Chapter 4

Ericka blinked her eyes at the thought of her daughter residing in her head. She is currently laid on her bed, wanting to get out and go straight to the hospital to visit her child but couldn't because of her father's situation.

It was stopping her from leaving.

Nanny Maria has mentioned it to her several times that her father has been unwell all this time. He was always in pain, enduring everything by himself and she couldn't help but be torn between him and her daughter.

She heaved a sigh when she remembered something wicked in her head. How could her stepmother and stepsister go out of the country while her father is in his sick bed? They left him all alone, sick and weakened as though they did not care one bit about his health.

Ericka took out her mobile from the side table and looked at the screen. She suddenly missed her bed and her ro but it was not the right time to reminisce about the old times. She needed to call Nimfa about her daughter's situation.

If only she could make her friend agree to stay with Rica for now in her stead. She also needed to do something sneaky until she got a huge amount of money to pay for her daughter's operation. For one thing, she thought of talking with their lawyer behind her father's back but she needs to make careful steps at every little thing.

She starts calling Nimfa's phone number and after a few seconds of ringing, the call got connected.

"Hello?" A woman's voice answered on the other side of the phone and in one instance, her face brightened.

"Hello Nimfa, how's my daughter?" she asked in a worried tone. She couldn't help but feel worried sick about her daughter, not being the person by her side while she is in her sick bed.

"She's fine, Ms. Ericka," the woman replied. "She is currently sleeping although, the whole day, she had been looking all over for you." She felt a tung in her heart the moment she heard those words. It was a normal feeling.

How could she not feel hurt when her baby is lookig for her and she is yet to do anything but to listen to another woman's voice?

She couldn't even say goodnight to her own daughter since she arrived in he mansion because she had no time for herself. Everything was taken for granted by her father, talking all sorts of things related to the company and how they can collaborate it to the Grey Family.

"I'm sorry, my dear. There's no way I could trust the business to your stepmother and stepsister." Her thoughts were suddenly pulled back by reverie when her father spoke in a weakened voice. She turned around to look at him as she sees the regret in his eyes. "I regret why I hurt your feelings. I know that that's the reason why you left the family in the first place." I held his hand gently and stroke it. "I just wanted to secure our company with the Greys so that everything is safe and sound," her father added.

Hearing those words sent her thousands of feelings altogether. She had mixed feelings about it: wanting to retaliate, infuriated, blame him, curse and demise but for what?

Her father was blinded by love that he thought that what his mistress was giving to him were all real but truth to be told, everything was a life. What people always wanted from him was nothing but money.

Ericka bit her lips. Her father only married her mother out of the inheritance and when he had his chance, he divorced her all to go back to his first love and end up in this sorry state.

The extra marital affair with her stepmother sunk her mother's heart when she was still alive and in her dying breath, she had always been regretful, sad, and full of sorrow as though she had a lot of thoughts in her hand but it was nearing her death.

Ericka's mother narrated all of the pain she had secretly hid inside and whenever she remembers all of it, she couldn't help but feel enraged but right now? What should she feel? Pity?

She slowly squeezed her father's hand. She wanted to hate him to her death, curse and blame him for everything that had happened to her and her mother but the moment she met and spent time with him, she couldn't. Everything was just perfect and different compared to all the stories she have heard.

However, everything just magically changed into a wicked state when her mistress and stepsister came in the picture. They took everything from her that made her bury feelings of hate inside of her.

"Hello Ericka, the doctor asked me to buy a medicine that needs to be injected to Rica." The voice from the other side of the phone pulled her back yet again. She was in deep thoughts when she realized she was still speaking with Nimfa on the phone.

Upon hearing those words, she quickly massaged her forehead at the sound of injection and medication. It means she'll need to work hard to earn more money or something.

She heaved a sigh and said, "It's okay, Nimfa, tomorrow, I'm coming there to give you enough money so please take good care of my daughter.

She couldn't help but be worried for her daughter's state. She needed enough money to pay her and her medication fees that she even has to beg her to stay by Rica's side.

"Don't worry, Ms. Ericka," Nimfa exclaimed, reassuring her. "I will do my best to take care of your daughter. She's like a sibling to me, alright?" she said in a calm tone. It seems that she's trying to cheer her up by saying positive words.

A tear almost fell down her eye as she hears those words. "Thank you, Nimfa!" she replied and then wiped off the tear in her eye. Just as she realizes that it was getting late, she turns her head towards the clock before she continued her words on the phone.

"You can take a rest now while Rica is sleeping," she added with a smile on her face.

She might not be abld to talk to Nimfa face to face but she couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, Ms. Ericka, goodnight," the woman on the other side of the phone said. There was a hint of drowsiness from the other line that makes her think that she was indeed tired.

"Goodnight, Nimfa," she responded and with that, the call ended with one press on the red button. After a short while, she stsred right at her lock screen with her child,'s face flashed through her phone before she put the phone back to the bedside table before standing up to use the washroom.

She grabbed a change of clothes from the closet and immediately walked towards the door to open and have a quick bath on the shower.

Once she was ready for bed, she started navigating her way towards the linen and in one instance, probably because of exhaustion, the soft covers of the bed immediately pulled her into a long comfortable sleep.

A few hours have goneby and the first thing she hears was the sound of an annoying alarm clock waking her in her sleep state. As she furrows her brows from the sound of the alarm, her body automatically wakes up, her eyes opening only to stretches her limbs into the thin air before finally standing up.

Today is her first day in her father's office and immediately enough, she could feel the pressure upon her shoulder as though she would create a lot of mistakes in her first day.

She gulped and shook her head. There's no time for doubts, fears and anxiety. She has to do her best in the office and so she headed straight to the washroom to get a shower after grabbing a change of clothes in the wadrobe.

Once she took out some clothes that seemed intuck, she stared at them as though she was dragged in her thoughts again. Most of her clothes were casual wears usually and so staring at her supposed uniform makes her feel stuffy and weirdly uncomfortable. As she thinks to herself that she'll need to wear them more often, she heaves a sigh.

An officewear of cream colored slacks partnered by a silk white blouse, in one last view in front of the full length mirror, she turned around and exited the bedroom to take her bath.

Her days acted like usual as she finishes with preparing herself. As she starts making her way downstairs, she takes notice of two gentlemen in the dining area, only to figure out that it was none other than Shawn and her father. It seems that it isn't new anymore to Shawn that he is having his dinner in their household. It was like his second home, the same as her for they share next door houses together.

Once she walked towards their direction, her father quickly took notice of her presence and greeted her with a smile flashing through his lips.

"Goodmorning, my dear," the old man said as she takes up on one of the seats.

"Goodmorning, Dad," she replied with the same enthusiastic manner only for her to furrow her brows together when she took notice of Shawn staring right at her. "Goodmorning," she said in a low unenergectic voice.

If it was the old her, she wpuld be flying through rainbows at the sight of the man in front of her. It's true that the gentleman is as handsome as the men in the magazine or they couldn't compare but ever since she started growing up to a more matured and experienced lady, everything turned upside down and the princess who was a damsel in distress started to turn into a queen who does not need a king.

She frowned a little at the look the man gave her. If it weren't for her father sitting on the same room as they are, she could have ignored the man immediately and just get on with eating and leaving for work.

"Goodmorning as well," the man replied after a long while as she pulls her chair to sit properly in the dining table. Immediately, she starts eating her food without much care for Shawn when her father suddenly broke the silence.

"Ericka, you are coming with Shawn in the office."

The sound of the clattering of utensils stopped for a moment at the words her father said and in one instance, her head lifted to look at her old man, only to see the man on the corner of her eyes with a grin flashing through his lips.

"He is going to be in charged in introducing you to the new employees and stockholders of our company," her father continued that made her knit her forehead.

It was obvious that she couldn't refuse what her father said but she couldn't help but react in a certain way if its about the same man.

For one, she even feels disgusted at just the sight of the man so what more if she stays close to him in the office just to introduce the people in their work?

She secretly rolled her eyes on the side and raised one of her eyebrows when she met the man's eyes.

Ah, whatever happens, happen. All she has to do is to endure work with him so that she can have enough money to pay for her daughter's medical fee.

There's nothing wrong that's going to happen so she just needs to brace herself for what's coming.

And with that, she just simply nodded her head at the words her father said and repljed, "Yes." before taking a scoop of food across her plate to her mouth, the sound of clattering utensils continue.