It was not like I had not dealt with anyone whose name ended with Smith.
But every Smith was not connected to Arthur Smith. However, this one was and I had lost all the mental capability to think about how to cope with it.
I would not lie and say that whenever a file name ending with Smith reached my table, I did not speculate that it could be him because the truth was that I did and even hesitated thinking how I would react if it was really him.
When for years it had not happened, you let down your guard and exactly that would be the moment when it hits you. I was living in a similar circumstance.
Daydreaming about the past, even if not stopping when the eyes would close in the night, and last evening, he stood right in front of me.
A married woman should not be infatuated by another man like that. And to be honest, I was more terrified than other things wondering about what changes he was going to bring this time coming into my life.
However this time it was not going to be easy. I was going to resist it with all my might. I was not the same person anymore.
Or it could be that I was getting too ahead of myself thinking he even wanted to peek into my life...he could just be passing by. Maybe not?
The thing was when it came to Arthur Smith, you could never be sure what to expect and what not to.
I was clueless before and it cost me a lifetime. Not willing to repeat the same mistake kept me up all night after returning from the gala.
The entire evening did not go in any way I had projected it to be like it did in the olden times...the usuals.
The way he held me, shivers running down my spine the moment my eyes matched his realizing who was holding me from falling. The last person on earth I would think about...
But there was he, eyes aligned with mine, hands on my arms, holding tight, forbidding my body from touching the marbled tiles.
"Is it Ms. Johnson?"
I was the one who gave him a slight push to maintain a distance between us. Was he going to do it if I had not?
A second being so close felt like an eternity as he let go of me. His gaze was still on my face as if contemplating whether I was real...so did I...struggling to keep it to myself.
Creating a scene was the last thing on my mind. The woman stood before us with a smile on her face. I felt like seeing her somewhere.
"Do you know my son?"
The moment she said that I recognized her right away and wanted to hit on my hand not coming to put it all together the way before.
She asked wrapping her hand around him and then it hit me, she was the one who had come up to my office to convince me to take her son's case.
Arthur Smith...and Mrs. Smith? His mother...I never bothered to even open up her file.
"Son remember the lawyer I told you about?"
She did not wait for either of us to respond as she continued. The excitement is evident in her aura. That was how many felt when they discovered some sort of connection with me to attempt to convince me more to take up their cases.
"She is the one."
She smiled looking back and forth at me and then him. While we both had no clue what to say.
"Janet Johnson..."
She began as if he did not know my name. Or that there could be many Janets that he must have come across and remembering this one could not be easy on him.
I had the urge to taunt him like that. At least in front of his mother, he was not going to behave like an untamed one right?
"Janet?"
My name being called from behind made me turn around and it was my mother-in-law.
"My my my, is this Terresa Smith?"
Luna stood beside me and could not believe her eyes landing on one of her oldest friends. It turned out all the rich people knew each other somehow.
"Luna...such a delight to meet you here."
The two women hugged each other expressing a warm connection between the two whereas he and I stood ideal, unmoving in our positions, not knowing how to react or what to do.
His eyes still looking at me as if scrutinizing my whole self reminding me of the past...just the way he used to do, unbothered by anyone and everyone while at the same time making me conscious about everything.
"Have you met my daughter-in-law?"
Luna looked at me to which Mrs. Smith nodded. She was about to say more when from nowhere Cole joined us with his father and another man, similar age to Mr. Harrison stood beside Terresa.
"I see the ladies have met each other already..."
They laughed. Parting my eyes off from him, I stared at my husband who was avoiding looking at me.
"We have decided to come back here."
Teresa started and it made me somehow feel insecure finding out the Smiths were planning to relocate back here.
"It is a wonderful decision my dear. I mean the men are connected to each other through the world of business..."
The moment Luna said that it made my head roll knowing that there was a close chance that all this time my husband could have been doing business with him unknown to me.
And as if he could sense the thoughts running in my head, I could see a glint of a wicked scowl on his face.
Masking my emotions and thoughts from him was the hardest thing to do in the past and this time I wanted him to not take advantage of that.
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The story will begin with a soft and static note before all the drama unfolds. It will transition between the past and the present.
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