Everything about this world is survival. To survive, you must give up on your silly dreams and be realistic. To survive, don't let your feelings hinder your future. To survive is to give up what you have now to secure that future, no matter how lonely that life is.
“I'm going to get the highest score!” Harvey beamed proudly, pumping his fist in the air before Henry pushed it down.
“Master Harvey, you might hit someone.”
Harvey sulked and returned to his pancakes. I remained silent, pretending to chew slowly. Dad sat at the head of the table as usual, reading something on his phone. Mom smiled sweetly, wearing a flowery dress. I watched her spread strawberry jam on her bread.
“That's good to hear, Harvey. I'll buy you toys if you do.”
“Toys? No, I don't want those. I'd like to have…” He stopped short, thinking to himself. Face brightening, Harvey grinned. “I want to have Minecraft Storymode!”
“Harvey, we talked about buying those kinds of games.” Dad reminded, fixing his glasses to read properly. “Besides, didn't we agree that you'd accompany me to the office soon? You did say you want to see it.” Luckily, Dad didn't see the face Harvey made at the mention of his office.
“Ah, yeah. Right.” Harvey softly laughed and became silent.
“Rachel, I want you to accompany me to my office later.” Mother suddenly said.
I looked up sharply and stared at her with wide eyes. “W-what?”
Mother chuckled and nodded. “I want you to come with me. I have someone for you to meet. It won't take long, and after that you could go back to work. Is that okay?”
“Y-yeah,” I replied, looking sheepish.
Mother smiled and turned to Dad. "Hon. Please stop reading and eat. I'm worried about you."
I looked away and stood up from my seat. “I'll get ready.” I mumbled, and immediately left, going to my room. Whoever Mother wants me to meet, it's probably someone who's big time in the business industry. Maybe this is my chance to replace Chad Montgomery with a much better business partner.
“Who is it going to be, Rachel? You?” The man's face, who asked, a blur. The room too dark for me to tell where we were. I felt my heart begin to race once again as the gun was aimed at my face. I couldn't move or lift a finger, it was as if my whole body was paralyzed. “Your brother?” Harvey shook his head, tears blinding me before rolling down my cheeks. The gun was turned in his direction.
Blood flew and landed on my face.
“Rachel!”
I screamed, sat up straight and looked around my surroundings, only to see Mom and her bodyguards. All staring at me in confusion.
“Dear, it's all right. It's just a dream.” Mom mumbled, and squeezed my hand.
“It felt so real.” I whispered as I wiped the big drops of sweat rolling down my forehead. Releasing a breath of relief and sitting back, I opted to calm myself. “It's only a dream. It's only a dream.” I repeated to myself, rubbing my temples. Calm down, Rachel. It's all a dream. None of it was real. Just a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream...
“We're here, Mrs. Maxwell.”
I sat up straight to look out the window, seeing the towering building where Mom worked. It will be yours someday. Those words had remained in my head from the moment Mother had said them to me when I was ten years old. I used to be proud that I would own this huge company one day. Now? I hated it. I hated looking at it, knowing I'd be getting it no matter what I did. Soon, it would be my new prison.
After I fixed my hair, I adjusted my black blazer, hoping it wasn’t wrinkled. Once the car door swung open, I got out along with my mother. The employees who were on their way inside stopped in their tracks to greet us. I merely stared at them as we passed by, wondering if they wanted to greet us or just for appearance's sake. What about me? Do my employees even like me? A pang of insecurity hit me. I placed a hand over my heart and rubbed it, feeling pain.
“Dear, come on.” I sped up as fast as my heels could take me, not wanting to be left behind. Mom oversees the company's products while Dad takes over the hotels and resorts that we own. Dad has connections with politicians while Mother's relatives are all managing their own company. Add their perseverance, Mom and Dad are successful. If business runs in the family, how come I don't have that kind of ambition anymore?
“Mom?”
“Yes? What do you need, dear?” she questioned. We rode the elevator up to her office. Fiddling with my fingers, I contemplated with great trepidation whether to ask her.
“Um…” I mentally sighed. She'd probably get mad at me once I told her.
“Come on, what is it? Are you nervous?” She smiled in a comforting way. “If you are, don't worry. I'm sure they're going to love you.” The elevator doors slid open and we stepped out, Mom's secretary greeting us at the doorway. We entered her magnificent office that was designed by the best decorators. Mother quickly set her bag aside and grabbed her phone, probably to check up on her visitors.
“Mom, what if we weren't like this?”
Her first response was to look up at me, confused. “What do you mean, dear?”
I shrugged. Here goes nothing. “Well... What if we didn't have this kind of life, Mom? What if we were just simple folk—?”
“Dear, your dad and I both came from a wealthy family. We built up the company to bring more money in to secure yours and Harvey's future. Even if we wanted to become simple folk, we couldn’t. We were born to be business-minded and we are.”
“Yeah, I know that. I was merely wondering how life would be if we were normal. That won't hurt—”
“Rachel!” I flinched at her sharp tone. Her serious face. “Are we not normal? Rachel, we are doing this to secure a good future for you and Harvey. You're saying that's not normal? May I remind you, Rachel, there are a lot of people in this world without homes or food to eat. Parents sacrifice their joy to provide for the satisfaction of their children. No matter how lonely life would be, they would do it.”
I stared at her with wide eyes, not knowing what to say or how to express my feelings towards her words. For sure, she'd only shoot my thoughts down and demand me to become like her. To be like her. Realistic. Just to secure our future.
“Mrs. Maxwell, Mr. Redfield and his son are here.” Her secretary's voice shot out of the intercom. Informing us that her visitors were here.
“Let's talk about this absurdity of being 'normal' later.” Mom dismissed, and bent down to answer. “Let them in.”
The doors swung open and in came two men. One was short, had gray hair and gray eyes behind thin glasses. The other was tall, had broad shoulders, black hair and brown eyes. He reached out to shake my mother's hand.
“I'm so glad to finally meet you, Mrs. Maxwell. I have to say, you're prettier in person.”
Mother's cheeks turned red as the man kissed her hand. “Um, pleasure's all mine, Mr. Redfield.”
“Ah, is this Rachel?”
I smiled and shook the old man's hand in greeting. “Hello, Mr. Redfield.”
He gave me a crooked smile. “Yes. You are definitely beautiful; the woman was not wrong!”
I raised an eyebrow in question. “Woman?”
Mr. Redfield laughed aloud. “Yes. My wife. She can’t come here since she has important things to do back in New York. By the way, this is my son, Liam.”
“It's very nice to meet you, Miss Maxwell,” he greeted. He shook my hand before he bowed slightly to kiss it.
“Uh, yes. It's nice to meet you, too.” I returned, taking my hand back.
With a grin, Liam Redfield shifted his gaze onto my mother and shook her hand as well. “It's such an honor meeting the Maxwells. We have heard so much of your success back in New York.”
“Yes, it's my husband's doing.” Mother giggled and gestured for them to take a seat. “You see, I want to be partners with you, Mr. Redfield. Your soap company is well known and I couldn't help but agree that your soaps are the finest.”
Mr. Redfield gushed. “It's such an honor hearing that from you, Mrs. Maxwell. If we become partners, maybe your hotels could use our soap.”
“Well, why not?”
“Does your daughter have a position in the company as well?”
Glancing at me, Mother grinned. “No. She's running her own company as well. She's taking over soon, though.”
Mr. Redfield beamed. “Well, we're obviously getting on in age but you, Mrs. Maxwell. You don't look older than twenty-five.”
Mother blushed madly at the compliment. “Oh no, that's impossible.”
“Well, Liam here will be taking over next year. The two of them will be business partners then.”
Mother nodded and placed her hand over mine. “Yes. They will.” Where’s she going with this? Panicking inside, I turned to face her, searching for any sign. Any sign that she was playing Matchmaker once again.
“That's good. What about you, Liam? Are you okay with being partners with the beautiful Miss Maxwell?”
Liam chuckled. “Of course. Why would I pass up the opportunity?” I felt his gaze land on me and it made my heart race. Not in a romantic way, but in panic mode. Does she want me to get married? Is that why she wanted me to come here? To meet this man and marry him?
“I always wondered how life would be with grandchildren. I want lots of them.” Mr. Redfield laughed, his confession surprising me. “What about you, Mrs. Maxwell? How many grandchildren would you like?”
“Well, I—”
“No!” At my sudden outburst, all their eyes landed on me. Oh, Lord, let the floor slowly eat me up now. Please!
“What?” Mr. Redfield stared at me in confusion. I shifted my gaze between them with parted lips. Think, Rachel! Come on, come on, come on...
Ah!
I cleared my throat and smiled. “Isn't it a bit early to have grandchildren? I mean, how could I build an empire when I am busy taking care of my own children? I'd like to spend time with them, but I can't when I have work to do. I'd rather build my empire first before building my own family.”
“Well said, Miss Maxwell! You're indeed smart. Just like my wife said.” Mr. Redfield nodded in approval. I smiled in relief. Just in time, my phone rang.
“Excuse me, I have to take this.” I mumbled, and excused myself. I walked out of the office and stood next to a fake plant and answered the call. “Hello?”
“Miss Maxwell. It's Percy.”
“Hello, Percy, you called just in time. Can you please get my car? I have to drive to work and—”
“Miss Maxwell, your brother is missing.”
“—I have to leave right now... Wait, what?!” I frowned hard. “Wait, what do you mean Harvey is missing?”
“I called your father. He said not to tell your mother until my men confirmed that he is indeed missing. My men said that Harvey didn't come out of the building while they waited. They searched the grounds and haven’t found a single trace of your brother.”
“Percy, send a car here to my mother's office. Tell your men to search for him inside the building. He could be anywhere!” I yelled, running to the elevator and impatiently pressing the ground floor button a hundred times. “Send a car here right now. I'll help look for him.” I hung up and waited for the elevator door to open. “Come on,” I hissed impatiently.
“Miss Maxwell?” Hearing Liam's voice, I began to panic. Oh, damn it! Running as fast as I could, I went towards the stairs and began to descend. Harvey. Harvey. Harvey. Hissing, I took off my heels and quickly ran down the stairs, skipping a step occasionally. Panting, I stopped to see if he had followed me. Seeing no one, I quickly ran to the closest elevator on the floor level. A few employees stared at me in surprise and confusion as I pushed my way through. Inside the elevator, I pressed the ground floor button. I bit my lip as I waited for it to reach my destination.
Just as I slipped on my heels, the elevator doors slid open and I made a dash for it to the exit. “Sorry!” I winced, as I bumped into employees. Men and women alike. They parted a path for me but others failed to notice me.
“Hey! Watch it!”
“Oh my goodness!”
Trying to catch my breath, I bent down and took deep breaths. Must keep going... Harvey... Needs... Me. I wildly searched for Percy or any of his men once outside. Luckily, one of them noticed me.
“Miss Maxwell!”
I grabbed his arm, my legs completely tired from running. “W-where's Percy? Has my car arrived?”
The man shook his head. “He isn't here. Do you need a car, Miss Maxwell?”
“Right now! Need one!” I couldn't help but feel frustrated at myself. Scared by my strange behavior, he signaled to his men. In a few seconds, the familiar black Range Rover strode in from the parking lot. Not sparing any glance back, I ordered the driver to get out, which he immediately did. I wasted no time and climbed in.
“Miss Maxwell, please. It's dangerous if you go alon—”
I shut the door and drove the car at high speed, the tires screeching, to Harvey's school, which was half an hour away from here. Not even the calm music playing on the radio could ease my nerves as many scenarios played out in my head. How and where did he disappear? Did someone take him away while no one was looking? Where were the bodyguards? The person who took Harvey and harassed me, are they the same person? They could be! What do they want from him? He's innocent! More importantly, where could he be now? I pulled my hair out of frustration and groaned aloud. Oh, Harvey, where are you?
I managed to avoid traffic and red lights, speeding down a shortcut I knew. The car came to a screeching halt the moment I caught sight of his school. A lot of students were out and playing in the playground. I climbed out of the car. Percy, who stood at the entrance gate, waved at me. I ran towards him in hopes that maybe they had finally found him.
“What? Did you find Harvey?”
“Not yet, Miss Maxwell. My men are still searching the grounds and the building for him.” Percy answered.
I heaved a sigh of disappointment. “Did you ask any of his classmates?” Not waiting for his answer, I dashed inside the school. Percy yelled behind me. Avoiding little kids, I went to where his classroom was located. Opening the door, his teacher looked up from her desk in surprise. The whole classroom was empty.
“Where is Harvey? Did you see him?” I demanded once I stood in front of her.
She shook her head. “I already told those men wearing black suits that I haven't seen him after the tests. I’m sorry if I’m not of any help, but that’s all I could do. Maybe he went straight home with a friend.”
Dismissing her, I ran and wildly looked for any sign of familiar faces. “Robb! Robb!” I called out one of his classmates. The little boy fixed his glasses and came towards me, rubbing his face with the sleeve of his uniform. I took him by the shoulders and looked him in the eye.
“W-what is it?”
“Have you seen Harvey?”
“Yeah... This morning.” I closed my eyes as I fought back my boiling temper.
“No, a while ago. Did you see him go out of the campus with someone?”
The boy merely rubbed his sticky nose and shook his head. “Nope. Haven't seen him after the tests. He did say that he’d buy that new game he keeps rambling about.”
“Game? Ah! Minecraft Storymode, right?”
The boy nodded and pointed at the door at the end of the hall. “A man came in and greeted him. Although Harvey wasn't happy to see him, he went along anyway.”
Went along? Damn it. Didn't I lecture him about accompanying strangers? That boy!
“Okay, thanks Robb!”
Leaving the boy behind, I went towards the door, only to see the exit where a lot of parked cars were. “Harvey, when I find you I'm going to kill you,” I muttered to myself and hurriedly went back to the entrance to see Percy. “His classmate said that he went along with someone after the exams. I'm going to look for him.”
“I already had my men check the security footage of the school. They'll be back in a moment. Your father advised that you should stay put—”
“Sorry, Percy, but I can't listen to those silly orders right now. I'm not one of your men. Harvey needs me. I'm his sister.” I ran back to the Range Rover and immediately drove to the nearest game store in the area. Come on, Harvey. Where are you? I probably looked like some stalker as I stared at every kid that I could see. Come on, if I am a kidnapper, where would we be? Like, how would I know how a kidnapper thinks when I'm not even one!? Harvey is smart, why would he accompany some stranger? Does he know him or her? Could it be...?
Parking the car, I climbed out. I rushed inside the game store, looking for Harvey or any sight of his uniform. Searching every nook and cranny, I found no sign of Harvey. Running my hands through my hair out of desperation, I felt my eyes go wide the moment I saw his uniform.
“Harvey!” I screamed, and ran to grab his shoulder. I spun him around only to find that it wasn’t him. The boy looked shocked and I quickly composed myself. “S-sorry. I-I thought you were my…”
I swallowed hard and dejectedly walked out of the game store. I leaned against the glass and slid down. At first, a soft sob came out and then my eyes started to swell before bursting into tears. “Oh, Harvey. I'm so sorry! I failed to keep you out of danger. I-I... I failed being your sister. This... This is all my fault!” I sobbed and covered my mouth to keep the ugly sounds to myself. “I-if only I told you the truth... This wouldn't have happened!”
“Told me what?”
I gasped in surprise and spun around to see him staring at me in confusion. “Harvey!” Smiling like a fool, I ran to him before hugging him tightly. “My gosh! I finally found you. Thank goodness!” I sobbed out, wiping my tears away only to find my eyeliner already smudged.
“What happened? Your face.” He frowned and reached down to take a wet tissue from his bag, handing it to me. I fervently wiped the makeup off before checking if he had any injuries.
“Are you okay? I searched for you everywhere. Where did you go? Why didn't you come back?”
“I'm all right, Sis. He only took me out for a while. I finally bought that game I always wanted.”
I frowned. “Who?”
Harvey stepped aside and I stood up. Staring back at Chad Montgomery, who just stood there with a smirk. Being his audacious self, he waved his hand at me in greeting.
“Hey, Maxwell.”
I clenched my fist. My eyes narrowed in a deathly glare and before I knew it, I was aiming it on his face. “You jerk! You took him away from me! I'll kill you!”
“Woah! Woah! Hold on, sweetheart!” Chad blocked my fists but that didn't stop me from stomping his feet with my heels.
“Wait! Let me explain!” I was pulled away by Harvey, who tightened his hold on my hand. “Wait, Sis! He only took me out and helped me buy my game! He did nothing wrong!”
I turned to my brother and raised a brow at him. “Chad? Oh, believe me, he did plenty. Do you know Dad is worried sick about you? All the bodyguards have been looking for you everywhere! You should be happy that Mother doesn't know. She'd probably turn the world upside down looking for you!”
“Hey, Maxwell. Take it easy on the boy. He looked so bored out of his mind! I just had to take him out—”
“Will you please stay out of this?!”
Harvey looked down in embarrassment. “I'm sorry.”
I heaved a sigh and grabbed his wrist. “Come on, Harv. Let's go.” Ignoring Chad, I opened the car door and let Harvey in before shutting it. Not sparing the jerk one glance, I slid into the driver's seat and drove back to his school. Harvey remained silent. I scratched my head.
“Harvey.” When he didn’t answer, I tried once again. “Harvey, we both know you were bored. But, please, if you want to buy a game, don't go with strangers. Please?”
“He only wanted to help. I thought he was some kind of jerk, but it turns out he’s a nice guy.” I stared at him through the rear-view mirror, surprised by his sudden admission regarding Chad Montgomery. “He only wanted me to enjoy it. So, I decided to give him a chance and accompanied him. He doesn't seem like a jerk to me now,” he admitted softly.
“Harvey…”
“You won't tell Dad about it? He didn't do anything wrong. You won't accuse him wrongly, right?”
Biting my tongue back, I didn't bother answering. Don't worry, Harv, he'll be out of our lives soon. No need to feel sorry for him trying to gain your favor. Reaching his school, I couldn't help but feel nervous the second I caught sight of Dad standing beside Percy. Police cars were parked on the curb, red and blue lights flashing wildly. Once the car was parked, Harvey and I got out. Dad's worried face disappeared and was replaced with great joy as he hugged Harvey.
As I watched them, I clenched my fists at the mental image of Montgomery. This is the last time I'm going to forgive you, Chad. If you are the suspect... I took a deep breath in and prevented myself from remembering the horrifying dream I had. If he goes near Harvey once again or even tries to harass me, I'll never forgive him. Ever.