After the incident, Venus woke up very early around 4 am. It was still dark outside. She noticed Henry sleeping on the chair beside her bed and Martin sleeping near the side of her. Even though she was still weak, she took out the IV which was at the back of her left palm and trying not to wake up both Henry and Martin, she went to the attic and looked at the stars through the telescope.
She doesn’t want think about her sickness. It was actually the least of her problems. She’s not that melodramatic like what they show on TV or movies. She’s not a damsel in distress. She never was. Her body maybe is weak because of cancer but her spirit isn’t. But she is sick of being sick. She wants to live but she’s ready to die also. Isn’t death inevitable? Eventually, even though it is a painful truth, we will all die. It’s just the manner and time of death that varies.
“You shouldn’t be here. You should be resting.” Martin said.
Venus didn’t know that when she got out of bed, Martin woke up and realized she was gone so Martin looked for her around the house and eventually found her in the attic looking at the stars.
“I no longer want to argue. So don’t worry about me and just go to your own room and sleep. Or better yet, just leave. Go. You can keep your job, clothes, car and everything I bought for you. You will not go back to jail but you will not get the 20 million either. Just 200,000 maybe since you still did something. Just go. The deal is off.”
Venus got down the ladder. Martin immediately followed and stopped Venus by pulling her arm gently.
“The deal is not off. I will not allow it.” Martin said.
“Why? Is 200,000 small for you? Then I’ll make it half a million. Is that okay with you now?” Venus said.
“No. I will not allow that the deal will be off especially with what I knew from Henry.”
“I told him to not tell you. But I guess, he has grown attached to you. Well, he gets attached to people easily. But Mr. Herrera, I don’t need your pity. I will not get richer if you give me pity. And that look is the reason why I don’t tell people about my illness. I loathe that look. I don’t need anybody’s pity. 3 years ago the doctors told me that I only have a year to live but look at me now, I’m still alive and kicking. I want live but I am not afraid to die. I still have office later so if you don’t, I’ll go back to my room so that I could take a nap before going to work.”
Venus then leaves the study room.
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“Henry, I need to get to work.” Venus said as she tries to go out of the house but Martin locked all the doors and is blocking the front door so that Venus wouldn’t be able to go out of the house.
“Ms. Venus you need to rest. You’re still weak because of what happened last night.” Henry said.
“Henry, I am okay already. I can manage to go to work.”
“But Ms. Venus, I’m really worried about you.”
“I already told you Henry. Don’t worry too much about me okay? So move aside so that I’ll be able to go to work.”
“On the count of three.” Henry suddenly said.
“What are you saying Henry?” Venus said.
“One, two, three!” Henry said then suddenly from behind Martin carries Venus. It turns out Martin was at the back of Venus.
“Henry! Mr. Herrera put me down. I need to get to work. I love you Henry but you and Mr. Herrera will be both fired if you Mr. Herrera will not put me down.” Venus said.
“Take her to her room.” Henry said to Martin.
Martin then followed Henry and carried Venus to her room even though Venus struggling to get down.
“Put me down! I already told you Mr. Herrera, you can go. The deal is off.” Venus said.
“You’re just wasting your energy. I will not put you down until we reach your room. Also, I will not allow that the deal is off. There’s a contract I signed and I promised Henry that I will not leave until the deal is done.”
After a few minutes, they arrive in Venus’ room. Martin then places Venus down on top of her bed. He then opens the vinyl record player.
“Rest here even just for today. I’ll be the one to bring you food and everything that you need here. So if you also need me just use the intercom.” Martin said.
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Venus had no choice but to rest for the day. She changed to her everyday clothes and then slept. After a few hours, Martin comes in her room to bring lunch.
“Sorry to wake you up but it’s already lunch. I brought you food so that you can eat.” Martin said.
“I’m maybe sick but my body is not paralyzed. I can go down to eat lunch. You don’t need to bring me food.” Venus said.
“Can you just shut up and eat.”
“What did you say?”
“I said, Henry cooked these for you so it would be nice if you’ll eat it all.”
“If that’s the case then why did you bring lunch to me personally? Henry can bring it himself. Let me guess Mr. Herrera, you feel guilty that is why you are doing this.”
“Please, just eat.”
Venus laughed a little and said, “Silence means yes right? You didn’t say anything so I was right; you are feeling guilty Mr. Herrera. You are not the one who gave me cancer so no need to be guilty.”
Venus then started eating the lunch Martin brought.
“Can you stop calling me Mr. Herrera? Just call me Martin or Franc but not Mr. Herrera. When you call me that I feel old.”
“I just feel that it is the right way to address you. It’s formal and professional which is like our relationship. If I call you by your first name then it will mean that we are close. So Mr. Herrera, do you want me to call you Mr. Herrera or do you want to call me by your full name?”
“Fine. Just call me Mr. Herrera.”
“Okay Mr. Herrera.”
Venus then continues eating her lunch. But Martin didn’t leave and was just by her side looking at her while she eats.
“Mr. Herrera?” Venus said.
“Yes?” Martin said.
“Don’t you want to go somewhere else first? Are you really going to watch me eat?”
“Henry told me to watch you eat. He told me to make sure you eat everything.”
“There’s no need for that Mr. Herrera. I’m not a kid that needs constant supervision. You can go ahead.”
“But..”
“Mr. Herrera!”
“Fine.”
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This time Martin was bringing Venus dinner when he was surprised to see Venus not in her bed. He first looked for her in her bathroom. When he opened the door to the bathroom, Venus was in the bathtub. He then thought she fainted so Martin held Venus’ shoulder and shook her. Turns out she was just sleeping.
“What the heck Mr. Herrera?! What are you doing here? Turn around!” Venus said as soon as she realized Martin was the one waking her up. She immediately got the towel near her and cover herself up.
Martin immediately turns around realizing Venus was wearing nothing for of course, she was bathing.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean too. I was looking for you to bring you your dinner but you were gone. And then I saw you here and I thought you fainted again so..” Martin said.
“You thought that I fainted or even worst died? You overreact Mr. Herrera. I was just taking a bath. And please have some decency and go out. Wait for me outside. I’ll talk to you later.”
After Venus was finished taking a bath and got dressed, she went out of the bathroom.
“Are you freaking out of your mind Mr. Herrera?!” Venus said.
“Please don’t get angry. I don’t want to happen again what happened last night. I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to. As I said I thought you fainted again.”
Venus then saw Martin blushing.
“Are you blushing Mr. Herrera? Did you see something that you aren’t supposed to see?”
“No. No. I’m not blushing. And promise, I didn’t see anything because of the bubbles.”
“Next time Mr. Herrera, knock first become going inside a room or a bathroom.”
“I’m really sorry. I will do that next time.”
“You can leave now. I can again eat on my own.”
Venus started eating her dinner.
“I’ll stay again.”
“And why is that?”
“Uhm. You remember telling me about Mr. Tan’s businesses? You said for me dig up information on the right?”
“Yes of course.”
“Well, I was able to get information on that.”
“Continue talking while I eat.”
“Well, all I know is that Mr. Tan is the boss but he has three people who actually take care of his illegal businesses. There’s Roger also known as the Dealer who takes care of smuggling like cars, drugs and other illegal products. There’s also Victor, also known the Thief who takes care of the robberies like the bank robberies, carnappings and the crimes alike. He is also the one who takes care of the paid gunmen. And last is Avel, the Procurer. He deals with the human trafficking and selling of women. And every last day of the month, they meet with Mr. Tan in this certain hotel casino in the province where they play and talk about how their certain unit of business is doing.”
“Mr. Herrera, I have to admit, you did a good job. If that’s the case then, the last day of the month is coming in a few days so we’ll be visiting that hotel casino you are talking about. We’ll be getting evidence.”