Chapter 23
23 23. Realization
Danica stared at her boss in disbelief. She never saw him in the super angry state.
“Paula, she-”
“Paula had something urgent to attend.” Lea suddenly showed up from nowhere, interrupting William and Danica’s conversation. “Hurry up, Will! Everyone is waiting.”
Lea grabbed William’s arm, but the man quickly brushed her hands away. “Lea, please, don’t do this here. I am still married to Paula. I don’t want gossip to ruin my reputation.”
Lea’s heart throbbed. She didn’t think William would reject her in front of his secretary. Her eyes met Danica’s-in questioning looks.
Although a little bit confused, Danica quickly grasped the situation roughly. Looked like her boss was having a relationship problem. That explained his change in attitude recently. She knew only a little about William’s private life and she considered not stepping out of the boundary. That was what she had to do as a subordinate.
“Don’t give me that look, or else, I will ask William to kick you out of the office,” Lea said sternly to Danica.
Danica bowed her head. She quickly followed William and helped the committee to prepare the auction.
The auction went normally as if nothing happened. However, Samuel’s absence made William feel strange. He remembered that his cousin would play the piano for today’s event. Why would a replacement play the piano instead of him?
.....
William wanted to ask his mom, but a small soft hand stopped him. He turned to find a young boy, around 4 years old, holding his pants and staring at him with his cute gaze.
“Are you Mr. William Montgomery?” the cute boy asked in his baby voice.
“Yes, my little man. May I help you?” William couldn’t resist such cuteness. He bent down to face the boy and gave him a kind fatherly smile.
“Miss Martha from the orphanage told me that you are a great and smart person. I will believe what she said if you pass my test,” the boy said, mimicking an adult conversation.
William couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Was he always portrayed as a great person? The ones who knew him well were Paula and his family. He couldn’t manage the company well. If Samuel didn’t insist on choosing his career as a pianist, of course, he would be the one who led the company instead of William.
“Okay. What kind of test is that?” William smiled, tapping the little boy’s chest softly.
“I want to ask you a question. Do you know where my father is?” the boy asked him again.
He frowned, debating in his head how to deal with this little guy. The boy looked so serious. Perhaps he was in trouble and needed help.
“If you tell me your name, I will help you to find your father.” William thought that someone must be leaving his son carelessly.
“I should never tell anyone my name,” the boy answered with no hesitation.
William gritted his teeth, finding the boy both adorable and also annoying. “Okay, what’s your father’s name?”
The boy shook his head. “I don’t know. No one told me a thing.”
William exhaled deeply, trying to get his composure. “Then, how can I help you to find your father if I don’t even know your family name?”
“But Miss Martha told me you can solve many problems in an orphanage. Why can’t you help me find my father?” The boy looked so sad, staring at William with disappointment.
Again, William inhaled to keep his sanity. He was wondering why this Miss Martha told such a lie to the poor boy. “Okay, little boy, please come here and we will ask your Miss Martha for more explanations.”
William lifted the boy. A warm feeling suddenly arose inside his chest. He was wondering if it was the feeling of fathering a child.
The boy hesitantly looked at William’s face with his mouth opened. A worried and excited look crossed his face.
“What now, boy?” William questioned the boy. His eyebrows lifted.
“Alan!” A middle-aged lady in a blue pantsuit ran to William frantically. “Oh, I am sorry, Mr. Montgomery! I lost this boy and tried to find him. Gladly he is with you.”
William threw a formal smile. He knew that the woman in front of him must be Miss Martha. “It’s fine, Ma’am! He is a good boy.”
“Alan, you shouldn’t leave me carelessly like that!” Miss Martha took the boy from William’s embrace and scolded him. Alan pursed his lips, almost crying.
“Sorry, miss! I wanted to ask Mr. Montgomery about my father.” Alan cried softly.
Miss Martha tried her best to calm him down. It was a little bit disappointing that there was no kids’ corner around. Paula was mentioning something about this, but William didn’t think that it was important.
“I think we better have a temporary nursery for the next event,” William said, feeling sorry for Miss Martha.
Minutes later, William and Miss Martha discussed the orphanage and its problem. Alan was one of the kids that came from a single mom. Her mother got married to a man that was not his father. But she was terminally ill. His stepfather abused him, telling him that he was not his real father. That’s why Alan desperately wanted to find his real father.
“So sad,” William muttered.
“True, if the miracle happens, he will find his real father. Children really should know their biological parents. They deserve to know,” Miss Martha replied, holding her overwhelming emotion.
Generally, the kids were better to live with their real parents. William agreed to that. Suddenly, the realization came to his mind. His attention turned to Lea ... and the baby inside her womb. He was wondering, why didn’t Lea tell him the truth about her baby daddy.
William said goodbye to Miss Martha and went to greet his colleagues. Dave, Lea’s ex-boss, came too late, accompanied by a beautiful young lady in a red dress.
“Hi, William!”
“How are you?” William greeted Dave and shook hands.
“Sorry I come too late because I had a doctor’s appointment. But don’t worry. I will give a good amount for charity.” Dave smiled widely. “Oh, I forgot. This is Clara, my fiancee. I was supposed to attend this event with my secretary but sadly she handed me the resignation without two weeks’ notice.”
William smiled bitterly. His eyes roamed, looking for Lea. But strangely she was nowhere to be found.
“Oh, is Paula okay now?” Dave asked.
“Paula?”
“Yes, I saw someone bring your wife to the hospital. I thought it was you, but I am surprised you are here.”
“What?”
Danica stared at her boss in disbelief. She never saw him in the super angry state.
“Paula, she-”
“Paula had something urgent to attend.” Lea suddenly showed up from nowhere, interrupting William and Danica’s conversation. “Hurry up, Will! Everyone is waiting.”
Lea grabbed William’s arm, but the man quickly brushed her hands away. “Lea, please, don’t do this here. I am still married to Paula. I don’t want gossip to ruin my reputation.”
Lea’s heart throbbed. She didn’t think William would reject her in front of his secretary. Her eyes met Danica’s-in questioning looks.
Although a little bit confused, Danica quickly grasped the situation roughly. Looked like her boss was having a relationship problem. That explained his change in attitude recently. She knew only a little about William’s private life and she considered not stepping out of the boundary. That was what she had to do as a subordinate.
“Don’t give me that look, or else, I will ask William to kick you out of the office,” Lea said sternly to Danica.
Danica bowed her head. She quickly followed William and helped the committee to prepare the auction.
The auction went normally as if nothing happened. However, Samuel’s absence made William feel strange. He remembered that his cousin would play the piano for today’s event. Why would a replacement play the piano instead of him?
.....
William wanted to ask his mom, but a small soft hand stopped him. He turned to find a young boy, around 4 years old, holding his pants and staring at him with his cute gaze.
“Are you Mr. William Montgomery?” the cute boy asked in his baby voice.
“Yes, my little man. May I help you?” William couldn’t resist such cuteness. He bent down to face the boy and gave him a kind fatherly smile.
“Miss Martha from the orphanage told me that you are a great and smart person. I will believe what she said if you pass my test,” the boy said, mimicking an adult conversation.
William couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Was he always portrayed as a great person? The ones who knew him well were Paula and his family. He couldn’t manage the company well. If Samuel didn’t insist on choosing his career as a pianist, of course, he would be the one who led the company instead of William.
“Okay. What kind of test is that?” William smiled, tapping the little boy’s chest softly.
“I want to ask you a question. Do you know where my father is?” the boy asked him again.
He frowned, debating in his head how to deal with this little guy. The boy looked so serious. Perhaps he was in trouble and needed help.
“If you tell me your name, I will help you to find your father.” William thought that someone must be leaving his son carelessly.
“I should never tell anyone my name,” the boy answered with no hesitation.
William gritted his teeth, finding the boy both adorable and also annoying. “Okay, what’s your father’s name?”
The boy shook his head. “I don’t know. No one told me a thing.”
William exhaled deeply, trying to get his composure. “Then, how can I help you to find your father if I don’t even know your family name?”
“But Miss Martha told me you can solve many problems in an orphanage. Why can’t you help me find my father?” The boy looked so sad, staring at William with disappointment.
Again, William inhaled to keep his sanity. He was wondering why this Miss Martha told such a lie to the poor boy. “Okay, little boy, please come here and we will ask your Miss Martha for more explanations.”
William lifted the boy. A warm feeling suddenly arose inside his chest. He was wondering if it was the feeling of fathering a child.
The boy hesitantly looked at William’s face with his mouth opened. A worried and excited look crossed his face.
“What now, boy?” William questioned the boy. His eyebrows lifted.
“Alan!” A middle-aged lady in a blue pantsuit ran to William frantically. “Oh, I am sorry, Mr. Montgomery! I lost this boy and tried to find him. Gladly he is with you.”
William threw a formal smile. He knew that the woman in front of him must be Miss Martha. “It’s fine, Ma’am! He is a good boy.”
“Alan, you shouldn’t leave me carelessly like that!” Miss Martha took the boy from William’s embrace and scolded him. Alan pursed his lips, almost crying.
“Sorry, miss! I wanted to ask Mr. Montgomery about my father.” Alan cried softly.
Miss Martha tried her best to calm him down. It was a little bit disappointing that there was no kids’ corner around. Paula was mentioning something about this, but William didn’t think that it was important.
“I think we better have a temporary nursery for the next event,” William said, feeling sorry for Miss Martha.
Minutes later, William and Miss Martha discussed the orphanage and its problem. Alan was one of the kids that came from a single mom. Her mother got married to a man that was not his father. But she was terminally ill. His stepfather abused him, telling him that he was not his real father. That’s why Alan desperately wanted to find his real father.
“So sad,” William muttered.
“True, if the miracle happens, he will find his real father. Children really should know their biological parents. They deserve to know,” Miss Martha replied, holding her overwhelming emotion.
Generally, the kids were better to live with their real parents. William agreed to that. Suddenly, the realization came to his mind. His attention turned to Lea ... and the baby inside her womb. He was wondering, why didn’t Lea tell him the truth about her baby daddy.
William said goodbye to Miss Martha and went to greet his colleagues. Dave, Lea’s ex-boss, came too late, accompanied by a beautiful young lady in a red dress.
“Hi, William!”
“How are you?” William greeted Dave and shook hands.
“Sorry I come too late because I had a doctor’s appointment. But don’t worry. I will give a good amount for charity.” Dave smiled widely. “Oh, I forgot. This is Clara, my fiancee. I was supposed to attend this event with my secretary but sadly she handed me the resignation without two weeks’ notice.”
William smiled bitterly. His eyes roamed, looking for Lea. But strangely she was nowhere to be found.
“Oh, is Paula okay now?” Dave asked.
“Paula?”
“Yes, I saw someone bring your wife to the hospital. I thought it was you, but I am surprised you are here.”
“What?”
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