"Yes, sir, I already know my work; my brother Damian told me about it," Emerson replied. "And I want to apologize that Mario is absent."

"That's good!" Elfedio said. "But what happened to Mario?"

Emerson sighed in regret and sympathy before saying that "Mario has fractured bones in his arm."

He thought that Elfedio wanted to exclaim or would ask another question, but he was calm enough to say, "I see. Perhaps he needs to rest for now."

"You've got that right, Sir." Emerson smiled, then continued working.

On the one hand, Mario prepared himself for the thought that their boss might ask why he'd been absent from work. He waited there inside the room while looking at them having a conversation.

"Whatever you told him to avoid being expelled, I'm sure he'll know the truth (that it was you who broke my bones)," Mario soliloquized as he realized that his expectations weren't going to happen.

They just continued working until the sun went down. Dusk had gathered within a few short minutes, and the workers went back to their homes. After a few moments, Emerson also decided to go.

"You're really a thorn in my throat!" Mario screamed in his mind. "Someone who suddenly appeared and would take everything, like a termite that makes his house through another's."

He tried his best to manage the anger and envy, but the thought that Emerson got everything from him couldn't be managed any longer, and all he wanted to do was make him pay in whatever way.

After eating his dinner, Emerson entered their room. He saw Mario, who was still lying on his bed. He thought that perhaps his arms still ached, so he just prepared his bed to sleep.

"Don't you want to go out and eat your dinner?" Emerson asked while spreading the bed sheets on his bed.

"Eat my meals if you want! I know you want it! As you did with everything from me!" Mario exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" Emerson curiously looked at him.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Mario abruptly jumped out of bed. "You already took my position as a head worker; you also told lies just to avoid being scolded, and now you'll also take the young lady from me?"

Emerson was lulled as he felt the mixed heat of jealousy and anger inside the room. He recently realized what this was all about: that Mario loved not only his work but also Rebecca.

"Just take it easy, my friend; I'm not taking anything from you," Emerson tried to convince Mario as he sat down beside him.

"How can you say that after what you did?" Tears began running down his face. "How can I calm you if you won't stop what you're doing?" He tried to maintain a normal tone of voice.

"No-no-no, don't cry." Emerson perched his arm on his shoulder. "You seemed like you're not a man. I'm here not for these things. I have my own reasons," he tried to explain.

Mario removed Emerson's arm from him and said, "I will only believe you if you show it." He covered himself with the blanket, and the darkness of night reigned all over the whole land.

The sun had just begun its journey in the sky, and Rebecca woke up with an inspired aura. She hummed a song while clipping the curtains, then stared right at the garden through the window of her bedroom. A bright smile appeared on her face when she saw Emerson on the lawn.

"Hey! Mind your steps!" Lucille shouted as she mopped the floor.

Taking the stairs hastily, Rebecca didn't listen to Lucille's advice; she didn't care if she might fall because she'd already fallen. The wide door creaked when she opened it while shimmying out.

Thereafter, the smile on her face gradually disappeared and turned into a sad expression as she stared right at where she saw Emerson. He wasn't there anymore. Perhaps he was busy working right there. She thought about it and didn't bother herself to look for him.

In the afternoon, Emerson made himself busy with his new work, but it couldn't be removed from him that his mind was also busy thinking about Rebecca. He didn't know why his heart weighed a ton every time he pretended that he was busy, but the truth was that he was avoiding her.

As soon as a lot of moments passed that Rebecca hadn't talked with Emerson, she noticed that there was something wrong. Even though they had just met each other, she already knew that he would not do this without reason.

"Perhaps I didn't totally know him," Rebecca thought as she walked down the hedged part of the garden where Emerson kissed her. Not to mention, that was her first, and she longs for that to happen again.

A warm and heavy hand suddenly held her shoulder. When she looked back, she saw Emerson with teary eyes that seemed to be saying something, but he hardly had to pronounce it in words.

He had a lot of things to admit, but he didn't know where to start. He didn't know if Rebecca could understand that everything he was doing had a reason, that he wasn't really Emerson but someone she might hate if she knew.

Many things were playing in his mind. He knew he could not endure avoiding the woman who was getting closer to him every day. Even he knew that the first rule in order to grant his task was to avoid falling in love with his target, but that would never be easy for him.

"Hi," Rebecca said, breaking the silence. "Are you alright?"

"Um, yeah. I have something to tell you, Rebecca," Emerson replied.

"What's that? Do you want to express your regret for avoiding me since-" Rebecca started, but again, Emerson didn't want her to talk too much. What he only wanted her to do was listen, and because of that, he kissed her.

"I love you," Emerson whispered right through her temple.

Rebecca wasn't surprised anymore if that was what he wanted to say. She knew in herself that she also felt the same way, so she fought him with those desirable kisses under the warm sunlight of the afternoon.

As they lay down on the grass and stared at the unblemished blue sky, everything became nothing; they could only hear each other's heartbeats when someone halted in front of them.

Emerson suddenly stood up in bewilderment when he saw it was Mario. He wanted to explain everything but didn't know how to say a word. Then he totally fell into silence when Mario angrily turned and left.

"What's wrong?" Rebecca asked in a worried voice.

"I'm sorry, Rebecca, but I have to talk with Mario for now."

"But!" Rebecca tried to stop him, but he had already left.

"Is there something wrong with him being so worried like that?" Rebecca wondered as she sat down on the grass.