Chapter 82

Three weeks now and the mood surrounding Fredrick still lay somber. He hated himself for being such a pushover when it came to his dad and sister. The whole thought of the eldest son took it all worked in other families, but his.

Many years have gone by, and he still lived in his sister's shadow; something he hated beyond a lot of things.

He still wasn't over the whole "your sister will be returning home soon talk that he had with his father" And it is because of that very reason that he had been moving around like a zombie or better yet lifeless.

Sometimes Fredrick wondered whether his father had ever looked at him as a son or was he some kind of living specimen that he used to measure his sister Francene's success and growth.

Things would have been better if she like him one tiny bit, but as things stood, she always swelled in the praise that their father threw her way and never failed to rub it in his face. Going as far as calling him an Almond just in name.

Fredrick couldn't deny it each time she said it since he had been more of a mummy's boy for most of his life till death snatched her away.

The death of his mother took so much more from him beyond his best friend, and even if Francene always screamed, "it has been three and a half years Fredrick." He just couldn't bring himself to pull out of the pain that came with losing her.

Sometimes he wishes to be like his sister who never wears her emotions on her sleeves. The way she walked around like nothing was taken from her, goes beyond everything to think that she was ever close to their mother.

"You are going to need to learn to take the remaining steps in life without me, my baby boy. Mama loves you beyond human comprehension. Please baby" she had said when she saw him shaking his head in refusal.

Those were some of the last words his mother had said to him while on her death bed; words he had failed to fulfill since he feels so stuck in the same place. Three years down the road.

How could he learn to take those steps when he wasn't willing to let go of the fact that his mother was gone?

It frustrated him to know that the whole world was revolving and moving fast enough that it felt like the wind to him because everything and everyone passed him by.

"ring ring" came the sound of the phone

Picking his phone that was lying on the table, Fredrick almost sent it flying to the wall beside him thinking that it was Tina, his current nemesis only to realize that his phone wasn't the source of the noise.

He picked up the office landline knowing very well that it was his secretary who had connected the call.

"Hello" he answered without interest

"It gladdens me to know that you, Fredrick are still alive because going by...."

The caller was cut short when Fredrick asked "What are you doing calling my office phone, Tina?

"Wanting to talk to you, since you wouldn't answer your personal phone" Fredrick could feel a headache coming so he massage his temple slightly

"And what does that communicate to you?"

"That you are playing hard to get because you are angry at me." Came her annoying voice again

"Please, get off my phone and don't call me again, Tina" Fredrick wasn't in the mood for a fight. He wasn't in the mood for anything, especially working. He hands up on the call, picked up his suit jacket hanging beside him on its holder, and left his office.

He needed to warn his secretary about letting useless calls get through to him

"I am sorry, Sir. I didn't know that she was the one since she had disguised her voice claiming to be a client" said the secretary who stood shivery before Fredrick after he had called her out on the blander.

Fredrick glowered at her and decided that she was just a waste of time, another annoying female.

He left the office building heading to the under-car park through the elevator calling it a week since it was already a Friday. No harm leaving work earlier since he had been playing the diligent son and President for the past three weeks with as much a break.

As soon as the elevator dropped him at the underground parking, he regretted not sitting in his office till late like he had been doing for some time now.

"Seems like God is in favor of this relationship too" came Tina's voice which annoyed Fredrick so much, that the scowl returned to his face.

Fredrick decided to ignore her by bypassing her and matching directly to his car. He opened it to get in and Tina did the same too.

"Get out," he said calmly which of course sent a different message to the desperate Tina.

She smiled at him "But, babe, I want to talk to you" one could conclude that her voice was a catalyst for Fredrick's anger judging by how tight his jaw had become.

He got out of the car, rounded it to get to the co-driver's side, and opened the door. "Get the fucking hell out of my car, Tina"

Tina was starting to get scared judging by the weak smile on her face, but she knew not to give in easily when she was so desperate.

"Ba...babe, come on. Can we talk at least" she was desperate and resorted to begging him to listen to her.

"Tina, we have nothing to talk about, so out" he growled out

When he saw that she wasn't willing, Fredrick held her by the arm and pulled her out of the car, and dropped her like a bag of potatoes on the ground.

"Ouch" she cried out in shock "Fredrick" Tina couldn't believe that was the same man that had treated her like a princess before.

Fredrick lowered himself to her level and warned "This should be the last time that I see you hovering around me like a fly because I swear..." he left it handing. Lifting her chin so she could look him in the eye "Tina, don't cross me" And with that, he released his hold on her making a tear slide down her cheeks in embarrassment.

Fredrick got into his car and drove off leaving a disgruntled and humiliated Tina still sitting on the floor. He had had enough of her manipulation and it was about time that he pushed him to the curb.

Tina felt so humiliated, but that wasn't the thing that bothered her the most. She had a lot of her source of income. Judging by the way Fredrick spoke and looked at her, she could see anger, disgust, regret, and pain.

It made her sad to think that he could throw her away easily. Tina had known of his anger but she thought that it would last only a couple of days, but the way he had been constantly ignoring her calls and denying her access to his place or better yet, not showing up at hers. She concluded that it was maybe a closed chapter.

Today was one of those days when she threw on her more desperate girl pants wanting to meet him face to face with the hope that he would look at her and the feeling that he had for her would take over.

Well, seems like she lost her charms when it came to him because he didn't as much budge.

Getting off the ground, Tina went back to her car with sadness. Despite her love for money, she did like Fredrick. It's just that, people like her, needed to grovel a little bit more to get that which they could get.

Love wasn't the end bargain for her although it would feel nice to have it in her court along with a bag of money of course.

Closing the car door as she sat in her car, she looked around her keeping in mind that it was the last day at the Almond group and in the life of the Almond group's young master.

It was a loss on her side, but life moves on. The lake was home to many fishes of different species. Tina had come to terms with her loss. She drove her car off keeping in mind that she needed two things; a job despite her lack of the much-needed skills and a source of income.

As her car drove off, she failed to see the prying eyes that were in a car parked not far from where she and Fredrick had stood earlier "Seems like the target could do as you please by the way things stand" He hands up and the car drove out of the