Chapter 10 I Miss You, Mom

"Why did it take you so long to answer the phone? What are you doing, anyway?" Kevin's patience had long since been exhausted, and his questions were punctuated by a burst of anger.

He was surprised to hear the strange voice at the other end of the line.

"Cooking," Sam replied calmly. After saying that single word, he continued preparing the meal.

After leaving the kitchen, Anne walked to the balcony and slammed the door. The sharp noise echoed through the house.

Why did she feel annoyed whenever she heard Kevin's voice?

Where was her sense of refinement? Couldn't she just grin, bear it, and move on?

She felt the night wind streaming through her hair, cooling her skin. She finally calmed down.

"Cooking?" Kevin was even more confused, but the next second, his face darkened and he exploded in anger again. "Are you with her now?"

"I'm a doctor." Sam didn't answer his question directly.

Hearing his answer, Kevin started to calm down. After a few seconds, he asked awkwardly, "She... How's she doing?"

Leaning against his chest, Cherry felt her blood run cold, and her face darkened.

Sam put the dishes on the plate and said, "She's okay. Hey, if this isn't urgent, I'm gonna hang up. It's dinnertime, and Anne's hungry."

Kevin was so angry that he wanted to throw his phone, but he had nothing to say in return. Finally, he had to hang up the phone, gnashing his teeth. "Sam, for the record, we'll see."

Kevin stayed mad the whole time, until he entered the villa. Cherry tried her best to make him happy, but her attempts to get him to smile were in vain.

Finally, he said impatiently, "I'm tired. It's been a long day."

Cherry had to put away her stiff smile and said gently, "I'll run a bath for you."

"No, thanks," Kevin said those two words irritably and went straight to the bathroom. After walking in, he slammed the door.

Cherry was also irritated by the noise, but she clenched her fists and endured it.

She looked in the wardrobe and found some lingerie. After Kevin was done with his shower, she went to the bathroom to do the same. But when she came out of the bathroom wearing the lingerie, he didn't even look in her direction.

Cherry got even angrier, but she tried to be patient and folded herself into Kevin's arms to rub the softest part of her body against him.

"Not now!" Kevin shouted impatiently and pushed Cherry aside.

Sitting on the bed, Cherry looked at Kevin who was lying on his side of the bed. His lack of interest annoyed her.

He had never treated her like this. Anger rose in her, but she got out of bed silently without saying a word.

Kevin didn't know why he was so upset today.

Anne was finally pregnant. They could divorce in ten months' time. But he always felt that there was a fire in his heart, which made him feel worse.

He couldn't fall asleep, tossing and turning. He didn't know if Sam had left Anne's house yet. He didn't know how she was now. Had she had dinner? Did she still have a fever?

"Bang!" In the quiet night, Kevin suddenly heard the sound of something hitting the ground outside the living room, interrupting his thoughts.

"Ding Dong..." Just as he was trying to get a hold on his anger, another annoying voice came.

Kevin couldn't stand it anymore. He tore the thin blanket from him, got out of bed angrily and strode to the living room.

When he walked to the door of the living room, he was stunned by the sight that met his eyes.

In her lingerie, Cherry squatted on the ground, crying as quietly as should could.

"Mom, I miss you so much."

Kevin's heart ached when he heard her crying.

She started sobbing harder, and her shoulders shook with the force. Those thin pajamas made her look even more lonely.

Thinking of what he did to her earlier, Kevin suddenly felt guilty.

He walked over, held Cherry in his arms and half-whispered, "Come back to bed. Get some sleep."

Cherry was frightened when she saw him. She immediately stopped crying and apologized, "I'm sorry. I disturbed you."

Kevin frowned and said nothing. He took out the photo frame from her hand, opened the drawer and placed it inside. "It's late. Your skin will get old and wrinkly if you don't get some sleep."

Cherry suddenly smiled and hugged Kevin, pressing her face against his chest and nodded vigorously.

Cherry fell asleep in short order, lying next to him. But sleep was denied to him. Wendy He died for him, so he shouldn't have made her daughter sad.

Kevin thought of her, and his mood soured.

In the morning, when Sam opened the door and took out the garbage, he was slightly shocked when he saw four people standing at the door. These mysterious visitors were arranged in a neat line.

"You?" Sam was confused.

"Mrs. Selma sent us to take care of Mrs. Anne," the four of them explained in unison.

"I don't need you. Please go away."

As soon as Anne walked out of the bedroom, she saw this exchange. She adopted a cold expression to intimidate them. Hopefully they'd leave.

After closing the door, Sam turned and saw that Anne was walking towards the kitchen. He asked, "What are you trying to do? Let me get that for you."

Anne didn't look at him, but instead asked, "Did you come here this morning or stay here last night?"

Sam walked quickly towards her and replied calmly, "It was late last night. I was too sleepy to make it home safe, so I crashed on your sofa. I didn't think you'd' mind."

Without saying anything, Anne poured herself a glass of water. When she was about to drink it, Sam took the glass in her hand and said, "This water is too cold. Here, have some warm water."

He poured another glass of water and handed it to Anne.

She regarded him quietly, but didn't accept the water he offered. Her eyes were as cold and quiet as a clear lake in winter.

Sam was calmer than she was. He put the glass into her hand and said, "I'm a doctor."

He meant that he knew how to take care of her better than she did herself.

Anne finally relented. She tossed her head back and drank the water from her glass.

"What do you want to eat for breakfast?" Sam asked.

Then, Anne really couldn't stand it anymore. She said, "Don't you need to go to work?"

"There are other doctors in the hospital."

Anne knew that Sam wanted to stay here to take care of her. She found a cruel reason. "No offense, but you're a terrible cook. I'll grab some takeout. I hope you're not here when I go back."

She picked up her bag and opened the door. After she did this, she stood there in surprise.

"Good morning, Anne," Emily said with a smile.

When Emily saw the man standing behind Anne, she was more surprised than Anne.

But Emily was a person who had seen a lot. She bounced back quickly.

"Good morning, Mr. Sam," Emily said to Sam with a smile.

Anne knew this was probably more than just a social call. She asked with a serious look, "Why are you here? Is something wrong at work?"

In order to set Anne's mind at ease, Emily explained hastily, "No, no, Anne, don't worry. It was... Mr. Kevin asked me to bring people over to take care of you. He said... He said you don't need to go to the office anymore."

The news hit Anne like a ton of bricks. She was astounded. "What the heck?"

"Don't worry, Anne. It's not what you think." Emily was also flustered. The more she explained, the more confused Anne became. "Mr. Kevin... He asks that you stay at home and take care of the baby inside you."

When she heard that, Anne was floored. All her anger started to dissipate.

It took her a few seconds to recover. She didn't know what else to say. After a bit, she said, "I still have several projects to deal with. I can't leave the company now."

In the meeting room of AN Group, Kevin sat at the head of the table. He smiled, one hand on the conference table and the other on the armrest of the chair.

He narrowed his eyes and seemed to be in a good mood. But the people present were a little scared.

The president seldom showed up at the office like this. Why did he come so early and sit in the meeting room? Was it anything serious?

Everyone had their own nervous guesses as to why.

Kevin wasn't flustered at all, or so it appeared. He was quite relaxed. He looked at the group assembled at the table and said, "From today on, Mrs. Anne won't be here. I'm taking on all the projects she has."

"Ah... She won't be here?"

"So Mrs. Anne... got fired?"

several people voiced their doubts, but never above a whisper.

Kevin's elbows were on the table, his fingers steepled. Most of the people at the meeting had to content themselves with seeing his profile. The smile at the corners of his mouth did not disappear, but it made everyone present shiver a bit.

Kevin said leisurely, "Mrs. Anne has taken a long vacation."

"What?"

"Ah..."

The meeting room was full of confusion and exclamations. Was Mrs. Anne's "long vacation" a dismissal, or a long holiday for real? However, everyone was more inclined to believe the first option.

Everyone could see how Mr. Kevin treated Mrs. Anne when they interacted. He probably couldn't stand her anymore and made her disappear.

Kevin's phone rang at that moment. When he saw the name on the screen, he picked it up without hesitation.

"I don't like you going over my head. Shouldn't it be my decision to take a sabbatical?" There was a trace of anger in Anne's voice.

Kevin turned his chair and said with a smile, "I thought this through, though. Don't you believe in my ability?"

His words threw Anne for a loop. No one doubted Kevin's ability. At the age of seventeen, he had doubled the financial resources of AN Group. However, since she took over as vice president, Kevin rarely bothered himself with the company, content to let her run things.

"I've already explained your absence to the managers. From now on, you won't have to worry about the company."

"I don't need any help here. Just make those people you brought here go away. And your mother sent some people over to help. Send them away, too. I don't need them."

Kevin's eyes widened in surprise. He didn't expect his mother to be so considerate. After thinking for a few seconds, he refused, "Don't flatter yourself. I'm making sure my son is being looked after, that's all."

A very different voice cut in. "No matter who you're taking care of, Anne needs a medical professional, not a housekeeper." Sam had taken her phone away.

Kevin was taken aback at first.

So was Anne.

Sam mouthed, "Let me handle him."

After being stunned for a few seconds, Kevin knocked on the table twice quickly, which showed that he was worried, "Why are you there? She is sick?"

Looking at Anne, Sam replied in an indifferent tone, "She's fine. Nothing you need to worry about. But if you don't ask the people sent by you and Aunt Selma to leave, I'm afraid it will have a bad influence on her and the kid."