Chapter Fifteen - I love him, not for his wealth

"Tell me, who is your father? How influential is he?" Mum said and Cherry tightened her fingers which were intertwined with mine.

We were having the long awaited dinner and unlike I expected, mum was asking Cherry interrogating questions.

"Aunt, I...," Cherry was stuttering.

"Mum, Cherry and her father are not in good terms and her mother is dead. She's been the one taking care of herself since," I answered for her.

"How did you get my son, how did you meet? He's always working so how did you get him? Did you seduce him?" Mum asked, her gaze and expression could even suffocate Cherry right now. 

"No aunt, I promise I didn't. Andrei loves me and I love him too, I really love him, not for his wealth," Cherry replied and I signalled Alex to say something to rescue her but Alex ignored.

"And why would I believe you, which seductress would confess her sins," mum said and I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up and held Cherry up.

"Mum, stop this, you don't know the whole story, so don't jump to conclusion. Cherry is not that type of person, she doesn't need me to step up. She's independent and brave and she's not a seductress," I said and Cherry hide her face on my shoulders.

"I came to introduce her formally but since you're not willing to accept her, she'll leave," I said again.

"Leave? How would my future daughter in-law leave my house at this time of the night?" Mum said, she was always scared of the night and its dangers, and I was confused.

Then Alex started laughing.

"Am I a good actress? How was my performance?" She asked with a smile.

I looked at Cherry and she gave me a puzzled look.

"I'ld do the explanation," Alex said.

"I told mum earlier about your plans to bring Cherry and we decided to put on an act, how was it?" She asked and I gritted my teeth. First, she ruined the surprise and then, she almost gave us heart attack.

"Mum, when have you become so childish, I almost had an heart attack," I said.

"Alex, we are friends, how could you do this to me?" Cherry said jokingly.

"Cherry, you needed to see how scared you looked, I had such a great time," Alex said mockingly to Cherry.

"Andrei, in the future, I'ld stand by you when you bully Alex. She's such a bully to me," Cherry said and everyone laughed.

"Aunt, you are very good at acting. I'ld give a five star rating to you and you are so beautiful, you look like a young model. No wonders your children are so beautiful, they took after you," Cherry flattered and I knew mum, just like Alex, she loved flatteries.

"Come on, don't be such a sweet talker and don't call me aunt, call me mum. Cherry, I give my approval for your relationship with my son and concerning what Andrei said earlier about your mum and dad then, you don't have to worry, you have a new family now," mum said and my heart melted.

I looked at Cherry, she was already crying. She went, squatted and hugged mum.

"Thank you so much, mum. Thank you," she said amidst her tears.

"I'm so happy that my Andrei has finally met someone he loves, I'm so happy and I feel you love my son too," mum said.

"Yes mum," Cherry replied and then, mum whispered something to her ear and she said, "It's a promise."

The dinner went well, I was glad mum liked Cherry. Just one more person's approval - grandpa's, that would be hard to get.

Mum didn't let Cherry go home, and Cherry slept at Alex's room. I wondered what chat they had that they slept late, so late that Cherry got late to work the next day.

 Cherry's POV

Remembering the sleepover at Andrei's, I smiled again. It was the best sleepover ever and I hadn't met a family as wonderful as his. With his adorable sister and mother, he was the luckiest person ever. And the more time I spent with him, the more I saw how good his personality was, very humble and meek.

But I still had one person to meet, his grandpa, the owner of global tech. Rumour had it that he was very strict and when I think of meeting him, I feel nervous.

Seems like Andrei's father was either no more or not in good terms with him because Andrei never spoke about him. And the thing that burdened me most was the fact that Andrei used his grandpa, mum's father's name instead of his father's name. Anyways, I didn't want to be too inquisitive, I would find out at the right time.

I just finished talking over the phone to Amanda and resumed working. Work still hadn't become better, Jessica was becoming more unbearable. I received numerous queries from the H.O.D. every single day, every little flaw I made was a huge mistake in her eyes.

And as if it was all planned, just as Jessica and the H.O.D. were mean, even the rest of my colleagues were not nice.

Well all except one person, the newest friend I made, Kayla.

Kayla was the person with the lowest qualification in this department, she told me herself. She was very nice to me and sometimes defended me when I was being queried.

My phone rang and I checked to see it was Andrei calling.

"Hello, missing me already?" I asked quietly.

"Hmm... Sort of... Come to my office, I have a surprise," he said.

"No, I can't," I answered.

I hadn't been to his office since we became a couple to avoid gossips.

"If you don't come here, then I'ld come to you," he said and I quickly agreed. There was no way I would let him come here.

I opened his office door and walked in to find Daisy.

"Daisy? What are you doing here?" I asked her.

"Daisy would be working here," Andrei said and then I remembered her preparations this morning.

"Yes Cherry, I asked Andrei to employ me, I'm tired of doing nothing. I want to work and though I have no college education, I can still do other things. Cherry, I want to pay the debts with you, I want to do something meaningful for once. I knew you wouldn't help and that's why I asked Andrei," she said apologetically.

I had nothing to say, Daisy was so silly, she didn't even ask me before asking Andrei.

"Andrei, you didn't even tell me before agreeing." I complained.

He stood up and went towards me.

"I'm sorry but Daisy is like family to me, I had to help her and in another sense, this is not really a favour. Global tech gives employment to thousands," he said and I looked at Daisy.

"So what's your job?" I asked her.

"I'm Steve's personal assistant," she said and I almost screamed in annoyance.

"Steve's P.A.? When did Steve start having a P.A.? And Andrei, why did you give her that job of all the jobs you could have given?

"Me?" Andrei asked.

"Cherry, it's not Andrei's idea, it is my idea. Steve told me he wanted a P.A. and I wanted to be his P.A.," Daisy said shamelessly and I felt humiliated for her.

"Cherry, why do you always worry. Steve had a P.A. before even I had one but both of us decided to do without them, especially since Jenny became my secretary and she managed everything well. So, if he decides to have one now and chooses Daisy, it's not surprising," Andrei defended Daisy. 

I gave a frown to show how angry I was.

"I'ld leave you two and resume work," Daisy said and in a jiffy, left.

"Why do I feel like there's something going on between Daisy and your best friend?" I asked Andrei.

"You just got to realize? Don't worry about them... It's not good to worry about your elders," he advised and I agreed.

Indeed, Daisy was my elder, she could do what she wants and make her own decisions.

I walked back to my desk but the suspicious stares I got from my colleagues got me thinking. Kayla came to me when it was break.

"Cherry, actually, Jessica is spreading gossips about you and the boss. She said you are trying to seduce the boss and she even has proofs, here," she said, then handed me her phone. 

It was a picture of me at the entrance of Andrei's office. No ordinary employee could meet him, let alone going to his office.

"Well, I'll just ignore them," I told her.

"Cherry, you have to know that the boss's childhood friend, Miss Peterson asked everyone here not to associate or act nicely to you since the first week you came and everyone had to agree. I mean who would want to mess with the boss's friend," Kayla added and I was shocked.

That Stephanie, she really didn't leave me alone.

"Thanks, Kayla, for choosing to be my friend."