Genevieve Tessa Robert
I cleared my throat, breaking his stupid gaze from my body. The man was a skunk! ‘Here are the videos, sir. Please check them carefully like you did with my body and tell me the ones you like, alright?’ I said, giving him the iPad. I hope he got my sarcasm. He chuckled. ‘You shouldn’t blame a man, dear. You are gold, Genevieve.’ I said nothing. He was a stubborn man, and if I replied, it would give him room to start his rubbish again. When he noticed I was quiet, he sighed and focused on the iPad. The videos were a lot, but he scrolled through them, watching, skipping some after a second of watching, and he finally agreed on a waterfall wallpaper design. I discussed the process and promised to send a demo by tomorrow morning so that he could get a feel for what it looks like. He agreed. We spent another day trying to find the best wallpaper for his home, and he finally chose two that gave off the feeling of winter and landscape. ‘These are nice choices, Mr. McPhee. I will send your preferences to the team, and they will work on the demo videos so that you can get a feel for what the end results will be. If you have any suggestions or corrections, you can send them to my secretary.’ He smiled, sipping his cup of coffee. ‘You’re a professional, so I trust your process. I will be expecting the videos. Thank you so much. I don’t know if you would like to hang out sometime. It's not a business date, though. Just a friendly lunch where we can get to know each other better.’ He finally asked me out. The jerk! Did he think I was interested in going out with him? I wanted to give him a befitting response, but I remembered that I just signed a major contract with him. ‘I am a busy woman, Mr. McPhee, and I don't go out on dates with my clients. I love to respect myself and my principles. I hope you don’t feel offended, though. Thank you for the offer.’ He sighed, ‘Come on, Tessa. I have seen the way you behave around me. I know there is a connection, and I am sure if you let me in, we will be perfect together. You just have to give me a chance to prove myself to you. I have money and fame to take care of you and your kids.’ I laughed, folding my hands. ‘Firstly, it is generous to you and not Tessa, please. Secondly, I can see you have been doing a lot of research on my personal lifestyle. That’s really cool. Anyway, I won’t change my stance. It’s a no, and thank you once again for the invitation.’ He stood up, adjusting his suit, and said, ‘Never say never, Genevieve. I will keep in touch. Have a nice afternoon.’ ‘Wait,'I called. ‘You know my parents are the Roberts clan, right? So, next time you come in here, remember that I don’t need a man to take care of my finances. Enjoy the rest of your day too.’‘Of course, Miss Genevieve I won’t forget that fact.’
I fell into my chair immediately; he was gone. The man was a piece of work. Imagine him shooting his shots in a business meeting. He even had the audacity to rub his wealth on my face! I called Halsey. My mom would be here in thirty minutes, and I know she won’t allow me to work until she is done with whatever she has to do in the office. Halsey knocked, then walked in. Her lips were tightened, and I sensed something was wrong. Mr. McPhee. ‘What did he do this time?’ I asked, watching her. She breathed deeply, then replied, ‘He called me an old timer who is supposed to be staying in the A****n. I told him that was offensive, and the next thing he will say is that I should visit A****n first and see my kind. How can he say such things?’ I held back my laughter. Well, Halsey sometimes behaved like one who just came from the ice age. She hated technology and would refuse to learn, even if it was going to save her life. ‘I am sorry about Mr. McPhee. That was rude and unkind of him. I will give him a call and warn him, okay?’ She grunted, ‘He owes me an apology too. He can’t just talk to me that way and walk away, ma’am. Even though he’s the company’s top client, that doesn’t mean he can talk to someone anyhow.’ ‘I will tell him to call you personally and apologize. Would that be okay?’‘Yes, thank you, ma.’ she smiled. ‘Your mom’s appointment is in twenty minutes. Should I get her favourite lunch from Liverpool Chicken Pot?’
I nodded. ‘Please do. She wanted dinner, but I would be with Mr. Luke by that time. Get a package for yourself too, okay?’She grinned, ‘Thank you, ma. Is there anything else you need me to do?
I picked up my IPAD, selected the videos Mr. McPhee had chosen, and sent them via mail to her. ‘I just sent Mr. McPhee's preferred designs to you. Please send them to the team and ask them to create demo videos, which I can send by tomorrow morning. It should be well detailed and organized.’ ‘Alright, ma. Let me get the chicken pot.’ she replied. *** I picked up another chicken chop and threw it in my mouth while watching the twins throw their toys around the room. Mom had brought them from the house, and even though I was pleased to see them, I was somehow pissed that she didn’t allow them to rest. I always ensured they had their siesta from three o’clock to five o'clock. It was necessary for their growth and well-being. ‘Mummy! Nicholas is cheating!’ Hope called, dragging the Superman toy from Nicholas. ‘No, you played first,’ Nicholas cried, dragging it. I sighed as Estella separated them. Thank God she was here. I couldn’t handle them on my own when I was in the office. There were a lot of distractions. ‘By the way, a huge business deal just came in for the family. The mayor of California wants us to remodel his mansion and hotel. I accepted the deal, and that means you will be traveling to the United States next week.’ What did she just say? Next Week? To a country that held her past life? No. She couldn’t return there. What if they run into Kyle? No.Genevieve Tessa Robert‘Mum, you should have consulted me before agreeing to the deal. You know, I can’t return to that country. I can’t. I will send my staff, but I can’t go there.’She laughed. ‘You think you will come across that loser called Kyle? You won’t. He’s in New York, and you are going to be in California. I already promised Mayor Kim Jun that you would personally be in charge. Please, you have to go, and don’t worry; Estella and James will come with you so that they can help with the twins.’‘But, mum. I have the McPhee project and other client jobs to oversee and approve. I can’t just put them on hold because of the mayor. Can't he get other good interior designers in his country?’ I asked stubbornly. I knew mom wouldn’t change her mind, though. One thing she hated was going back on her words.‘I will take care of the projects. Besides, Vera is available now. She can come in to take charge. Isn’t that why you gave her a place at Hoplas Designs? To take charge when you ar
Kyle KingLife with Ava had turned from sweet to sour. We were barely speaking with each other since I was confronted about the fake results. She blamed it on my pressure, but I didn’t listen. I took the law into my own hands and drove her to the hospital, where they ran tests on her. She was fertile, but due to an abortion that went wrong in her early life, the doctor advised her not to get pregnant. I didn’t know how I drove home that day, but we arrived home, and I moved my things to one of the bedrooms. Away from Ava. She apologised, but the damage was already done.She lied to me, my mom, and her parents. How did she keep that part of her life a secret when she knew what was at stake? First, Tessa, and now, Ava? Was fate playing a sick game with me?I took another gulp of the Bailey Xavier I had purchased a few minutes ago. The craziest thing was that I couldn’t bring myself to divorce her. The tech company was about to sign a major deal with a morally upright client, Mr. Charle
Genevieve Tessa Robert‘Don’t do that, Nicholas. You don’t play with your food, young man, but eat it,’ I cautioned him. ‘Don’t let me catch you doing that again!’Nicholas’s face said, ‘I am sorry, mom, but there’s so much salt in the spaghetti.’I sighed, taking a fork to taste it. There was nothing wrong with the spaghetti, but I knew already. He wanted something else, but I wasn’t going to fall for it.‘The salt is okay, son. You can’t waste the food because mom works hard every day to see you eat and not starve. So, eat everything.’ I ordered, focusing on hope.‘Darling, do you want more?’ I asked, amazed at her empty plate.She giggled, ‘No, mommy. Can I go and play with my dolls? They're already missing me, especially Miss Peas.’I smiled. Hope is giving her dolls weird names. ‘You can go. I
Kyle KingAnytime I came to California, there was always a list of invites awaiting me. This evening was no exception. The mayor had invited me to represent my mom at his company birthday and anniversary party. I wanted to politely decline because the week had been stressful due to the activities of the workshop.While Xavier seemed to be having the best time of his life, I was struggling to understand the concepts and ideologies of the workshop. I was also up in the midnights reading through reports or job updates sent from Nashville. Instead of falling into bed right now, I was wearing a white tuxedo, black trousers and shoes, and a weak smile. I was exhausted, but I had to be at Mayor Kim’s party. Mum had known him through my dad, and they had kept the friendship after the painful exit of my father. I had met Mayor Kim a few times, and he was a reliable and humorous man. I knew less about his wife because she was like the younger ve
Kyle KingThe waiter dropped a bottle of Bailey’s on the table and helped me pour a glass. I thanked him, picked up the glass, and my mind settled on the new information I just got. Tessa. I wondered what would happen if we met. It will definitely be awkward and uncomfortable, but something in me knew I would enjoy seeing her again. I couldn’t lie to myself. I had missed her a lot since I got married to Ava, and most of the time, I found myself comparing activities that Ava did with how Tessa would have done them.I scanned the page again. I could see James talking with Mrs. Belle. They seem to get along better. Good for them. I couldn’t see myself having a conversation ever again with her. Not after tonight’s experience. My eyes moved past them, and soon I found Tessa. She was with a man, laughing and holding hands with him. Was that her husband? My heartbeat suddenly increased its pace. If she was married, that means I would ha
Geneveive Tessa RobertI paced the room, disregarding Vera’s questions. She had arrived in California last night while I was at the party. Her boss had chosen her to complete a job for a client. It was urgent, and Vera was the only expert who could deliver it in two weeks. She didn’t want to come, but her boss was very convincing and offered a sweet offer that Vera couldn’t say no to. I'm glad she didn’t change her mind.I had foreseen this happening. Seeing Kyle unexpectedly and reliving everything he did to me. Thank goodness that James gave me a heads up; if not, I wondered if I could have challenged him like I did last night. I could still feel his hands on me. The fool! He had the guts to tell me he wanted to ask for forgiveness after four years of silence! I wish I had slapped some sense into him, but I didn’t want to spoil the mayor’s party.‘What’s going on in your head, Tessa?’ Vera
Geneveive Tessa RobertShe looked very familiar, but I couldn’t tell where I had met her before. Her blond ponytail gave her full face a strange, familiar look. Probably an old high school friend who decided to add weight? ‘Good afternoon, Miss Tessa. It’s been four years, and you still look the same. I wish I could say that for myself.’ She breathed rapidly, taking the empty seat beside me.I smiled a little and said, ‘Yeah, four years. I don’t think I recognise you, though, but your voice is familiar. Could you please help me out? Where did we meet?’She looked horrified. ‘Wow, I must have added a lot of weight for you not to recognise me. It’s Imogen? Your secretary at the King’s company?’What? I looked at her again. She looked different from what Imogen I used to know. Her eyes were still the same dark brown colour, but her facial features had chan
Kyle KingI thought I would be free after seeing Tessa, but I got worse. The realization that someone else could get her pregnant and give her those beautiful children I saw hit harder. I had failed woefully. The triumph in her eyes as she delivered the news made me feel like a loser.Four years ago, I thought I made the best decision by divorcing Tessa, but now I am beginning to feel stupid for returning to Ava. If I had waited, maybe those kids would be mine now, and I wouldn’t be worrying about not having an heir to the King’s company. I caught myself immediately. It was too late to start regretting because it was obvious Tessa would never be mine again, or could she?Xavier walked in with a pack of pizza. ‘You have been moody since we returned from the workshop. Did Ava call again?’Ava had been calling frequently to deny access to our joint account. I told her several times t