After his father's investors' meeting, he went straight to his office to rest.
I'm so tired, he complained in his mind as he reached for his phone and started scrolling through his newsfeed. Something caught his attention.
He decided to read it.
They really managed to pass the board exam. Well, congratulations to them, he muttered inwardly.
He also noticed the two women together again, enjoying each other's company.
I see, this is Mariely's room, he thought after recognizing the design. Once again, that familiar heaviness pressed down on his chest whenever he saw anything related to her.
He found himself wanting to know every single achievement she made—wanting to stay updated about the woman he had hurt repeatedly. Even now, there was still this strange feeling he couldn't quite name.
His heart felt happy for every milestone she reached, yet at the same time, it stabbed him with the thought that he wanted to always be by Mariely's side. He tried to avoid such feelings, forcing himself to focus elsewhere, but it was as if something kept pulling him back to her.
Stop that, stop that, or you're going to regret it, Frank. She's happy now, and that should be enough for you, he warned himself.
Placing his phone on the glass table, he stared at the towering walls of his office and sighed.
I'll give my mind a break for now, he told himself. He didn't want to be disturbed at the moment; the work in front of him could wait until later.
He dozed off for a while until he felt his phone vibrate. Looking at the screen, he saw that it was his father calling. He sighed again before answering.
"How are you there?" his father greeted.
"I'm doing fine, Dad. Just took a short rest since we had a meeting with your investors earlier," he replied, rubbing his temple and clearing his thoughts.
"Glad you're doing fine," his father said. "By the way, will you be coming home this Christmas?"
"I'll see if I can, Dad," he answered.
"Ah, then your mom and I will just visit you there," his father chuckled softly.
"If you want, the house here is big enough," he replied.
His father laughed loudly, making him frown slightly. "Really, so you do miss your mom after all."
He didn't answer.
"Your cousin Clover is doing fine. I know he hasn't been calling you much because he's busy with his new job," his father continued.
"Oh? Did he replace me as vice president there?" he asked.
"Yep," his father replied without hesitation.
"You're really making it hard for him, Dad," he said, shaking his head.
"Nope, the job suits him. Negotiating with investors is really his forte. Besides, you'll see him in a few weeks—he's going to visit you," his father added.
"Ugh, Dad, so I'm babysitting again?" he muttered.
"You need to. Help him out there, and he'll help you too," his father said firmly.
He sighed in resignation. "Fine, fine."
"Alright, I need to sleep. Always be careful there."
"You too, Dad. Best regards to Mom," he said before ending the call.
After hanging up, he let out another deep sigh. His secretary knocked at the door, and he motioned for her to enter his office.
****
When Mariely got up to go to the bathroom, the room suddenly spun around her, forcing her to sit back down. Veron was still asleep, and the room was a mess again.
Suddenly, she felt her stomach turn, so she rushed to the bathroom. Thankfully, no one else in the house was awake yet.
Her head was still aching from the hangover that lingered in her body. She felt a hand gently rubbing her back as she threw up everything she had drunk the night before.
"Too much alcohol," her brother said with a chuckle. She felt like crying as she continued to vomit.
"Drink some warm water now," her brother added.
She noticed that Veron was awake too and heading to the bathroom. She knew her friend was about to throw up as well.
"Throwing up, but never giving up, huh?" Nathan teased the two of them.
She rubbed Veron's back. "Is this the first time you've thrown up, bestie?" she asked.
"I think I drank too much last night," Veron admitted.
Nathan just stared at the two of them.
"What happened, hon?" Nadia's concerned voice asked.
"Hangover, and they slept for so long," Nathan answered.
"Well, at least they were drinking here at home," Nadia remarked. "But too much alcohol is still bad." The nurse in her was showing.
Mariely chuckled softly. "Yes, Ate Nadia, it's just once in a while."
"Well, I know you're happy you passed the board exam, and we still need to celebrate it properly," Nadia smiled.
"Get some rest first, you two. Before sleeping again, drink warm water," she instructed.
They went to the kitchen, where their mother prepared something for them.
"There's medicine there for your headaches. After you take it, clean up your room first before going back to sleep. If you get hungry, eat right away," their mother reminded them.
"Yes, Mom," Mariely replied with a smile.
They quickly drank the medicine and warm water. Seeing the messy state of the room, they decided—despite their dizziness—to gather all the trash and food wrappers and throw them into the bin. Once the smell of alcohol was gone, she turned on the air conditioner and the lampshade.
Her headache and dizziness were subsiding, and her bed was calling to her.
"Veron, there's nothing wrong with sleeping again, right?" she asked.
"Yes, go ahead, bestie," Veron replied.
She immediately fell into a deep sleep, as if it was the first time she had truly rested. She could even hear the soft snores of her friend sleeping soundly.
When Mariely woke up, she felt lighter. She wasn't even hungry, so she decided to go back to sleep. Looking over at Veron, still fast asleep in her bed, she lay down again.
It's Saturday. I just want to rest all day, she thought, closing her eyes once more.