Chapter 3
1638 Words
at John F. Kennedy International Airport. David Wellington walked out of the crowd. He looked conspicuous in a black shirt and business suit. He had a pair of sunglasses on. As soon as he walked out of the luggage pickup area, his assistant, Gabe Lesley, rushed forward to carry his suitcase.
"Welcome, Mr. Wellington. Little Master has not eaten for a day. "Shall we head to the mansion first?" His assistant said to him
"Why didn’t you tell me earlier?" David said, glaring at his assistant. Everyone in the Wellington family knew how precious the little master was to David.
"You went to Chicago to sign the important business contract. "I didn’t expect the little master to refuse to eat for a day." David stopped suddenly, took off his sunglasses, and then glared at the assistant.
Gabe trembled at the sight of David’s furious eyes. He silently prayed that he shouldn’t fire him. Gabe’s knees went wobbly.
"Mr. Lesley, can you kindly remind me when you started making decisions for me?" David asked coldly.
"I’m, I’m sorry, sir. I... Gabe knew that he was about to be fired because Mr. Wellington never gave second chance. He looked down and was prepared for the worse.
"You know what Mr. Lesley said," a small chocolate roll next to Wayne’s shoes. Wayne looked at the chocolate and frowned. He bent down to pick up the chocolate.
"Sir, that’s my chocolate!" A little girl ran over. The little girl was around four to five years old. As she ran too fast, she accidentally bumped into David, but David steadied her.
"Thank you, sir." The girl spoke breathlessly.
David squatted down and smiled at the little girl. Even when Wayne squatted down, she had to look up at him. David was astonished by her cuteness and stared at her. And his heart skipped a beat as he met her big, round eyes. "Surprised, he thought to himself. How strange! It’s the first time I’ve met a little girl. But why do I have the feeling that we have met before?
"Sir, if you like eating chocolate, you can buy your chocolate." I only have three. "I don’t have any spare ones to share with you." David’s smile widened after hearing her sweet voice.
"Do you like this brand of chocolate?" David asked her and then handed her the chocolate that he had picked up on the floor.
Gabe was astonished by the scene in front of him. He has never since David smiled at another kid apart from his son. David showed great apathy towards other children and wouldn’t even smile at them even when he attended his son’s school activities. Gabe found the situation bizarre. Maybe Mr. Wellington is sick, so I will have to book an appointment with the doctor on his behalf. Gabe thought.
The girls nodded and smiled, revealing their cute bunny teeth.
"Do you also like this brand of chocolate, sir?"
"I don’t like it, but my son loves it."
"Oh, you have a son?"
"Yes, I do." "What is your name?"
"My name is Olive Gabriel."
"Olive is such a beautiful name."
"Thank you," Olive said, smiling. David could not stop smiling at the child; he felt like taking the child with him. She was so cute.
"What is your name?"
"My name is David Wellington."
"You have a beautiful name too." David chuckled.
"You are cute, Olive."
"I am not cute; my mom said that I am beautiful." David laughed.
"She is right; you are beautiful."
"Thank you."
David took out a box of the same chocolate from his bag and gave it to Olive.
"Olive, this is for you."
"Wow!" Tammy’s eyes lit up when she saw the box of candies, but she refused to collect the box.
"Mommy said I shouldn’t accept anything from strangers," Olive said with a frown.
"But…" Olive leaned towards David, kissed his cheek, and then grabbed the box of candies.
"Since I really like you, I can." This is our little secret." David was stunned, and then he grinned.
"Sir, it’s time to go," Gabe said.
"Okay, Olive, goodbye." Olive threw his hands around David’s neck and hugged him. David was surprised because he wasn’t expecting it, but he hugged her back.
"Thank you so much for the chocolate."
David smiled and planted a tender kiss on her forehead, and she planted one on his cheeks.
David got up and left with Gabe.
"Bye-bye!" Olive waved at him until he was out of sight.
"I wish mommy had seen the handsome man; she would have married him and made him my father," Olive said with sadness on her face. She wanted to run after the man and ask him if he would marry his mother. Olive's shoulders hung dejectedly.
"Olive!" Anna yelled angrily, pulling Olive’s mind back to earth,
Anna grabbed her daughter’s little hand and gently smacked it.
"Didn’t I tell you to stay where you were?" "Why did you wander off?"
"Sorry mom, I didn’t mean to wander off; I dropped my chocolate and I went to carry it," Olive said dejectedly. Anna was nonplussed at her daughter's behavior. Olive was a child filled with vivacity.
"Did something happen?"
"No, mommy, I am fine." Anna knew that something was bothering her. She pulled her in her arms and hugged her, trying to assuage her sadness.
"Baby, mommy is here now, and she will make everything alright." Olive nodded and hugged her mom.
"Now, let’s go home; I promise that you will love it here."
"Okay, mom, let’s go."
Anna saw the box of candies in her hand.
"Where did you get this?"
"A handsome man gave it to me." Anna took a deep breath to avoid shouting at her since she was already sad.
"Olive, didn’t I tell you not to accept gifts from strangers?" Anna was furious at her.
"You did, mom, and I am sorry."
"You know that I am going to punish you for this, right?"
Olive put on her best puppy face and looked at her mommy.
"Mommy, I was wrong." "I'll give myself a time out from seeing a cartoon today."
"A day will not cut it." Why don’t you make it 3 days?
"Mom, three days is too long! "Besides, I have been a very good girl except for today, so you don’t have to punish me too harshly."
"You are demanding that I cut you some slack?"
"But mom, I have really been a good girl; you said so yourself. Punishing me for three days is too much for one mistake, mom.
"Spare not the rude, but spoil the child."
"How can I spoil it because of one mistake?" Mom, three days is unfair, and besides, the man was handsome, and I liked him. "I wanted you to marry him and make him my daddy, but it took you forever!"
For a four-year-old kid that would be turning five in a few months, Olive was way too smart and obdurate. The only way Anna won most arguments was through threats.
"Dad, I already told you."
"Yeah, I know the story, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t get another one since my first dad is dead and the man would have made a good dad."
"Olive, this conversation is over."
"Other children have dads except me, and you are not even making an effort to give me a dad."
"Olive, let's continue this conversation at home."
"So that means that you are not going to punish me again?" Olive said with polite eyes. "
"I will make it four days if you continue to haggle!"
Olive kept quiet immediately and pouted as she left with Anna.
It had been five years since she left New York to raise her baby, and now she was happy to be back. So much had changed since Anna left five years ago. The city was littered with countless skyscrapers.
As the cab navigated through the busy road, Anna wound down the window and inhaled the familiar scent of New York, which thrust a feeling of nostalgia into the pit of her stomach.
Five years ago, Anna spent 200,000 dollars to buy over the doctors and nurses who helped her hide Olive so that they wouldn’t tell a single soul that she gave birth to twins.
"Mom, look! The building is so tall! Olive squealed, bringing Anna out of her reverie. She tried to stick her head out the window, but Anna wouldn’t let her.
"Mom, I love it!"
"I told you that you would love it here."
"Mom, what is that place?" Olive said, pointing at a park where children were playing with their parents.
"That is a park." People go there to play and have fun.
"Mom, let’s go there."
"Olive, we need to go home now, but I promise to take you there on the weekend."
"Okay, mommy."
The cab sizzled through the traffic. Anna was so excited to be home.
"Wow! "Mom, look at this," Olive said, pointing at Riverside Park. Anna simply smiled at her and allowed her to enjoy the view.
Olive was a constant source of happiness in Anna’s life, but once in a while, she felt sad that she couldn’t save her son from that cruel jerk that took her away. She hoped to find her son someday.
Anna felt a pang in her heart when she saw Liam International Hospital, the hospital she had always dreamt of working in. That was her dream, and she would have been living that dream if that incident didn’t happen.
Anna looked at her daughter, and she recovered immediately. "At least something this beautiful is a gift that was handed over to me as the result of that incident." Anna finished her soliloquy and looked at her daughter with pride.
- Writer
