A spy gadget

“Is everything OK?” My father appeared at the door of the bathroom, with a now quiet Oliver in his arms.

“Please keep Oliver away, I think I have been poisoned.” I said, looking up at the mirror in front of me.

“What?” I saw his eyes widen behind me.

“It’s this ring, this bloody ring.” I said, scrubbing my fingers even harder, checking my arms again and again. 

I cannot die. 

I cannot leave my son alone in this scary world.

“Can I see the ring?” My father said.

I turned to squint at him. 

“I worked as a jeweler for many years, I would be able to tell if jewellry was tampered with or not."

“You would have to keep Oliver aside. I don’t want this thing around him.

“Where is the nanny?”

“I dismissed her briefly.”

“I will go set Oliver down in the bedroom.”

“No.” I said in panic. He froze and looked at me.

He immediately understood my fear. Although he had been asleep that night while I was screaming my head off in the living room, everyone knew how my son had nearly died.

“Come dear. I will seat Oliver in his ball pit where we can see him.” He said, already going into the bedroom. “Wrap the ring in some wipes and bring it.”

I looked at his retreating back. 

Why was he so calm? I could be dying. I did as he said anyway and hurried after him. 

He took the ring from me, and adjusted his glasses to stare at it.

“We will have to send it to the lab, of course, but I think this is more a spy gadget than a poisoned ring.”

“Oh,” I said, looking down at my hand I had almost burned off. Why then..

“That was your panicked mind.” He said, and I turned to see him watching me. “I believe this has a tracker on it and a voice transmitter.”

My hand flew to my mouth. Ophelia!

“I have made similar ones.” He suddenly stopped talking and stood up. 

He walked to the bathroom and filled up a small bowl and placed the ring in it. 

“Now they will only hear the bubbles if they are listening,” he said as he came back out.

A knock sounded at the door.

“Come.” I said, knowing that was Oliver’s meal. 

I glanced at Oliver, happily playing in the large ball pit as the maid walked in with the food tray and placed it on his high chair at the opposite end of the room.

“Is the chairman back?” I asked as she began to walk back towards the door.

“No Ma’am.” She bowed.

I nodded at her even as a frown crossed my face.

Was Kan Ok? 

I pulled my phone out of my dress pocket, and finally dialed his number.

I hated disturbing him when he was out, except it was extremely important, but this was too much. 

The call immediately went to voicemail. 

Maybe he was really busy then. 

If he was still not back by the time I had Oliver in bed, I may have to take his food to him.

I walked to the ball pit and picked my son up. “I was thinking we would have dinner together, but I will ask the staff to take your meal to your bedroom. Kan is running late.”

I did not meet my father’s eye as I spoke. I could not.

“I can eat with you.” He offered in a small voice.

“I prefer to eat with Kan.” The words were out of my mouth before I even realized it. 

I bit my lip in regret as I settled Oliver into his high chair.

“OK.” He said, and then I heard the door closing gently. 

When I turned, he was gone. 

I tore the film wrap off the tray as Oliver sat, beating his hand on the table in anticipation.

What was I going to do with this man? I could not help the resentful anger I felt whenever I saw him. He reminded me of all the worst years of my childhood that I wanted to forget.

The bullying in school, when one aggrieved wife or fiancé would attack my mother in public and call her names, the snickering of their children at our humiliation. 

How our neighbors gossiped about us, and parents asked the school to expel me after every new scandal, or they would withdraw their wards.

How boys expected me to be easy lay because of my mother’s reputation and when I refused, they got violent.

I quickly wiped my eyes when Oliver looked up from the tear that dropped on the table.

“Eat, my pumpkin.” I gently pushed the spoon between his lips. “Mama is fine.”

I sniffed and wiped my face again.

By the time I was done feeding Oliver, the nanny was back, smelling fresh and looking more lively, but Kan wasn’t home still.

What the hell was keeping him? It was almost nine at this point.

“Give Oliver a bath and put him to bed, I am heading out.” I said to the nanny, finally deciding to go back to Mõshon. 

If he was working late, he must be hungry.

And he would be very surprised to see me. Pleasantly so, because I have not brought him food in a long time.

I went to our bedroom and changed into a red dress, as I called the kitchen.

“Chairwoman?” I heard the chef’s voice.

“Could you please pack the meal? I am taking it to the headquarters.” I said as I combed my hair back and packed it in a low ponytail.

“Yes Ma’am. 

I went into the bathroom and picked up the hair curler from the floating shelf. 

For this rubbish stunt Ophelia pulled, I had to send her a nice present before the week was over.

She was pointing me in the right direction to take her down.

Besides my son, who I would eventually reveal to the world, I had nothing really to hide.

Who knows what dirty secrets I would unveil from bugging her. 

She would regret what she had done. 

I stepped back from the mirror and smiled at my reflection. I hope Kan will not misinterpret all my efforts as an invitation to my bed though.

I turned around and walked downstairs with my phone in my clutch purse. 

The chef was waiting for me at the front door with a food box, tied up in a silver-colored satin shawl.

“What about you Ma’am?” The Italian man with whiskers for mustache asked.

“I will eat with the chairman.” I smiled kindly at him. “Thank you, Rocco.” 

He blushed at my appreciation and walked away. 

I walked out the door that one of the guards held for me and handed my shoes over to the maid.

“The chairman still at the office?” I asked him as the maid helped me into my shoes.

“Yes ma’am.” He bowed.

I nodded and walked ahead to the car where the chauffeur had the door open. 

Maybe it was time Kan and I made something out of our accidental marriage.