Chapter 1-The Unexpected Reunion
February 8, 2021
Reading, Berkshire
“What??"
"The biopsy came in this morning and unfortunately your mother's cancer has advanced to stage 2. I'm sorry about this Keila. Please stop by the hospital soon. We must discuss her management and treatment options…"
Keila receives the devastating news from the doctor, she feels her world crashing down, as the reality of her mother's deteriorating condition dawns on her. Tears well up at the back of her eyes, she struggles to comprehend the situation. Fear and anguish grip her, and she begins to imagine the worst. The doctor is still talking, but all she hears is the loud and quick beating in her chest. She's been unable to hold a job. Where on earth would she find the money to pay for the treatment? Her heart sinks as she thinks about her poor mother. "No, bloody way this is happening."
“Uh please let me ring you back" Keila ends the call and immediately falls into a trance-like state. She's overwhelmed by thought.
She abruptly awakens from her trance by a call from a firm feminine voice, she becomes conscious of the people around her, the air is filled with faint chatter and soft footsteps. She adjusts herself, her despair replaced by a glimmer of hope. Her eyes inspect the room, she sees employees quietly going about their tasks. It's a calm scenery which is of course a sharp contrast to her mind. She takes a deep sigh, this company is going to be a big break in her financial needs.
Keila brushes strands of her light brown hair off her forehead, her hair packed in a ponytail, she has on a dark blue fitted suit, she takes a deep breath and wipes the little sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.
“Excuse me, Miss, the director will see you now"
Keila heads to the marketing director's office, to the chief marketing officer of the marketing firm, 'Tidal Wave.'
"Good day ma'am," Keila greets. The lady's unstirred attention to her laptop makes Keila even more anxious.
"Yes good day, you're Miss Josè if I'm not mistaken."
"Yes, that's me," Keila responds quickly.
"Good, well I've reviewed your resume and cover letter. Did you write it yourself or was it AI-generated," she says and snickers subtly at her own ’joke’
"Okay then let's begin, shall we."
"It says here that you studied business management at Saint Martha's College. What experience do you have with Marketing principles?"
"I don't have direct experience, but during my internship at the insurance company, I gained valuable insights into consumer behavior and market segmentation."
"And your contract at the insurance company got terminated, why is that?"
"It was as a result of downsizing, so the company wouldn't run bankrupt. But I assure you I had the opportunity to contribute to marketing campaigns and assisted in some market research projects."
" Great, can you give me an example of a successful marketing campaign you've led in the past?”
" Yes, uhm I haven't led one per se but yes like I said I contributed to, uh, I uh promoted them on my socials too”
"I'm sorry I need a solid contribution, what you've said frankly can be done by anyone who knows how to handle a mobile phone or use the internet, no offense”
Keila frets
“We had a campaign centered on user-generated content for..” Keila stops mid-sentence
“Ma'am I'm so sorry, I shouldn't be doing this, I'm all over the place right now because I got a call from the hospital today and my mum is in bad condition, things haven't been looking up for quite a while now. Look I need this job, I assure you I'm not incompetent. I understand my qualifications seem average, but I learn fast and have learned a lot already that I can apply from experience.
“I'm sorry about your mum Keila, that'll be all for today, thank you for coming"
She says as she focuses her attention on her laptop once more.
“Why did I do that? What was that Pity party for? Really? There's no way I'll get the job now she'll think I have too much baggage to be productive at work"
Keila walks out of the office, she understands how wrong the interview went, her head feels slightly heavier than she remembers, she curses her choice of words, and she thinks about the devastating reality that she may not get the job she so desperately needs for herself and especially her mother.
Keila replays the interview in her mind, wishing she had done something different. With each step, her sight gets blurry as tears threaten. She tries to stay composed, she ponders on how she lost another chance to manage the expenses incurred.
Keila walks deep in thought as she approaches the toilet. She gets close to the door and lifts her hand to the doorknob.
In a swift motion, the door next to the female toilet swings open, and Keila, shocked by the unexpected swing, freezes in place, a startled gasp escaping her lips.
“My bad," the stranger says.
Keila's attention is not on the stranger however, it's on the sudden change in the aura. A strange yet familiar fragrance clouds her senses “What's this?” it radiates from the figure in front of her.
In less than a second her eyes widened in realization. She looks up at the stranger she almost bumped into in somewhat terror and disbelief, this was no stranger it was Matthew, Matthew Sinclair!
“Keila!”
His calm and soothing voice made her mind erupt into a noisy mess. She held her breath unconsciously as she tried to grasp the situation before her.
She stood completely speechless right there in front of the face she had not seen for years, a face she never imagined bumping into at a public toilet!
She wished her eyes were telling lies but they weren't, there he was, and there stood her Ex-boyfriend, Matthew Sinclair adorned in a well-fitted gray waistcoat, white sleeves, and black pants.
His gray eyes pierced hers deeply as he attempted to speak but clenched his jaw as words failed him.
Without hesitation, Keila dashes into the toilet.
Inside, Keila stares at her reflection “How perfect" she mutters. She gives a maniac laugh and paces about the room, for a slight moment her mind reminisces about the smell she was just enveloped in. “He smells the same, dare I say more expensive”
She gets too upset to even think anymore about him. She was already burdened with her mother's situation and her ill-ended interview. She can't help the distress that overcomes her as her mind flickers between Matthew, and her present situation.
She had a mini breakdown right there on the toilet floor, it wasn't unusual for her to find comfort in crying all by herself.
“Is it this town? We shouldn't have come back here! How delusional of me to expect never to see him again" No it was needful to be here. This is my hometown after all, I refuse! There is something out there for me!"
After about 8 minutes she was done, at least for now!’ With a confident resolve, she looks up again at her reflection, “You're okay, you'll be fine, you always are” She gives a half-hearted smile and walks out of the ladies’ toilet.
Outside off to the right, she sees Matthew leaning against the wall deep in thought.
Was he waiting for her?
Keila fixes her face in a scowl. She makes to walk past him, but Matthew holds her by the hand.
She shoots daggers at him, expecting him to get the signal and let go. “Just a moment! What is that look he has on?
She feels a surge of anger, and frustration, she swiftly yanks her hand from his grip, and without a second thought, she slaps him across the face. The sound echoes in the air.
She watches as he brings his lips together in a straight line, his gaze immediately shifting back to her with a little smirk playing on his lips. “Was he expecting it and at the same time surprised it came? Or perhaps it didn't feel like he just got smacked across the face?”
Oh well, it wasn't new to her, he was too good at hiding his feelings, he always had this thing about him, he always had a mask on and was hard to read.
She hears gasps from people who saw what happened, and silently she scolds herself for hitting him, it was her principle, no one had the right to hit someone else but she was overcome by her feelings, her present situation was overwhelming enough. She makes her way out of the building, she looks back in time to see Matthew stare at her as some suited men rush to his side.
Her heels clank with every step she makes, she heads to the parking lot.
“I'm so over the moon today"
