Seduced for Revenge: 5 - Mom

Mrs. Bennet looked around frantically a few minutes after Regina left.

“Where is Mandy? Why did she go?” 

“Who?” Yvan asked.

“My best friend. She was just here.”

“The nurse? She had to go home for the day, Mom.” He answered.

“Where does she live?”

“It’s on her file.” Yvan got a swat on the side of his head. 

“What are you doing? Don’t give her ideas.” Myles ground the words out in a whisper.

“We’ll show it to you later, Mom. The next applicant will be here in a few minutes.” He said in a normal tone.

“Just don’t forget, okay? Maybe we will visit her later.”

“Sure, Mom,” Myles said dismissively, thinking Mrs. Bennet was in one of her episodes and it would pass away soon, so he swept her request under the rug.

-=-

Regina was sure she wouldn’t get the job. She was the only female nurse there that day and caught early on that the invitation for the interview had definitely been a mistake, only because she signed her name as Reggie instead of Regina.

They couldn’t cancel Regina’s appointment because she could sue them for discrimination. So they kept it under the pretense that she might get hired, going through the motions of the regular interview.

Regina chewed her nail. ‘I can’t go home right now. My parents will badger me about that interview, and I am not ready to talk to anyone.’

‘Maybe I should head to my apartment, say I had a busy day, and this office was closer to my place, so I’ll just crash there.’ 

For the past few days, she’d been hanging out with her parents just so she wouldn’t be alone, but their constant reminders were getting to her, and she did not want to hear them nagging her about the interview right now.

Regina looked for a cafe or a restaurant nearby to kill some time. The busy streets, the multiple lights, and the many sounds around triggered her anxiety, and panic was setting in. 

Everything around her blurred. Then the lights danced and formed one continuous line. 

‘Please, I can’t faint right now. If someone at the interview sees me—’ Regina walked toward the nearest wall to prop herself up.

“Mandy? Mandy! It’s you, Mandy. I was looking for you.”

Regina focused on the voice, and the blurring dissipated slowly. Her whole body got enveloped between soft arms that felt so welcoming. It made her feel so at ease that she just wanted to lean into them and forget about the world.

‘I miss my grandma.’

Regina took a deep breath and focused on the person hugging her. She recognized the voice immediately.

“Ma’am, what are you doing here?” She looked around to adjust her focus and see if Mrs. Bennet had arrived with anyone else.

“Mandy, I missed you. You left without saying goodbye. I wanted to have dinner, but you just disappeared.”

“Oh, where are your sons? Do they know you are here?”

“Oh, those three are too much. They told me I am losing my memories, but how can they say that when I remember clearly who you are?”

“Remember those times—”

“Ma’am, let’s go inside, and you can tell me all about it.”

Luckily, Regina was already in front of the cafe when her panic attack started, so they didn’t need to walk too far.

Hailey Bennet looked at the display in the window and clapped her hands like a teenager, “Cake! Oh, Mandy, you know me so well. I remember your favorites, so I’m buying, let’s go.”

It almost looked like Hailey was skipping as she led the way into the bakeshop, so Regina couldn’t help but smile as she followed. 

While Mrs. Bennet was busy ordering, Regina called her brother Raphael. When he didn’t answer, she went down the list, calling her other brothers Ronald, then Richard. And when neither answered, she groaned.

There was no choice but to call her mom because she knew the Bennet family closely.

“Dear, what drink do you want?”

“Iced tea would be fine, thanks!”

“Mom,” she whispered into the phone. “What should I do? Mrs. Bennet thinks I am her bff, and she followed me to a cafe.”

Of course, her mom had to ask about her interview before even addressing her question. And because there was a huge age gap between their generations, she did not know what “bff” meant.

“Best friend, mom, best friend.”

“Best friend. Oh, she thinks you’re Mandy? Those two were very close.”

“Yeah, I know. What should I do?”

“Just keep her there, and I will ask your father. Stay put, and don’t go anywhere.”

“Okay, we’ll be here. Just hurry.” Regina was worried that Mrs. Bennet might get into more trouble if her sons or whoever was watching her did not come soon.

“The server will bring all our food to the table. Let’s find a seat. Then you can tell me what you’ve been up to.” Hailey grabbed Regina’s arm, dragging her to an empty table by the window.

Hailey Bennet always loved this time when the city woke up, where the lights twinkled as the stores and houses turned on their porch lights.

“Mom, any luck with Mrs. Bennet’s contacts?” Regina just sent her mother another message just as the cavalry finally arrived.

Yvan ran into the restaurant and made a beeline for Mrs. Bennet. “Mom, why did you run away?” 

“Run away? I told you I was visiting with my friend. And here she is. I found her. You remember, Mandy.”

“My brothers said my mom took a shine to you, and I had to see it for myself. Thank you for keeping her safe. We will compensate you for your time.” Owen Bennet did not bother to introduce himself as he knew they would never cross paths again.

“You’re welcome. You need to get her a good caregiver, one that will keep an eye on her constantly. She could have gotten hurt today.”

“I don’t need your advice. I know how to take care of my mother.” Owen felt insulted that this lowly nurse was giving him pointers, as if he did not know what he was doing. 

“Mother, say goodbye to your friend. We need to leave.” He ordered her like a tyrant father talking to his child.

“Send the driver later. I’m not done talking to my friend.”

“I’ll tell them to wrap everything up. Pick your drink. Your friend needs to go home.”

“No, I want to spend more time with Mandy,” Hailey Bennet told her sons indignantly, but Owen would not take no for an answer, so he grabbed her arm and tried to usher her to the waiting car.

“Noooo….” Hailey went into panic mode and started crying like a child. 

“I want to be with my friend,” she wailed as Owen tried to drag her away. His mother was making a scene, and it was not what he wanted, but the more he tried to appease her, the louder her voice grew.

“Mrs. Bennet,” Regina pried Owen’s fingers away from his mom’s arm, and she steered her back to the table. 

“It’s okay, we’ll finish our cake, then head home, okay? I have to work early tomorrow, so we’ll need to cut our visit short.”

Hailey Bennet’s face changed from fear and panic to utter joy as they sat back down to eat the desserts she bought earlier.

“Do I know you?” Mrs. Bennet asked a few minutes later as she stared at Regina while they sipped their iced tea. 

“Are you Owen’s girlfriend?”

“No!” Owen and Regina replied, at the same time confusing Mrs. Bennet on who to look at first. 

She wondered why her son had vehemently said no when Regina looked like a perfectly beautiful young woman who could be a nice match for him.

“You’re pretty. I wouldn’t mind having you as a daughter-in-law.”

“I’m not…” Regina shook her head in embarrassment. 

“I have three sons. You can choose among them.”

Owen had been single for a long time, and Hailey wished he would find someone before she got too sick to meet his future wife. She wouldn’t mind her other sons getting married soon, but Owen worried her more. 

“Mom, are you ready to head home?” Hailey nodded as she put down her drink. She was still clueless about what she was doing in a cafe, eating cake and sipping iced tea so close to dinnertime.

Hailey looked quizzically around her as her three sons, the maid, and the driver, stared at her expectantly. And just as fast as they arrived, the rest of their entourage left without saying a word to Regina.