The Unexpected Bride-Book One in Taming of the Shrew

Chapter Eighteen

Following behind Evelyn, the security guards had tried to intervene, but she had thrown them off with the threat of firing them when they had recognized her as Madam of the Ross family.

Ignoring the onlookers and whispers, the four women walked through the hallway.

"Where are we going?"

Questioning, when they had entered the surprisingly empty elevator, Sharlene frowned.

"We are giving the owner of this hospital an unannounced visit. That is the perks of being the mother of the main stock-holder."

Gasping, when she heard such news, Helena was flabbergasted.

"Your son works here?"

Evelyn's smile broadened as she shook her head. She appeared genuinely proud of her son.

"He does not work here. He is what you call an all-rounder, a man who is the owner of numerous businesses in the world. He is the one who constructed and built the hospital. Do you remember little Nicholas?"

Gasping once again as she heard that name, Helena chuckled.

"You mean little Nick, who was born on the streets of Dublin when you and your husband were stuck in traffic those many years ago?"

"Yes. That is the one. Ah, that was the most wonderful moment in my life."

Chuckling, Helena smiled.

"You were lucky my husband was a gynecologist, or else it would have been trouble for the both of you."

Brushing her comment aside with a short laugh, Evelyn punched in the floor number on the keypad.

While the women conversed about the happy moments resulting from and around Nicholas's birth, Sharlene was astonished.

'This is the famous Nicholas Ross mother?'

She pondered as she remembered the dinner she had attended a few weeks ago with her boss.

Soon, the elevator stopped on the fourth floor, and they all walked out.

Clarice was quiet because she was observing the beautiful designs and structures decorating the hallway.

On and on, Helena and Evelyn spoke. The joy of seeing each other was written all over their faces. Soon, they bent a sharp corner, the last one that is, according to Evelyn, that led to the CEO's office.

Suddenly, Sharlene and another person collided. However, before she could lose her balance, attentive Clarice had caught onto her elbows.

"Didn't I tell you I would make you pay for damaging my flesh those many weeks ago if I ever saw you again?!"

The shrieking voice of a female enveloped the air, her rage blinding her so much as she glared holes in Sharlene's face that she had not observed the small group standing around her.

Recognizing the voice of the girl she had met three weeks ago, Sharlene rubbed her aching forehead as she lifted her eyes to stare at the livid girl.

'Well, isn't it princess of Wonderland?'

Sarcastically thinking, Sharlene thanked her sister before standing up straight.

"I am so not sorry. As you can see, I am half-blind."

Pointing to her glasses, Sharlene brushed the invincible dust from her clothes. Sherlene's face turned red with rage.

'How dare this woman act like she is above me!'

She screamed in her mind.

"You low life woman, you...!"

She started shouting, but Evelyn interjected.

"So, is this the real personality of Sherlene Doccharles? A screaming banshee? A docile and meek, friendly woman like your mother must have switched you with another baby when you were born. You are nothing like her."

Realizing there were other people, that she was in Evelyn, the mother of Nicholas company, Sherlene's anger dissipated. It was as if it was never there in the beginning.

However, she was silently cross.

Ignoring her mockery, she forced a fake and full-blown smile onto her lips, but all four women had witnessed her awful attitude. They were not convinced nor pleased by her pretense.

"It is good to see you again, Mrs. Ross."

"I am not. There is no need to hide your attitude or think you are anywhere close to the thought of becoming my son's fiance, dearie. If you want me to like you, you better apologize to Sharlene now."

Helena was astonished by Evelyn's words.

Clarice was glaring a hole in Sherlene's face.

Sharlene became flustered.

Never in her life, apart from her mother and sister, did someone else stand up for her. She felt special.

Pursing her lips, Sherlene grinned until her cheeks hurt when she heard such command. She hated it, but she had no choice because she had destroyed her beautiful image in Evelyn's presence. She needed to be in good graces with the woman in other to accomplish her goal.

Glaring in Sharlene's direction, she opened her mouth, but her large ego prevented her from speaking.

"Eyes don't speak, Sherlene Doccharles. That is why you have a mouth."

Holding her breath to regulate her building anger, Sherlene bit out through gritted teeth in a lame whisper.

"I am sorry."

Frowning, Evelyn was not convinced.

"Come on, dear, I did not hear you. Please say that louder and clearer."

Sherlene's glare grew heated. If only she could just bark like a dog in Evelyn's face. Another known fact made her angrier.

Sharlene's name was far too similar to hers, and it made her mad.

If there were even a slight pronunciation, people would call her this hateful girl's name.

Louder and more clearer just the way Evelyn wanted, Sherlene apologized but was shaking with anger.

"I am sorry, Sharlene."

Smiling, Evelyn dramatically clapped.

"Now, that was not hard to say, was it? Anyway, enough of this. Can you please show us your father's office? We need to speak about an important subject with him."

Frowning as she heard her words, Sherlene was curious and a little unsettled.

"My father's office?"

As if she was speaking to a child, Evelyn stressed her words while raising an eyebrow. She despised people who wasted her time.

"Yes, dear. I did not speak Spanish, did I?"

Gritting her teeth, for she was growing to dislike this woman, even more, Sherlene breathed in and out. Helena was smiling, while Clarice began to like Evelyn more and more as time went by. Sharlene was astonished, and just like Clarice, her respect for Evelyn doubled.

The woman was straightforward when she wanted to be, and it was refreshing. She had detected the way Evelyn had scrutinized Sherlene as if she were dirt underneath her shoe before. Sherlene must have done something to make her dislike her, Sharlene wondered.

It was hilarious.

Flustered cheeks, Sherlene quickly murmured.

"No, you did not. I will take you to my father's office."

"Good."

Smiling, Evelyn hooked her arms in Helena's.

"Show us the way then, dearie."

Enduring the humiliation, Sherlene brought the four women the rest of the way towards her father's office with a tight smile.