12: Lose weight

Two days have passed since Jacob left. I haven't even returned to work. I have no appetite at all. I was shocked and couldn't stop crying. That's why my eyes are swollen and I can hardly open them.

What is he doing? Is he with his ex? Cora was texting me from time to time too but I didn't reply. I don't want to talk. I don't want her to feel sorry for me.

"Precious, you have a visitor," our maid informed me.

"Who is it, Manang?" It's afternoon. In a few minutes it will be night again. How long will I be like this? Why do I feel like my life isn't going nowhere?

"It's Awi."

Why did Awi come here? And how did she know my address?

"Just a moment." I don't want to send her home. That person made an effort to come to me.

Awi brought some fruits. She thought I was sick that's why I didn't go to work.

"Hi, we bought you this..." She pointed to the large fruit basket.

"Thank you. You shouldn't have bothered."

"We were worried about you. Are you okay?"

"I'm not sick, but thank you for your concern."

"Is there a problem? Can I help?"

I forced a smile and shook my head. "I'll be fine, don't worry. I'll try to come to work tomorrow."

"Do you want to eat? Come eat with me."

"S-Sure. Aren't you eating?" Because my body is shaking. I feel weak.

"I don't have appetite."

"Alright, I'll join you."

We ate in the garden. Manang prepared many dishes. But because we were on a diet, we didn't eat rice. It's funny because Awi and I seem to get along.

Somehow I feel a little better because my stomach is full and also because of Awi's concern. While we were talking about work, Cora suddenly came to my surprise.

"Oh, what are you doing here? You should still be in the hospital, right?" I asked her.

"I got discharged this afternoon. Why aren't you answering my texts and calls? You haven't visited me either."

"She's sick..." Awi answered.

She was not used to Cora's tone so she must have thought that the girl was rude. This is how Cora really is.

"I'm sorry. I haven't been to work in a few days."

"You didn't even tell me!"

"Have you eaten yet? Why did you rush here?" I asked her instead.

"Of course I'm worried about you. I thought what happened to you. Then the last time we talked, you and your husband weren't okay." I glanced at Awi. She shouldn't hear about my personal problem.

"I thought you had settled down and gone on your honeymoon."

"He left. He was in a business meeting."

"How long was he supposed to be there?"

"I don't know. He might take a long time." He's carrying a big suitcase.

Cora stayed. But Awi also said goodbye. Maybe she felt awkward so she hurried home.

"Just text tomorrow if you can't make it."

"Yeah, I will. Thank you, Awi. Thank you to your colleagues as well."

"Welcome."

Awi had just turned her back when Cora spoke.

"She didn't even call you Ma'am. You know your employees don't know the word respect."

"Cora... You know that I don't want to be called Ma'am. Also, why are you being rude? Go home now so you can rest. Did you drive here?"

"I'll just stay here. I don't want to go home. Mom always scolds me."

"Text her, maybe she's worried about you especially with what happened to you recently."

I'm also really impressed with Cora. If I was the one who was robbed and being stabbed, it might take a long time before I come out. I will also make sure that I have four bodyguards are with me. This friend of mine is really strong.

"Be careful, you might get hurt again."

"It's not that deep, so it's fine."

"Okay. Let's go. Let's go upstairs so you can rest."

"Who was with Jacob at the meeting?" Cora asked as we lay down.

"He said he's with his assistant. Charlie."

"One of your Dad's secretary?"

"Yup."

"It's good. At least you can be sure that he won't do something stupid there." We can never tell.

I don't want to think about him tonight. I'm getting tired. I just want to sleep so I can go to work tomorrow. I can't work out anymore because of what's happening to me. I'm too vulnerable to the problem.

"Let's go to sleep, Cora," I told my friend.

"I don't want to think about Jacob anymore."

"Okay. It's up to you. It's your husband, so it's up to you."

He is my husband but I have no right to him.

I was already sleepy when Cora talked to me again.

"I plan to just start a small business."

"Hmmmm..."

"I'll just franchise food stalls first."

"It's better if it's just that..."

I am also studying companies because I also plan to franchise. Awi told me this, she said she had a foodstall franchised last year and the income was okay. She is now saving because she wants to franchise another one.

"I want to borrow money from you again."

"Huh?"

"Promise when it's okay, I'll gradually return the ten million."

"I can lend you two hundred thousand only this time. That's enough. My money are already out."

"Can you make it one million? You could ask your dad."

"You know that dad was monitoring my finances also."

"Alright. Just say you're going to buy something..."

"I'll try but I can't promise. I'll just give you two hundred first."

"I'm going to bed, Cora. ​​I haven't slept well in days."

She sighed and did not speak again. If only I had known that it would happen on Friday, I would not have given the entire ten million to her. I should have done it gradually.

I don't know when she will be able to recover and accumulate such a large amount. I have confidence in her because she's also good, but she just got hit by bad luck.

I know Cora was upset when I gave her the two hundred thousand cash. She snorts because I have maxed out the amount of money I should take out. And one more thing, I also have more expenses.

I can't ask Dad for some extra cash amounting to millions. When it's million, he'll wonder or ask what business I'm going to go into. We haven't even talked about the ten million I loaned to Cora that almost killed her.

"I'm maxed out, Cora..." I tried to explain to my friend.

"Next month, okay?"

"I'll try."

"Yes. This two hundred thousand, I'll see what I can do business with."

"Okay, goodluck."

I went to work. I was surprised because my employees gave me flowers and balloons.

"Welcome back, Miss Precious!"

"Thank you, guys!"

"Are you okay?" Awi approached me.

"Yeah. Thank you for visiting yesterday." She smiled.

"If you have a problem, you can talk to me. If you just want company but don't want someone to talk to, I'll still come."

"Thank you, Awi. Alright next time." Gradually I became comfortable with her.

We still work out after work. Until I didn't realize that I had lost weight.

I cried while I weighed myself. I only weighed myself once, on my first day at the gym, and then I didn't check again because I would get frustrated, especially if I kept checking.

For almost a month of calorie deficit and regular work out, I lost 6 kilos. I was jumping of joy. l

"Congrats! Told you, you can do it."

Since Jacob rarely came home, I spent my time at the gym. In three weeks, he only came home twice. We haven't even talked yet. And he attended all the out of town and out of the country business meetings. Daddy had him manage some of our family's business and this is what he is focusing on now.

His parents were wondering as well as Daddy when we had dinner with them. Asking if we still have time for some quality time.

But before they could get suspicious, he immediately thought of an excuse.

He said that we will be on vacation in the summer, so we will finish our piles of work first. Our parents believed, especially Daddy.

"Let's go shopping for your new clothes," Awi said to me

My pants don't fit me anymore, because my waist size has decreased by five inches. Such a great achievement! Still a long way to go, but I'm happy because I proved that it's not impossible for me to lose weight..

"Try to do a make over, just in time for our business trip next week."

We are also leaving next week. I will bring Awi and my secretary. We are going to Cebu for the opening of the branch there and we are also going to Singapore for a business meeting. Even though my heart is not okay now because of Jacob, at least something good is happening in my life.

Cora was also busy for a few weeks so we didn't see each other anymore. I asked her how her business was doing but there was no reply.

Her mother is already annoyed with her. I even went to the house to ask if her daughter has a boyfriend. And who is the man?

"You know that friend of yours, stubborn and too rash."

"She's also too ambitious. My only concern, is that maybe later she'll hook up with a businessman or a politician, if he gets bored, he might just kill her suddenly."

"She's not telling me anything. What I know is that the man she loves doesn't have a wife." Her Mom sighed.

"I hope she will just keep quiet. Get married like you."

I just smiled at her, because they didn't know what was going on with my wife.