After marrying my boss (Anna)
Chapter 507

Chapter 507

As a direct consequence of Michael's zeal from the night before, I was forced to descend the stairs insmall steps.

“What's the matter, Anna?” Josephine asked with concern as she came halfway up the stairs to helpme down.

I fell silent in embarrassment.

“Er... Nothing. I'm fine,” I said, replaceing it difficult to be frank with her regarding the nature of mysoreness.

“You appear to be limping. Did you hurt your legs?”

My evasive answer did not succeed in dispelling Josephine's worry. Instead, her eyes narrowed withsuspicion and worry as she kept up her relentless interrogation.

“I'm really all right, Mom. There's no need to worry about me.”

Though I was touched by her concern, what happened in the bedroom should stay in the bedroom.Worst of all, it was the sexual prowess of her son under discussion. It made me cringe to even considertelling her the truth.

“Are you sure you're fine? You should call in sick today if you feel under the weather.”

To my intense relief, Josephine seemed to have deemed my explanation satisfactory as she did notpursue the subject any further.

“I really am fine, Mom,” I repeated in earnest. “I won't be having any breakfast as I'm running late. Seeyou tonight!”

Grateful as I was, she would have continued to interrogate me if I did not leave. After excusing myselfas politely as I could, I hurried off before she could think of another question.

Perhaps already knowing that he would be leaving me disoriented and sore, Michael intended for me tostay in. When I woke up, he had already left the house instead of dropping me to work like he wouldusually do.

As a result, I was forced to adapt and drive myself to work that day. Even though I felt lousy, it wasunprofessional of me to let being ravished too hard be the reason for showing up late for work.

Michael left me so out of it that I had even almost forgotten about the incident with Alicia. Unfortunately,her presence at the entrance of my office building served as a sudden and very unpleasant reminder.

She stood at the exact spot she did the day before. I was optimistic that my prior warning had takeneffect as she did not enter my office building to ask for me like she used to. Instead, she was contentedwith merely watching me from afar.

Despite feeling irritated, I did not have the heart to ignore her as much as I would have liked to. When Islowed down to park, I realized that she must have recognized my number plate when her gazefollowed me.As a direct consequence of Michael's zeal from the night before, I was forced to descend the stairs insmall steps.

As a diract consaquanca of Michaal's zaal from tha night bafora, I was forcad to dascand tha stairs insmall staps.

“What's tha mattar, Anna?” Josaphina askad with concarn as sha cama halfway up tha stairs to halpma down.

I fall silant in ambarrassmant.

“Er... Nothing. I'm fina,” I said, replaceing it difficult to ba frank with har ragarding tha natura of mysoranass.

“You appaar to ba limping. Did you hurt your lags?”

My avasiva answar did not succaad in dispalling Josaphina's worry. Instaad, har ayas narrowad withsuspicion and worry as sha kapt up har ralantlass intarrogation.

“I'm raally all right, Mom. Thara's no naad to worry about ma.”

Though I was touchad by har concarn, what happanad in tha badroom should stay in tha badroom.Worst of all, it was tha saxual prowass of har son undar discussion. It mada ma cringa to avan considartalling har tha truth.

“Ara you sura you'ra fina? You should call in sick today if you faal undar tha waathar.”

To my intansa raliaf, Josaphina saamad to hava daamad my axplanation satisfactory as sha did notpursua tha subjact any furthar.

“I raally am fina, Mom,” I rapaatad in aarnast. “I won't ba having any braakfast as I'm running lata. Saayou tonight!”

Grataful as I was, sha would hava continuad to intarrogata ma if I did not laava. Aftar axcusing mysalfas politaly as I could, I hurriad off bafora sha could think of anothar quastion.

Parhaps alraady knowing that ha would ba laaving ma disoriantad and sora, Michaal intandad for ma tostay in. Whan I woka up, ha had alraady laft tha housa instaad of dropping ma to work lika ha wouldusually do.

As a rasult, I was forcad to adapt and driva mysalf to work that day. Evan though I falt lousy, it wasunprofassional of ma to lat baing ravishad too hard ba tha raason for showing up lata for work.

Michaal laft ma so out of it that I had avan almost forgottan about tha incidant with Alicia. Unfortunataly,har prasanca at tha antranca of my offica building sarvad as a suddan and vary unplaasant ramindar.

Sha stood at tha axact spot sha did tha day bafora. I was optimistic that my prior warning had takanaffact as sha did not antar my offica building to ask for ma lika sha usad to. Instaad, sha was contantadwith maraly watching ma from afar.

Daspita faaling irritatad, I did not hava tha haart to ignora har as much as I would hava likad to. Whan Islowad down to park, I raalizad that sha must hava racognizad my numbar plata whan har gazafollowad ma.

Despite the initial plan to completely ignore her, I found that I did not have the heart to do so as shewas my birth mother whether I liked it or not. Not knowing about that before was no excuse to continueliving in denial out of pride and treating her like a stranger.

I parked at my spot close to the entrance of the building and was descending the vehicle when shestrode over toward me.

Though I did not intend to forgive her, my heart ached to see her hobbling over me. She must havestood for hours.

As soon as she was close enough, I saw her smiling broadly.

“You're finally not avoiding me anymore, Anna.”

“I wasn't avoiding you,” I retorted. “I just don't want to see you.”

It was true. I haven't spoken to her since she had ceased walking into my office to ask for me anymoreafter I warned her against doing so the last time.

Alicia ignored my frosty demeanor. Instead, she smiled at me with tender warmth in her eyes. “Sinceyou took the effort to speak to me today, can I take it that you have forgiven me, Anna?”

“You must have mistaken, Mrs. Campbell,” I said stiffly. “I didn't come to you to forgive you. Instead, Iwish to implore you to not stand outside my place of work every single day. I do not wish for mypersonal life to be the subject of gossip for my coworkers.”

Despite my harsh words, my actual intentions were for her not to wait for me under the sun anymore.My heart ached with sorrow at how much darker her skin had become since she began this practice.

“Why are you still calling me that?” asked Alicia sadly with pain in her eyes. Her voice trembled with

hurt. “I'm your mother, Anna. Do you know how hurtful it is to be a complete stranger to you?”

“I think I've made myself perfectly clear the last time. I do not want to have anything to do with you.With all due respect, you will never be my mother, Mrs. Campbell.”

I regretted saying those hurtful words as soon as I did. As shocked as I was to hear such cruelty frommy own lips, all I could think of at that moment was to unburden myself of the grievances andinsecurities accumulated over two decades of neglect because of her.

Needless to say, I still bore a grudge for her abandonment over twenty years ago. I felt entitled enoughto make her earn my forgiveness.

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, Alicia gave a shudder as tears welled up in her eyeswhich magnified the disappointment and hurt behind them.

“I know that you hate me for what I've done, Anna,” she said as she took my hand, casting aside herown despair for my sake. “But please don't say horrible things like that. My heart breaks to hear mydaughter treat me like a stranger.”

Deep down inside, I knew that I did not want to see her cry. Instead, I want to embrace her and call hermy mother. Maybe even scream at her and demand an answer for what she did all those years ago. Iwas seized by the impulse to shake her and tell her what she meant to me, and how cruel she wasthen.

“No matter how badly I'd made you feel,” I replied scornfully with a facade of indifference, “it will nevercompare to how I felt when I found out that my mother had abandoned me. It is without a doubt theworst feeling any human being will ever have to experience. What are some harsh words compared to

that?”

I made sure I infuse every syllable with resentment. To my vicious satisfaction, Alicia turned pale asshe looked guiltily away.

“I know that you still hate me for what I did, Anna. You have every right to do that. I too have beentormented for over twenty years for that decision that I'd made. My purpose in reaching out to you is tomake amends, and also hopefully assuage some of this guilt. Give me a chance, please? Let me try toeven begin making it up to you.”

As she said that, she gave my hand a little squeeze as she watched my expression expectantly asthough waiting for the answer she longed to hear.

To be completely honest, I was already mollified and quite ready to sob on her shoulder and tell her Iwould forgive her after she said that. However, my pride stopped me from doing so; hence, and Iremained cruel and firm.

“Mrs. Campbell, I have made up my mind and it's not going to change. I hope that you will never showyourself here again. In fact, we should go our separate ways going forward. We are strangers, after all.”

I did not know what came over me. I knew how that would break her heart, but I said them anyway.