When I saw her washing her clothes with her hands, I squatted and helped her out.
The woman tried to stop me a few times, but she gave up as I went on washing the clothes. Letting out a sigh, she explained, “These are branded clothes, so I’ve to hand-wash or send them for dry cleaning. But the laundry shop is too far from here, so I wash them myself since I’m free now.”
I smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. “If it’s inconvenient for you to stay alone, why don’t you move in with us? Our place has more than enough rooms. It’ll be livelier if you’re there.”
She chuckled. “Have another baby, and I’ll come over to take care of the baby.”
I didn’t utter a word, so Sally thought I was shy and stopped talking about it. Standing up, she went into the house, brought a stool, and put it behind me.
“Anthony said that you often have backaches after the miscarriage. I’ve never given birth before, so I’m robust enough to handle this. Take a seat. Stop washing them if you’re feeling unwell.”
Initially, I wanted to decline, but I gave in to her insistence.
When we had finished washing the clothes, we sat in the yard with some fruits on the table. Pouring me a glass of water, she said solemnly, “Don’t be shy. You’re a mother now. As for Anthony’s and your baby, I’ve even thought of a few boy’s and girl’s names. When the time comes, I’ll list them out for your reference.”
The water in the glass tasted bitter all of a sudden. I swallowed it, and the bitterness lingered in my throat.
After chatting for a while, I wanted to make a move. Before I leave, she reminded me with concern, “Have a safe journey. Text me when you’re home.”
I turned my head around and nodded at her. Perhaps I should make time to see Cameron. No matter how much resentment I felt toward her, she was still my biological mother.
Sally stood at the doorway and sent me off with a smile. For some inexplicable reason, a wave of sorrow welled up in my heart. Walking over, I wrapped my arms around her. “Anthony and I are not by your side every day, so please take good care of yourself.”
She let out a hearty laugh. “Honey, why are you so sentimental all of a sudden? You can come over whenever you want.”
I put on a smile and said in a gentle voice, “I know that in your eyes, Anthony shouldn’t be with an ordinary woman like me. Though you’re not happy with me, you still care about us a lot. You’re not his biological mom, but you have him on your mind all the time. In fact, you’re really amazing.”
Stunned, Sally paused for a moment before replying to me, “Honey, what are you saying? This is all so sudden.”
“Thank you!” I cut her off and wrapped my arms around her. There was a bittersweet feeling in my chest.
This world is never a place dictated by absolute rights or wrongs. Aren’t we all merely treading grey areas day by day?
There was an anxious expression on her face as she asked, “Is something wrong?”
I gave her a cheeky smile in return. “Yes, I’m hoping you can help me with something.”
Surprised, she asked, “What is it?” Her expression turned serious.
“Can I borrow some money?”
She laughed out loud at my request. “Honey, you gave me a shock!” She pulled out some notes from her pocket and stuffed them in my hands.
Then, she chided me, “Honey, why did you make it so dramatic? I really thought something serious had happened.”
I chuckled as I counted out the money I needed and returned the rest to her. “A tenner is enough.”
I left Sally’s house and headed to the taco stand. After I paid the seller, I went back to the villa.
Anthony wasn’t home yet. I drifted off into a daydream as I stared at the magnolias in full bloom in the yard.
I snapped out of my daydream and decided to do something useful around the house. I started tidying up the second floor, and I had just finished cleaning the bedroom when Anthony came back.
He frowned when he saw me. “Your back is hurt. Just let Flora deal with the cleaning.” As he gently told me off, he pulled me down to sit on the bed.
He continued, “I heard you paid a visit to Aunt Sally today.”
I nodded and looked at him. Suddenly I didn’t know what else to say, and I just stayed silent.
I leaned on his chest and listened to the calming sound of his heartbeat.
He spoke up first. “You didn’t have any cash on you?”
Slightly surprised, I nodded. “I bought some food from a taco stand in an alley. I didn’t have any cash on me, so I borrowed some money from Aunt Sally.”
This got a sigh out of him. “You can draw money using the debit card I gave you. Just use it whenever you need to buy something.”
I nodded before asking, “Do we have any cash at home?”
“There are several thousand in the drawer in the study. You can take it whenever you need it.”
I mumbled my understanding and continued hugging him, just taking in his scent in silence.
It had been drizzling in K City. I stood before the Moore residence, hesitating. If I go in, they’ll ask me to stay for dinner, and if I say no, I’ll upset both Cameron and Zachary.
In the end, I decided not to go in. I lingered for a moment longer before leaving.
Rain showers during spring weren’t chilly. Instead, they brought with them warmer weather.
Enjoying the weather, I walked around aimlessly after leaving the Moore residence. Somehow I ended up outside the Featherstone Corporation office.
So much time has passed, but I can still remember when I first set foot in K City five years ago. My life has changed so much since then.
I approached the reception counter, certain that I would be required to make an appointment. To my surprise, the receptionist seemed to recognize me. She greeted me, “Mrs. Featherstone, welcome to the office.”
Pleasantly surprised, I asked, “How do you know me?”
“Mr. Featherstone informed us that you might drop by. You can just head on up,” she said amicably.
I’d almost forgotten that my return to K City—as well as my relationship with the Featherstones—had been splashed across the tabloids. There wasn’t much that the public didn’t know about me, let alone for someone who worked at the Featherstone Corporation.
I walked into Anthony’s office on the top floor of the building. He was already waiting for me at the door. There was a black fountain pen in his hand as if he’d gotten up in the middle of working.
He pulled me into his arms and smiled gently. I could feel him releasing a sigh of relief. “Why’d you suddenly drop by?”
Realizing that my clothes and hair were wet, he pulled me into his private restroom. He rummaged around for one of his spare shirts as he said sheepishly, “You should take a shower and change into dry clothes.”
I looked at the shirt in his hands and chewed my lips hesitantly. “We’re at your office.” What I really wanted to say was that the office was a public area, unlike our house. It would probably be quite inappropriate for me to walk around in his shirt.
He smirked and gave me a peck on my lips. “It’s fine. Just wear this first. I’ll ask Joseph to bring you a set of clothes in a bit.”
I heard his office line ringing as I walked into the restroom. I could make out the baritone of his voice as he replied, “Come in!”
Someone’s probably here to pass him some documents. I turned on the showerhead and started bathing.
I felt much warmer after the shower. I put on the black shirt he’d given me, which was longer than I’d expected. The shirt brushed my knees.
I patted my hair dry instead of using a hairdryer. I walked out of the restroom and saw Rachel standing beside Anthony at his desk.
They were so engrossed in their discussion on the marketing strategies for the AI project that I thought Anthony must’ve missed my entrance.
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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