Corporate Bride

14.

 

CHAPTER 14

MARY’S POV

 “When did Anderson get engaged again?”

  “Why did he and Kathleen breakup?”

  “Why didn’t we hear anything about this?”

  “Why did you allow him to get another woman?”

  “Kathleen Alistair is the perfect daughter-in-law one could ever get.”

  “Mary, why did you let her slip away?”

  She was getting frustrated at all the questions her friends were asking. Ever since she and the others run into Anderson and that girl, yesterday in this same restaurant, she had not stopped being interrogated. Damn it! Her friends gossiped more that she imagined. How the hell, did they manage to get the whole city talking about it over night? Even an article appeared in the papers this morning with a bold caption:

  ANDERSON NILES SPOTTED WITH A NEW MYSTERY GIRL.

    Taking her glass of water, Mary gulped down the cold liquid to quench the burning rage inside of her, before speaking. “Anderson is a grown man and can make his own choices.” She bit her tongue after that.

   “Yes, it’s true.” Teresa, a very close friend of Mary seconded.

   “Yes, indeed. So I am not going to object to his relationship.” She said with a forced smile, although knowing inside that she would anything in her power to stop that marriage.

   “You won’t object to his relationship?” Natty, another friend and a member of the gossip squad asked, in shock. “If you are not objecting to this then the girl must be from an elite family.”

  All heads turned in Mary’s direction after that statement. She gulped. “Is she?” Teresa asked.

  Mary knew how important associating with only the elite members’ in the society meant to her and her friends. They lived for such associations and being around low class people made them sick. She had no idea, however, if Anderson’s girl was from an elite family.

  Her skin began to crawl with the thought that she might not be. No, she has to be. Anderson knew very well that the family’s image must be protected. He would not dare go and bring a lowlife into the family. No, he would not. But could she trust him on that?

   “Uh, yeah. She is from an elite family.” Mary replied. That brought smiles to the faces of her friends and she sighed in relief. However, her interrogations had just begun.

  “So who are her parents?” Natty asked, while flipping her synthetic blonde hair to her back with her really long manicured nails.

   “Uh… Um… they are really important people.” Mary said, not wanting to lie to her friends. She knew better because they would go and investigate. If it turns out that she lied, it would be a disgrace to her and her family. And she did not want to ruin the family’s image.  

  “Mary, you’ve got to be specific.” Teresa said. “Are they Asians? I might know them, if they are. My husband is business partners with most of them and you all know that I understand most Asian languages. If it’s Korean or Chinese…”

  The women sitting around the table started to roll their eyeballs. Teresa sometimes could go on and on about things she has. It usually, was very annoying and irritating for them. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. We know.” Someone cut in and she shut up.