PS I'm Over You

Sara scratched the back of her neck as she stomped her feet on the staircase leading up to Ririna and Rion's office. Ririna had called her earlier to help them sort out and produce another set of copies of doc.u.ments they needed to send to the event organizers for the following month.

It was already late afternoon but she agreed to drop by the office to see what she could do to help. She adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulders while holding her phone with her other hand listening to her friend's voice. Her eyes rolled when she heard what her friend said on the other line.

"No. I told you he is straight and he's not interested to go on a date like that. He will kill me." she hissed on the phone.

Her friend was asking her again to convince Rion for another date with their mutual friend which was also a guy.

"He is straight? Dear, Sara. You know spaghetti are also straight until it gets hot and wet." Her friend laughed back at her.

"Nooooo…. Please stop. You aren't helping. I can't even talk to him without getting embarrassed." Sara replied.

It had been weeks since her birthday on which she slept with her boss and the two of them hadn't talk to each other since then. The atmosphere between them was so awkward and she wasn't brave enough to confront him about it.

"Are you afraid?" Her friend asked.

Sara stopped on her tracks. Yes, she was afraid. Maybe that's the reason why she couldn't have the courage to ask him about what happened between them. She was afraid to know that he didn't feel anything for her.

She didn't know why, how and when she started getting feelings for him and that made her feel miserable. No, she couldn't afford to fall for him. Didn't she failed and was hurt already by her ex-boyfriend? Didn't she waste all those years loving a jerk who didn't care about her feelings?

Sleeping with him was a mistake. It shouldn't have happened and now her feelings were on the line.

"I will talk to you later." Sara cut the line refusing to hear what her friend wanted to say to her.

She reached the floor where the office was and noticed that the door was slightly open. She was about to knock to get Rion's attention when his voice stopped her hand in midair.

"Uncle, I need to stay here for another month. I can't come home yet." His stern cold voice, loud enough for her to hear him talking to someone.

"But Rion, you've been there for more than two months. What else you should do?"

It seemed Rion was on his phone and was set on a loudspeaker. Sara turned around to leave him alone and go to her desk to check on Ririna's schedule for the following days and see if she needed to reply to some voicemails.

"Your fiancee is already waiting for you to come back for weeks, Rion. what do you want me to say to her?" Rion's uncle added.

Sara stood frozen in her place when she heard that. He was already engaged? She slept with a committed man? Didn't Ririna say that Rion doesn't have a woman in his life?

"Uncle, she is not my fiancee. This is just another arrangement you set so I could get married to one of your business partner's daughters." Rion replied.

"But Rion you're not getting younger. At your age, you should find a woman who could stay with you. Are you even seeing someone at the moment?"

"No." Rion's quick answer.

So he wasn't really committed to someone else? But that didn't mean she had a chance to be with him. She was still some random girl he slept when he was drunk and vulnerable.

Sara found herself in tears. Why did it hurt so much? Why did she feel worse than finding her ex-boyfriend on her bed with another woman? She looked down on her hand when a tear landed on her palm.

Why was she crying? Why did her heart felt like it was breaking?

Before Rion could notice her presence, she ran downstairs with her face wet with unshed tears. She couldn't control her emotions. When she arrived at the front door, she noticed the gloomy weather and the light rain that falls. Even the heavens above was mocking her.

She wiped her tears and face before opening her umbrella then turning to walk aimlessly. She didn't feel like she was herself lately. These past days were full of thoughts about Rion.

Sara arrived on the downtown streets of the city without knowing it. With many people walking opposite of her, she didn't notice she was being followed by two men. She found herself being dragged on a small alley and cornered by them.

"Hey, missy. Give us your money and we will leave you unscathed." One of them grinned mischievously at her.

She backed away like a threatened kitten, cursing herself for not paying attention to her surroundings.

"But she's pretty? Can't we play with her even for just a moment?" The other man said before laughing to his comrade.

He was about to grab her arm when a feminine voice shouted in their direction. Sara looked up and saw a familiar face. She didn't expect to see her in this kind of place. What was she doing here?

The woman removed her eyeglasses, tucking it into her bag before moving fast forward. Sara didn't notice how she was able to do that so fast. She pulled the nearest man and quickly disarmed him before she gripped him tight and giving him a quick single back throw.

The man grunted in pain. His comrade caught off guard and was surprised by her sudden attack. He looked at the woman's face noticing her sharp eyes staring coldly at him. A shudder ran on his spines, his face drained of color as he threw the blade from his hand before running away leaving his companion behind.

Sara looked back at the woman's face, remembering who she was. Miss Angela! The one they had met before Ririna's accident.

Angela leaned down slightly to stare at the man on the ground. Her eyes so cold like she was about to kill at the moment.

"You dare to cross this territory?" she asked, her high heel digging at the man's c.h.e.s.t as she questions him.

Realizing who was talking to him, his expression turned into horror before lifting both of his hands surrendering to the fierce short woman.

"We're sorry! Sorry! We didn't know this is your territory!" he sat up and grovel in her feet.

"Leave. Don't ever show me your disgusting faces." Angela replied with a hint of warning in her voice.

The man got up from his position and run away. He tripped on a brick on the sidewalk and teetered away until both women couldn't see him anymore.

Angela turned around and gave Sara a quick look for injuries.

"Are you alright?" she asked in a gentle voice that made Sara wonder where the scary woman went.

"I'm okay. Thanks for your help, Miss Angela." Sara replied.

Angela blinked in confusion before realization dawned at her.

"Oh, Ririna's secretary. Now, I remember. What's your name again?"

"Sara Yun. You can call me Sara."

"What are you doing here anyway? This isn't exactly a safe place for a woman to wander around."

Sara blushed in embarrassment.

"I got lost," she confessed. "What about you?"

Angela grinned before hooking an arm to Sara's pulling her away from that alley.

"I'm familiar with this area and I was supposed to visit my friend's place when I notice those bastards," she said before pulling out her eyeglasses from her bag and wearing it.

"Thank you. Really. You saved me." Sara gratefully said while she looked at her side watching Angela adjust her lenses and her hair.

"Ah, there's nothing to worry about it. Wanna come with me for dinner? My friend's bar is near. Don't worry it's a safe place." Angela invited.

Sara nodded and let Angela drag her to a bar full of customers. The ambiance of the place wasn't bad. It felt welcoming and homey, the patrons laughing as they talked to each other. A woman came and welcomed them, greeting Angela. She was wearing a waitress uniform and holding a tray in her hands.

"Hey, honey. I thought you forgot about me already. Who's this pretty young lady with you?" she asked.

"Honey?" Sara turned to Angela in confusion.

Angela laughed at her expression.

"That's our endearment. This is my friend Julie. We call her Julz. Julz, a new friend of mine, Sara."

"Ahh… hello, Sara. Welcome to Julz's. Let me know if Angela is harassing you, I can help you."

"Hey! Watch your mouth, woman!" Angela exclaimed.

"Now, now don't be so angry. You will get wrinkles. You'll never get a guy if you're always like that. Go to your usual table, I'll get your orders in a moment." Julie replied before leaving the two behind.

Angela led Sara on her usual place and waited for Julie to serve some alcoholic drinks and her usual dish.

"So what brings you to this area? Love problems?" Angela asked, who looked amused when she saw Sara blush once again.

Sara nodded before lowering her head. Remembering what made her ran away from their workplace after hearing Rion talking to his uncle.

"That's fine. We all have some troubles in life and for a young woman at your age, it's not unusual to encounter love problems. So what's wrong? No need to tell me the whole story though."

"I think I fell in love with a man I shouldn't love." Sara looked down at her drink, her hand clenching hard on her glass.

"Ohh…" Angela's smiling face turned serious.

A soft melody started playing on the stage. A woman holding a mic while sitting on a stool. Beside her, a man was strumming a guitar.

"What a coincidence. I also fell to a wrong guy. Too bad he broke my heart."

Sara remembered the guy with Angela on the S&S Enterprise. She also remembered Ririna mentioning about Angela having some feelings for that man.

"You confessed?" Sara asked. Angela shook her head, her eyes watching the duo on the stage.

"Almost," she whispered. A bottle of beer on her hand, the other one cupping her chin. "But he rejected me indirectly," she added.

"Ohh.." Sara didn't know what to say. Would she suffer the same fate if she told Rion what she feels for him?

"It's alright. Men aren't dumb. They knew when something's up. He made a choice. It was my choice to leave to save myself from further pain."

"You resigned?" Sara's eyes widened. While Ririna already told her what were the consequences for Angela, she couldn't believe she would give it up so easily.

"But you love him..."

"Love? Was it even love?" Angela looked in daze "Love? Like? Admiration? It doesn't matter as long as you care and feel something special for that person." she added with a laugh.

The woman on the stage started singing getting both of their attention.

There's a secret inside of me

That I hide from you, boy

I have always denied

Don't know why, where and how

I started feeling for you I can't tell

All I know is it's you

I'm afraid to know if you also

Feel the same way

Will you say yes if I ask you right now?

Oh...

Close your eyes and feel the beat of your heart

Then you'll know,

No matter what it is I will take it all

But if finally, you see it's love you feel

Will you then say yes to me?

Angela laughed and slapped the table in front of her. Sara smiled as she understood the hidden meaning in Angela's reaction. So ironic. It seemed that the song was mocking the two of them.

I'm just right next to you

But why do you seem far away?

I can't reach out to you

Was afraid that one day

You'd hear the sound of my heartbeat

But the time has come to say what I truly feel

Sara frowned. No. She wasn't ready yet to confront him and her feelings. Although she admitted to herself that she cared about Rion, she couldn't face him right now. What did she even have to compare to other rich ladies that his uncle was setting up for him?

Close your eyes and feel the beat of your heart

Then you'll know,

No matter what it is I will take it all

But if finally, you see it's love you feel

Will you then say yes to me?

Angela silently listened to the singer. She also looked to be deep in her thoughts and Sara wondered if she remembered the guy she liked. Did she regret leaving his side?

"Do you regret?" Sara's curiosity won over her.

"Regret what?"

"Leaving his side."

Angela didn't respond but sipped her drink and keep her gaze on the stage.

We may be apart but I want you to know

How much I have wanted to love you

Should I confess my love to the heavens up above

Or should I tell it all to you?

I love you….

Close your eyes and feel the beat of your heart

Then you'll know,

No matter what it is I will take it all

But if finally, you see it's love you feel

Will you then say yes to me?

Will you say you love me too?

"No." Angela finally replied, "It was better that I have left his side. Just like what he said. He has nothing to prove to me."

Sara stared at the woman in front of her, wondering how could she endure such pain. Whatever she chooses, it would lead her into heartaches. Why does one fell in love only to get hurt?

"You don't deserve the pain," she commented.

"No. I don't deserve him." Angela quickly replied shocking Sara.

Didn't she have the same concern about Rion? Even if she confessed, she had nothing to offer to him. The difference between their status and personality was very obvious. Even if he slept with her, it was only because of a moment of their stupidity.

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DISCLAIMER: I do not intend to infringe any copyrighted material. The lyric is a translated English version of "A lot like Love" sang by Baek Ah Yeon from the Korean drama series Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. English lyric and song was performed by Marianne Topacio.

Listen to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGka_pe3hYk

Follow&subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/c/mariannetopacio