Meeting Debbie Connor

Carol, Mr Wilde's personal assistant and a proud member of the LGBTQ community, knocked on the door.

"Your guest, Debbie Connor, has arrived. Would you like to receive her in your office or would you like to receive her in the meeting room?"

Wilmer looked up from his computer and glanced at his watch. It was already four in the afternoon? Time flew by way too quickly. The last thing he remembered eating was breakfast. Where had all that time gone?

"No need, please let her in. I'm thinking of heading out to grab a late lunch myself. You can end early for today if there isn't anything else."

Carol smiled and ushered Debbie in. The ex-lawyer was a lady in her thirties with ginger hair. Although she wasn't very tall, she carried herself confidently, making her appear taller in person.

Wilmer remembered the portfolio Debbie submitted. The lady didn't really have much experience dealing with children so it was a tough choice to leave his children in her hands. Luckily, Wilmer decided to interview the lady and put off making any hasty decisions. Seeing Debbie Connor in person made him rethink his initial opinion of her.

"Good day, Mr Wilde. I heard that you haven't had lunch yet. May I recommend a quaint cafe in the area I'm a personal fan of?"

Wilmer checked his watch. According to Carol, his schedule was free for the rest of the day.

"Sure," he smiled and dismissed Carol.

Carol nodded and watched as her boss left with Ms Connor. The secretary wasn't nosy in her boss' private life. Besides, Debbie was a married lady. Surely she wouldn't have to report it to Mrs Wilde... right?

The cafe Debbie suggested wasn't too far from the office. In fact, it was so secluded that Wilmer wouldn't have found it himself. There was hardly anything about it on the maps. 

The cafe was run by an elderly couple who took pride in their home-brewed drinks and pastries. Wilmer ordered for both of them and took some time to enjoy the ambience. The peacefulness was like a spot of Shangri-La in the busy city.

"I think I will be a regular here," he told the ex-lawyer.

Debbie smiled. "It sure is peaceful, isn't it? I used to come here all the time whenever I was working on a stressful case just before I fought it out in the courtroom."

The CEO nodded. He could understand why. "Why are you interested in becoming a governess? Surely you would have other passions even after leaving your career behind."

Debbie wasn't fazed by how direct Wilmer was. Her smile never wavered.

"I will be honest. If it wasn't for Benjamin bragging about the talented girl called Scarlet, I would probably have never signed up for the job. Benjamin might not have told you, but I was a writer myself. I just lost touch with the pen after publishing my fifth paperback because I found more enjoyment in editing and mentoring aspiring writers. I'm not a very creative person even though I love the beauty of a good book. I just find helping the creation of books more magical than actually writing it."

Wilmer blinked. While it was true that he wanted to engage a governess for Scarlet, he wondered if it would be possible to have Debbie groom the two other children.

"Will you have problems handling two other children as a governess? They don't need much attention because their areas of interest are very different and it takes a more self-directed learning approach."

Debbie tilted her head to the side. Two other children? Benjamin didn't mention anything about it and the world knew that the Wilde's only had one daughter. Could they be illegitimate children? Does Orita Wilde know?

The ex-lawyer hesitated for a long time and Wilmer took the hint.

"It's alright, you don't need to give me an answer now. The school term has only started for them, I will contact you again next week. If you have any questions, feel free to let my secretary know. Carol will assist you as much as she can and I do find you to be a rather suitable candidate."

They charged a little more leisurely after that and enjoyed the home-brewed coffee. Wilmer was impressed with Debbie's enthusiasm about writing and thought that Scarlet might be happy if Debbie accepted his proposal. Still, he didn't want to be too pretentious and make decisions on the girl's behalf.

"It might sound sudden, but I think you will get along really well with Scarlet. She is a naturally curious and creative individual. However, she had gone through some terrible things recently. It would be nice if you could take some time out of your busy schedule to visit Scarlet after school and just talk to her to know her better. As a father, I am a failure. I don't know how else I can help my daughter, who is suffering alone."

Debbie raised her brows. From the rumours, the Wilde's were a very loving family and she was slightly surprised to find that it was true. Still, what did Mr Wilde mean by a failure as a father?

"Pardon my impertinence, but I would like to ask what happened. Why would you consider yourself a failure as a father?"

Wilmer sighed heavily and started telling his long tale. Throughout the tale, Debbie remained silent. Her opinion about the Wilde's changed a little when Wilmer disclosed that Scarlet was adopted. She wasn't given the details about Scarlet's circumstances, but she didn't want to pry. Apparently, it was a decision made by the Ice Queen without consulting the CEO beforehand.

"You don't have any objections to what your wife did? We're not talking about a dog or a cat, we are talking about a child..."

Wilmer chuckled. "No. In fact, I am very happy to have Scarlet in our family. She brings colour into our lives and I can see the positive influence she brings to Alex and my wife. It only troubles me that she wouldn't completely open up to us. I might have made a bad move back then, but it was the only way I thought could pull her out from her depression."

Debbie paused. "Depression?"

Wilmer looked around and shook his head. "Let's take this conversation to a different location, shall we?"