A reclusive billionaire without family or friends is in wreck and develops a temporary amnesia from the injuries. Without any identification, he falls in love with Nina, the nurse who nurses him back to health. As his memory slowly returns, he realizes that friendship and love have been missing from his life, and he has found both in her.
*****
My two decades of hardship in school went to ashes in a blink of an eye.
I looked at the piece of paper in my hand, the court finally made their judgment this morning. And today, luck isn't on my side. I let out a frustrated sigh as I plop down wearily on the burning white sand of Whale Bay, one Saturday noon. How am I gonna tell my mother about this?
All the hardships and sacrifices I made just so I can crawl my way out of college just went to waste. For someone who was born from a poor family, I had to enter multiple and unimaginable jobs just to support my education. I had so many sleepless nights just to appease my ambitious self, cause I wanted to graduate as a top student. And I did! But I never thought the success would be this short-lived.
I bit my lower lip, trying to hold back a sob. Are justice and law only for those who have money as their weapon? How could the system be this unfair?
"Hi, Nina!" I heard a cheerful voice from behind and my tears immediately retract. "Hello, Nina! You don't have work today?"
The little girl sat down beside me, she was holding a saggy ice cream cone while beaming up at me. The chocolate syrup was dripping messily on her little hand and I also noticed the dry stains of ice cream on her cheeks. My eyes widened.
"Alicia! How did you find me here?" I examined the kid, looking for scratches or any wounds on her skin. The treacherous pathway along the rock formations separating the cove from the long coastline of Whale Bay is extremely dangerous for a little girl like her. She could've tripped on the sharp rocks and hurt herself accidentally!
Alicia shrugged, licking on her ice cream. "I just know you're here. Why are you here anyway, Nina? Is there a problem?"
My lips curved into a weak smile. Sighing, I looked back at the clear, sparkling water of the beach as I silently watched the little waves reach my feet. The sun was scorching but the saltwater remains cold. On normal days, I would've taken a quick dip to relax.
"Nina is jobless now," I smiled sadly and her mouth gaped.
"Oh no! Does that mean you can't treat me chocolates anymore?"
I chuckled, nodding my head weakly.
I was a registered nurse for two years in this community's hospital. I was earning decently for me and my mother. All of those hardships I went through are for her. To give her a quiet and peaceful life. To force her to retire from work because I'd willingly support all her whims. To give her a life where she doesn't have to lay in bed at night, thinking how are we gonna survive tomorrow and the next day's battles. And to give her a life she never experiences because she, too, was born from poverty.
One mistake, I had my beloved license taken away from me.
"Don't be sad, Nina. Here...you can have my ice cream."
I chuckled at her. "I'm fine. Nina will find a new job so I can treat you more candies."
"It's okay, Nina. You don't have to," she licked on her ice cream again. "Having a job is tiring, right? Papa is always tired after a long day of fishing, he barely has any time to play with me anymore."
Her doe eyes bore into mine. "Nina, it's okay to be jobless. At least you're not tired."
I guffawed loudly at her innocence. My hand moved to pat Alicia gently on the head. How I wish everything is as simple as that. How I wish I could be nine years old again just like her so I wouldn't have to worry about all these things. Adulthood sucks.
What happened was an honest mistake, and clearly my fault. I never denied anything, I was willing to be held accountable for my irresponsibility. But what I couldn't accept was their haste decision to kick me out and deny me a second chance.
I accidentally gave the wrong medicine to a critical patient, resulting in a risky seizure. Unfortunately for me, the patient's family was a member of the upper crust. My knee-bending apologies weren’t enough for them. A part of me understands their rage, but do they really have to take away my source of livelihood for that one accidental mistake?
"Nina, let's swim!" Alicia was left in her cycling shorts after removing her baby pink dress. The little girl excitedly runs towards the water and I had to move quickly to follow her.
It was a low tide so the sea was still calm and collected. The premature waves were bearable but the heat of the sun was too much for my liking. I glanced at Alicia, her bronze skin was sparkling beautifully under the sun.
I envy girls who have naturally brown skin since mine was a boring pale. No matter how hard I try to tan my skin, it naturally goes back to its original color after a few weeks. I eventually just gave up after multiple attempts of failure. The stingy sunburns aren’t even worth it anyway.
"Nina, let's go over there!" She pointed at the other side of the huge rock formations and I nodded indulgently at her.
I was trailing behind Alicia as we headed our way to the other side. We both had our slippers on to protect our feet from the sharp rocks. I wouldn't want to hear an earful from her parents if I take her home wounded.
"There's a boat....and a man!"
"Huh?”
A fisherman might have parked their boat in this part of the beach. Well, that’s what I thought.
“Alicia!” I screamed in horror when the little kid ran quickly towards the wounded man sitting and leaning on the huge rock, blood leaking on its head and arms. My mouth gaped as I felt my heart hammered in shock. This scene shouldn’t be new to me since I’ve been in the medical field for years, but still, I couldn’t help but shook from nervousness.
”Nina, he’s bleeding! Nurse him!”
I walked closer, eyes never leaving the bruised man. His white sleeved shirt was covered in sand and blood. I noticed how his hands were shaking uncontrollably, along with his shoulder. He was having a hard time breathing. His eyes fluttering weakly, he is barely conscious!
“Nina, do something!”
I fell on my knee to examine his wounds. There’s a small cut on his head and a shot on his left arm! My hands trembled. I have a few equipment in the house so I could definitely give him a first aid.
I looked at Alicia, she got in here safe and unscathed after crossing the sharp and dangerous rock formations. Still, I don’t want to risk her safety.
“Wait in here, Alicia. I’ll get my things so we can treat his wounds, okay? Don’t leave him. He needs your company.”
The little kid nodded willingly. I glanced at the man one last time before turning my back on them to get my things.
This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this book are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
My hand shook a little as I typed on the keypad of the ATM machine. I've been unemployed for almost a month now and I couldn't just carelessly spend the rest of my savings or I'd end up in the streets, starving.I looked at the receipt and sighed. Based on my calculations, my current balance can last for at least three more months. But am I really gonna wait til I run out of money before I work my butt off again?I let out another sigh, a bit harsher this time. I can't enter any medical facility anymore because I lost my license as a nurse. Maybe I can try to fit in the corporate world? I still managed to finish college and I have a decent degree. Maybe I can manage to find a job that'll suit me in that field.The loud crashing of waves on the shore filled my ears. The tranquil atmosphere of the beach calmed me down a bit as I watch a few of our townsmen, or maybe t
I jolted awake from my dreamless slumber when I heard some noises outside. My eyes automatically searched for the wall clock hanging across my dim room, it reads three-thirty.Jack usually leaves during this hour to go fishing along with the neighbors. I walked towards my window, slightly opening the lower panel of the jalousie. Jack was outside together with two men who were both carrying a water pail. He's in his usual fishing attire, a dirty white towel was hanging around his neck. My forehead creased in confusion. He's still gonna go fishing? I thought he'll stop since he's got a better job in the inn now?He went back inside the house to turn off the lights. Darkness enveloped the place, their flashlights were the only source of brightness. The moon was covered with thick clouds to herald a foggy morning for Willowvale. My eyes followed them until they were out of sight. Once I couldn't hear their footsteps anymore, I groggily went back to bed and c
I didn't know it would be this boring.Obviously, the townsmen of Willowvale aren't big fans of books. People here would rather collect seashells on the shore and make a necklace out of it to earn than to sit on a corner and read, they think it's a waste of time.Mostly, it was the tourists coming in to visit the shop. Diana needs to establish a policy about silent reading 'cause it greatly affects the sale of the store. People come and go empty-handed 'cause they're allowed to read here without paying and buying the book.I mentally rolled my eyes as I watched the last costumer exited the shop. We closes at six pm and opens up at nine in the morning.Jack was outside of the inn when I passed by on my way home. The brown and off-white uniform looked perfectly fit in him. His muscular arms were flexing sexily as he brushes the hostelry's wall with a paint roller. Another employee was beside him, they're both repainting the color of the walls to cov
The unexplainable bitterness that succumbs to my being made it so hard for me to swallow the soft velvet cake in my mouth. For someone who claims to have cake as their all-time favorite dessert, it’s odd that I couldn’t enjoy the sweet flavor that’s currently exploring in my tongue.“Anyway, I’ll go ahead. I just dropped by to deliver the cake as a welcome gift for you,” Cassandra said, her white set of teeth were showing as she smiled sweetly at Jack. The subtle touch she made on his arm didn’t escape my eyes.This girl is getting way too comfortable being touchy to him, I thought bitterly. Well, he’s not flinching so obviously, he likes it too!I mentally rolled my eyes. She’s obviously just using the cake as a reason to see Jack. ‘Cause how the hell did she lasted for almost an hour here if she just dropped by to give us the cake? Desperate bitch!“Thank you, Miss Cassandra. I’ll w
"Leandro..." I uttered, meeting his dark grey eyes full of malice. I took a step back when he moved to jump in the water. He dove near my direction so my face got drizzled.I continued moving backwards, my eyes never leaving him as he tried to recover from the fall. Leandro is handsome, he almost has the same physique as Jack. Though, the latter has more bulk. His family's riches only added to his appeal so he got all the girls at his disposal. But now that they're slowly losing their power and money, I wonder what vile plans he is planning underneath his sleeves.Alicia ran quickly next to me; alarmed and concerned. Leandro's reputation is really not a joke 'cause even the kids knew how fucked up he is."Hello, girls! May I join the party?" He smirked teasingly and I felt Alicia's tight grip on my hand. The kid hid fearfully behind me. I tried to force out a laugh, trying to cover up the tension I was feeling."Oh, uhm...W-we wo
"Nina, you forgot to bring my basket!" Alicia gasped when she noticed I was only carrying one basket in hand, and that was mine. I smiled apologetically at her then flashed a peace sign. The kid continued whining."Nina?! What about my mangoes?! And the basket? That was Mama's advance Christmas present for me! She'll be mad if she sees me empty-handed when I go back home."We took the coastal road for the second time that day. Fortunately for Alicia, Jack insisted to give her a piggy back ride 'til we get home. The hot weather hasn't subside a bit. It's still boiling hot so I didn't bother to wear my sundress anymore. I just covered my lower part to protect myself from the malicious stares of the passersby.But Jack was a different conversation. He seemed to be more bothered about me being half-topless 'cause I can feel the subtle glances he's been throwing at my direction since we got out of the beach.If he was a different man, I'd assume th
Normal.I sighed, a little relieved as I put down the blood pressure monitor at my bedside table. I couldn't bring him to the hospital since we do not have the money for that. Good thing my past job came in handy so I managed to assist him with first aid at least.Some older men who were watching near us saw what happened. They were kind enough to help me up and bring him here in our house...to my room.My hand flew to his forehead, his temperature was normal too. I wonder what happened to him? Is it about his memories? Did the fireworks triggered it? Well, that's good for him. However, it was worrisome to see him in pain."Mom, it's fine. You should go to bed, I'll look after Jack." I said after seeing her yawn for the twentieth time. She was leaning against my bedroom door, concern along with weariness were etched on her face. She was almost hysterical earlier when we brought him home unconscious.My mother nodded as she f
The house feels empty with my Mom not around.It was a Monday evening, I just got home after a long, boring day at work. Jack...or Florian, isn't home yet. I'm not sure if he'd be working overtime again but I'm slowly getting worried for his health.Is he still sleeping? He arrives home late from the inn and wakes up early in the morning to go fishing. Once he's back, he would go to the market sometimes to sell the fishes. After that, he would then get ready to leave for his work back at the inn. A tiring cycle. Unlike me who's sitting pretty at the till 'cause whether I manage to sell a book or not in a day, I would still get paid the same.I just finished cooking for dinner and I thought of bringing some packed food for Florian at the inn. He mentioned once that meals are not free in their workplace, meaning he's been eating late these past few days because of the overtime.My lips curved into a satisfied smile as I finished packing the food