Chapter Nine - A second chance

 Andrei's POV

 It was the second time mum was asking me why I looked restless but all I could say was I was fine. Even Alex tried to do everything to cheer me up but still I was down. 

My heart was completely broken. The major course was Cherry. 

In work, everything was not working fine. I couldn't get any investors for VIDA and our stock prices were going down daily. Grandpa's complain and the board of directors' threats added to my stress.

It was like my whole world turned upside down since Cherry left. It was like my lucky charm ran out of luck or rather, my lucky charm left me.

Indeed, Cherry was my lucky charm. 

Since she came into my life, luck had been on my side and ever since she became angry with me, luck ran out.

I tried my best to rectify my mistakes with Cherry, I had paid off her debts, given her a job and had given her sister money to be a good conduct but it didn't lessen the guilt I felt.

I drove my car that Saturday evening to her house. I had come in the morning but she left without I knowing. I parked my car some metres away and walked closer to her house, but then I sighted her. she was standing outside her door. I walked towards her nervously.

"I knew you'd come," she said and it shocked me.

"I am giving you five minutes, just five minutes," she said and I couldn't help but smile.

She walked away from the door and towards my car.

"What is it? aren't you coming or do you want to talk in front of my neighbours? Or maybe you were thinking I'ld usher you into my house, never," she said.

I quickly opened the car door, then I took the driver seat. 

"Thank you for giving me a chance to explain myself," I said and then she looked away.

"Just say what you want," she said.

"At first when I met you, I never wanted to do any of those things. I just really wanted to know you, I tried all I could do but you never seemed to notice me. It was frustrating ad I tried using force. I thought if you desperately needed help, you'd to me. That's why I always came to offer you help during that time but you still refused until you found out. I'm sorry, I should have respected your decision," I told her.

"There's always a reason for everything. My behaviour towards you had a reason and though I can't tell you that reason, I just want you to know that sometimes you have to be understanding. Don't ever try to use power to force someone to make a decision, don't force yourself into someone's life because you might only end up becoming an enemy to the person. The only reason I'm forgiving you is because everyone deserves a second chance, after all, I was given a second chance," she said slowly and I was so elated.

"You've finally forgiven me. Thank you, thank you so much, I feel as if a load has been taken off me, thank you," I said to her.

"Remember, we are still not friends," she said and I felt down but still, I didn't lose hope because I knew we would become friends someday. 

She tried to open the door and when I offered to help,she said "I can do it, I'm an independent woman." 

"Yes madam," I said as I watched her opened it. She was always so stubborn. I drove home happily and couldn't help but smile all the way.

It was Monday, the first thing I did this morning when I woke up was scheduling a meeting with my team. I had come up with an idea to increase our stock price. I arrived work joyfully, it was a new week and I felt this week would be great.

"Our mission is to increase the sales of our products, thereby increasing profits and in the long-run, increasing stock prices and we can achieve this through a variety of options.

Firstly, we have to reduce our cost price while trying to maintain the quality of our products, so we could get a lesser selling price and this can be achieved by a change of suppliers, we have to do an all-round check on our suppliers. 

Secondly, for our applications, we would have to use advertisement or we could use other sales promotion techniques like coupons and thirdly, we have to improve the last versions of our applications. Again, we could...," I was saying but then, Steve started clapping and the rest joined.

"We have to do a check on our suppliers and we could use coupon method to get more online sales," Steve and we were good to go.

 By Wednesday, global tech was back on track, at least our decline stopped. Just a few more days, and I was sure we would be back on the lead. We were able to get few investors for VIDA. I just had to convince grandpa and the rest of the board that it was going to work.

I sat on my chair, looking at the demand statistics of our company and other rival companies when Stephanie called. It had been a while since she called, it was surprising.

"Yes, how may I help you?" I asked.

"Andrei don't be like this, at least say hello first," she said.

"Steph, I'm busy right now.

If you don't have anything important to say, then I'ld hang up.

"Your dad and Brandon are back," she said and it shocked me.

"Dad and Brandon, when?" I asked.

"I don't know but they are really back," she said.

"Thanks Stephanie, and please don't tell mum and Alex," I begged before hanging up.

Dad and Brandon are back, it meant trouble was back.

 Cherry's POV

 My work has been fine and though, I still loved global tech so much, this company was still okay for me. I loved my position here at least much more than being a typist. Not that I hated being a typist but it wasn't my calling.

It has been over two weeks since I started working here and things were finally going well, sort of. I had gone to see Miss Rosie and the landlady and I promised to pay them back and they seemed fine with it. 

At least, my car didn't give any more faults. Everly had come visiting twice and our relationship was going fine.

Amanda was doing great but her mum was really sick. I knew aunt would get better.

Maybe everything was back to normal except for one thing, Andrei's disturbance.

 It's been two weeks since I saw him and though I try to deny it, I missed his troubles, I actually miss him.

Was he really living my life? Did he really decide to stay away? I should be happy but I felt sad. We never knew each other, we didn't start off well, our status was different, I mean, he was boss and I was employee, but still we weren't enemies.

Yes, he made some mistakes but he apologized and I forgave him. And he always treated me well, he made me feel special, like a queen. I mean he went to all lengths just for me. And that day he knelt down, my neighbours never stopped talking about it. They kept talking about how I turned down a so-called prince charming, as if they knew the whole story.

I had never been showed so much importance or value, dad never loved me and mum, all she ever cared about was dad. No one had made me feel so valued like he did.

I know I had not been nice to him but I didn't want him to really leave. Maybe, it was partly my fault why he did what he did, maybe I had allowed my fear of becoming like mum overshadow me. It wasn't wrong to fight for the one you liked, liking me on his part wasn't wrong.

They always say you know the value of something when you lose it, it was true, very true. 

Andrei actually seemed like a nice guy, I mean he was different from the rest men I knew, wasn't he? He couldn't have been pretending, right? 

Cherry, what was happening to you? What are you thinking? You can't be fooled.

And there was absolutely nobody I felt secure enough to share my burden with, Amanda would certainly make fun of me. I just prayed fate would give me a second chance, I'ld certainly be nicer to him.