Chapter 143
Imelda’s POV
One Room Office – Early morning.
As I sat alone in my one room office, the room was awfully quiet today.
Since I opened Harmon Designs here,
I had no staff as no one was willing to come and work for me.
Yet p>
The entire staff went back to work for Veronica the moment she opened the seal.
Now I didn’t even have any orders as the court has issued orders and stopped me from using the Harmon Designs name.
Though I registered Imelda Designs as my new name, no one trusts a new name.
I gazed at my desk.
Once filled with sketches,
Now it was full of legal notices and bills.
Then my gaze fell on Adrian’s photo on my desk.
I picked up my phone and pulled out a contact.
I gazed at the contact:
Adrian.
I exhaled before I dialed his number.
“Hi,” I said as warmly as I could. “If you have time, could you come over to meet me p>
“Great,” I smiled as I disconnected the call.
“Great,” I said, rubbing my hands in glee. “Once he comes, everything will be fine p>
“This is also the first time I called him and didn’t give him any instructions p>
“I only asked him to come over p>
“So he should come p>
“Better get ready to meet him p>
I quickly ordered some coke, fries, burger, and his favorite chocolate cake.
Finally, Adrian arrived in his school uniform.
For a moment my heart skipped a beat as he resembled Daniel so much.
The same six feet tall, broad shoulders, and handsome as ever.
I got up and greeted him with a smile.
He took a step back and sat across from me on the sofa.
For a few moments, neither of us spoke a word, as we didn’t know what to say.
I studied him as he sat across from me.
He had grown since the last time I saw him.
And p>
I couldn’t even remember the last time I saw him.
I realized I missed a lot.
He was eighteen years old and I was still recalling the seven year old boy.
I finally broke the silence between us.
“Adrian,” I said softly as possible.
“I’m sorry p>
I wasn’t as I didn’t think I did anything wrong,
But as a mother, I was not there and I did hire nannies for him and never even had a proper weekend with him.
I could apologize for that.
“I’m sorry,” I continued.
“I always put my ambitions before you p>
“I wasn’t there for you, when you needed me p>
“But I did raise you for sixteen years p>
“Surely,” I said, looking at him with hope.
“You can’t deny that p>
Raising him should mean something,
I looked at him in desperation hoping he would agree.
But p>
Adrian just looked down quietly.
Then he spoke gently.
“I don’t want to hurt you p>
“But I can’t pretend nothing happened p>
“A correction,” he continued.
“Not sixteen p>
“Only seven,” he said. “And in those also p>
“You hired nannies to take care of me p>
“You were never there for breakfast, lunch p>
“I had in school p>
“Dinner p>
“Only if grandfather was home p>
“For you business always came first p>
“Anything related to me, was second p>
“In front of grandfather, third p>
“Any time, I’d retaliate, you’d punish me by locking me in the dark room p>
“Or even slap me saying I was inconsiderate p>
“I was raised by nannies, and the past seven years I stayed at the school hostel p>
“You never came to visit p>
“In all p>
“They raised me, you didn’t.” he said quietly.
I felt a pang in my heart as I realized his words hurt me more than any anger could.
I lowered my eyes.
“Can we begin again?” I asked.
“This time I’ll be the mother you want p>
I knew I couldn’t ask him to forgive me,
But I could ask him to take me back.
“Let’s spend time together p>
“I’m free now p>
He scoffed.
“Yeah p>
“Cause Aunt Veronica has taken over Harmon Designs and you can’t use the name anymore p>
“Well,” I said, trying to act normal.
“Since you know p>
“Yes, now I’m free p>
“I don’t want you to company me p>
“I want my son back, will you p>
I looked with hope in my eyes.
Adrian quietly nodded.
“I don’t hate you p>
“I never will p>
“But I won’t be part of another battle between you and them p>
“I refuse to choose sides p>
“I won’t go against Aunt Veronica p>
“I won’t go against Uncle Jonathan p>
“I won’t go against Dad, or Mom p>
“Mom??” I was shocked.
“Yes,” Adrian repeated with determination.
“Mom p>
“Isabella Staf, my mother, my father’s wife p>
“Isabella applied to adopt me the moment she found out, and legally has been my adoptive mom for the past eight months p>
“All I want now is peace p>
So, now he only wants respect to remain, but doesn’t trust me anymore.
I realized there was more damage done than I expected in our relationship.
“Mother,” he continued.
Today for the first time I realized ’mother’ sounded like he was calling his boss, and ’mom’ felt so affectionate.
“Uncle Jonathan loved me like his son, until he knew I wasn’t p>
“Even then, he was and is there for me p>
“Aunt Veronica should hate me for sending Janet to the hospital p>
“She cares for me and said she’s always there for me p>
“Dad,” he continued.
“He didn’t know I existed p>
“And since he took me back, he does everything in his ability and even now he blames himself for never looking back at you, or else he would have known I was there and taken me sooner p>
“And mom,” he said, voice emotional. “For the first time in my life I know what a mother really is p>
“For the first time I really understand what a family is p>
“I realized family isn’t just a title, it’s the actions you do towards keeping them p>
I couldn’t believe myself, I was struggling to hold back my tears.
With that Adrian rose, and walked towards the door.
“I’m sorry to not meet your expectations p>
“Goodbye p>
As the door slowly closed behind him, I was left staring at the empty chair where Adrian was seated a moment ago.
My mind was furious as my heart was hurting.
I still refused to accept what just happened.
I lost Harmon Designs p>
It hurt.
I lost the Harmon name p>
It hurt.
But when Adrian walked away p>
I felt…empty.
I wiped away the few tears that were in my eyes.
Slowly p>
My sadness turned into determination.
“So I can’t have Harmon Designs anymore p>
“I can’t use Harmon name anymore p>
I quietly whispered as a long silence followed.
I clenched my fists.
“But I can still have Adrian support me p>
“And I’ll make him p>
I knew Adrian had begun working with Veronica at Harmon Designs as managing trainee, and Jonathan plans to make him the Vice-President.
He also will inherit from Daniel.
And this chance I can’t and won’t let go.