After several days of preparation and procedures, the doctor finally gave the heads up for Grandma's operation.
Before the operation, she and her grandma talked.
"You look so stiff, dear. Don't worry too much about Nana; I would fight it.” Her Nana joked, trying to comfort her.
Anya did not realize that she was full of tension and her Nana noticed it. But when Anya heard her words, she smiled.
She took her hands and placed in on her cheeks as she smiled at her.
“I know, that's what I got from you.” She cheekily looked at her Nana as she did when she was a child.
After this little and light talk, it was soon time for her grandmother’s operation.
Anya watched as her grandmother was pushed inside the operating room. She waited painstakingly outside, praying for the success and safety of her Nana’s operation.
Hours ticked by, and Anya was still waiting patiently for her Nana. She never left even to eat or drink. She neither felt hungry nor thirsty too. She just stared at the operating room’s door and kept praying.
Anya did not know how long time had passed when finally, the doctor came out of the operating room. Anya jolted up from her seat and stood. She quickly approached the doctor and asked her about Nana’s condition.
“Doctor, how is my Grandmother?” Anya asked nervously. The doctor took off his mask tiredly, but there was a slight smile on his face.
“The operation was a success. Your grandmother is no longer in danger now. After she recuperates for three days in the ICU, she can be transferred to a normal ward. Congratulations.” The doctor delivered the positive news. Anya let out a big sigh of relief, and the weight that had pressed down at her heart for several days was finally lifted. She tearfully and happily thanked the doctor.
“Thank you so much, doctor!” Anya exclaimed. The doctor then smiled and gave good and auspicious words to Anya before he excused himself. Anya then watched as her grandmother was transferred from the operating room to the ICU and followed all the way.
When her Nana was inside, Anya was left outside in a glass window, staring at her Nana through the glass between them.
“Nana, you’ll finally be okay soon,” Anya whispered as she looked at her grandmother for a long time.
She didn’t know how long it was when she was notified of her grandmother’s bill. She forced herself to pull from her reverie and took care of the fee. Aside from the surgery fee, expenses for medication and recuperation were billed to her. After she paid all the remaining expenses, there was not much left from her savings. Anya sighed as she depressingly stared at her pitiful bank account.
She had no job until now because she had been busy taking care of her Nana, so she also did not have time to find and apply for a job.
She then remembered about the reply she had received a few days ago. The Castellano’s Group of Company had already replied to the CV she sent. She should have been happy, and this would greatly help her in her dilemma right now, if she did not hear and taken Andrei’s words seriously before.
He said she had hooked up with the president of the Castellano’s Group of Company. She pondered how could this happen? She did not even know that man. But even so, this made Anya hold up her guard.
This company suddenly gave her a job offer, and a bit too coincidently. She could not help but be suspicious. A single company was linked to her and Andrei. And Anya doesn’t like the sound of it one bit.
Anya went home to her apartment while pondering over this matter. When she arrived, she tiredly slumped on her living room’s sofa.
She held up her phone and stared at the name and logo of the company. Castellano’s Group of Company.
No matter how hard she thought of it, she could not grasp how could she be acquainted with such a company. She suddenly wondered what they do and what are their intentions.
Anya then remembered that when she and her best friend, Marie, went out, she mentioned this outstanding and magnificent company. Anya then suddenly sat up on her seat. She decided to give Marie a call to ask her.
The phone rang a couple of times before it was picked up. “Hey, girlfriend,” Marie greeted in the other line.
“Hey,” Anya greeted back.
“How’s Grandma Collins?” Marie asked worriedly. Anya already mentioned to Marie about her grandmother’s situation as well as the recent operation. Marie even offered to help her pay the bill, but Anya refused since her savings could still bare it, and her Nana was her responsibility.
Anya reported to Marie about the success of Grandma’s operation, and Marie was just as happy and relieved as her.
“Thank God, I would drop by over there these following days. Give me a beep once Grandma’s out of the ICU,” She said to Anya. While Anya gladly acquiesced. Nana would be delighted to be visited by nice new people.
They continued to have small topics before Anya mentioned her prior reason for calling her best friend.
“Hey, remember the company you told me about last time? The Castellano’s Group of Company?” Anya started.
“hm, yeah. What about them?” Marie responded.
“What kind of company are they?” Anya inquired. Her ears and interest perked up.
“They are involved in various fields, but their main and best line is designing. Real estate, landscape, you name it. They are in number one in that field.” When Anya heard this, she was even more shocked.
How could it be so coincident? She was also in the field of designing. But the suspicious thing is, how could a company this prestigious offer her a job out of a blue?
Anya was not being overly pessimistic, if not for Andrei’s words, she would not doubt this much. But since he said this, she was afraid Andrei was playing tricks on her, or he might also be conspiring with Andrei, like his other business associate, who he had countlessly offered her without blinking his eyes.
Anya remembered those horrifying times, and she shut her eyes and shook her head, trying to brush it off her mind. There was nothing to lose in being careful. Yes, she might let go of a wonderful opportunity, but there are still other ways for her to earn without risking her life and which will give her peace.
Marie waited for Anya’s response after what she said but what she heard was only silence. So she nudged her.
“Hey, you still there?” Marie’s voice rang from the other line, and Anya finally remembered she was still talking to her best friend.
“Sorry, yeah, still here,” She clumsily replied. Marie on the other end, wrinkled her brows.
“What’s wrong? Why are you interested all of the sudden?” Marie asked.
Anya pondered over it for a while, then finally decided to tell Marie the story. She told her how she got a job offer from the Castellanos Group of Company just before Andrei accused her of sleeping with their president. She shared that this made Anya apprehensive of the offer.
“Something really is fishy,” Marie responded after she told her the whole story. “I know,” Anya sighed.
“Don’t accept it. How many times did Andrei sell you to those stinky businessmen? You need to be on guard. Don’t be caught by his traps again.” Her best friend warned her. Anya heard this and was finally convinced just to reject the offer. Though it is a bit unprofessional to do so, as she already sent them her CV, but she hasn’t signed a contract yet, so it is still within the boundaries.
Anya thanked her and assured her best friend. Marie gave a couple more reminders and warnings to Anya before they ended the call.
Anya put down her phone and sighed. She was a bit regretful; the Castellanos Group of Companies was a great field to work in. And she was pretty optimistic about working and trying new things. But she can’t help it. The world was dangerous, and there were only a few who could be trusted. After experiencing all those things, she can’t help but be cautious and on guard.
She thought carefully and composed an email in reply to their invitation for an interview. Greeting!
Thank you very much for your invitation to your prestigious company. I am very honored about the opportunity you are willing to give me to practice my profession. But it is my heartfelt contrite that is inconvenient for me to work with you in my current situation. I have prior responsibilities and family matters on my plate that I perceive would be a hindrance to my productivity and performance on the job. Hoping for your kind consideration. And if you may appreciate it, I have listed down a name of someone I could recommend in my place if you are in need of people. Thank you, and may favor be within you.
After Anya had typed the message, she attached her signature as well as included a random name she felt would be interested in her company. Anyway, this is just a perfunctory initiative in business ethics, just as how you would train an intern before leaving a company. It depends on them if they would accept her suggestion or not. This is just in case they are really looking for people with their intention clear. But she highly doubts that though, a company this big is not lacking in employees and applicants. But she still attached a name anyway.
After she did all this, she reviewed what she had composed one last time before finally pressing send. After she was done, she sighed.
She finally felt the sleepless nights and running back in front for several days taking a toll on her body. This is will be the first time she could rest after the exhausting episodes in her life. she wanted to sleep so badly, but she chose to move and take a shower. It has also been a while since she properly took a peaceful and thorough bath. These days, she would just do a quick shower and change her clothes, bring a couple of
garments to change into, and then rush back to the hospital. The past few days were really draining.
Anya soaked in a warm bathtub, and she finally let out a breath of satisfaction. She rubbed herself clean for a while, and the leaned and soaked her body in the water. She closed her eyes and rested.
It was not long before Damon received Anya’s response to his job offer. As soon as her response was sent to the company, it was immediately reported to Damon, as if it was treated as a priority report.
And the response she gave him was quite a surprise. She actually rejected his offer! Damon doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
This woman was really interesting.
“What was the reason she mentioned?” Damon asked, amused. “Responsibilities and family matters,” His secretary responded.
“Did you investigate about this,” Damon asked as he leaned back on his seat. He made sure to hire the most efficient people, so he already expected his secretary gathered all the necessary data for this report.
“Yes sir, Ms. Anya’s grandmother recently just had an operation,” The secretary answered.
Damon frowned when he heard this. There was another problem that woman is facing now? He had already known how much Anya loved her grandmother, so he could only imagine how tough this was for her now.
“Is her grandmother alright?”
“Yes, the operation was successful. She is also no longer in danger. In addition, Ms. Anya is also looking for a job, so I don’t…” I don’t know why she would reject your offer. These were the unspoken words of the secretary as he was lost on what to add.
Damon had already completed his sentence in his mind, and he smirked.
Such a stubborn girl. He wondered what she was thinking in that pretty head of hers. Damon’s eyes flashed with interest as he pondered.
But he was happy her grandmother was alright. What she is facing right now was not a small feat. Thinking of all the trials that women had to face until now, and yet she is still standing on both of her two feet. He can’t help but feel proud of her.
“Continue to investigate. Also, watch out for moves from the Davids’ side. We cannot be assured they are not planning anything. Continue watching over her.” Damon gave these orders. Now he knew how vile and cunning Andrei was, and he also knew he is seething in anger right now. Damon doesn’t want to imagine what awful things he could do. So he just made sure Anya was safe. He can’t let the mother of his child be hurt, can’t he?
Damon tried to put reason to all the extent he was doing for Anya.
After he gave his orders, he dismissed his secretary. The secretary followed obediently and left.
When his secretary went out, Damon was alone in his office. He placed his elbow on the arms rest of his chair as his thumb played with his lips. There was a slight smile hanging on the sides of his mouth.
That woman just can’t help but poke his interest. Anya, baby, what are you thinking?
Anya suddenly woke up. She didn’t know how long she was soaking in the tub, but the water had already gone called.
She moved to rinse herself and finished her bath. She drained the water from the tub and reached for her towel. She wrapped her body up as she walked barefoot in her apartment’s bathroom. She stopped in front of her sink and faced the mirror.
Her face was flushed from the fresh bath. She went and did her skincare routine that she had not done for a while because of her business.
After her self-care, she finished up and went out of the bathroom wrapped in a clean towel. She went to her closet to fetch some fresh clothes. After she found something comfortable to wear, she immediately put it on and marched toward her bed.
She buried herself in the clean sheets and soft pillow. She sighed with pleasure. She finally got to rest properly after a long and rollercoaster month.
She reached her hand towards the drawer beside the bed. She slid it open and took something from it, then closed it again.
She stared at the precious little thing in her hands.
It was a baby’s hand mitten. It was color blue, and her baby’s name was embroidered on it.
Allen.
She knitted this herself.
Aside from her baby’s hospital band, this was the only thing left behind. She brought the baby’s things to the hospital, and she hoped that the nurse would put this on her baby. In case he gets cold.
But sadly, all the things were gone, except for this, which was left behind in the room. She doesn’t know where is the other pair, but she treats this one mitten as her treasure as well. Though it is not the same as the band that her baby was able to wear, still this mitten was a memory of her and the baby’s little time together. She would knit this while talking to her unborn child.
Anya clasped this peace of fabric close to her chest and closed her eyes.
The woman slept peacefully with a smile on her lips. Again, she did not know that she had stirred someone’s interest, and this someone was still pondering in trying to know her thoughts.