The Royal Contract

Her day could not be worse than what was about to happen next.

She could already sense the chaos as soon as she woke up this morning. 

Then, she forgot something in her apartment, an important file, so she was now rushing back home before going to her office. Alex offered to drive her, but she knew he also had a lot on his plate today.

"Jacky, try to entertain my first client if he came in early. I think I am going to be late." She muttered on the phone as she checked the time on her watch.

"Dance, sing, just think of something." She exasperatedly told her, not caring if the other people on the lift looked at her as if she had gone insane. She was frustrated because her morning did not start right.

But it was not exactly the real reason behind her mood. She was still thinking of what happened last night, her discovery of her father's health condition. It still weighed heavily on her.

As she went out of the lift, she rummaged in her bag for her key when someone called out her name. When she looked up, it was Troy, probably on his way to his jog, judging from his outfit. 

"Dani, do you have some time to talk?" Troy walked with her as she continued to move towards her door.

"I am such in a big hurry. I can't even look at you properly." She said as she rushed to unlock her door. "I'm sorry."

"What about some other time?" Troy insisted as he waited outside her door.

She looked at him, unable to close the door on him without giving him an answer. She knew that her schedule was tight with all the things that were happening. 

"I'll think of something. I will let you know." She finally said to him, which he rewarded with a smile.

"That's good enough," Troy replied as he started to move away from her door. "Thanks." Then, he was gone.

She closed the door and rushed to get the things she would need for the day. She worked on this case the other night and forgot to bring it back to the office. Now, she was rushing to present it to her client.

Once in her office, she found that Jacky was serving some coffee to her clients. She was late, but only by a few minutes, so that should not be too much of a problem.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Dani greeted the two men sitting on her visitor's chair and smiled at Jacky as she excused herself from the room.

She walked towards her table and took out the contracts relevant to their case. The two gentlemen did not mind that she was late but was anxious to finish the negotiation.

After an hour of explaining back and forth, the two men finally reached a compromise agreement between their conflicts of interest. After signing the contracts, with her job done, the two men left her office.

"Jacky, I need a coffee, please, and something to eat." In her haste earlier and with her mood, she hardly had breakfast. Now, her stomach was grumbling in protest.

After a few minutes, she consumed two donuts and a cup of coffee which was quite satisfying. Now, she could proceed to her following schedule without any problems.

But her mind still lingered on her father's condition, but she kept pushing it aside, knowing that she had other pressing matters to attend to at any moment now.

"Where are the papers for my next meeting?" She shouted at Jacky as she started searching for the papers on her desk but could not find them.

"It is here. You asked me to have it photocopied earlier." Jacky reminded her, placing the files on her desk. "What is wrong with you? You seem to be out of whack today." 

Dani had always been a person who was always in control. A woman who was well put together. So, seeing her disoriented and a bit crazy was a bit alarming. 

She could already sense that something was wrong with her. She could see that she did not seem broken, but she was undoubtedly off today.

"It is Dad. I thought that when they sent him out of the hospital, he was already ok. But it was not the case. He badly needs an operation but refuses to have it." Dani confided to her friend.

She started telling her about their dinner at her parent's house. The way she enjoyed her night together with her parents and Alex only to find out, in the end, the bad news.

"What are you planning now?" Jacky asked, concerned for her friend and with her father. Ethan had always been kind to her. She would not want any harm to happen to him.

"Alex said that he had talked to my dad and assured me that he would take the operation. Dad was only preparing for it." She related what Alex explained to her.

But she still felt unconvinced with his explanation. As if there was something wrong with it. But she was not about to start doubting Alex. If that was what he said, then it was what it was.

"Then, you have nothing to worry about, I guess. Alex is probably right. Your dad is just preparing himself for it. Getting operated on will surely not be easy." Jacky could only imagine the pain, especially after the medicines wore off.

During those times, she was young. There were so many instances that their foster parents would hit them. But not enough to cause life-threatening injuries, but enough to inflict so much pain.

They never landed in the hospital, her and some of the other kids, but she could remember the pain of the bruises and wounds they had to self-medicate.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your mood, but I think your next meeting is already outside." Jacky paused her thoughts as she heard someone outside.

"Ok. Send the next client in..." She looked at her watch, contemplating the time. "Five minutes." She gathered her papers and reviewed her next case before facing her new client.

She did not want to face someone in need with a clouded perception and an inability to analyze rationally. The only way to serve them was to be in her best performance. 

She needed to be in her hundred percent A game before she could handle her case, assuring her clients that it was her best effort.