Chapter 5

CRYSTAL

My mouth parted but no words came out. I wanted to laugh, though. It seemed he was just fooling around. However, there was a part of me that believed in what he just stated, especially after I recalled the dream I had this morning. "D-did you say Wayne Law Firm?"

"That's right, Crystal," he said with a nod and an extended hand stretching his arm. "By the way, my name is Erik Jimenez, and I'm your father's assistant, as I previously stated."

I accepted the handshake. But when our skin made contact, I felt an unstoppable current that flowed from him to my system. For a few seconds, it paralyzed my senses. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Jimenez," I said as I let go of the hand before my mind went blank. 'Seriously, what's that all about? Why is this man having such an impact on me?'

"Oh, please. Just call me Eric." His smile was so sweet it could brighten even the gloomiest of days.

I beamed back though I was still confused. Then I asked again, staring at my birth certificate. "Wait, how did I end up with a wealthy father?" A cluster of questions whirled around in my head like a furious hurricane. But I didn't know where to start when it came to asking questions.

Until he started explaining...

Erik shared what he knew about me. He told me that my mother and I were Miguel Wayne's first family. My mother, on the other hand, decided to go when she found that my father had been arranged to marry another woman—a wealthy woman.

He also stated that my parents had been in frequent communication until now. My father had tried to persuade Mama to come to live with him to have a better life, but she refused.

"That's all I know, Crystal. My boss will tell the rest to you," Erik said and drank the bottled water in front of him. He put the other in my hands. "So, what do you say?"

"I… I couldn't believe what I just heard." I tried to laugh. But it couldn't alter the fact that I was a bit hurt. "All my life, I thought my father abandoned me because he had nothing to give to his family. But now, I learned he is wealthy with a huge company."

"I'm not aware of the real conflict between your parents. But I've known Mr. Wayne since I was in college because he's the one who sponsored my schooling. I hope you give him a chance to be a father to you, Crystal. He is a good man." Erik's face was serious this time.

"If only I can say the same thing, Erik," I said to him. "You are lucky because he supported you. But what about his daughter who has to work hard just to make ends meet? Where was he when I needed him the most? And now he's back to disrupt my mother's life. He is married, for God's sake! I don't want to destroy their life just because of me." I returned the folder on the dashboard. "I don't need that paper. I already have one, and the name I recognize is Crystal Eleonor Bretz."

"I know what you're going through, Crystal," he sighed and reached out to hold my hand, which stunned me. "A truth that came out of nowhere is not easy to accept. But believe me when I say this—you must come with me to see your father and hear his explanation."

A whirlpool of emotions was swirling inside my chest as he tried to convince me. Oh, how I've always wanted to know the truth about myself. But I never imagined it would be so complicated.

"So, are you coming with me? Your dad is waiting for you in Wayne Mansion."

"Still no!" I snapped. I wanted to go with him to meet my father. However, I refused since I was still in shock and I wanted to give myself time to process the information I just learned. I was happy to know that my father was alive—that's for sure. Regardless, I still felt a pinch of hurt in my chest because all this time, my mother had been communicating with my father without my knowing.

Despite this, I understood why my mother was keeping the truth away from me—she didn't want to be involved with a married man.

***

It had been a week since Mama and I celebrated my birthday. Our bonding moment was wonderful and priceless. We'd gone to amusement parks and movie theaters. It made me feel I was a little girl again. But no matter how happy I was, I felt guilty because I didn't mention her anything about Erik.

"Timing, Crystal. You will tell her everything at the right time," I sighed as I walked into the staff room. It was another regular day of work. I put on my uniform and pinned my name tag. Once I turned away from my locker just right after I finished fixing myself, I gasped when I bumped into someone. The impact caused her to drop her phone which was stuck in her ears a few seconds later.

'Heck!' Of all the people I would bump into was Pat, the management trainee who acted as if she was the manager of this fast-food restaurant. She was the type of employee that would always yell at the service crews with no consideration and even if a customer was in sight.

"Look at what you did, little clumsy girl. Don't you know I just got it now?"

I quickly picked up the phone, wiped it clean with the tissue in my hand, and handed it to her. "I'm sorry. I was in a hurry and didn't see you." Despite my irritation at being called clumsy, I smiled at her. "So, if you'll excuse me, I'll go ahead. See you later."

"Wait a minute. You think you can get away with this?" She stood in my way.

I had no choice but to pause because she was blocking the whole door. Even some service crews were unable to get out because of her. They couldn't complain, though. Nobody wanted to get into a fight with a bully.

I took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "What do you want, Pat? As far as I know, your phone isn't damaged. So if your concern isn't related to work, can we just talk about it after my shift? Every second counts here so let me go to my workplace."

Her eyes grew wide. Well, I couldn't blame her if she was surprised that I was talking back to her. No one has ever done that before I started working here. I didn't care, though, because I didn't make any violations.

"Where does this boldness come from, eh?" She grinned and pointed her finger at my face, causing my blood to boil rapidly. "We must work quickly and with complete concentration. You, on the other hand, have no right to behave like a headless chicken. So, next time, don't be such an idiot and act less clumsy."

I yanked her finger away from my face with a snap. She was taken aback, but she maintained her tough demeanor. "First of all, I'm not clumsy, madam. I even passed the probation period without the customer's complaint. Second, I'm not stupid. You're the one who doesn't seem to know where you're going because you're at work but your phone is in your hand… I mean, ear."

My fellow service crews were all murmuring at the same time. Others even laughed out loud. Pat, on the other hand, had a deep red tint on her cheeks and nose that nearly exploded her face. She huffed like a mad dog and raised her arms in the air.

"Why, you! No one humiliates me, you bitch!"

I caught her arm and took a grip on it tightly enough to leave a red mark on her skin. Well, I needed to stop her because I didn't want that slap to land on my face. "I've already wasted a lot of time, Pat. You have to let me out!"

I could behave to others with grace. My attitude, on the other hand, was encouraged by how others treated me. I wouldn't just stand by and allow others to bully me, especially those who used their positions of power to prove their superiority.

After I let go of her arm, she gawked at me while giving a small space for me to pass through. But I froze when she said something. "I'll report you to Sir Dino, you bitch! You'll get yourself suspended because of your rude attitude!"

'Heck, as if she can scare the living daylights out of me!'

I shot her a glare. "Go on! If you want, I can accompany you to see him. But imagine his anger when I tell him that you were using your phone while at work."

"He won't believe you because you're just a service crew under probation period," she grinned as she took a step toward me and covered my whole being with her towering height.

I raised my eyes to the ceiling's corners. "Then I'll advise him to look over the security cameras. They don't lie, do they?"

I could be tough if I wanted to but I didn't want to always deal with her kind. Her attitude was hopeless. Before I carefully closed the door, I caught her staring at the cameras as if she wanted to pull them off the ceiling one by one.