I stopped smiling the moment I found out the only person I had in mind wasn’t the one at the doorstep.
Michael was the only person I wanted to meet. Nonetheless, I looked at Jackson in the eyes and asked, “What brings you here today?”
Only a limited few were aware we had been residing at that particular place. Therefore, I was shocked when Michael’s secretary showed up out of nowhere.
As we weren’t really acquainted with one another, Jackson answered my query with a courteous smile, “Mr. Garcia, Mr. Shaw has sent me here.”
I thought he has forgotten all about me, but that was never the case! He has sent his secretary over to check on me!
As thrilled as I might be, I kept my emotions to myself and asked in a calm and collected tone, “Why has he sent you?”
Since not many were made aware of our relationship, I thought it would be better to keep our relationship confidential from everyone, including Jackson.
When he heard my query, he handed me a check, “Mr. Shaw wants you to have this.”
Two million only.
I gaped at the amount involved and lost myself in the process of thought at the presence of the check.
Why has he asked his secretary to bring me a check? What exactly is he up to?
Seconds after I returned to my senses, I took a peek at the check and stuttered my question at Jackson, “W-What is he up to? W-Why has he sent you over to hand me a check?”
I couldn’t figure out the rationale behind Michael’s decision, but I had a bad feeling about it. In anticipation of Jackson’s upcoming reply, my mind was all over the place.
As much as I wanted to run away from the truth, it was only a matter of time until I had to brace myself through it all over again.
After a few seconds of silence, Jackson announced, “Mr. Shaw wishes to compensate you for your loss.”
Jackson might not be aware of the loss that was mentioned, but I was well aware that was the thing Michael and I once talked about.
Is this the sort of compensation he has been talking about? Is he trying to uphold his promise?
I had my eyes glued to the check with my pursed lips shivering and my heart wrenching.
Didn’t he turn me down when I insisted on leaving? Why has he changed his mind? Why has he sent his secretary to hand me a check?
I refused to accept the check as that would put an end to our relationship for real.
Jackson urged with a frown, “Ms. Garcia?”
I had no intention to reveal the things going on. Thus, I put on a strong front to deceive Jackson and answered while avoiding his gaze, “Mr. Goldstein, please send it back to him!”
On the other hand, Jackson seemed to have gotten used to it. It might not be his first time dealing with the aftermath of Michael’s messed-up relationship with others. He was able to remain a straight face until the moment I turned him down.
“Is it because of the sum?” he asked with his eyes flickering.
“No! Two million is a fortune I can only long for! However, I don’t need any sort of compensation! When you go back, please tell Mr. Shaw that I don’t need anything from him!”
It’s inappropriate and rude for someone to put a price on the affection others have for them! It feels as if he’s insulting me by trying to compensate me with money!
I was really against the idea of accepting his offer. Michael wasn’t made aware of the sort of affection I had for him, but that couldn’t justify his action.
“Ms. Garcia, are you sure you want me to return this to Mr. Shaw?” Jackson asked in a serious tone when I turned him down again.
Judging by the fact he had his brows arched, it was safe to assume that he was impressed. He might have imagined me accepting the check before showing up at my doorstep.
“Am I supposed to repeat myself again?”
Since Michael was nowhere to be seen, I had no intention to waste my time with Jackson anymore. Once I answered his query with another rhetorical question, I tried to close the door.
He stopped me and asserted, “Mr. Shaw had made himself clear he wanted you to accept this. If you wish to return it to him, I think it’s better for you to meet him in person.”
I thought Jackson would leave me alone after being turned down twice. To my surprise, he repeated himself and insisted on handing me the check.
Accepting the check would make it seem as though money was the foundation of our relationship. We started getting acquainted because of money, but I no longer wanted to base our relationship on that foundation. Hence, I refused to accept it in spite of Jackson’s insistence.
On the other hand, Jackson made it look as if I wasn’t in a position to turn him down.
After giving it a thought for a few minutes, I took it over. I made up my mind to meet Michael in person just to return the check to him.
Once I took it over, I told Jackson, “Mr. Goldstein, thank you so much for your time and effort. I’ll pay him a visit in person and return this to him tomorrow.”
He responded with a nod and departed once he wrapped up the conversation.
I returned to the living room and took a seat on the couch after sending him off.
Michael had personally signed the check. He might have offered the fortune to ensure I could live a carefree life, but little did he know that would make me feel ashamed of myself.
Is this the only thing left between us? Has our relationship always been a deal?
Over the past few days, I failed to show up for work as I was afraid of running into Michael in person. Unable to gather my thoughts, I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of him anymore.
I dressed up and got myself ready for work the next day. It wouldn’t do me any good to run away from Michael since I was a staff of the company. Sooner or later, we would run into one another.
Never would I forsake my job over our messed-up relationship. After all, I would have to make a living and move on without him.
Once I reached the entrance, I took a deep breath to calm myself. It took me a few minutes to muster the courage to step into the company.
I couldn’t stop myself from looking in the direction of Michael’s office once I returned to my workstation. When I recalled Michael was merely a few feet away from me, I couldn’t stop my heart from racing.
Seated at my workstation, I just couldn’t focus on work. As soon as everyone started focusing on their respective tasks, I brought myself up and marched in the direction of Michael’s office.
