Samuel left for his lunch break early the next day to meet his mother at home. It didn't surprise him to receive her call. It had taken three days more than he expected, but it came nonetheless. He had arrived on time at the mansion, noticing that none of the other cars were around. The garage was being cleaned, and he couldn't see any other cars except his mothers. That meant his father and Giovanna had also stepped out for the day.

For the next three weeks, there were no dinners or parties planned except for Kali's birthday. His mother turned down the invitation, claiming she already made plans for that day months ago, which was alright with him. He told Kali she would do that. And no doubt fine with Kali. For the next three weeks, he had little reason to see his mother. It felt wrong to want to alienate her, but he needed to take more breaks and avoid compiling his stressing situations unless he had to.

"Good morning." He sat in front of his mother, mentally preparing for her reproach.

"I see you finally found time."

"Growing company. What can I say?"

"Indeed." She snickered, setting the files she handled aside and rolling her chair closer to the edge of the desk. "Your grandfather has gotten wind of the news circulating about your wife. I don't need to tell you that he is not pleased with the rising questions about the two of you."

"I can imagine."

"He won't get involved, but we agree on one thing, this story needs to be buried and buried immediately. Thanks to your father thinking ahead, we have taken measures to ensure none of the other scandal sheets or news outlets try to pick up this story. We can't say where it started, but the damage has already been done."

"I know about that. Dad told me he worked to get the story taken down."

"Good. Your grandfather doesn't think it's something that we should pay attention to, and he is right."

"It's easier to pay attention because no matter how we think it affects us all, it truly only affects Kali. She is the one with the job she has to go to every day with questioning eyes following her every move. She has the sister who might get ridiculed because of it. From our perspective, nothing has really changed, but for Kali, there are effects from this."

"Kali will live."

"I guess she will. Anything else?"

"That's about it, but I want to discuss something else."

"What?"

"It has been a long time since we had this conversation, but when we did, you assured me your relationship wasn't what I was painting it to be. You said you had agreed to live cordially, and there was nothing more to it, correct?"

"Correct."

"It seems things might have changed from then till now. I noticed you both are getting closer. And I wonder if your relationship is leaning towards exactly what I accused it of being."

"I never knew you to be one to dance around words."

He casually accused. He knew the road his mother wanted to follow, but he was ready to channel a bit of Kali through himself. Today, he wasn't going to keep his tongue in his cheek, waiting for her to rap off her list of issues with his life. The life she constructed for him with her actions. He didn't intend to fight, but she won't have the upper hand this time.

"Say what you want, Mom. Let's speak clearly. There is nobody in the house with their ear against the door."

"Fine. We speak clearly. I believe your relationship has gone beyond friendship. I might not be the best in romance, but I can tell when there is interest. These past few weeks, I have noted some interest growing between you."

"I can't deny she is a beautiful woman. She has a great personality. She's fun, open-minded, loving. There's a lot to be interested in."

His mother genuinely looked shocked for a split second. "I am surprised, Samuel. All your years of insisting you can only love one woman at a time, and look at you now."

"You are right. I am shameless." He agreed, getting comfortable in his chair. "I didn't predict, back then, the situation I'd be in now. How funny life is, isn't it."

"So you want to build a life now with this woman? Forget all about Flora and settle for someone like Kali."

"Kali is a good person. I am not saying you are right, but if you are, I wouldn't be settling for anything. Would I?"

His mother's expression went stony. "I warn you like I warned you before. This marriage is not permanent. When it's over, Kali Hastings will be out of our lives and as far from our family as possible."

"That doesn't surprise me."

"If you begin a relationship with her, it wouldn't stand for long."

"Why?"

"Aren't you listening?"

"Oh." He feigned understanding, laughing derisively. "As soon as we get the divorce, you want her to leave our lives. If we pursue a relationship, you'd want us to end it and separate anyway."

"Exactly."

"That won't be up to you." He cooly replied.

"Excuse me?"

"It won't be up to you. By the time you give us permission to divorce, you'd have everything you wanted. You'd have reached whatever goal you originally set out to achieve. Whatever we do with our lives after that shouldn't concern you."

"I won't have that woman as a permanent part of this family."

"Then why choose her in the first place? Why stick me with someone you didn't want to have anything to do with? Someone you can barely share a room with?"

"Forgive me. I thought your love for Flora would be strong enough to keep you from falling into the willies of that girl." She scoffed. "All your years of preaching fidelity. Turns out you are willing to destroy your relationship to stay with a woman you've only known for months. What would Flora think of you."

"No. You don't have the right to bring that up."

"The truth hurts, but it doesn't stop being the truth. By starting any relationship with Kali, you are ruining your relationship with Flora."

"You do not put that on me. You ruined my relationship with Flora. You forced me to lie to her and say I had fallen for someone else. You tied my lips to her freedom, so I couldn't even tell her the truth. She hates me, and she sees me as a traitor and a failure of a boyfriend. That's not on me. That relationship is ruined because of you."

"So you automatically turn to Kali?"

"If your fear is having Kali as a permanent daughter-in-law, there is a simple fix. Let us divorce." He challenged, uncrossing his legs and inching closer to the table. He was laying his cards down to see how she reacted. Itching to glimpse what lay behind her carefully veiled plans. "Separate us once and for all. Put an end to this."

His mother moved away, reclining on her chair and cocked her head to the side. Her eyes bore into his. He wondered if she was calculating her options. Of course, Samuel highly doubted that she would relent and call off their marriage. End whatever plan she had set in motion, but he needed to see if she could consider it. If her dislike for Kali was more than her need to get whatever she was aiming for.

"It's a thought." She replied on a heavy exhale. "But not one I can take into consideration."

He didn't think so.

"I guess we both have things we can't achieve. Don't we?"

"I stand by what I say. Do whatever you have to do, fake a fight if necessary, but put distance between the two of you. Think of it as motherly advice."

"The last thing I would ever consider any advice from you as is motherly. And no, I would not fake a fight. I like Kali and quite like being on good terms with her. It gives me peace to have one less person to piss off. I will not separate from her either, for any other phoney reason, because she is the only person that I share my burdens with. One of the few people that make this hell you built for me bearable. I am sorry I can't help you, and I need to get going. My lunch break is over."

He stood, and she shot to her feet as well. "You will end this. I mean it. Don't force me to take drastic measures to put a stop to this."

"Drastic measures." He repeated dramatically. "Like what?"

"I still have Flora and her father in my hands, if you have forgotten. A word from me, and the police will be knocking at their door."

"You won't do that."

"Don't test me."

"I don't have to. You do anything against Flora, and this is really over. My deal with you was that we break up, and I marry someone else. I have done my part. Your part was that Flora remained out, living her life however she pleased. I won't accept new deals or your changing the rules to suit yourself. If you touch even a lash on Flora's eye, I will blow the whistle on this whole plan. I will tell Dad, I'll confess everything to Flora, and take back the life you are holding from me."

"Are you testing me?"

"No. I am warning you, leave Flora alone. I have done my part to keep her safe and will continue to do my part. If you do anything against her, I am out, and I will take your entire charade down with me."

He stared her down to show her he was serious, then began backing away.

"What will she think when she learns of your relationship with Kali. Have you ever thought of that?" His mother threw back.

"That's my problem. Keep yourself out of it." As he held the door open, he stopped to add. "Have a nice day, mom."