Found Again

One of the disadvantages of being a public figure is that people expect us to share everything about ourselves. Sharing our activities is like a responsibility that we need to comply with for their satisfaction.

Knowing all that, I still chose to keep my relationship with Andrew a secret. One of the reasons is the possible effect on my vlog and magazine if we announced our relationship. I wanted to protect my vlog and magazine, not for myself but the people working under me. They will be the ones who will be greatly affected if people will start targeting my vlog and magazine. The other reason is that I want our relationship to last. I want him to be my last.

Announcing our relationship will receive a lot of attention from the public eye. Every move will become an issue until it becomes toxic.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

But I forgot all my reasons when Mich started to talk about Anne and Andrew. The way she describes Anne is completely different from how I see Anne. The same thing with Mich. Anne’s description about Mich is very different from how I see Mich now. I can’t believe that we’re talking about the same person.

“Yes, Andrew is my boyfriend. We just got back together.” I decided to tell her since I spill it already.

“OMG! I can’t believe it! Did the gold digger know that you guys are now together?” Mich sounded amazed by what she’s hearing from me.

My brow furrowed. “Who are you referring to when you say gold digger?” I asked her.

Mich covers her lips acting surprised because of being clueless about Anne. “You didn’t know that your boyfriend’s manager is a gold digger and she was seducing Andrew since she failed on seducing Lieo? Have you met her?”

Lieo cleared his throat. “Alli and Anne are friends. So you need to control yourself, Mich.”

“What?! You are friends with her for real?!” Mich said while giving me her surprised expression.

“We were friends. But we haven’t talked since I came back. I don’t know why but I just feel uncomfortable with her now.” I honestly told Mich then I share with them the bar incident two years ago.

“OMG! That girl is a certified snake!” Mich reacted after I told her our story.

“How did you know that Anne is a gold digger? Do you have proofs from your claims?” I asked curiously.

A gold digger is a serious allegation. She can be sued for this.

Mich smirked at me. “Of course, when she was seducing Lieo and acting like a bitch to me, I hired a private investigator to do a background check on her.” She started her speech.

“According to the investigator, Anne was involved with two men. All of them were rich. One of them is married, meaning she became a mistress of the guy.” She added.

My eyes widen with shock. I never heard of that story. What I only know is that Anne likes Lieo but other than that I know nothing about her love life.

“Are you sure about that?” I asked.

Mich nodded confidently. “I’m 100% sure because I know the wife of the married guy Anne was involved with. I confirmed it to her. She told me that Anne was their former employee. Anne was her husband’s secretary. Her husband gave that bitch a unit in the high-end condo in BGC. All her luxury bags and even her car were from that guy. And you know how old the guy is?”

“How old?”

“Forty-nine,” Mich said with disgust.

“Did you know all these?” I can’t help but ask Lieo.

“I just found it from Mich. She gave me all the data she got from her private investigator. I ask the HR department if they did a background check about Anne’s work experience. They admitted that they failed to do a background check. I command them to confirm Anne’s claim about her work experiences.” Lieo started his explanation.

Wow! How did I miss this important information about Anne?! I’m sure Andrew is not aware of this. I don’t know what to feel right now. There’s so much information and I am trying to absorb all of it.

“After a week of background checking, HR regret to inform me that Anne falsifies her work experiences,” Lieo added.

My jaw dropped. “What? But how can she be able to do her job well in your company? If I’m not mistaken, your mom likes her because of how well she does her job.” I asked a bit unconvinced.

Mich rolled her eyes. “It was all because of her team. She was just taking the credits for her team’s hard work. She had no participation in all of them except signing the documents.”

“Mich was right. We talk to her team to ask about her. She knew nothing about the work.” Lieo supported Mich’s claims.

The dinner went well even after all the revelations they shared about Anne. Mich was very straightforward but you can still see that she is a nice person. I could see the kind friendship between me and Charles in the two of them.

I also met Mich’s husband. He was the one who fetch his wife. I could see the love between the two of them. Mich’s husband was supposed to join us in our dinner but he had an emergency meeting.

“I want you to be there on my birthday. You can bring Andrew with you.” MIch invited me on her birthday.

I smile at her. “I would love to come on your birthday but aside from Andrew, can I bring the whole group?” I asked pertaining to the boys and Iya.

“Sure but you can’t bring Anne. Snake is not allowed in my party.”

I chuckled. “Don’t worry I won’t bring her.”

“That’s great! But on a serious note, I hope you convince your boyfriend to change his manager. It’s for your relationship’s own good.” Mich said in a serious tone.

I smile calmly and nodded at her.

After our goodbyes. Lieo offered to send me home.

“Did you tell the group about this?” I asked when Lieo stops the car.

We already arrived at my house.

Lieo bites his lower lip then he looks at me. “After you left, we all became so busy. We rarely see each other. I tried to share it with Andrew since he was involved with her but he doesn’t want to listen to me. Anne already brainwashed him.”

“You did nothing after that? You just let Andrew be close to her?” I can’t believe he did not insist to tell this important information to Andrew.

“I did. But Andrew doesn’t want to talk to me.” He reasoned out.

“Why? Is it because of your feelings for me?” I decided to confront him.

I guess this is the perfect time to clear everything about Lieo and me. I was clueless for years about the whole thing. I must admit that I’m a bit pissed knowing all these just now.

Lieo’s eyes widen a fraction. He didn’t see my question coming.

He looks away. “Did Andrew tell you about it? Did he ask you to stay away from me?”

“Yes, he did,” I told him honestly.

He looks defeated. “So are you going to stay away from me after tonight?”

We stared at each other for a long time until I smile at him.

“Of course not. You were there for me when I needed someone to lean on. And I know how good your heart is, I know that if you really have feelings for me and you plan to steal me from Andrew, you already have done that two years ago but you didn’t. It only means that you respected my relationship with Andrew.” I told him with pure sincerity.

Lieo was taken aback by that. He was teary-eyed.

“But why didn’t you tell me that Anne and Andrew are not in a relationship?” I asked calmly.

“I tried but you always stopping me from saying anything about Andrew and Anne. You are always telling me that you are in the process of moving on so I am not allowed to share or even call their names in front of you.” Lieo explained himself.

I chuckled. I remember that. Lieo was right. I always told him to stop with whatever he wanted to tell me about those two. I was drowning from the pain I am feeling at that time.

“Fine. It was my fault for being so emotional and drama queen.” I said.

We both chuckled.

“Is there anything that you haven’t told me yet?” I asked more lightly now.

Lieo’s became serious again. It only means one thing, I need to brace myself for another revelation.

“The night when you saw Anne kissed Andrew, was the day I fired her.”