DRIVING ME CRAZY (ENGLISH)

CHAPTER 3 : Start

Singapore, 08:19 PM

Darren wakes up shirtless in his apartment, not because he slept with women, Darren never brought any woman to his bed, including Caroline, his lover and his future wife.

In the past, Darren was used to sleep often with the woman he met at the bar, that is because he be affected with the children of his father's business partners. The association is quite wild, go to bar is already a daily activity, drinking alcohol even though it was not drunk but enough to make Darren out of control, one night stand, he often do that. But all he had left since having a relationship with Caroline.

If can be honest, Caroline is very good in bed. And Darren was quite satisfied about it, so he doesn’t look for satisfaction out there. Before Darren, Caroline had already had a relationship with a doctor in the hospital where she worked for four years. Longer than the age of their relationship. Maybe because of that experience, Caroline is very clever in satisfying men. Caroline tells Darren what happened to her before have a relationship with Darren.

Darren doesn’t care about Caroline’s past, Darren knows, Caroline is a good woman of the good family, most importantly she is the woman who takes care of Daffa and handles Daffa when Daffa sick until now Daffa has healed. Although Darren was once a doubt that the woman was able to handle Daffa, but Caroline was the most meritorious person in the treatment of his twin brother and Caroline was able to make Darren feel comfortable in her side.

Darren looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table.

"s**t," his cursed while ruffled the messy hair, makes his face overgrown with fine feathers around the jaw is getting handsome. Today she has promised to drive Caroline to the hospital where she works, but because of the jetlag after returning home from Paris, Darren woke up for a busy day.

He took his cell phone and returned to his body in his king-size bed, while pressing Caroline's number.

"Good morning darling," someone greeted gently across the phone.

"I'm sorry, this morning ..."

"It's okay, you're tired, take a break, I've made breakfast for you, you just put it up."

Darren smiled responding to his attentive fiance.

"What time are you coming home?"

"Maybe in the afternoon."

"Call me, I'll pick you up."

"Well, I'm busy now, getting up and go to shower."

"Alright, Mrs Darren."

Sounded Caroline's voice laughing, then, Darren hung up, re-hugging the pillow and turned his body. He was still lazy out of the spacious bedroom.

Darren's apartment is very spacious, he lives alone there, occasionally Caroline came to stay, certainly not in the main room, because only Darren can occupy the room. Caroline already has its own access to enter Darren's apartment. For a week three times, there was a maid come to Darren's apartment for clean up, Darren only told him to come three times in a week because Darren does not like his privacy to be interrupted, after all he rarely live in his apartment. He spends more time working in the office, and every night goes home, and it is rare that he usually sleeps in the office.

The apartment is just a place to unwind for him. Sometimes a place to relax, watch a movie a day with Caroline when they are equally off. Darren's mother and father, Ema and Brata choose to settle back in Indonesia, Brata takes care of their company in Indonesia, while Darren takes care of a company in Singapore because it is advancing rapidly. Even, married Daffa also chose to live in Indonesia, because he had to take care of his wife's company. Sometimes Daffa will come to Singapore to help him. Daffa and Rendy collaborated to build a new building of Rendy company that collaborated with Daffa's wife company. The location is not far from Darren office. So they will often visit Singapore.

Darren recalled the incident four days ago, when he asked his friend, Leo, came to Paris. Without being planned, she finally found the girl, after seven years of not meeting and not getting news from the girl, it was very easy to find her. Darren closed his eyes, squeezing pillows in remembrance of the incident seven years ago. Incident that makes his heart die and Frozen.

"I will make you feel greater pain than I feel."

Darren's mumbled opened his eyes.  The one in Darren's eyes was a hateful gaze, no tenderness at all there.

***

Mikaela's heart is pounding and the cold sweat comes out of his forehead and hands. Now she has stood in the building of one of the big companies in his city.

Between believing or not, in earlier morning she got a call to follow interview in the company. And now, Mikaela saw there is no one came except herself. How lucky she is, of the hundred people who applied for the position of secretary, only she was contacted by the company. Whereas, she just fad sent the job appplication letter.

Mikaela still wait in the waiting room because she not yet welcome to meet their HRD. Many times Mikaela breathed a long, trying to calm down from nervousness.

"I can, I certainly can." Mikaela tries to encourage herself. She remembers her friend's saying that her salary in the company was enormous if she was accepted to work. It made her more excited. She can repay her debts to Rendy.

The bag in his hand now is one of them. The prize she received from Rendy, an expensive bag for tens of millions with shoes that is not less expensive, how can Rendy give her a gift as expensive as it is just for her birthday? And although Mikaela's heart is not good, she still wears it for today's interview because it's too enthusiastic. Mikaela wondered, why Rendy always know what Mikaela needs?

"Miss Mikaela."

Someone called her kindly.

"Mr. Leo is waiting in his room. Let me take you there."

The woman smiled gently, making Mikaela a little calm. Eventually she will meet someone who will interview her, she dont knoe what she will say later, just this time Mikaela followed the interview in a big company. Previously, she only worked part-time at the café and bookstore.

Mikaela walked following a woman who walked gracefully in front of her. Mikaela tied her  long hair, wore a cream shirt with a pencil skirt along her knee, she had opened her coat since last, the air outside felt very cold.

"Please, Miss."

The woman opened the one of the doors on the room and told Mikaela to get inside, then she came out closing the door back, leaving Mikaela with a man behind her in a very luxurious and large room.

Mikaela amazed, HRD’s room can be as luxurious as this.

With a definite step, and increasing confidently Mikaela stepped closer to that man.

 "Excuse me sir,” say Mikaela.

The man looked up. Noticing Mikaela's appearance from her toe to her hair, makes Mikaela a little bit uncomfortable.

The man grinning. "Leo, my name is Leo. They always call me Mr. Leo."

"Well, Sir Mr. Leo."

"Sir or Mister?"

"Mr. Leo."

Mikaela looked down, the man walked and sat on the seat of his greatness. "Sit down."

Hearing that man, she was sitting in the chair right in front of the man.

She glanced up the table and found a large written 'CEO' writing on the fancy glass board. Apparently Mikaela faced directly with CEO of the company. Mikaela's heart is increasingly pounding.

"Just relax, don't be nervous," he said.

"Thank you Mr. Leo."

"So why are you applying to my company?"

"Earlier thanks for giving me an opportunity, I wanted to get a job and improve my life, so I applied to your company, because your company is so great."

"You're smart at all praise."

Mikaela smiled.

"But better if you say because the owner of this company is very handsome and I would like to have him,” say Leo teasing her.

Mikaela must be patient with the rich, handsome man who is very confident of it. "Sorry Mr. Leo, I have absolutely no such thoughts."

"Your smile is very beautiful," say Leo again.

"Thank you."

"Well, because your smile is so charming, I accept you to work."

What? How easy is it to get into the company? Mikaela could hardly believes what he was saying, even she hasn't been interviewed at all, just one question and a smile manages to make Mikaela accepted to work? She does not dream, right?

"Are you serious?" asked Mikaela not to believe.

"I do like joking, but this time I'm serious, you're accepted to work."

Mikaela almost jumps to the excitement, if she is not faced with this CEO, surely she has been jumping like a child.

"But, you won't be working in this company."

Mikaela’s smile faded. "What do you mean?"

"Actually I just find a secretary for my friend, because he hears a lot of great graduates here, so he asked me to find the great one."

"You haven't seen the results of my work, how can you know I'll work really well?"

"From your smile and gaze of your eyes."

"Are you joking me?"

Leo laughs. "You don't know who I am? You think before I call you, I din’t find out about you first?"

"You mean?"

"I already know. you're the best graduate of the year, and I've chosen you, so, just thankfully."

"It's not a dream?"

"Certainly not, you’re the best grades among other applicants."

Of course Leo just lied. He chose Mikaela because of his promise to Darren, and of course with a thousand reasons that Mikaela would not suspect him.

"Thank you Mr. Leo, so where should I work?"

"You'll be working in Singapore, because the company in there."

No, Singapore?

Singapore is the country that Mikaela least want to visit. There is Darren there. Furthermore, Singapore is very far away, she is unlikely to leave Salma alone here.

"Sorry Mr. Leo, I'm so glad you choose me, but with my humility, I seem reject your offer."

"Why?"

"I can not go there, I have someone here."

"Lover?"

"No, but someone who very important to me, She is the one who raised me from childhood."

"Oh, take her with you, then."

"No way, I'm not rich enough for it. I was grateful to live in my little apartment with her. I'm sorry, maybe I'm not fit to work there. "

Mikaela rose from his chair, wanting to farewell and leave the room.

"I will prepare the apartment for you and your care, the flight ticket and the meal I will give aside from your salary."

"Sorry?"

"And you'll get a double salary. Are you willing?"

Mikaela hesitated, got such a good offer how could she could reject it. Free apartment, meals already borne and double salary. Only stupid people will reject it. For the sake of a more decent life, for Salma, Mikaela finally accepted that offer.

"Well, fine, I eccept it. So when did I start working?"

Leo smiled like winning a bet.

"Prepare yourself, you will depart tomorrow, I will accompany you there."

“Tomorrow? Is that not too sudden?"

"Time is money, so don't waste your time."

***

Darren's phone rang on his pocket, he was in his working room which dominated by black and cream. Super spacious room with sofa, fridge, large vanity desk, neatly lined closet and a special bedroom room built by Darren when he was overtime or feeling tired. The office is like home.

Darren picked up the phone.

"How?" No small talk, Darren immediately asked the thing he had been waiting for when he found out that Leo was the one who called him.

"Wow, be patience, you don't want to ask how I was first?"

Darren Moan, making Leo stunkling.

"Well, well, she's so pretty."

"I didn't ask it."

"And sexy, you know her body is very--"

"Leo."

Call Darren emphatically. Leo increasingly chuckled.

"She accepts it."

"What?"

"You pretend deaf, huh? She accepts it."

Darren grinned triumphantly. Finally what he wants he will get, makes Mikaela miserable. Quite an interesting game.

"At first She did not want it, but I said She would get apartment, foods and double salary facilities."

"......"

"Do not you mind?"

"......"

"Hey Mr. Darren, are you listening to me?"

"Yeah, I heard."

"Do not you mind what I promised her?"

"Of course not. Thank you Mr. Leo, come back to work or your company will go bankrupt."

 Leo laughs.

"So it's your prayer after I help you?"

"That's not prayer, it's just an advice."

 "Good advice. I will bring her to you tomorrow."

 "You've told her where She's going to work?"

"Not yet, tomorrow will I say."

"No need, I'm going to give her a surprise." Darren a cynical smile imagines what will happen tomorrow.

"Well, I have to meeting now. See you soon in Singapore."

Darren decides his phone. Even if it has to pay a hundredfold Darren would not mind, if it could make the girl suffer before his eyes.