Jessica wasn't convinced. She had her own reasoning. "It's different. Isn't your husband a big boss? He has the power to use the company's money to give his family a raise. It's a win-win."
Laoise was at a loss for words. "Mother, I truly admire your nerve. You need to know when to stop. You can't keep bleeding us dry."
Jessica frowned. "Wallet, watch your mouth. If I hadn't let you go to university while I made your sisters work, would you even be here today? Would you have married such a good man?"
Laoise's temper flared at the mention of her education. "You didn't want me to go at first. You only changed your mind when people said university graduates earn more. Besides, my tuition was a student loan, and I paid for my own living expenses by working in restaurants."
Laoise didn't want to argue anymore. The only person who ended up hurt was always her.
"I'm going home now," she told Jessica. "If you need anything, call room service. Just charge the food to the room, and I'll pay for it later." At the door, she turned back suddenly. "And use the phone to call them. Don't stand in the hallway shouting."
Jessica waved her away. "I know, I know. Go on then."
When Laoise reached the house and opened the door, she stood there in shock. The place was a disaster, looking as though it had been ransacked.
Her shoes were scattered all over the floor by the entrance. Jessica must have tried on every single pair. Unfinished food containers sat on the coffee table, used tissues were strewn everywhere, and the sofa cushions were tossed onto the floor.
Laoise thought back to her mother's comment about not wanting to clean up after her, and she wondered how the woman could say such a thing with such confidence. She was just glad Percy had gone straight to the office. If he had seen this, he would have needed an oxygen mask from the sheer stress.
Checking the clock, she saw she had a little over two hours until noon. Laoise rolled up her sleeves and started cleaning. After six years of marriage and six years as a housewife, she might not be good at much else, but she was an expert at keeping a home.
In no time, the house was spotless again. Laoise breathed a sigh of relief and began looking for clothes to pack for Percy's trip.
—
After concluding negotiations with the representatives of a potential partner company, Barret turned to Arthur. "Mr. Hightower, are we heading back to the penthouse or straight to the office?"
"The office," Arthur replied concisely.
Barret pressed the down button for the elevator.
Once inside, Barret remarked, "I felt like that CEO was actually quite easy to talk to this time."
Arthur curled his lip slightly. His smile was enigmatic, radiating a blend of cold charisma and a faint trace of mockery.
"When someone is easy to talk to, it can be a strength. For others, it is merely a smoke screen. While he was quick to promise everything today, his flaw is that he will undoubtedly cause a series of minor headaches down the road."
Standing behind Arthur, Barret silently mouthed the word "wow."
"You really are incredible, Mr. Hightower. You can see right through someone's weaknesses the very first time you meet them."
The doors opened, and they stepped out. Suddenly, Barret let out a surprised sound.
"What is it?" Arthur asked casually.
Barret pointed toward the hotel reception desk. "That man over there. Isn't that the husband of the woman who hijacked our elevator this morning? I thought he left hours ago. Why is he back and checking in again? And with a different woman."
Arthur's gaze flicked toward the reception desk before returning to Barret.
Barret began to speculate. "Looks like he's straying. The man has some nerve, bringing another woman to the same hotel where his mother-in-law is staying. Is he oblivious or just completely shameless?" As they walked toward the lobby exit, Barret continued, "Then again, considering he has such a bizarre mother-in-law, I can almost sympathize with him reaching a point where he just doesn't care anymore."
Arthur came to a sudden halt.
Barret, reacting a second too late, nearly slammed into Arthur's back. Arthur turned around, his eyes clear and cold as they swept over Barret.
Barret found himself stammering. "Is something wrong, Mr. Hightower?" He caught himself quickly and began to apologize. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm rambling again."
When Arthur spoke, his voice was as crisp and chilling as his gaze. Barret almost expected a lecture or a reprimand for talking too much. Instead, he heard:
"No matter the reason, it can never serve as an excuse for an affair."
With that, Arthur turned and continued walking.
Barret stood there for a moment, staring at the tall, broad-shouldered figure ahead of him. The man was undeniably handsome; he could make a simple suit look better than any professional model could. He was also impossibly wealthy, having amassed an immeasurable fortune before even hitting thirty. But he was also cold and detached. Sometimes, Barret suspected Arthur was actually a high-tech AI robot, perfect and icy, devoid of any emotion other than mockery or disdain. He was a heartless money-making machine.
It was rare for Arthur to offer any opinion at all on Barret's idle gossip.
Suddenly, an icy question drifted back to him. "Are you standing there waiting for me to drive you, Barret?"
Barret jumped and hurried to catch up.
—
At noon, as Percy rolled his suitcase out the door, Laoise felt an inexplicable sense of emptiness.
Because of his job, Percy traveled frequently, and Laoise had long since grown used to it. There were times he went abroad for an entire month, and she barely felt the distance. They were an old married couple, after all.
But this time, something tugged at her nerves. Even though Percy said it was only a short trip, perhaps three to five days, Laoise had a baseless feeling that he was going very far away. It felt as if he would be gone for a long, long time, traveling to a place beyond her reach.