Jesse entered his office to find Cynthia seated on the cushion with his mother, Madam Adams. Cynthia stood up and approached him with a friendly greeting,
"hi, Jesse, your mum and I went shopping. I bought some belts and cufflinks for you." Jesse seemed more interested in addressing his mother so he ignored her.
"Is there a problem, Madam Adams?" Jesse inquired, his focus on his work.
Madam Adams appeared slightly offended, responding, "Can't I walk into my son's office to visit him?"
Jesse continued to ignore her, engrossed in the folders on his desk. He had a busy schedule, particularly with the real estate construction project that demanded his attention.
Meanwhile, Cynthia observed Jesse with admiration. She had been seeking excuses to meet him ever since their chance encounter at her elder brother's birthday. Her constant coquettish behavior and attempts to befriend Madam Adams had now granted her access to the office of the most sought-after bachelor in town. She couldn't wait to set her plan in motion and make him hers.
"is there something on my face?" Jesse's question caught Cynthia by surprise, snapping her out of her daydreams. She blushed slightly, realizing that he had noticed her staring. "No," she replied with a shy smile, her gaze lowered. It seemed that her plan to win his affections had taken an unexpected turn, and she was momentarily flustered by the direct attention.
"Jesse, Cynthia is my friend, so please be nice." Jesse wondered how he had bullied her. His mother is always nice to such girls. why can't she not see through this scheming girl? "When are you coming home? You don't want to see your poor mother and grandma again?" is it because we have been asking you to get married?"
Jesse found himself caught in a frustrating and familiar situation with his mother and grandmother's insistence on his marriage. As Madam Adams brought up the topic, he felt a sense of exasperation, having tried to avoid this conversation for months.
"Madam Adams, I have a meeting now, and if you would excuse me, I am running late," he stated, hoping to deflect the conversation.
However, his mother's frustration was evident as she expressed her concerns. "Jesse, is it when your grandmother and I die that you will marry? Your father has left me and his mother. Your grandmother and I are alone and we need to see our grandchildren.
"We don't care which family she is from, but you must get married this month. Your grandma and I will arrange dates for you, so you must be there."
Jesse knew that he would have a headache dealing with this arrangement. He deeply cared for his mother and grandmother, and their concerns weighed on him, but he also wanted to make his own choices regarding his future.
"Cynthia, will you be available to go on a date with Jesse tomorrow?" Cynthia was overexcited about this; this request was from Madam Adams herself. She did not want Madam Adams to see her as desperate so she looked towards Jesse thinking he would say Yes.
However, Jesse, rather surprisingly, rejected the idea flatly, definitely not Cynthia he thought.
Jesse's departure for his meeting left Madam Adams and Cynthia alone in the office. Madam Adams, despite her concerns about her son's marriage, still held her son's happiness in high regard. She could see that Cynthia had feelings for Jesse, even if she couldn't force her son into a relationship.
Sensing the tension in the room, Madam Adams tried to change the atmosphere. She suggested, "Let us go, girl, we will head to the spa and have a nice massage." Cynthia, while angry about Jesse's rejection, concealed her emotions and agreed. She thought with Madam Adams by her side, she could force Jesse to be with her.
However, what Cynthia didn't realize was that her efforts to manipulate the situation were likely to backfire. Jesse was a perceptive and shrewd individual who could see through schemes, and he wouldn't easily forgive anyone who tried to manipulate his mother.