A Moment of Clarity

Adrian scratched his head, feeling the pressure from his grandmother's threats. He went to the bathroom, hoping to clear his head.

Once he felt a bit more composed, he sat down on his bed, leaning back against the pillows, replaying his grandmother's words in his mind.

If all his privileges were stripped away, it meant he would no longer be the CEO of his company.

A text message arrived, distracting him from his thoughts. It was from his wife, asking about their next meeting.

Adrian didn't reply immediately. He was debating what to say. Should he apologize?

"No, no! Why should I be afraid of her? But, should I listen to what Grandma said?" He pondered, trying to answer his own questions.

Finally, he typed a few words and scheduled their next meeting. "I have to make sure everything goes smoothly so this issue gets resolved," he murmured.

He opened his photo gallery, finding a picture of Clara, and stared at it intently. "I'll conquer you after I handle my family problems," Adrian said with conviction, as if his plans would unfold according to his script.

He put his phone away, feeling as if he would sleep more soundly tonight. He lay down and pulled the covers over him.

***

This morning, Clara was still waiting for the person she was desperately hoping to see. She had accepted an advertising campaign offer for Raisa, a brand she was collaborating with. She planned to tell her husband that she was going back to Norway.

Again, it was past the promised time, but the man she was waiting for was nowhere to be seen.

"He didn't even say he would cancel our meeting." Clara checked her phone for messages, sipping her now-cold coffee.

As she looked around, her gaze landed on a couple sharing a plate of red velvet cake. They were deeply engaged in conversation, feeding each other. Clara's vision blurred, wondering when she would ever experience that kind of intimacy again.

Suddenly, a man with a thin mustache approached her table. He was wearing faded blue jeans and a matching shirt. Clara almost thought it was Jordan. "Excuse me, can I sit here? There aren't any other seats."

With four chairs at the table, it wouldn't be a problem if Clara let him sit there. After all, there would be a seat left for her husband if he actually did show up.

Clara couldn't wait any longer, so she called her husband just as the man who had joined her offered to introduce himself. "I'm Deandra, are you alone?"

Outside the cafe, the man she was waiting for saw this scene and instantly recorded it on his phone. He ignored her repeated calls. "I told you, Grandma still doesn't believe me. At least now she'll believe me with this evidence."

He smirked and turned to leave, but his eyes accidentally caught sight of a familiar figure leaving the cafe with a frown. "That's Clara, right? It's still work hours, why isn't she at the office?"

His old assistant, Sheina Moza, called. "Mr. Adrian, your new secretary took a week's leave. She just left a note on my desk."

"Leave?" Adrian furrowed his brow. "Was her reason for taking leave reasonable?"

Sheina sighed in frustration. "You'd be better off reading it yourself, so you can judge it instead of me getting another reprimand."

A loud crash echoed across the street, the sound of two cars colliding. A crowd gathered, their eyes drawn to the scene. A beautiful woman lay sprawled on the asphalt, her body covered in blood.

Adrian, still confused about what to do, was torn between going to his office to investigate Clara’s leave request and checking out the accident, which he had heard involved a casualty.

"Hello, hello..." He abruptly ended the call, rushing towards the accident site.

But he was too late. Before he even got a glimpse of the victim's face, the paramedics arrived and loaded her into an ambulance, rushing her to the hospital.

The crowd dispersed, and Adrian, unwilling to linger, looked towards the café across the street, now empty. He got into his car and drove home, determined to see his grandmother.

As he pulled up to his grandmother's mansion, he noticed a woman about to leave. "Grandma, where are you going?" he asked.

"Adrian? Why are you back so early? I was just about to go for a checkup at the hospital."

Ignoring her explanation, Adrian jumped out of the car and approached his grandmother. "Grandma, look at this. This is solid proof why I want to divorce her."

Joanne sighed as she examined the blurred photo on Adrian's phone. "You didn't just snap this without reason, did you? Why are you so determined to get a divorce?"

Adrian was speechless. A moment of silence ensued.

Joanne tried to be understanding and advised him gently, "Sometimes, in relationships, one person has to compromise. That's what makes a marriage harmonious."

She knew it wouldn't be easy for him to accept.

Tring!

The sound startled them. Joanne thought it was her reminder for her appointment. "Lara's grandfather is calling!"

Adrian was curious. What could the old man want now?

"What?" Joanne trembled, her voice barely a whisper.

"What's wrong, Grandma?" Adrian was confused, watching his grandmother struggling to speak. He took the phone from her, holding her steady to prevent her from falling.

"Your... your wife… She had an accident."

Adrian's eyes widened in shock. "You mean Lara?" He didn't wait for his grandmother's reply. He took the phone and spoke to the caller, his body stiffening as he listened.

"What have you done? Let’s go to the hospital now!" Joanne urged, seeing her grandson's panic and her own fear rising. He didn't argue; he immediately obeyed.

Within an hour, they arrived at the hospital.

Adrian and his grandmother searched for Clara's room and found an old man standing in front of room 104, his head bowed, his hands clasped together.

"Mr. Fourd! How is Clara?" Joanne, despite her weakness, pushed herself forward, concern etched on her face.

Gerald Fourd looked up, his gaze locking onto Adrian. "Jo..."

Before he could finish, the door to his granddaughter's room opened, and the doctor emerged, removing his mask. "How is my granddaughter, Doctor?"

The worry in Gerald's voice echoed in the room, along with Adrian and his grandmother, who stood anxiously awaiting the news.

The doctor sighed, "She was lucky to be brought here so quickly. A few more minutes and she might not have survived. However, she needs surgery on her skull."