She called Mariely to the office.
"Frank, leave. I need to talk to Miss Celestial," she said firmly, motioning for her son to get out of the seat he'd made his personal lounge.
"Mom, my shift's not over yet. I'll just sit here quietly," he protested.
"Really now? You've basically turned my office into your hangout. Get out." She rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"I won't disturb you," he said, clearly refusing to budge.
She heard a knock at the door—Mariely.
"Come in, Miss Celestial," she called out, shooting a sharp look at Frank.
"Good morning, Ma'am," Mariely greeted politely.
She noticed Frank sitting in the corner, which made her pause. He simply glanced at her, expression unreadable.
"Don't mind him, Miss Celestial. Have a seat," the principal said warmly.
Mariely nodded and took a seat as instructed.
"How's Miss Mendez doing? How's her performance so far?" she asked.
"She's doing well, Ma'am. She's much more focused now and hasn't missed a class since," Mariely replied.
The principal nodded approvingly. "It's a good thing you visited and encouraged her. I'm glad she managed to find work and continue her studies."
Mariely only nodded back with a modest smile.
Principal Becca smiled at the young woman. "How's your experience teaching the last section? I'm concerned—we've had a few teachers quit mid-term because they couldn't handle the class."
"It's been challenging, Ma'am. Honestly, I almost gave up on them myself... but I realized I needed to get to know them better. They just require more patience than most."
There was a spark in Mariely's eyes—Becca could see it clearly now: the mark of a dedicated teacher. Even when placed with the most difficult class, she persisted.
"Keep up the good work, hija. Good luck with your exams. And by the way, once the board exams are approaching, you and Veron may take leave to prepare."
"Thank you, Ma'am," Mariely replied.
"Thank you for molding those students in just a month and a half. That's no small feat," Becca added.
Mariely simply smiled. It was only now that Becca noticed she was wearing the full school uniform.
"By the way, you look great in uniform," she said kindly.
Mariely said nothing but nodded her thanks. Becca noticed Frank eyeing her from his seat—not saying a word, just fiddling with his phone, but his gaze lingered too long. He gave Mariely a once-over. Becca shot him a warning look.
"I'll be heading out now, Ma'am," Mariely said politely.
Becca nodded, and she quietly left the office.
"She's not even pretty. Why lie to her like that just to make her feel good?" Frank muttered dismissively.
"What do you mean she's not pretty? She is. Light colors suit her skin tone, and she's blooming. She's simple, yes—but lovely," Becca defended her.
Frank scoffed. She raised an eyebrow. "Listen, stop judging women solely by appearance. Every woman shines in her own way. If your standards are that shallow, you'll miss the beauty I'm talking about."
Frank just shook his head and glanced at the time.
"I need to go," he muttered.
"Okay, bye," Becca replied.
Just as he reached the door, he paused. "Mom, is that woman your... bet?"
Becca frowned. "Bet? Don't you dare toy with Celestial—or you'll be dealing with me. And yes, she's wife material. But she's not one of your games, Frank."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
And with that, he left. Becca could only shake her head at her son's attitude.
*****
Wife material, huh? Frank repeated the phrase in his head and chuckled quietly, shaking his head.
He headed to the parking lot and got in his car. He was still determined about what he had to do.
He drove to their company headquarters—he was, after all, the vice president under his father's leadership. Clover was waiting for him in the lobby.
"Nothing to do right now?" he asked lazily as he slumped into his chair.
"Not really, but there's a meeting later. Also, your dad's back in the office," Clover informed him.
"Great. If he finds out we've been slacking off, he'll murder us."
"You, you mean. You're the one always absent," Clover said, shaking her head.
"I needed to take leave."
Frank scanned the stack of papers on his desk. "What's all this?"
"All the pending work you left during your so-called leave," Clover said with a smirk. "And the chairman needs your signature. Every single one."
"You've got to be kidding me."
"I wish I were. Anyway, good luck! I'm off to meet with our business partners. Bye!" She said with a wave and left without waiting for a reply.
Frank stared at the pile of work and sighed heavily.
He worked until late. It was almost 7 PM when he finally packed up and headed for the parking lot.
On his way home, he spotted a woman standing alone.
It's late. Hasn't Nathan picked her up yet? he thought, frowning. With a sigh, he slowed down.
"Hey, hop in!" he called out.
Mariely didn't hesitate and got in the car quietly.
"Is your brother neglecting you now?" he asked, a bit teasingly.
Mariely glared at him.
"Don't think I've forgotten the time you kicked me," he said coldly.
Mariely gave him a sideways glance. "That wasn't my fault. You provoked me."
"What exactly did you say to my brother?" she asked seriously.
"You're not a child, Miss Celestial. Why are you so dependent on your brother?"
"I just don't want things to be misinterpreted," she said quietly.
He looked at her curiously. "Misinterpreted? What's going on between us to even be misunderstood? There's nothing—right?"
She avoided his gaze.
"Is there really something between us?" he asked again, more softly. "What do you think?" He looked at her intently.
She said nothing, eyes focused out the window.
Soon, they arrived near her house.
She handed him some money. "This is for today... and for the last time. I never paid you."
She got out of the car and began walking, only to come face-to-face with her brother and Nadia.
Uh-oh. Frank smirked, knowing full well what kind of trouble was about to erupt.
"Kuya?" Mariely said, clearly startled by her brother's presence.
Her eyes darted between the two men nervously.
Frank stepped out of the car calmly.
Nathan's voice dropped. "Explain to me why you were with him."
Frank just folded his arms and smiled.
Oh boy. This is going to be interesting.