chapter 6

‘Where is Patricia?’ Anna thought in her mind, sipping a little of the wine a waiter just poured into her glass.

“I won’t let you go scot free,” she vowed, feeling unrest.

Her heart has been in chaos and her mind filled with fear after seeing Cohen’s reaction while watching Patricia walk away with another guy.

“Where is she?” Anna thought to herself. She put the glass on the table and slowly veered around, scanning around the hall till she saw Patricia sitting with her son on the same table with Bastian.

Anna clicked tongue. “Fuck! Why is she sitting there?” She whispered.

Patricia’s table was in the first row of the hall while Anna and Cohen’s table was in the last row in the back.

The hall was wide and long, so they were far from each other.

Anna still wanted to chat with Patricia and she needed a chance to cross paths with her, but she couldn't act freely because of Cohen, since she was allowed into the bereavement center after she promised not to cause trouble and avoided Patricia.

“I have to do something,” she mumbled. She bit her lower lip and had a minute thought until an idea popped into her mind.

She turned her gaze to Cohen, beaming. “Cohen…” she called.

Cohen looked up at her face. “What.” He responded. His voice was a bit rude because he had gotten over what had happened earlier.

“I am sorry about what happened earlier,” she apologized in a low, guilty voice. “Please.”

“It’s fine.” Cohen accepted. He picked his wine from the table and drank it, turning his neck to face the stage.

Anna looked downward. She wanted to start a conversation which she knew might piss him off, so she didn't know how to begin.

“Cohen…” she called, but heard no response.

“Cohen…” she called again, but still no response. 

She lifted her head and noticed Cohen was lost in thought. She traced his gaze and her eyes landed on Patricia.

“How dare you look at her while I am here?” She ground her teeth. Her eyeballs turned outrageously red.

She wore a sour smile, saying, “you must be happy to see her again.” 

Cohen came back to reality and looked at Anna. “Ahn,” he sounded unclear. “What are you talking about?”

“Patricia. You must be happy to see her again.” She analyzed.

He rapidly blinked his eyes twice. “Why… what… what do you mean?” He let out. His voice stammered. “Why will I be happy to see her again?”

“Why can’t you be happy to see her again?” She let out in a questioning tone. “She is your ex. A woman you used to love till I enter your life and change it,”

“If you aren’t happy to see her again, do you wish her dead?” She threw a question.

“But…” he uttered, not knowing what else to say.

“You don’t have to lie, Cohen. I understand. It must have been hard for you and that’s why it has been difficult to take your eyes off her.” She poured out her mind.

Cohen chuckled softly. Patricia’s last line was her real intention, and he instantly figured out where she might drive the conversation to. “I am not looking at her, I am looking at the stage.”

“Okay. You are looking at the stage, but your mind is with her. I am in your front and your attention is with another woman.” She twisted his words.

Cohen ignored everything else, Anna said. He turned his face back to the stage and tried hard to divert his attention from Patricia, since Anna figured it out already.

Anna stopped talking, since Cohen wasn’t listening to her anymore. She glimpsed at Patricia again and as she laid her hand on her wind, a thought passed through her mind.

“Is that boy Patricia’s son?” She wondered. Her confused thoughts gradually showed in her facial expression. “Or is she babysitting Bastian’s son?”

She shook her head, giving a response to her own questions. “No, it can’t be Bastian’s son.”

She continued to trouble her mind till the last thought zoomed into her mind, causing her to lift her eyebrows and her mouth ajar in disbelief.

“That’s not possible! It can’t be!” She screamed silently in her mind.

She moved her head a bit closer till the table stopped her body from further. Her head was already at the table center, so she curiously whispered. “Dear did you-” 

Cohen raised his right index finger, shutting her up. “No more words.”

She lifted her left nose and moved her head back to its normal position. She felt humiliated by Cohen’s behavior, so she started a conversation to hurt his feelings.

“No offense. I am surprised to see Bastian stand for Patricia. I wonder what’s between them that he is so protective of her. Even in public,”

Cohen’s mind instantly filled with rage at the mere mention of it. He held his trouser tightly, struggling to compose himself.

Anna grinned, feeling excited to see Cohen’s aggressive reaction. She licked her lips, furthering, “aren’t you curious?”

She exhaled deeply. “I wondered how she managed to steal his heart. Another man fell into her trap. She is a great seducer,”

“She is just-”

Cohen knew Anna’s words would get worse, so he cut her off. “It seems it’s so difficult to have you under my control,” he said, slowly turning to look at her. 

“Anna, it’s not yet late. Will you behave yourself, or do you prefer to wait for me in the car?” 

“Did I do anything wrong? What have I done? Hun. You only told me to stay away from her. Am I also forbidden to speak my mind?” She pulled out.

“Anna, my question is still valid. Will you behave yourself or will you wait for me in the car?” He asked again, adding, “and if you don’t want to wait, you can go home first.”

She sighed to cool her temper. “I will behave.” She opted, breathing heavily in an aggressive manner.

“Good.”

★

{Thirty minutes later}

The program began and since it was organized for businesses’ friends and partners, every interested figure was permitted to come out to the stage and deliver their speeches.

“Now, Mr. Matthew Bastian will address us and give a little insight about the organization’s plan affairs.” Collins announced, after all the listed names on the paper had been called to speak.

Bastian stood up, and the crowd clapped as he walked up to the stage.

“Good day, everyone,” he started talking immediately as Collins handed him the mic. “Thanks for coming…”

“Perfect!” Anna screamed in her mind, filling her lips with a discreet smile, excited Patricia was now alone.

She saw the chance to cross paths with Patricia, and she quickly acted on it. “Hey,” she called a waitress passing behind her.

The waitress walked to her front. “What do you need, ma?”

“The restroom. Where is it?” She asked.

“Outside of the hall,” the waitress responded, offering, “let me take you there.”

“No, don’t worry,” she declined. “Just describe the way for me.”

“Okay, when you get out of this call, turn to your right. After walking for a few seconds, you will see a corner. Turn to the corner and you will see the toilet.” The waitress described.

“Okay, thank you.” She appreciated it, and the waitress bowed her head before she walked away.

“Cohen, I want to use the toilet.” She informed, standing on her feet, but Cohen didn’t respond to her.

He didn’t even look at her.

“I think you are still angry,” she said. She walked to his side and pecked his cheek. 

“I’m sorry,” she apologized and walked away.

Anna walked on the normal line till she arrived at the third frontal roll. She crossed over to another line, which was close to Patricia, and snickered.

“Let’s see who the world will blame.” She whispered.

She arrived beside Patricia and intentionally hit her left foot on the chair. 

She bent, touching her foot. “Ouch!” She moaned.

“What’s wrong?” Patricia asked, glancing backward with concern and seeing Anna, she hissed.

Anna released her foot and stood straight. “Did you hate me so much that you wanted to hurt me?” She questioned.

“To hell with a god damn evil like you. Get hurt. As if I care.” Patricia let out and hissed again.

Cohen noticed something was wrong, staring just at Anna and Patricia’s lips and expressions, but he couldn't hear what they were saying because Bastian was still talking on the stage.

“Anna. Again.” He mumbled. He stood on his feet and paced to them in a hurry.

“What’s going on here?” He raised a question, arriving beside Anna.

Patricia turned her face away. “Ask your wife,” she shunned, picking her drink. She drank a bit and looked back at them. “She is here, so let her give a report.”

Anna wore an innocent look. “It’s her. She put her leg on the way so I would fall.” She lied.

Patricia authoritatively lifted her eyebrows to look at them. “And did you fall?”

“Patricia…” Cohen called in a weak, cautioning tone, staring at her densely.

“What? Why calling my name? You should warn your wife and stop looking at me as if you are lost.”

“How dare you speak to him like that!” Anna yelled. Her voice overwhelmed the speaker's sound.

Bastian stopped talking, and everyone directed their gazes to the scene.

“Are you normal?” Patricia asked. She kept her voice low so no one except Cohen and Anna would hear her. She wanted Anna to continue raising her voice at her so people would think Anna was insane.

“Me! How dare you speak to me like that!” Anna shouted as expected.

Patricia cracked up, mocking. “Cohen, you better take your dog out of here. She will embarrass you if her barking continues.”

“How can you-” Anna ground her teeth and took a step forward to hit Patricia.

Patricia quickly stood on her feet and splashed her drink on Anna’s face.

Anna’s eyes enlarged in shock and her body froze with her hand still raised up.

Cohen took a challenging step closer. “What are you doing, Patricia?”

“Self defense,” Patricia answered in simplicity. “Aren’t you here when she wanted to attack me first? She wanted to hit me, but I was a step ahead of her.”

“But…” Cohen wanted to talk, but she interrupted.

“But what? Hun? Do you want to blame me for your wife’s stupidity?” Patricia challenged.

Her question weakened him, and he couldn't utter a word again.

Bastian got down from the stage and walked closer to them. “What’s happening?”

Anna looked at Bastian. “It’s her,” she explained, panting restlessly. “I told you earlier she doesn't deserve your protection. You think it was a lie?”

“Stop preaching. I asked a simple question,” Bastian savaged her. “What’s happening now?”

“She saw me coming and stretched her leg on the way and I almost,” Anna explained. “My husband defended me and see what she did again. She poured her drink on my dress,”

“She just ruined my dress.”

“Are you sure you are telling the truth?” Ailee’s voice came from behind and they all looked at her.

Ailee was sitting at the table beside Patricia, so she witnessed everything. “Mrs. Anna, what trick are you playing?”

“Uhn,” Anna exclaimed. “What are you saying? Who do you think you are to intervene?”

“You talk too much, Mrs. Lucas. I am just asking if you are sure Mrs. Patricia is to be.” Ailee let out, staring directly into Anna’s face. 

“Yes, it’s her fault. She blocked my way.” Anna said boldly.

Ailee snickered. “Why are you lying? Hun. You hit your feet on her chair. You did that on a purpose,” she revealed. “Why are you blaming her?”

“And also, she poured the wine on you to defend herself,” Ailee pointed out. “If she didn't do that, you intended to hit her.”

Anna was perplexed. She didn't expect anyone would see what happened. She blinked her eyes twice, pretending. “Wh… what… what do you mean?” She asked. Her voice stammered.

“Apologize to Mrs. Patricia.” Ailee said in an ordering tone.

“Why will I apologize to her?” Anna yelled. “I did nothing wrong. It’s her fault and she must apologize to me.”

Ailee pointed at the big TV on the stage wall. “If you insist, I will call the record room and let them display what happened on a bigger screen. People will witness it and help figure out who is at fault.” She threatened.

Anna’s lips shivered, almost unable to say a word. “What…”

Anna’s reaction has said it all, and Cohen already figured out the truth. 

“Anna, apologize for what you did.” Cohen instructed.

“Honey, I did nothing. Why will I apologize? Don’t you trust me?” Anna acted up.

Cohen turned his gaze away from her. “Will you apologize or I should let Ivy organization take a step?” He made her choose.

Anna blew air through her mouth. Her secret was revealed already, and since Cohen has also turned against her, she apologized. “I’m sorry.”

After watching everything, Bastian intervened again. “Cohen, since you lose control of your wife, you have to choose. Will you wait till the end of the program and watch the security guard escort your wife out now?”

“Or will you go with her so they can escort both of you out?” Bastian gave an option to choose from.

Anna never expected to be humiliated to that extent, but she still hoped Cohen wouldn't allow them to touch her.

“The late chairman is a great man, and it won’t be good if I leave now. That will make me an ingrate,” Cohen said and paused.

Anna stared at Cohen’s lips and watched him complete his statement. 

“Let the security do their work.” Cohen concluded.

“Please note, Cohen, if she refuses to cooperate, they may have to drag her out. Hope you won’t get angry.” Bastian foretold.

“I don’t care.”