"That was Shelby’s name... Right?"
Clara’s expectant voice reminded James of something very crucial. He had been with her for so long that he had basically forgotten this. Clara could only recognize a few characters and was not necessarily learned. She had never had any formal education in her life.
At the time she met James, she had wished to get into an adult education program, but James liked her the way she was, and it had taken a backseat in her life. Clara had never felt the need to learn, but her children had thought otherwise. They had taught her to recognize the alphabet and their names, at the least when they realized that they could not get her to complete a full lesson.
Clara preferred to use her time on shopping and beautification programs instead. Even at this moment, she did not think that she was missing anything. When she had picked up the document, she had no intention of reading anything; she only looked through it when Shelby’s name had caught her attention.
"Y-es, that was it, but why do you have that document, dear?"
He rounded the desk and came to stand in front of her, bending at the waist so she would not have to stretch her neck.
He tapped her lightly on the nose, "You know I don’t like it when you touch these official documents an-"
"I got it right! Yay!"
James realized then again that he had been overreacting. Clara did not even hear, or rather, she did not listen to what he was saying. She was very proud of her ’achievement.’ Her excited demeanour made him let go of his vigilance.
’Rocky and Shelby would be proud of me now! I wish they had been here to see this!’ she thought. Never once did she question the contents of the file she had picked up and her curiosity was not piped too.
He relaxed and let a smile manifest on his face. James caressed her cheeks and whispered in her ear, "Yes, you did well, but I do not want you worrying this pretty head of yours on things like that."
"It’s not that! I let Shelby teach me how to recognize her name last time and -"
’That cursed name again!’ James thought, making sure to hide his reaction to this.
’Why can’t she just stay put? Did she have to go educating her? Dammit! She nearly found out!’
The document in question was the detailed contract that he had made Shelby sign. James also knew that he did not want Clara to find out the details. Not that they were gory in any way but it would be proof that he lied to her, and James wanted nothing of that sort.
He wanted Clara to continue thinking that Shelby married because she wanted to and not because she was forced; the contract was proof of that. James did love his wife, and he cared about how she felt very much.
He was very particular about the information he deemed worthy his wife’s attention. To James, Clara was more like a trophy wife of a sort. One that was meant to be admired, one who was meant to do nothing but to be at the service of her husband and just doll herself up!
"Mmmmmmm... I think you deserve a reward, though,"
He covered her mouth with his, sealing the words before they made it out. She was taken aback momentarily and closed her eyes, leaning in for more.
James kept his eyes open and looked at the pretty face while he kissed her deeper and senseless. He put his arms around her, and she splayed her hands on his chest.
James hummed in contentment, thinking, ’Beauty is just fine. I love beauty with no addition of anything! Beauty with NO brains is the best! Just the way I like it! Even though my wife is average compared to Shelby, that girl is too smart for her own good.
It is not good for a beauty to have too much brains.... And she even dared to try to teach my wife? That was a close call! I have to lock these in the safe because if Rocky finds these, that would be disastrous!’
Releasing one hand, he turned the swivel chair and pressed deeper onto her, placing his knees between her thighs, making Clara moan. He then reached out and picked up the contract, and pushed it under a pile of other papers on the table.
Satisfied, he pulled back to look at her flushed face.
"Is this enough of a reward, my dear?"
She pouted, and he laughed as if he had expected it, "I understand."
James stepped back, and then he hoisted her up suddenly with a grunt.
"Ah!" Clara let out a satisfied shriek and wrapped herself around him.
"I am so excited, dear!"
"... and I am getting too old! But that won’t stop me from making you scream my name, my dear!" Clara let out another satisfied giggle as James carried her out and towards their bedroom.
Back in the Thornston mansion and in the children’s room,
"Are you sure that Mama Shelby is coming?" Gabriel’s little voice seemed like it had no life. He was lying back on the floor and facing the ceiling as if he had no energy left in his little body.
Ingrid pushed her glasses up her nose and let out a helpless gesture. She sat up on her bed and looked down at her little brother.
"Okkkkaaayyyyyyy!!!!!"
Ingrid was starting to feel suffocated in the room. Gabriel had been asking for their new mother for the better part of the day after he had been turned back when he had attempted to see her earlier that morning. The dejection with which Gabriel had returned that morning had told Ingrid all she wanted to know about his short trip. Gabriel had just told her that,
"Mama Shelby is busy today, and she will bring us our new brother soon!"
Ingrid also did not understand that statement, but what she knew was that she did not want any other sibling. She only wanted her mother back. She did understand that her mother was no more and she would never see her again.
Ingrid had tried her best to stay away from Shelby because she generally did not like strangers, new mother or not! But at that moment, she had to find a way to get Gabriel comforted, something she was not good at.
Gabriel had asked the same question over and over again, so much that Ingrid was starting to feel the frustration. You know that feeling when a child keeps asking the ’why?’ question in all forms as if they want to frustrate you?
Gabriel had a couple of rug dolls made by Samantha and toy cars that had been scattered and abandoned by him all around. It was clear that he was bored out of little mind. Nothing interested him but the thought of when his elder sister and stepmother would come back to him.
Gabriel picked one up and threw it around.
"You are all liars! Sam left, and Mama Shelby also left. No one wants me anymore!" His face scrunched up as if he was about to cry.
"Gabriel, don’t be like that; you know that is not true..."
Ingrid got off the bed and came down to lie on the floor by Gabriel.
"I am here. I want you very much, and I love you too. No one left you. They are just a little busy today, and they will be back soon."
"But you said soon in the morning, too! And they are still not here!"
Ingrid did not know what to do with Gabriel anymore." She raked her mind hard and thought of how to explain this to him but came up blank. So she tried something else,
"Let’s play a game then,"
That seemed to pipe him up a little.
"Let’s play a game of clean the room to solve the puzzle!"
"I don’t like that game! You are just tricking me to clean up! You are a meany Ingrid!"
Ingrid knew that, it would somehow not work. It was a silly game they used to play with Gabriel to get him to clean by making him think that they were fixing puzzles. She just was not as good as Samantha when it came to these things.
’I couldn’t even develop something as simple as a game. I am so useless!’
’I wish Samantha were here,’ she thought and looked over at the lump still on Samantha’s bed that made it look like she was still asleep and under her covers.
’Samantha could have calmed down Gabriel within minutes. I am so useless!’ she thought, her eyes watered with unshed tears.
’Where is Samantha anyway? Why is she not back? She is usually not gone for this long, though! Should I have gone with her?’ she asked herself, dismissing the thought right away as she did not like crowds at all.
She started wondering where her eldest sister was.
’If someone came again, how do I explain Samantha’s absence again? I don’t like it when she does this.’ Then she consoled herself yet once again.
’Nobody ever comes into our room anyway. We should be okay for a while, but I have to get Gabriel quiet and calm or-’
Just then, the door squeaked open.
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