SAPPHIE waited nervously in the spacious living room of the del Mundo mansion. She secretly scolded herself for being there in the first place. When she met the woman yesterday, she somehow couldn't bring herself to refuse the invitation, though she didn't even know why. Her mind drifted back to the conversation they had yesterday.
“I've been looking for you for a long time.”
Sapphie pointed at herself in confusion. “M-Me? Why would you be looking for me? I don't think we've ever met before.”
The older woman shook her head. “We've never met before, just like I told you. I've been looking for you because I wanted to thank you. You became the solution to my family's problem.”
Her confusion only deepened. “W-Wait... I don't understand.”
“Don't fret, hija. We'll discuss everything tomorrow over some tea at my place. It's quite a long story. Don't worry, I'll have my driver pick you up. How does two o'clock in the afternoon sound? Are you free?”
“I'm free,” she answered absentmindedly. None of what the woman had said had fully sunk in yet. Me? I became the solution to her family's problem? How? We had never even crossed paths before, had we? What she was saying seemed impossible.
“Miss Velasco?”
The voice of Mrs. del Mundo's secretary pulled her back to the present.
“Please follow me,” the secretary said, prompting her to stand and follow. She could only stare in amazement at the sheer size of the mansion. Marble seemed to be everywhere. Outside stretched a vast veranda and an enormous lawn that looked large enough to have its own golf course. There was even a raised patio she had only ever seen in lifestyle magazines. Mrs. Avida was already there, waiting for her.
“There you are,” Mrs. del Mundo greeted warmly the moment she saw her.
Sapphie smiled awkwardly and gave a small wave. The older woman greeted her as though they had known each other for years. At this rate, she half expected her to greet her with cheek kisses.
“You look...” Mrs. del Mundo looked her up and down. “...so simple, yet sophisticated.”
Sapphie didn't really want to believe her, even though the older woman's eyes were full of sincerity. How could black jeans, a black camisole top, a gray blazer, and white sneakers possibly look sophisticated? She had no idea why she chose to wear this outfit. She probably should have dressed a little fancier.
“Uh... thanks?” she replied uncertainly.
Both Mrs. del Mundo and her secretary laughed.
“Adorable,” the older woman commented. “Come on, let's have a seat.”
She smiled as she gestured toward the table before taking her own seat. Sapphie followed, watching awkwardly as a maid served her tea. It was the first time anyone had ever done something like that for her. She felt a little embarrassed—until the fragrant aroma of the tea reached her. It smelled wonderful, and she eagerly lifted the cup to her lips.
“Mmm,” she couldn't help humming after taking a sip.
Avida del Mundo looked delighted.
“It's jasmine green tea—my favorite,” she said.
Sapphie smiled. She still couldn't believe she was having afternoon tea with one of the wealthiest women in town.
“Thank you for this, Mrs. del Mundo,” she began. “But I'm actually here for another reason. I don't think I fully understood what you told me yesterday.”
The older woman's smile widened.
“Hmm, straight to the point. I like you. You certainly don't waste any time,” she said as she gently set her teacup down on its saucer. “Well, like I told you, you became the solution to my family's problem. You see, my son had a girlfriend before. Well... an ex-girlfriend now. Thanks to you.”
Before Sapphie could ask a question, Mrs. del Mundo continued.
“You were that fortune teller, weren't you?”
Sapphie gasped, her eyes widening.
“I-I...” She didn't know what to say. “The truth is... I'm not really a fortune teller,” she admitted.
She braced herself for a scolding, but it never came.
“Oh, shush,” Mrs. del Mundo said instead. “It doesn't matter anymore. What matters most is that you did our family a favor. You know my son, don't you?”
Sapphie blinked. “You mean... the CEO of AVIDA Corporation?”
“The CEO and the president of the company,” she corrected. “Ever since my husband passed away, my eldest son took over. Anyway, he went to your tent several weeks ago with his ex-girlfriend.”
“Yeah, I remember.”
She nodded. “I've had that woman investigated for quite some time. As you can probably tell, I don't like her. She almost managed to completely wrap my son around her finger. Don't get me wrong—I’m not a snob. In fact, I liked her at first. But after I found out the things she'd been doing, I did everything I could to separate them. I've been trying to knock some sense into my son's head for quite a while, but he seemed blind to it all. Until recently, the woman broke up with him. Apparently, she found someone else. Someone else she could wrap around her finger, just like she did with my son.”
“I hope you don't mind me asking, but... what exactly did your son's ex-girlfriend do?”
Mrs. del Mundo sighed. “I found out she kept asking my son to buy her expensive things. At first, he bought her a car. I didn't mind because, of course, she was my son's girlfriend. But later on, she asked him to buy her a house and lot. She even wanted a position in the company.”
“Wow,” was all Sapphie could manage to say.
“I know, right?” the older woman continued. “So I had her investigated, and I found some dirt on her—she had been secretly seeing someone else behind my son's back. A business tycoon from Singapore. But my son refused to believe me, even when I had proof. The day they went to your tent, it was simply her alibi so she'd have a reason to break up with him. In other words, she used you as an excuse for the breakup. She'd always known my son was never a fan of fortune tellers. So instead of blaming Venice for cheating, she successfully managed to redirect my son's anger toward you.” She shook her head.
“Wait,” Sapphie said. “So... your son just let his ex-girlfriend get away with it?”
“Uh-huh. She's a truly manipulative bitch, pardon my French,” she replied calmly before taking another sip of tea.
“What about the car your son bought her? And the house and lot?”
“She had already pawned the car a long time ago. As for the house and lot, thank God I managed to stop my son before he bought them. Instead, he gave her a condo unit. But she sold it after they broke up. I suppose she simply looked for another man she could manipulate since I was always keeping an eye on her.” The older woman laughed, and Sapphie couldn't help laughing as well.
“Wait,” she said after a moment. “If what you said is true—that your son's ex-girlfriend only used me as an excuse to break up with him—I don't think I really helped you all that much.” She lifted her teacup and took another sip.
“Well, that may be true, but I still want to thank you for your part in it. Besides, I want to protect you from my son. I heard... he's been hunting you down.” Mrs. del Mundo said it so matter-of-factly that Sapphie nearly choked on her tea. The older woman immediately handed her a tissue. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you,” she apologized.
“Actually... I've already met your son,” Sapphie admitted. She told Mrs. del Mundo everything that had happened the day before—including how her son had sabotaged her job interview at their company.
“I'm so sorry. My son can be a real jerk sometimes,” she apologized. The older woman smiled and gently squeezed her hand. The unexpected gesture startled Sapphie, yet it carried a comforting, motherly warmth. “Leave everything to me. My son won't be able to harm you in any way. Well, not that he'd physically hurt you, but you know what I mean.” She added with a casual shrug.
“I honestly don't know what you mean by that,” Sapphie replied with a nervous smile.
Just then, the secretary came over to inform Mrs. del Mundo that she had an important phone call. Mrs. del Mundo excused herself, leaving Sapphie sitting there alone. She took the opportunity to check her phone. Rio had flooded her with text messages, asking what was happening. She replied with a short message before slipping her phone back into her pocket. She took another sip of her tea, finishing the cup this time.
From the corner of her eye, she noticed someone walking toward her.
Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
She had no idea why every instinct in her body was telling her to run.
She glanced at the approaching figure—and instantly sprayed the tea she had just sipped when she realized who it was.
“Well, well,” the newcomer said. “So this is where I'd find you. Hi, Sapphire. I don't think we've officially met.” He smiled. “I'm Jacob.”