I paused and went on, “I will never bother about the issues involving Hank and his business. If you regard me as your friend, please never act like this in the name of friendship. I won’t engage in business, nor will I betray Dennis.”
I hung up and looked back at Clarrie.
She was sleeping.
I had been preparing for an entrance exam for a master’s degree but having missed the test, I had nothing particular to do now.
In the evening.
Dennis came back and looked tired perhaps due to the hangover.
I was lost in thought in the sitting room.
He came to me and pulled me into his arms, “Why didn’t you call me?”
I gazed at him, “I was afraid that you were busy.”
He put his head on my shoulder, “Nothing is more important than you.”
“What do we eat for dinner?” he asked and looked around, “Where is Clarrie?”
“She is sleeping in her room.” I wondered whether I should tell him about Mario, “She had a fever this morning.”
He nodded, “Did Mario come?”
I nodded yes and looked at him, “I have read the news that your company has bought many shares of JD. Do you want to develop AI?”
My question was indirect but he knew it.
His face darkened, “Who told you?”
And he realized his improper tone and said, “I will deal with that and you needn’t worry.”
He was calm yet cold.
I knew that he didn’t want to be involved with the men’s issues.
I lowered my head and looked at my fingertips, “Okay, just don’t push yourself too much.”
He arose, “I have something to deal with and I will stay with you after I have finished it in the study.”
And he went upstairs.
I looked at his back and it suddenly occurred to me that I forgot to ask him whether he had had dinner.
I cooked some noodles and brought them upstairs.
The door of the study was ajar and he was on a phone call.
What the person on the other end of the phone was speaking about was unknown to me and I could see the ink and papers on the table.
He signed the papers and said irritatingly, “Have you finished?”
And the other speaker seemed to be talking anyway.
Dennis said, “He is no friend of mine. You don’t know about business.”
He was really mad.
And he hung up and kept signing the papers.
But he knocked over a cup of coffee as he was too excited.
But he pulled a tissue and gracefully wiped out the mess.
Having been in the business arena for years, he had learned to conceal his emotions.
And he knew what he wanted.
I knocked at the door.
He saw me and smiled, “What tasty food are you bringing me?”
I smiled and put the noodles on the table, “Have a try.”
He ate them most gracefully.
I cleaned the mess of the spilled coffee and asked him, “Is your aunt okay recently?”
Yara was Hank’s stepmother, and Dennis and Hank can be said to be cousins.
He replied, “Yes, she is okay.”
My eyes fell upon the papers on the table.
Papers to buy the Gibson group were crafted two years ago, but why contracted now?
There was ink on the paper and I tried to erase it.
“It wouldn’t work,” Dennis said.
I put the papers down.
He was finishing his supper and I asked him, “does it taste good?”
He nodded, “It’s nice.” And he kissed me on the forehead, “Katrina is about to be out of the hospital and we can visit her tomorrow.”
He still remembered this.
I smiled and nodded, “yes.”
I paused and looked up at him, “Dennis, how about we making an appointment that you can take the device out?”
“Uh?”
“We must let the gone be gone, right?” I explained, “Clarrie is the child of the Bennet family. I love her and I love you. But it is not a bad thing if she can have Mario’s love for her.”
He asked, “Did you agree that Mario could visit Clarrie?”
I nodded, “Mario is her father and I have no right to deter. And I want a child of our own.”
His body stiffened and he smiled, “Yes.”
He finally agreed.
I was so happy.
Maybe I shouldn’t have bothered about the issue with Hank.
I cleared the dishes.
Clarrie, after sleeping for a day, was playing with the dog in the sitting room.
Dennis was still busy with his work as if he were still in the company.
Clarrie asked me, “how much work does Dennis have for me? He is busy always.”
I smiled, “He must endure the pain if he wants to obtain the respect of others. Physical pain is the easiest to tolerate.”
And the hardiest to endure lay in the soul.
Jane suddenly appeared.
She was angry, “Clara, you gave all your money to Hank and I thought you meant to help him. I was wrong. How can you do such a base thing to him? You are no different from Dennis.”