Kathryn’s POVMy heart thundered in my chest as I let the information sink in. Who would have thought that Wilhelm and I would cross paths again after all these years? And worse, I had to deal with him at work. “It’s my unlucky day, I know,” I told Roland as the three of us went back to the apartment building, with Charlize already sleeping in his arms. “Fate is crazy for doing this to me.” “I couldn’t agree more,” Roland replied solemnly. “You really need to consider this, Kathryn. Even though you’re still on trial, you’ll be seeing Wilhelm every day for a whole month.” He glanced into the distance. “Is that something you’re okay with?”“You know my answer to that,” I said. “Then, what’s holding you back? Why are you putting yourself in such a dire situation?” “Just because he’s there doesn’t mean I have to adjust for him. I don’t want to keep running away, Roland,” I said, my fists clenched, determination surging through me. “I want to face things head-on from now on, and that i
“Her?” Vicky echoed nervously. “Oh, my god, Kath!” My eyes widened. “Y—You mean I’m to manage this banquet?” My hands trembled as I placed them firmly on my lap. “And within a one week time frame? That’s—it’s ridiculous!” “He specifically said it was to be you who’d handle this,” Clarence said with pity. “I don’t know what’s going on, but we need to get things started.”And work we did. I had to gather myself and hold it together. Gritting my teeth, I just knew Wilhelm had done this intentionally to try to push me out of the hotel. Well, if this is his way of trying to get rid of me, he’s got it all wrong!For a full two hours, I met with the team and brainstormed various table layouts that we could present by tomorrow morning. One group focused on potential shops where we could purchase bulk flowers, while the other half discussed the budget.“This would go hand in hand,” I pointed to the flower shop and our proposed budget. “What do you think?” “You’re good at this Kath,” Vicky c
Kathryn’s POVThree grueling days passed, and my team and I never heard from Wilhelm again. He allowed us to do our jobs in peace, which made things much easier moving forward.My team and I got started right away. First, we discussed how to arrange the tables as per the client’s wishes. They had booked the venue for an Awards Night celebration for their employees. We needed to match the setup with their chosen theme. Looking around now, I felt a wave of relief seeing how well the design for the table layout had turned out.“What do you think about the flower arrangements, Vicky?” Standing in front of the conference room we had tidied and arranged brought a sense of fulfillment to mind. Vicky nodded vigorously. “They look amazing! Oh, I never expected they’d turn out this great,” she beamed at me. “I’m sure Mr. Reinhardt’s guests will love them!”I nodded my head in approval. Just this morning, the florist and her team meticulously arranged a demo minimalist flower bouquet in a vase
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