C6 CHAPTER 6: PATRICK

"Honey, I am home!" he exclaimed as he opened the apartment door.

He was smiling because, in his opinion, a woman in a black skirt and a red blouse with a basic white apron was cooking. And this woman was his, how could he not be ecstatic?

The young woman turned her head without ceasing her hands from stirring the pots and said with a smile, "You are back! I'm afraid I won't be able to come over to you. The pots will catch fire!"

She said this with a regretful expression on her face.

However, the man was not upset as a result of this. He was thrilled because the cuisine his bae was preparing was one of his favorites, which his bae does not always cook.

Her greeting him may wait until another time. She might as well just cook to her heart's content today.

"It's okay, love," the man murmured as he placed his suitcase on the table, “simply do your own thing. Let me change, and I will come and join you when I am done."

Avita nodded and smiled at her man, "Sure, just take your time."

Patrick entered the bedroom with his briefcase and disappeared for a while.

Back in the kitchen, Avita was busy cooking the plantains while humming Dreamers, a popular song by JK of the Korean boy band BTS. She couldn't stop herself since the song is so inspiring.

It had been a few years since the song was published, and despite this, it was still trending.

Patrick arrived thirty minutes later, all dressed up, and the fragrance of cologne filled the room, which was not only unpleasant but also nice.

"How was work today?" he asked as soon as he sat down on the couch.

"Work was fine dear," Avita replied to her partner without pausing her job, “Oh, I ran into Lucilla today."

Patrick's expression changed when he heard this name and he didn't look well. "What did she want this time?" he asked, his teeth clenched.

“As usual. To gather and bond."

“Bond! After what she did to you the previous time. She has the audacity to say such a thing?" Patrick raged as he remembered how tragic Avita had been a few months before due to Lucilla.

Avita could hear her boyfriend's rage in his tone, and she felt very warm, "I thought so, too, and reminded her of it, but she vowed and swore she would never be like that again!"

As he looked at his girlfriend, Patrick sighed helplessly. This was her most serious issue. She is prone to forgiving and giving people second opportunities. He'd lost count of the number of times crooks had exploited her.

"You..... she is dangerous, and someone from a wealthy family will do you no good!" he warned.

"I understand what you're saying, but I'd like to give her a chance. If she does not change, I will most certainly ban her this time."

"All well, if that's how you want it, that's OK. Just be careful, and if something like that happens again, just... don't even let it get to that point!"

"Ha ha ha, I'm not going to fall for the same trick twice. Trust me!"

"All right then."

"What are your plans for the long weekend?" Avita inquired as she shut the pot.

Patrick drew the box he had brought home closer to him as he replied to Avita, "I intend to return home. I haven't seen them in a long time. Would you like to accompany me?"

Avita joined Patrick in the living room after washing her hands at the sink.

Patrick did not press her but instead waited for her response.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany you this time. Lucilla invited you and me on a trip. Since you're going home, I'll tell her you won't be going," she explained as she sat down.

"Where did she invite you to go?" Patrick asked, not feeling a bit upset by Avita's refusal to accompany him.

His family was true troublemakers, and he was split between the two, and most of the time, Avita was the loser. So, it was best if she didn't accompany him this time.

Avita chuckled as she recalled how she has no idea where she will be heading the next day, "honestly, I don't know. She simply instructed me to prepare my passport. We should be leaving the country!"

“Ohhh! Then I suppose she's sincere."

"I hope so because I'm not losing anything by going with her. She is covering everything and will also cover my loss from not going to the salon. So, no matter what I choose, I win!"

When Patrick heard this, he burst out laughing, saying, "ha ha ha, I can imagine how shocked she was when she heard you asking for compensation."

"She was actually very happy."

The pair continued to converse while Avita looked at her pots.

At the same time, Patrick was busy arranging the files he had brought back home.

Patrick is 26 years old, 1.69m tall, and has bronze-colored skin, unlike Avita, who is merely an assistant. He leads a sales team of over twenty people in a medium-sized company.

He earns more than Avita, therefore he pays the rent and receives a salary of OWD 5,000 without commissions. And if he adds commissions, he can earn up to double or more in a month, depending on how well the firm does that month.

He, like Avita, has a side job that he works when he is at home in addition to his contracted employment. He works in online marketing and sells a variety of local and foreign products for commission.

It's a job that allows him to earn money by simply utilizing a computer, and he enjoys it.

Patrick, unlike Avita, has a family that includes his parents and two siblings. He is the family's second child and only son. His elder sister is 28 years old, married with three children, and a housewife.

The youngest is 22 years old and works as a nurse in his hometown, where he grew up.

His parents are still working, so the family can get by, but as the family's son, he does his part because he is very filial.

He is an excellent marriage material, and Avita is thankful to have met such a man for a partner.