"About the planned music video, do you have a shortlist?" That was Luke's immediate question to Lawrence even though he hadn't sat down yet.
"Yes Sir, I already brought it. Here are the chosen ones." Lawrence slowly put down the folder.
One by one, Luke read the name of the writers who submitted the entry and one of them was this unforgettable name.
"Mayumi Perez. Why is her name included here? I have already rejected it." Luke's good mood changed, it was only ruined because of the name he read and his unforgettable story that still connects to their past with Yumi.
"Sir, she wrote the story well. I think she deserves a chance. I gave her a little chance and by the way, I didn't expect your memory to be sharp.'' Lawrence just scratched his head.
"Actually, I didn't need the pen and notes before because I remember everything, including what other people say about me." He let out a devilish smile.
"Maybe you also want to say something about me," he continued.
"No Sir. I don't know you yet and I'm not the kind of employee who talks about my boss. I'm just doing my work, sir," Lawrence clarified.
"You know, I'm sure you're kind. I know you would never do that." Luke grinned again.
"Sir?"
"I mean, staying for almost a decade in a company with no assurance that your efforts will be rewarded, isn't that enough to call you kind? I'm only 29, I'm just the same age as you. It means it's your first job and you've been here for a while. That is great loyalty if you consider it," Luke said. Lawrence can't tell if the boss is praising or mocking him.
"I just love my job, sir. I'm not tired as long as I'm assured that I can give my family a good life that they deserve," Lawrence confessed.
"But, do you love yourself?" Luke asked.
"Of course, sir."
"Yes I know. That's why you want Ms. Perez to follow you, isn't it? "
"Sir?"
"When I interviewed her, she told me that her goal was to follow someone who's working here. Then you, you still put her story on the shortlist so I already know that. You want Ms. Yumi and you to work together here." Luke's face became serious and then he loosened the tie he was wearing.
"Doing something that's in favor of your interest, is it love and dedication of work? Or love for one's own benefit with the position? "
"Sir, you are mistaken. Ms. Mayumi and I never meet before— "
"Enough. Will you resign, or will I fire you? "
"But I'm just telling the truth, sir. We don't really know each other. "
"Sorry, I don't buy that." Luke just frowned and met Lawrence's gaze. Even though he knew Lawrence was a loyal and good employee at Fiery Corp, he didn't like that he gave Yumi a favor. Luke burned the bridges — but Lawrence built another one just to let Yumi have her chance to reconnect with Luke.
***
"Sir Lawrence, we will miss you. Why is that? Why did Sir Luke suddenly fire you? Does this mean we might be eliminated as well? He is serious about his reform, he acts like he knows everything," said one of Lawrence's colleagues in his department.
"I can't do anything, thank you because you still support me. Soon, I will also be able to find a job," Lawrence replied with a fake smile.
He was hurt by what happened and he had no one to blame but himself and the woman he helped, Mayumi Perez. After his shift, he called the number listed on her resume.
"Yes? Who are they?" said Yumi.
"It's me, Lawrence of Fiery Corp. I lost my job because of you. "
"Sir, I don't understand. Why? This has to do with— "
"I forwarded your manuscript to my boss and he fired me because of that. I have nothing to blame so you are the one I thought to call. Good luck anyway, I hope he will accept your work. "
***
Yumi was taken aback when she hung up the phone. She was sorry for Mr. Lawrence. If he was fired because of her, she could now demonstrate that Luke's behavior was still not acceptable. She was about to knock on the gate, but Mother Lingling was already standing there, and she quickly opened it.
"I thought you weren't coming," said Mother Lingling and hugged her niece first.
"I feel like I can now see him again. I can annoy him more." Yumi's voice was full of hope.
"Is Luke there?" she asked Mother Lingling.
"Not yet. He will go home tomorrow because he visited Madam Nelia in the hospital. "
Yumi rubbed her chest. "I'm excited to see how handsome he is."
"If I could only really show his latest picture, but there's none of it. Luke doesn't want to be photographed. Whenever he goes out, he always wears a hat and shades, as long as his face cannot be seen because he also thinks that someone can see his face. He feels like whenever he's around, people are talking behind his back, he's anxious for nothing," said Mother Lingling.
Yumi heaved a sigh. "Luke has become worse, I guess."
"By the way, after all, since you're already here, you'll take care of Luke first. You already know what you have to do, that's just what I told you. I have to leave first. "
"Wait a minute. Where are you going?"
"In the province. To your dad's relatives. In addition, his death anniversary is also near." There was a heaviness in Mother Lingling's chest every time she let go of the words from her mouth.
Looking back through the past years, the loss of Yumi's father is the main reason why they haven't moved away yet.
"But Yumi, I'm still not confident to leave you here. Luke and you may not have a good outcome together, especially since you are the only two together in this house," added Mother Lingling.
"Are you afraid that she might still be attracted to my charm and that her mother might separate us again? She won't be able to keep us away, I mean she can't keep us away because she has an illness," Yumi confidently said with a mischievous grin.
"You— Yumi, it's not a good joke coming out of your mouth. You seem to be happy that Madam Nelia got hospitalized," Mother Lingling suspected.
"When she used to humiliate me and beat me up to keep Luke and me away from each other, she still lacks compensation for his illness. But I forgave her, she was only influenced by Sir Dante. And speaking of Mr. Dante— "
"Don't you say that you will still continue the investigation into his death? Is that really why you went here? Besides, don't you want Luke and you to get back together? "
"I am no longer part of that team. By the way, don't let me know that I have studied criminology. You know that I will pursue writing while I am out of the investigation team," Yumi reminded. She had previously lied to Mother Lingling that she was relieved of her job as an agent of the Special Bureau Of Investigation because she had made mistakes several times in the mission. She convinced Mother Lingling to believe her so she still manages to show that she has a lot of time and she can go back to her old ways of convincing Luke to forgive her.
But until now, she is still part of the investigation team. Yumi pursued a Criminology course because of her traumas. She used to be helpless and weak especially when she was young because of the darkness she had come from an abusive father. She was further offended by the insult to her by Luke's adoptive parents and even Luke, was also not exempted from the people who hated her until now.
"Always be careful, Yumi. Especially in your decisions. Somehow, we are grateful to Luke's family for a secret we can't tell anymore."
"I am the one who did it. I understand the source of your worries." Tears almost fell in Yumi's eyes. But she knew at that moment, she needed to be more resilient.