Chapter 20

Uncle Lazaro got into his car and drove away, leaving Leandre behind. He hasn't checked to see if Jade and her father have left. If he returns to their house and the two of them happen to meet, she will cry again and beg him to return. Because of her biggest lie, he couldn't accept it any longer. After a few hours, he noticed that Uncle Lazaro had not stopped to buy anything for their house. Because of his mother's behavior, he has lost the desire to bring food. Leandre was exhausted. He was ready to sleep. And he felt like he needed a full-body massage. They eventually arrived at his mother's house. Leandre was never seen getting out of the car. For a while, he waited for Uncle Lazaro to emerge first. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the car seat. He believes he is got feverish.
A knock on the car window jolted Leandre awake. And he noticed Emerald's expression outside the car. He flung open the window.
"What do you want?" he asked,
"Why do you have to sleep in the car all the time? Mom's house is big," Emerald responded.

"I'm going inside; I'm just going to rest a little. Is Uncle Lazaro inside yet?" he asked.

"Yes, he and mommy know each other, Cheska knows him also, and Geo talked to him about business at a restaurant," Emerald responded.
"Would you like to join me for a walk around the neighborhood, brother?"
"Why?"
"It's nothing; I just missed you; we haven't seen each other in years," Emerald responded.

He can also accompany Emerald, but he is unhappy. He will no longer get drunk.

"Wait here outside, or let's go inside and change your shorts because the weather is cold," Leandre said.

"Okay."

As a result, he and Emerald went into the house together.

"They aren't here," Leandre explained.

"They're in the back house," Emerald replied.

"What exactly are they doing there?"

"They are discussing business while Cheska was bathing in the pool and mom was inside the house."


"That's how she is when Uncle Lazaro is around, she doesn't show up when Uncle Lazaro comes home, she's all peeping through the window," Leandre said.
Emerald simply laughed. Leandre first went into his room and dressed. He emerged a few minutes later and descended the stairs. Emerald was waiting for him in the living room.
"Let's go. Have you said goodbye to Geo yet? He might come looking for you," Leandre said.

"Yes, I said goodbye to him before you came home," Emerald replied, walking out the door first.

But their mother called them back before they could leave the gate.


"What are your plans?"
"Just walk around the neighborhood," Emerald suggested.
"At night? And you're not even wearing a jacket?" his mother inquired.

"It's not cold, and we won't be here long," Leandre replied.

"Please wait a moment while I go get you a jacket."

Their mother exited the room and went upstairs. When it returned, they were given the hooded jacket.

"Thank you, mother; why don't you join them?" Leandre suggested.

Her mother sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I'd rather be locked up until morning than be with that man," his mother replied.

"What's your problem? Do you have any unfinished business?" Emerald inquired.
"No way! You two have to leave," his mother said as he walked up the stairs.
Emerald and he both laughed. Right out of the gate.

"Let's get in the car; I'm going to buy something in the city, and we're going to try to go to the parks and stay there," Leandre said as he climbed into the car.

"Okay."
When Emerald approached the front, he started the car. He was driving slowly because he was suffering from a headache.

"What are you going to buy?" Emerald inquired.

"I'm going to get some medicine because I've had a headache for a while," he replied.

Emerald regarded him with concern. And it brushed up against his brow.

"You're hot. How are you feeling?" Emerald asked. "Perhaps you overthink and stress too much about your work and personal life. Why are you always thinking about that woman? Then you'll get sick. Stop the car. I'll drive. Put your headache to sleep or we'll crash."

So Leandre got out of the car and sat on the other side. Emerald then started the car. He leaned back in his car seat, closing his eyes. He must take medication right away. They arrived in the city an hour later. He had no idea the car had stopped in front of the pharmacy.

He didn't notice Emerald in the front seat; perhaps she had already entered the pharmacy and purchased medication. Emerald entered the car through the open door, carrying bottled mineral water and medicine. She handed it over to him.


"Drink that first, brother, and then rest for a while before we leave," Emerald advised.
He took two tablets with it. To quickly relieve his headache.
"Where are we going next?" Leandre asked.
"Not any longer; we're going home because you need a good night's sleep so you'll be fine tomorrow," Emerald replied.

"It's okay because I won't be able to sleep when we get there," Leandre explained.

"All right, as long as you can't do it, let me know."

"Yeah."

Emerald is back behind the wheel, driving slowly so they can keep track of the plaza. Leandre flung open the window to let in some fresh air. As the cold air touched his cheek, he closed his eyes.

Leandre noticed that the car had stopped a few minutes later. He blinked open his eyes and looked around. They came to a halt in front of the city plaza. With a fountain on each side and lights all around to provide illumination.

He didn't see Emerald inside the car anymore, but he did notice her eating something in the front. He causes himself to feel. Fortunately, his headache vanished quickly. So he got out of the car and locked it. He was making his way towards Emerald's. He took a look at what he was eating and realized it was street food.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"So far, so good; it just vanished when I woke up because I took two medicines."

"Are you going to eat this?"

"Sure, those are delicious. Order for me, please," he said.
"Sure."
Emerald approached the owner and placed an order. Then he noticed that all the women were staring at him as if there was something wrong with him, but he ignored them.
A young man offered him a seat. While waiting for Emerald, Leandre sat down. It arrived a few minutes later with the street food. He placed it on the table.

"Have you eaten? Would you like some rice?" Emerald inquired.

"Yes, I won't eat when I get home; I'll just sleep," Leandre replied.

"All right, I'll just take it," Emerald said as she walked away.

Emerald returned with only food on a plate. Leandre began to eat. Later, a group of women who appeared to be nursing students and were about Emerald's age arrived.

"Shit! He's handsome and rich, but he only eats here. He's so humble and yummy. But he's taken because he's with a beautiful woman," the short-haired girl exclaimed.
But Leandre didn't even flinch; he just kept eating. He noticed Emerald laughing.

"Please excuse me, miss," Emerald said.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Yes? Did you call me?" said the short-haired girl.

"Yes, it's you. He's my brother, and he's single," Emerald said, winking at him.

Leandre did nothing but shake his head.

"Really?"

So all the girls cheered as if they were relieved that he was no longer single. The strength of their voices jolted him out of his sleep.

"What are you doing, Emerald? You include yourself in what they say," Leandre exclaimed.

"Is there something wrong with that?" Emerald chewed. "I was so proud because they see my only brother as handsome and kind that the woman he loved so much didn't even see."
Leandre simply shook his head because as long as he and Jade were not permanently separated. He kept quiet because Emerald was always throwing words at him. Alondra finished her laundry late at night. Before going to bed, she eats for a while. She looked at the wall clock. Daisy hasn't returned home yet, even though it's past midnight.
She was going to call Daisy right away, but she didn't have the time. She carefully placed the washed clothes in the laundry basket. She entered the room after finishing her meal. She changed her clothes because the splashes of water from the faucet had soaked them. Although she was not afraid of being alone, the silence was deafening. Perhaps some of her coworkers are sleeping in the other house. She went up to her bed and closed her eyes after getting dressed. While Leandre and Emerald were sitting on the cement benches surrounding the fountains in the plaza.

They are sitting next to each other, looking at the stars in the sky. She was able to recall her conversation with her sister even now.

"Perhaps if your relationship with Jade hadn't been so rocky, we'd have two children now, but it's not too late for you; you can still find kind women to spend the rest of your life with," Emerald said, gazing up at the sky.
"Yeah, if she hadn't cheated on me, everything would be fine now; if I hadn't been so preoccupied with the company and neglected her, we wouldn't have ended up this way," Leandre replied, looking up at the sky.

Emerald gave him a look.
"There is a reason why all of this happened in your life. She chose to fool you even though she had many reasons. It was not a reason that the husband was always busy as if he were a soldier who was only going home for a few days and being gone for a few months, but I didn't look for someone else. If you two weren't destined for each other, time will find a way to separate you even if someone gets hurt."

"I don't know what's going on or why I'm experiencing all of this," Leandre lamented.

"Cheer up. You shouldn't put yourself down. You have to go with the flow, and I'm sure the next woman who comes into your life will be the one for you," Emerald said with a smile.

"Thank you for being there for me," Leandre said.

"Of course, not always, but I'm always available if you need someone to talk to."

"Where is he now? Did he go home with them or is he still at your house?" Emerald inquired, seemingly out of the blue.

"I sent her home because I found out the other day that she has a child from a previous relationship and she isn't telling me," Emerald explained.

"That's it? How did you know? She's a liar?"

"Her father came into the office, and I took him home, and they both met. She was yelling at her father for taking the child, so I heard everything they were saying, and she knelt to apologize to me, but I don't care because we're separated," Leandre explained.

"

"So it appears he agreed to marry you to absolve her of responsibility for the child?"



"That's correct. It's better that it happened so that we won't be together any longer," Leandre explained.

"Yes. She can't deserve you. Because she's not the woman you should love," Emerald explained.

He and Emerald decided to go home after a few hours because it was late at night and she was sleepy.

Alondra awoke thirsty, but Daisy still hadn't returned home, and she began to worry. She checked her phone, but there were no missed calls on it.  She sat down and exited the room. And went into the kitchen to get some cold water, but she remembers Kazmer giving her milk tea, and pizza. So she cut a slice and sat down at the table. When she looked at the wall clock, it was two a.m. Perhaps she won't sleep. She planned to hang her washed clothes at the back of the house because she noticed a door that resembled a terrace with clothes hangers.

After eating, she hung the clothes one by one on the hanger outside. Because there is still a roof, it will not get wet if it rains. She didn't finish hanging the clothes until four o'clock in the morning.
The gate rang, signaling that someone had entered. Daisy may have arrived. Daisy came in through the door, dressed differently than she was. A T-shirt and leggings. Instead of asking where she was sleeping, Alondra remained silent.
"Why are you waking up so early?" she asked, kissing her cheek with the masculine scent she had just smelled.
Daisy's perfume is sweet, but now she used it differently.
"I hung all of our clothes that I washed last night, as well as yours," Alondra responded.

Daisy responded, "What? I have a lot of dirty clothes; I hope you didn't wash them." Daisy followed her to the sofa.

"It's fine; you don't have to wash anymore," Alondra explained.

"I appreciate it."
"Do you want me to make you some coffee?" she asked.
"I'll make myself some coffee and go back to sleep," Daisy said.
"That's fine."
Alondra walked into the room and sat on her bed.
Alondra couldn't sleep again, but she chose to close her eyes. Daisy was also in bed, she discovered. She later heard the phone ring. She looked through her phone, but it wasn't hers. Daisy's, but she just let it ring without answering. The call was disconnected a few minutes later, but it called back. Daisy noticed a little if she is sleeping. So Alondra stopped moving. Daisy had answered the phone, so she knew.

"Yeah, I didn't go back to sleep. Okay. Take care. I love you." Daisy replied.

She was intrigued as to who Daisy was conversing with, but she chose to remain silent.
It never happened again after the incident that brought Daisy home in the morning. After a month, Alondra was happy and excited because she would earn a salary and, if permitted, return to the province. She was washing glasses in the kitchen when the door opened, but she didn't bother to see who came in.

"How are you doing here?" Daisy asked.

"It's fine; so far, no problems," Alondra replied.
"Good. What do you plan to do after you get paid?" asked Daisy.
Alondra suddenly turned to Daisy.

"I was planning to go home to the province at least for a day. Has Mrs. Abra arrived yet?" she asked.

"Not yet. But Yohan is there. I already said goodbye that you want to take a leave to go home." Daisy answered with a smile.

"Really? Thank you, Daisy." she hugged her.

"You're welcome."

Then Daisy gave her the white envelope.

"What is this?"

"Your wages. Open it and look at the contents." Daisy ordered.

So she didn't waste time and immediately opened it. She wants to cry because she has received the money she worked so hard for.

"$400? Why is a big amount?" Alondra asked.

Daisy smiled.

"It is. Because you are a hardworking staff, Yohan increased your salary with Mrs. Abra's consent." Daisy replied.