Chapter 10

“Scott Harrington, the CEO of Harrington Holdings, will be a year older in a few days. Happy birthday in advance, my brother! I cannot wait to celebrate you, and I have a surprise for you.”

Audrey’s eyes moved across the post made by Sasha King as she swiped through the pictures of Scott.

In one of the pictures, he wore a blue suit paired with a pair of fine brown leather shoes. He leaned against a table, holding his suit jacket behind his shoulders as it draped down his back. His legs were crossed, and his eyes were fixed on the camera. He struck several different poses in the same position.

I*******m could be quite funny. It had just brought up the face of the one person she wished she would never have to see again.

She studied the pictures, staring directly at Scott’s face. He looked like a very strict person. Their encounter quickly flashed through her mind.

“No, not today,” she said aloud, quickly swiping past the pictures and moving on to other reels. She watched a few funny videos that popped up, laughing as she scrolled.

Soon, she opened her direct messages and tapped on a particular message. Once it opened, she picked up her paintbrush, pulled her drawing board closer, and began sketching the face on her screen.

She loved it whenever a client asked her to sketch and paint their portrait.

****

“Your mother stopped by the office earlier this morning,” Timmy said, giving Jonas a stern look.

“What did she want?” Jonas asked, his eyes still fixed on his computer.

“She asked about you, and I told her you were working from home. She demanded to know why and asked if you were sick. I told her no, that it was simply your decision,” Timmy replied.

“And…?” Jonas asked, finally lifting his head to look at Timmy.

“And she left.”

Jonas smirked.

“She did not say why she was there?” Jonas asked, giving Timmy a cold stare.

“Not to me. I later saw her talking with the head of the finance department, but I did not know what they were discussing,” Timmy concluded.

“I will be at the office tomorrow. Schedule a board meeting for nine in the morning,” Jonas instructed.

“I will,” Timmy replied.

He looked directly at Jonas before leaning closer to him on the large couch.

“You still have not decided to forgive her?” he asked in a very low tone.

Jonas immediately stopped typing. He looked up at Timmy and stared at him for a moment before returning his attention to his work.

“I mean, it has been Twelve years already. I really think you should forgive her now. Not because of her, but because of yourself. You deserve to be happy again.”

“And who told you I am not happy?” Jonas shot Timmy an angry look.

“Look, Jo, I know you very well, and I can tell when you are happy or not. I can boldly say that you have not been truly happy for the past few years now, and it is beginning to worry me.” Timmy’s face was filled with concern.

“I do not care about what you think you know, Timmy, but I am perfectly alright.”

“Fine. When do you intend to forgive her then?” Timmy pressed.

“I have no intention of doing that,” Jonas replied coldly, without lifting his eyes from the screen.

“Please think about it, Jo,” Timmy said in a low voice.

He gently rose to his feet.

“I will get us something to drink,” he added, walking toward the bar area.

****

Audrey could hardly contain her excitement as she compared the sketch to the picture on her screen.

“Damn! This looks so good!” she exclaimed, jumping to her feet with a laugh.

She had spent hours working on the sketch, and the result was definitely worth the time.

“James! James! Come and have a look!” Audrey called out.

“Give me a minute,” James responded.

Audrey continued staring at the sketch, a look of pride written all over her face.

“Yes?” James answered as he walked into the room and approached her.

“Here, look at this. Compare the two. Is there any difference?” Audrey asked, pointing toward the canvas and the photo placed beside it.

“I think they look exactly the same,” James stated.

“But look at the nose. I think it needs a little adjustment.” He pointed to the nose on the sketch.

“Right? I noticed that, too. I will adjust it when I start shading it. You know this is just the sketch,” Audrey said.

“Yeah, I know. With that little adjustment, you are good to go,” James added.

“You are all dressed. Are you ready to go?” Audrey asked, glancing at him.

“Yes, I am leaving now. I will also be sleeping over at Adam’s house tonight, so do not wait up for me. I will be back in the morning,” James replied, heading toward the door.

“All right. Stay safe,” Audrey said, watching him leave.

James nodded in agreement.

Audrey admired the sketch for a few more moments before shifting her attention toward her closet.

“Now, time for laundry,” she said aloud, moving toward it and gathering the dirty clothes piled in one corner.

By the time she finished doing the laundry, it was already evening, and all she wanted was a good night’s sleep.

She quickly undressed, wrapped her blue towel around her chest, and headed into the bathroom. She hung her towel on the rack before stepping into the bathtub and lowering herself into the water.

She stayed there for a few minutes, enjoying the warmth, before reaching for her sponge to scrub her body.