Chapter Fifteen

Hazel's POV

 I couldn't, I shouldn't.

 There was a time I was suspected of doing drugs. An enemy of mine or the company had given a tip to the police that I had drugs in my office and in my house and the police came with a search warrant to inspect both my house and my office. They couldn't find anything suspicious but still didn't give up, claiming that they had been tipped off by a very reliable source, so they had to inspect the whole company, and even search every one of my staff.

 They still couldn't find what they were looking for so they had to give up, but the damage had already been done. Before 7 AM the next day, news of the police searching my company for drugs and contraband substances had spread like wild fire, both on the national TV stations and in the business market, and before I could even blink an eye, our sales had plummeted way below my imagination and that made me realize more than Mrs Yang could ever buttress that I was IC corporations, and that IC corporations was me.

 People started rejecting our products, claiming that since the CEO of the company had a questionable character, that the product as well would certainly not be able to meet consumers' satisfaction.

 I went through hell during that period, and I most certainly wasn't going to go through such ever again, not because of anyone, and certainly not because of Hunter.

 The fact that he was taken to the station was definitely none of my business, but for the single fact that the news about my husband being arrested by the police will make a news headline, I had to do something.

 I sent out Basil to get to the station as fast as he could and get the situation taken care of. I knew him well enough to know that nothing was far beyond his reach.

 About an hour or so after he left, I dialed his number to know what had transpired between him and the cops. It rang the first time but there was no answer - that was strange. It wasn't the weekend, and Basil has always been the type to be with his cellphone, or was he still settling things with the police? I dialed it a second time and after ringing for a few seconds, he picked up.

 " Hello sir", he said, his voice sounding croaked.

 " Hello, how did it go? Were you able to get him out unnoticed?", I asked, wholeheartedly expecting a pleasant answer.

 " Yes sir. We were able to leave the station without much trouble", he said and I sighed in relief. I know I said I trusted him to do a good job, but there is always a first time for everything, what if his first time of failing was in that situation? Well, I guess that first time experience of failure on his part, had to be postponed.

 " Great. Where are you guys now?"

 " We just drove into the house right now".

 " Okay. Come pick me up, I have a seminar to attend".

 " Okay sir", he hung up the call.

 I exhaled deeply, relaxing into my armchair.

 Hunter was trying to get me into trouble. I wasn't surprised, that was so much like him, and one good thing about evil people is that you can always expect them to do something evil, unlike when I thought he was a good and kindhearted person, only to pull up at school to be met with the worst disgrace of my entire existence. It would've been probably better for me to be stripped entirely naked in front of the whole school, at least I would be complemented for having such a great dick. Indeed, the memories of that time were the very bane of my existence.

 Basil came after a while and I hopped in, still preparing for the seminar as I sat in the backseat.

 " What? A seminar with successful 21st century CEOs is the topic?" Basil asked, his eyes still on the road.

 " Yep. And now I have to lie to a bunch of knowledge-hungry youths, telling them that there are steps to follow to being successful", I said, looking out through the window.

 " Well, some people actually need to hear whatever it is you have to say to keep themselves going", he said, taking a peek at me from the rear mirror.

 " You really think so? Because I don't".

 " Ever wonder why some people claim to get their wishes fulfilled after praying to some being they call god? And why they do things they never imagined they could do after such prayer sessions?" he asked with a hint of excitement. It was one those times when he had something to say about a particular matter which he thinks he knows too well, and coupled with the fact that he was an atheist who only practiced Humanity as a religion, I was definitely in for a long talk.

 " No, not really", I said, " care to enlighten me?"

 " It is because they have faith. Not in themselves, but in that being whom they believe so much can come to their aid, but what they don't really know is that they are the ones doing the work for themselves, not that being. They are the ones studying so hard to get into that college, they are the ones working so hard to get that promotion, and that if they had the same faith in themselves as they had for whatever being they believe they worship, they would excel more than they could ever imagine", he said with a concluding tone.

 " So........what exactly are you driving at? I mean, how does that relate to me lying to a bunch of innocent people?" I asked, seeking clarifications. Basil wasn't the type of person to hit the nail right on the head. His specialty was in beating around the bush, taking his time, before finally hitting the main spot.

 " What I am trying to say is that probably, to you, what you're going to do there at the seminar is completely useless, but to someone else it might be a source of inspiration, a medicine, an energy boost for attaining greater heights", he said with the serenity of someone who has lived for a thousand years.

 I nodded in affirmation to what he was saying, realizing that he was in fact, right. " Okay. I'll do the needful and put my whole heart into lying to them", I said and we both chuckled.

 The seminar went smoothly, only that I had to smile and lie to people's faces, and even had to lie more to answer their questions.

 Basil drove me home after I had a meeting with a designated investor, and I walked into the house to the sound of Hunter playing ' A New Day' by Celine Dion - that boy must be obsessed with the old lady.

 " Hush, now, I see the light in the sky, oh, it's almost blinding me. I can't believe I've been touched by an angel with love", he sang and I couldn't help but get fascinated with his voice. Even though I hated him more than chickens, I was still going to be truthful about the fact that he had a nice voice.

 I perceived the aroma of something but I couldn't quite point a finger at it, whether it was mac and cheese or meatloaf; it smelt like both were being prepared. Trust me, I wanted to mind my business and go upstairs to my room, but the fact that I couldn't eat the half-cooked steak at the dinner meeting and I didn't have lunch earlier in the day made my mouth water at the aroma of the meal that was prepared.

 I somehow found myself in the kitchen, still with my briefcase, and there he was, in pajamas, singing out loud and moving around the kitchen, putting things in place. He just moved in like a day before and he already knew all about my kitchen, even more than I who started living there long before he did. The sight of him was annoying enough, but what was more annoying was that he was smiling. Him, Hunter, was sheepishly smiling, totally oblivious of my presence, as if something exciting happened today. Suspicious parents would refer to the exhibition of such behavior as live syndrome, but the Hunter I knew could never genuinely fall in love with anyone so I brushed off that particular idea.

 He turned around and on seeing me, his smiley face went back to the usual congealed and soggy cup of noodles that it had always been.

 " What are you doing in my kitchen?" I asked coldly, not bothering to ask him about anything that went on at the police station - it was utterly none of my business, as long as he didn't get my reputation in trouble.

 " None of your business", he replied, still dishing out the two dishes.

 The sight of the Mac and cheese made me gulp so hard and my stomach rumbled. I didn't bother to ask him again, lest he denies me a plate of the meal.

 I wanted to ask him if I could join him for dinner but didn't know how to shape my silly mouth to say that. I was sure going to have to swallow my pride to do that, but the said pride in question was too large for my tiny throat.

 " Um........can I.......can I um......", The words got stuck in my throat.