Their mom arriving didn’t much bring good news for she brought another one of her younger male guys. It was enough that Arron and Ella didn’t have the same father, now she’s making history repeat itself and it wasn’t in any way in accord to Ella’s plans when their mom arrive. She was planning a less stressful life upon her mom’s return, but her mom wasn’t giving that impression or at least she wasn't cooperating. But then, not that she knew of Ella's lifelong plans for their family of three.

“For crying out loud mom, who is he?” Ella questioned, right after her mom shooed off her so-called ‘boyfriend’ for a while.

“He’s going to be your new father,” her mother replied weakly.

“But do you realize that…” she didn’t even want to say anything anymore. She felt bad, alright? Who wouldn’t and who knows exactly whether or not her mother loves that guy, right? “Mom, I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say anymore.”

“Ella…” her mother weakly called out.

“What?” she asked furiously, she swore she saw her mom startled or felt a bit shaken back there.

“I—”

“Mom,” Ella cut in with a smirk plastered on her face. “Do you think it will work out between the both of you this time around? I mean, who was it again? What’s his name?”

“Renzo,” her mother sighed. “And I don’t know about the working out thing, my dear, but we’ll work on it.”

Ella only smiled, exiting the scene.

--

Week 2

Day 4

“Ms. Chen,” Wu Chun greeted, tapping at Ella’s back.

“Yes, sir?” she replied happily - no spacing out, no heartbreaks this time around.

“As soon as your done with your work, please submit and categorize all the paperwork before sending it to my office,” he said this while he sipped from his own cup of coffee he had made himself.

Again, that made Ella feel a little less degraded. Maybe he was afraid she would put salt again, but that only made Ella grit her teeth; Chun didn’t even notice.

She nodded then and got back to work with a joyous spirit.

--

Day 6

“Mr. Wu,” this time around was a lot different. Ella was the first to call Chun’s attention other than the latter. “Can I do anything for you?”

“I’d rather have you sit in your cubicle than act abnormal, Ms. Chen,” Chun replied.

“Abnormal in a sense?” she wondered.

“Calling my attention before I call yours is abnormal,” he scoffed, twisting round his office chair, getting the piles of paper stacked behind him.

“I’m just doing my job, sir,” she saluted.

“But there must be a reason behind your happy disposition these days,” he said, not even glancing at her the least bit. “Last week you looked like you were in a wreck.”

“Well, I thought I might be able to redeem myself for putting salt in your coffee the other week and browsing my Sina blog during office hours,” she sighed. “After all, Ms. Choi’s coming back to claim her position and I‘m slowly getting over my...” she stopped.

“What was that?” he asked in curiosity.

“I said Ms. Choi’s coming back to claim her position, sir,” she deadpanned.

“I almost forgot,” he looked up at her. It was actually weird when he did for Ella had that silly grin plastered on her face that puzzled him. Surely, the Earth hasn’t turned upside down for her to act like that, right? Nonetheless, this smile she had on her face made him smile secretly as he bowed his head down.

“So?” she waited.

“What time are you going off from work?” he asked.

“Um—”

“Never mind,” he cut in.

Just about the time he attempts to ask her out, he changes his mind. Perfect example of a man who easily wavers!

“Alright,” she said, her lips tightly sealed in disappointment. She left his office without saying anything. She just had to. It was getting awkward.

--

Day 8

“Ms. Chen, where are the 5 copies of the contract I signed with Mr. Xiang!?” Chun said loudly, and rather surprisingly. If their office were the world, all the people in it would’ve heard it. It startled Ella the most other than the other employees. Well, obviously because it’s addressed to her and he didn’t even bother ringing her telephone desk and just screamed it out loud for all the office staff to hear. It embarrassed Ella. It made her sound weak and she didn’t like that very much.

So after getting off work after a long day of Chun’s screaming and yelling, she contemplated at the park in front of the office. She sat on a swing and enjoyed the cool breeze the night offered her.

“I’m getting over Jerry Yan slowly,” she started, talking to herself in whisper. “I’m terrified of my boss. - I have a weak heart. I don’t care anymore. - Charlene’s not yet in. I’m still the substitute. He’s angry at me for no particular reason and to think I’m barely starting my job. - Mom has a new boyfriend. She wouldn‘t listen to me. I don‘t want to go home.”

This continued on for half an hour. The sentences she continuously said didn’t even have connections to each one. She just knew she was holding the chain; the foundation of the swing. Just so she wouldn’t fall off, of course.

A little while later, drops of rain poured over the sad Ella in the swing. She didn’t look like she cared at all, actually, prior to what she was murmuring lately. I don’t think she even knows what time it is.

Not too far from where she was situated in, Chun looked at her with a jacket in hand. And no, he didn’t guess that she may have been out there. It was just spontaneous. The jacket in hand, I mean. He walked to her then and reached just right behind her. It was quarter to 9 as he wrapped his jacket around her and noticed she was already asleep, her hands tightly clasped upon the swing's chain.

And for the second time in Wu Chun’s life, Ella fainted on her. Backwards this time around and it was a good thing he was there to keep her company.

--

When Ella woke up the next morning, a familiar ceiling greeted her. As she sat down on the bed and removed the blanket wrapped around her, she noticed that she was still wearing the same clothes she wore yesterday. She let out a sigh of relief then. Nothing happened. She was happy.

A terrible hammering in her head began and she felt dizzy, but she was fine. So when she reached downstairs from her room, her mom welcomed her in sight on an early Saturday morning.

“Good morning,” Ella greeted, rubbing her temple in the process. “Mom, how did I get home?”

“Would you believe it incredible if I said you were left in front of the house wrapped in a black jacket?” her mom asked, laughing, as she put down the newspaper she was reading.

“Those only happen in movies,” Ella commented. “And those are valid only for babies.”

“What do you know,” her mom said in an auspicious tone.

“Mom!” Ella exclaimed, making herself a cup of coffee.

“Okay, chill,” her mom sighed. “A fine young man brought you home. He said he didn’t know as to whether or not you fainted on him out of anger or you just literally fell asleep swinging in the park.”

“That’s…” Ella started. “That’s quite not right. So did he tell you how he knew I was out by the playground swinging?” she asked, putting obvious emphasis on the word ‘swinging’.

“Well, no,” her mom replied. “I didn’t even ask him anymore. He was speaking by himself as if I’m going to eat him alive. Maybe he was afraid I would, actually. Well, because he brought you home and he was carrying you in his arms.”

“Mom, I messed up,” she said, leaning on the kitchen wall as she sipped on her coffee. “He’s my boss.”

“So I’ve heard,” her mom said. “Why, did you do anything wrong?”

“Well,” she sighed. “I felt upset early in the morning today because he was acting all too mighty screaming and yelling at me. It’s actually the first time he’s showing me that attitude and I don’t like it one bit. Oh, last week I put salt on his coffee!” she proudly chimed.

“You naughty girl! Of course there will come a time your boss will have his own troubles too,” her mother commented. “Why did you do that?”

“I was…thinking of other things,” she simply said.

“Like?” her mother asked.

“Getting over Jerry Yan the other week,” she answered honestly.

“So…” her mom said as if expecting more to come out of her daughter’s mouth.

“I’m sort of over him,” she said. “But not entirely. I still remember certain things when I see something significant, in particular.”

--

Week 3

Day 10

Yesterday was a silent war between Ella and Chun. And no, no one ever noticed, not that they were very into details, of course. Ella would come to his office without any words coming out from and Chun didn’t make Ella do anything secretary-like for Charlene fortunately was back. It was actually weird. No, maybe awkward at that. It was normal that a boss has his bad trip days, yet Ella wasn’t able to realize that. But maybe she got too drowned in his gentle attitude that she accepted so fast that the only attitude he’ll show her is that. It didn’t matter, actually. I just wanted to break it down in details.

“Do you normally not talk to the boss?” Charlene asked on the 10th day of Ella’s work.

“Hm,” Ella thought about it for a while before she answered. “Nope.”

“You sound so bitter,” so she’s noticed. “You definitely look like the talkative type, Ella. The other employees actually said you two are kind of close.”

“Not that I need to get in my boss’ business,” she smiled as she responded. “And I was just helping out while you were gone. That’s it.

“Anyway,” Charlene easily reverted topics, noticing that Ella wasn’t too comfortable touching on that previous one. “The boss is calling for a lunch meeting tomorrow. He especially wants you to come since you’re a newbie. And I’m telling you now that you be punctual, because normally, lunch meetings are the source of salary increase.”

“Thanks,” she said. “I will come.”

--

© Meng Rui Fan