Onnica's POV
As I dressed, I looked at my suitcase solemnly. I hadn't yet made a decision as to where I would go, but there was something I had decided about, I was going, I was leaving Monte Carlo. No, I was leaving Monaco! I could sense that a tornado was coming and I couldn't stand and wait for it. I needed to get as far away as possible from Max and his niece, as far away from Jesse as possible.
I put on my heels and looked at myself in the mirror. How I hated those bloody shoes, but I had no choice. I had to look formal. A bland face stared back at me. There was nothing interesting about it, apart from the huge dark scars of course. I mentally screamed, visions of that fateful day coming back to me. Sometimes, they felt so real, just like the dreams. I shook myself to the present. I had to get to work and act as normal as possible. If Max knew I was planning on leaving, he would try and stop me. He would ask me questions I would not be able to answer.
I normally walked to work and that day was not an exception. After grabbing my suitcase and bag, I headed out of my apartment. I walked for a few blocks, thinking of how much money I needed and how many months I would have to work to save up. Just a single month's salary could afford me a plane ticket to, say, Japan, and I would be left with some to spare. However, if I didn't get a job in less than two months, there was no way I was going to survive.
"...Beep!"
The screeching of tires entered my rather occupied mind.
"Excuse me; can't you see that the light is red?"
A rough voice entered my ears, bringing me back to reality. Indeed the light was red and I was in the middle of the road. Feeling guilty, I turned to apologize. I froze the moment my eyes saw that familiar face from years ago. I couldn't move. There was no expression on his face, except anger. He didn't know. He didn't remember!
"...Beep!"
I walked away hastily. My legs felt so heavy I dragged the heels, making me stumble on the uneven pavement. That bloody murderer didn't know! He just sat there and watched me as if it was the first time he saw me.
"Beats me what he saw in her".
...His exact words. I remembered them like it was yesterday. Marcus, that girl had called him. I had later learned that he was Josh's right-hand man. According to the tabloids, they were inseparable. Five years hadn't erased the pain, and he had forgotten? Had Josh forgotten too? My hand went to my face. Who would forget doing something like that to another person, unless that person was a cruel son of a ...
"Morning Onnica", the guard halted my thoughts.
"Morning", I said as I walked in to the lift, which was open thanks to a bunch of men who had just exited it. I was thankful to the guard for halting my thoughts, because I couldn't simply walk to my desk with the look of disgust that had been plastered on my face. That would have garnered a lot of questions I was in no mood of answering.
I muttered my greeting to Lisa as I got out of the lift and walked to my desk. Jesse and April were still not in, I noticed. I secretly hoped April did not come in at all; my day could simply do without her.
I had almost got my butt on my chair when Max walked in and gestured for me to follow him. There wasn't even a greeting, I noticed, as I dumped my handbag on the floor beside my chair and followed him.
"Close the door", he said curtly.
I didn't bother to look at him. There was this aura in the office and I instantly knew something wasn't right. I didn't need his facial expression to prove it. Did he know about my plan?
I closed the door noiselessly; as if I was afraid any noise would set him off.
He watched me silently. I was nervous and tiny beads of sweat were making their way towards my eyes. I forced myself to return the gaze, hoping my confidence would ease his stare.
"What happened yesterday?" he asked.
He was so calm. His question was not accusatory, his expression gave nothing away. The question even seemed innocent, like he had no idea what happened. Why on earth would Gia keep quiet about it when she clearly disliked me? There was a remote possibility that she had kept quiet, because after all, it was her fault. I stared at Max and his expression did not change. He looked so calm, just like he did in court. Court! Of course, if he knew something, he would not tell me straight-away. He would just wait to make me fall into his trap. I had seen him in action many times. I knew his tricks now. Could I dodge them?
"What are you talking about, sir?" I enquired innocently.
"At the mall, what happened?"
"Um, nothing much happened really. We went to Le Italia. Afterwards, Gianna said she was tired and wanted to go home".
I was calmer now than I was when I walked into the office. Hey, maybe Max was right; maybe I would make a good lawyer.
"Words exchanged between the two of you, were they pleasant?"
I took a deep breath. I could lie to him and say they were or I could tell him the truth and say what an ungrateful little bitch his niece was. If I said she was a bitch, he would not believe me and our working relationship would suffer. Hell, he loved her so much he would even fire me. Think Onnica...
"Some yes, some were not pleasant, but, no harm done".
"Do you mind elaborating?" he asked thoughtfully, hand slowly stroking chin.
He gestured for me to take a seat. I sank in gratefully. I hated heels and at that moment, they seemed to be biting into my flesh.
"She made rude comments about...about my face and I told her I would not stand for it".
I really sounded like a schoolgirl who was being bullied and was reporting it to the headmaster.
He sighed loudly.
"I really have no idea what I am going to do with that girl. I thought she would talk to you since you are both girls, and well I'm a guy but I guess that did not help".
"I'm sorry. It's partly my fault; I mentioned her parents and she just closed up".
Whoa! Wait! What? I had not just said that. Not only was I protecting her, I was putting the blame on me. There was a lot more pieces of the puzzle I had discarded. The hostility started way before I mentioned her parents. In fact, Max himself was the root of the hostility.
"It is okay. Ever since Sergio had a seizure, she hates her parents even more. It does not help that Adriana is here now. I have half a mind to tell her to leave my house".
I had nothing to say to that so I simply nodded.
He seemed to be debating whether to tell me something, before he said,
"You know what she told me? She said you said bad things about me..."
I was stunned. My eyes momentarily grew in size.
"...it does not end there. She has got it in her head that I am in love with you, which is an absolutely ridiculous notion".
If I was stunned before, then I was worse. So Gia had talked to her uncle about it? I stared down at my hands on my lap. A piece of me was hurt at Max's last words and I could not explain it. I felt nothing for Max and even despised him at times, so, why did it feel like he was stabbing me with a dagger?
"...Ridiculous, of course. May I be excused?" I said making sure my face was as expressionless as possible.
Max nodded. I caught a glimpse of surprise written on his face. Just as fast as it came, it was gone, replaced by an expression I could not decipher.
As I walked out of the office, I noticed that he was focused on his computer screen, as if I was never there. Just like that, I was forgotten.
When I got to my desk, I cursed under my breath. Was I going insane? So Max Vercetti thought it ridiculous falling in love with me, big deal! Why did I care so much? Unless I was falling in love with him, which did not even make sense.
"Oh, Onnica, I thought you had crawled back into the hellhole you came from", April's voice entered my ears as she placed her hands on my desk and leaned over.
Just one person I did not want to see!
"Hi April", I said indifferently.
"You are lucky, you know that? I haven't told anyone your secret...yet", she whispered.
"Thank you".
"No, do not thank me. You owe me", she said and left, swaying her lips left and right.
I groaned. I did not want to owe April, but I did not want to seem like a slut either. Samantha did not seem like a girl to let things slide. Lisa liked me then, I thought. If she knew, she would hate me. Damn, I loved being invisible better!
After April left, I focused on my work, partially. There was something nagging me at the back of my mind. The guy I saw earlier. He was alive, and he did not even know me, probably forgot what he had done.
"Hi Onnica", I heard Jesse's voice.
"Hi Jesse", I said calmly.
I did not even look at him. I was not feeling calm, in fact, I was close to panicking. The less Jesse talked to me, the more April would get it in her mind that there was nothing between us.
Jesse looked behind him and then at me.
"What did she say?"
I momentarily looked at him and then at the papers I was holding.
"Who?" I feigned surprise.
"April", he whispered.
He knew I was pretending I had no idea who he was talking about and didn't seem to want to argue with me.
"She has not told Samantha about the...about what happened if you are worried about that. Apparently, I owe her. Funny, considering that it is your entire fault".
I had not meant to get angry, but I ended up like that. I did not get why I had to pay for Jesse's mistake. Why was it always the girl's fault? Why was it my fault I got pregnant? The thought crossed my mind and I shut it out.
"Look Onnica, I did not mean for it to end this way. I will talk to April".
He looked so sincere, like he really felt sorry for me.
"Don't! Just leave it like it is. Just leave me alone".
He searched my eyes and I hid everything from him. They were expressionless, just like they used to be before I met that couple in the park. Somehow, the couple had opened up emotions I had hidden from people. Since I met them, my wall was crumbling around me, exposing me.
Jesse walked away. He wasn't the least happy, but I did not care. Why could he not just go back to ignoring me? Why couldn't everyone go back to ignoring me? At times I did not understand why I built a wall around myself. The pain would creep up from where it was hiding, making me realize why I did what I did. I had to protect myself. There was no one else to protect me. Mom was gone.