Chapter 5: Pressured

7 years later.

Rodleigh's Point of View:

"Over the years, we can't deny to ourselves that many of us have changed. Just like our company, we started with just a small business, but because of the diligence and perseverance of all of us, there and now we are. Let's go up!"

We gave a round of applause after Daddy spoke.

"And not only that! Like I said before, many of us have changed. Like me, I can no longer manage the company..."

Suddenly everyone stopped at what Dad said next. His face also became sad. Perhaps he is sad because what he started he will now give up. Even Mommy and I were surprised. There was a rumor inside the hall because of what Daddy would unexpectedly say.

"I told you, my older brother will give me his position in the Company." It was Aunt Rezel, Dad's younger sister. She had been urging Daddy for a long time to give her his position in the company because of the illness that Dad was suffering from. I don't think that he will give up his CEO position now.

"That's why, I want to introduce you to our new CEO," Daddy looked at the behavior of Aunt Rezel and her husband. Auntie's smile widened because of that.

"Rodleigh Mariano Del Mundo! My only son. Everyone, our new CEO!" I was speechless. I'm not expecting Dad to gave me his position in the company. We never talked about him handing over the CEO position of the company to me.

"This can't be!" Suddenly Aunt Rezel stood up and glared at me.

"You don't deserve the position, Rodleigh!" It was auntie, again.

"Stop it, aunt Rezel, before I lost my respect to you." I calmly told her before she even made a mess.

"Son," Mommy pointed me down the red carpet towards Dad. I stood up and adjusted my clothes before finally approaching Daddy.

"What can you say about this surprise, son?" Dad asked with a laugh.

"Honestly speaking, I was got shocked, Dad." Daddy just laughed again before handing me the microphone.

"Everyone, I wanted to say thank you to all of you! Thank you so much for choosing our company to dedicate your diligence, perseverance, and for giving your whole self to every job you do." Loud applause stopped me for a moment as I spoke.

"The company would not have reached the pinnacle of success if it were not for you all, our workers. Therefore, I want to thank you all. You can count on me to be here anytime, ready to do my duty for the greater good of all of us! "

After I spoke, there was almost a shout and applause in the hall where we celebrated the 33rd anniversary of the Valle-Del Mundo Group of Companies.

Valle-Del Mundo Group of Companies is mom and Dad's own. They built it together after their marriage.

VDM Group of Companies supplies the number one best luxury furniture worldwide.

"Congrats, son!" Mom greeted me warmly.

"Thanks, mom."

After the event, Mom and Dad went home. While I left the office. I still have to finish something.

"Congrats, Del Mundo!" I looked up from my laptop here in the office when I suddenly heard Chua's voice.

"You're late, man!" I immediately stood up to greet him.

"I'm not Jacob Alejandro Chua if I came early." he laughed.

"Yeah, yeah." I shook my head while laughing. He's right, he's not Chua if he can't always come late. I offered him a chair, in front of my table.

"You're a CEO now, huh? We're moving forward, hmm? But sadly, no love life—ouch!"

"You know what, Chua? Your mouth is too much, it should be knocked down!" I joked.

"Fvck you!" He cursed.

"Back to you." I winked at him. I just laughed when he suddenly acted like he was going to vomit because of what I did.

"Why did you call me?" He asked me with a raised eyebrow.

"I need your help,"

His left eyebrow rose again.

"If you tell me to find you a wife because you're getting older, I'm sorry, Del Mundo but my wife might get mad at me when I do what you want—ouch!" I threw the ballpen I was holding at him. It's because his mouth is too much.

"Crazy!"

"Then, what help do you need from me?" he asked.

"You have been the CEO of your company for a long time, can you please give me some advice on how to be a better—"

"HAHAHAHAHA"

"HAHAHAHAHA"

"HAHAHAHAHA"

"What the hell, Chua?"

Because he looked crazy funny and it seemed like he had no intention of stopping from laughing so I got up from my chair and punched him on the table to stop him.

"Y-you're --- HAHAHHAHA"

"What's funny?" I asked him annoyed.

"You're actually ---- HAHAHHAHA"

"Damn you! Get out of my office, now!" I shouted at him because I was so annoyed.

"HAHAHAHAHA! I'm sorry—HAHAHHA"

Before I could be filled with him I dragged him out of my office.

What did he think of what I said, a joke? To make him laugh so badly?

Ugh!

Damn you, Chua!

You got married and had children all together! You're still really pissed me off!

What is wrong with me asking him for help? I just want to be a good CEO of the company, is that bad?

Is there something wrong with my question to make him laugh?

Annoying!

—

Cianna's Point of View:

"Hey, can you please answer my assignment too? I'm too sleepy. . ."

"Nah! Answer it with your own! Why too lazy, Lessana?"

"I'm not lazy, Lessandra!"

"Girls! Stop it already, okay?"

Before the two of them got into a fight, I intervened with them.

"Lessandra is right, you have to answer your assignment with your own." I explain to Lessana. She suddenly frowned and sniffed as she answered her notebook.

"No one will fight, okay? I'll be angry!"

"Yes," they both replied.

"Good. I'm watching you two . . ." I reminded them again before I returned to my table to continue what I was doing.

"Cianna, it looks like you need to help raise the two. I can feel you, and I can see right in your eyes that you can no longer afford to raise them alone,"

I stopped typing on the computer after I felt the presence of auntie behind me.

"Auntie I can do it, I have my stable job as a model. My manager said, when they turned seven she will also take my children as models. That was four months from now, they will soon be seven. Besides, they are already big I will also save—"

"That's not what I mean, hija. I mean, why don't you go back to the Philippines? Why don't you go back to your parents? To the father of your twins?"

Because of what auntie said so I suddenly felt anger in my heart.

"Auntie, if you don't want us here in your house anymore, just tell me. My children and I will just move to a condo,"

I couldn’t help but not raise my voice auntie. For seven years, only now has he been like this. It was as if he was driving us away.

"Hija, calm down okay? Calm down. Just because I'm telling you those things doesn't mean I'm driving you away. That I don't want you here at home anymore, of course, I want you and your kids to be here. "

"My only thing is that seven years have passed since you left the Philippines without warning. Don't you feel sorry for your parents? They're still looking for you. Your mama called again earlier, she still insisted asked if you were here. "

"Aren't those seven years old enough Cianna? Isn't that enough for you to go back to them again?"

I don’t know what to answer auntie. I just cried. I don't know but if you're the only one to ask me, I don't want to go back to the Philippines.

"Mommy, why are you crying? Are you still mad at us?"

My tears were suddenly wiped away when Lessandra suddenly approached me.

She's Lessandra Margarette Alvarez.

I nodded, "No baby, mommy isn't mad anymore. Mommy is okay," I explained to her as I wiped away my tears.

"Mommy I'm sorry, sorry for making you cry." Lessanna frowned. She's Lassanna Scarlett Alvarez.

"Ssh, mommy isn't mad at you. I'm just happy, babies, mommy is just happy that you two came into my life."

"We love you so much, mommy!" They said together before they kissed me on both cheeks. Because of what they did, I seem to have forgotten the problems I bring.

"Aww. The sweet-sweet of my grandchildren." Suddenly auntie said that she was just looking at us.

"Let's have a group hug!" Suddenly the two said so my auntie and I just went together.

"Group hug!" At once we said.

"Are you done with your homework?" I asked the two of them.

"Yes, mommy!" They respond simultaneously.

"Very good! All right, go to your room."

"Okay, Mommy. Good night, sweet dreams."

"Good night babies. Mommy loves you both!" I said and gave them kisses on their cheeks.

"Think about it Cianna, your parents can't take it anymore. You're their only child, remember?"

I was just swayed by what my auntie said again. I thought she was already done about that topic, but, oh yeah!

"I'll think about it, auntie. Don't worry," I gave her my sweetest smile so that she'll end this nonsense conversation.

"Okay. Good night, hija. Get some rest after he does you."

"Yes auntie, the good night too."

In my almost seven years here in Paris, it's only now that I'm under pressure from what my auntie is saying.

Seven years ago, I left the Philippines to forget. To forget the pain that my ex-husband's given me. To forget all about him.

I left to get away from my parents. To my parents who did nothing but ignore me, and force me to do things I didn't want to do.

I left to change myself. I left to change what I used to be weak.

I left to have a better and peaceful life. In almost seven years, I can say I have achieved all of that.

I was living my life now to its fullest, with my twin.

If it was just me, I'm contented with what I have and where I am right now.

Not until auntie Carmilla started pressuring me about going back to the Philippines. Like, what do I do there?

Just oppress them again?

No way!

I don't feel like seeing them again.

But,

And at some point, I also think about what auntie said. She's right, mama and papa can't take it anymore.

According to auntie, mama has been going back and forth to the hospital because of her illness which until now has not been diagnosed by doctors.

I want to see and talk to mama. But it's not possible, because when they find out where I am, they will go to me. Worst is, my children may even be affected by the things they will force me to do again.

Auntie Carmilla Alvarez was my Papa's older sister. The night I left the country, she's the one who helped me.

She had known for a long time what my situation was with my ex-husband and how my father dictated my life.

As a child, I was very close to my auntie, because when mama was at work, she was always with me.

So maybe almost all my secret is she was one of the two people I trusted. Auntie Carmilla and Jacob Chua, my ex-husband's best friends.

She also arranged my paper to save the country without anyone seeing or knowing my records. I know that mama and papa will search the whole country to find me then, and even Rodleigh will probably do that.

As I was refreshing some of my past my cellphone suddenly rang.

Manager Dei is calling...

I immediately answered it with a smile on my lips. She's my manager in my modeling career here in Paris.

"Good evening manager Dei," I greeted her over the phone.

"A pleasant evening to Miss Alvarez," she greeted me back.

"I suggest you go early to the studio tomorrow, I have good news for you, my dear!" She sounds so happy and excited while saying those words to me. So, I also feel the same.

"Really? Wah! Can't wait to hear that good news from you, manager Dei!"

"Yeah, I know you'll be happy and excited after our talk tomorrow. See you tom my dear, have sweet dreams!" She said that makes me smile even wider.

"Sweet dreams too, manager Dei! Good night," After saying goodbye to each other, our conversation over the phone ended.

The next day, as manager Dei and I talked on the phone, I went in early.

After hearing her good news, I feel the opposite of what I felt last night.

"I can't promise to accept this offer manager," I said lazily after hearing the good news she was saying.

"Why? What's the problem of it, Cianna?" She's disappointed that's why she's calling me by my name.

"I can't go to the Philippines for the shoot. It's personal reason—"

"Your issue isn't an acceptable reason to refuse this project, Cianna! Come on! It's the company itself who approached me! I can't believe you, you're working with me for almost five years and now you're declining this offer because of your issues? It's about your work Cianna, not about your pride! "

I almost lost my words to defend myself from manager Dei. I can't find the right words to explain my side.

I understand her, I understand why she is angry. Of course, this was the first time someone had offered her a project outside of Paris, it was her very big achievement that can be considered for almost twenty years in this field.

But I'm not ready to return to the Philippines yet. First of all, this is where my children study. Second, I’m happy to be here in Paris. I've been living here for seven years.

Finished like this? First, it's auntie Carmilla, now it's manager Dei.

"I'll think of it manager Dei," I shyly told her.

"Give me your answer as soon as possible. Or else I'll find another model for this project. I can't lose this project, Cianna, it's very important to me."

I nodded, "Yeah, I understand you manager Dei. I'm sorry for bringing here my issues. I almost forgot your rules," I said nodding. Manager Dei did not utter a word. She nodded slowly before finally leaving the room.