"None of my business, Shikera? You can’t just take impromptu decisions without informing people that are supposed to know!"
Shikera scoffed disbelievingly, "And why do you think you are qualified to know?!"
For a mont, Team leader Zuresh felt like she was talking to a different person. She took Shikera’s hand and turned it over to examine her palm, before nodding confidently.
"It’s really you, Shikera," she whispered. When she checked Shikera’s palm just now, she saw how pale and almost transparent it was, just like how Shikera’s lips and eyeballs always were on most days. It was kind of like a part of the symptoms of her sickness.
"Yes, it’s . I would not give up my na too!"
The older woman was confused at that, and she didn’t bother to hide how confused she was.
"I don’t understand what’s going on with you right now, Shikera. But I know that I’m soone you can talk to if sothing is really wrong sowhere," she stated.
"You, Team leader? You?! I’ve never heard anything more funny than that this year," Shikera laughed, pulling her hand out of Team leader Zuresh’s.
She continued in a sober tone, "You could have had the right to ask if you are my mother, or my father. Just anyone that’s fucking related to !"
Giving one last smile, she turned to leave when she heard her team leader speak up.
"What if I’m your godmother? Does that make qualified to know what is wrong with you?"
Shikera turned imdiately, a shocked expression on her face.
"What are you saying?"
"Shi—"
"Are you that curious to hear what’s wrong with that you had to lie?" she questioned, even though she was starting to believe what Team leader Zuresh said.
"I really am your godmother, whether you like it or not. You saw that I worked with Natalia Anderson, right? I also know your father is Liam Anderson and that you are married to Ethan DeLoach."
"What?! Who...who are you?!" Shikera exclaid, backing away from her team leader.
"Ashley Zuresh, your mother’s best friend," was the answer she got.
"That’s the point...I’ve got no mother and that ans you can’t be her best friend. If you’re talking about Liam Anderson’s wife and daughter, then this is the wrong person," Shikera muttered, letting it all out as tears pooled beneath her eyelids.
"What’s wrong with you, Shikera? You are your parent’s precious daughter so—"
"I’m not," Shikera cut her off. "That’s the point here. Liam Anderson’s real daughter is nad Elizabeth and ? I’m just this dangerous specin that should be taken care of soon enough before I cause harm to their family!"
As soon as the words fell from her mouth, Shikera felt herself pulled backwards and into a warm embrace. She could feel from the shorter physique and familiar scent, that this was not her team leader.
It was Cyprian! How did she get here?
Struggling to get herself out of the tight embrace, Shikera only ended up being hugged tighter. She was in that sa position for ten minutes with Cyprian, before she was released.
"Why didn’t you tell ?" Cyprian asked the wide eyed Shikera. She turned to their Team leader and threw her a knowing glance,
"You should go upstairs, Ma’am. I’ll join you a while," she said.
"As long as Shikera stays okay," Ashley said, walking away from the two friends.
Cyprian waited until she was sure the woman had gone far enough, before repeating her question.
"Why did you not tell ?"
"There was no reason to..." Shikera trailed off, the words hanging in her throat when she saw the cold glare directed at her.
"No reason to tell , Shikera? I am your friend, a friend who should comfort you when you’re down, and support you when you feel broken! I guess you didn’t see as such," Cyprian presud, a sad smile settled on her lips.
"No, that’s not it, Cyprian. The problem was that I saw you as my friend...one that I cannot live without."
Cyprian tilted her head sideways, her face showing that she did not believe Shikera one bit.
"You cannot live without and you keep this away from ?"
"How did you know?" Shikera enquired.
"I will tell you this so you don’t have any chance to change the subject later on. I called Raymond to ask if he knows why you are resigning and he told . Now, did you deliberately keep this away from ?"
"I did," Shikera snapped, taking two steps backwards to enable a short distance between them.
"What?!"
"I deliberately kept this away from you, Cyprian. I am barely managing with losing everybody around but if I lose you, I’m sure it would just be the end."
"What does losing everyone has to do with losing ?" a confused Cyprian asked.
"I lost everything that’s beneficial about . Why should you stay when you won’t gain anything?"
Cyprian felt her heart drop down to her stomach, as she shook her head in disbelief, "I’m dissapointed in you, Shikera. Even if you thought your family’s wealth and position was the only attractive thing about you, how could you think of in that way?"
"You beca my friend because my dad rented you, Cyprian. How sure am I that you—"
"Enough! I think I might need to juggle up your mory a bit. I clearly told you on the day I t you, Kera, that I rejected the money my uncle and your father offered . I told them I would see first if you were worthy of being my friend and worthy of being the reason I have to change my school, and right from the very first eye contact we had...I whispered that I was lucky to be your friend," she paused to catch her breath, and then continued,
"Why? Because I saw the excitent in your eyes. You could be the perfect adventurous friend that I wished to have. Then I saw your nose, mouth, skin, hair, room, closet, toilet...In short, I would never have considered disowning you as a friend unless you lost all those things I just ntioned. Not part, but all!"
"But I can’t be useless as a friend!" Shikera yelled, her voice echoing in the empty garage.
At this mont, Cyprian already realized that Shikera was not herself. She closed the distance between them and pulled her into a tight hug for the second ti in an hour.
★★★
Skyler could not believe what her eyes was seeing, and she suddenly felt like she might need to visit the optician. But not now, for now, she wanted to savor this mont in the history of her life.
The mont where she was standing before Ethan DeLoach, even though he had his face covered just like on TV. She felt extra elated because of the contract she just read through, one which actually didn’t look like a contract because of how partial it was to her.
"What do you say to this?" Ethan asked, his left hand pulling at his tie. He was getting suffocated just by looking at those papers on the table, and he feared that he would have to take a break from signing even business contracts when all this was over.
"I agree! When do I start?"
"Imdiately," Ethan replied. He gestured to Ruthlyn who handed Skyler a pen, and watched as the latter scribbled her signature.
"You can leave, Miss...and take care of her," Ethan gave her a departure warning, to which Skyler nodded vigorously.
"I won’t dissapoint you!" She exclaid, rushing out of the office.
The delight in her eyes and the spring in her footsteps was evident to the secretaries in Liam’s office at The Anderson Corporation. Mrs Mason, who had been loitering around the door while waiting for Skyler to appear, was quick to rush over to her when she ca out of the door.
"Hello, Miss..." she greeted.
"Hello!" Skyler answered enthusiastically. In her excitent, she could even greet a mosquito flying by so why hesitate when it ca to humans.
"I...I don’t know if you could spare so ti, I have so questions for you," Mrs Mason stated.
"Ask away."
"Uhm...Is Miss Shikera alright?"
Skyler bead, "Even if she’s not okay right now. I will make sure she’s super happy by the end of today!"
With that, Skyler skipped out of the office and headed to the elevator, her mind replaying the events that took place earlier in the day.
She had been sitting with Maxwell in the studio, both of them still rooted in shock at what they had just heard from Shikera, when her phone pinged from a ssage notification.
Disinterested, she ignored it but got another ssage a minute later. When she finally decided to check it and saw that it was from Miss Stone, she did not know when she got inside the elevator.
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