"How long were you in Country U? Five, six years?" Melanie asked while pouring tea for the guest.
"Mmm, six years. I have been so caught up in work during that period and hadn't found the time to come back to visit auntie." Delilah replied with a courteous tone.
"It really has been a long time since I have last seen you," Melanie got a good look at the girl who was the same age as her son. "You have gotten prettier over the years, Delilah."
It was as Melanie had said, during the past six years, other than working on the software development project at Bapple, Delilah had spent her rest time in the gym and perfecting the art of cooking. It was her way of de-stressing which as a result, allowed her to maintain a slender and fit figure.
"Thank you for the compliments auntie. You look like you have not aged one bit too."
"Oh stop it.." Melanie said embarrassingly.
"Its the truth auntie. When have I lied to you?"
The pair of ladies made small talk and got to hear about what they had been up to in the past few years. Delilah's trip to Country Y was actually coincidental. Other than wanting to meet up with Gray's mother, she had plans to take the Underwater railway to Country Z. That was where her true final destination was.
"So, why did you quit your job? Was the work too stressful?" Melanie asked curiously.
"No, work was fine before I planned to leave," Delilah shook her head, "I guess I simply wanted a new perspective? I want to start a new chapter in my life."
"Mmm. And that is?"
"I want to get married, auntie." The 29 year old was straightforward when she spoke to Melanie.
"Oh? Do you have a potential suitor in Country Z?" This got the older lady curious.
"No, but I am interested in your oldest son, Gray." Delilah did not mince the words that came out of her mouth.
"Delilah," Hearing her answer, Melanie knew that she had to interject in on her plans, "You should know that my son, Gray is gay right?"
"I do."
"Then you should also know that Gray has a boyfriend that he deeply cares about."
"I do."
"Then why do you want to waste your youth chasing after my son?" Melanie was confused about this point. Someone as talented and beautiful as Delilah could get any well-to-do men to fall head over heels for her. And yet, she had set her eyes on an impossible target.
"Auntie.." Delilah set her cup of tea down after sipping on it. She explained to Melanie with a reminiscing expression, "I treat and respect you like you are my real mother. You have watched me grow up together with Gray. You must've already known that back then, I have liked Gray. My feelings have not changed since the past and it hasn't change ever after knowing that he has a boyfriend. I want to give it a shot, at least for my own sake."
"You know how Gray is as a person. If he wants something, he would do whatever it takes to get it. The same goes for loving someone. Gray would and has placed all of his love into Sato. Currently, his boyfriend is in a bad predicament and even if you tried to make a move now, it would surely yield no results." Melanie tried to reason with the stubborn girl.
"Maybe it won't. However, at this point in time, all I want to do is spend more time with Gray. I wasn't able to do so in the last decade or so. If it yields no results, I will back off, but for now, I would like to try."
"Haiz…" Gray's mother shook her head. What did his son do to enchant such a capable woman?
"I know my limits, auntie. Besides, " Delilah stood up from the sofa as she placed a hand on Melanie's shoulder, "I have other things I need to settle when I am in Country Z."
There seemed to be something that Delilah was hiding from Gray's mother, something that was troubling her. However, the independent young lady did not request for her help and so Melanie did not pry into it further.
"Alright, if there is anything that you need my help, don't hesitate to ask. I'm only a call away." Melanie watched as the Delilah went into the car.
"Thank you auntie for your warnings."
In the car, on the way to the Underwater Railway Station, Delilah's eyes were focused elsewhere. She wasn't lying about her wanting to get married. It was a part of the story that she wanted to tell. The other part was relating to her carrier. She wanted revenge. Payback to those that got in her way.
Back at Bapple, Delilah Kouglas was a computer science prodigy that graduated early and had entered their company as a software developer. In a short two years, she eventually became the Head Developer for their latest AI system and was improving their system by miles every year. However, nearing the end of last year, she realised that the team she had lead over the years were gradually being replaced with new staff. The team she had built up by herself had eventually become a shell for the company. Delilah had also overheard a conversation between another Head Developer and the CEO of Bapple. Their conversation was basically undermining Delilah's work and how they thought that her time in the company was up.
In the end, after overhearing such a shocking conversation, Delilah sent in her resignation letter and left first. In Bapple, sexism ran deep in the company's headquarters. This was not the first time something like this had happened. It was just that the young lady chose to ignore it for her team's sake. The people who she had worked with over the past six years had brought her vision life. An autonomous artificial intelligence system that was able to rival a human's intuition and spontaneity was the ultimate goal for Delilah. She had thought that Bapple was the place that could let her flourish and grow her ideas. Yet, that place turned out of be a backstabbing pit of doom.