I don't let the activists manifesting in front of the headquarters bother me. There's something you get constantly told when you are growing up: you can't please everyone. There's no way you can do something without upsetting someone else, and if you live to please everyone around you, then you'll only end up frustrated and with premature wrinkles.

We are all different. We like different things, we believe in multiple things and our priorities are in specific orders that don't match each other. That's how it is.

Many people are pleased with the way we do things, many people rely on us, depend on us even, and if we change something to satisfy the activists, then those people will suffer and it won't be activists protesting in front of the headquarters, it'll be shareholders, employees, and more.

Okay, maybe not shareholders, there's no way they would do that. The point being, someone will always be disappointed, pissed and angry. That's how life works.

On my way I text Nora to know exactly where she is right now. She's the first one I want to see before meeting with my step mother. I also want to kick off my shoes and be comfortable in front of someone. I can only do that in front of her.

Lucky for me, she's at Louise's office, which means privacy.

After my dad's death, Louise was supposed to become Laura's chief secretary, because that's what she'd being doing for so long, but Laura didn't want to work with her and got another secretary, pushing Louise to stay around me even if I don't have an official job in the company. One could say Louise is my babysitter until I step up in my father's place and bring her with me. We're both in stand-by until I turn twenty-one.

I understand there's meeting going on, although it shouldn't last for much longer, and it means Nora and I will be alone in the office until said meeting is over.

"Nora!" I call dramatically when I open the door. "Save me!"

My best friend actually gets startled, jumping off her seat and staring at me with wild eyes before I run to her and hug her tightly.

I'm not particularly tall, barely one metre sixty-nine, but I'm taller than Nora for at least four centimetres, she's also slimmer and with a smaller frame, so I love hugging her, even if she complains. I'm a cuddly type of person, I like hugs and cuddles. It's a good thing Nora and I have been together so long, she's used to me.

"What's wrong?" she asks as I rock us both in a tight embrace.

"I missed you."

Nora laughs, breaking the embrace and taking a step back to create some room between us, even if I pout because she's not letting me hug her.

I think Nora is really pretty in this absolutely cute way, with her long dark hair she softy curls, her small and heart-shaped face, very round and innocent features, and those big doe-like eyes. She has this amazing milky skin that looks like porcelain. I do like her complexion, and even if I could also look very pail—not a hard thing in England, let me tell you—I prefer always wearing a healthy tan.

"I honestly thought the activists gave you some problem. You scared me!" Nora complains, playfully hitting me so I just smile sheepishly.

"I can handle them but it's hard being on a charity without you, especially on these!" I angrily point at my shoes before kicking them off and enjoying the cold feel of the floor. Oh yes, this is what I really needed in my life. "They are beautiful, but I think they might have been created with the intention to torture someone."

Nora chuckles, going back to the sofa and her book. That's my best friend, always with her nose stuck in a book, meanwhile I'm more the type to watch the movies of the books she's read. She always tells me the books are better and fills all the blanks the film couldn't cover. I also read, just not at the same scale as her. While she easily reads a hundred books in a year, I read twenty or less. My thing is numbers, not letters.

"Earthquake," I read the title of the book out loud. "Oh, is that the last of the Element Bound series?" Nora nods absentmindedly, going back to the last page she read. I know she'll finish the chapter before paying attention to me, because she can't stop in the middle of a chapter and close the book. "They are making the film adaptation of the first book. I heard Laura mention that the producer is trying to talk to get us to invest."

"It looks like a good project so far. The cast is incredibly accurate and the few things we've seen so far look really promising. I hope Laura decides to invest, I honestly believe it'll be profitable."

"Hmm, I'll ask her about that."

Despite the fact Laura and I can't stand each other, we do have mutual ground when it comes to the company. It is for different reasons, but we both want it to do well. While she's selfish and wants that for her own personal advantage, I want it because the company is my father's legacy and I want to preserve that.

I sit on the sofa next to Nora and I wait until she finishes the chapter to continue our conversation.

We are so used to each other that we know all our habits and respect them, we do argue at times, because we're practically family, and I'm the type to easily forgive when it comes to the people I love. I guess I'm a sap who just thinks relationships are more important, and family is first. Sometimes I think it's because my parents divorced. I don't want to lose the people I love, especially my family, so I let go of the grudge first, even if I wasn't even the one at fault. I just want to leave the bad taste of a fight behind and be happy again.

If people were prone to forgive and let go of their pride, I'm sure there'd be fewer broken families. I know some circumstances are impossible to fix, but others do require a bit more of effort and flexibility.

That's a difference between Nora's parents and mine. When we moved here, Mamá couldn't endure the cultural shock, that made her depressed and not like herself; consequently, that brought countless arguments and fights between my parents until they couldn't take it anymore. She said she was coming back because she hated it in here and needed her home, Dad refused to go with her so they signed the divorce papers. I don't know if the cultural shock killed their love or they just didn't fight enough, regardless, it's too late now.

On the other hand, Nora's parents are still together. They met twenty-five years ago—I know because we celebrated their anniversary together recently—in Korea when Louise was making a post-graduate in Seoul. They met and fell in love, but she had to come back a year later and Mr Park couldn't fathom the idea of parting ways. She couldn't stay in Korea because she had already a good job in England, so he followed her. They married and have stayed together since then. I'm sure it was hard for Mr Park, the cultural shock was as strong for him as it was for my mother, maybe worse, yet he didn't give up. He endured it until it passed, until he felt this country his own home. He now has a Korean restaurant that does incredible well because he's just a great chef.

My point is, some couples fight harder to make it work. Some families endure more for the sake of staying together. I like to believe I'm the type to let go and forgive instead of unnecessary holding grudges that won't do anything but hurt everyone at the end.

"If everyone dies at the end of this book, I wouldn't be surprised, just heartbroken and miserable for the rest of my life," Nora comments, closing the book and breaking through my thoughts.

"Does it look that terrible?"

"What's the need of authors to kill your favourite characters? That's just abuse." I press my lips together not to laugh at her desperate expression. I know and understand the pain that comes with seeing your favourite character die, but right now and as she brought it up so out of the blue, it sounds comical to me.

"That's because like that they can release their inner psychopaths without going to jail." Now it's Nora the one not trying to laugh at my words. "Besides, do you know how hard is to get rid of blood stains?" She only stares at me. "I don't either, but I'm assuming it must be hard, especially if it's a lot of blood. So you should wear something really ugly you can get rid of, because even if in black you can't easily spot blood stains, these still get ruined. You see? Such a hassle. Hence, authors kill people in stories instead and they don't have to deal with blood stains."

"You've thought seriously about this, haven't you?" Nora's expression is serious, and a bit worried.

I blush, I can't help it. It happens every time I ramble out loud, saying whatever is in my head, even if it makes no sense.

"Perhaps." I look away, casually patting my cheeks in a futile attempt to hide my blush. "Regardless, don't you dare to tell me who dies because I want to find out on my own."

"Are you ever going to read the books?"

"After I see your reaction when you finish the book. If you're too big of a mess, I'll just wait for the movies. You get more invested with books so I wouldn't be able to handle that."

"Fair enough," Nora chuckles. "By the way, how did the charity go?"

"As usual, just pretence and networking. I don't think there was one sincere person in that event. So boring. It'd be better if I was there actually to show support instead of for a facade. I'd have a better time."

"You could pick yourself the charities you want to support, and try to get more involved if you think so," Nora suggest.

"I could, but that wouldn't be so profitable for the company."

When you are raised to become the successor of a big company, that's how you view the world. It can't be different, otherwise you wouldn't make a good businessperson. You see the world in a matter of losses and profits, and your decisions are framed by these.

"You only see the world in numbers, don't you?" Nora sighs. She knows this, but I guess she still wishes I wasn't just any other businessperson. She'd want me to be different from everyone else.

Yes, we do take risk in business, but even those risks are coldly measured and planned, and they still follow certain logic. Changing that isn't just a risk, it's certain loss.

"I need that if I want to fit my late father's shoes. Which reminds me, I need to see the impostor filling in for now. Do you think the meeting is over?"

"Probably. You can go and wait for her in the office," Nora suggest and I absentmindedly nod.

"I wish I could go barefoot. I've come to hate these shoes."

"After you report, let's go to Appa's restaurant. That'll cheer you up." Nora laughs, probably because my whole face lights up when I hear those words. "Go, I'll be waiting here."

"Okay, I'll be back soon. I love you!" I sing, making a heart with my arms as I exist the room after putting on my shoes again. I can still hear her chuckles when I close the door. The thought I'll be leaving with her and get delicious food helps me to prepare myself mentally to face Laura, which is my least favourite activity.

Oh joy.

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Hi again! I hope you liked the chapter. The beginning is always a bit slower, but we have connection to It's Just Ann! And I adore Nora, not only because I imagine her as Kim So Hyun but because she's adorable.

Dedication to JeannieLaxamana Remember I give dedication to the best comment.

Bel, xx

~updates every Friday~