My ex-husband's nightmare - Chapter 45: Chapter 45

Mason
Daniel walked through the door, stepping into my office.
“Your mom wants to speak to you,” he said, handing his phone over to me.
I wasn't ready to speak to her. I've been avoiding her call since yesterday.
Daniel stepped out of the room afterwards. I placed the phone on top of my table. It was on speaker.
My laptop is open in front of me. I twirled around my chair, moving from side to side.
“Mason, you've been avoiding my call,” her voice rang out.
Here we go again.
This is what happens when your mom is more invested in your business than you are.
“I am not. I've been busy.” I lied.
My eyes are pinned on the screen of my laptop, staring at the photo on it. She is beautiful.
Her smile.
A smile surfaced on my face, but I was murdered immediately after my mom spoke.
“You can't lie to me, Mason; I know you better than anyone. I know how you feel.” Her voice changed in the last sentence.
“You must be hurt,” She said.
Okay, maybe I was wrong; maybe she was worried after all, “this would not have happened if you had listened to me when I told you about Julia.”
Okay, she hasn't changed.
“You lost so many investors because of that.” She went on and on.
I hummed and spoke minimally when possible.
“I think it's time you take things further with Julia. You have to seal things; that bitch is progressing and getting wilder if you want to defeat her; you need more investors, and Mr Everett is the best candidate.”
“She is not a bitch.” I said in a low voice.
“Huh?”
“She is not a bitch. She has a name, Mom, use it.” I said.
“Oh my goodness.” She spoke in the most dramatic tone. One would think the entire world just ended in front of her, and we all disappeared, leaving her behind.
She's going to rant about me supporting Lydia now. Maybe I should have held my tongue back.
“You are not defending that woman, Mason.” She snapped. Her breaths began to become frantic like she was beginning to pace around wherever she was.
“I knew this was going to happen. I have this fear. I got a report that you were seen with her yesterday. She must be trying to crawl her way back into your life.”
I massaged my temples.
“Mom, Mom, stop, please.” I couldn't take any more of this.
“We are both into the business world. It's unethical to curse at each other. I respect her as the businesswoman that she is, and that's all.” I explained.
I knew it wasn't going to solve things and that the idea had already been planted in her head.
Before she could respond and kept dragging the topic, I changed it, “You had someone watch me?” I asked.
I hadn't missed that.
“It's for your own good, Mason.”
“You know I hate that.”
“I know what's best for you.”
I inhaled a scent of breath sharply, “Mom!” I snapped, “I don't like that.” I said sharply.
“If I get to lay my hand on the bastards, I'm snapping his head in two.”
“Fine. I'll drop it, but you have to promise me that you'll think about an engagement with Julia,” She said.
“Fine.”
After the call, I stood and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, tucking both hands in my pocket.
The door opened. I didn't need to turn to know that it was Daniel.
The day was bright, and the sun shone high in the sky. Dark clouds drifted past.
“Daniel,” I called
“Yes, boss,”
“Who do you work for?” I tuned in slowly. He tensed, his eyes darting from side to side, no doubt wondering where the question was from.
“You boss.” He said.
I walked back to my seat and pulled out the chair. I sat in it, changing the photo on the screen to another photo of Lydia.
A photo of her from the night of her launch, where she had unveiled herself as the face behind Kavas.
“You sure it's not for my mom?” I asked.
“No, boss.”
“Then why do you bring her call to me? Do you think I'm stupid for ignoring her call, or maybe I'm an unfilial son!” I asked, raising my eyes to meet him.
He shook his head.
“No, I just…”
“The next time you do this, I'm demoting you to a cleaner.” I threatened.
“I'm sorry, boss, it won't happen again.”
“Good.” I returned my attention to the photo of Lydia in front of me. For the past five hours, her pictures had been like medicine, and thanks to the internet, they were easy to find.
He picked up his phone from the table.
I raised my head when I realized he was still standing in front of me.
“What?’
“Boss, you've been invited to an event.” He said.
“I'm not interested.” That didn't stop him from speaking since he continued.
“In honor of bagging the contract, L&J Global has decided to host a congratulations party for Miss Brooks.”
My fingers, which were set to remove the picture on the screen, paused.
If it was for Lydia, that means she'd be present.
I've been thinking of some other way to see her and this seems to be an opportunity which I wasn't going to let slide.
“Since you aren't going, I'll turn down the invitation.” He said. He bowed and turned walking away. He was close to the door when I stopped him.
“I'll attend. It would be rude to turn down an invitation.” I said.
He smirked as if he knew I'd stop him.
“Alright, boss.”
He walked out of the office, closing the door behind him.
My phone beeped, a message from Zoe.
“Bro, call me when you are free, I just learnt something I can't keep to myself.”
I was always free to talk to her. So I called her immediately—the call connected after a few rings.
“Zoe, are you alright? Is everything okay?”
“No. I think I…”