Chapter 24

True Friend

9 years ago

April 2020

"It's okay, Ana. Life is not a competition after all. Some graduate at 21 and end up getting a great career at 30 while some find a great career at 21 and graduate at 30. Don't worry so much. Life's not a race. You are not late. You are at the right pace of your own timeline," Jose showered me with comforting words.

I had been so frustrated again since life just became so challenging. I told myself that I would only be working for months in a contact center and then go back to school. But what do you do when there were so many debts, surprise fees in Ella's school, car breaking down, unexpected bills, and other emergency stuff that need to be paid?

Ever since my first day from passing training, Jose had been my closest friend. His positive aura reminded me so much of Mia. To be honest, I kind of considered him as a best friend now.

Our stations were next to each other since we're teammates now. We were drinking coffee in our fifteen-minute break and as always, no matter how awful life could seem, he strived to make me see the light.

"Maybe you're right, Jose. I just—I just never thought that this would be my life though," I expressed.

He smiled at me and said, "Tell you what, Ana, I don't know how and I don't know why but one day, I will hear you say that I'm right."

I gave him a small smile back.

"Anyway, how about you? Do you still plan on going back to school?"

Jose nodded and answered, "When I figure out what I want to be in life."

He took up Engineering but he was nowhere near happy. After one semester, he dropped out and told his parents that he would find himself. His parents certainly weren't wealthy but they were still the type who wanted to make sure he had a better future. They were conservative and they wanted him to take the predictable path in life: graduate college, have a great career, get married, and have kids.

Just like me, Jose's not even on step one but he's not worried. He wasn't afraid and that's what I admired most about him.

"You just have to enjoy life, Ana. Enjoy its uncertainties and—" his voice immediately trailed off when he stared at something from my back. I turned my swivel chair around and saw our site manager, Trevor Page talking to one of the agents, Iris. There certainly was a spark between the two of them. I turned to look at Jose and there was . . . jealousy in his eyes. His eyes were shooting daggers and obviously, I knew what this was.

"Jose, do you like Iris?"

He looked down, his fingers trembling, and he slowly nodded his head. He uncomfortably said, "Yeah, I do." His voice was too low but I heard him clearly.

"Hey, Iris is cool. She's nice, she's pretty, and she's someone you can count on at work," I praised the girl he liked.

"Yeah, yeah, she is," he forced a smile and since I sensed he was too uncomfortable to talk about her, I decided to change the subject instead.

"Anyway, Christian's got free time later and I'm kind of excited." I truly was.

Pre-med was very exhausting for him but med school was a whole different level. His eyes were darker and his noise was practically attached to his books. He studied most of the time and free time became very rare. I was the less busy one so I helped him with studying. I was making sure that no matter how difficult it got, I was there for him to fuel his ambitions and drive.

"He got free time, huh?" I immediately froze when I heard Jack's sinister voice. He was standing behind me. I was not looking but I could feel that he was so close to me.

"With all due respect, Mr. Hyde, please leave us alone. We're talking here," Jose glared at him.

"Mr. Rodriguez, always protecting little Ana here, huh?"

"Come on, Mr. Hyde, just leave her alone," there was an edge in Jose's voice.

Jack laughed a little, "Would you let me have a little fun, Mr. Rodriguez? Now, I don't know how you did it but you convinced Trevor to transfer Ana to another supervisor, huh? It's break time so I got to have a little fun."

"Mr. Hyde, please!" Jose warned, sounding angrier now.

"You're talking about his rich boyfriend huh? Heard he's taking up medicine and he's free tonight?" Then all of a sudden, I felt his mouth right next to my ear and said, "You must have a vagina to die for, huh?"

"You motherfucker!" Jose screamed and almost punched him, but I stood up and stopped him from attacking Jack. I turned to look at him and he looked as smug as ever, it was as if he's enjoying this. My glare was murderous and I really wanted to attack him, but it's not worth it.

"He's not worth it, Jose. Let it go," I said while staring at Jack. He smirked before walking out. Everybody was looking at us already and I had to pretend that it was nothing even though it really hurt me so much.

Jose was breathing rapidly, like he was still trying to control his temper. I looked down and hoped that this wouldn't happen again.

-page break-

"That stupid motherfucker! Just because he's a son of a major stockholder of the company we're working for, doesn't mean he has the right to treat women that way," Jose kept on ranting with an angry voice as we walked down the pavement.

We just ate lunch in an affordable diner. We usually just eat in the cafeteria but I figured, we needed as much comfort food as we should eat. So, we ate fries, burger, and milkshake.

While eating, Jose revealed that in the whole year that he's been working in the company, most women would feel very unsafe around Jack. His malign behavior deeply affected some and they tried to approach the HR but nothing happened. Although the HR wanted to action the concerns, the Board insisted that it was all a false accusation and nothing more. His parents, after all, were the biggest stockholders of the business. Hyde could get away from anything.

As Jose kept on ranting his hatred towards Jack, I felt shaken up. He was so close to me and his presence still surrounded me. It almost felt like I was in a fog—a cloud of danger. It was as if I was in a mist of hell. His presence felt like that. It was dangerous and unsafe.

I wanted to get away from this place but I remembered how hard I worked just to get this job. I couldn't just leave this and let Mom and Ella suffer.

"Look, Ana, if I find another company we can work at, I will take you with me and we'll definitely get away from here."

I hooked my arm with his and told him, "Thank you."

"Huh?"

"Thank you for sticking up for me. Thank you for speaking with our site manager about my having to be assigned to another supervisor instead. Thank you for being a true friend," I expressed my gratitude wholeheartedly.

He told me jokingly while wiping a fake tear in the side of his eye, "Stop it. You're making me cry."

We were finally in front of our office building and I stopped on my tracks when I saw Christian sitting on the porch. He had a brown bag at hand and as soon as he saw me, he stood up. He still was in his all-white uniform. I smiled at his sight—relieved he was here. But then, my smile faded when I saw how his eyes turned dark. He looked at Jose.

"Is that Christian in the flesh? Whoa!" I immediately unhooked my arm from Jose's. He looked oddly excited to meet Christian. How could he not? I had spent months talking about him, gushing over him. I was sure Jose was more than ecstatic to meet him.

"Hey, Christian," I ran to him and wrapped my arms around his body. After that whole incident with Jack this morning, having him near me was a huge comfort. His arms were my safety and to inhale his scent meant I was at home.

"I had a thirty-minute free time so I thought I could bring you so lunch. But I guess you ate already," He held me close too but his dark eyes were still fixated on Jose.

"Yeah, I already ate but let me get this. Thank you," I grabbed the bag from his hand and told him that I would save this for later.

I signaled Jose to come forward which he did though. He seemed like a mortified puppy when he took a few steps closer to us. Christian was angry, so angry and I tried my best to make him subside those irrational feelings. There really was nothing to be jealous about.

"Christian, this is my friend, Jose. We're teammates. And Jose, this is my boyfriend, Christian Grey," I introduced both of them. Jose smiled at Christian awkwardly, his hands were trembling, and he looked as though he wanted to pee.

"Nice to meet you," Christian said coldly and accepted Jose's handshake.

"Nice to meet you-oh!" Jose grunted a little when Christian's handshake was too tight.

Christian let go of Jose's hand and turned to look at me. "Well, I got to go. I only have thirty minutes free time and I've spent twenty-five minutes waiting here. See you tonight. I love you," he told me before pulling me in for a rather passionate kiss.

He was definitely jealous.

-page break-

"Damn, your boyfriend is really in love with you, huh? You've been together for seven years and he still looks at you that way? You're so lucky, girl," Jose told me.

Afternoons seemed far more relaxing compared to mornings. We'd spend around fifteen minutes waiting for our next call.

"Yes, I am lucky," I said.

"Have you told him about Jack already? You got to tell him tonight! If I was so aggravated and angry, he would feel a hundred times worse most definitely. I hope that happens. I cannot wait to see your man murder Mr. Hyde," Jose said and all I could do was smile.

The truth was Christian never knew anything about Mr. Hyde. He already got a lot on his plate. I never told my mother and my sister and only Jose deeply knew about this. I just let Jose believe that I was opening up with somebody else.

I guess I never told anyone because I couldn't seem to fathom how a man could ever treat me this way. It felt so awful to experience this. I felt completely . . . worthless thinking that I was being treated this way.

What happens next when they find out? They force me to resign? And I go back to square one in trying to make a decent living? I was nowhere near safe but I felt stuck. I didn't have anywhere else to go.

Jose distracted me from my thoughts when he asked, "Seven years is a long time. When are you two going to get married?"

"He proposed and I said no," I shared.

He raised his brow and asked, "Why?"

"Because I wasn't ready. Jose, I am completely not ready for marriage. Look, we're not even on step one yet, right? Getting married is the third step," I told him.

Jose smiled knowingly, "Ana, dear, the steps don't have to be in order. There is no such thing as Step 1, 2, or 3 when it comes to happiness."

I was dumbfounded.

"You're one of the lucky ones, Ana. When you find the one you see your whole future with, there's no excuse in delaying it," he told me.

Words can't find me. I couldn't say anything.

"Hi. Thanks for calling! This is Jose, how can I help?" Jose answered a call and I kept on pondering about his words the rest of the remaining hours at work.

-page break-

Christian surely prepared the evening for us. He was dressed in his casual black t-shirt and I on my jeans and blouse. We were in his place and I was stunned when he prepared mashed potatoes and lamb for dinner. This was very simple and unlike his usual dinner dates in restaurants, but I was more than happy because we finally had some time.

Unfortunately, he was still being quiet though. I didn't like this. He had absolutely nothing to be jealous of.

"Christian, hey, look at me," I said. We were eating dinner but the whole time, he just kept looking down.

"Hey," I softly persuaded him.

He finally lifted his gaze into mine and I could clearly see how tired he was. His eyes seemed so droopy and I could tell that he had spent sleepless nights.

"Are you worried about Jose? If you are, then you don't have to be. He is clearly a good friend at work and nothing else," I assured.

"I just . . . fuck! I hate feeling this way," he expressed frustratingly.

I reached across the table for his hand. I held his hand so tightly when I told him, "You have nothing to be worried about. Christian, Jose is just a friend, okay? He likes another girl from work. Her name is Iris and he knows all about you and I and he's just that, okay? There's nothing else going on."

He couldn't reply for a moment but he finally exhaled and held my hand in both of his.

Christian looked at me straightly in the eye and told me honestly, "I guess what I truly felt a while ago was that I was scared that you can find someone else who can be so much better than me. Ana, I do not have time anymore. Even when I am a doctor, I will not have it at all. It will never be the same. I won't take you out on dates whenever I want and things will never be the same. I am so afraid that you'll find someone who can give you what I can't."

I sighed at that. He looked so vulnerable in front of me. I was instantly awestruck of the thing I learned at this instant. I wasn't the only insecure one in our relationship. He was insecure too. He too was afraid and I saw it just now.

Then, Christian stood up. He stood right next to me and immediately knelt down. He pulled out a ring from his pocket, the same ring he offered two years ago.

"Ana, I understand that we're young and we're still financially unstable and we still haven't reached our dreams. But, let's reach it together. Let's work on life together, you and me. Anastasia, I love you. Will you marry me?"

I looked at his anxious angelic face and knew that Jose was right: this man's my future and there's no need to delay the vision I had for the both of us. We're not yet who we wanted to be but we can work on it. Together. Him and me.

"Yes," I smiled.

Tears sprang from his grey orbs as he slid the ring into my third finger and immediately picked me up and spun me around.

We were getting married.

Hey guys,

I know it's 2020 in the story but I thought about this storyline before the pandemic happened. So yeah, the pandemic didn't occur in this story. I hope you're okay with that.

Thank you for reading though and I appreciate all your responses.

Thanks. – Cloud