and protection while I was forced to fend for myself.
“I know that you despise me and hope that I won''t reconcile with your mother. You may put your mind
at ease. It''s something I''m never going to do.”
I had a pretty good idea of Jte''s attitude toward this entire situation from our previous conversation.
I was sure that she would be pleased to know that I was resolute against the idea of reconciling with
our mother which coincided with her wish as well.
“In all honesty, you look like a sweet and emphatic woman,” she said angrily. “Why do you feel the
need to be cold and cruel to our mother? Do you know how much sleep she''d lost over the years for
you? All she could talk about is meeting you again. You should feel honored instead of throwing your
weight around.”
“Who are you to judge me?” I demanded, my temper ring up from her usatory tone. “You have
never been in my shoes!”
Jte did not seem capable of cing me on anybody else but me.
I was the one who had been abandoned all those years ago. My mother had abandoned me when I
needed her most. The way she thought that I would be ready to forgive her and pick our rtionship
where we had left off made me feel like an instrument forpanionship as opposed to a human
being.
“I don''t care what you think of me, but let me warn you. Don''t you dare hurt my mother again! I''lle
after you if you do.”
Jte would never understand the pain I had been through. In her eyes, I was nothing more than the
woman who had hurt her mother. Everything was my fault.
“If you''de all the way up here just to tell me that, you may leave now. I''m sure you''ve said
everything that had to be said.”
As she was incapable of understanding how I felt, I''d given up on trying to rationalize with her from my
point of view. It would be aplete waste of my time.
“I''ll leave, but not without you.”
Jte folded her arms and stood stubbornly on the spot. Hermanding tone made it clear that she
was not in the mood to negotiate.
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I gazed back at her stonily. “And why the hell should I do that?”
I hated her bossy rich girl persona as it constantly reminded me of how much Alicia had spoiled her.
Only an upbringing of unconditional love and amodation from a mother who had never left was
capable of shaping a child like her.
“Because our mother hasn''t been eating and sleeping welltely. As her daughter, it''s your duty to pay
her a visit!”
Jte spoke again, with a bite of impatience in her voice this time.
“She''s not my mother,” I said tly. “This is thest time we will be discussing this. Be a dutiful daughter
for all you want. Just don''t get me involved.”
As spoiled as Jte was, she really did care for her mother to havee to my office despite her
reluctance for her mother''s sake.
“Anna, you ungrateful b*tch. I''ve humbled myself toe to you and you''re still putting on a show! Who
the hell do you think you are to treat me this way? I wouldn''t be looking at you, much less invite you to
my home, if it weren''t for my mother''s sake!”
My patience with Jte had finally worn out and likewise. The re that she regarded me with was no
longer of mere disdain. Her eyes grew wide as she struggled to find the right expletives potent enough
to convey her fury.