At The Bailey International Conglomerates Headquarters
Arthur arrived after he left his wife very distressed due to the embarrassment he got from the other road users because of his bucket of bolts. To his dismay, there were two cars at the entry gate causing obstruction and the security guard was attending to them. So, he decided to use the exit gate.
“How may I help you this morning, Ma’am?”
The lady smiled and gave a glib answer, “Thank you security. I am with Arthur. I missed him in the traffic, so he drove in before me. Open the gate, please.”
The security guard would have believed her, if not for the two factors that militated against her. Arthur had not driven in, and he did not have the habit of receiving friends and relations at the office, at least, not so early in the morning.
“Sorry, Ma’am. Can you leave, please? Arthur had not resumed for today. You can leave immediately, please.”
‘Oh! I have goofed up,’ she mumbled to herself.
Then, as the security guard was about to attend to the second vehicle, a jalopy drove to the exit gate, and it captured the attention of the guests at the entry gate. Before the security guard at the exit gate could open the gate for Arthur, the loudmouthed, uninvited woman was infuriated.
“How can you ignore your guests for that clunker that is not roadworthy?” she asked the officer.
Arthur had heard those words several times that morning. He ignored them and drove in. Now, the astonished security guard could not help laughing when he saw the ancient car his boss came with and that angered the three female visitors who did know that their missions were the same.
Then, one of them flared up and said, “You dare to laugh at me? Be ready to lose your job.”
To their disdain, the security guard dismissed them with one sentence, “Please leave, this is not the visiting hour.”
They could not believe that a security guard could wield such authority. Anyway, one of the women left while the other two hung around to wait for Arthur to arrive.
At The Government Hospital.
After Nichole’s humiliating statement that kept her listeners where they belonged, her haters withdrew to their offices and concentrated on their work. She concentrated on her work, too, with the attitude that the devil may care.
Coincidentally, their paths never crossed again that day. When she was a bit free, she strolled to her superior’s office. Then, she stumbled on Evelyn, whom she did not spare a glimpse, and walked on to her destination.
“A good morning to you, Mr. Caesar,” she greeted him joyously when she walked into his office.
“Good morning, Mrs. Bailey. Please take your seat.”
“Thank you, for the offer.”
“What brings you?” he asked her
She smiled and requested for part of her leave.
“How many days are we looking at?”
“I would like to have five working days.”
“It is all right. I will give you feedback before the end of today.”
“It is all right. Thank you, Mr. Caesar,” she appreciated him.
“Consider it as nothing.”
“I will be on my way, please.”
“See you later.”
At the Bailey International Conglomerates
Arthur sent for Denise when he got to work. When he arrived, he gave him a breakdown of all that took place between Monday morning and Tuesday evening.
Denise was bewildered by the information and reaffirmed it, “I knew he is a black sheep of the Bailey family. He will not go scot-free for even conceiving the idea.”
“I agree with you this time. We will speak his language. Reporting him to the police is just to set up an alibi.”
“That is all right. So, how is Aunty Zoey doing?”
“She was doing well when we visited her this morning.”
“That is good to hear. I have to leave if you are through with me. I was working on something when you called me,” Denise requested.
“Nothing for now. My regards to your wife.”
“OK, Father. See you later.”
“Bye.”
He was relieved that Denise left immediately because he needed to be alone to think properly about how to deal with Stephen. Afterward, he called the police officers to find out their next line of action.
Suddenly, he got a message alert.
(Ding)
He hurriedly punched on it and read through.
(Hello, my hero. The only man I love and wish to give my body to every day of my life. I have discussed the leave with my superior, he promised to get back to me soon. Have a pleasant day. Your sweetheart, Nichole.)
After reading the message, Arthur was grinning like a Cheshire cat. He had never experienced love like that before. He just realized that he had been in a one-sided relationship with Rosy. Furthermore, he loved her and never bothered whether she loved him in return or not.
Likewise, he was not a man of many words, and he replied with a few words.
(Thank you for letting me know, sweetheart. I will remain your Prince Charming forever. I love you. Arthur.)
Meanwhile, the two diehard admirers who wanted to gatecrash hung around and waited until lunch hour. To Their cluelessness, the insignificant man with the jalopy vehicle drove out of the premises and left to pick up his dear wife while they waited.
After Arthur left, one of his admirers checked her time and muttered, “What could be keeping him?”
She was a twenty-five-year-old daughter of repulsive Sir Relish, who broke up with her twenty-seven-year-old fiancee to marry Arthur, a man who was a few years younger than her father.
While she was waiting, her boyfriend, Mr. Henry Taylor, called to ask for a reconciliatory meeting, but she picked up the call and asked him rudely, “Henry, what do you want from me?”
“Whitney, are you alright? Did you walk out on me?”
“Yes. I just wish to be left alone. Can’t you understand?”
“I know you wish to be alone, but what about us? I mean, our love? I wish to see you, Whitney. We have come a long way and our marriage is by the corner.”
“Let me be,” she blatantly declined and cut the call.
Nevertheless, she kept on waiting. She gave herself the task, she had to grin and bear it. Like a flash, a plan struck her mind.
‘I can as well check the Native Home,’ she smiled from ear to ear as she turned on her ignition.
She drove off a high speed because her love and life depended on the trip.