Chapter 9

Alicia cursed under her breath. She wouldn't dare answer the call.

Why does he seem to care so much now? she thought.

She set the phone face down on the bedside table, but it wouldn’t stop ringing. With a huff, she grabbed it again and switched it off.

“He should be happy with his mistress now. I have given them the chance,” she muttered, dropping back on the bed. Soon sleep claimed her.

***

“I didn’t really think she was serious about this divorce,” Nathan said to his mother when Alicia wouldn’t take his calls. He paced the living room, anger in every stride. “She should be back by now. It’s almost 8 p.m. She is still my wife.”

“My dear son, you shouldn’t waste your energy worrying about that low-life girl. Andrea is here for you, and she has all it takes to be a true Paddington bride. She’s classy, beautiful… everything Alicia isn’t. Trust me, Alicia will come crawling back, begging you soon. She’s not even all that,” Mrs. Anita said with certainty.

Nathan sighed heavily.

“Even if Alicia ends up divorcing you, it’s still to our advantage. We’ve already gotten what we wanted from her by having you marry her. You can go ahead, grant her the divorce she’s asking for, and then remarry Andrea.”

A door creaked open upstairs.

Andrea stepped out and descended the staircase, joining Nathan and his mother in the middle of their convo like she belonged there.

“Are you okay, sweetie? I hope you’re fine now?” Mrs. Anita asked, smiling widely as Andrea approached.

Andrea didn’t answer. She acted as if she hadn’t even heard.

“Baby, I’ve been waiting inside for us to talk about the money I mentioned, for my monthly shopping. Can we go in now?” she asked, looking at Nathan.

Nathan’s jaw tightened. “Andrea, did you not hear my mum’s question, or did you just choose to ignore it?” His disgust was plain.

Andrea turned sharply to Mrs. Anita. “Ohh! So sorry, mummy. What did you say again? Yeah, mummy, I’m fine,” she replied with a forced smile, touching her temple as though forgetfulness excused her.

“Nathan, don’t press her so hard. She’ll come around. Maybe she didn’t hear me clearly,” Mrs. Anita said quickly, brushing the matter aside. “Go in with her. We’ll discuss things better tomorrow morning.”

Nathan’s face hardened. “Go back in. I’ll join you soon,” he snapped.

“Alright, baby,” Andrea purred, leaning close to peck him on the cheek.

“Good night, Mrs. Anita,” she added with another fake smile.

“Good night, my love. Sleep well,” Mrs. Anita replied warmly, returning the smile.

Andrea’s retreating steps echoed faintly on the stairs, leaving the room thick with unspoken tension.

“Andrea, my girl,” Mrs. Anita muttered with a wide smile that reached her eyes. Nathan caught it, his eyes widening before he scoffed. Had he really heard that right?

“Mum, I feel Andrea is becoming something else. She has been acting so weird lately,” Nathan said, breaking the silence after Andrea was no longer in sight.

“Nathan, you know she just got back from the States last week and she might still be angry that you already got married to that so- called girl, Alicia, instead of her. Andrea loves you so much you know. She'll come around soon, just give her more time.”

“You really need to stop making excuses for her, Mum. Didn’t you notice how she snubbed you when you asked her a question?”

“Probably she didn't hear me clearly. I think so.”

Nathan stared at her, disbelief flickering in his eyes. 

“It's okay Nathan. Forgive her.” Mrs Anita murmured as she stepped closer to him and rubbed his back.

But Nathan knew she was only covering up for Andrea and he wasn't having it.

“Mother, Andrea has also been spending extravagantly these past few days on shopping for unnecessary things. Is this how she is going to help the Paddington family business grow?” His jaw clenched as the words left him.

Mrs Anita stayed silent, clearly at a loss for words. She gently returned to her seat.

“The secretary at the office called me today and was telling me about the account statement the accountant gave to him for these past few weeks. Most of the money was squandered by Andrea on her reckless spending and now she is talking to me about another shopping spree.” Nathan paused, catching his breath.

“I know I do not like Alicia, but what I do know is that Alicia has never– and would never– behave like this.” His voice had risen, edged with frustration.

“I will talk to Andrea about this, okay? I promise you, she will surely come around after that. But you should also know that that doesn't make Alicia better than Andrea. At least Andrea knows how to spend money on herself and besides we have the money, right? And you love her too.” Mrs Anita, said, smiling as if she already won him over.

Nathan scoffed and turned his face away, anger tightening his features. He didn't want to argue with her any further. He told himself he loved Andrea, even if that love was tangled with more frustration than peace.

“I should retire to bed now. I need to wake up early tomorrow morning. I have an important meeting with the board regarding our new big contract. You should retire to bed too, Mum,” Nathan said firmly.

“Alright, let me have my evening herb tea before I retire. Goodnight son, please don't be hard on Andrea tonight. I'll see her and talk to her tomorrow,” she managed a smile.

“Goodnight mother!” he said, kissed her forehead, and retreated to his room.

From behind the dining pillars, someone had been eavesdropping. At the sound of Mrs. Anita’s footsteps approaching the table, the figure slipped away quickly, retreating toward the kitchen.