CHAPTER 5

Don hurried out of the office ahead of schedule, eager to prep for his mother's arrival. He had invited his mother because he wanted to inform her about his divorce and also introduce Abbie to her.

He arranged everything according to his mother's taste; he had to be hands-on because her mother was a discerning person. The moment emerged for him to pick up his mother, and he dashed to the airport.

"Have you been eating well, my son? You look emaciated. I knew that witch was not capable of taking care of you." Stella, Don's mother, squeezed Don to her chest with her arms.

"Stop it, mom; you are suffocating me." Don tried freeing himself from her mother's hug.

"I haven't seen you in a long time, and the first thing you say is how thin I look, cumon mom." Don hunched over and picked up her mother's laden suitcase.

"How are you doing, my one and only son? I'm elated that I finally got the chance to see you; I've missed you so much." Stella conveyed her happiness.

"I'm doing okay, mom. I'm also delighted to see you. You must be exhausted. Let's go home, and I will prepare a bubble bath for you, and then you can provide me with a comprehensive account of your journey." A smile adorned his face as he looked warmly at his mother, and he drove off.

Don was really excited to see his mother, even after the disagreement they had two years ago.

Upon their arrival, Don prepared a bubble bath for his mother, as promised. After a long day of catching up outside by the pool, it was getting cold, and they made their way back to the house.

"Don, I'm not getting any younger; when am I going to play with my grandchildren?" Stella changed the topic completely as she made herself comfortable on the couch in the sitting room.

"This is one of the reasons why I summoned you here, mom. I...."

Stella interrupted him abruptly, silencing his words before they could reach completion. She jumped to her feet in jubilation and began dancing, shouting on top of her voice, showing her excitement.

"Finally! I'm going to be a grandma; I've waited all my life to hear you say that."

After a couple of minutes of Stella's excitement, she finally took a seat.

"No mom. You are not going to be a grandma; you are not even close."

His heart ached when he witnessed his mother's expression after he told her that she was not going to be a grandma.

"Coffee or tea?" He proceeded with his conversation.

"A glass of wine, please, red wine," she accentuated.

Don went straight to the kitchen, poured her mother's wine, and got himself a glass of water.

"So I called you here because I wanted to let you know that Jane and I are getting a divorce." His gaze remained fixed on his mother, knowing exactly how she would feel about the news of his divorce.

"I wish you had listened to me before you made that mistake of marrying her two years ago. I was curious about her whereabouts; I guess she moved out." She uttered the words with a countenance, devoid of any visible emotions.

"She is staying with her father." Don swallowed a gulp of his water.

"At least I won't have to see her ugly face anymore," she said while shaking her head and directing her gaze towards her son.

"About that, you might see her. She is working at the office with me. I hired her a few days ago," he licked his mouth, stealing glances at his mother.

"You did what! When are you going to start listening to me? I told you that girl was bad news. What did you do? You first married her without my consent, and now you have hired her, she is after our money and nothing else. After the divorce is finalised, I want her out of our company! Do you understand?" She washed her throat with the remaining wine and went to pour herself another glass, but she came back with the whole bottle.

"I want you to listen to me this time around before you make another mistake," she carried on.

"I'm sorry, mom, that I keep on disappointing you, but like I said last time, I won't let anyone dictate how I should live my life. I will marry anyone whom I want to marry, and you won't be able to stop me. I'm an adult, and I can make my own decisions.

Also, Jane is not going anywhere; I'm the CEO of that company, so my word is final. I don't want to fight with you about this, so please, mom, if you can't support me, I suggest you keep quiet."

Don's anger was evident on his face, and his mother knew there was nothing she could do to change his stubborn mind.

"I will drop it for now. I'm your mother, and I can't just sit and watch my son ruin his future. No, I won't do that! It's getting late, and I'm starving. What are we having for dinner?"

"May we just wait a bit longer, mom, maybe half an hour? I have something unexpected in store for you; we will eat once it gets here." Don was not prepared to ruin the surprise by telling her what it was exactly.

"I will wait, but not more than half an hour. I had a long day, and I still need my beauty sleep even at this age. In the meantime, please hand me the family album. I want to revisit the past."

They both laughed, and Don ascended the stairs and brought the album to his mother.

* * *

Jane visited her mother like she had promised her father. She last saw her mother about six months ago, and she looked different than the last time she saw her. She bore the appearance of someone who possessed wealth, someone who could afford luxurious items, and that bothered her a lot.

"What is on your mind, my child? You can tell me. I'm your mother, and I can tell when something is bothering you." Martha, Jane's mother, extended her hand and touched Jane's shoulder gently.

"Nothing much, mom; it's just that Don asked for a divorce, and I gave my consent. I've already signed the divorce papers. I'm waiting for the divorce to be finalised, that's all. But I'm ok," she gazed at her mother, tenderly caressing the hand resting upon her shoulder.

"Why did you keep this from me, Jane? Even though I may not be a part of your father's life anymore, I still want to be a part of yours. A simple phone call would have sufficed. I've been waiting all this time for your call ever since I heard the news, but it never came," she expressed, gliding her tongue leisurely across her lips, adorned with a cherry red matte lipstick.

"Heard the news? From where, mom?" Jane positioned herself to directly face her mother.

"This hotel here belongs to Don's family, and I work here. Have you forgotten that? People talk around here," she explained, emphasising the local gossip.

"Not to offend you, mom, but you don't look like you work here anymore." Jane finally gathered the courage to ask her mother something that has been bothering her since she got here.

"What do you mean I don't look like I work here? If I don't work at the hotel, then what am I doing here?" Jane could see that her mother was hiding something.

"You appear quite affluent, Mom. I mean, even if you were to receive a promotion, I doubt you could afford the expensive clothes you're wearing at the moment. Plus, considering you never pursued higher education, I find it unlikely that you could be promoted. What's truly happening, Mom?" Jane was determined to get the truth from her mother.

"Yes, I'm no longer a cleaner, Jane, if that's what you are asking. I decided to get an upgrade, and I used my savings. I bought clothes, makeup, and shoes—just everything I needed to feel like my old self again."

"Still, mom, even with your entire life savings, you can't be looking like this and smelling like heaven. I know this because most of my clothes are pretty expensive because I was married to Don.

Mom, you don't have to be afraid to tell me if you're seeing someone. I know you and dad ended a long time ago." She tried to create a friendly environment for her mom to feel comfortable telling her the truth.

"Jane I will tell you when I get someone else; for now, there is no one. I'm still single, so don't overthink this whole thing. It's getting late. Let me walk you to your car." Martha stood up and folded her coat's collar nicely.

"What do you mean by accompanying me to my car? I'm having a sleepover like I always do, mom," she exclaimed, her voice revealing her surprise.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, dear. There's a new rule in place that prohibits us from having visitors for sleepovers. I apologise, my darling," she stated directly, without sugarcoating the situation.

"That's not fair, but you can go out for a sleepover, right?"

"No, Jane, I won't be spending the night at your father's house," she affirmed, encircling her daughter's waist with her hand.

"Who said anything about sleeping in my father's house? I will book for the night in this hotel and check out in the morning; that way, we will spend the night together." A smile brightened her face as she presented her ingenious plan.

"Unfortunately, that won't be feasible either. I need to sleep in my own room every night, just in case there's an emergency. I promise I'll make it up to you when I'm off, perhaps at the end of the month," she expressed with remorse, feeling guilty for declining her child's request.

"Ok, mom, when you are off, then," Jane was really disappointed by her mother.

They proceeded towards Jane's car in the parking lot, engaging in irregular conversation amidst moments of silence. After a few minutes, they arrived at the parking lot, and Jane's gaze roamed the area, her thoughts stirred by the belief that she had caught a glimpse of a familiar voice.

"What are you searching for?" Concerned about her daughter's behaviour, she asked her.

"I'm certain I heard a familiar voice. I'm trying to determine if it's truly her or simply a resemblance," she exclaimed, scanning the few vehicles parked nearby.

Eventually, her gaze shifted towards the rear of the parking lot, and there she spotted her. Without hesitation, she sprinted towards the back, with her mother chasing closely behind.

"Wait! Who is it? It's already dark, and visibility is quite limited with these lights," she asked Jane, who didn't answer her because her mind was already fixated on the person she saw. They were just a few steps away when they heard the car door closing, and the person drove off.

"Drive safely, Natalie," said the man who waved at the car as it drove off.

"Pardon me, sir," Jane gasped, her breathing laboured from her attempt to catch up with the departing driver.

"What was the name you used for the person who just left in the white car? What's her name again?" Jane persisted, still struggling to regain her breath.

"You are talking about Natalie? That's Natalie Reynolds. Do you know her? I can call her if you want." Said the man, pointing in the direction the car went.

"No, don't call her; thank you for your time." The man went back to the hotel, and her mother stared at her, waiting for answers.

"I swear it was her mom—the voice, the body—it was her. I could even smell her perfume." Jane tried to explain it to her mother.

"Who are you referring to? I'm just lost."

"Abbie, mom, she is Don's girlfriend. What I don't understand is why that man referred to her as Natalie. Who is Natalie?"

"You mean she is Abbie?" Her mother asked, not knowing what to say. Martha was really lost. She wondered how Natalie could be this Abbie that Jane was talking about. She knew her as Natalie but not as Abbie, but if this Abbie was in a relationship with Don, then it can't be Natalie.

"Mom, what are you thinking about? Do you know her?" Jane could see that her mother knew something about this so-called Natalie.

"Nothing; I'm just worried about you. Why are you still concerned about Don?" She quickly changed the subject.

"Mom, I asked you a question! Do you know her, yes or no? Why are you changing the topic?" She was getting annoyed by her mother's evasive behaviour.

"No, I don't think I've seen her before," she lied bluntly.

"Can you be honest for once in your life, mom? Can you? I can see it in your face; you know her. I'm tired of your lies and promises you don't keep. I'm sick and tired of it!" Jane screamed at her mom.

Furious with her mother, Jane abruptly spun around and rushed to her car. Martha hurriedly followed and grasped Jane's arm through the fabric of her jersey, but Jane forcefully yanked her hand away, causing her mother's cell phone to slip from her grasp, hitting the ground in an instant.

It lay there helplessly with the screen facing upwards and turned on. Jane's mother quickly rushed and picked it up, but it was too late. Jane saw what her mother was hiding from her. A picture of her mother being all cosy with a man on her phone was on her wall. Jane was shattered and curious at the same time.

'Who is this man?' She looked at her mother with a teary face.

"You can't even be truthful with yourself; how can you be honest with me? I deeply regret coming here today, and I feel ashamed to even acknowledge you as my mother. You are nothing but a deceitful liar."

Jane sobbed, using the back of her hand to wipe away the tears cascading down her face. Casting her mother a pitiful glance, she stepped into her car and drove away, weeping uncontrollably throughout her journey.