Chapter4
1193 Words
“Sit down”. Mr. Williams said again calmly.
“Now, I really can't sit down. I'm too embarrassed to face my sister”. Isaac said in a low yet angry tone.
“I hope you enjoy your meal…… as a family”. Isaac said darkly as he walked away, leaving everyone in awe of his actions.
“I'm sorry for that, let me apologize on his behalf”. Mr. Williams said to Mrs. Sandra and her daughter Catherine.
“No, I'll let him apologize to me himself”. Catherine uttered sharply, stood up, and walked away.
Mr. Williams adjusted his tie angrily, sat down on his chair, looked angrily at Mrs. Sandra, and said “Catherine’s personality takes after yours”.
“Isaac takes after your ex-wife”. Mrs. Sandra fired back at him.
“Don't ever talk about her….” Mr. Williams replied but was cut short.
“Was she pretty?” Mrs. Sandra said with a smile on her face as she took a sip from her wine glass.
Mr. Williams chuckled and said, “This is why I like you. Do you know that?” He asked.
“Yes”. Mrs. Sandra replied as they both stared at each other and smiled.
…
Isaac walked out of the hotel, and straight to his bike parked at the front of the hotel. Upon starting his bike, he heard a voice calling out to him. He paused, turned around, and realized it was Catherine. He was filled with so much disgust as he watched her approach him.
“Hey, Brother! It was as if you were begging to get beaten up”. Catherine said,
“I surprised you with a rare event. Why did you follow me outside? If you're here to take me back……” He was still talking when she interrupted.
“I'm here to do just the opposite, that's the only way I won't need to go back”. Catherine replied.
Isaac nodded in agreement and said, “Then I'll see you”.
Isaac hopped on his bike and as he was about to wear his helmet, Catherine spoke again.
“You know Killian and I are engaged, right? Once we become siblings, it means you and Killian will become brothers-in-law”.
“What's your point?” Isaac asked with irritation in his voice.
“I also hate this marriage, but I think it's more terrible for you than it is for me. I just wanted to remind you. I'll be off now”. She said as she attempted to leave.
“I never said I didn't like this marriage”. Isaac said sharply, with a dark smile on his face.
Catherine turned in surprise and asked, “What do you mean?”
“Don't you know what marriage means for people like us? You're even engaged”. Isaac said sharply.
“That's why I am asking what you mean. You’d better be specific.” Catherine fired back.
“It may seem like a marriage, but it's a merger and an acquisition. In other words, we’re taking over your company. Who do you think will end up taking your mom’s shares of the Fintech group? Go ahead and stop this marriage if you can. You don't want your last name to become ‘Adam,’ do you?” Isaac said darkly as he put on his helmet and drove off.
Catherine stood there, stunned at everything he said, and watched him drive off.
…
“Good work, you work so hard during your vacation. Aren't you going to go anywhere?” Mr. Ben asked, handing Claire her salary.
“I'm planning to,” Claire replied.
“Where? Don't forget to tell me your days off before you leave” Mr. Ben added
“I'm going to the US because my sister's getting married there.” She replied again.
“Oh? Congratulations. When are you going to return? Mr. Ben said in excitement.
“I'm not going to,” Claire said in confidence.
“You're not coming back?” Mr. Ben asked out of curiosity.
“The fact that my sister's getting married means that she doesn't plan to come back to Tokyo. And the fact that she won't return means that I'll have to work and live with my mom forever. It feels as if I was destined to be poor all my life. I feel so upset”, Claire stated with sadness in her voice.
“You're only 18. Why do you think so negatively?” Mr. Ben asked
“That's why I'm going to the US. I've been thinking about it since I was 8,” Claire said in sadness.
…
“Are you here to exchange money?” An accountant at the bank asked Claire.
“Yes” Claire replied.
“Please give me your bank book and ID card,” the accountant said, stretching forth her hands to Claire.
Claire thought deeply about her intended actions, holding the bank book tightly and staring at the accountant.
Finally, she passed the bank book and her ID card, and after a few minutes, her money was handed over to her together with her ID card.
…
Claire walked into the room where her mom was seated, arranging her stuff.
Standing at the door for minutes, Claire braced herself up and spoke up.
“I exchanged the money today.”
Surprised at what she had heard, Mrs. Rebecca couldn't help but stare at her daughter standing before her.
“Don't worry. I'll make sure I give it to her. At least one person from her family should be there to congratulate her.
Mrs. Rebecca nodded in agreement and continued with what she was doing.
“I also got myself a passport. It'll take three days to get issued,” Claire added.
Mrs. Rebecca nodded again in agreement.
Claire stood there for a few minutes and then went to sit somewhere in the room, grabbed her mom's notebook from the drawer, opened it, and read through it as she kept flipping through the pages.
“Mrs. Brenda came by this morning. I'm sorry Mrs. Sydney. What would you like for dinner, Mrs. Sydney? Don't be angry, Mrs. Sydney.”
Claire looked at her mom, her expression depicting sadness as her mom kept doing her stuff in the room.
She got a hold of her emotions as she continued to flip the pages.
“I don't know English. I'll memorize the words as quickly as I can, Mrs. Sydney. In English, it's “dry cleaning only.”
Claire couldn't hold back her tears as she wept silently, closed the notebook, dried up her tears, stared at her mom, and reminded herself how much she needed to stay strong for her mom.
“What are you doing? Are you making bean powder?” Claire asked her mom.
Mrs. Rebecca nodded in agreement without staring at her.
Claire continued to cry silently, took out another note from the drawer, and wrote.
“I'm sorry. Mom. I promise I'll be successful and come back for you.”
- Writer
