Chapter Seven: The Clash

      IT had been quite some time since I’d sat in my swivel chair, completely lost in thought. Even now, I still find it hard to fully believe how much Dylan’s family has become part of our lives ever since they first entered it.

 

I snapped back to reality only when Trisha suddenly spoke up from in front of my desk.

 

“Ma’am, Mr. Anderson called earlier,” she said.

 

“Huh? What did he said” I asked.

 

“He said you need to give him a call before the day ends.”

 

I let out a small scoff. “He really is so full of himself! Alright, I’ll call him, Trish. Thanks for telling me.”

 

“Understood, ma’am. Excuse me then,” Trisha replied, before going back to her own swivel chair and getting back to work.

 

I called Dylan, and he picked up instantly.

 

"Brat!" he greeted from the other end. "You mentioned you’d call earlier. What do you need?"

 

"Tss. Do you honestly think I’d reach out unless I needed something from you?" he replied, acting as if I am the one bothering him.

 

"Is annoying people the only thing you’re good at? I’m asking you a serious question!" I shot back.

 

"Seriously, huh? You know me, I don’t like wasting my time," he said.

 

"Whatever," I sighed.

 

"I’ll see you later today," he stated.

 

"Is this how you speak to everyone you meet?" I asked.

 

"Not at all. To be honest, I only talk to you this way. Anyway, if you actually care about what I have to say, get over to my office and see me now."

 

“That jerk!” I muttered the moment he hung up on me.

 

“He’s absolutely rude! So demanding and bossy! Who does he think he is, ordering everyone around like they all have to listen to him?!” I huffed in irritation, which made Trisha come over to my desk again.

 

“Ma’am, are you alright? Why are you shouting?”

 

“Far from alright, Trish! That man is the worst! I swear, the next time I see him, I’m really going to slap him right across the face!”

 

“Please calm down, Ma’am Freya. Maybe Sir Dylan is just having a bad day...that’s probably why he spoke so harshly,” Trisha said, doing her best to soothe my temper.

 

“Trish, you don’t have to make up excuses just to calm me down. Ever since the very first day I met him, he’s been nothing but rude and full of himself!”

 

“So… what's your plan now?”

 

"I’m not going to see him. He can just wait for me if he wants to talk!"

 

"But what if what he has to say is really important? What if it concerns the wedding or the company?"

 

"I still don't care, Trish! He always acts like I’m supposed to follow every single thing he says! Who does he think he is, a king or something?"

 

"I get how you feel, Ma'am Freya. But please, just be patient and go along with it...think of it as doing it for the company's sake."

 

"Ugh, let's stop talking about that jerk already. Actually, could you order us some iced coffee? I need to calm down before I end up losing my temper completely."

 

Trisha just laughed and did as I asked. A short while later, she returned holding an Oreo iced coffee.

 

"Ta-da! I knew this was exactly what you needed to feel better," she said with a wide smile.

 

"Thanks! You’re the best, you know that? You always know exactly how to handle my mood."

"Hmm, can I go back to my swivel chair now?"

"Yes, Trish. Thanks, again!"

   

      BY five in the afternoon, I noticed three missed calls from Dylan on my phone. I stayed firm on my decision, though—I refused to go to his office or give him any sign that I cared.

 

"I’m heading off now," Trisha said, smiling from ear to ear. I knew right away her engineer boyfriend was there to pick her up.

 

"Tsk, go on then. Judging by that smile, you’ve been ready to leave for ages," I teased her.

 

Her grin grew even wider after hearing that, and she hurried out the door.

 

I packed up my things quickly, eager to head straight home and finally let my mind rest. I even drove faster than usual, excited to get back so I could lay down straight into bed. But I never expected what I’d be greeted with the moment I arrived.

 

As soon as I opened the front door of our house, the first thing I saw was Dylan’s face.

 

"What the hell are you doing here?" I snapped at him in annoyance.

Instead of answering me, he just stood up and walked over. "Can you please keep your voice down?" he said, and that only irritated me even more.

 

"Have you lost your mind? How dare you talk to me like that when I’m in my own house? Tsk, you really have some nerve, don’t you? Showing up here at this time and acting like you own this place!"

 

"I don’t care if it’s your house or not! I’m only here because I need to speak with you properly. So could you at least try to behave like a professional, just for now? We have to keep up appearances and pretend everything is fine between us, especially with our parents around. Did you happen to forget that, hmm?" he pressed on firmly.

 

"Goodness!" I exclaimed, putting my handbag down with a heavy sigh.

 

"Where are our parents?"

 

"They’re out in the garden, busy talking," he answered in a serious tone. "You’d better sit down so we can discuss this properly."

 

"What else is there left to talk about? I thought you were the one who handles and sorts everything out! And besides, why did we even have to do this here of all places?"

 

"Quiet! Stop making things difficult. If you had just answered my calls and come to my office when I asked, I wouldn’t have needed to show up here, brat!"

 

"Fine. I’m sorry," I said, forcing the words out.

 

"Tsk. You say you’re sorry, but I know you don’t mean it at all," he muttered under his breath — though I heard every word clearly. "Anyway, my assistant has already finalized every detail for our wedding. We’re scheduled to fly out tomorrow at noon."

 

"What? Why is it being moved up so suddenly?"

 

"Why? Don’t you want that? I assumed you’d be pleased now that the workers’ strike is ending, and your company will be able to recover immediately."

 

"I’m just shocked at how fast everything is moving. Hmm, what about the helicopter? Don’t tell me that—"

 

"Like I already told you, everything is taken care of. All you have to do now is pack your bags and wait until tomorrow noon, then we’ll fly to Florida."

 

"Hold on! Do our parents know about this plan?"

 

"Of course, they do. You’re the only one who didn’t know yet, because you’re too busy arguing with every single thing I say."

 

"Tsk! You really have such an awful attitude."

 

"Really? Is it really just me? Instead of criticizing everyone else’s attitude, maybe you should focus on getting yourself ready! Knowing you, you’ll probably end up making everyone wait again tomorrow."

 

"Don’t worry, you won’t be waiting for me tomorrow at all. I promise you, I’ll be at the airport bright and early, BOSS!" I retorted with a scoff, then turned my back on him and walked away.

 

I headed straight to my room and quickly packed my belongings. I decided to bring only one suitcase, since I had absolutely no intention of staying there any longer than necessary.