2 II

II

One minute passed but, for me, it was forever.

Lola and I looked at each other, shocked, as if we experienced the scariest ghost tour in our life. I broke the silence.

"Are you kidding me?"

Lola shook her head in fast paced and returned her gaze to her touch screen. Possibly, rereading the news and making sure she had read everything correct.

Me? Personal accountant of a prince? Not just only a prince. He was a prince who loved to join issues and involved with women who got near him. What if.

"I told you, you should reject it before you heard it from me," she said while biting her thumb.

Should I accept it?

Or not?

First things first, my family. I needed to think about them. My father worked as an office staff in a law firm downtown. He got a small salary, which was not enough to give us our daily necessities. I had been lucky to be a scholar when I was in college. My mom could not work because I had three younger siblings. Five was the youngest. My sister next to me, Elena, needed a medication for her heart problem. She needed three different tablets daily where the ninety percent of my cute salary went.

My only dream was to give them a better life. However, here I was, working and getting a small salary that could not satisfy all the needs of my family. I had promised my dad before that he could retire after I graduated and took my board examination. It still ended up him working in that abusive law firm.

Should I accept the job?

Of course, I would work in England. I would leave my family here in Chicago and would never see them for a year or two. I would miss them and my best friend. I would feel homesick.

This was only temporary. I could give them a permanent life if I accepted this offer.

Never mind the scandalous prince. I could work without involving in his life.

"What are the requirements?" I blurted.

Lola's jaw dropped on the ground. "Are you serious? You're risking your life!"

"I'm serious and I'm not risking my life! Why are you keeping saying that?"

"You're so beautiful Shirley to be played with. If that prince lands his eyes on you, I'm one hundred one percent sure, he will take you to his bed," she made exaggerated screams and hand gestures. If I did not know her, I would think she was crazy. Probably, the customers in the small restaurant were irritated in the noise coming from our table.

"Hey, I'm not that kind of girl who always surrounds him. If he will do that to me, I'm going to kick his buddy down there," I defended myself.

"Shirley, you will change your mind later so let's drop this topic."

"No," I opposed and asked, "What are the requirements? I need this job, Lola. If you are worried for me because of Prince Alexander, thanks, but he won't pay attention to someone like me." I added, "I'm a commoner, a poor ordinary person who only wants a job that has a high salary."

"Fine. If something happens to you there, just call the cops. They will rescue you as fast as they can," she said dramatically as if I was dying.

"You're overreacting. Remember, the job is not mine until they accept me. For now, I'm just applying for it, and I have many competitors. So stop assuming anything, okay?" I smiled brightly and she nodded.

After our lunch, we came back to the office. I finished everything my boss commanded when I started to edit my résumé. Lola sent to me the email for the qualifications and requirements. I read it thrice, for tree's sake. I needed to be nearly perfect so they would hire me.

I had a feeling that this job would be the bridge of my dreams to become true.

As one of the requirements, I scanned my two by two pictures (I was glad I left some in my table's drawer) and pasted it on the upper right corner of my résumé. Then, send it to the email of Prince Alexander's office.

----

Once I got home, my family already eating the dinner. I joined them and dad asked why I was late.

"Umm. My boss has a deadline paper tomorrow, so I helped him finished it before I went home," I smiled to make it more believable. I never lied to my parents, but something inside me wanted to hide the reality.

I would tell my family what job I was entering for they would not feel disappointed again if ever someone were better than I was. I hope I am qualified. I hope they accept me. I kept chanting in my mind.

We ate silently ate dinner and I went to my room after.

I reviewed some of UK's accounting rule. These rules were my greatest factor for my success in England.

Chance, my youngest brother, sat beside me and asked me about his homework. Chance was the closest to me. He was so sweet and loving. Every time I was tired of my life, I looked into his big blue eyes, fortunately, same with mine. I forgot all my problems and it transformed into hope.

-----

Three days after. Morning. My mother prepared our usual pancake breakfast. We all sat in our small round table that almost occupied our kitchen area. Actually, in our apartment, dining and kitchen were on the same page. We only had two rooms, one for my mom, dad, and Chance. The other one was for my two younger sisters and me.

Hana, my second sibling, was always our entertainment. She was born to be a superstar. Besides for being a singer and dancer, she had a talent of speaking with others. She was my extreme reverse. I could not sing or dance and I only spoke if I knew who that person was.

"I have my speech contest this Saturday, I hope you are there Ley to watch me," she pouted like a puppy who wanted to play.

At age of ten, she had already won different awards from competition related to her talents. Yeah, she got all my parents' confidence genes. I wanted to support her, especially when it came to financial aspect. Some of the contests she had joined needed to spend some money, and always, we could not support her.

I wanted to change that. I was desperate.

"Although I'm there, you'll still win," I assured her.

"I want you to watch my competition, at least once!" she protested, "I want you there. I want you to see me win or lose."

Something crossed my mind. What if I would work in England soon? I would have no time anymore to watch my sister's competition like my family always did.

I smiled and said, "You won't lose. You are the winner in our hearts. Okay, I'll go."

"Eww. Gross." Everyone laughed at her response, "But I'm happy to see you there!"

After Elena took her medicines, she and Hana walked to their public school. Chance went with me because his school was near the building where I was working.

My boss commanded everything crossed in his mind, and I was dead busy that morning. I could not stand another day with this old man or I would end up behind the bars and he would remain six feet underground. Of course, that was only a joke.

At lunch, I checked my email first before joining Lola. But I thought I could not join her anymore because of the email I had received. Damned my boss! Checking my email slipped my mind because of his nonstop orders.

My day was not bad because it was getting better.