Home used to be my fortress,where is the safest and happiest place for me.Used to be.
When I got home, I raced to my room and changed into my suit and shirt. Because I knew that my mom would be home this time of day.
"Matthew, where have you been last night? I've been worried about you, my son", and sure enough, my mom pushed the door open and walked in within minutes of me getting changed. Her eyes were full of worry and anxiety as she took me into her arms and stroked my head over and over again.
"Mom, I was out camping with some friends last night. Our professor asked us to submit a report on the stars, and we were out in the countryside yesterday observing them", I answered her question seriously, trying to make my answer sound like someone else's.
"Next time you go out, make sure your bodyguards are with you, so I can know where to find you, otherwise, you know, mommy can't get sleep" her voice was a little choked up and she hugged me tighter.
My breathing was a little difficult, but I did not make any resistance and struggle, letting her hold me so tightly.
I suppressed my breath and softly spoke my request to her, "Mom, I want to eat that apple pie you made. I'm a little hungry now."
She relaxed her hand and happily called the maid, "Jenny, make sure we still have that apple from Japan, I'm going to start making apple pie for Matthew."
"Wait a minute, son, the apple pie will be ready very soon" Mom left with a smile.
Watching her back as she left, I closed my eyes helplessly and lay back on the bed. I silently told myself "I am Anna Brown, I am Anna Brown, I am Anna Brown". I kept repeating it and reminding myself because I was afraid that one day I would forget my name in this house.
I was so tired that I fell asleep.
When I woke up and it was dark outside. I suddenly remembered Gavin's words that I needed to talk to my dad. It's 10 pm and I can't believe I've slept all day. I rushed to my father's study and found that he wasn't there. I called my dad and no one answered. I asked the housekeeper, Jenny, Hana, and the others, and they all said they hadn't seen my dad. Was my father still not home?
I smell a hint of danger. I was waiting for my father all night.
My father didn't show up but waited for the thing that changed my life.
At eight in the morning, after I called my father all night and no one answered, I decided to go to the Group's headquarters to find him.
I got a call from Sven on my way downtown in a taxi, his voice was hoarse and weak "Anna, you need to come to my house immediately, It's an emergency" and then he hung up.
My heartbeat became more and more violent, and my ears started to turn red. I guess Sven already knew, after all, the Fox Group's main business is media. He often knows information that I don't know.
"What can I say? What can I say?" I gnawed on my fingernails, which I do when I'm extremely nervous.
My biggest fear was that Sven will know, but if he already knew, I'll do anything to get his forgiveness, anything! So, I told the driver, "Go to Paradise Garden Villa No. 1"
The driver heard my words and quickly turned around. He even looked back at me several times and whistled at me. At that time I didn't notice his strange behavior.
But when I got out of the cab, I knew why.
Cabs are not allowed in the Paradise Gardens villa area. Because it is home to the Fox family, which controls more than half of the nation's media, so many celebrities, hosts, and directors live in the neighborhood. But only Sven's house is No.1 of this villa. So I had to walk for 10 minutes to reach Sven's house.
This is the longest 10 minutes of my life.
There is a huge screen in the shape of a newspaper next to Fox's house, which people can see from a long distance. This is used by the community to facilitate small concerts and other parties for the residents inside. Normally, the headlines of major media are scrolled there. And now it's a huge nude photo.
That's me.
At the time I saw it, I felt like I was dead, because I couldn't move. I was frozen there by some dark magic. I thought, if the earth exploded right now, it would be really good news for me.
I felt like everyone was looking at me and laughing at me. Beads of sweat seeped out of my forehead and I used all my strength, but I just couldn't move my legs. Was I really going to die?
"Were you an ostrich in your last life? As soon as you meet danger, you bury your head in the ground?" I recognized this voice, this is the other protagonist of the scandal, It's"Gavin"!
I didn't know why, hearing this voice, my tears seemed to suddenly run out of my eyes. Maybe he is the only person in the world who is in the same position as I am now.
"Please help! I can't move," I choked out, trying to hold back my tears."
Gavin frowned and put one arm around my back and the other hand on my knees, picked me up easily and strode towards his Maybach
I was trembling in his arms.
People around us were looking at us, and I knew that the relationship between the two of us had become even more special in the eyes of others. Who would believe that these two hadn't spoken to each other in almost ten years.
He started the car.
"Where are we going?" I stop him from driving out of this villa area
"The hospital."
"No, no hospital, no need to go anywhere, I know myself, I'll be fine in a minute. Please take me to Sven's house" I looked at him pleadingly.
He was silent for a while and asked me "Is Sven really that important to you?"
I was about to answer, but he stopped me, "Forget it, don't answer!"
"What's wrong with your body?" He asked me seriously, listening to the somber tone of his voice, I felt that I might really be dying.
Maybe it's because he usually speaks coldly and without any tone of voice. He suddenly spoke in the tone made me feel a little funny.
"It's ASD"
I saw his hand on the steering wheel instantly clenched, blue veins bulged from his hand.
"Acute Stress Reaction" He said
"Yep! I was very afraid of the dark when I was a child, and there were times... Anyway, I don't know why my body can't move when I'm very nervous and scared. I am a coward."I smiled bitterly
Gavin didn't say anything after he heard my explanation.
His car was parked at the front door of Sven's house. After I took a deep breath, I got out of the car.
"Thanks!Gavin."
I turned around to knock on the door and heard Gavin call my name behind me, he said " Sorry, Anna!"
I smiled sincerely at him "It's really not your fault!"
The door opened and Sven stayed at the door with a frown on his face, not letting me in and not saying a word.
His eyes went over my shoulder to the car parked on the side of the road behind me. I turned around and saw Gavin sitting in the car, quietly smoking there. He didn't look at me, nor at Sven, as if he just happened to pull up there.
"So you came here with him? "His fists clenched
"No. He just happened to help me. I was very uncomfortable just now. I didn't..... " I explained in a panic.
"Fuck! Are you kidding me, Anna? Presence of you two! together? now? It's an insult to me, or to my family. I think you know that. But you did it anyway."
Sven gritted his teeth and said, "Do you know how hard it would be for me to hold back from punching him? If I hit him now, tomorrow's headlines will be me and you and him and the three families." he said, grabbing my hand fiercely.
"I'm sorry, Sven, I didn't mean to. Let's go inside and talk, okay? You need to calm down. " I said, struggling slightly.
"Talking about what? You have sex with him? Or you betrayed me? You broke our engagement? What the fuck!"
I bowed my head,I know anything I said would make him even angrier. He is completely irrational now.
"Is Anna here?" I heard a gentle female voice, it was Catherine Fox, Sven's mom. I shuddered.
"Yes, it's me, Catherine. " I entered the house, ignoring Sven's glare at me. But he's still holding on to my arm in a death grip. I patted his hand and took it into mine. His palm was damp and I knew I had hurt this man, even though I had been set up, but I had hurt him anyway and I was willing to take responsibility.
To my surprise, Catherine was now sitting in a wheelchair, her hair a little loose, her lips bloodless, and she looked haggard.
Why I'm surprised is because Catherine is a very elegant, old-school lady. Long blonde hair is always meticulously coiffed, pearls are her favorite, and dresses are light, white, or camel-colored. Her voice was always soft when she spoke so that people would unconsciously be gentle with her as well. These are not surprising, but she is the only Katherine who has been the same for more than a decade, which means that whether on TV, at work, or at home she is the same, never changing. Sven sometimes confides in me that his mom times like an AI human, with no change in emotion, no change in appearance, not even any change at all, year after year.
This is such a soft woman, but after Sven's father went to jail for rape, she became the chairman of FOX Group, personally pulling FOX Group back from the brink of delisting and pushing it to prosperity. Sven once got drunk and complained to me, "I am my mother's biological son, Fox Group is my mother's real son. "
Once again, I knew that families like ours are cursed by money and power, and there are never any exceptions.
This woman is not as tender as she looks, this is clear to all.
"Tea or coffee, dear?"
I sat down on the couch abashedly, "No, thanks," and Sven sat down next to his mother.
Catherine waved her hand and the maid next to her left.
The room was so quiet you could hear the sound of breathing.
"Anna, I think there is something you want to explain to us, right?"
"Yes, Catherine."
Her voice was soft like a ray of spring light that quickly soothed my nerves and made me want to confide in her.
I heard my voice, coming out of my mouth in a steady stream.
"That day Sven and I fi, no, I was in such a bad mood that at night I went to the Twilight bar with my friends for a drink, and I lost consciousness after only two drinks, and woke up again in the morning. And there are many paparazzi waiting. I think this is very unusual and I'm going to get tested to see if there are signs of drug intoxication."
I looked at Sven with anticipation, expecting him to believe my words. But he just lowered his lashes, hiding his emotions.
"Poor baby! I don't want to hurt you, so if you feel uncomfortable, you can not answer my questions, alright?" Her eyes looked at me gently, then she asked," You two had sex?"
I hesitated for a moment and nodded.
She turned to look at Sven. He raised his head sharply and stared at me, his eyes glowing bloodthirsty.
"But we are unconscious, not intentional! you must believe me!"I was anxious to compensate,"Sven, I'm sorry."
"Honey, you must be very scared. I trust you. But I don't think it's necessary to go to the hospital for a drug test. Because now all your moves are under the media spotlight and if you go there, which will give them even more juicy associations. It would be very bad for your reputation and certainly very bad for the future of our two families."
"But, their reports are shit! My father is not trying to sell me to you, or to the Williams family, much less be 'the other woman' to ruin someone's relationship. I'm a victim too." I was so aggravated that my voice choked up when I remembered how everyone looked at me today.
"Yes, I can understand how you feel Anna, but look at the stock market forour families now." She handed me her phone.
I hadn't used my smartphone for the last month because my exams were approaching, I had been using an older phone that could only receive calls and had no other functions. That's why I was so slow to catch up on this morning's news.
"Honey, think about the stock market, rumors are hurting it. One of the most hurt was Group B, whose shares plunged 50% after the opening bell. Fox Group - 10%; Group W - 30%. Do you know why? Anna?
Because Group B needs our capital injection to tide over this difficult situation of being fined by the government. Right now Group B is putting too much money into new energy development and you have very little cash to work with. And your marriage is the only reason I'm helping Group B. But now, you are making it very difficult for me to do so."
She gently sips the coffee in her hand.
Sven suddenly spoke, looked his mother straight in the eye, and said, "Mom, the wedding is not going to be canceled. "
Hearing his words, Catherine put her coffee aside and smiled "I know, dear. "
I stared at the share price of Group B in my hand, thinking that these things are definitely not a coincidence, "Please tell me what to do."
"Dear, I am a businesswoman, your father is also a businessman, we do not believe in feelings, only in contracts, so I hope you can understand" then she picked up the folder on the table and handed it to me." This is your prenuptial agreement, you can think about it. "
Finally, it came to this point.
I quickly skimmed through the agreement. The further I looked down the more difficult it became to contain my anger.