The sun was setting and the air had a chill that wasn't there earlier in the day. Carmen sat on her porch, watching her father play with the neighbor's son and their little puppy. Though she was looking at them, her mind felt far away as she silently wondered why life had to be so complicated. She wanted to join them, to laugh and enjoy the simple moments, but her thoughts were telling her otherwise.
It was all so puzzled, dramatic, and unreasonable. She couldn't make sense of it all; why did these same things happen to her time and again? Was she really that easily taken advantage of? Did people think she was easy to manipulate and control? Why was she always the one being sacrificed for someone else's gain? Why did they think so little of her? How had her life spiraled into such a chaotic and tumultuous mess?
And most importantly, how could she change that?
There was no doubt in her mind that she was about to refuse the offer made by Grandpa Edgar. She couldn't take what was never hers to be claimed. As much as it pained her to admit, Ronin was more than capable of running the family business. He had the right education, work history, and passion to take Logan's enterprise to new heights.
Grandpa had always been so proud of Ronin and his achievements; she couldn't help but wonder what led him to take the CEO chair away from his so damn capable grandson. Did something happen that she didn't know of? Did Ronin do something that made Grandpa Edgar weary of his capabilities or intentions?
Carmen wondered, but her mind couldn't take her very far. In the end, she chose not to waste her time on it. Logan's business was not hers to worry about. She should in fact do what she had been striving for the whole past month—stay far away from them. That's all she had to do. That's all.
"Still thinking about the old man?" Her dad's voice was loud and close enough to break Carmen out of the bubble of her thoughts. She jerked her head up and found him walking towards her. The kid was now playing with another kid, the playful golden retriever chasing them around.
"No. Of course," she lied, and instantly knew she wasn't so good at it. She sighed. "I mean, yes. But you know how it is...it's...it's complicated."
Her father took a seat on the steps next to her, his strong elbows on his knees. "Something always is, isn't it?"
The frustration that bubbled up inside Carmen, she couldn't hold it back. "I don't know what he was thinking. Embarrassing me like that. All I wanted was to have some peaceful days before I can think about what to do with my life. But Grandpa Edgar. He just...has to do what he wants to do. You know, sometimes there is no difference between Ronin and him. They both put people into touch spots and expect them to do their bidding."
"So what are you going to do?"
"I'm not doing their bidding for sure," that came out so obvious, Carmen was glad to have something she didn't have second thoughts about. "I don't want any part of them or their business. I just want a simple and peaceful life and I won't let them take it away from me."
"Well, if that's what you want," her dad turned and kissed her temple lovingly. "Just don't work yourself too much, okay? Whatever you decide there's one person who would stick by your side, no matter what. You know that, baby girl, don't you?"
For a moment, Carmen was a kid again. With pigtails and her frock soaked in mud and rain. She nodded. "Thanks Dad."
She leaned her head against his shoulder and he easily looped an arm around her. Protectively. Affectionately. Like he always did when she had a bad day. Or when she felt alone. Or, well, missed her mom.
On the contrary, Carmen always missed her mom. It wasn't easy growing up as a daddy's girl. Even though her father did everything a man could do to give his child an easy and happy life, there were moments when she felt like she was missing out on a lot of good things. Not having a mom gave a lot of cruel kids a reason to tease her, enough to make her come home crying with red puffy eyes.
Long after her dad went to sleep, Carmen found herself in her room, going through the old albums that she had almost forgotten about. There were pictures of her childhood, of all the fancy dress competitions she had been a part of, or the spelling bee contest she had won. There were some from the beaches, and some from the forest trails her father usually took her during the weekends.
Carmen flipped another page, ready to devour another memory from the past when her phone went off.
However, when she looked at the screen, a groan rumbled in her throat. "No. Not again."
She disconnected the phone and went back to staring at the pictures absentmindedly.
The phone rang again.
Carmen slapped the phone face down and tossed a pillow over it.
The phone rang again.
She practically screamed in her head.
When Carmen finally decided to answer the next call, surprisingly, the phone remained silent.
"Hmm," she hummed, wondering if her Grandpa Edgar had finally understood not to disturb her.
Feeling a yawn coming on, she figured it was time to get some sleep.
But just as she was about to lay her head on the pillow, the doorbell rang.
Carmen let out a tired sigh as the doorbell echoed through the house. Who could possibly be ringing the doorbell at this hour? She briefly considered ignoring it and pretending not to hear, but her curiosity got the better of her. Not to forget the fact that her dad would probably come out to answer the door anyway.
With a hint of annoyance, she dragged herself to the front door and peeked through the peephole. Much to her surprise, she saw a familiar face.
Joy Mark, Grandpa Edgar's devoted driver.
Of course, he was here.
Wait. Had he been waiting outside her home all along? Calling her first, but when she didn't answer, he sent his driver to knock on the door?
Her brows furrowed. What the hell was this man up to?
Ugh.
Instead of answering the door, Carmen went back to her room, grabbed her phone, and called the man of the hour.
"Good to finally hear from you, Carmen," Grandpa Edgar chirped the moment he answered the call.
"Why are you here?" Carmen had no interest in beating around the bush. She wanted to know why he was outside her home at such a late hour. What could be so urgent that it couldn't wait until the next morning?
"Well, I thought before you make up your mind on my proposal, I should make one last effort to convince you. It's only fair, don't you think?"
Carmen sighed, her temples pulsing. "I'm not accepting it," she told him directly. There was no reason to hide her stance or create unnecessary suspense. "And you probably already know that." He should have. Why else show up to convince her otherwise?
"Of course, I know that. No woman with self-respect would accept an offer that she knows she hadn't earned. But let's just say, I have something for you that might change your mind. Why don't you allow me to make this last attempt to persuade you?"
"You're wasting your time."
"Well, it's my time to waste so let's not worry about that. But one thing that I can tell you with all my life experience it's that sometimes opportunities come knocking only once. If you don't hear me out tonight, my child, there's a significant chance you might regret it for the rest of your life."
What she didn't tell him was that she was already regretting everything. Including this small voice in her head, nudging her to give him a chance.
No. She knew deep down that she was hesitant for a reason. This nagging voice in her head was wrong. She knew that he was here to manipulate her, to coax her into accepting his offer. Why should she even entertain the thought? It seemed like a foolish proposition, and she didn't want to be taken advantage of. Who would in their right mind?
"I'm sorry," Carmen spoke calmly but confidently, not allowing any doubt to creep into her voice. "But I can't do this. If I happen to regret it, it would be my regret to bear. I'll manage." She pushed aside the curtain of her room's window and peered at the car parked on the side of the road. "I wish I could let you in, but Dad's asleep, and I'm exhausted. Good night, Grandpa. I hope you can understand and forgive me just this once."
With that, she ended the call and tossed the phone onto her bed, her heart aching a little. Part of her felt relieved for standing her ground, while there was this other part that wrestled with the guilt of disappointing the very man.
- So, what's your take on this? Any guesses about what Grandpa is up to? And do you think Carmen is right to lock him out? Drop your thoughts in the comments, I'm all ears!
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