Chapter 5

Velvet rubbed his forehead and gently squeezed it when he woke up from his deep sleep. He took a deep breath before he opened his eyes. Only now, did he fall asleep so soundly. He looked at his wristwatch. It was 4:48 in the morning. He slowly got up from lying down and then yawned with a slight stretch of his body. He was a little taken aback when he saw Pangs sleeping soundly while leaning on the side of his bed. He slowly removed the pillow he had placed on its lap and after that, he gently bent it down and laid it on his bed to make it more comfortable to sleep. He stared at her face for a moment and a frugal smile appeared on his lips. He gently stroked its cheek.

"Thank you, Pangs. Right now, I'm jealous of the man you're going to marry. He's lucky for you."

He slammed into his pants as he stared at the sleeping girl. He grabbed his chin. This is the first time he has slept with a woman in his room here in his household. He took a deep breath and then he changed his clothes. He wore a black jogging pants and a black shirt. After that, he left his room and went outside for a jog. He needs to condition his body so that even his mind can be conditioned. He was dramatized again last night...

While he was jogging he could not help but remember how Pangs became his Personal Assistant. She became a victim of illegal recruitment and they raided the agency she was applying for to work abroad. It grabbed his attention because it was so weak sitting on the side of the road while crying loudly. He did not want a woman to cry. He approached it and looked at her face carefully. After that, he bent down and wiped away its tears.

"Miss, don't cry anymore. If you want, let's just have a date?"

The girl, whose eyes were already swollen from crying, looked at his face in confusion.

"I don't want a date. I want money and I need more work! We even mortgaged our small farm just to pay that agency and then, I will know its fake?! Illegal because of human trafficking?! Buwiset!"

Velvet smiled as he remembered that scene. For the first time, a woman denies his charms. He was shaken by that memory. Meanwhile ... Beauty wakes up from her deep sleep. She slowly open her eyes and blinked a few times to get rid of the blurring of her vision. She was a little surprised to see that she was already lying on the bed of the room.

"Sir Velvet looks awake." she said.

She yawned and stretched. She got up and walked to the door of the room. She finally left the room and went to her own room. She rested deeply as she performed her morning rituals. After she did, those she looked for her boss to ask him what he wanted for breakfast. As usual, she saw it again in its garden. The man was sitting on the grass, sweaty. It looks like he just finished jogging and is facing his favorite plant. She came slightly closer to it and she was surprised when it faced her and smiled sparingly.

"Good morning Pangs!"

"Good morning, Sir." she greeted politely.

She finally approached it.

"What do you want for breakfast?" she asked casually.

The young man did not answer her immediately. Instead, it stared at her face.

"I'm sorry if I acted again last night..."

She smiled at it and folded her arms.

"That's okay, Sir. I'm used to your drama act. I know what you are going through. Are you all right, Sir Velvet?"

Honestly, she could not understand the behavior of its biological mother. His boss is not a bad person so why she can not accept him. It has its own blood and flesh. Velvet only wants to be recognized and most of all to accepted by his mother.

"Thank you, Pangs. I'm fine. Fry tilapia and add tomato sauce with chili and a little fish sauce. Then, join me in the meal."

"All right, Sir."

He is not that okay yet. She already knew its action, she had memorized it. She went to the kitchen to cook their breakfast. She did accompany it with breakfast as he requested. After they had breakfast, he left to go to the headquarters of Men in Action and she went straight to the office. She even needs to bring the papers to Nigel that her boss gives her. When she got there, she saw Nigel's serious face staring at her.

"How is Kuya?" its a straightforward question.

She rested deeply and then laid down the brown folder where the papers Nigel needed were placed.

"Okay, he got drunk again last night and dramatized." she replied.

"I told Papa and Mama what happened yesterday. They are worried about Kuya Velvet because it will definitely be a mess for Tamara to leave."

"I know. And Sir Velvet is definitely thinking that too so his head hurts again."

Nigel nodded at what he said.

"So, you and Kuya Velvet... How are you?"

She frowned.

"How are we?" she asked.

"Your loveteam that I formed, how are you? Going strong?"

She slap the folder on the man's head while looking mischievously at her face. If it was not Velvet who would make fun on her, it was Nigel. These two are really brothers.

"My birthday is over, so stop there with your nonsense." her language is stable.

She is not afraid to hit Nigel because he is not her boss but his older brother.

"Ate Pangs... Do you really not like Kuya? If I want a woman for him, that's you. You are the only woman I know sober. After all, he was dating, it was just his past time because those women were also crazy. Just playing too. But you sister Pangs... You are the type of woman who is serious and most married. I am the one walking with my older brother. Is he really hopeless?"

She scolded Nigel. She did not know what madness this one was thinking.

"Stop teasing me. That's enough, stop there. The other day, my birthday ended. Just fix these papers that your older brother gives you. I’m going to his office because he still has important work for me. I will leave you." She just said goodbye.

She turned her back on it and did not wait for an answer. Nigel looked up at the same time as...

"Ate Pangs, Papa and Mama voted for you!"

She just ignored it.

Meanwhile... Velvet sighed steadily as he looked at his father Russel. He stopped painting and looked at him.

"Your brother has already told me what Tamara did..." it began.

He folded his arms and smiled bitterly.

"I can't leave her alone because she is my only sister. Come what may."

It tapped him on the shoulder.

"You're right there, son."

His father walked to the garden and he just followed. It sat on the driftwood chair that was there and he sat across from it. He looked in the garden and saw that his Aunt Almira was busy there. With her, he became infected with the passion of plants. This is what taught him that hobby is a good stress reliever. He looked at his father again.

"Am I really a mistake like that woman said? Am I really a plague, Pa?"

His father looked straight and serious.

"Yes, you are a mistake but you are not a plague. That woman, she paid me for something to happen to us and she got pregnant. The reason, she is chasing a man and she wants to release that this is the father of the child she is carrying. But the man did not just move, he was rich and influential. He challenged that woman to have a DNA test on the baby at birth. After all, your mother has taken a disgusting step. I asked her a few times before and I was ready to return the money she paid me... But, nothing. She became tough due to failure and her ambition... Thank you and... Well, you know what's next. Do not think about her."

Velvet took a deep breath.

"I try, but it's hard. So sometimes, I can't help but be angry with women like her. When I make someone cry like her, I feel... I can get revenge on her."

"Son, stop that. You are not doing well just to get revenge on that person. Just forget about her. She is worthless. It may be better maybe you just focus your attention on finding the woman you can be with until the last breath of your life. You have formed a family. Why, I also want to see a grandchild. How long we will wait?"

Velvet shook his head and then glanced at his stepmother.

"I haven't found her yet." He retorted.

A meaningful smile appeared on his father's lips.

"Maybe it's because you're just not looking next to you. You're just looking everywhere." its meaningful language.

Velvet laughed softly.

"Don't believe in Nigel's nonsense. We just teased Pangs on her birthday." his language is defensive.

"Really?"

Velvet shook and then he stood up in his seat.

"I'll take a look at Aunt Almira's new plant." he said.

He walked to the garden and immediately went to his stepmother who was busy planting its new plant. The plant is very simple and has white flowers. It transfers them to a large pot.

"New plant, Aunt?"

It barely stopped doing that and looked at him with a smile.

"Yes. This plant has a good message. It should, this is what you give to your bride."

He frowned at the plant. It just look ordinary but it has a cute little button flowers that are white.

"Really? What is this plant?"

"Globe amaranth is the name of this plant. Good luck to its giver. Wish of good fortune. I will give you some of this plants but just come back tomorrow. Include Beauty and have dinner here."

"Okay. But what does that have to do with the woman I will marry? That should be given to a friend." he commented.

"When you give it to your loved one, it means so much. Unfading love."

Velvet smiled and stared at the flower of the plant.

"Auntie, when will I be able to find a woman like you who is hopeless-romantic?"

It meant looking at him before it continued what it was doing.

"Maybe it's because the person you're looking for has been by your side for a long time, everywhere you just look." She answered.

He slammed into his pants. He was shaken when he touched his cellphone. Until now, Pangs' voice is his ringtone.

"Auntie, my brother is really gossiping ah? Where is Van?"

"It looks like Nigel has a point and our youngest Van, he is in court now with friends. Playing basketball. There is now a league here in the barangay. Your brother is one of the selected players. At least, he is in sport rather than playing around with women like you."

"Ouch, Auntie... You hit me again. But anyway, I'm leaving. I will visit Bloom and her new born baby in the hospital. Clear is really happy. Blaise is said to be the name of the child."

"Uhum... Eh you, when will you give us a grandchild? It seems that my plants here in the garden are not the only ones I am busy with. You, too, are you not jealous of your friends who have settled down? I heard that Rouge and Olivia are next. Those two are already planning."

He shrugged at what he heard.