Chapter 8
After dropping Chloe off at home, I was about to head back to the office when I received a call from Anson.
I glanced at the caller ID, my frustration growing. First, it was the son, and now the father? Did they really think I was their free nanny?
“Hello, what’s up? Make it quick, I’m busy!”
My tone was harsh, and Anson immediately sensed it. There was a brief silence before he spoke.
“Did our son come to find you? I guess it’s my fault for being too busy with work. If this were before, you would’ve handled it all well.”
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C
Anson’s words only made me feel disgusted.
“Anson, there’s no point in saying things like that. All you’re doing is wasting my time. We’re divorced. Today, I told Oakley not to bother me anymore, and now I’m telling you the same thing. Don’t disturb me.”
Without waiting for a response, I hung up. There was regret in his voice, but regret couldn’t change anything.
He didn’t cherish me when he had the chance, and now his words only add to my frustration.
I pushed the thoughts aside and drove to the office to continue working.
Around midnight, just as I was finishing a proposal and getting ready for bed, my phone rang again, jolting me awake. It was
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Anson.
My irritation flared. I had made myself clear earlier, so why was he bothering me at this hour?
“Hello, Eileen, our son was racing and got into an accident. He’s seriously hurt and just got back to his room. He keeps asking for you. Can you come?”
The news made me swallow every harsh word I had been about to say.
Oakley had been in an accident. No matter how strained our relationship had become, I had been his mother for seventeen years, and I couldn’t help but feel anxious. I didn’t refuse; I asked for the hospital details and hurried there.
When I arrived at the hospital room,
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Paints
something felt off. Oakley was lying on the bed with his arm in a sling, but he seemed fine–he was even munching on an apple.
“Oakley? How are you hurt?”
I sat by his bed and asked softly, immediately noticing the guilt in his eyes.
“Eileen, let’s talk. During this time, both our son and I have realized we can’t live without you.””
Oakley set the apple down and nodded at
- me.
Seeing that I didn’t respond, Anson thought I was moved and continued his persuasion.
“We admit, there were things we did wrong. From now on, I won’t indulge Oakley anymore. Eileen, think back to the past. Even
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though we didn’t have much money, our family was warm and happy”
I coldly watched Anson trying to play the emotional card in front of his son.
His incessant talking made me lose interest in responding. After confirming that Oakley was fine, I stood up to leave.
Seeing Anson about to continue his attempts, I said seriously to him, “Anson, let’s leave some dignity for each other. For the past decade, every time I came home, I was greeted by the portrait of your late wife. During every holiday, that picture was given a place at the table. I didn’t say anything.”
“But you actually let Oakley watch Chloe kneel before that portrait. From that moment on, I knew–you only cared about the son your late wife left behind.”
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“Now that Chloe and I have left, and you feel that your life and work are being affected, you want us to come back. Anson, don’t think too highly of yourself.”
After saying this, I watched as Anson tried to stop me, but he finally stopped when I continued walking past him and left the hospital.
As I walked out, the morning sun was just beginning to rise. I looked at the road before me, bathed in the glow of dawn, and the weariness in my body seemed to fade away.
Two months later, the Gates Group filed for bankruptcy. I admit, my hand was in that.
Anson wasn’t stupid–he knew I was working with competitors of the Gates Group, and he even had his secretary ask me what my
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intentions were. Naturally, I ignored him.
A businessman follows profit, and Anson’s blind arrogance had led him to buy my
shares in the Gates Group, moving a lot of cash around, but he couldn’t bring himself to secure investors. The whole company was bound to collapse.
Oakley was also expelled and given a serious mark on his record. He’s young, without an education, and now can’t find a good job. Anson, gritting his teeth, sent him overseas to “polish” himself.
Given Oakley’s character, I can only imagine the hard life awaiting them.
I put down the latest news about the Gates Group and took the proposal for the branch’s business plan. From now on, I would have my own space to thrive.
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END
