It’s been four years since she left the Philippines to pursue her college course. It has been four years since she worked with Luke’s family. Now she is signing documents that shows their company’s financial records for the current month. She compared the finance tables as they looked suspicious. “Something seems off” she said to herself. She kept browsing the whole folder but failed to detect any malice in the values.
She went outside and proceeded to the office of his co-CEO: Luke. She presented the folder in front of Luke who is busy inputting something in his computer. She exhaled and initiated, “The funds for this month does not match in total. I think something is not accounted properly”. Luke did not give her a glance. He pulled the document folder close and marked something with his red pen. He answered, “The accountants must have forgotten to account the five hundred thousand worth of paper expense withdrawn three days ago”.
Naomi contradicted, “But it states here that the company’s expenses is completely recorded. The papers are named to Silvercave stationary”. Luke gave him a bad glare, “Can’t you see I am busy approving contracts here? I bet you know all too well that you are a co-CEO here and it is also your job to fix imbalances in that financial record” he replied. Naomi just nodded and left the office.
She placed both of her palms on the table’s glass surface. She exhaled as her reflection was seen on the glass door. She is wearing a black lady suit; she looks so honored with how she dresses now. Her wavy hair is dyed with burgundy colors. She sighed and leaned on her swivel chair. She stared at the pendulum placed in her desk while remembering the days when she just started working with Luke’s family.
Everything went well from the start. The first years of her high school life is not easy. She did not change her university but she felt the drastic adjustment it gave to her. For her last year in high school, Lorenzia did not give her the best treatment they once shared. Lorenzia joined a new circle of friends and left her alone. She spent high school alone just like how JL spent his college years in the city.
Naomi had the best graduation. She received a land property from her parents to make her learn about early investment. She, her parents, Luke, and Luke’s parents flew to Australia to manage their company’s new branch and to let Luke and Naomi finish their college. Luke graduated one year earlier than Naomi and both of them finished a degree in business administration.
For the first year they worked with each other, Naomi learned how to love Luke. Their officemates shipped them as they worked sweetly with each other. It is when the company’s third anniversary when Luke built up his courage to ask Naomi to be his girlfriend in front of Borderless Media Australia’s staff. He held Naomi’s hand and knelt down.
“It’s been almost a year since I started courting you. We’ve known each other since young; too young to remember it all. I am sure you know me well because I know you most” he started. Naomi continuously gasped. For a time being, she fell for Luke. Luke became a good man to her and to her family. There she knew that she deserves Luke. He added while opening a red jewelry box, “If you’ll give me a chance, Miss Nievez, I want to know you more up until I can label you as my wife. Can you be my girlfriend?” he asked with sincerity in his eyes.
Naomi witnesses how Luke is determined to capture her heart. He never failed to make her secured and prioritized. At that moment, at that time, and at that situation Naomi knew she got over with JL now. She nevertheless forgot how Luke harmed her ex. Naomi answered, “How can I say no?”; she smiled widely while Luke’s charming smirks are in her sight. He made her wear the ring and tugged her close. He whispered to her ear, “From now on, I will only be your man ‘til the end of time”.
Those words are the sweetest for Naomi. They celebrated their first and their second anniversaries but as time goes by, Luke gets easily annoyed of her. Truthfully, they say, as time goes by, you can reveal a person’s true colors. She is doubting but she cannot confront him. She loves him so well that she already forgot how she loved JL back in the old days.
Suddenly, a sharp looking man with eyes full of worry approached her. He placed a cup of Starbucks’ Java Chip Frappuccino in her table. He went close to her but she turned around with arms crossed. He made her face him. He knelt down and held her hand. He placed her palm in her cheeks and uttered, “Sorry I blurted out my anger to you a while ago. Promise, I didn’t mean to say it”. It made her heart melt but she chose to make things hard. She looked away and pretended not to hear something.
Luke swayed her arms. “Come on, I promise I won’t do it again. Mind if I take you to a dinner date later at your favorite steak house?” he asked again to console her. She is disappointed but her heart is soft. She pulled her hands away that are holding his. She crossed her arms again and leaned on the swivel chair. “Fine” she simply said. Luke smiled, “Thank you. Let’s go to that steak house together after work. I’ll drive us there” he added. Naomi just nodded but deep inside, her heart is racing.
She did not know that the aggressive and rude Luke back in high school turns out to be a gentleman and a good lover in the end. She caressed the ring Luke gave her when he asked her to be his girlfriend. Everything still feels fresh as if it just occurred yesterday. Two years of them being onto each other; two years for Luke feeling that JL already lost to him. Two years for Naomi to think that they are one step closer to forever serenity.
One week passed and Luke kept doing the same mistake over and over again. Naomi, as a fool, kept on forgiving him because she loves him. Days are getting harder and harder for her but she aims for one thing – to tie with Luke in the word ‘forever’.
It is a cold Tuesday night. The snows of Australia in the month of August are seen outside their windows. Luke is holding Naomi’s hand from under the table. They are living together separate from their parents’ houses. Now, everything seems to be so strange. There are a lot of foods served in the table even though there’s just six of them in the dining area. Them living together does not need this type of table setting. They are both clueless as their parents started doing monologues one by one.
Luke leaned back, “You know what… Can we just go straight to the point?” he asked while drinking a glass of rum. His dad chuckled, “You see, my son… I know you and Naomi are dating for more than two years now. Hence, the agreement is satisfied; you are both graduates, both are successful, and both are on their legalities now, we want to arrange your marriage finally” he answered.
His mom added, “You see also that we are not getting younger. Luke, you are already twenty - five, while Naomi is twenty - four in age. Might as well give as a grandchild?” she asked. Luke choked with what his mom said. He asked, “You all wanted to have a grandchild?”. Naomi did not seem to be excited also. She added, “Isn’t that too quick? We’re still young to think about it”.
Therese replied, “Kids these days don’t mind having kids in their mid - twenties. Besides, there’s no more problems left. You are sharing a healthy relationship and that will be perfectly paired with a baby boy or a baby girl”. The two looked at each other and awkwardly chuckled. Luke continued the topic, “Let’s start about preparing the wedding first. Babies will be discussed after”.
“There will be a grand press release just in case you two will announce the public about your engagement. Moreover, your wedding should be publicized to attract more investors. For the past four years, you made the two companies and the branch a successful venture. Publicizing your wedding will bring promotions to our companies” said Naomi’s dad. The two nodded; they understood what they meant. After all, it all started with the business gambled on the line.
“I see, when should we start preparing?” Luke asked. His mother replied, “As soon as possible, please”. Naomi internally screamed; they are not rushed but it’s Luke who wants it to be prepared right away. Two days after they discussed about the wedding, Luke threw an engagement party for the staff, the investors, and the family to enjoy. Naomi, as a woman, dreams of having a proper and romantic engagement between the two of them only but she was just left disappointed with Luke’s disapproval.
She asked, “Aren’t you going to formally propose to me as your future wife?”. Luke kept his eyes on the road. He answered, “Do we still need to do that? I know with or without it, the wedding will still happen”. Naomi slowly nodded, “You have a point” she replied. For her, she assumed that Luke will show what her instinct shouts inside her mind but it’s not what happened.
They dropped by a famous boutique in the country. She was greeted by the approachable crew with different sample fabrics she can choose from for her customized wedding dress. Luke just walked around while choosing a suitable suit for him to wear. He allowed the crew to record his dimensions and boredly sat on the stylish sofa the boutique owns. He kept doing things in his phone without thinking that he is already ignoring his future bride.
An unknown phone number popped out of his phone’s screen. He annoyingly answered it outside the boutique. The crew is currently busy recording Naomi’s body dimensions when she saw Luke exited the boutique with face looking annoyed. She knows that emotion from when she first saw the unknown phone number dial Luke’s. Every time they sleep together, the number always pop out of Luke’s phone.
The designer of her gown appeared and explained everything in detail. “Your fiancé chose a black tuxedo that is well partnered with your white silhouette a - line bridal gown. This will be perfect with you wearing the foundation of your whole bridal look – your ivory freya heels”. Naomi showed excitement; it feels like every memory they shared is all worth it.
From when Luke walked with her to their campus, how he makes car rides fun with lowkey romantic music, how he danced her in the middle of the night in the kitchen, and how they kissed under the moon. They seldomly made love and Naomi’s first was taken by Luke some time after they started dating.
Luke annoyingly kicked a pebble while talking to the phone with someone. “You are not someone who is important. If you don’t have any important thing to ask, better cut ties with me now” he said coldly. The person on the other line insisted, “You cannot just leave me like this! Just because you are in a more comfortable position, that doesn’t mean you can leave me behind like a stray dog here!”. Luke dropped the call. From the boutique’s glass door, he saw Naomi’s curious face. He just smiled at her and went back inside.
Naomi can’t keep her curiosities shut and so the night after that, she tried to open Luke’s phone. He is sleeping beside her. She took the chance and to her surprise, there are numerous call logs from the unregistered phone number. There are no messages or chat histories but there’s a part of her that thinks Luke is hiding something from her.
She touched her chest the moment she felt nervousness out of the blue. She shook those thoughts away and asked herself, “Why would he cheat now? The company is doing well and we will soon get married”. She looked down to see Luke’s wrapped arms in her waist. He is sleeping soundly; she placed back his phone on the bedside table and laid beside him. She looked at his calm and handsome face in front of her. He doesn’t look like the one she imagined to be her boyfriend.
She tucked herself inside their shared blanket and wrapped her arms on Luke’s body. She felt him hugging her back. There she felt the security inside Luke’s arms. His warmth made her feel like home; she wished that they could be like that forever. No misunderstandings, no uncertainties, just them being together in that situation will bring her the most comfortable feeling she desires.