It would be a marvel if Mr. Dreamboat, popular among the socialites and ladies of Worchester City, was dumped by a woman in the end. Thaddeus pulled a grim look. He had never been the butt of a joke. Since this concerned the pride of a man, Thaddeus was quick to deny it. “No way. I asked for the divorce.” Raymond waved his arm. “I knew it. You only married Mona out of revenge. You gave your heart to the one that got away, didn’t you? The way I see it, you and Mona are a ruthless bunch. Mona, especially, is unattached and carefree.” Thaddeus turned his head and fixated on Raymond who just shrugged and smiled. “You don’t love her, and yet you were with her for years. She harbored many secrets while playing her role with you. She doesn’t seem in distress after your divorce. It’s like she’s unaffected. She’s still shooting commercials and raising her children like nothing ever happened. Any other women would be bawling their eyes out and threatening suicide.” Clutching onto th
“You’re awake, Eleanor.” Eleanor lifted her heavy eyelids open to meet Mona’s captivating face. She got a grip on herself and realized that she had passed out on the street. “Mona, it’s just an old habit. Can you grab my medicine from the car?” Mona pulled out the needle from Eleanor’s pressure points and grabbed her wrist to check on her pulse. Huh? That was strange. Why did Eleanor have a steady pulse as if she had a clean bill of health? “Let’s not rush things, Eleanor. The ambulance will be here any minute. We can get to the hospital for a full body checkup.” “No. Just retrieve my medicine. I don’t feel comfortable not taking it.” “But you’re healthy. You don’t need to take any pills.” Mona was sure about that. Someone in the crowd kneeled and tried to settle Eleanor down. “Take a breather for now, and let this young lady check your pulse. She’s good. You can trust her.” Eleanor shot Mona a skeptical look. It was hard to believe that Mona was proficient in the s
“Why did you drink so much, son?” Victor’s bloodshot eyes were vacant. “Let me out, Mom. I want to see her.” “Are you trying to piss me off, Vic? Mona is your uncle’s ex-wife. It’s morally wrong and embarrassing for you two to get together.” “No! They’re divorced! She’s my Susan.” Eleanor was confused. Susan? The name sounded familiar. What did it have to do with Mona? Before she could wrap her head around it, Victor added, “Mom, she raised our two children too. I need to carry out my duty and marry her. She’s the only one for me.” “What on earth are you talking about? Your uncle will come after you if he catches wind of this.” Eleanor told the butler to bring a basin of lukewarm water. To her, it must be the booze talking. Mona? Children? Impossible. Besides, the statement that her children were Victor’s held no water.“Vic, my silly boy. Stop acting the fool. Why do you put yourself in this position for a woman? How can I trust you to take on bigger responsibilities
The following afternoon, Mona brought along her homemade pastry and went to the Fontaines’ residence to visit Master Fontaine. The Fontaines built an empire from the commercial line. The old building structure held a lot of history in its walls and style. This kind of aged estate in Worchester City was a rare find. Hence, the property was worth a lot. By the time Mona got out of the cab, Master Fontaine had been waiting at the entrance for some time. She took quick strides over and opened a parasol to put over the old man’s head. “The sun is blinding, Grandpa. It’s hot out here. You should’ve waited inside.” “It’s okay, girl. I saw you the moment I came out. I didn’t wait for long.” Master Fontaine finally had a smile on his face when Mona turned up. A maid took the box of pastry from Mona and followed from the back with a smile. “Mrs. Fontaine, Master Fontaine really missed you. He told the kitchen to prepare a feast of your favorite food the moment he knew you were coming
“Thaddeus? He never mentioned you to me.” Samantha bit her lip. The radiance in her eyes dimmed. Did Thaddeus really decide against marrying her? “Grandpa, I have a boyfriend, and we’re dating with the intention to get married, but we hit a tiny snag recently. I’m fretting over it, so I came to see you.”“What brings you here?” Xavier frowned, getting the gist of what this was about. Samantha was not here to visit him. Instead, she was trying to shove marriage down the old man’s throat. It seemed like the girl meant something to Thaddeus since he told her everything.“What is your intention being here, Ms. Mayers?” Xavier pulled a solemn look. “I know about Thaddeus and Mona, Grandpa. Since he’s my boyfriend, I think this matter shouldn’t be kept hidden.” More than anything else, Samantha wanted to walk down the aisle with Thaddeus. To realize that dream, she must do something to change Thaddeus’ mind. Rather than adopting the passive stance, she might as well strike whil
A phone call from Xavier was enough for Thaddeus to put everything on pause and make haste to the Fontaines’ residence. The man entered the family residence and was welcomed by the sight of Samantha and Mona. The ladies sat across the room, giving each other the snub. Furrowing his brows, he made a beeline to Master Fontaine. “What’s the meaning of this, Grandpa?” Xavier took a glance at the two women in the living room. Nothing good was going to come out of his mouth for sure. “You’re one to talk. This is your mess.” It was true that Master Fontaine’s number one favorite was Mona. The old man could not stand for it now that he was sure Mona was the poor victim. “Ten-hut, Thaddeus.” Thaddeus stood still and positioned his arms against the vertical lining of his pants at command. Master Fontaine had been a lieutenant general in the military before starting a business. Hence, the Fontaines based their family principles on military rules, and Thaddeus grew up under strict
Mona watched as Thaddeus entered the study. She stood outside to listen for any commotions from the study before feeling assured that no fight was going on inside. She then grabbed her handbag and got ready to leave. “Mrs. Fontaine.” The maid slapped her own face and corrected herself, “Ms. Ortega, are you going to leave without saying goodbye? Didn’t Master Fontaine ask you to wait for him?” “I have a family emergency. Can you relay the message to Grandpa for me?” It was improper for an outsider like her to be involved in someone’s family affairs. Surely, Thaddeus would not want her to hang around Samantha. It would ruin their relationship. “Are you coming again soon?” the maid reluctantly asked and gave Mona Bambi eyes. “Master Fontaine asks for you daily when you’re not here. He misses you so.” “Of course, I will. Call me whenever Grandpa misses me. Do you have my telephone number?” “Ah. Yes, I do. I never had the guts to call in case I might be bothering you.” “You ca
“Is she dead? That’s a shame. What a poor child.” With his mind wandering back to the past, Xavier sighed emotionally. “I should be on my own if there’s nothing else, Grandpa.” Thaddeus was evasive on the subject. It was something he really did not want to get into. “Hang on. We’re not done here.” Snapping out of his thoughts, Xavier stopped Thaddeus, who was halfway out the door. “Don’t try to play it down. It’s not over until you tell me the reason for the divorce.”Taking a deep breath, Thaddeus calmly turned around and looked at the old man. “Grandpa, I have the right to remain silent about my privacy.” “Don’t talk to me about privacy. I’m your grandfather. I’ve seen you butt naked. Follow my orders and tell me what happened.” With downcast eyes, Thaddeus retaliated with silence. “So, you want to play that game with me, huh?” His disobedient grandson got Master Fontaine fuming. He bent over and opened the safe box before pulling out a handgun. Removing the safety pin