A letter to the post man

It all came crashing down when other agencies began competing with Vulgari. Mr. Khan was overwhelmed with stress during those weeks. Bette, our main competitor, was rapidly gaining traction, with their demand soaring.

Their business was clearly entering the second stage of growth, while Vulgari, once reigning at the top of designer brands, now seemed to waver. Bette had quickly gained popularity, with their motto, "Affordable yet elegant clothes," resonating deeply with customers. Their dresses were, indeed, elegant.

News spread across the northern regions when Bette made a bold move—hiring high school students as their models. The strategy caused a stir, and suddenly, every lady seemed to be dressed modestly in Bette's designs.

We were called into an emergency meeting organized by Mr. Timothy. Mr. Khan explained the gravity of our situation: our company was on a downward spiral. I could see the frustration etched on his face.

"This company has been my life," he said passionately. "And I know it holds a future for all of you. But we cannot survive without innovation. We need to be creative. We need ideas to bring Vulgari back to the top."

His words stirred something in me. Vulgari had given me so much, and I wasn't ready to let it all crumble.

After the meeting, I went to lunch with Catherine. She seemed deeply troubled about the agency's future. As the daughter of Mr. Khan, she was expected to eventually take over the business. Yet now, she was riddled with self-doubt.

"Catherine, I know you're worried about the company, but I'm here for you," I said, trying to reassure her. "We can figure this out together."

She gave me a faint smile. "I don't know how to be creative, Reina. My mind's blank. All I know is animals, and—ugh, just forget it."

I paused, sensing her frustration. I'd been in her shoes before, feeling hollow and uninspired.

"Catherine," I asked, "what's your favorite animal?"

"A peacock. And a horse," she replied, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"And how is that supposed to help us?" I teased.

But suddenly, a thought struck her. "Wait! What if we tell Mr. Timothy about a new design line—something that combines animals and fashion?"

She leaned in, her excitement growing. "You see, we're clearly in the third stage of production, but our average rate is slowing down. To boost production, we should introduce a promotion."

I nodded, catching onto her idea. "Catherine, Bette's slogan is all about affordable clothes, right? What if we create a promotion like 'Buy One, Get One Free'? Or, better yet, offer a chance to win exclusive peacock-designed fabric with every five purchases?"

Her eyes lit up. "The people would rush to get the limited-edition peacock fabric!"

"Exactly," I said.

Catherine was awestruck. She grabbed my hands and insisted I share the idea with Mr. Khan.

"Oh, Catherine," I smiled, "this was your idea. I just helped refine it. You should present it to your father."

She hugged me tightly, her gratitude spilling over.

As it was getting late, I caught a taxi back to my apartment. Once home, I decided to check on Alex.

After two rings, he picked up.

"Alex! Gosh, how are you?" I asked eagerly.

"Reina, I'm fine," he said calmly. "But I've heard about your agency. Don't you think it's time to come home? You've been working for them for seven months now. I think we have enough money to get you into school."

I sighed, his words weighing on me.

"I guess you're right," I said softly. "But Alex, I can't just leave them at their lowest. Once the company begins to thrive again, I promise I'll come back."

Alex was in his second year at university, pursuing a three-year architecture program. His scores were outstanding, and many companies were already recruiting him. I knew he didn't need the money I was earning at Vulgari anymore.

He was right, though. I was 19, turning 20, and it was time I started working on my future. But there was still Archie, my little sister.

"Alex, do you check up on Archie? I know she must miss us. Please visit her soon and video-call me when you do," I pleaded.

"Okay," he replied simply.

I hung up the phone, lost in thought.

I was preparing dinner when a sudden knock at the door startled me.

"Wait, I'm coming!" I called out, annoyed.

Who the hell knocks like that? I muttered to myself.

When I opened the door, the sight of the person standing there left me speechless. It was Nath.

"What… why? Uh, what are you doing here?" I stammered, utterly caught off guard.

He responded with that familiar mysterious smile, the one that always made me uneasy.

"Oh, please," I snapped. "You can't just barge into my place and show up smiling like that."

He frowned slightly as I continued, "You'd better have a good reason to be here. Talk about showing up and smiling."

"Is that how you receive visitors?" he asked, his tone calm but tinged with disappointment.

"Visitors?" I shot back. "You're an intruder. I didn't invite you over, remember?"

Nath's face darkened. "So, I'm an intruder now? You'll forever be ungrateful, won't you? I saved you once, and this is how you repay me—calling me an intruder. Oh, thank you, Miss Premiera."

His words stung, and guilt began creeping in. I didn't even know why I'd lashed out at him, but for some reason, I always felt an urge to get mad at him.

Reina, don't talk to him like that, I scolded myself internally.

He turned and started heading out of my apartment.

"Wait!" I shouted after him.

But either he didn't hear me, or he chose not to. Without thinking, I ran after him.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to talk to you like that. I was just mad, and you became the easiest target."

He stopped and turned around, his expression softening into a calm smile. But then, without a word, he started walking away again.

"Nath! You seriously came here just to smile and leave?" I asked, frustrated and curious.

"No," he said, turning slightly. "That wasn't the reason. But you're clearly upset about something, so maybe now isn't the right time to tell you."

I couldn't help but wonder what he wanted to say. Curiosity gnawed at me.

"You can tell me," I said, stepping closer.

"Are you sure?" he asked, hesitating.

I giggled lightly. "Yes, I'm sure. Tell me."

He studied my face for a moment before responding. "I wanted to show you a place. A place that's very important to me. Can you get ready in a minute?"

"What? Nath, I'm making dinner!" I protested, gesturing back toward my kitchen.

But he just stood there, waiting.

Sighing, I turned off the stove, shoveled some food into my mouth, and grabbed whatever I could manage. I slipped into some comfy clothes and hurried back to him.

"That was fast," he commented, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"Oh, I don't waste time getting ready," I muttered under my breath.

He led the way to his car and carefully opened the door for me. I climbed in, and he started driving at a steady pace.

"So, where's this place you want to show me?" I asked.

"It's not a luxurious or special place," he replied cryptically. "You'll find out soon."

We drove in silence until he suddenly pulled into a parking lot. When I looked up, I realized where we were.

"A hospital?" I asked, bewildered. "So Nath, full of mysteries as usual, thinks I'm not feeling well and deserves a hospital visit?"

He chuckled softly. "No. I want to show you something."

He opened the car door for me and led me inside. The hospital wasn't fancy, just an ordinary building with an air of wear and tear.

"I was born here," he said, his voice quieter now. "And I grew up here."

"Grew up?" I repeated, confused.

He turned to me, a solemn expression on his face. "Reina, I'm an orphan."

His words hung in the air, heavy and unexpected. I was stunned, unsure of how to respond.

I wondered why he was telling me all of this now. Did I care? Maybe I didn't. Or maybe I did.

Nath started walking upstairs and motioned for me to follow him. This part of the hospital was surprisingly clean and orderly.

"My mom is in this ward," he said quietly.

"Oh… I'm sorry," I replied, feeling a pang of guilt for my earlier attitude.

"You must be wondering why I brought you here."

He was right—that was exactly what I was wondering.

He sighed before continuing. "My mother is dying. The doctors say she has about a month left." His voice faltered, but he quickly steadied himself. "She's been asking to meet the woman I'm going to marry."

I blinked in surprise, unsure of where this was going.

"I've been trying to reach Catherine for days, but she's not answering. I guess she's busy." He hesitated before looking directly at me. "Reina, please do this for me. That's all I'm asking."

I froze, my thoughts scrambling.

"My mom is blind," he explained, "so she wouldn't know if it's Catherine or not. Just… please pretend to be my fiancée for her. That's all I need."

I stared at him, shocked and confused. Why me? Of all people, why was I the one standing here, pretending to take Catherine's place in front of her dying mother-in-law?

"I don't want Catherine to get the wrong idea," I said cautiously.

Nath's expression softened. "I won't tell her. She won't know about this."

"No," I said firmly. "You should tell her. If she asks why you were calling, don't lie to her. I don't want to be part of that."

He nodded, seemingly reassured by my words.

Reluctantly, I agreed to his request and followed him into the room.

His mother lay on the bed, her frail figure almost blending into the white sheets.

"Nath, is that you?" she asked, her voice soft and trembling. "Oh, my son, did you bring her?"

"Yes, Mom. I'm here," I replied, stepping closer.

Her head turned in my direction. "Come closer, my dear."

I hesitated for a moment, then approached her. She reached out, her hands trembling as they touched my face, running softly over my features and into my hair.

"Catherine, is that you?" she asked, her voice filled with fragile hope.

"Yes, Mrs.—uh, Mom," I said, forcing the words out as naturally as I could.

Her hands lingered in my hair. "Your hair is soft… your face is slim. Oh, it's you, my Catherine."

"Yes, Mom," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "It's me."

She smiled faintly, a peaceful expression overtaking her tired face.

I stepped away and quietly began massaging her feet. She seemed to relax even more, her breaths steadying as she drifted closer to sleep.

Before she dozed off, she whispered, "May you both have a blessed and happy marriage."

I froze for a moment, her words echoing in my ears .

I stood there in silence, unsure of how to respond to her blessing. My hands froze mid-motion, still resting lightly on her frail feet. Nath moved closer to his mother, his expression unreadable.

"Thank you, Mom," Nath whispered, his voice tight with emotion.

Her breathing grew slower, and soon, she fell asleep. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the machines monitoring her fragile state. I stepped back and leaned against the wall, unsure of what to do next.

Nath turned to me. "Thank you for doing this," he said, his voice low. "It means more than you know."

I shrugged, still feeling the awkwardness of the situation. "I don't know if I helped or made things worse. What happens when Catherine finds out?"

"She won't," he said quickly. But there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes, and I caught it.

"You can't hide this forever," I said, crossing my arms. "The truth always comes out, Nath."

He sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll deal with that when the time comes. For now, my mom is happy. That's all that matters to me."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I stayed quiet.

After a moment, he gestured toward the door. "Come on, I'll take you home."

We left the hospital in silence, the tension between us hanging heavy in the air. When we reached his car, he opened the door for me again, and I slid into the passenger seat.

The drive back to my apartment felt longer than usual, the silence between us growing heavier with each passing mile. I stared out of the window, watching the streetlights blur as we sped past.

Finally, Nath spoke. "Reina, I know you probably think I'm a terrible person for asking you to do this."

I turned to face him, surprised. "I don't think you're terrible. I think you're desperate. And I get it—you want your mom to have peace before she…" I trailed off, unable to say the words.

"She dies," he finished for me, his voice quiet.

I nodded. "Yeah."

He let out a bitter laugh. "It's funny. For years, I kept telling myself I didn't need anyone. I thought I could do everything on my own. But now, in the end, the only thing she wants is to see me happy—with someone."

I looked at him closely, noticing the sadness etched into his face. For the first time, I saw a side of Nath that felt vulnerable, almost broken.

"You should tell her the truth," I said softly. "About Catherine. About everything."

"And let her die disappointed?" he asked, shaking his head. "No. I can't do that to her."

I didn't argue. It wasn't my place to.

When we finally reached my apartment, Nath stopped the car and turned to me. "Thanks again, Reina. Really. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"You don't have to," I said, opening the door. "But Nath, you need to figure this out. You can't run from it forever."

He gave me a small, weary smile. "I'll try."

I nodded and stepped out of the car, watching as he drove off into the night.

Back in my apartment, I leaned against the door, replaying the night's events in my head. What had I gotten myself into? Pretending to be someone's fiancée, stepping into Catherine's shoes—it was like a bad dream I couldn't wake up from.

I sighed, walking into the kitchen to finish my half-cooked dinner. As I stirred the pot absentmindedly, my phone buzzed on the counter.

It was a text from Nath.

"Thanks again, Reina. Goodnight."

I stared at the message for a moment before typing a quick reply:

"Goodnight, Nath. Take care of yourself."

I set the phone down and stared at the simmering pot. For some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that tonight was only the beginning of something much more complicated.