However, after getting changed and heading to the front entrance, she saw Moneypenny jogging toward her.
He was panting-even if he was not sick, he was still showing his age.
“Madam Abigail,” he greeted her respectfully.
Still, Abigail did not wait for him to tell her why he was there, and she quickly said, “I told you-don’t come looking for me ever again. I’m not going to see him.”
“Master Althoff understands that, which was why he came instead,” Moneypenny told her. “He’s waiting for you outside.”
Abigail frowned-this was the second time they ambushed here.
How was she supposed to work in peace if they keep doing this every day?
Breathing a deep sigh, she said, “Lead the way!”
She must make it very clear to Henry Althoff so that he would not come all the time.
As they went, Moneypenny said, “Master Althoff is in bad shape and shouldn’t be out here, but he came anyway, disregarding his health-’
“That has nothing to do with me.” Abigail cut him short right then.
She would never buy any appeals to emotion, not to mention that he was Diarmuid’s grandfather, not hers.
Moneypenny opened the door for her when they reached Henry’s car, and Abigail shot him a look before getting inside!
Henry was leaning on his seat, his body covered under a blanket.He was skinny and withered.
The wrinkles on his neck were distinct and his eyes were sunken and dull, while his face was covered in irregular patches of liver spots.
Aman like him should be surrounded by his children and grandchildren, reveling in familial joy, but Henry appeared desolate and miserable.
Even so, Abigail still felt no sympathy because it was all Henry’s own fault, and he could not blame anyone else.
“I know you want me to talk to Diarmuid.After all, you’re old and need family now more than ever, don’t you?”
“Would you help me?”
Henry would certainly admit that he was old and needed company.
“Don’t you have Ian Althoff already?”
Abigail pointed out icily.
“You’re still blaming me for that?”
Henry rasped feebly— even his voice seemed old.
“The past is the past.I won’t pursue it any further,” she said, holding his gaze.
“You had me marry Diarmuid as my father requested, because you had your agenda.You wanted me to soften him, so that he gives up on hate, thinking that you’re doing it for him—”
“Is that not the case?” Henry asked impatiently in return before Abigail finished.
Even now, he believed that his choice back then was for Diarmuid’s sake “No,”
Abigail said in no uncertain terms.
That wasn’t for his sake, but to satisfy your selfish favoritism toward Greg Althoff’s family.
If you ever were on his side, you would’ve at least thrown one of them in jail to atone for Diarmuid’s parents’ death, instead of trying to appeal to Diarmuid’s emotion and make him give up on revenge.”
“You were wrong from the start, and even if you have every right to protect your son and grandson, what about Quincy Moore? Have you really thought from Diarmuid’s perspective when you protected Greg’s family? The only one you ever sacrificed was Diarmuid alone, and he would not be this cold if you had punished even one member of Greg’s family.It’s selfish of you to keep them whole while denying Diarmuid everything!”
After the rant, Abigail took a moment to calm herself.
“What you did later was even worse.How is he supposed to forgive you?”
“I’m selfish?” Henry disagreed.
“I gave him the entire family estate nu “Does that buy him a parent’s love? He lost both parents when he’s ten.How much happiness do you think he even remembers? Don’t you know the environment he grew up in?”
Abigail was becoming agitated the more he spoke.
“He had more than one attempt on his life, and you know who did it.Have you ever punished them? No, you even threw him under the bus!”
Henry frowned.
“How?”
“Don’t you think giving him the entire family estate painted a crosshair on his head? You would never have done that if you actually cared.You insist everything was for his sake, but I really don’t see it.” Henry was stumped.
He had no comeback at all—he had never thought of it from Abigail’s perspective.He was convinced that he did Diarmuid a favor by giving him the family fortune, but Abigail somehow made it sound terrible.
“Ian Althoff is enough company for you,”
Abigail finished and alighted, leaving without hesitation.
Moneypenny got in after that.
“Sir…”
Henry waved him off —he needed peace and quiet.
“Let me think…”
With that, Moneypenny said nothing and gestured for the chauffeur to drive back to the hospital.
Abigail did not go home right away, and instead hovered near a flowerbed to calm down.She started to leave after a while, only to find a furious figure striding toward her!
Abigail did a double take.
“W-What are you doing here?”
Ricky was glaring at her.
“Did you know that Lulu left?”
“I was just looking for you—”
“Did you know?!”
Ricky was planning to have dinner with Lulu and went to her house to look for her, only to find that she was gone, along with all her belongings.
She did not leave any message either, and Ricky remembered that she had been behaving strangely because she regained her memory.
In that case, she most definitely would go to Abigail!
“Calm down first,” Abigail told him.
“Calm down? How?! I’m losing my mind looking for her!”
Ricky had looked everywhere he could, and only came to Abigail after he ran out of places to look.
“Why can’t you? Lulu’s not going to fall for you when you’re bristling like a kid.Come to me again when you calmed down enough and can talk normally!”
With that, Abigail started to stride off, and Ricky panickily caught her sleeve.
“Abigail…”
Abigail held his gaze.
“I’m serious.If you can’t calm down and listen, I won’t tell you a thing.”
Ricky took a moment to calm down.
“Just…Don’t go.Let me have the same time.”
“This isn’t the place to talk.Let’s get to a restaurant—we can talk over dinner.”
Abigail was a little hungry, and she had abdominal pain just a couple days ago, so she was worried it would hit again if she did not eat punctually.
On the other hand, Ricky had no appetite, but he had no choice seeing that Abigail clearly knew about Lulu.
“Fine.”
There were many restaurants nearby, so they picked a random one, which offered a menu of local cuisine that fit Abigail’s tastes.She ordered some of the plain dishes, and while they waited, Ricky calmed down a little.
“Abigail, could you tell me now…?”
“After we’re finished eating,” Abigail said, and put food on his plate.
Ricky was speechless.
“I’m really not in the mood to eat.Don’t you get it?”
“Eat with me,” Abigail told him.
“I could have gone home and eaten with my whole family, but I’m not home because of you.Shouldn’t you keep me company instead?”
Ricky was left speechless again, but he feebly picked up his fork and spoon.
No matter how delicious the dishes were, it was bland in his mouth like he was forced to eat paper! He ate intermittently, while keeping a close eye on Abigail, hoping she would have her fill soon.
Even so, Abigail was taking her time, and restrained his impatience as he said, “Abigail…My dear Abigail, don’t leave me hanging.Just tell me already, or it’s going to kill me.”
Still, Abigail waited until she finished her soup, and put her soup spoon aside before looking up at him.
“Tell me, do you really like Lulu?”
“I love her.”
“She’s older than you—”
“What year is it? How is age a problem? She’s just a few years older too!”
Realizing something then, he pressed, “Is she leaving me because of our age gap?”
“No.”
Abigail gave him a serious look.
“You’re still young, Ricky, and I think you should focus on your career—”
“What the hell did she tell you?”
Ricky narrowed his eyes.
“Wait, did she choose Zachary?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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