Mrs. Phyna's home...
Phyna (Amanda's mum) picked up her phone to call Melinda (Reuben and Cece's mother) after finishing her baking earlier in the morning.
"Melinda, how are you today?" she asked.
"I am good, Phyna. I am just doing some shopping this morning. I am tired of my old clothes, you know," Melinda said.
"That's good, Melinda. Am guessing you are busy then. I wanted to give you the cake I baked this morning, since there isn't anyone to share it with, and we would go pick up something to prepare for Reuben and Melinda after their talk show today," Phyna told her.
"Oh wow, that's thoughtful of you, Phyna. I was actually looking for a reason to see my son, since he hasn't been home for three days now, and I am getting sick from not hearing his voice," Melinda complained.
"I believe he is fine because he had a dinner date with Amanda yesterday. I was surprised that they are actually getting close to each other outside working hours," Phyna told her.
"How did I miss this? I don't like missing any information on Reuben's life. I am a bad mother," Melinda said, awfully.
"Don't say that, Melinda. You can still make it up to him, even if he is busy. Text me the address so I will meet up with you. We have a lot to plan today," Phyna told her.
"Sure, I will do so right now," Melinda responded.
When the call had ended, she quickly sent Phyna the address of the boutique she was shopping at.
Mrs. Phyna smiled when she saw it. She messaged Amanda to tell her that her plan had worked and to ask what they should get for them.
***
BERRY BEAUTY COMPANY...
Miss Felicia left the manager's office, heading to the board meeting with her own team, before the new business partner who would be coming for a brief meeting arrived.
"Here, Miss Felicia," Emily said, handing her a cup of coffee.
"Thank you, Emily," Felicia said, taking the cup of coffee from her before adjusting to the seat.
"How about Aliya?" Felicia asked. "Isn't she supposed to be here?" she asked again.
"Well, Aliya reported sick today. She won't be able to make it today," Emily responded. "I dropped her message on your table," Emily added.
"Today is an important day. She should be around to learn more and give ideas. Why is she suddenly sick when she has never reported sick for the past years?" Felicia said.
Emily excused herself and quickly left the room after she had delivered everyone's coffee.
"How about Reuben's designer clothes? Were you able to deliver them yesterday? It's the last delivery for us. We have to register it as done," Felicia said.
"Yes, it was," the fashion designer's team leader quickly responded.
"You made it easier for us to finish up the register today, Julian. I must have stressed you yesterday," Felicia said.
Julian grinned without saying a word.
Emily knocked before entering the room. "The brand-new design partners are here," she said.
The fashion designer had come along with his assistant to strike a deal with Berry's company and work together this fall to create something outstanding for it as partners.
***
Aliya's POV...
Arriving home after Debra had made me run an errand for her against my will that morning, I found her suddenly worse from sickness overnight. She was afraid of going to the hospital for treatment, scared they would find out she was a drug addict from her test. She had to make me go buy it for her, cook for her, and even bathe her.
"I can't believe she made me do all this when I haven't even taken care of myself like that," I said to myself, exhaling.
As I made my way to my own apartment, I saw the familiar figure of one of the people who had made my life miserable at the orphanage squatting right at my door, watering my flower pot with the bottle of water in her hand.
"Talk about having a bad morning in one day," I thought to myself, seeing Tina, my guardian at the orphanage. All she does was to take everything from me and tried to make my life a living hell. She is the one who told me about my biological mother and how she used to be the daughter of my mother's neighbour back then, before applying for a job at the orphanage. She told me about my mother's past life and how she had tried to kill me so many times but failed because her own mother had to save her from harming me. She was able to identify me and pretended to help me look for my mum just to spite me for how wonderful she is, leaving without me, and for how I should go blackmail my mother and extort money from her. She made a joke out of me, and I let her because I wanted her to keep fueling my emotions about why I need to be stronger every day. She is thirty-five years old and still lets me revolve around her life, even though she is married now without a kid. Karma must have hit her.
"You are here. I was thinking you were going to run away again to another neighbourhood after finding out that I know where you live," Tina told me.
"Why should I run? I am practically your child, and you can't live without me," I told her.
She scoffed as she walked closer to me, grabbing the collar of my shirt. "Do you want me to teach you a lesson, like I always do?" she asked me. "I could go make a scene at your workplace and get you fired for disrespecting me," she added.
"Then we will have to starve because I won't have any way to pay you monthly for taking care of me. It's a lot of money, you know," I said.
She quickly let go of my shirt while scratching the back of her head. "Give me the money. I sent you an a mail few weeks ago, after all, as a reminder," she told me.
"I will give you your money, so don't touch my flower pot when you come next. Don't even feel the slightest care for anything that has to do with me. Please continue being inhuman," I told her.
She stood there, dazed, looking at me as I opened my door and entered.
"What a rude brat," she cursed. "She should be treating me like a god for being the only person who has stood by her till this very day," she added silently.
I came out with an envelope and handed it to her. "Be gone," I told her.
"Whatever. I will be back next month for my payment. Watching you with your bad behaviour for fifteen years isn't child's play," she said, grinning.
I smirked. "I am sorry for not getting a medal for you, caretaker," I responded before shutting the door right in her face.
"She is probably like her father. No wonder her mum felt disgusted having his baby, even though he died of sickness," I heard her murmur outside before quickly leaving in excitement.
She is the least of my problems right now, and I know how to handle her later.
***
The ongoing talk show of Reuben and Amanda...
They have been on the show discussing beauty, fashion, feeling nice, luxury, and how it spices up one's life, using themselves and their lives as examples for people who are coming up or who have never seen the importance of having a life like theirs. The show has been running from 4pm to the present time.
"One last question for both of you, if you don't mind, because a lot of people are dying to know this. What is the relationship between the two of you? Is it just a business partner relationship, or is there more we don't know, seeing the recent pictures that have surfaced on the net minutes ago?" the questionnaire asked.
"What picture?" Reuben asked.
"Oh, you didn't know?" the questionnaire asked, as she signaled one of the staff to get her phone in excitement.
Amanda and Reuben glanced at each other before looking back at her. She showed them the picture. It was the two of them last night, eating and talking at the restaurant that Amanda had booked only for them.
"Wow," Reuben said, biting his lower lip.