Hannah didn’t see Alden in the dining room. She even checked the back patio, but Alden wasn’t there for breakfast. That made her worry.
“Is he sick?” Hannah muttered.
She decided to go to Alden’s room and stopped at the door. Just as she started to knock, she froze. What was she going to say?
‘Sir, did you miss breakfast?
‘Sir, are you all right?
‘Sir, I’m sorry about last night. I feel bad that I turned you down.
All those thoughts led to one conclusion-why should she bother Alden? He would probably think that Hannah was trying to make another move on him.
Suddenly, Hannah decided against waking him.
She rushed through her breakfast, reviewing the files she would present later that day.
Suddenly, the sound of creaking wheels entered the room, and Alden walked in. Hannah and Alden exchanged glances, but neither spoke.
“I’m sorry, I…”
Hannah wanted to discuss Alden’s invitation the night before and felt bad for turning him down so abruptly. But when she saw Alden’s usual cold expression, she immediately changed her approach.
“I thought you weren’t having breakfast, sir. So I didn’t wake you,” she finished in a flat tone.
“It’s okay. I just woke up a little late.”
Alden’s indifferent response made Hannah feel that her words had been the right choice. Clearly, Alden didn’t care for attention, affirmation, or even her sympathy. He would probably take it as an insult or pity.
Hannah stood up, leaving only a few bites of her food behind. She didn’t even glance in Alden’s direction, who was just as indifferent. His apathy frustrated her. She had put up with it for a whole year, and it was maddening.
“A year goes by fast,” Hannah thought, trying to console herself.
“I’m going to the office, sir,” Hannah said with a quick nod.
As usual, Alden has yet to respond. He could at least say ‘okay’ or something like that. But no, Alden did as he pleased, playing with the feelings of those under his power.
…
The drive from home to the office felt agonizingly slow, even though there was no traffic or anything. For some reason, Hannah just didn’t feel energized. She always portrayed a confident, independent person with the full support of her husband, but deep down, she was fragile.
How much longer could she keep up this charade?
As she exited her car and was about to enter the building, she heard a voice calling from her left side. It was a voice that Hannah knew all too well.
“Hannah! Wait! Hannah!” Francesca said.
Hannah blinked, trying to make sure it was really her stepmother. What could Francesca want? Hannah’s inner frustration bubbled to the surface.
“Hello, Hannah,” Francesca greeted, slightly out of breath. “Can we talk? I have something important to tell you. It’s really important.”
Hannah looked at her watch. She had about 30 minutes left. “All right,” she nodded.
The guard opened the door for them and greeted them warmly. Francesca felt the difference in the way Hannah was treated, like a queen at Texco.
A feeling of regret lingered in Francesca’s mind. Why had Aspen refused to marry Alden? Just because he had an accident and couldn’t walk?
If only Aspen had realized that Alden’s disability could be an asset, Francesca’s daughter would be in Hannah’s position now, the owner of Texco.
Francesca wanted to slap Aspen for being so stupid, getting pregnant by Jeffrey, and marrying him instead. Jeffrey was just an average middle-class guy. Worse, he was now just a waiter at a cafe.
After being fired by Hannah, of course!
Hannah led Francesca to a visitors’ room. As soon as Hannah entered, the few employees who were getting drinks left. The room was eerily quiet, with only Hannah and Francesca left.
Hannah sat down on the couch. “What do you want to talk about, Francesca?”
“Oh, now that you’re the owner of Texco, are you too busy to make time for me?”
Hannah’s eyes narrowed at the middle-aged woman across from her. “Yes, very busy. It’s not just you-I hardly have time for my own husband.”
“Well, well… how could you let that happen?” Francesca scoffed. “If you’re too busy with work, your husband might have an affair and take another woman. You’ll lose all that money.”
Hannah grinned bitterly. “Alden isn’t Jeffrey.”
Francesca swallowed hard, feeling stung by her stepdaughter’s remark. But she couldn’t argue right now. She needed Hannah.
Her simple-minded thinking was that if Hannah was offended, all her plans would fall apart.
“So, Francesca, what exactly did you want to talk about?” Hannah asked.
“I’m out of money,” Francesca blurted out.
Hannah raised an eyebrow.
The money Alden had given Francesca wasn’t small; it should have been enough for her to rent or even buy a small house on the outskirts of town, with plenty left over for her old age.
How had Francesca burned through all of it in less than half a year? Did she eat in fancy restaurants every day and order caviar? Hannah thought incredulously.
“I don’t care how you spent the money Alden gave you, but did you even consider it a significant amount?” Hannah asked, struggling to control her emotions.
Francesca sighed quickly. “Well, it also has to do with you. Didn’t you fire Jeffrey?”
“Yes, and?”
“So Aspen needed help with expenses. There were a few weeks when they had no money at all, so I had to support them.”
“That’s not my problem. And for the record, Aspen attacked me here. I could’ve either sent your daughter to jail or fired Jeffrey to prevent it from happening again.”
“Yes, but I need money, Hannah. I only have a little left. I rented a house, but now Aspen and Jeffrey live with me. So I had to rent another small house for them to have some privacy.”
“For God’s sake, Francesca. I’m not responsible for your problems. Didn’t you promise Alden you wouldn’t bother me anymore?”