I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I watched my manager apologize to Vicky several times for keeping that single information from us, although I understand his reason for doing so. I clenched my fist. Why would Wilhelm be willing to help me? Anyway, the priority is to fix the mess. I decided not to dig deeper, but to use whatever I could.“It’s alright,” I assured her. “He’s chairman now, and I understand why he needed to do it in such a way.” Without hesitation, I swiftly took action. I pulled out my phone and contacted the supplier immediately. I asked her if she could provide replacements for the linens that had been bleached. She sounded hesitant at first, but when I told her I would refer her to more clients, she agreed. She promised to be back three days before the event. The moment I placed my phone down, someone walked right inside the room.I looked up to find Wilhelm next to me, his face hard and passive. “Mr. Reinhardt,” I bowed my head. “There’s been a situation…”
Kathryn’s POVThe day ended with our problems being slightly solved. Wilhelm had worked with us for half the day. He pulled some strings and had us buy a new set of linens that we could use in case the supplier bailed on us at the last minute. Even though we suspected the bleached linen might have been intentional, we all felt relieved as we prepared to head home. I had planned to speak to Wilhelm before leaving, but before I could do so, he had already left.I shrugged it off and headed straight to my car. I could always find him tomorrow to thank him. As I drove home, Wilhelm’s words lingered in my mind. “You always do this, Kathryn. You always think I’d blame you for everything horrible that has happened to us, but I don’t.”A slight ripple crossed my forehead. What did he mean by that, I wonder? Had I, at some point in our relationship, misunderstood him, just as he had misunderstood me? I parked the car in front of Charlize’s kindergarten school and sighed. Right now, there w
Kathryn’s POVI spun my head to where she was looking, and saw a blonde-haired boy sitting down on one of the staircase’s steps. “It’s Grayson, Mommy!” Charlize’s bubbly energy enveloped her. “Let’s go to him. Maybe he’s been waiting for us all this time!”I let my daughter drag me to where Grayson sat. “Oh, no,” Charlize let go of my hand and hurriedly knelt before Grayson. “What’s wrong, Grayson?” she asked, looking extremely worried. I couldn’t help but notice the tears streaming down the little boy’s face. My concern deepened when I spotted a scratch on one of his cheeks. “Did you get hurt on the way here?” With a gentle touch, I turned his face toward me, eager to examine the distinct scratch up close. “You look like you’ve been scratched by something sharp,” I commented. “Why don’t we call your Daddy so that we can get you home safely?”Upon my suggestion, Grayson’s eyes grew wide. “No! Please don’t do that!” “But you’re hurt,” Charlize remarked. “You need your Daddy when yo
Kathryn’s POVCharlize stares at me with anticipation. So, I decided to put aside the plates and ask Grayson this school he was talking about. “Where do you study, Grayson?” “At Lunsford Academy Preparatory School,” he smiled. “It’s a really big school with lots of playgrounds to play in during recess break.” He took my daughter’s hands in his. “I’m sure you’re going to love it there, Charlize! I’ll introduce you to my friends, and tell them that I was finally going to school with my little sister.” My blood ran cold. I know for a fact that Lunsford Academy is the preparatory school that Wilhelm went to before when he was Grayson’s age. It was as expensive as buying a new house. My current salary will not be able to cover all the expenses that the school will require from my daughter’s studies. Sighing inside, I already knew that I couldn’t give my daughter the answer that she wanted. This breaks my heart in doing so. “Oh, honey,” I wiped my hand on my apron. “I know that’s a gr
Kathryn’s POVAfter careful deliberation, I decided to bring Grayson home myself. “Oh, wow! Is this your home, Grayson?!” Charlize exclaimed excitedly as the huge golden gates of the villa came into view for the three of us. “It’s like the castle we watched earlier!” “There’s a huge pool at the back that we could swim in when Daddy allows you to visit,” Grayson proudly explained. “Do you think Daddy won’t turn into a Mr. Iceberg when I ask him to let Charlize visit our house?” “Maybe I’ll ask him once we get there,” I said as I gripped at the steering wheel. My heartbeat quickened. Seeing this place again after all these years, I noticed minimal to no change since the last time I was here.“You can turn that—” before Grayson could finish what he was about to say, I had already turned in the direction he had pointed. Confusion shadowed his eyes, but he said nothing else. “How do you know this place so well, Mommy?” Charlize asked as I maneuvered in front of the big short staircas
Kathryn’s POVI've been locking myself in the bathroom throwing up for half an hour. I know it's one of the early signs of pregnancy.The father of the child who should have been ecstatic was now irritatedly yelling at the door.“How many more centuries will you need, Kathryn? You've disappointed me enough already. Are you trying to embarrass me at such an important party?” I heard my husband, Wilhelm, harshly knock on the door a few times. He didn't know about the baby. I was looking for the right moment. Or maybe I hadn't thought about telling him yet.Three years into our marriage we couldn't conceive a child, our relationship was going down the drain.When I finally had a child, I was hesitant to tell him, since he had been treating me less and less like his wife.I controlled my rapid breathing, feeling a sense of dread that this had to happen when we only had an hour left before the dinner party started. The doctor had already advised me ahead; this would be more frequent in t
Kathryn’s POV“Wilhelm, I have to excuse myself,” I mumbled, unsure if he had heard what I just said as he was too engrossed in conversation with Rose to give me just a tiny bit of his attention. Unnoticed by my very own husband, I held back my tears and maintained a dignified expression despite the unbearable pain that shot through my chest. It hurt to think that their closeness was one I had imagined I would’ve had with my own husband, but it wasn’t the case.In the end, I went home alone. I'm disheartened by what I've witnessed. Arriving home, Anna wordlessly opened the door for me. Just as I entered, my mother-in-law, Camille, happened to be threading down the stairs. Her sharp eyes, which mimicked my husband’s, darted to where I was. I held my breath. I already predicted what would come next. “Hello, mother,” I tried to hide my bleak appearance with a smile. Camille gave no reply yet, her eyes filled with distaste that lingered my way. “Why are you arriving home without W
Kathryn’s POVWilhelm made a noise that sounded like he was irritated before he answered. “Are you asking me that seriously?”It would have been unnatural not to question him at this point. I clenched my fist, gathering what courage I had left as I opened my mouth to speak. “Are you?” I pressed on, my heart beating fast. “You’d only need to answer, Wil. Is Rose with you?”“Yes,” he said, without a single hint of hesitation in his tone. “She’s with me, and she had been drunk from the party—”“Then why—”I stopped midway when Wilhelm muttered what sounded like a curse as he continued his explanation. “All I did was escort her back to her hotel room.” There was a heavy pause on my end, but I found myself listening for his continuation. “Why do you keep pressing this subject? Are you doubting me?”I could practically hear the beating of my heart as my blood ran cold from what he said. “Then why are you not home yet?”“You’re misunderstanding things, Kath,” he grumbled. “I need to get back