GENEVIEVE
‘Mummy! My head hurts. I don’t want to go to school today, please.’ Hope cried, removing her blouse for the umpteenth time.
‘Don’t do that, Hope. Also, I told you that we aren’t going to school but are returning home today. Our flight leaves in a couple of hours, so I need you dressed like your brother.’ I rattled, trying to put on her blouse again.
After completing Mayor. Kim’s project, James and I had to travel to Nashville to settle a business deal and represent our family in the quarterly executives board meeting. It was a big stress on me because Vera was busy and Estella was down with fever. The kids had to follow me, and it was exhilarating. The questions, the congratulatory messages, and the curious gazes as Nicholas and Hope jumped around the company didn’t make things easier either.
Once we returned home, James had to do some shopping to prepare himself for Kanebi’s wedding. Also, Kanebi suggested that I stayed an extra three weeks before he left for Spain. We ended up appearing at a lot of public events and places where Kyle was. I saw him on three occasions, but I didn’t bother acknowledging his presence. He tried to interact with me, but Kanebi was always available to dish him some nos. He finally accepted the fact that I didn’t want to have anything to do with him.
The doorbell rang suddenly. It couldn’t be Vera. She had travelled home yesterday due to some urgent business. I knew it was a poor excuse to visit her latest fling, who was leaving the United Kingdom for Finland for a vacation. He was everything she wanted, and I wasn’t surprised she was finally making an effort to settle down.
‘Mummy, there’s a tiny ant on my blouse. It’s moving!’ Hope giggled, pointing at a beetle.
How did a beetle get here? I wondered, squashing it and throwing her blouse into the basket. Estella would do a lot of laundry once we got home. The kids used their clothes like they were models for a high-class fashion house. I had given up trying to make them maintain an outfit for a whole morning without staining it.
I stood up from Hope’s bed and led her into Estella’s room. I hadn’t finished packing, and trying to convince a smart five-year-old to wear her blouse wasn’t going to help me.
‘Tessa, Kyle is in the living room. Where are the kids?’ James asked, lowering his voice a bit as he walked towards me.
Panic crawled in immediately. What did he want? Oh no! Did he get any information about Kanebi’s wedding? If he did, that means my plans had failed. An epic failure, to be fair.
I checked my hair and adjusted my black sleeveless gown while thinking of how to be as cold as possible to make my point clear. Also, I had to think of a perfect lie to explain Kanebi’s absence in case he didn’t know about Kanebi’s wedding.
‘Kyle, what do you want?’ I asked, going straight to the point. There was no need to beat around the bush when it had to deal with him.
He sighed, getting up slowly. ‘Good morning, Tessa. How’re you and the kids? Also, your husband?’
I hissed, walking towards him. ‘That’s not what I asked. What do you want?’
‘Alright. I am sorry for showing up at this odd hour of the day. I heard from a mutual friend that you will be leaving today, and I wanted to ensure things were settled between us before you left.’
‘Interesting, Kyle. I don’t know if you’re dumb or something, but I thought I told you that you were four years late. There’s no forgiveness for you here, and coming into my home at seven o’clock won't help you either!’
He swallowed, ‘I am sorry for everything I did to you. I already lost Mayor Kim’s twenty million-dollar grant. Isn’t that enough for my sins?’
I laughed. ‘You always think everything is about the money, right? Well, I am glad, Mayor. Kim withdrew the grant. You didn’t deserve it anyway!’
‘Tessa, please. I have accepted it; I don’t deserve it, but I need your forgiveness. Please,’ he said, kneeling down.
What? He was finally kneeling down. I wish Vera was here so that I could tell her, ‘I told you so.’ I was grinning until I saw James’s disapproving gaze from upstairs. I had forgotten he was watching us in case Kyle tried anything funny.
I took Kyle’s hands and pulled him up. ‘You don’t have to kneel down, Kyle. My kids are here, and if they see you doing that, I will be explaining a lot to them. Even if I forgive you, it won’t take away the hurt you implanted in me for years. I am sorry, but you will have to live with your restless and guilty mind. See it as my parting gift to you.’
He smiled weakly. ‘Is this what you want, Tessa?’
I nodded. ‘Yes, Kyle. Whatever I felt for you five years ago is dead. I will advise you to focus on your wife and getting a child from her. I hope your mother will have the patience to wait for that. By the way, send my regards to her. If she hadn’t been so unreceptive of me, I probably wouldn’t have returned to my family.’
‘I apologise for everything she said to you, Tessa. You didn’t deserve to be treated like that.’
I smiled. ‘It’s all over, Kyle. I am bigger than that now. I am the CEO of the largest interior design company in the United Kingdom, and soon I will be in the States. Would I have accomplished that if I was still your wife? No. Thank heavens, I am not Ava. She’s a supermodel and all, but it’s clear you aren’t happy. Anyway, it’s not my business.’
He sighed, staring at me. ‘You can still read me like an open book. That’s great. I will stick to your advice and try not to show up in places you are ever again. Have a great life, Tessa.’
I smiled, watching him close the door. Somehow, I felt for him. No man deserves to be kept away from his kids. Maybe one day I will tell him, but certainly not today.
Kyle KingThe King’s Company executives meeting lasted longer than I expected. After arriving home a few days ago, I had a lot of pending projects and bills to settle. Thankfully, I had been smart enough to deny my mother a place as a second signatory to the family account to avoid stories. So, I instructed the accounting department to settle the bills while I made sense of the demands of the executives. We had two major projects to execute, and one was with an Arabian engineering company. They were new in Nashville and were referred by a previous client who worked with Tessa.Tessa.I hadn’t thought about her since I arrived in Nashville, but Ava noticed my moodiness and pushed for answers until I told her part of the truth. She wasn't particularly pleased about Tessa having kids before her and remarried. It was hilarious to see her so jealous. She had always posed herself as a better woman and wife than Tessa, but now she was unsure. During breakfast, she had asked questions conce
Geneveive Tessa RobertThe cafe was filled! After walking with the waiters to find a place to sit with the kids, I finally gave up and decided to check somewhere else. I cursed inwardly as I thought about Estella’s advice. She had suggested I take a basket of sandwiches for the kids lunch, but I didn’t listen because I wanted to spoil them with pancakes from my favourite Bristol cafe. Mopping the sweat off my face, I knew I had made a mistake. I should have listened to her. m The next cafe was Nice’s Confectionaries. They were filled up too. It was now obvious that life was teaching me a good lesson. If not, why would the cafes be filled up by one o’clock? It wasn’t even rush hour or a lunch break!‘Mummy, my legs hurt and my stomach is hungry!’ Nicholas cried, his British accent making me giggle a bit.I patted his curly brown hair. ‘We are going home now. Let's call the chauffeur to pick us up, okay?’He nodded. ‘Can we get chocolate cupcakes, please?’‘No, you can’t. You ate a lo
Kyle KingI dialled Ava’s number again and got the same response. I looked over my shoulders and noticed the experiments were already complete. Mom was already seated and had already gotten acquainted with the Arabian representatives. I quickly sent Ava a text message to show up before the contract signing was over and the luncheon began. She knew how important her presence was in today’s meeting, and she had promised earlier to show up before noon. It was past two o’clock now, and where was she?I should have revoked her CFO’s position for a long time, but mom wouldn’t have approved. It’s not as if Ava took her position seriously; she barely came to the office except when there was an event or project that would make her trend. She preferred to stay in the background, monitor my earnings, and demand her share at the en
Kyle King‘I am sorry about last night. My friends wanted to celebrate our accomplishments as a couple, and I didn’t want to decline their request. It’s been a long time since I had fun with everything that has been happening, baby.’ Ava said, kneeling down.I shook my head. ‘Ava, that meeting was very important, and you were supposed to be by my side, but no, you were throwing yourself on a man old enough to be your father! What was wrong with you? Why can’t you just be like...’She looked up and said, ‘Like Tessa? Right. You just had to compare me with your ex-wife? So, you think she’s better than me because she has kids for some low life? Keep it up, Kyle, but know this: You left me for her because you loved me and trusted me; if you try to meet up with her after the California incident, you will regret it!’I pushed her hands off me. ‘Don’t you dare threaten me, Ava! God knows what else you have been doing while I have been away. Henceforth, you’re going everywhere with me, and no
Geneveive Tessa RobertI sighed for the eleventh time. Mom ignored me, focusing on her iced cup of tea. I was beginning to hate the idea of being away from my kids at this odd hour of the day. If not for mom’s insistence and how important she made the dinner feel, I wouldn’t be here.She stopped the waiter and ordered more pancakes while smiling to herself. Either she had become a foodie or she wanted to pump more fat into my body.‘Mum… Are you going to finish what you are ordering?’ I asked, watching her closely.She chuckled, ‘They aren’t for me but you. I took you out of that house because Estella complained that you hadn’t been eating properly. I mightn’t be staying with you anymore, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t look out for you. I'm still your mother.’I sighed. ‘You don’t have to worry yourself, mom. I am just stressed from work and other activities. Don’t forget, the twins have been giving me a hard time. You know, they have been playing cat and mouse with flu and malaria
Kyle King‘I don’t understand why he would just sell his shares and not bother to let me know until the deal was finalized! I feel betrayed, Xavier.’Xavier shrugged. ‘Your uncle loves trying new things, and D.K. Company was just one of those things. Have you met the new shareholder? Someone you know?’I shook my head. ‘No, I don’t know them, but the board members do. They have a popular name and business in New Jersey and here. They were looking for a way to get some extra cash, and Uncle David was the answer to their prayers.’‘That’s crazy, man, but I think you should be happy. Uncle David wanted the company to himself right from day one. We know how he tried so hard to control your decisions and make you feel inadequate. Man, you should be happy! Besides, you shouldn’t worry about this; you get to see Tessa tomorrow. That’s something, right?’I nodded. ‘You’re right, Xavi. I am glad he’s gone—well, not totally gone until we complete the Roberts project and I send his share. About
Kyle King I tossed and rolled on the bed all night. I was a bit shaken by what Ava had done. The fact that she had been seeing Greg before we got married made me feel like the biggest fool of all time. She even had the audacity to report me to my mother, which made me feel like a monster. Thank heavens, she had taken the message and fled to my mother’s home. I had instructed the guard and housekeeper not to let her in while I was in the United Kingdom. If she tried forcing her way in, they were expected to call the cops immediately. Whatever drew me to her was dead. It was time to walk away, and this time, make things right with the one who had always been right for me.The morning came quicker than I expected. I quickly ate breakfast, growled at the chauffeur due to his sluggishness, and repeated my instructions to the guards and Romina. As the car drove away, I couldn’t help but think about the time when I had wanted to sell the King’s mansion. An impressive structure that had s
Geneveive Tessa RobertI scanned the room to see if I knew any of the long list of people Mom had invited to celebrate the grand opening of the hotel. I knew a few, but I wasn’t ready to say hello to them yet. I stopped one of the waiters and took a glass of champagne. I needed something to busy myself with until Jmaes came to introduce me to some of his friends. I scanned the room again and saw the man I had been hoping we wouldn’t see until the tech project was over. I steadied myself as our eyes met, and giving my hair a quick swish, I focused on my glass. I sniffed his perfume before he announced his presence. He was still using the brand I gifted him on our first anniversary. The sweet scent of Wave’s popular perfume collection.‘Good evening, Tessa. I didn’t know you were going to be here.’ Kyle said, smiling.I scoffed. He started with the wrong way to start a conversation. ‘It’s my family’s grand opening. Where do you expect me to be if I'm not here?’He replied, ‘I am sorry.