A black clamshell flip phone pulses with a relentless vibrating hum against the counter tab, intentionally ignored alongside a freshly ironed academic dress, its folds and creases suggesting it was carelessly tossed rather put aside on a chair nearby.
Its wearer is far out of reach as she's sitting slouched forward, elbows resting on her knees and both hands cupping her forehead.
Her view being blocked by another woman pacing at the front, almost as though she's covering the TV screen broadcasting news.
"—That's right, here we have over 6,000 students are graduating this year in Glasnos University!" The camera pans to the crowd in uniformed navy blue academic regalia, then it switches to the stage empty for the next upcoming student to be called.
But they never came, skipping it to call the next in line.
After a silent 3 seconds wait, the camera is back at the reporter, who's resisting the urge to stretch up her neck finding where the missing student is now. She pinned her eyes back at the camera, with a smile plastered on her face before she continues.
The older woman stopped pacing, her gestures mirroring the other with her hand on her head "Listen, you don't want to do this-"
"Do I look like I care about that now?"
She gasps at the younger lady on the sofa snapping at her, "Now you think you can talk back to me? Naria Fuente Arcángel, know your place!"
Right when the older woman scolds her, Naria immediatly rose up from her seat, on her hand she drops a stack of documents onto the coffee table with force. Purposely making it sound louder than getting her full name called.
On the first page is titled Auction Catalog, and the rest of the text has her evading the eye contact from reading the entire content. "Know my place? Auntie Sid, YOU signed this without my knowledge. You took all of our family's artifacts behind our back."
Her aunt Sid held her hands up in defense right away, "This is a misunderstanding."
Naria drew herself up to a full height, intimidating her aunt at six feet tall "Oh, is there something I misunderstood? You think I wouldn't notice this process was not too long ago? The contract was clearly made during my 4 years of stay in the university."
"Now that is exactly why you don't understand. You could not come home. You couldn't even visit grandma's funeral." Naria froze, other than her aunt standing near her so she wouldn't turn away.
Her aunt Sid picked up the stack of documents, holding it near her chest as she began sorting out the pages. Leaving her grieving niece some space as she approached the windowsill, reading the pages under the direct morning dew sunlight.
On the page is titled Board Resolution , and below is a certification of the full name of Naria's aunt; signed by their family corporation directors for voting her as the new president. Next page is the Share Transfer Agreement , a contract allowing ownership of shares under her signature once again.
While Naria isn't looking, the aunt carefully pluck those two papers out of the stack. Looking over Naria won't find her sneakily stuffing those two into her bag.
She cleared her throat and went back, pretending to reorganize with her fingers running through the pages. "Child, I understand this frustrates you, but you weren't there when granny needed you."
"Don't speak about grandma, I know what you did."
The aunt lets out a dismissive scoff, she clips the bag closed and strapping it now over her shoulder. "Spare me with your emotional excuses, this is not just about family. This is business." With a loud flap of pages dropping down to the coffee table, facing to Naria's direction.
"You're not going to be a successful heir the way grandma wants you to think with that attitude, child."
Naria was turning her back on her, refusing to give the aunt an ounce of attention, she simply looks over her shoulder, "WHat are you talking about? I'm not a child anymore." She flatly replied.
And it successfully triggered her, however, she decided to keep on pushing Naria's buttons "My point still stands, sit down, I'm talking. For your information, I withstood the pressures when you and granny were gone, I did most of the work on your behalf, and this is the thanks I get? Truly like your demented mother."
Door busted open before Naria could lift up her fist, his glasses sits askew on his nose, it sat lower now when he ran for Naria. Grabbing her from the back, pulling her away. "Naria, Sidney, what is the meaning of all of this?"
Her aunt is stepping back pointing fingers, hugging her hundred dollar tote bag closely like a shield, "Miguel, control that good-for-nothing daughter of yours.."
"My mother is not crazy, YOU are. You're helping no one but yourself , do you hear me?!" Her father is a giant he had to be the wall between the two, but mostly putting up his strength against Naria who's still pushing.
Though he kept a cautious eye on her aunt Sidney, narrowing his gaze after an earful of insults that involved his wife.
The ceremony is almost done. Naria did not bother attending anymore after being two and a half hours late. She sulks on the passenger seat, leaning close to the side window with her head propped in her palm. Zoning out on the scenery of the university's outdoor parking lot.
Absent-mindedly viewing the rigid, empty grid of cars, and instead filled by the faint echoes of the host's voice from the stadium. Everyone is nowhere but the central campus where the graduation takes place.
Her father decided to break the silence with a sigh, putting his Nokia down after a lengthy conversation with the caller. "Turns out they never emailed us about the contract. Nobody notified us at all.".
Naria shuts her eyes closed, her fist curls into a ball restraining another reaction, "Can we not talk about this please?" Her words escape out of her lips with a resigned breath. Inclining her head against the window.
"I'm sorry, kiddo." Another silence fills in the queasy atmosphere. Naria disassociating in her seat, Miguel is holding up his glasses so he can press the bridge of his nose gliding it up to his temples. Comforting himself aftermath the heated argument with a forehead massage.
He fixed his rectangle framed glasses, looking over his daughter who's loosely holding onto her unused graduation attire, with the gown folded and its cap sitting ontop at her lap.
The gaze in her puffy eyes empty, her cheeks are smudged with dry running mascara. He decided to open the glove compartment, taking a box of tissues then handing it over to her without a word.
Sensing his reach, Naria glanced at it first before lazily taking the box. Pulling one sheet out and another, vigorously wiping it on her face across her cheeks like a scrub. "Woah woah, gentle, Ree." He adjusted himself closer trying to take a sheet of tissue, only for Naria to get it out of his reach with the box on her hand and arm stretched downwards. "Ugh, I got this, dad.."
The dad did not argue any further, sitting back behind the wheel, and watching her yank the sheets of tissue with uncountable amount to clean off her makeup almost completely. She puts the box back in the compartment half-empty.
It's quiet again in the car. Drinking in the only peaceful ambiance they have in a while to rest.
Then finally, the chilly air weighted with quiet guilt paused when Naria spoke "Dad."
Miguel could almost jump out his seat, more than eager to talk with his daughter again "Yes, Ria?"
Naria's blank, and mind-wandering glare out to the windowpane remains unchanging. "I'm wasting your time, aren't I?" She murmured. The words came out exhausted, completely drained of anger.
The dad's thick brown eyebrows turn up above his widened eyes, "Wasting my time? No, never. Who taught you such an idea?" He could see much clearly her look of distress can no longer be masked, instead she uses her hands, pinching her forehead in attempts of covering her glossy eyes "Auntie said-"
He instinctively faces her on the side of the helm, placing his hands on her shoulders so they can see eye to eye "No, Naria. Don't ever let her get into your head. All time is worth it with you. She has no business with your choices, and the things you do with love." His comfort delivered through words in heavily languid tone. His grip firm, strives to put her at ease.
She huffs a tight, bitterly grunt to herself. On an edge of swaying her shoulders to shake off his grasp, "But didn't you see the contract? She's on the move, taking everything I promised for lola . I made preparations on my own for years, and they just let her throw it away within months..!"
But Miguel insists holding a steady eye contact, interrupting her before on the brink of her spiraling again "Hey, grandma, your mom, and I never wanted things to end this way either. You're not dealing with this alone,"
He pulls her in a tight warm hug, in hopes of her giving into his comforting embrace "We still have time. We got this, trust me."