****
I was wearing a baseball cap outside the house this morning. The paparazzi were hiding just to get a picture of Henry and me.The bolder ones walked up for a comment about my husband’s recent behavior. I didn’t said a word.When I got to the hospital, I was welcomed with a warm hug from Camille.
“Are you okay?” she asked, worriedly.
Camille's diamond engagement ring shone under the fluorescent light. “I’m sorry you had to go through all that,” she said with empathy. “You don’t have to listen to what people say about you.”
Of course, I didn’t have to listen; now that I looked around, I realized that everyone’s eyes seemed to be on me alone.They’d also heard about Henry, and they all probably had something to say about it.
“It’s fine, Camille,” I replied. “It’s not as bad as it seems.”
Of course, it was as bad as it seemed – maybe even worse. Henry was losing it even though he pretended to have it together.He’d be a fool not to have lost his mind after all that had happened recently. Anyone would have lost their mind even earlier.Henry was trying to kill two birds with one stone. He might just lose it all at this point.
“I’ll be fine,” I responded as my pager went off. I took the next elevator to the operating room floor, ready for the surgery scheduled for today.
I noticed the nurses gossiping and stealing glances at me. Then, I heard them clearly in the changing room.I stood by the door as I listened to all they had to say about me and my husband.
“Guess who just went down the social ladder?” one of the nurses chuckled. “Henry Robinson.” She continued, “Guess who just went down with him, his classy wife, Amelia.”
I held my breath, holding myself from barging in on them. I continued to listen. “Henry Robinson is an ass,” another nurse said. “He deserves what is coming for him.”
I could go in and let them know that I heard everything, but I didn't. I couldn't. I ran to a nearby restroom, and let the tears flow.Now, I was scared of everything coming for Henry and me.
Chapter thirty-three
The Impossible Way out of the Dip
Henry
Troy's wedding was around the corner. He should have gotten married earlier, but the recent news about my business had stopped him from giving Camille the grand wedding she wanted.I sat in Troy’s office, trying to escape from the reality hitting me. I was also there to catch a glimpse of Amelia.She had a long shift, and I’d also brought her lunch.
Troy leaned on his office table. “What are you doing, Henry?” Troy looked at me as if he were scolding his younger brother.
Right now, he reminded me that an entire empire was relying on my decision. Whatever I decided right now would determine my one hundred and fifty staff would have a job by the end of the month.
"I don't know," I said. "I can't lay off seventy percent of my staff. What do you expect them to do afterward?"
"They can get a new job," he replied. "These things happen in every business; yours is not an exemption."
Troy had offered to lend me a hundred million dollars, enough to put into investment and get more money to pay the remaining staff in my hotels.I’d rejected his offer because I still wanted to keep my staff. I had enough time to make my decision, but Troy and Amelia thought I was running out of time.
“Take the money, Henry,” Troy persuaded. “You can pay me back once you are back on your feet.”
I nodded slowly. “Okay, Troy,” I responded. “I will take it.”
My phone buzzed; it was a text from my lawyer. Jonas Donald had miraculously dropped the lawsuit.I know it wasn’t so miraculous. Deep down, I knew Mother had had a hand in it. Whatever she had leveraged to make Jonas drop the lawsuit must have been great.
“Jonas dropped the suit,” I announced to Troy; he thought I was lucky.
In a week, the news would be over, and everyone would have forgotten that I had ever gone bankrupt.It took the attention off me to talk about the park reformation at my father’s park.Troy shared the same grievance; maybe even more than mine. He’d been closer to Father than me, and that park was one of the places he went whenever he missed him.
“Mom’s mind is made up,” he said. “I can’t seem to convince her.”
I sighed, and Troy looked out of the window. Father's park was being subjected to construction tractors, and there was nothing we could do about it.
I had a quick idea, and I looked up at Troy.“Do you want to beat Mother again?”
Troy turned to me. He looked interested in my solution. "I think we should cancel the contract Mother has with the reformation company."