Hannah's POV
"Yesterday, our correspondent gathered that the Davidson and the Andrews empire have finally meshed to form the Davdrews Enterprise. This is following the marriage that had occurred between the Davidson's first son, John, and the only daughter of the Andrews, Hannah. The company now has four layers; two of which are controlled by John Davidson and his sister, Elizabeth Davidson. The remaining two layers are controlled by Richard Andrew and his daughter, Hannah Andrew. This alliance, so far, has been positive for the Davidson family as business investors are now finding new interest in the joint enterprise. We wish the newlywed couple a happy marriage life," the reporter on the television reported.
John, after dressing up in a crisp black suit, walked to the couch where he had kept his keys and picked them up. He looked at the time on his watch and hissed. Observing him from the dining area, I walked up to him and began, "Aren't you going to eat before you go to work? I made something for you."
"I am not hungry," he responded.
"What do you mean by that statement, 'I'm not hungry'?" I questioned. "John, it has been four days since our wedding. I've cooked for you for four days. You have not tasted my food once, you haven't touched me, or even spoken to me. What is this? Why are you making life so difficult for me?"
He scoffed and said, "Making life difficult for you? Tell me, what's so difficult for you?"
I shook my head and asked, "What did I do to you, John?"
John angrily left the building.
Tears streamed down my cheek as emotional loneliness dawned on me. Since we got married, John had not visited the main bedroom. The huge mansion had many rooms, and he just found himself in one of them. "How long will this continue?" I mused.
After two hours, I opted to visit the company. The expansive skyscraper housed two divisions – one dedicated to tech-based products, the other to food-based ones. While my father oversaw the food production sector, I managed the tech-based products. I headed to my father's office, where, as usual, he was deeply engrossed in studying customer consumption rates.
"Don't you ever rest, father?" I asked.
"Cillian Murphy, in his role in Peaky Blinders, once said, 'There's no rest for me in this world'," my father responded.
I kissed his forehead and placed my purse on his desk. "Good morning, dad. How was your night?"
"Because your mother made one of her best recipes at yesterday's dinner, I think I slept well," he answered. "You look tired. Have you been sleeping?"
"Yeah, I have. I've just been staring at the computer so much these days. You know, management duty calls."
"Your mother has been handling that division of the company for a long time. If you need any help, you can always ask her or me. We will be willing to help. So, how's John?"
"He's stubborn, reluctant, and callous. He hardly talks. He goes out early and comes back late. We don't even sleep in the same room."
My dad sighed and said, "Reminds me of when your mom and I got married. She was the one with the baggage. In six months, everything worked itself out. John is just feeling depressed because of what happened to his father. Any young man of his age would. I remember losing my mother; I disappeared for over a year. Give him time. He will heal."
"Heal? At least people take steps to heal. John is not taking any. What if I can't take it anymore?"
"You can always get out. I do not want to see my daughter going through emotional trauma because of one silly boy. Besides, he's the one that will be at a loss when you leave."
I exhaled deeply and said, "I pray it works out."
"I heard your team will launch a minimally viable product soon. What does it encompass?"
"It is an artificial intelligence product. It is supposed to help young professionals build a comprehensive schedule and also manage it. Our engineers have done everything possible to make it infallible."
"There is no product without fault, Hannah. What matters the most is marketing. There are a lot of shitty products in the market. Still, they make billions of dollars. Always remember, the cost of production and maintenance must be less than the obtainable profit."
The evening was characterized by my husband and Louis sorting out documents on the center table. They were so focused on their job that one would think they were facing a deadline.
My husband pointed his pen at a document and said, "Those guys want us to ship some diamonds to Paris next week. We need to get prepared and find out their shipment address and every other detail. We must not fail. They are one of our biggest customers."
Louis replied, "The team is already working on it. I strongly believe they will not fail us."
Clad in my pajamas, I walked in, sat on a couch next to both of them, and commanded, "Louis, go home." A moment of silence hit the room.
"Excuse me?" John broke the silence, removing his spectacles.
"His working hours ended three hours ago. He has no business here," I replied. "Louis, pick up your bag and go home. You need to rest."
John sighed, turned to Louis, and said, "I will see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, everyone," Louis took his bag and exited the house.
"What do you want?" John questioned, turning to me.
"I want to talk," I answered, folding my hands.
"Okay, let us talk."
"I admit it. I've always loved you, John. You were always so blind to not notice me. Somehow, fate has brought us together, and I'm not willing to lose this opportunity. I'm not going anywhere, John. You and I will make this marriage work even if you don't love me," I affirmed. "Goodnight." I took my leave to my room afterward.