[28]
Since his wife arrived at his cluttered workspace with a few crucial documents, Robby couldn’t help but notice how she displayed her smile. However, her gaze was fixed on her phone, not on him. Robby wondered what Agatha was working on, so she had to visit his office. It wasn’t because it bothered him but because he had excessive suspicions.
It was about something other than the social gatherings and socialite events that Agatha often organized outside their home. That didn’t concern Robby because he understood that his wife needed to socialize with her circle. Besides, Robby was familiar with Agatha’s social circle. His wife often told him about each of her friends.
“What’s wrong, honey?” Robby couldn’t hold back any longer. His wife’s appearance was suspicious, and Robby still harbored jealousy towards Agatha. Despite his age, Robby believed that Agatha’s face was perfectly well-maintained.
“Oh,” Agatha approached with a smile still on her face. “I was dealing with your son, dear.”
Robby frowned. “Leonel?”
“Who else would he be, your son?” Agatha pulled one of the chairs in front of her husband’s desk. She sat down, making herself comfortable, leaning on the wide backrest of the chair. The phone in her hand was now extended to her husband. Robby continued to furrow his brow, still unsure of what was happening.
“Who is this?” Robby asked as he saw the photo on his wife’s phone.
“Take a good look, dear,” Agatha urged. “Don’t you recognize her?”
“Oh… Is this Adrianna, right? Chloe’s friend?”
Agatha nodded quickly.
“What does Mom want with Adrianna?”
Agatha suddenly realized one thing: her husband wasn’t present during the speech earlier this morning. “Ah, Papi missed out on the morning excitement.”
“Morning excitement?” Robby shook his head in confusion. “Papi doesn’t understand what Mom means.” Just when he was about to study another report, Agatha held it back to indicate she had something to say.
“Ester spent the night.”
Robby listened half-heartedly. Sometimes it was better for him to pretend to hear as a form of appreciation rather than divert his attention from his work. Agatha could get angry and remain silent for hours, and Robby couldn’t stand it. Although he rarely engaged in conversations as lively as Agatha’s, he always listened attentively to everything she said.
Robby didn’t talk much, but when he did, everyone who knew him understood that his words were not to be taken lightly.
“And we had breakfast together this morning,” Agatha added, her happiness evident in her eyes.
“Why is Ester having breakfast with us, but Mom looks happy? Is Mom starting to accept Chloe’s crazy idea?” Robby quickly asked, as he never expected his beloved daughter-in-law to behave so wildly and unexpectedly. Sometimes he wanted to ask Chloe what her true intentions were. But considering her fragile state and the recovery process, Robby feared that too many questions from him might disrupt that.
“How could I not be happy?” Agatha blinked softly, remembering how the breakfast made her day feel lighter. “Chloe played her role well.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well… She made our foolish son feel guilty, and that snake woman is starting to consider entering the Grisham family more deeply. That was just breakfast, dear. After the company’s anniversary celebration, we haven’t even had the family gathering.”
Robby, who remembered the dinner where Chloe’s bold words had made an impact, started to make some connections. “So… Chloe showed her fangs?”
Agatha nodded enthusiastically.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
“That’s good. Sometimes Leonel needs to be taught a lesson. What’s lacking, Chloe? In their five years of marriage, I’ve never heard any complaints about Chloe from anywhere. How could Leonel do that behind her back?” Robby said with anger. “I still remember our promise to Chloe’s parents, dear.”
“Me too.” Agatha’s words carried a hint of sadness. “I feel like we haven’t been able to protect Chloe, dear. Leonel is indeed an outstanding son. I can’t deny that. But why would he hurt his wife so deeply?” Agatha regretted Leonel’s actions. “And why, Ester?”
Agatha never had a problem with whoever her son was involved with. As the sole heir to the Grisham Group, Leonel was expected to meet the expectations of the large Grisham family in every aspect. In every way, Leonel had to excel. Agatha didn’t expect much because it would burden Leonel, but her son knew that what rested on his shoulders was not trivial.
Chloe was the right person to accompany Leonel as his wife. Rarely did bad things befall Chloe; even in her current situation, many felt sympathy for her gentle and delicate nature. Agatha and Robby thought that love would grow over time. But apparently, it didn’t.
Whether it was because of Leonel’s deep love for Ester or because the woman refused to let go of Leonel.
“Although I’ve warned that woman many times,” Agatha grumbled unhappily, “Ester has found an equally matched opponent. I never thought Chloe would do something like this.”
“But I have my concerns, dear,” Robby revealed, immediately capturing Agatha’s attention. Seeing his wife’s intense gaze, Robby sighed softly and continued, “If Chloe insists on getting a divorce, what should we do?”
“Then let them get a divorce.”
Robby furrowed his brow. “Are you agreeing, Mom?”
“No. Not, dear. Mami loves Chloe so badly. Mami feels like she has found a second child in Chloe. But Mami can’t help but see Chloe’s sadness because of our son, dear.”
Robby’s shoulders slumped. “You’re right.”
“That’s why Mami is trying hard to make Leonel see Chloe from a different perspective.”
“Papi doesn’t quite understand what Mami means.”
“Soon, someone will become jealous.”
Robby’s brow furrowed even more.
***
Running into Leonel near Chloe’s room made Agatha’s heart flutter excitedly. There was nothing she desired more in recent times than to mend the relationship with her daughter-in-law. For Agatha, Chloe was more than enough as a daughter-in-law. She could be proud of her appearance and the various skills Chloe possessed. Even though she stayed home most of the time, as Agatha and Chloe agreed, a wife could still contribute at home. Although in reality, Chloe didn’t do much in their luxurious home.
Whatever excuses Leonel gave as he descended the stairs, Agatha responded with a smile.
“What does Mami want with Chloe?” Leonel finally asked, a hint of desperation evident in his voice, perhaps feeling that his explanations did not affect his mother.
“Huh? Since when was Mami going to meet Chloe?” Agatha asked, feigning innocence. “Besides, Leonel, you’re so strange. You even have separate rooms. Don’t you want to have pillow talk?”
“Sometimes,” Leonel replied, accompanied by many lies. But his mother’s skeptical smirk revealed her disbelief.
“Mami wants to talk to Chloe and share some fun. Earlier, she went out with Adrianna. Who knows what might have happened.”
For some reason, Leonel felt angry at the thought of Chloe leaving without his knowledge. His hands clenched suddenly, and his expression became less relaxed. “How does Mami know where she went?”
“Huh? Does Mami think you know, dear? No, right?” Agatha asked innocently. “Ah, just let it be. Besides, Mami can’t persuade Chloe not to divorce you. Let her enjoy her freedom.”
“Mami,” Leonel said with frustration. “Whose side are you really on?”
“What’s wrong with you, Leonel?” Agatha, who had reached the top of the stairs, turned and looked at Leonel intently. She couldn’t deny that the man standing near her resembled her husband at the same age as Leonel. Tall and upright, his broad shoulders were comfortable to lean on, not to mention his neatly tailored attire. “Aren’t you supposed to marry that woman if you get divorced?”
Leonel looked confused. “So… Mami agrees with Leonel marrying Ester?”
Agatha didn’t divert her gaze. “These past five years, do you think Mami didn’t know what you were up to, Leonel? I covered it up carefully. I believe that your marriage could still be saved. I also tried to comfort Chloe, but the reality? It’s not like that, is it?”
Leonel fell silent.
“What are the dreams of parents? You should know, Leonel,” Agatha gently patted her son’s shoulder. “We only hope that the marriage of our children, our lineage, is comfortable and happy, supporting each other, giving attention and understanding. Not like you, who heartlessly hurt women, Leonel.”
For the first time in a long while, his mother spoke about what Leonel had been doing all this time.
“All you care about is pleasure with your woman, right? Do you know how devastated Mami is? How devastated Chloe is?” Agatha grimaced. “I don’t think you do.” She retook a deep breath, trying to smile. “I won’t hinder Chloe’s wish to divorce you after thinking about it for a few days. And it’s also your wish, right? To marry that woman?”
“Does… Papa also finally approves?”
Agatha remained silent for a moment. “You know the answer.”
Then she left her son alone. Although her heart ached, she had to say this. However, her words didn’t necessarily imply her approval. Indeed, she strongly opposed Leonel eventual marrying Ester. She would do whatever it took to separate them before it was too late.
“Mami often daydreams,” Robby said, observing his wife lost in thought in front of her dressing table. He paused, combing his hair. “What is Mami thinking about?”
Agatha turned and found her husband still awake, engrossed in his work tablet. She sighed softly and left her activity before going to bed. “Papi keeps working. When will you stop?”
“When Leonel’s brain starts functioning normally again.”
Agatha chuckled. “Sometimes, you spoil Leonel too much.”
“You pamper him too much.”
Agatha smiled, leaning on her husband’s shoulder. “Maybe… divorcing Leonel will bring him back to being himself.”
Robby remained silent for a while, but then Agatha felt his hair gently caressed with affection. “I think so. Papi prays for that to happen.”