OLIVIA
As Kate drove us to Cyril’s grandmother’s house, I started to panic. I was about to embark on the most dangerous mission of my life.
Coming toe to toe with a powerful figure like Mrs. Penhurst was like stepping on the toes of a tiger. I was pretty sure she had taught Cyril how to be ruthless.
“We are here now. Let’s get the show started already. Are you sure you really want to do this? You can decide to leave if you feel any pressure whatsoever,” Kate asked after she pulled up at the Penhurst residence.
The Penhurst residence was one of the largest homes in the city. If I hadn’t been there before, I would have believed it was a resort center.
“Honestly, I am scared right now. I just don’t know what to think anymore. Should I go back home and forget about the divorce? You think that will be a great idea? I am having a negative feeling about this,” I lamented.
I depended on Kate again for a way out. I could barely take drastic decisions without her. Like the blank pages of a notebook, my head was too empty to make decisions.
“You will do no such thing. Not while I’m here with you. We’ve come too far to give up now. You are going to go in there and do your thing. I trust your guts,” Kate charged me up.
Her advice did me a lot of good. It was the only time I didn’t doubt my guts anymore.
“Let’s do this,” I sighed after mumbling some words of encouragement.
We both stepped out of the car and landed a soft knock on the door.
Minutes later, a female domestic staff dressed in a white uniform showed up to welcome us with a smile.
“Mrs. Penhurst will be with you shortly. Meanwhile, what do you care for? Wine or juice? The dining room is set for breakfast, too. Would you like to join us?” the female staff asked us nicely.
If only the Penhursts were that nice too.
I nodded my head immediately. “Thank you for the kind gesture. I am afraid we may have to pass. Just notify your boss that we’ve arrived.”
“Do you think she will show up?” Kate asked.
It had been over ten minutes, and there was no sign of Mrs. Penhurst anywhere around the house.
“What made you think I won’t show up?” We heard a weak female tone. It turned out to be Mrs. Penhurst herself.
I became more relieved than someone who had a near-death experience.
I stood up to welcome Mrs. Penhurst with a handshake. She ignored my greeting as though I never mattered to her.
I didn’t take offense at her attitude because I knew she had never liked me from the onset. Pleasing her would have been a total waste of time.
“Why aren’t you dining? I instructed my chef to make you breakfast when I found out you were coming over,” she asked after glaring at the dining room to see that the meal was still untouched.
Coming from someone who had just ignored me a while ago, it was difficult to believe she had just said that.
I glared at Kate to confirm if we were on the same page. The shock on her face confirmed that she knew what I was thinking.
“Ma’am, we are fine. I didn’t come here for that. I am here to discuss an important issue with you. Perhaps, we could do that some other time,” I respectfully declined her request without sounding rude.
I couldn’t bring myself to accept anything from the house. They already saw me as an opportunist. To the best of my knowledge, Cyril’s grandmother never liked me and would be willing to do anything to get rid of me.
“You said you wanted to see me. I hope this isn’t about the divorce? If it is, then we shouldn’t be having this conversation. I clarified that your marriage with my grandson needs to stay for another two years,” she attacked me immediately without giving me the chance to settle down.
Just like they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. She was as badly behaved as her grandson.
“So you’re going to ignore the fact that your grandson is a jerk and needs some talking to?” I raged.
It wasn’t enough for her to address me with so much disrespect over the phone. She still had the guts to rub it in my face in person.
“No one cares about what you think. I am just going to say this to you. We have nothing to lose if you file for a divorce,” Mrs. Penhurst told me.
She had no remorse whatsoever. Neither was she bothered about the efforts and dedication I’d put into the company her grandson had deserted.
“Kate, let’s go. I can’t deal with this shit anymore,” I tapped Kate on the shoulder.
As we were about to leave, she halted. I became optimistic that she wanted to resolve the conflict between me and Cyril.
Unfortunately for me, I got the most embarrassing situation of my life when she said, “Before you go, there’s a need for you to know something. We are the great Penhurst family. We will definitely get into an agreement with a different family and run the company ourselves. Besides, the company has been existing even before you were born.”
I turned around and walked up to her with vengeance in my eyes. “Y’all are certainly going to regret it. Your good-for-nothing grandson can’t deny the fact that I’ve been the backbone of the company. You are never going to find someone like me ever again.”
“Good luck creating happiness. Now leave this place before I unleash my dogs on you,” she yelled at me and kicked me out like an intruder.
I wasn’t expecting a pat on the back from anyone, but listening to what Cyril’s grandmother had to say put things into perspective.
I just realized that I’d been slaving away for people who barely cared about me.
“If Cyril thinks he has a trick up his sleeve, then I’m going to remind him who’s the boss. He has pushed me to the wall and needs to be taught a severe lesson,” I groaned in pain.
As we got back to the car, I vowed that I was going to find a way to get more than I was originally entitled to after finalizing the divorce.