Published: Aug. 20, 2020----Sept. 30, 2020

Katelyn is sipping her tea while sitting in the parlor room in the Steele Mansion with Jared's Grandmother, who looked at her as if something in her mind that needs clarification. But before she can even gulp the liquid in her mouth, Meme blurted out what bothered her.

"Darling, what is this I heard from Mrs. Smith that the two of you treat each other like strangers inside the house?"

So this is the reason for Meme's restlessness; she can't wait to ask her the authenticity of Mrs. Smith's reports.

"Oh truly, Mrs. Smith loyalties are with Meme." She murmured to herself while putting down her cup on the side table and then answered.

"Maybe she just misunderstood us, Meme. There are times that when we are in a hurry to leave, and if I am in the bathroom instead of waiting in the bed, Jared will eat his breakfast first, then vice versa." She tried to explain and hope that her excuse will be accepted.

Ever since that night that she had lied to Jared about her feelings towards him, it has been two weeks that they avoided each other. Those happy days that they had seems nothing but were illusions.

Gone was the man who teased and made her felt those unwanted emotions. The one left behind is the person she was afraid of, the cold-hearted and arrogant Jared.

Though they still share the same bed because of his body's indent beside her, she saw every morning, but aside from that, they acted like strangers.

Even if she still went to work together with him, she always left their office on time while he and Mark were still working.

If they need an assistant, Michelle was always requested to do overtime, and a driver will drop her home. They don't even spend their weekend together like before. She goes to Meme alone while he travels out of the States.

Sometimes she feels that he was doing it intentionally to avoid her.

The touch of the hands as it holds hers made Katelyn realized that she is still with Meme.

"You were distant just now," she informs her while touching her hands for comfort. "Don't try to cover up my grandson's attitude. I brought him up, so I know him very well."

Meme's words almost made her open up about the actual situation, but she doesn't want to burden the older woman of their problem, so she told her, "Meme, everything is normal, there is nothing to worry about."

She smiled at her Grandmother, but it seemed that she had not convinced the latter as she was asked," are you sure that no other woman is involved in this?"

Her question startled Katelyn and left her speechless. As if Meme understand that she was trying to hide something, she enveloped her warm embrace.

To be hugged in her vulnerable moment brought back memories of her Grandmother. When her mother reprimanded her because she displayed unlikable behavior according to her standard, her grandma would reassure her that she was doing all right.

Meme's hands wipe her face after the hug made Katelyn realized that tears had come out from her eyes.

"I am sorry, Meme, being close to you always brought back memories of Grandma Amelia, and it made me sad." She lied while taking a tissue on the side table and then dry her eyes and face with it.

"Darling, don't hide anything from me, okay? As I had told you before, treat me like Amelia."

Katelyn nodded to her request.

"So tell me, is it because of Charlize?" As if the older woman only waiting for her affirmation before asking that question to be sure of her honest answer.

She doesn't know what to answer, and if she did tell the truth, will it be alright? Even they have become closer these past few months, but she cannot impose too much. Besides, as much as possible, she doesn't want to be a tattle tells. But it seems like her silence was read as an affirmative answer as abruptly, Meme stands up from the chair.

"That woman, she will not stop her illusion of being Jared's wife, and that grandson of mine is also not doing anything to dissuade her." she burst out loud in anger while walking back in forth.

"Meme, maybe Jared is really in love with her." Katelyn tried to reason out, but her comment only resulted in her Grandmother's eyebrows' furrowing.

"No, I don't believe it," She then stopped walking in front of Katelyn, sat down beside her, looked in her eyes, and then asked, "Do you already love my grandson Tori?"

Caught by surprise by the question, she almost lied, but the intensity of the older woman's gaze pushed her to nod before lowering her head as shyness overcomes her.

"Oh, I am so happy, Tori, your answer removed one of my worries." Meme told her in a voice full of delight.

Katelyn raised her head as Meme took her hand and, with a determination in the latter's eyes, asked," Darling, do you want your marriage to my grandson to last?"

"Yes, of course, meme, but if my love is only an obstacle to achieving his happiness, then I'd rather set him free."

"Oh, don't say that, Darling; erase it in your head. I will be stressful if that woman ever has a chance to be my granddaughter-in-law."

Katelyn can relate to Meme's anxiousness, but if the worst scenario happens, who is she to interfere.

"Anyway, as I said, I know my grandson well. He may look arrogant, but he has a soft heart that is easily moved by sentiments. Besides, if he loves that Charlize, no matter how much I insisted on your marriage, he will not do it. The fact that he married you proved that no one was still on his heart."

The words that she heard from Meme about the possibility of Jared's being not in love with Charlize lighten the gloominess that surrounds her. But then she remembered the news that Nicole had shown them during their lunch break last Wednesday, Jared being together with Charlize in an after fashion show party. Then, there was also his coldness towards her; it all added to putting doubt in her mind again.

But of course, she cannot pinpoint it to Meme; all Katelyn can do is smile as she continued the discussion. "I can influence his decision, but to force him is out of my capacity." She can hear Meme's woes in the words that she spoke, and the comments added," If only I can interfere with you two, I had already done, but you know that he prohibited me in these two years."

Katelyn looked at Meme's disappointed face, and to lift the latter's spirit, she said. "Don't worry, Meme; I will not loosen my hold on him. I will make sure that he will make our marriage publicly known before we finish the two years."

"Oh, Darling, I am so happy." Meme slowly tapped her hand and then continued, "This is the kind of behavior that I wanted you to have, determined. I was not wrong to choose you, Darling," and with a laugh, she added, "but make sure to have little Jared or Tori running around before the two years come."

"Ah," was all she can say while nodding her head. She cannot tell the older woman that to have a child is not yet on her mind though she did not use all those tablets in her drawers as the need for it did not arise anymore.

"Anyways, accompany me to my favorite beauty salon. It's time for us to pamper ourselves," Meme said in exuberance while standing up.

"But Meme, somebody may see me with you and make connections." Katelyn reminded her while standing up to follow.

"It's an exclusive one darling, so there will be no paparazzi around. Besides, I know the owner, so don't worry."

Katelyn stops her stride, took a deep breath while looking at Meme's back, and then smiled. Happy to know that she had made her grandmother cheerfulness returned.

After an hour's drive, they were dropped by the driver to a posh beauty salon and spa for women. They spend five hours indulged in beauty products, but they went out relaxed and with manicured nails.

They went back to the mansion, and as like last weekend after they had their meal, they went to their room.

Katelyn went to work on Monday directly from the mansion, and, as usual, the driver dropped her off in the basement parking area of their company.

She was walking towards the elevator when someone tapped her shoulders, and when she turned around, the laughing Nicole's face confronted her.

They hugged each other before Nicole asked. "Was that your cousin who drives you here?" Her question left Katelyn lost for words as she remembered the person in the car was Mr. Smith, he has graying hair already.

"Oh no, it was my uncle." she finally answered but asking for forgiveness silently, especially that it is so early in the morning, and she already started to lie."

"Don't tell me that he is a family driver too."

"How do you know?"

"Well, he is driving a Bentley SUV. So, it runs in your family to be a driver. Who is his employer?" Nicole asked as they arrived in front of the elevator door wherein two employees are already standing.

The singling out for a conversation of the other one to Nicole had given Katelyn a chance from not answering her friend's question until they reached their floor, leaving her to continue to the CEO's office alone.

With Phoebe already on her maternity leave since a week ago, she only works together with Michelle. So far, the latter is not around yet, so she walks directly to her table and places her things in her drawer before starting her day.

After talking to Meme regarding her relationship with Jared and the advice given, Katelyn dreaded Jared's arrival. The brainstorming about the ways and means on how to be a seductress wife made her blushed.

Remembering Meme's actions almost made her laugh but then worries etch on her face as doubts about her ability to execute them sink in. She is too timid to do it, but she will try it to help in their relationship.

Michelle's arrival interrupted her musings, and she started to type the reports from the HR department that she had collated last Friday so Mark can review it before handing it to Jared for approval.

She was already in the middle of her work when her cellphone vibrates. She took it out from her drawer, and upon seeing Nicole's name, she answered it.

"Katelyn, you left me hanging over the answer to the question I asked you earlier. You know that I cannot work well until you answered my curiosity."

She was mistaken in ever thinking that Nicole will forget it, so she answered, "Okay, but don't be surprised," she turned her head first to the direction of Michelle's before answering in a lower tone, " It is Mrs. Steele."

"What? " the deafening sound of Nicole's voice made her abruptly removed the phone on her ear, though she can still hear her ranting, " You never told us, no wonder that you were able to come up even you are still in your probation...

"Nicole, can we just talk later on as I am still in the middle of my work?" she interrupted her friend, and it was also the time that the door of their office opened, and Mark came inside, followed by Jared.

To see her husband again after deciding to fight for their marriage brought back those wayward emotions that brought tears, happiness, and doubts in her. Though they are a menace in her personality, they are still welcome ones, for it is better to have them than be buried in the abyss of sadness like she had felt the past weeks.

"Miss Darcy, are you not aware that personal phone is not allowed during office hours?"

Jared's voice startled her that she almost dropped her phone on the floor if it has not landed on her lap.

"I am so sorry, Mr. Steele, it was an emergency call." She told Jared, who is now in front of her table, holding out his hands that made her looked at him with questions in her eyes.

"Give me your phone."

"What?" she asked, surprised by his conduct.

"What is his reason to get her phone? They are not in school in which a teacher can confiscate it," she reasoned out to herself hence her refusal to hand it on him.

"I repeat, give me your phone." The threat in his voice made Katelyn pick the phone in her lap and reluctantly surrendered it to Jared, even unsure if Nicole is still on the other line. Once it was in his hands, he turned his back on her while ordering her to make them a coffee and then walk to his office.

She stands up to do as told, but before walking out of her table, she looked at Michelle's direction only to see her sullen face towards her.

She ignored her and walked to the pantry, made two cups of coffee, and brought it inside Jared's office. As both men were busy with paper works, they only noticed her once she placed the tray with coffee in the table.

"Mark, let Miss Jones type all these papers and then bring it to the finance department to make a draft."

She heard Jared ordered his PA while she removed the cup and placed it in front of them. Before she can even remove the tray in the table to leave, a hand holds her arm. "You can go out now, Mark, and don't forget what I asked you to do," Jared told his PA while she tried to pull her arms from his grasp.

He only released her once the door closed, and they were left alone. Jared then looked at her, and before she can complain about her phone, he cut in," Mrs. Steele, what happened to your brother?" the concern in his voice left her with a gaping mouth.

She could only comprehend what he meant after a few seconds of silence and realized that it was because of her telling him about an emergency call. "So he assumed it was about her brother. As much as she wanted to lie, but to use her brother's health was never on her agenda."

"I'm sorry, it was a lie as I was only talking to Nicole," she finally admitted.

"Hmm, so you were on the phone during the working time so that you can gossip with your friend about men."

"No, no, no, it was not..." she denied but then stopped as she realized that their topic is also about a man but not in the way he thought.

"Why the hesitation, Mrs... Steele?" He asked, emphasizing her married title as if reminding her of her status.

"Well, Mr. Steele, it was because Nicole saw me going down in Meme's car, and so she asked me who the man that dropped me was. I told her that it was my uncle. To cut it short, she called me to ask about his employer. So return me my phone, please."

Jared opened a drawer and took out her phone and handed it back to her, but before releasing his grip on it, he said, "from now on, eat your lunch together with me."

"But Jared..." She wanted to protest, but his stern look made her swallowed whatever words she was supposed to utter.

After she nods her head, Jared removes his hold on her phone, and then he turned his attention on his computer, dismissing her.

Though Jared was still unfriendly, the fact that he talked to her was already something that she can celebrate.

She then goes out of his office, smiling only to be glared by Michelle, and when she walked back to her table, she heard the latter asks," are you pretending to be happy? As if I don't know, Mr. Steele confiscated your phone."

Katelyn doesn't want to quarrel with anyone, so she turned to Michelle, smiled, and answered," I am just happy that he returned my phone and did not scold me."

She heard an incredulous gasp before she heard Michelle said," I don't believe you."

"Ask him if I am lying," Katelyn answered.

"You are that confident to suggest that because you know that I can never ask him."

"You know what, Michelle; we came here to work, not to gossip about things that are not related to it."

Katelyn then turned her back on Michelle, but before she takes a step towards her table, she added," by the way, it was his words, not mine."

Katelyn knows that Michelle probably will want to strangle her with those words, but it's okay, so she will see her not easily bullied, though her hands were shaking after that speech.

END OF PART 20

Thank you for all my readers for the continued support. Happy reading.❤❤❤