Let Me Go, Mr. Harvey

“Mr. Salim seems to have some misunderstandings.” James leaned back in his chair with his slender legs crossed, “First of all, I am not cooperating with you, but with the Brown Group.”

“Second, I am a businessman, who cares merely about if the cooperation will benefit the Harvey Group. I heard that Mr. Salim would become the president of the Brown Group soon, but I’m worried for Uncle Brown out of your immatureness.”

Salim blushed with his words. He stood up with a jerk and pointed at him with his finger.

James looked up at him, maintaining his aggressive manner, “Mr. Salim, think it over before you speak, in case that you would say something improper.”

“… I blamed Mr. Harvey unjustly out of my myopia,” Salim squeezed a few words out of his throat after a long-time fermenting.

James replied, “That’s all right. I am as generous as Sean, so I won’t get mad at kids.”

Redness, blueness, and paleness changed swiftly on Salim’s face, rendering it more colorful than a pallet.

The group talked about their cooperation for a while before James asked a servant to bring him a pen and the contract and signed it on the spot.

Angela sat beside them mutely, considering whether she should ask Mrs. Brown to go upstairs to see her mother or let her mother come to meet her.

“I hope we’ll have a pleasant cooperation and expect more future cooperations between us!” Mrs. Brown reviewed the contract once and again, and then stood up to stretch her hand to James.

James didn’t hold her hand. With a smile, he said, “I am henpecked, so I’m afraid I can’t shake your hand.”

Angela, “…”

“I also used to be young, and I totally understand you!” Mrs. Brown handed the contract to Salim with caution and asked him to keep it well.

Then she continued, “Angela, where’s your mom? I thought I would see her as soon as I arrived, but why haven’t I seen her yet as I have been here for some half an hour?”

“Probably she is sleeping, and I’m going to wake her up,” Angela said.

“Is she sleeping or does she look down on me, an old friend of hers, since she has the Harveys to be her in-laws?” Mrs. Brown said unkindly.

Angela frowned slightly. In spite of the dislike in her mind, she said casually, “She is not that sort. It’s too suspicious of you. I’m going upstairs to call her.”

“Don’t bother to ask her to go down. Well, let me go upstairs instead!” Mrs. Brown shook her hand to her before she went up straight on the stairs. “Which room is she in?”

At that time, Lorenzo had left for work, so Angela led her directly to the door without worrying about her seeing something embarrassing.

“Mom-” Angela knocked on the door.

Before a response could be made, Mrs. Brown pushed the door open with a jerk, “We have known each other for decades of years. Arguably, we are childhood friends, so we can save the formalities!”

The door was open.

The quilt had been folded on the bed, boxy and angular.

Elva was standing by the window, looking at something. On hearing the noise, she turned back and grew bloodless the moment she saw Mrs. Brown.

“Why … why are you in my home?” Elva pointed to Mrs. Brown with a mysterious look.

This wasn’t at all how Angela had pictured two old friends’ reunion should be. She couldn’t tell the mood her mother was in, guilt, regret, or resentment?

She felt a surge of unease.

Was it appropriate for her to bring Mrs. Brown here to meet her mom?

“What do you mean by ‘Why are you in my home?'” Mrs. Brown asked with a grievance. “Elva, for all those years, you haven’t gone to me, and now I’m here to see you, why do you treat me in this manner?”

Elva hemmed and hawed, looking at Angela.

Angela was sure there was something wrong. She went to Mrs. Brown and said, “Mrs. Brown …”

“Elva, do you really look down on me because you now have the Harvey family as your in-laws?” Mrs. Brown interrupted her flatly. “For so many years, honestly, who had stood up for you when you were bullied by others?”

Elva blushed and said after a hesitation, “Come in to have a talk.”

“That’s more like it! Elva, if you really turn your back on me, then I was wrong about you!” Mrs. Brown went in and exclaimed in surprise, “Why are you looking so bad? Are you sick?”

Elva frowned, “It’s just for I lost my appetite recently.”

She turned to Angela and said, “Angela, would you please leave us alone?”

Angela noticed there’s something unusual between them and she wanted to stay. But she hadn’t figured out an excuse when Mrs. Brown echoed, “That’s right. Angela, as old friends, we haven’t seen each other for almost a decade, and we need a private conversation. So we’ll let you go!”

“Let me bring you some fruits and snacks then,” Angela suggested.

Elva shook her head, “That’s OK. We are good.”

“We are old friends so you can jump the formalities. I will call the servant when thirsty or hungry, so you needn’t worry about us!” Mrs. Brown said, pushing Angela outside.

Angela had to leave after telling them to call her when they needed, and then she went back to the living room with slight nervousness.Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.

Salim had left, and there’s only James in the living room.

“What’s wrong?” James asked.

Angela puckered her lips and answered, “Nothing.”

“It’s a nice day, so what about us going shopping?” James pinched a snack and raised it to her mouth.

Angela opened her mouth to have it and then shook her head, “My leg has not recovered. Roland told me not to walk too far.”

“It’s not good for a pregnant woman to keep sitting still, so you should do some exercises.” James stood up and lifted up her abruptly. “You can rest whenever you feel tired, OK? We can’t wait until the baby is born and then we begin to buy it clothes. Right?”

Angela looked upward, her hands around his neck, and said, “We don’t know whether it’s a boy or a girl yet, so it’s hard to buy it clothes. Besides, I just got pregnant, and we don’t need to rush it. Put me down.”

She still felt uneasy and looked to the upper floor again.

Mrs. Brown behaved like she met an old friend while seeing her mom. However, at the sight of Mrs, Brown, her mom reacted … as if she came across an enemy.

James followed her look to glance up and then put her on the sofa with his hands beside her enclosing her body.

“What’s up?” His gaze was so sharp that Angela avoided it unconsciously.

James reached out to raise her chin, forcing her to look at him, “You don’t know?”

Angela frowned silently.

“Your mother was not happy when she saw Mrs. Brown?” James asked.

Angela was stunned shortly before she muttered, “I’m not sure, but I feel there’s something wrong.”

Hardly had she finished when a loud flop came from the upper floor, followed by a fit of smash.

Angela’s pupils narrowed swiftly, and she pushed James away unwittingly before she flung upstairs. He pulled her back and pressed her against the sofa, “Do you remember you are pregnant?”

“… Sorry,” Angela said.

James touched her belly tenderly, “I’ll go with you. Don’t run.”

Angela nodded and went upstairs eagerly along with him.

With the noise of arguing and babies’ crying mixed up, nothing could be heard clearly.

When Angela stopped outside the door of her parents’ room, a cup flew to her, accompanied by Elva’s hysterical bellow, “Get out! I don’t want to see you!”