"I called you all through yesterday but you didn't answer my calls." Linda whispers to her mom.
"I was so busy, that was why I couldn't answer the call." Jessie replies sipping tea and looking at herself through the mirror in the visitor's room where she is now sleeping.
"You could have at least called back."
"I totally forgot to do so."
Linda sighs heavily. "I am sure you heard of the news."
"What news?" Jessie asks sounding as blunt as ever.
"Concerning my past, as a bully."
"Ah!" Jessie exclaims with a tone of mockery. "I saw it." She faces her daughter. "What about it?"
"What do you mean what about it? Can't you see that some people are already trying to press charges?" Linda asks raising her voice.
"Why are you raising your voice at me? Am I the one they are pressing charges at?"
"What?" Linda asks almost whispering and scoffs. "Who motivated me to bully?"
"I asked you to bully Ella alone, did I asked you yo bully other people?" Jessie retorts.
"Mom!" She calls calmly. "You should be thinking of a way yo get me out of this mess, shouldn't you?"
"Why should I be one the one to carry your problems on my head? Am I the one who bullied someone?"
"Are you trying to punish me for all I have been doing to you now?"
Jessie drops her tea and exhales deeply. "If you have a fault, you should fix it yourself, why try to involve other people in your mess? Isn't that being wicked?"
"If I get punished like this, what do you think will happen to your so called hospital? Do you think it won't get affected too?"
"I will protect my empire." She whispers with a smirk on her face. "Do not worry and fix your own problems."
"What do you want?" Linda asks. "I promise to do all you ask of, if you get me out of this mess, I will obey you and serve you solely."
"I don't need you to do all I ask for anymore." She says and crosses her legs.
"Then what else do you want?"
"Just kneel and grovel for the help, that will make me feel a lot more better."
"All I have to do is just kneel?" Linda asks again to be sure.
"Yes" Jessie nods. "Starting from now, you will have to beg sincerely when you need my help or at least ask politely."
Linda kneels and says. "Please help me."
Jessie stands and glares at her for a while then says. "I will take care of it anyways, I won't allow any rubbish whatsoever get attached to my hospital."
"Then why did you make me kneel for nothing?" She asks and tries to stand but her mom stops her.
"Do not move an inch until I ask you to."
"What?"
"You heard me, remain there until I ask you to stand. Stay there in exchange for your reputation." She points somewhere above the portrait in the room. "Right theirs a cctv camera, if you disobey me, I will know." She says and walks out.
In order to protect her reputation, Linda knelt for good three hours without budging until a young pretty lady walks into the room. "Who are you?" She asks not really sounding polite.
"Your mom said you can stand now." Cecilia says without answering her questions and walks out.
"What's with the attitude?" Linda asks herself and sneers. "Did my mom get new attendants again?" She stands and exclaims painfully. "Oh my God! My entire feet hurt. My dad must be starving by now." She walks out of the room leaping and walks straight to her father's room but can't find him there. "Is he in the bathroom?" She asks and checks the bathroom. "He isn't here too. Dad!" She calls searching for him but stops calling for him when she sees about three other ladies in the sitting room. She matches gently to her mom and asks. "Where is my father?"
Jessie raises her hand slightly above her head to signal to Cecilia to give Linda a paper.
Linda collects the paper and her hands trembles as she reads the content. "What in the world is this?"
"Your father already divorced me and left this house for good."
"What nonsense is this?!" Linda asks yelling out loud.
"Please lower your voice." Cecilia cautions.