Chapter 53

I looked up at the board with a huge smile on my face. The names of the managers who passed the second were up just a few minutes ago and there are only two managers who are passing to the third and final task.

I squealed as i saw my name of the board and i jumped up and down with Oliver by my side.

I can't believe that I'm in. I passed and i am only one step away from winning this promotion. All i have to do is beat one more person and I'm out of here with a bigger position and a giant payroll.

"Looks like it's just you and me." Harper James commented as she looked up at the board and saw her name above mine.

I turned to her and nodded my head with a smile. "Looks like it."

Harper James is one of the best employees this company has to offer and she has been a very hard worker from the very first day she walked in this building. She had quite the achievement under her belt and i would have to admit that she will be a very tough opponent to beat.

"Well..." She commented with a very big smile "may the best manager win. Good luck." With that, she walked away.

"You're going to have to work really hard on this one." Oliver commented and i nodded my head before turning around to leave. But i soon stopped in my track when i saw Shawn looking up at the board with his jaws clenched. When he saw that i was looking at him, he turned around and left. I felt my insides twist at that moment and i followed him with my eyes until he disappeared from my sight.

After we made it back to our office, i called grandpa and told him the good news. He said he was more than happy that he was able to help me and he also mentioned that he would like to help mw through the next task if i needed him.

After i hung up, i couldn't help but call Iven next as he was by my side the entire week and made sure that i wasn't too nervous. He was there to make sure that i had my thoughts occupied the entire time i waited for todays result.

"Tell me something good." Iven said as soon as he picked up the phone and i laughed.

"I passed to the next task." He woops at my answer before congratulating me.

"I'm so proud of you. You know what, i say we celebrate tonight. How about that?" 

I smiled at his question before telling him to pick a place because i was on celebrate mode myself.

Iven said he would text me the address and hung up. Another soft smile stretched against my lips and i put my phone down on the desk before looking over to Oliver.

"Why do you keep staring at me, Olly?" I asked and he groaned.

"Would you please stop calling me that?"

"Nope. Now tell me why you're staring."

Oliver sighed before he leaned back on his seat. "You seem to be raking things seriously with Iven."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Yeah. Things between us are good." 

My answer didn't seem to satisfy him though as he narrowed his eyes on me.

"What?" I asked " Don't look at me like that. You knoe, instead of worrying about me,you should worry about yourself. Have you ever thought to take your own advice?" 

Oliver glared at me before sitting up straight and going back to work. 

I sighed and picked up my phone when it buzzed with an incoming text. I opened the text to see that he has texted me the coffee place he wanted to meet at and to my horror, it is the same place i used to sing at a long time ago. And the last time i was there, it was the night i was going to sing for Shawn but he had stood me up. I'd never went to that coffee house since that night and the thought of going now didn't sit well with me.

I wanted to give in to the urge of texting Iven that i want him to find another place but i decided against it. It's not like that place did anything wrong with me. And I'd be lying if i said i didn't miss it because i did. I just restrained myself from going there because it reminded me of the times Shawn stood me up.

I blew out a breath and texted Iven that i will be there tonight.

***

I looked at the small coffee house from across the street and i already regret this. I don't want to be in a place that reminded me of my ex when I'm with someone else. And it always made me wonder if i should tell Iven about Shawn before we go further into any kind of relationship. So, with a grit teeth, i crossed the street and walked through the door.

The small bell on top of the door ringed as i pished it open. I walked in and traced my eyes across the room but i didn't see Iven anywhere. So i called him and he told me that he was almost there and asked me to grab a table.

I took a small table by the window and waited for Iven. I listened to the people sing at the open mic as i stared out of the window. I was enjoying my time until i heard the waitress speak on the mic to introduce the next performer.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our next performer is back with his charming voice and beautiful songs. Please, welcome back S.D"

I didn't bother to look at the person who walked up to the stage and just waited for him to sing. A slow melody started to play and i recognized the song. It's "when i was your man" by Bruno Mars. And soon after, a soft voice started to sing the song and i couldn't help but close my eyes as the beautiful song carried on.

That voice ... Why did it made me feel at home? Why did it make me feel so happy and broken at the same time? When the singer goes straight to the bridge of the song, my eyes snapped open and i turned over to the direction of the open mic when i realized who it was.

SHAWN.

'Although it hurts, I'll be the first to say that, i was wrong~

Oh, i know I'm probably much too late

To try and apologize for my mistakes

I just want you to know...'

I listen to him sing with wide eyes without even realizing that i was up on my feet.

Shawn's eyes snapped open and landed on me. I felt the air getting knocked out of my lungs as he sang the next words of the lyrics in the softest voice possible without breaking eye contact.

"I hope he buys you flowers, i hope he hold your hand

Give you all of his hour, when he has the chance

Take you to every part, cause i remember how much you love to dance

Do all the things i should have done, when i was your man..."

It was as if he was singing our life story to me and some eyes in the coffee house were turning to see me and then back at Shawn. When he refused to break eye contact, i looked away and rushed out the door without even glancing back.

I didn't even realize how fast i was running until i made it to the bus stop and mindlessly got on. It was getting hard to breath and i can feel a panic attack making its way from my chest through my entire body.

I did all i could do to hold myself together until i made it to my stop and i hopped off the bus to rush up to my apartment. When i finally fought my way through the front door, i slammed it shit and slid down against it.

Lucky for me, neither of my roomies were home at the time and it allowed me to let all the frustrations that was building up in my chest out.

The first sob escaped and it opened my lips to pour out more and more sob. I felt devastated as i remembered Shawn's voice and the way he looked at me as he sang the last part.

S.D. the waitress said that he was coming back to sing again which means that he's been performing there for sometime and even though i have no idea for how long, i can surely tell that he is there for me. Because i was the one who introduced him to that place and told him about the open mic.

My phone buzzed multiple times but i couldn't move from my crouching position to see who it was let alone pick it up.

Gosh...i miss him so much. I love him so much and it is destroying me from inside out. 

How am i supposed to move on when he's constantly on my kind and doing things that would make my knees weak. 

I need to get away from him while i can. I collected myself by forcing the memory of Shawn with Lucy Chaw. 

That's it. Breath slowly and get yourself together. I mumbled on and on in my head until the wave of panic finally settled down.

I really do need to stay away from him. Shawn is the one man I'm not supposed to have and i need to get that through my head. And that promotion...it is the only way to ensure my future and to get away from him for good.

I need to win that promotion.