04: Post-divorce Realisations...

"Merlin!! What's going on?!" Warren asked as he strode over to Merlin's desk.

Unexpectedly, the man he went to for information was on his phone as he was desperately trying to explain without noticing his boss. "I'm sorry but, we're not giving out any information regarding this matter. Please respect our privacy. Thank you." His words were polite yet firm as if he was ready to carve those words into other's brain.

Ending the call swiftly, Merlin turned off the connection to that office land line phone as he turned off his own phone too. Just by looking at his annoyed expression while turning off the phone, one could tell just how many calls he has gone through.

"Is that call about this so called child of mine?" Warren asked startling Merlin who was in the middle of calming his mind.

"Nope, it was about Mr.Wilson's child."

"Huh?" Warren was baffled, "Just how many children are there? What exactly is going on?!"

"One. Only one child. Which is, with no evidence, concluded as Ms.Summerfield's son. And that child, according assumptions of public and media, has two fathers. Mr.Wilson and you."

Although, Merlin's explanation was short lived, it was long enough for Warren to assess the whole situation. "And there's no official explanation from Ms.Summerfield's side?"

"The photo was uploaded last night on a famous news station's website. They were currently trying to suppress the rumours from spreading but, it's already out of their hands. They should be coming up with an alternative method to handle the situation by now. Considering the scale of seriousness this issue hold with three important personalities involved, I'm guessing their solution should be to hold a press meet. If the child really is Ms.Summerfield's, that is."

"But, there's no way it's her son. She'd told me if we had a child!" A confidence it was from Warren.

But, it was demolished by Merlin's sarcastic chuckle, "Why should she tell you if the child is Mr.Wilson's? You really believe that she's still that girl who was head over heels in love with you?"

Warren was annoyed at the same time he felt a strange suffocation. "Are you my friend or that guy's? Whose side are you in?!"

"Neither. I'm with Ms.Summerfield on this." As he spoke while checking his phone, "Oh?!"

Warren, "What is it?"

"A press meet was arranged this evening! Official news from Sunlit Fashions." Merlin said blankly as if his brain stopped working for a second, "Seems... It's her son after all, huh?"

Warren's face slightly contorted as Merlin's words pained his heart like a sharp arrow piercing through. As far as he remembered, he couldn't recall the moment he consummated with his ex-wife. Then, did she really have a son with that guy?!

Although Warren believed deep in his heart that he didn't have any rights to blame Vida for that,he still couldn't resist the urge to do so. He was a pathetic ex-husband who realised his ex-wife's true intentions only after 4 months post-divorce.

...

"Hi, Mr.Bellinor!" Selene walked into Warren's office as if she was walking into her own room.

Just the sight of that woman really made Warren to repulse and step back 10 km away from her but, he restrained himself since she was the brand ambassador of the new perfume that'll be released in a month after all.

"Ms.Blakesley, I would appreciate it if you could knock before entering. Also, please don't come looking for me without making an appointment." Warren said, his voice emitting cold air.

Selene was a rising star actress in the entertainment industry. Using her father's connection as a producer, her acting career rose to great heights in just two years since she started acting. Of course, she was the exact type of women Warren despises with his whole heart. That's also why he wasn't really fond of his ex-wife too.

"Come on~ Mr.Bellinor, aren't we close already? What's with the formalities when we're already so close?" She asked coyly with a seductive smile.

Despite her acting skills being average, Selen is a beautiful woman. Plump red lips highlighting her milk white soft skin along with her blue eyes, she's indeed a beauty. She flipped her dense brunette hair as she sat on the chair reserved for guests. The violet coloured silk frock that didn't manage to reach her knees was pulled back even more as she sat, revealing her long, slender thighs.

Yet, those thighs lost to Warren's cold demeanour. "Ms.Blakesley, we're not close. You're just an ambassador to one of our products." He said as he glued his eyes to the computer screen infront of him.

But, those cold words only instigated her determination more. "Warren, why are you still being cold? It's been more than half a year since you divorced that woman? Don't you think it's time for you to look for another woman?" Pausing for a while, she continued when she didn't get any answers from Warren. "Oh, don't tell me that you're still not over her! Come on! She found herself another rich man as soon as she divorced you, she's basically a whore, isn't she?!"

Warren was annoyed. Not because Selene insulted his ex-wife. It's cause, she doesn't seem get the message from Warren's polite and cold words. "Ms.Blakesley, please mind your words. Also, it's Mr.Bellinor for you! If you enter the office again without making an appointment, I'd have to reconsider you being the ambassador of the new perfume."

He wasn't that polite anymore. "Now, could you please leave me alone. I have a meeting in a few minutes."

Surely, she wasn't that shameless to stay after basically got told to get out.

...

"Why didn't you check for the typos in the document, Ms.Denise?" Merlin was in the middle of lecturing an employee when Warren walked out of the office.

As it seems a serious problem, Warren walked upto them to know the situation. "What's the issue?" He asked.

Before Merlin could explain the situation, Ms.Denise beat him to it. "I'm sorry, boss! Since there weren't any typos in the documents you sent me to check for the last few months, I naturally didn't pay much attention to this document to avoid pulling an all nighter. Please forgive me for my negligence!" She did a 90° bow as she apologised as if her life depended on it.

Hearing this, the fact that she failed her given task wasn't what bugged Warren but, what does she mean there weren't any typos in the documents I sent? Since when did I learn to type without typos?!!

As if he read Warren's thoughts, "What do you mean there weren't any typos in the documents boss sent? Since when did he-"

"That's enough." Warren interrupted Merlin to save his face, As if there were any left to save! "We're running late to the meeting. Let's deal with this later." Saying so, he dragged Merlin, who was reluctant to leave it for later away.

"What do you mean 'later' boss?" Merlin retaliated once they were in the elevator although he was following Warren obediently. "We need this file for this very meeting? And the meeting's in an hour."

"That's why I said to leave the matter for later. We can't afford to waste a single minute. Let's look it over on our way there." Leaving the elevator as soon as the doors opened Warren quickly made his way to the car in a hurry, followed by Merlin.

...

2 hours later...

...

"By the way, what did Ms.Denise meant earlier when she said there weren't any typos in the documents you sent lately?" He forgot to ask it earlier since he was busy with checking over the file earlier. Now that the meeting has come to an end successfully, finally having the leisure to chat, Merlin asked curiously. "Don't tell me that you've finally learnt to type without typos."

"Don't ask me! Even I didn't believe that." Warren said, same curiosity reflected on his expression.

"What do you mean? Then, did Ms.Denise lie? She seemed pretty genuine though."

Warren was in deep thought ashe sat calmly in the car. Merlin too. "Wait!" Merlin who was about to start the car suddenly paused, as he suddenly thought of something. "Did you ever let Ms.Summerfield know the password for your laptop?" He asked, not breaking his poised outlook.

"What's that got to do with this?!" Warren asked clueless, his face contorting slightly at the mention oftgat woman.

Merlin didn't answer.

Eureka!

It was the first document Warren himself took charge of after the divorce. When Ms.Denise said 'last few months', it must mean the time when Ms.Summerfield was still his wife. The timing was too coincidental.

Surely, Merlin didn't have to say anything. Warren was intelligent enough to figure that out on his own too. But, he wasn't willing to accept that fact. "It can't be..." That woman wasn't that considerate. Only thing she knew was to use her connections to rise to fame. She had such an easy life. Now, you're telling me she helped me.

"Why can't it be?" Merlin asked. Warren was about to speak his thoughts out, "Forget it." Merlin stopped him. "You'll know once you check it yourself. Whether you check it or not. I don't care."

But, Warren was too curious to let it go. So he checked the CCTV at home.

REALISATION #1

After spending more than a week pondering why Vida helped him, Warren at last concluded it as one of Vida's tricks to get on his good side and let it go.

Feeling exhausted from running around for countless meetings, Warren desperately cursed Merlin in his mind for scheduling all the meeting in one day. Finally reached home in the midnight after being stuck in traffic for about an hour, "Stay the night here." Warren said to Merlin who was about to drive away. "It'll be 2 a.m. when you reach home." Although he was the one who set the schedule whichever them work overtime, Warren still wasn't willing send his friend home at midnight.

Knowing he can't change Warren's decisions once he was fixed on it and also feeling exhausted himself, Merlin didn't bother to refuse Warren. They're friends since high school after all.

A quick bath and a change of clothes, Warren went to dining room for dinner. As the food was served by his house keeping lady, Warren suddenly recalled something while eating. "Aunt Helen! How come you don't make chicken soup anymore?"

"Huh?" The house keeping lady, aunt Helen was baffled.

"There was a time when you made it often. And, I quite liked it. Why don't you make it anymore these days?" Thinking that she didn't hear him properly, Warren explained with a smile.

"T-that..." Aunt Helen was at loss as to what to say. After a few moments of struggling to answer his question, she suddenly spoke up with all her courage gathered up, "Mr.Bellinor, That soup... It wasn't me who made them. It was your wi- no, I mean Ms.Summerfield. "

What the fuck!!?

Disbelief filling up his head, Warren's mind went back to one certain day... A week had already passed since his marriage. When Warren returned home that day, Vida came into his view as soon as he stepped into the house. It wasn't the greatest day Warren had either so, with his mood already being quite displeased, seeing Vida only did the contrary to any good change in his mood.

Ignoring her and her bright smile, Warren took a shower and came down to dinner. Somehow, the aroma of the chicken soup, his favourite food lifted his mood up a little as he sat for dinner pleasantly.

"Aunt Helen, your cooking skills are top notch. Especially this soup. You should make it often." He praised as he stuffed his mouth.

However, an enthusiastic voice suddenly interrupted him, "Ah, I made it." Vida said quite confidently as she stared hard at her husband who's savouring the food she made heartily.

REALISATION #2

Warren remembered almost slamming his spoon into the bowl as he reprimanded her at that time.

'How much more shameless can you get? Taking credits for others work!! Hah! I expected no less from a woman who snatched others opportunity through connections and money.'