Anne Marie

<p>Anne Marie was an active child. She had a lot of friends and she was the family's treasure. As she grew up, she got interested with leading so she ran for the President of the Student Body Organization. She was also outstanding academically as she was always the top of her class.<br/><br/>One day, she was nowhere to be seen. She was gone for a week. By the time she came back, she was different. She resigned from her position, and she started distancing herself from everyone. Although they don't see it, she herself didn't trust anyone. <br/><br/>Everyone was curious where she went and why she resigned but she never really answered their question until no one seemed to remember that even happened.<br/><br/>September 21, 20XX<br/>There are many people greeting her personally and virtually. Even people she doesn't know are greeting her and all she can do is smile while thanking them even if she doesn't really know them.<br/><br/>"I need help. I just want to stay in my room and read all day long." She sighed as she washed her face.<br/><br/>"You also need to socialize okay? Look at yourself, you're so pale that it feels like I'm looking at a vampire." Her mother nagged her.<br/><br/>"It's not like I'm not going out, I just hate interacting with people I don't even know. And besides, this is supposed to be my birthday, shouldn't I decide what to do today?" She asked and when she noticed that no one's answering, she finally lifted her head. "Hey Mom! Are you listening?"<br/><br/>All of a sudden, lightning striked and the loud rumbling of thunder woke her up from her dream. She opened her eyes still somewhat hazy, because of her just waking up. <br/><br/>Another sound of thunder completely woke her up as her phone vibrated and lit up. She sat up and took it from her table. It was a message.<br/><br/>She looked somewhat empty as she opened the message,<br/> "Marie, my child, happy birthday! It's your 25th birthday. Sorry that I am not by your side during your birthday so I can only compensate you with me being the first to greet you. My daughter, if you are reading this now, I am sorry okay? Enjoy your birthday. I am allowing you to stay in your room all day long but you should eat, okay? I love you. Happy Birthday!"<br/><br/>"Thanks Mom. But I'll need to go out." She smiled bitterly as tears kept on pouring down.<br/><br/>She just sat on her bed, looking at the empty wall in front of her looking lonely and pathetic.<br/><br/>As the sun is slowly rising up, her tears completely dried up. At exactly, 6:00 am, she got up from the bed and slowly got ready for work.<br/><br/>She arrived at the hospital she's working at at exactly 7:30. Just enough time to change and prepare herself through some peptalks. <br/><br/>"Hey, you're here. I'm telling you, don't take the private room 7, let the guys handle him." Warned Sandy, her coworker.<br/><br/>She got curious as to why her friend said that. "What happened?" She asked as she tried to take a peek at private room 7. Before she could clearly see the patient, her friend blocked her view as she told her, "Don't even look at him, once he sees you, he'd definitely want you to be nursing him. Actually, why don't you just go to ER? Everywhere else is better than this ward right now." She laughed at what she just heard, "As if that's possible. Why don't you get ready for the endorsement?" <br/><br/>She just got more curious but she knows her friend, so she just listened to her. As Sandy didn't say what happened, she thought that maybe it was Sandy being considerate of her.<br/><br/>"Endorsing 55 patients..." As Sandy was reading the endorsement, Anne skimmed through the paper on her hand and read the name of the patient on private room7. She didn't know what she was feeling. She acted like nothing happened and just followed through the endorsement.<br/><br/>"PR 7, Patient Drake Marco." Sandy continued with the endorsement. Suddenly, the atmosphere turned awkward. <br/><br/>"We have the son of the Mayor?!" Paul loudly whispered. Followed by, "That jerk of a son who thinks he owns the town?" asked Nathan.<br/><br/>Sandy just nodded as she told them, "Don't let Anne go there, okay? You know how much he likes preying on those innocent looking women. Ugh, just thinking about it gives me the creeps." Paul and Nathan agreed immediately.<br/><br/>"Of course, our goddess shall remain pure." Paul said as Nathan nodded.<br/><br/>Anne laughed and said, "Do you not want to go home Sandy?"<br/><br/>"Okay so that's all. Good bye everyone, gotta sleep." Sandy waved goodbye.<br/><br/>The three of them divided their work and decided that her along with Nathan will take the patients on the public ward while Paul will be responsible for the private patients.<br/><br/>It was already 10 in the morning when Paul was receiving an important call from the someone. "What do you mean she's going there?! You know that jerk! How could you ask her to go there?" Paul argued with the caller.<br/><br/>Anne happened to hear what he said, she suddenly felt a little nervous. She looked at Paul with worry evident on her face. Paul looked at her assuringly.<br/><br/>"No, we are going to follow our arrangement." He said firmly. However, before he could end the call, "You have a family, Paul." Said the caller.<br/><br/>"Are you threatening me?" Paul was angered by what he heard. Anne looked at him and asked worriedly, "What did they say?"<br/><br/>"Please understand, I also don't want to do this but, I have a family. So do you. Even if you can find another job somewhere else, the Mayor's connection is not something that we can imagine." Paul understood what was being said but he didn't like it one bit. Their conversation lasted for 5 more minutes.<br/><br/>Paul told her, "You have to attend to patient Marco. I'm sorry." He couldn't look at her.<br/><br/>Although shocked, she anticipated as much. He was the Mayor's son after all. His only son. <br/><br/>Anne just looked at him and smiled, "I understand, you don't have to be sorry." <br/><br/>"By the way, the HR said that you stay on his bedside. I tried to talk some sense into them but..." He couldn't continue what he was saying as he ruffled his hair, frustrated from what's happening.<br/><br/>He didn't notice Anne's ragged breathing as he was looking down. "Okay." was all she can utter that moment. <br/><br/>She was standing in front of his room as she tried to catch her breath. When she thought she was okay, she knocked. The door was opened by someone inside the room. <br/><br/>She went inside with her head down. <br/><br/>"Wait outside, don't let anyone else enter." Said the man sitting on the sofa. As she heard his baritone voice, she remembered something she kept hidden, trying to forget everything.<br/><br/>The man went outside as instructed and locked the door. <br/><br/>"Look at me."<br/><br/>"Come here, let me take a look at you."<br/><br/>As Anne continued looking down, she heard him standing up. When she saw his shoes, she shut her eyes closed.<br/><br/>"Breath, baby. Breath." <br/><br/>She was finally able to breath. </p>