Chapter 76

Kiara and Martha stepped out of the car and made their way towards the mall. It was a beautiful day, and Kiara was in high spirits. She was excited to get some shopping done and spend some quality time with Martha. As they walked towards the entrance, they heard a familiar voice behind them.

"Kiara?"

Kiara turned around to see her ex-husband, Lucas, walking towards her. He was with a woman she had never seen before. Kiara recognized the look on Lucas's face. It was the same look he had given her countless times during their marriage. A mixture of arrogance and disdain.

"Lucas," Kiara said, trying to sound cordial. "This is Martha, my housekeeper."

Martha smiled at Lucas, but he barely acknowledged her presence. His eyes were fixed on Kiara's.

"And who is this?" Kiara asked, gesturing towards the woman standing next to Lucas.

"This is my girlfriend, Jessica," Lucas said, putting his arm around her waist. "We've been seeing each other for a while now."

Jessica looked Kiara up and down, and her expression turned into a sneer.

"I've heard a lot about you," Jessica said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Kiara felt a sudden wave of anger wash over her. She couldn't believe how rude and arrogant Lucas's new girlfriend was. She was about to say something when Martha stepped in.

"I think it's time for us to go, Kiara," Martha said, giving Lucas and Jessica a pointed look.

Kiara nodded, and the two women walked away, leaving Lucas and Jessica standing in the middle of the mall.

As they made their way through the crowds, Kiara felt her anger dissipating. She realized that she didn't need to engage with Lucas or his girlfriend. She was happy with her life, and she didn't need their approval or validation.

"Thanks, Martha," Kiara said, breaking the silence. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Martha smiled warmly at Kiara. "You don't have to thank me, Kiara. That's what friends are for."

Kiara felt grateful for Martha's presence in her life. She knew that no matter what happened, Martha would always have her back. And with that thought, Kiara felt a sense of peace wash over her. She knew that she could handle whatever life threw her way, as long as she had friends like Martha by her side.

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Martha, Kiara's housekeeper, had been with the family for over a decade. She knew Kiara since she was a little girl, and over the years, she had become more of a second mother to her and so, she knew the best way to advise her.

One evening, as Kiara was sitting in the living room, scrolling through her phone, Martha walked in with a tray of tea and biscuits.

"Good evening, Martha," Kiara greeted her warmly.

"Good evening, my dear," Martha replied with a smile. "How was your day?"

"It was alright," Kiara said, shrugging her shoulders. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

Martha placed the tray on the coffee table and sat down on the sofa next to Kiara.

"Kiara, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about," Martha said, looking at her intently.

"What is it, Martha?" Kiara asked, sensing the seriousness in her tone.

"I've noticed that sometimes, you get upset over things that you can't control," Martha said gently. "And while I understand that it's natural to feel that way, it pains me to see you upset."

Kiara looked at her, puzzled. "What do you mean, Martha?"

"I mean, my dear, that there are certain things in life that we can't change," Martha explained. "And instead of getting upset over them, we should learn to accept them and move on."

Kiara nodded, understanding what Martha was getting at.

"I know it's easier said than done, but trust me, my dear, it's for your own well-being," Martha continued. "I don't like to see you upset, and I want you to be happy and content."

Kiara smiled gratefully at her housekeeper. "Thank you, Martha. I appreciate your concern, and I'll try my best to not react to certain things again."

Martha smiled back at her. "That's all I ask, my dear. Now, let's enjoy our tea and biscuits."

A day later, Kiara walked into the conference room in her office building, her heart beating fast with excitement. She had just received the latest financial report for her company and it showed that they had exceeded their revenue targets for the quarter. This was a major achievement for her team and she couldn't wait to share the good news.

As she took her seat at the head of the table, she looked around at the faces of her staff members, all of whom were staring back at her with anticipation. She took a deep breath and began.

"Good afternoon everyone. I'm excited to share some great news with you all today. Our company has been doing exceptionally well this quarter, exceeding our revenue targets by a significant margin."

She paused for a moment, allowing the news to sink in. A murmur of excitement rippled through the room as her staff members exchanged glances and smiled at each other.

"I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for your hard work and dedication. It's because of your efforts that we've been able to achieve this level of success. I'm incredibly proud of what we've accomplished together."

Kiara looked around the room once again, making eye contact with each person in turn. She wanted to make sure they all understood the magnitude of their achievement and how much she appreciated their contributions.

"I know that we still have a long way to go and there will be challenges ahead, but I have no doubt that we're up to the task. Let's keep up the great work and continue to build on this momentum."

With that, Kiara ended the meeting, leaving her staff members feeling motivated and energized. As they filed out of the conference room, they chatted excitedly with each other, already brainstorming ideas for how they could continue to drive the company's success forward.