A month has passed since we opened the shop and I'm so glad it was successful. It was after all the first time I've ever opened a shop in both lives. Though, if I'm being honest, the shop's success should be attributed to Athena, if it weren't for her, I think I can't achieve what we have now. I honestly think this business would have failed without her.
Stepmother has also asked me how much the shop was earning but I told her that I'm not really sure as all the money goes to grandfather. I even told her that our new hire, Cynthia, was sent by my grandfather to watch over our work.She stopped asking when she heard that grandfather sent someone to watch over us.
After a month, the children also started looking lively. The children are not complaining anymore about having to wake up early for their morning exercise and started to wake up by themselves.
They also started looking healthy, it's a long way to go but 100 steps start with the 1st step right? We will get there eventually. My relationship with Athena also started to change this past whole month. I noticed that Athena has a knack for business or maybe I'm just really bad at it but she has many great ideas.
I am still wondering if she was still the original Athena. It's really hard to say when I know so little about the original Athena but I'm glad that she's starting to speak out now. Honestly, we have more of a business partner relationship than husband and wife but I like it this way.
Things were finally going to the right path or so I thought. Of course, my life wouldn't be that easy.
"Seth, darling, I've missed you." Michelle, the daughter of my commanding officer and the girl Seth was flirting with before I transmigrated here, said as she saw me come into our house one evening after we went home from the shop.
She then hugged my arm before I could evade her. I have to say Seth's type is really good. She looked really pretty, the fragile looking type, but I have to say she's not really my type. I don't like fragile looking girls. I like the mature type.
"I've never stopped thinking about you since my father drove you away." Michelle continued tearfully.
"Michelle, I don't think this is appropriate." I said as I tried to get my arm from her.
I looked at Athena and the children. Athena looked pretty disappointed while the children looked angry and hurt.
"Seth, darling, didn't you promise to divorce your wife when you go home and then marry me?" She asked while that statement made my skin crawl.
I just remembered that in the script the father kept on bringing home women to take care of his children but none of them lasted long because of the stepmother and also because Seth kept on looking for other women even when he married them.
I looked at my children again and they looked pretty resentful at me. They weren't even hiding it. I sighed. I can see myself being the first victim if I don't fix this.
"Hi, I will be your new mother." Michelle said when she saw the children and I could see my children's face darkening some more.
The children started to hide behind Athena.
"Nanny, get out of the way. Can't you see I'm going to be their new mother." Michelle said haughtily.
I looked at Athena's face and saw that she was annoyed at Michelle and looked at me in disappointment. I think seeing her disappointed makes me feel bad rather than seeing her angry. Disappointment means she had expectations from me. I guess she had expected me to have changed.
"Michelle, enough!" I said angrily.
"Seth? Why are you getting angry at me? Didn't you say you love me the most?" Michelle said pitifully.
"I never said I love you the most. I said you're the most beautiful woman I saw in the army. I never said I would marry you. I said any man would be lucky to marry you." I explained to her as I removed her arm around me.
I am not lying either. Those were Seth's exact words. How do I remember? Because he said those to every woman he duped.
Michelle looked at me as if I bullied her. In my long career as an actor, I've met a lot of women, and this woman's acting is subpar.
"Ms. Lee, I only complimented your beauty. I never said I wanted you to be my wife and I never said I would divorce my wife. Please go back." I explained to her apathetically.
Crocodile tears started to fall down from her eyes.
"Athena, let's go home. It's late already and we're all tired." I told them.
The children looked at me warily and my heart breaks a little. I sighed. Just as things were finally getting better.
"No, Seth. I know you love me and you're just worried your children won't accept me. It's alright I can wait." Michelle said one more time before grabbing my arms again.
I removed her arms again.
"I don't love you. I didn't back then, all the more now. Please leave before I call the authorities to get rid of you." I told her seriously.
"Seth, how can you send her away in the middle of the night? You should at least let her stay the night in your house." Stepmother suggested.
I'm already getting annoyed with this clingy girl and now this busybody wants to set a trap for me. What does it mean if I let her sleep over in the same house as me? What would Athena and the children think?
"Alright then. She can live in Arthur's house since he's not there now." I answered angrily.
I left and locked the door in our house. I heard her crying my name pitifully but I ignored her. I followed Athena upstairs and saw her putting the children to sleep and comforting them that nothing was wrong. I went inside our room and they all suddenly became quiet.
"I have never made any promise to marry that woman. The only family I have is you. The only wife I have is your mother and the only children I have are the ones inside this room unless your mother gives birth to another child in the future." I told them sincerely.
I went to them one by one and gave them a hug and told them I won't abandon them. After that, they all went back to their bedroom. Only Athena and the youngest twins are left in the room.
"I swear I have never promised her anything." I said to Athena but she didn't answer.
Well, what did I expect her to say? Did I expect her to say, 'Okay Seth, I believe you' after all the things that Seth did in the past?
"I know I'm not very trustworthy in your eyes and it's hard to believe whatever I say now but I'm not the same Seth as the Seth in the past. I want to make this family work. I want our family to have a good life." I told her sincerely.
"Let's go to sleep. It's late already." Athena finally said.
"Can I sleep here?" I asked.
I know I said I'm not comfortable sleeping with a woman I don't know but I've known her for more than 2 months now. I feel comfortable enough to sleep in the same room.
"I'll sleep on the floor. I feel safer if I sleep close to you." I said.
Athena stared at me as if waiting for me to leave but when I didn't she just shrugged her shoulders and went to sleep.
The next morning when I went downstairs, the children were already there waiting for me to start the morning exercise. The atmosphere was very somber.
"Seth!" I heard that annoying voice again.
Michelle came running and hugged my arms again. The children looked the other way and decided to just get on their morning exercise.
"Ms. Lee, I suggest you let go of me. I think it's time for me to call Commander Lee to pick up his daughter." I threatened.
"You don't have to be scared of my father. As long as you choose me, nothing could separate us." She replied.
"I don't know what kind of delusion you have but I am not interested in you at all so please leave and don't come back. If you are still here tonight, I will call the barracks and report your behavior." I threatened before leaving her by herself.
I went back inside the house to hide. I went to check if the younger ones were already awake and prepare them to leave.
We all went to the shop in a very uncomfortable silence. We have been eating all our meals inside the shop. We just basically sleep in our homes nowadays.
When we reached the shop, we saw that there were men who were making a mess of the shop.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" I shouted to get their attention.