“Hannah, please,” Kenneth pleaded.
“You think I can hold out and just leave your sister alone? What happened in the past wasn’t all Alden’s fault.”
“I will try to control Sarah, but I also ask for your patience.”
“Okay, no problem.” Hannah crossed her arms. “As long as Sarah’s behavior stays within reasonable limits, I will restrain myself. But if she crosses my line of patience, I won’t stand still.”
Kenneth agreed. “Alright, I agree.”
“And if Sarah wants my husband, you must make her understand that I will never leave Alden, no matter what.”
Then Hannah got up from her seat, not even finishing her coffee.
“Good day,” Hannah said goodbye.
Hannah quickly left the coffee shop and felt increasingly heavy as she walked towards the office. How about Hannah and Alden move abroad, even though they could do it? However, Texco and Goldtime were the pillars for the Harrison family’s name to rise again; how could they leave them?
Hannah knew that Alden aspired to restore his father’s name, which had once been mocked and disappeared. So how could Hannah be selfish and ask her husband to leave everything Alden had worked so hard to build?
Hannah entered the office, and the receptionist immediately approached her.
“Ma’am, you have a visitor. Her name is Mrs. Francesca. I already told her she doesn’t have an appointment with you,” said the receptionist, “but she insisted. She is currently in the visitor’s room.”
Hannah was silent for a moment. “It’s okay, I will see her. Please ask her to meet me in the meeting room.”
“Alright, ma’am.”
Then Hannah walked to the meeting room with a messy mind, and now Francesca had come. Hannah didn’t understand what her stepmother wanted, but it was undoubtedly related to financial matters.
When Hannah sat in the meeting room, Francesca arrived.
Seeing Francesca’s pitiful condition, Hannah felt a bit of pity.
“Thanks for your time,” Francesca said softly.
Hannah just nodded briefly. “What do you want to talk about?”
“I know I’ve been bothering you a lot, Hannah.” Francesca looked uncomfortable and hesitant. “But Jeffrey really needs a job. Aspen and Jeffrey are struggling financially, especially after Aspen had the baby. I don’t know who else I can turn to for help.”
“Do you know that Jeffrey was given a chance to interview at Goldtime, but Aspen insulted my husband and even made threats?”
Francesca just blinked in disbelief.
“Neither Alden nor I can do anything for Jeffrey because Aspen refused the help,” Hannah continued.
“Why would Aspen be so reckless?” muttered Francesca.
“I once told Jeffrey to apply for a job at Giantic. I don’t know if he did or not.”
“Well, I don’t know about that. Is Giantic a good company?”
Hannah just shrugged. “It’s a company that collaborates with Alden’s Goldtime.”
Francesca looked puzzled for a moment. The company Hannah had mentioned was certainly no ordinary one. How could Jeffrey get in without any connections?
“I don’t know if Jeffrey can be accepted in this company,” Francesca said gloomily.” Can you give Jeffrey another chance?”
“Look, it will be a problem wherever Jeffrey works because of Aspen’s unreasonable jealousy.”
Francesca nodded, not acting offensive like before. She looked very desperate and resigned. Hannah softened her emotions and viewed Francesca as a frail old woman.
“I will talk to Jeffrey and Aspen about this. But I hope you can help, Hannah,” Francesca said.
“All right, I will try. Maybe Alden will contact Jeffrey later, but I don’t want to hear any more nonsense from Aspen.” Hannah agreed. “Please, reassure Aspen. If she keeps acting like this, her marriage will fall apart.”
“You’re right.” Francesca wiped tears from the corners of her eyes. “I will talk to Aspen nicely.”
“Have you eaten…” Hannah swallowed hard. “… Mom?”
“Oh, I tasted the delicious pastries in the visitor’s room. Thank you.”
Then Francesca stood up, tidying her cardigan and fixing her clothes. Francesca had always appeared glamorous while still married to John. But now her clothes looked shabby. Hannah felt sorry for her.
“Mom, where are you going after this?” Hannah asked suddenly.
“I have to go home. Helping Aspen take care of the baby.”
“Tell her you will be home late today. Maybe until the afternoon,” said Hannah, also standing up. “I don’t have much work today; let’s go out.”
Francesca was silent for a moment. “Where to?”
“To buy something.”
*
Hannah pulled up in front of a small house that looked like almost every other house in the neighborhood. She and Francesca exited the car, opened the trunk, and unloaded the shopping bags. Then Hannah placed them on the sidewalk leading to the tiny house.
“I won’t go in. Is it okay if you bring all this inside by yourself?” Hannah asked.
Francesca nodded. “I have troubled you a lot. Hannah, thank you.”
Hannah nodded briefly. “Then I’ll be going. Take care of yourself, Mom.”
As Hannah was about to turn around, Francesca suddenly hugged her. There was a soft sob.
“I’m sorry for all the pain I caused you and your father. I know you probably won’t forgive me,” Francesca sobbed. “Be happy with Mr. Alden because you deserve it, Hannah.”
Hannah, who initially froze, slowly patted Francesca’s back.
“Don’t think about the past. Take care, Mom,” Hannah replied softly.
Finally, they let go of each other, and Hannah quickly got into her car and drove away from Francesca’s rental house, where she lived with Aspen and Jeffrey.
Francesca joyfully brought the shopping bags to the porch, making several trips because Hannah had bought so much, from clothes to daily necessities.
The front door opened, and Jeffrey stood in the doorway, startled to see the porch almost filled with shopping bags. Jeffrey saw Francesca walking from the front with the last bag.
“Where did all this come from, Mom?” Jeffrey asked.
“Hannah bought all this,” Francesca whispered. “Don’t let Aspen make a fuss about this. Can you calm her down?”
“Aspen will know this is from Hannah.”
“So what? Throw it away? I won’t let Aspen do that,” Francesca snapped. “We need all this. Can you provide for my granddaughter’s needs? You’re not even working, Jeffrey.”
Hearing that, Jeffrey just stayed silent, hanging his head in shame.
“I’m trying, Mom.”
Francesca just nodded. “I know. I asked Hannah to talk to her husband again so you could get a job.”
“I…”
“Yes, Mr. Alden gave you a chance to interview at Goldtime. But Aspen ruined it. Didn’t Hannah tell you to try at Giantic?”
Jeffrey nodded. “As far as I know, that company is run by Alden’s ex-girlfriend’s family. I’m hesitant to go there, Mom.”
“Then just wait for news from Hannah. Hopefully, there will be a way out.”
Jeffrey and Francesca chatted briefly on the porch, discussing where Hannah had taken Francesca that day. Francesca seemed very happy and not so stressed. However, they didn’t realize Aspen was eavesdropping behind the door.
Aspen wanted to scold them both, but she had another plan. It seemed Aspen would meet Sarah. Sarah could listen to what Aspen had to say.