Valerie

Chapter 2

Valeria Rivas had to leave after finishing her work shift. Once again, the neighbor called her. Her mom was really feeling unwell, and her sister couldn't stop crying when she saw her like that.

She thought about the unfairness of it all. Her dear mom, still a young woman, was facing such a tough situation. Life had become very complicated for them. Valeria had an excellent job despite her age and education.

However, her mom's illness had drained all their savings, and she had to pay for her care due to her ailments or take her to the hospital for treatment and medical attention. Valeria was only 29, but she already felt like she was 40, and life seemed very heavy, very heavy.

Used to working from a young age, she had dedicated her free time to studying and training. Her only goal was to help improve their precarious financial situation.

She had to grow up quickly. She needed to help her mom since her dad had died when she was her little sister's age. Her mom didn't allow her to drop out of high school, but after school, she helped by making desserts to sell to their neighbors.

She made birthday cakes or cakes for any other event, cookies, and any sweets that were ordered. It was an innate skill, and she had a good clientele in a very short time.

Neighbors and friends came to her for the desserts for their parties, and although it wasn't a stable income, it helped with expenses and saving for various courses like secretarial work and learning English. She knew she had to strengthen her profession given the family situation.

Currently, she didn't have much time. Her job sometimes required 16-hour days, depending on the boss's orders. Today, she had to leave, and she left instructions with the assistant.

She slowly opened the door to the house their dad had left them when he died, entering and looking for her mom. She saw her in bed in her room. She knew she had to be weak since she had just undergone treatment. She knew how her mom must be feeling. Her little sister was beside her, holding her hand.

She thought about how difficult life had been for both of them. Their dad died, and it wasn't easy for any of them. Now her little sister had to witness their mom's deterioration. Seeing her, she noticed traces of tears. Valeria tried not to cry, stroked her head, told her to do her chores, and looked at her mom. Seeing her small family like this made her very sad. It seemed so unfair.

"Hi, Mom, how are you feeling today?"

Rosalía looked at her. Her face had been gaunt for a long time, pretending everything was fine, and said:

"I'm fine, dear. How did it go for you? The neighbor shouldn't have called you. We're fine."

Valeria knew it wasn't true but nodded and touched her forehead.

"Does your head hurt? Did you take your nausea medicine?"

"It doesn't hurt, and I already took my medicine," she said with her usual smile.

"Okay, I'll make you some soup so you can eat, and I'll take care of Sofía. Don't worry, everything will be fine."

"I know... dear," she tried to disguise a smile.

In the kitchen, Valeria recalled part of a conversation she had overheard when she brought coffee to her boss's office. Apparently, her boss was in love, something she thought impossible had happened. From what she could hear, he was impressed by a young woman who, like him, was in a good financial position.

Michael Dubois had an attractive appearance with his black hair and very sharp, penetrating dark eyes. Also, he was so tall that you had to tilt your head back to look him in the face.

He was indeed an impressive man. Although he was generally very cold, she had been working with him for five years and had only talked to him when necessary, and it was always about work. He was suspicious of everyone's intentions, so she tried not to get too close. She needed the job very much and didn't want to give him any reason to distrust her.

Mr. Dubois, when he noticed too much interest from his employees, began to doubt them. That's why he tried to maintain a cold and silent demeanor, as he wanted to keep his prestigious job.

A cold man, always in a business suit that seemed glued to his skin, he couldn't be imagined otherwise. His closest friend asked if he had told his boss about his mom. Apparently, he had overheard the conversation with the neighbor.

He said no, but what he didn't say was how he could tell that to a man who kept his distance, who didn't allow for sharing personal matters. Of course not, it wouldn't even occur to him.

The phone started ringing. The sound of the mobile pulled her out of her thoughts. She saw the number and was surprised because the call was from her boss.

"I left something pending, I don't think so, then what is it about? Anyway, let's see."

"Hello, Mr. Dubois. I'm sorry, I had a personal emergency. Did I leave something pending? Do you need anything?"

"Good afternoon, Valeria."

"Good afternoon, Sir. What do you need?"

"I've heard from Sebastian that your mom has health problems. I want to express my disappointment in finding out from him and not from you. However, I want to tell you that you can count on me for whatever you need. I'm at your service if you need money for treatments and medical assistance."

"How is your mom?"

"Improving, Mr. Dubois. Don't worry."

"Really?" he asked.

"That's what I hope."

"Well, if you need anything, you can let me know. I'm not so unreachable, and your good mood is essential for you to do a good job, Valeria."

"I'll be attentive to your situation and help in any way I can. A transfer has already been made from human resources for your expenses. Consider it an extra so you can continue performing well. I need you focused on work and not worried about your financial situation."

Valeria was thoughtful. It had already seemed strange that the enigmatic Mr. Dubois would care about anyone besides himself. In the financial world, they called him King Midas; behind his back, his employees called him Lucifer the Diabolical.

"Did you hear me, Valeria?"

"Yes, Sir. Thank you very much... I really appreciate it. You didn't have to."

"Consider it a bonus for my peace of mind. If you're distracted thinking about money, you won't perform well at work, and I need you focused. Next time, don't come up with schemes to say things. I'm not so unpleasant that you can't talk to me."

"Well, I'll say goodbye. Take care. Arrive early tomorrow. Good night."

Valeria stared at the phone. What an unpleasant man, although he had never been this unpleasant before. To think he used her friend to get to her, who would think of that? She wasn't ungrateful; the transfer was very welcome and she had to accept it for medical expenses and other costs.

She continued cooking, thinking that being attractive and wealthy didn't justify arrogance. What did he think, when she had given him reasons to think that way? She kept thinking about it, feeling very powerless. A while later, she went to see Sofia, her little sister, who was now calmer and doing her homework in the living room.

She hugged her, told her how much she loved her, and observed her. Her younger sister wasn't like other kids; she had had to mature because their mom had been sick for two years, and she had to leave her under the neighbor's care. During that time, she hadn't bothered Mr. Dubois. How dare he think she had tricked him into having his friend tell him about their mom's illness?

Putting that aside, she went to check on her mom, who had fallen asleep. She touched her forehead, saw that she had a good temperature, and went back to finish cooking.