Beyond Love and Lies

Chapter 7- Hawaii

    “How’s your work going, sissy?” Mickey asked his sister. She has been working in the company for the last three months. Andy seemed to like her new job since she had been coming back home exhausted.  They were eating dinner that he prepared as Andy went home late again.

    “It’s great, I guess,” Andy replied. “Though it was exhausting much of my time doing the accounting,” she added, thinking about the work she was doing recently.

    “You need to chill, okay. I know you're enjoying it but take it slowly,” Mickey said, slicing the steak.

    Andy placed down the knife and fork, furrowing her brows, “There are just some unexplainable inconsistencies written in the book that I am dealing with. I had to dig the old records from the last two years,” She explained, looking at Mickey. Andy seemed suspicious of what was happening in the company.

    She had been eyeing the records of the accounting manager who handled the documents. It wasn’t her job, yet she was doing it discreetly. There were some mystifying records in their system but not written on their archives. If she wasn’t mistaken, the accounting department should be responsible for that matter. Hundreds and thousands of money were missing from the account.

    D&D group of companies composed of construction and buildings, Import and export shipping, real estate, hotels, and restaurants. The constructions and buildings report were doing fine and as well as the real estate and restaurants. The discrepancies she found were in import and export. Roughly high amounts of materials that had been shipped in and out of the country were stated undeclared in the book.

    “Wow, that was absurd. Have you figured what to do? I mean, of course, there are people involved in that scheme,” Mickey said.

    “Not yet, but soon, I just need a hard proof though it was obvious on my plain sight, some might not understand it. Actually, I brought home the archives book to study,” Andy said.

    She was planning to do some research on it. It excites her since her job as an assistant to the assistant auditing manager was dull and boring; it was more likely to get her boss’s coffee and dictate him his schedule. Mr. Flores was making her life not so complicated at work, though. She applied for a job as an assistant to the accounting manager, but she was assigned to assistant to an assistant since she had no bold experience. 

    They told her to gain skills from below if she wanted to be on top. It was still on her line; nevertheless, to work in a well-known company was already an edge. She hadn't even met the CEO of the company. Only the top people in the management were able to speak and meet with him, especially during corporate meetings.

    Andy continued her meal, scooping the yummy potatoes in front of her.

    “How much money do you think these people were embezzling?” Mickey asked curiously. His sister won't do those drastic things out of her way, not unless it was essential and against her values.

    “Well, from my last computation, it was already around 500k grand.”  She replied

    Mickey’s eyes widen. “Oh my God, I mean that was an easy amount to hide from the billions company were eaning, but still, it's stealing.” He said, knowing it won't be that much, and if people were taking the small or partial amount from the records, it cant be easily detected by untrained eyes. Luckily, they employed his sister, and there would be consequences once her Philosophy talked to them.

    “Yup!” Andy emphasized the p. That’s how sure and determined she was.

    “Bizzare,” Mickey said in disbelief.

    “I love the food, Mickey,” Andy said. She forgot to compliment Mickeys cooking skills. “The steak was soft and the mashed potato. Oh my goodness, Mic, whoever your future girl or wife will be. She’s lucky. To have an amazing cook plus good lucking husband is a lottery win!” she said, flattering her brother.

    Mickey blushed in red. Flattered. “Stop!” he said, chuckling. “I know you needed a favor, just tell me,” Mickey knew his sister that much. If she was overpraising him, it only meant one thing—a favor.

    “NO! I mean it. I love it. Why are you looking at me like that?” Andy giggled. Mickey knew her that much.

    “Spill, Andrea Mikaela,” Mickey said in a stern voice and dingy face. He was kidding her, and she knew it.

    Andy sheepishly smiled,

    “Iforgottodomylaundrycanyouputitformeinwasheranddryer?” she said in one voice. “dontworryialreadywashedmyundiesjustmyofficeclothesplease” she added.

    Mickey laughed at his sister's remarks. He knew she was busier even more, and putting her laundry in the washer and dryer was a no sweat for him.

    “Please, Andrew Michael,” Andy said in her puppy eyes. She knew her brother wouldn't say no.

    “Bring out your beddings and blankets as well,” he said.

    “Yay!!”Andy happily shouted. She stood up and kissed her twin on his cheek.

    “Silly lazy woman,” Mickey said, chuckling.

    “Love you, don’t worry, I’ll wash the dishes,” she offered.

    “We have a dishwasher….” Mickey reminded.

    Andy went back to her seat, “I know!” she said before continuing to eat her delicious meal. She just bought their dishwasher two months ago when she had her first paycheck. And also the time where she met Daniel again for the third time.

    Mickey chuckled.

    “Hey, Mickey,” Andy said. It was her time now to ask her brother.

    “How’s work?”

    Mickey sipped his water before answering, “Everything is doing well, they're planning to open up a new hotel in Hawaii, and they might send some people to supervise for weeks.” He said. They were informed about it a week ago, and Mickey silently prayed they wouldn't choose him to be sent there. He didn't like the idea of being away with the only person he trusted most.

    “Hey!, that’s great. It should be you!” Andy said. It would be an excellent experience for Mickey if he did work on that precious island.

    “Of course, no!” Mickey objected. He wasn’t interested in it.

    “Why?. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it's Hawaii, duh?” she said, rolling her eyes at him. There’ll probably be hundreds of beautiful women for him. If it were her, she would accept it and enjoy the island while she and….. ‘s**t’ her fickle brain smacked her head inwardly. She realized it wasn’t a holiday, and it meant if it was her, she has to leave Mickey alone, and she didn’t like the idea of it.

    Mickey looked at Andys skeptically; she had seemed zoned out somewhere.

    “Hey, Andy, you okay?” he said, nudging her.

    “f**k, I'm sorry…” Andy went back to her senses.

    Mickey was puzzled.

    “You were right. It wasn’t a good idea,” Andy said, brushing Mickey’s arm. “I'm sorry if I sounded pushing you, yeah, I can't be away with you too,” Andy said, though she knew the time would come they would have to, she wasn’t ready yet.

    “It's okay, Andy,” Mickey smiled. “We will go there together someday,”  Mickey promised once their debt cleared. He would plan to celebrate with the most special person in his life right now, his sister Andrea.

    “Love you, Mics,” Andy said, standing up,  cleaning up their plates and the table.

    Mickey did what Andy asked him to do with her laundry while Andy walked to her bedroom to continue her work.

    Andy glanced at the clock on her study table. It was nearly midnight. She didn’t realize it was already late after burying her head from the papers in front of her. She has already figured out how much the total money was missing and sent it to the various bank accounts. She deduced by taking away the hundreds of legit accounts of their company using for transactions. 

The result gave her three constant account numbers that the money was being dispersed silently. Her final Aha moments will be soon; what she needed now was to sleep and rest. Andy closed the book and laid down on her bed to sleep.