CHAPTER THREE
“Why are you so mean? Aren’t you glad to see me?” Jeanie Harris whimpered, pouting her lips to reveal a seductive smile. It was hard to determine which was more offensive – her crimson cheeks that were bordering purple, or her glistening nails resembling bloody talons. One thing was for sure: This woman in her early forties never refrained from flirting with Alex, or any other man in that matter. There was always the next target.
“No wonder she never adopted Dad’s surname,” Alex thought. An unusual move for a woman lusting for fame and fortune, for Borgen Enterprises had been the largest and richest construction firm in the nation for two decades. Perhaps she wanted to remain relatively detached so that when Peter, Alex’s father, died, she could easily start searching for the new husband. With a pocketful of Peter’s money, of course.
Alex worshipped his father, a hard-working man who began his career as a bricklayer and ended up a billionaire. He never understood why Peter picked such a woman as Jeanie to be his companion, after Alex’s mother died three years ago. The decision hurt Alex so deeply that he left home, vowing only to return after Jeanie was gone. Well, Peter did not seem to mind his son’s desire to be independent. He rarely contacted Alex. When he did summon his son, the agent was always Jeanie.
Alex now understood why some people would want to “shoot the messenger”. He glared at Jeanie as she fussed with her hair and dress, trying hard to look young enough for his affection. “What do you want?” he growled.
“Well, Peter wants you to meet someone,” she rolled her eyes in distaste. “I can’t see what’s so good about her, but it’s your father’s choice, just because her family’s rich, I think.”
“I’m too old for matchmaking. You go and tell him that.”
“Well, I did, really really truly,” she feigned innocence. “God knows how much I care for you. If it’s purely up to me, I’ll pick someone far more mature and experienced.” That pair of fake eyelashes fluttered.
What a load of crap. Not even bothered to open his month, Alex nodded, gathered a pile of books in his arms and turned away.
“Lunch-time tomorrow, at that fancy Italian restaurant your father likes! We’ll see you there!” Jeanie raised her voice after him, enjoying the fact that people in the library were now staring at her. “Dress up! I’ll look forward to it!”
Alex remained with the photocopiers as her high-heels clicked away. Trembling with anger and frustration, he found it hard to balance the books at hand. There was no way he could get out of this. If Peter said jump, then Alex would leap, into Hell if necessary. The bond with his father could not and should not be broken. That was that.
He sighed. Meeting this girl would be absolutely necessary, but he did not have to like her. Peter understood that, too, which was why he wanted it done, perhaps as part of his business deals. As long as Alex showed up to act his role, Peter would not care how the performance would end. In this, father and son had long reached consensus.
Alex smiled to himself as thoughts of Emily returned. He would call her tomorrow night, after work, and they could chat about those books she borrowed. There were so many things he would like to share with her. He might even joke about the business lunch.
———-
What kind of person do you think this other girl should be? (1) A wheelchair-bound high school teacher, or (2) A blind pianist? Please leave a message below. Your vote will determine the story’s development in the next 600 words.
The next chapter will be posted on February 12, Friday, at 8pm AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Time, GMT+11). Voting begins right after the chapter is posted and ends at midnight AEDT the following Tuesday. The story will have a total of seven chapters, 64 possible endings.
Voices under the Sun 陽光下的聲音 