Chapter 6 YOU LOST IT ACCIDENTALLY

"God, it's already nine o'clock!" She said to herself. Mary Ann quickly got up to her bed and went to the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror and her eyebrows narrowed. She's missing one of her earrings. She hurriedly brushed her teeth and went to her bed, to look for the piece of her earring. She shook the blanket and almost turned her whole bed but it wasn't there. Mary Ann sat down on the side of her bed. She put her palms on her face because of all the things that are happening to her. How could one night she could lose her femininity and even the earrings that her mother gave her on her eighteenth birthday? Both are precious to her. She's trying hard to fight back the tears that are starting to come out in her eyes. Knock. Knock. She didn't answer. The door just opened. It's her grandmother. Suddenly, her grandmother's face looked worried when she saw her in that kind of position. "What's the matter, dear?" She asked. She sobbed. She cannot help it anymore. "I--- I- I lost one of the earrings that my mother gave me." She said between her tears," It's not just an earring but it was her gift when I turned eighteen." Her grandmother's eyes look at her ears. "Did you try to check it in your bed?" "Yes, I did. I almost turned the whole room around." She said in frustration. She also could not say to her grandmother that even her femininity was gone and that she gave it to a stranger. "Try to check it with Cathy. You may have dropped it in the car last night." "Okay, I will call her." She answered in a crack voice. Her grandmother pulled her to embrace. She sobbed in her chest. Her grandmother knows how much she treasures that earring and she cannot just lose it like that. "Go, call Cathy and if it's not in the car, probably check with Marla too." The old woman suggested. She let out a deep sigh and hoped Cathy would just find her earring in the car. She doesn't know if she has the strength to go back to Marla's house given what happened last night. "Hi, Cathy." She couldn't hide her feelings to her friend." B--by any chance, can you help me check my earring inside your car? I think I may have dropped it last night." "Oh, sure. Let me check it for you. I will call you back." Cathy answered from the other line and hung up. After around 15 minutes of waiting, her phone rang. "Hello." "I am sorry, Mary Ann but I cannot find anything inside the car. Maybe, try looking at Marla's place." Cathy suggested. She started to get nervous upon hearing her suggestion. She shook her head to tell her grandmother that her earring was not in the car. "It's okay, we can just tell your mommy that you have lost it accidentally." Her grandmother said to comfort her."You can go to Marla's house anytime if you'd like to look for it anyway but I know you are still tired from last night." She just nodded to her grandmother. John woke up to the sound of his phone. He answered it without looking at the screen to check who was calling. "John, where are you?''  His mother is the one on the other line. "At the hotel. Why?'' "Well, if you won't go home now, you won't see me when you decide to go back." His mother said in a firm voice. His spirit was awakened when he heard what her mother said. He suddenly got up and sat straight on the bed and leaned his back on the headboard. He heard all the stories before but this time, he feels her mom is doing differently. John's mom threatened him a million times but this time, he feels that her mom is doing it. Their family feud never stopped. "Why? What happened this time?" He asked. "I will divorce your father." Her mom said. He could feel her determination this time. Before she is just saying it so he will come back home but he feels strange. "I cannot take all the problems your father is giving me." His mom continued. " Take care of your sister." This matter wasn't new to him anymore. His mother told them a million times but never attempted to do it. She is always saying that she will divorce their father but she doesn't have enough courage to take the first step. John frowned. He is wondering what made her mom finally decide. This time he could feel that it's not a simple matter. His mom doesn't usually call him when he runs away because she knows that it is his way to unwind after coming back from abroad after studying. "Mom, don't leave. Okay?" He told his mom."I will be there in no time so just wait for me." Even if his parents are always fighting he doesn't want them to get a divorce. He could bear it but not his sister Diane. His only sister will be badly hurt once she learns of their parents' plan. He hurriedly packed up his things and called Arnel. "Bro, I am sorry. I cannot go fishing with you. There's a family emergency and I need to go." Arnel understood what he said. "Thank you for adopting me." He chuckled and then the call ended. John came out of Adrian's office and he noticed a woman standing on the xerox machine. He is wondering what a woman with such beauty is doing at Adrian's office. Angelic face, small almond-shaped eyes, small pointed nose, and rosy lips. He stared at the woman from head to toe and based on his calculation the woman is five feet and four inches in height with a slim figure. She is wearing a business suit in black pants paired with three inches heels that add to her height. He was still staring at the woman when she turned to him in surprise. He felt a bit embarrassed to be caught in such an act.  His face heated up and he could say that it turned to red so he just turned around and walked his way straight to the elevator. The woman was left wondering at the reaction of the man who suddenly left. She just shrugged her shoulders and she continued what she was doing.  The man just got out of her boss's office and she was thinking why he is still in the room. She is about to ask if he needed anything else or if he has forgotten anything but to her surprise without saying a word, the man went out as quickly as he could. The man acted as if he was caught doing something. She shook her head. Sometimes people are just acting a bit weird. John is in the elevator going down to the garage of the building. He cannot forget the face of the woman he saw earlier at Adrian's office. Why is there a feeling that she has seen her before?  He is trying to think where she has seen the woman but he cannot just remember when and where he saw the woman. He has to think hard until he can remember that he couldn't be wrong. Until he got to the basement where his car was parked and drove it out of the building and headed to a restaurant. Mary Ann was too engrossed in her work when she heard the voice of her boss calling her name. "Mary Ann…" She was a bit startled and suddenly stood up in her seat. She didn't notice that he already came out of his office since she is occupied with her tasks. "Yes, Mr. Romano, do you need anything?" She asked shyly because she had no idea if her boss called her for a long time and she didn't respond. That's why he needed to go out, she was too focused on fixing the files on her table. "I am sorry if I wasn't able to respond to you right away." "No, that's okay. I didn't need anything urgent." Then, he looked at her, "Have you eaten yet?" He asked. She is surprised by her boss's question. "Not yet sir."  Mary Ann answered him.  "Come with me, then." He said in a dominant voice as if saying he won't accept no as answered. Mary Ann nodded knowing she couldn't refuse his offer. She suddenly took her bag and they walked towards the elevator.  She was a newbie in this company. She was assigned to be the personal assistant of Mr. Alexandrian Romano, the sole heir of the Romano group of companies. She's a bit wondering why all of a sudden he wanted them to eat out when usually he doesn't like to go out even just outside his office. He burns himself to the work that they have every day.