Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Then, he saw Assistant Mike standing behind the large sofa some of the guests were sitting on and he signaled to him then turned his back and left the living room.

“Well, thank you all for coming. But unfortunately, you guys are disturbing the leave of Mr. Hawthorn. And we would appreciate it if you can all leave as it is night already.” Assistant Mike bowed to them.

He glanced at the maid standing at the door and she bowed to him too then opened the door widely.

“You can leave now.” He pointed at the door.

They started leaving one after the other, blaming Mr. Jerry for being selfish.

( Missing her)

Sterling wasn’t surprised that those people were already talking about giving him their Daughters for marriage. They wanted to be on his good side.

But was that even the rightful time to say those? Shouldn’t they have at least waited till after a month or more? It has only been two days but they wouldn’t even let him be.

He sighed deeply as he sat down on his extravagant bed which was at the center of the room. Sterling held his head with his hands, shaking it continuously.

“Why, just why?” He patted his head. “Why did you leave now? I still have a lot of things to say to you and lots of gifts to shower you with.” He wiped the tears that had dropped on his face.

Sterling had never thought his Mum would leave him so soon. He wasn’t prepared for that. She was the only one he got, the only person that always made him happy.

Why then would she leave when he was just getting so used to having her around?

He remembered the necklace he bought for her and stood up from the bed. He brought it out from the drawer embedded in the dressing table and went back to the bed.

He stared at it with tears in his eyes. If only she would come back and see it. That was the necklace his Mum had been waiting for when she saw the trailer of it being showed in the news.

He saw her admiring it and she always talked about it with him. She would remind him to remind her when the necklace finally comes out but then went in to a comma just few months to the release.

That was why he got her the exact necklace for her birthday, hoping she would wake up soon and see it.

But then, she didn’t. Which means she would never get to see it. But who knows, she might be seeing it above.

“I love you so much, Mum.” He kissed the necklace. He was a little happy that he got to put that on her neck while she was still at the hospital. If he hadn’t done that, then he would be sadder than he was at that moment.

For the first time in his life, the house felt so empty. Other days, he would always look forward to the day she would return back to the house and make it lively again. But before her passing away, the house was still not dull as it was at that moment.

He didn’t know that day would never come. Sterling sighed deeply. He held the necklace to his chest, put his head on the pillow and inhaled deeply.

“I love you, Mum. And you will forever be in my heart.” He close his eyes and within a second, fell asleep.

The next morning when he woke up, he could perceive a familiar scent in his room. It has been so long he perceived that and that made him wondered if the person he thought was the one.

He slowly got up from the bed but found that he was covered in a blanket. Sterling was surprised. That was so odd, no one has ever done that for him except his late Mum.

“Good morning!” Came a female voice from the door. Sterling turned around and it was indeed the person he thought that was.

It had been ages since he last saw her. He had even forgotten about her and that she even existed.

“Isabella?” He was surprised to see her at that moment. And she was even putting on pajamas, which showed she slept in that house.

Isabella Carrington was Sterling’s cousin from his Dad’s side. She was the only one in his Dad’s family that mingle with him and his Mum. The rest of them didn’t even like them to even go close to them.

But one day, Isabella stopped going to their house and they too forgot about her. That was a very long time ago.

“Rise and shine!” She clapped her hands together, walking towards the bed. Sterling was still surprised and now confused on how she got in there.

“What are you doing here?” he asked her, leaning on the headboard.

Isabella raised a brow but she chuckled it off. What would she be doing there if not to see him?

“Hello! I’m here to see you.” She waved her fingers. “And you slept so early yesterday. Which is so unlike you.” She chuckle.

Sterling stared at her as she talked and laughed. He wondered if she knew his Mum was late or not.

The way she was acting showed like she didn’t know anything of sort had happened.

“And uh…” she sat on the dressing table. “I’m sorry for not being here for you, Sterling,” she said sadly, with her hand on her chest.

“I happened to hear your Mum passed away yesterday that was why I returned. You know I haven’t been in the city for a while now,”

Sterling nodded his head, now convinced that she already knew. Well, he wasn’t surprised that she acted that way at first.

But she left the city? No wonder he never saw her again until that moment.

Sterling shrugged his shoulders, he stood up from the bed and made his way inside the bathroom.

Isabella scoffed, she thought he would have changed but he was still the Sterling of few words that she knew.

She came down from the dressing table, left the room and closed the door.

When Sterling came out from the bathroom, she wasn’t in the room again and that was a relief to him.

He thought she already left the house as Isabella never liked staying in one place.

When you see her here, the next minute you will see her somewhere else or rather out of the house.

Sterling brought out his suit from the wardrobe, planning to go to the company that day but when he went out, Isabella was already waiting for him at the dining area.

“Don’t tell me you will go to the company today?” She dropped her hands on her waist.

Sterling nodded his head to her, Indicating he was going. But she raised a brow, not pleased with that.

“Your Mum just passed away few days ago and it hasn’t even been a week. When you go out now, people would think you…” She paused then sighed.

“Sterling dear, you aren’t going anywhere,” she said.

Assistant Mike came in to the living room as Sterling had already called him they would be resuming back to the company that day.

Staying at home wouldn’t do him and his company any good. His Mum was already gone and he can’t weigh himself down by thinking and getting depressed.

“Mr. Hawthorn.” He greeted. Isabella turned to him and her face brightened up.

“Isn’t that Mike?” Assistant Mike lifted up his head and his face brightened up too.

“Ma’am Isabella. When did you arrive?” he forgot his Boss was there as he saw Isabella standing at the dining area.

“Wow! You still work with him? I thought you would have left a long time ago like others did,” she giggled.

“No, I think I’m more suitable to work with Mr. Hawthorn than those ones that left.” He praised himself.

“That’s so good, Assistant Mike. I’m so glad someone like you got to work for Sterling.” She turned to Sterling who was buttoning his sleeve, ignoring their conversation.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t go to the company today, Sterling. Why don’t you spend another day with your favorite cousin?” She winked at him but he scoffed inside.

One thing he didn’t like from her or any lady was to wink at him. But Isabella just wouldn’t stop. He already told her about that long ago but she still do that to him.

“Not hungry.” He picked up his phone from the sofa and glanced at Assistant Mike. He bowed his head then got the door.

“You are leaving?” Isabella wasn’t happy. She only arrived and she was planning on spending some time with him. But leaving the house at that moment was going to ruin everything she had planned.

She has fallen in love with him long ago and now that she was back, she was planning on making things work between them.

She knew Sterling was a tough head but she wouldn’t allow him to slip off of her hands.

Luckily for her, he was still single. She knew Sterling wouldn’t even date any girl because he wasn’t someone that does that.

“Sterling, I came because of you. But you don’t want to eat the meal I spent time cooking?” she asked him as he approached the door.

( His Cousin’s return)

Sterling paused, it would be rude of him to ignore her when he knew she came there because of him.

Even Assistant Mike felt sad for Isabella but he wouldn’t talk to his Boss, no. He can’t where would he even start from?

“Alright,” Sterling sighed. He turned and went to the dining area where she stood sadly. He didn’t say anything to her, he drew out the chair and sat down, looking at the meals on the table.

“Look at you, Sterling. You are a darling.” She smiled at him but he didn’t even look at her face.

“Which do you prefer to eat?” she asked him and Sterling glanced at her but she didn’t understand what he meant.

“Wouldn’t it be better if you open your mouth and say it out? You know I can’t read sign language,” she giggled.

But he wasn’t in the mood of talking at that moment. So, he extended his arm to pick the one he liked.

“Oh, you should have pointed at it.” She picked the plate of Omelet and placed it in front of him.

But when Sterling tasted it, it didn’t taste good. Not like the way his Mum made for him.

Isabella’s cooking was so terrible. Some were full of salt, others were tasteless. But still, he didn’t want her to feel bad.

He went on and on tasting everything to see if there was anyone he would eat but none were suitable for him.

“Are you leaving already?” she asked him when he stood on his feet. Sterling nodded his head. He dropped the tissue he wiped his mouth with on the table.

“But you barely touched anything,” she said but he didn’t say a word to her. He left the dining area and Assistant Mike who was standing at the door hurried after him.

“What da!” Isabella exclaimed.

As soon as the door was closed, she pushed the plate in front of her away.

“This is horrible and embarrassing.” She patted her forehead.

She also knew those meals were terrible but she went ahead to force him in to eating.

If she knew, she would have left him alone when he said he wasn’t hungry.

But now, he would tag her as a bad cook.

And the fact that her Mum told her men loves women that knows how to cook, made her uncomfortable.

What if Sterling change his mind towards her? What if he wouldn’t fall in love with her because she was a bad cook?