Chapter 6: Confused and Stressed.
Henry was steeped in a sea of indecision,
Deciding whether to reach out to his grandmother,
When the shrill beep of his phone sliced through his thoughts.
A glance revealed the caller;
It was none other than his grandmother herself.
"Hello,"
He uttered,
A note of surprise coloring his voice as he answered.
"You didn't see Jennifer today, did you?"
She inquired, her words tinged with concern,
Easily picking up on the strain in his voice.
"Jennifer?"
He echoed, his mind reeling in bewilderment.
"My wife's name is Jennifer?"
He questioned,
His voice was laced with astonishment.
"Oh my goodness, Henry, you can't even recall your own wife's name,"
Granny chided,
Her frustration was palpable through the phone.
"This is the price you pay for placing your work above your marriage,"
She continued, her disappointment clear.
Without another word,
Henry ended the call,
Feeling really confused, more confused than ever.
Jennifer... The only Jennifer Henry knew was his new secretary.
Was that the reason she always felt familiar when he looked at her?
Was she the one Granny was talking about?
And who was that strange woman in the room?
Henry contemplated for a moment before opening his text with Jennifer.
He glanced at the last message and wondered if he should go ahead or not.
"Are you single"
He typed hastily and then hesitated for a moment before clicking send.
His heart raced as he waited for a response.
........
Jennifer was on the couch telling Rose about her day with Henry the boss today when a message came in.
"Are you single? "
The message read,
It was from no other person than the boss.
"Why is your face drained of color?"
Rose asked Jennifer, surprised.
Jennifer passed the phone and she read the message.
"I can't still fathom the problem"
Rose asked, puzzled.
"It's from my boss, the one I'm telling you about"
Jennifer said, wondering why he asked her such a personal question.
"Damn, who is this guy, are you sure he doesn't like you?"
Jennifer gave her a disgusted look.
"Don't talk about my boss like that.
Him liking me is far from it."
"Then why is he asking you private questions?"
Rose asked, taking the phone from Jennifer.
I want to ask him why he is asking you such questions"
Rose said to Jennifer.
Jennifer took her phone back and started typing
"Let me do it myself.
" I don't think this message is appropriate for you to ask sir"
Jennifer typed and clicked send.
A message came in immediately and it read
"I decided what is appropriate, I need answers"
Jennifer saw that her boss was really bent on getting an answer.
"So are you single? " He sent again.
"Omg he is asking the question again"
Jennifer said more to herself than Gilbert and Rose.
"Is he really trying to get intimate with Jennifer? "
Gilbert asked, surprised now.
"Come off it Gilbert, this is my boss we are talking about here"
"Yeah sure it is"
Gilbert said, focusing his gaze on his laptop.
"How would you respond to this"
Rose asked, looking at Jennifer.
"Just tell him you are single"
Gilbert said
"After all, you practically are, when did you last see your so-called husband? "
"Bitchhhh"
Jennifer said with so much disdain
"That's out of the picture, even though my husband has not been here since our marriage, and I don't remember his face or name,
I am still legally married" Jennifer said.
"Ok, if that's the case... "
Rose said, taking the phone from Jennifer.
"Let me write the message"
"Boss, I am happily married and my husband is going to be back in a few weeks time"
Rose clicked send inserting a heart emoji to make it sound romantic.
Jennifer's eyes widened.
Jennifer wanted to say something but Rose caught her short.
"No words, darling... You can't afford to get involved with your boss"
"This is the only way.
He wouldn't want to come in between a married couple"
"I never said he was pursuing me"
Jennifer said, picking her fingers.
"But he's definitely curious, and this will shut him down"
Rose added, her eyes fixed on the phone, waiting for a response.
"I thought so,"
Henry said to himself when the message came in.
Jennifer was happily married and couldn't be his wife; they just happened to share the same name.
So, that cheating wife of his was the one.
He thought, laughing bitterly to himself.
His granny must have been mistaken.
"Cancel whatever plans you have with your husband for the meantime,
Because the workload will be really heavy,"
He typed, sending the message.
"I told you so,"
Jennifer said to Rose and Gilbert as the message came in.
"Omg, he's just trying to tell you upfront about work,"
Rose said, laughing.
"This guy is literally a mafia lord; he has no time for romance, especially not with a worker."
"Yes, boss,"
Jennifer sent, heaving a little sigh of relief.
... .....
"Divorce is the only option,"
Henry said to himself,
His voice was laced with a mix of disappointment and determination.
He couldn't keep calling his wife a cheat.
Henry, a sturdy, attractive man, was not one to be easily swayed by women,
Which was mostly why his granny had helped him find a wife,
Claiming he needed to settle down.
"After the divorce," he muttered to himself,
"I'll explain everything to her."
He was a bit hurt, feeling like his trust had been betrayed.
He didn't expect his first marriage to end like this, with deceit and heartache.
.....
Jennifer was done eating,
She glanced at the wall clock, it was 20 minutes past 10.
She knew it was time to shower.
Coming out of the shower room, she heard her phone ring
And wondered who was calling at this time of the night.
Rushing to pick up the phone, her body still dripping,
She was taken aback when she heard a woman's voice.
"Hello, is this Jennifer?"
The woman asked at the other end of the line.
"Mr. Henry is really drunk and he needs help.
Please can you come pick him up?"
Jennifer's eyes widened in surprise.
"Yeah, sure," she said, beaming a forced smile.
She wondered why he was out drinking this late, to the extent of getting himself drunk.
"Was this what this secretary job entails?" she muttered to herself.
As she dried her body off and put on a jean trouser and a tank top.
Gilbert and Rose were practically undressing themselves,
So they didn't even notice her leaving the apartment.
With a sigh, Jennifer grabbed her car keys and headed out into the night,
Unsure of what she was getting herself into.
Jennifer messaged Rose that she would be back soon as she got into the car.
And drove to the address sent to her.
"Damn"
She sighed as she arrived at the bar.
It was the most exquisite bar in Texas, reserved for mostly celebrities and very wealthy men.
Men of caliber, as they call them.
"Henry must be really wealthy"
She muttered to herself as she walked into the noisy bar,
Her eyes scan the room for any sign of her boss.
The dimly lit atmosphere
And the soft hum of jazz music in the background seemed to whisper secrets of the elite,
Making her feel like an outsider.