Chapter 30

Freshia Ava’s POV

I was in my apartment after coming home from White Stone. My head was dizzy because I kept thinking about what Mrs. Haidee and busy thinking about why Simon did this. I know he is someone who is very worried about my situation but if you think about it, Simon is not someone who will keep quiet if he does something for me. Before my head exploded from constantly thinking about uncertain things, I decided to immediately contact Simon.

After hearing the dial tone for a long time, Simon's voice was finally heard greeting me on the other end of the phone. “Hello, Freshia,” he said.

“Simon, are you busy?”

"I'm outside, but I can still hear you. What's wrong, Freshia?”

“There's something I want to ask you, but can we meet in person?”

"Okay. In about two hours, after my business is finished, I can come straight to you. Where do you want to meet us?"

“Okay, Simon. Just let me know later. Let's just meet at the same cafe as yesterday, okay?" I said. After Simon agreed, I immediately ended the call.

At exactly two in the afternoon, I was at the cafe and ordered drinks for me and Simon, of course, I had already asked what he wanted. Then not long after, Simon was seen entering the cafe and I immediately waved my hand at him so he would see me.

“It's been a long time, Freshia? Sorry to make you wait." Simon said when he arrived near me and sat in front of me.

"It's okay, I didn't come long ago either," I said. Then not long after, a cafe waiter brought our order.

“What do you want to ask, Freshia?” Simon said when the cafe waiter who brought our order had moved away from our table.

I took a sip of my hot chocolate first to moisten my dry throat before speaking. "Simon, this morning I met with my HRD at White Stone. We talked about extending my internship contract. However, I only found out at that time that I had received a call from White Stone yesterday because of someone's recommendation. Honestly, I was surprised because I only found out after my three-month internship was over. However, when I asked who the person who recommended me was, my HRD didn't answer because he said it was office policy and also that the person who recommended me didn't want me to know his identity." I said.

I paused my words for a moment. "What I want to ask you is whether the person who recommended me was you, Simon?"

“Freshia, don't you remember that time I came to your old apartment because I didn't know you had moved and interned at White Stone? I was honest at that time that I really didn't know. So, let alone recommending you, I just found out about you interning at White Stone after asking Amara before I went to your apartment, Freshia."

I was silent for a moment, digesting Simon's words which made sense to me. “I'm sorry, Simon. I just wanted to ask, didn't mean to accuse you. I'm so dizzy from thinking about this that I can't think straight.”

“It's okay, Freshia. I don't feel like you're accusing me, I'm just trying to explain to you. Then, regarding your contract extension, how is it going?"

I shook my head. “I chose not to continue because I didn't want to feel indebted to the person who recommended me. I'd better find another company, Simon. Maybe this sounds naive but I don't want other people to think I work there because I have connections."

“Yes, I understand, Freshia. But apart from me, do you have anyone else who you suspect is the person who recommended you?”

I just shook my head. I really don't have any suspicions about anyone other than Simon because I feel like he's the one who worries most about me, including about my career. But if he wasn't the one who did it, who else could it be?

In the evening I returned to the dormitory and told Amara what had just happened to me, as well as what I was thinking at the moment. "Who do you think recommended me, Amara?"

Amara was silent for a moment. She looked like she was thinking then she said, "What about Martin or Eros? Haven't you considered them? In your opinion, which of the two of them is more likely to have connections at White Stone?”

Immediately I remembered Eros, who is a shareholder and VIP customer at White Stone. Of course, he had more than enough connections in White Stone. However, I thought what was the purpose of doing that for me? Moreover, in our conversations so far, as far as I remember, we never mentioned my studies. So how can he know what position suits my educational background?

“Just like Simon, I think Martin is the one who will tell me what he will do for me. And regarding Eros, even though I've been close to him lately, we never talked about my studies, so I don't think he would know what position suits my educational background, Amara. Besides, on what basis did he recommend me to do an internship at White Stone?”

“Just try asking him directly,” Amara said.

“Now we rarely see each other. So, I couldn't possibly ask him about that, Amara.”

“Well, then there's no need to think too much about it, Freshia. You also didn't extend your contract at White Stone. You better think about our graduation ceremony at the end of this month."

I also agreed with Amara's words not to worry about this anymore. By the way, at her final assignment session yesterday, Amara also managed to graduate without conditions like me and we will hold our graduation ceremony which will be held at the end of this month.

***

Time flies. Now it's time for my graduation ceremony to be held. Amara and I were getting ready in our dorm room. Amara says her parents will come later. I just smiled sadly. Because I know I no longer have family who can attend this graduation ceremony.

Simon, who was unable to attend the graduation this time because he was busy taking care of his family's company which was suddenly handed over to him a month ago, expressed his congratulations and apologized to me because he couldn't attend my graduation today because he had to go on a business trip abroad.

Apart from that, Martin suddenly called me last night and apologized that he couldn't attend today because he had to go back abroad. There was something very important he had to finish and I didn't intend to ask further.

The main graduation event that day began. All students participating in the graduation ceremony climbed the stage one by one when their names were called to receive awards from the professors who had prepared. One of them is me. I immediately went up to the stage after my name was called and received an award as a sign of my graduation because I had completed my studies cum laude.

After the event was finished and closed, the next session was to meet and take photos with the parents and families who were present that day. I met Amara's parents and they congratulated me. Apart from that, I also had time to say hello to several friends I know, who were present at that time. We also took photos together and some of them gave me a bouquet of flowers as a sign of congratulations.

Nearly half an hour had passed and I started to separate myself from the crowd. Decided to sit on one of the benches in the park next to the auditorium building, where the graduation was held. I took off my heels and gently massaged my calves which were starting to feel sore. After that, my gaze began to scan the surroundings until I found the figure of a man I knew very well. A man I rarely see these days so he is the person I miss the most. Our eyes met and he smiled. A smile that managed to melt my heart.