"Where did you went last night, I felt asleep awaiting you." asks Jim sipping his coffee while sitting on the sofa.
Keeping her mug on the table she sat opposite to him, folded her legs, "I was changing my bandage." she says picking up the mug.
"You did it yourself?" he asks.
"Why? Can't I do so? Do I look so naive to you?" she asks making faces though angry but seems funny.
He chuckled, "No you are a pro." he says.
The thought of asking her again about what does she know clicks his mind, but he avoids asking as he never pushes her by asking the same thing again and again. Because he knows she'll tell herself when she feels like.
As he was thinking all this she watches him sipping her coffee, "I know about your family issues and your father's affair." she says looking down.
His face turns blank because neither he nor his mother told anyone also she didn't visits his mother's house, then how does she know.
"And how?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.
Taking a deep breath, "I know it would sound cheap and unethical but the day when you didn't visited me, I called you but before you answer Uncle Maxwell came in so I just kept the phone aside assuming the call ended. But after he left a dew minutes later I noticed the call was received and was ongoing. So I just put the phone to my ear and heard whatever you were talking with your mother. I was about to end the call as I realised you were not on the phone but hearing you sob made me stop and listen as to what on earth made you cry. And so I ended the call a few minutes later than that." again taking a deep breath she continues, "I wanted to tell you that day only but didn't get a chance. I sincerely apologise for doing it but I didn't do it intentionally. " she says pouting her lips and looking into her mug.
He remained silent, making her more anxious.
"Getting up from her place she moved to his sofa and sat on the other corner of it. "Yesterday I was calling you since morning to tell this entire thing but you were not answering and thus I was more worried for you" , she says politely.
Still he looked fazed out, and his gaze stuck on her face. "Are you mad at me for listening to your conversation?" she asks nervously.
"No." he replies shaking his head slowly.
"Are you then mad at me for not telling you sooner?" she again asks.
"No." he again replies blankly.
This making her irritated, "Stop this one word answer." she says loudly.
And then again there was a complete silence, and after a few minutes he started chuckling and smiling to himself. Looking at him in confusion, she scratches her head, "What is so funny?"
"Your face." he says laughing and patting his thigh.
"Is there anything on my face?" she runs her hand over her face to check.
"No, no. It is the expression of yours. You looked really stressed out while you were telling me the entire thing. I just wondered that you can be this much stressed and that too for this small secret of yours which was related to me anyway." he says laughing lightly and at the same time trying not to offend her.
"I'll kill you." she says clenching and rubbing her teeth against each other.
Keeping his mug on the table with a smile he looks at her, he noticed her palms were shuddering. He lifts his eyes to her face and smiled, making her feel at ease. He knows she hardly is bothered by anything but if she feels that she is behind any problem or issues being faced by the person then she stressed herself like hell.
"It was nothing to be so sorry about Anny. Nothing is hidden about my family from you."
" Yeah. But I felt like if I had told you earlier then you might have been able to be ease at sharing your thoughts with me. Instead of going somewhere alone all by yourself." she says lowering her head.
"How did you know I went away to stay alone? And how did you found me yesterday?" he asks softly.
" I just did. You were like this a long time ago also and then you told me you went to the highway. Although I wasn't sure but I hoped to find you there so I went and fortunately I found you." she says cheerfully on her accomplished mission on rescuing him.
His smile widened with the mere thought that she still remembers such tiny details about him from such a long time ago. He feels contented at this thought.
"How many did you burn yesterday?" she asks.
Looking at her he made a cheesy face and says, "I didn't burnt any."
Hitting his shoulder hard she says, "I choked on the smell last night when I opened the door of your car and you are telling me you didn't. I was being considerate so I didn't asked yesterday itself but tell me now how dare you do so?"
Rubbing his arm, " I was stuck in my mind and didn't knew when it became 1 to 8th. I think I wouldn't have stopped then also hadn't been my head and chest started to pain." he says.
" Who is this bitch that is ruining your family and making you hurt like this?" she asks furiously.
" Cindy Carl." he says.
" What the... Is it Cindy which I'm assuming?"
" Yes indeed. Our college friend." he confirms.
" Don't call her friend. She's not worth being called one."
Then he told her the entire story which his mother narrated to him. Listening to all this she cannot bear to sit and wait for things to happen any further. She gets up and grabs her cellphone and her coat. " Where all of a sudden?" he asks confused.
" I cannot sit here. I need to know the inner and real matter behind all this. " saying this she left.
He still standing there, adoring her being like this. She's furious but caring at the same time, he wonders and smiled.
Reaching home she showered, and put on her office attire with some dark makeup to hide her pale skin, eyes with dark circles.
Reaching downstairs she bid goodbye to Belle and left for office.
Without listening to any unnecessary updates she heads over to her room and ask her most trustworthy person Mrs. Wither to meet her.
She comes within few minutes and offering her a seat she discuss about the matter openly. She very well knows that Mrs. Wither will not leak out a word to anyone outside this room. Mrs. Wither is in her late 40's with grey covering most of her head hair, wrinkles on her face, tall figure and dark complexion yet her appearance is intimidating enough. She has always been the one to get inside news and updates about everything in business world. She has some seriously authentic connection and resources. Upon hearing the entire matter she assured her that she will give her complete backstory of this within 2 days. Anna seems happy to hear this and Mrs. Wither left.
She calls Jim immediately, "Ask your Mother to inform your Father that you'll be signing the papers after 3 or 4 days as you are occupied somewhere." she instructed.
" But" without letting him finish she says, " Trust me and do as I say. I'll tell the entire thing in details to you shortly." saying this she ended the call leaving Jim in confusion yet he calls his Mother and do as Anna told him to do.
Back to her table Anna checked out all the pending work and calls Jenny to update her on important matters.
The entire day went in a blink of the eye and she didn't even realised. It was in the evening when she starts to have a headache then did she realizes it's already past afternoon and she also missed her medicine.
Touching her tummy she makes childlike face who's hungry in the classroom before the recess.
She calls Jim, "Are you home?" she asks.
"No. I'm at the studio. Why?" he asks.
"Nothing. Just thinking of having dinner together." she says slowly while playing with pen.
"So let's go then. I'll meet you by 7 at your favorite place." he says excited.
"Well fine by me." she replies cheerfully and ends the call.
"Jenny please can you get me some refreshments and a cup of coffee with some sugar." she says to Jenny.
And within next ten minutes she arrives with all she asked. Thanking her she handed over the signed files and Jenny left. While Anna eats up the cookies and sips her coffee thinking alongside about what the hell is Cindy planning to do. Taking her medicine later on she felt a bit relaxed and just sat on the sofa removing her heels.
"Oh my my..... I feel exhausted today." she says tying up her hair tightly in a ponytail.
She lays down and without realising she dozed off as the medicines kicked in.
The clock struck a quarter to 7 when Jenny enters the room and found her sleeping. She hesitated in waking her up but, "She would be here alone if I didn't wake her up now." she thinks to herself and went close to Anna and calls out her name a couple of times. But seeing no response from her she knocks on the table which woke her up instantly. She got flustered but seeing Jenny there she relaxed down, "Oh it's you Jenny." says Anna getting up from the sofa.
"I'm sorry to disturb you but I was leaving and you might be left alone while you sleep, so I wake you up. I'm sorry if I wronged you." she says with her head bowed down.
Anna stands up wearing her heels, pats on her shoulder, "Thankyou." she says with a smile.
And they both left the office. Anna asks the driver to take her to the Sundown Diners while Jenny took the bus and left for her home.
Checking the time it's almost 7 by now and she's only halfway.
"Are you on your way?" Jim asks through text.
"Yeah. I'll be there shortly." she replies back.
While the driver took on a safe speed limit she just changes her bandage carefully.
"Ahh... I think I need to visit Uncle tomorrow." she says looking at the blood in her bandage.
"Shall we head to hospital Madam?" asks driver.
"No no. Not now. But remind me tomorrow morning to visit hospital before office." she told him and he nods.