Kathleen did not see Derek for the next two days, she busied herself with work, doing all the laundry and house chores, Stefan has not called again since that day. She soon finished with her work and to her dismay, there was nothing more to do, she desperately needed to keep herself busy, she saw Mary going out, she knew the maids doesn't go out except to shop for groceries, " are you going to shop for groceries?" Mary frowned at her before nodding, "why don't you have some rest, I'll do it instead"
" You should be the one having some rest and not me, you've been working all day" Kathleen smiled sadly, " I'm fine Mary, I don't need to rest, give me the grocery list, okay, you can go in and have your rest"
Mary looked at her, her gaze filled with doubt, "are you sure about this?"
Kathleen nodded and Mary handed over the grocery list to her, " the way you're doing, you'll exert yourself with too much work, you're not supposed to be doing any of this in the first place".
Kathleen took the list and smiled her thanks.
Derek was in a meeting, his body was present but his mind wasn't there, he kept spacing out, he has been like this since the incident happened, at first, the board members sympathized with him and most understood the trauma of losing a child but this was getting out of hand and slowly it became a thing of concern as they were slowly losing clients. He was asked a question by a board and as usual, he was spaced out, his heart filled with grief and his mind filled with memories of Kathleen but this time around, he was thinking about the call she had received.
The board stared glanced at each other and the vice cleared his throat bringing him back from his daze. "Looks like you'll need some time off," the vice said and the rest of the board nodded as if he had spoken their minds.
Derek grimaced, "I don't need time off, I am fine"
"Our company abroad needs some major attention and you are supposed to go on a trip abroad to settle whatever it is, but..."
"But what? You all think I am incapable right? That I'm just a jerk and Playboy who couldn't handle his wife that she brought in a lover and in the process loses a child"
There was an awkward silence and the members stared at him, "that's not it" a board stated
"Then it's what? It's just so obvious that you're all thinking I am incapable of running the business" he angrily pushed back his seat, standing up, he stared at them each in the eyes, "I'll be the one to go for this business trip and that's final" he walked out of the room and the board looked at each other in confusion, not fully understanding what had just happened.
Derek walked into his office too agitated, Jake stood by his side fidgeting, unsure of how to make his young boss feel better, he had been so grumpy in the past weeks and flare up easily, one have to be on his toe around him, "get my car around" Derek suddenly ordered and Jake gawked, "er...."
Derek's penetrating stare stopped him mid-sentence and he quickly scurried away.
Kathleen was just coming out from the store when she bumped into someone and her goods fell on the ground, "I'm so sor...." Her words died in her mouth when she glanced up to see the person she was about to apologize to, she became upset and her eyes spotted, "Stefan"
"Hello lover," he said looking at her with a smirk, Kathleen forgot all reasoning as her hand connected to his cheek, he rubbed the place he had received the slap the smirk never leaving his face, "how dare you," she said in an angry whisper, " what did I ever do to you?"
"You deserve someone better than that bastard you call your husband, he's just a playboy," he said harshly and her eyes rounded in disbelief, her lips formed "Oh!
"And who is that better someone?"
"Me Kathleen, I'll cherish you for the rest of your life"
"You two-faced liar" she pounded on his chest angrily, scratching his face, she felt like killing him right there.
He grabbed her hands to still her attacks and she wrenched her hands from him, "do not place your filthy hands on me, you're such an evil being, do you think someone like you stand a chance?"
His eyes narrowed on her, "so you'll prefer a ladies' man to someone who'll cherish you? Don't you see? everything I did was for you"
"I'll prefer the devil himself than being with someone like you, you disgust me"
There was a flash of pain in his eyes, briefly, it was gone, he grabbed her hands, tugging her along, "come with me"
She struggled against his grasp, "let me go"
He simply tugged her harder and she found her feet moving then suddenly a voice boomed, " you really have a death wish, don't you?" Kathleen gasp as she saw Derek's murderous face just before he punched Stefan.
Stefan was rolling on the floor, bleeding profusely from Derek's onslaught, someone had called 911 and they soon arrived at the scene taking Stefan away. Derek gazed at Kathleen coldly and led her to his car, "get in" he commanded, still in a daze about what just happened, she entered the car without any argument as he got into the driver's seat. Kathleen stared at him, his gaze was unreadable, was he thinking that she had come out to meet Stefan?
"I didn't know I'll see him here," she said, her tone defensive, although he hadn't uttered a word, it felt his accusation, he briefly glanced at her, his gaze dark but didn't say a word, they drove him in total silence.
He soon got home and made to move inside but she quickly grabbed his arms, "Derek please say something, you do not think I went out to see him, do you?
"Get in," he said simply before tugging his arms from her grasp and going inside without a second glance at her.
Tears welled in Kathleen's eyes, he do not trust her one bit, why does she feel that she needed to defend herself when he glanced at her? Her heart yearn for him but he was nothing more than a distant stranger to her.