Chapter Eight

Meanwhile, the trio had remained standing as they watched the young man leave, for their driver had not yet arrived.

Sherlene became ecstatic as she dreamily sighed.

"Is he not wonderful?"

Her eyes glued to the place Nicholas once stood; she was love-struck.

Tapping her shoulders, Doccharles understood his daughter's infatuation for Nicholas Ross, and he was happy she had taken a liking to him but no more. Feeling this phone buzzing in his pocket, he fished it out to see the driver had texted him. He had arrived and waiting outside.

"The vehicle has arrived. Let us go home."

Absentmindedly nodding, Sherlene's mind had different fantasies revolving around Nicholas.

"Is he single?"

Laughing, Doccharles held his smiling wife's hand in his as soon as he dismissed the phone. They all walked through the hallway.

"That I do not know of, my dear."

"Then, that is wonderful!"

Raising an eyebrow, the dreamy look in Sherlene' s eyes did not go unnoticed by Flora.

'It seems she likes him.'

Flora's smile faltered for Sherlene her spoiled daughter was unpredictable.

"What did he come to do here anyway, papa?"

Glancing up into the ceiling, Doccharles hesitated. He was unsure of sharing such confidential information with his wife and daughter. But after careful consideration, he shrugged. He could trust them.

"He is the first patient to donate his sperm for testing."

"Really?"

Humming, both Sherlene and Flora were astonished.

"Yes, but I made a promise that after the examination, we will dispose of the sperm."

"Well, that is fair. I mean, what if something were to happen? The hospital would face great trouble."

Nodding, Flora silently agreed with Mr. Ross' decision. However, the selfish wheels were turning in Sherlene's head.

Remembering the papers she saw on her father's desk a few days ago, she concluded in her head that Nicholas would become her first candidate for marriage.

"Mother, father, can I marry Mr. Ross?"

Interrupting the conversation, Sherlene shocked both Flora and Doccharles to the core, that their footsteps faltered.

"Wha… Whatever brought on that idea, dear?"

It was Flora who broke the silence first.

"He is every girls' ideal husband, ma. Rich, handsome, polite, respectful, strong-willed, and confident: he is perfect."

Glancing at each other with perplexed looks on their faces, Flora and Doccharles were nervous. Spoiling Sherlene ever since she was a child, they had given her everything she desired, but now they were undecided. After all, Mr. Ross was not an object but a human being.

"I am sorry dear, but…"

"He is the man I want papa, and no one else. I want to marry him. I like him."

Sherlene became demanding, her heeled foot smacking against the ground.

"But marriage is not an easy thing, sweetie."

Flora tried to reason with her daughter, but Sherlene ignored her.

"I will marry him. End of this discussion."

Swiftly turning around, Sherlene marched out of the main hall that was surprisingly empty. Walking towards the SUV with the driver patiently awaiting their presence, Sherlene opened the back seat and stepped into the ac environment. Soon, her parents joined them, and they remained silent even when the driver started the engine. During the journey home, Sherlene developed her plan.

A hectic week of scheduling and rescheduling her boss' calendar and going places she wished she would never go, Sharlene was like a deflated fish waddling in water. She was dead tired and wanted sleep. Rubbing her tired eyes, she leaned against her desk with a loud groan. It was a Thursday.

A day, she would get off work early, her boss had thought otherwise and dumped an unexpected bomb on her shoulders.

"You have a car and a house. You do not have children or a boyfriend. The upcoming project will be the stepping stone for this department in the company. It is at this time people work their hardest to get a promotion. So you can do an all-nighter today."

Was her boss's harsh words while filing her already long nails this morning. Sharlene had tried to reason with her, but speaking to Madam Sinclair, she realized, was like conversing with a piece of wood in water. It was pointless and taxing.

Glancing at the circled date on her DIY Callender sitting on her office desk, she huffed. It was the day she set for her Pap smear appointment, and it was six days from now. It was also a day taken out of her vacation, but she did not mind.

Hearing a soft rap on her office door, she lifted her head to glance at her smiling best friend, Rita, who popped her head inside. She was lucky enough to get off work early today.

"Hey, there. How's it going?"

Groaning, Sharlene stretched like a cat.

"I still have ten papers to check for errors, five new designs to draw, and eight different social events to place on Madam Sinclair's schedule. Also, I have to think of and develop a theme for the massive project coming up in two--no three months."

"Pssh. That sounds like an awful lot."

Considerate, Rita stepped into the room and walked over to glance at her computer screen.

"Are you sure you can do this all tonight?"

Shrugging, Sharlene swiveled in her chair to face her.

"I sure can't. So, I will split the work into six days. That means I am not leaving work early for a long time."

Glancing at the time on her phone, Rita sighed, for it read half-past nine.

"It seems I will not get that ride home today too."

Sharlene laughed as she pointed at Rita's small baby bump.

"The baby needs exercise."

Pouting, Rita rolled her eyes while pointing at her flat shoes.

"In those shoes?"

"You were the one who wore them."

"You…"

Playfully narrowing her eyes, Rita was about to speak, but Madam Sinclair suddenly appearing through the door interrupted her.

"I do not believe I pay you, Britt, for chatting up a storm during work."

Offended by Madam Sinclair's words, because she was working on her time, Sharlene refuted.

"I am not."

"Ah, ah. You, Miss. Pine should make your way home before it gets darker, and you, Britt, should continue before I give you an additional hour."

"That is not fair."

Chipping in, Rita was in disagreement with Madam Sinclair, but the woman only dismissed her presence.

"Come on, Miss. Pine. Life is not fair, but you don't see me complaining. Off you go. I do not have the whole day."

Frowning, Rita leaned over and whispered in Sharlene's ears.

"I will message you when I reach home."

Nodding, Sharlene watched her friend walk out of the room, but not before faking a fisted punch behind Madam Sinclair's head. She bit her lip to stop the laugh bubbling inside of her.

Walking over to slam another set of documents on her desk, Madam Sinclair evilly smiled.

"That is for all the times you came in late, dearie. Take your precious time, and don't rush. Don't worry about loneliness. Miss. Apex will be cleaning this floor tonight."

Flipping her hair, she stepped out of the room.

Groaning for her boss had made her night worse; she banged her forehead on her hands.

'How can she be so evil?'

Her boss was a walking she-devil who made her underlines life miserable in the company.

Sharlene was her sixth secretary for the month and still holding on strong. The other five had given up on the third day of work. They reported it was stress from overworking. But Sharlene was different.

Because she had to balance work, jobs, and studying when she attended High-School and college years ago, she had grown to appreciate hard work.

It was this weakness her boss took advantage of.

Turning back to face the computer, she cracked her knuckles.

With a determined look on her face, she breathed in and out.

"Let me get started."

Muttering, she pushed her falling glasses back on her face and began typing away.