Top Note

Chapter 36

Eriantha

I had decided against taking my chauffeur today, I needed some space to prepare myself for my today's meeting with Mom. I checked my cell phone for one last time before getting out of the car, both of my previously sent messages stood unread by their recipients, one of them being my husband.
This morning I didn't get a chance to speak with Darce about my dinner with mom, he had left in a hurry, all thanks to that asshole Leonel, and then I had completely forgotten about the whole thing once I got inside my work station, ever since Darce had come around ,about  his childhood and that scoundrel Viktor Cedine, I had made it my personal mission to do whatever it takes for his vengeance. I have always held a personal vendetta for cheating fuckers like Viktor.
It was only when my cell phone's calendar gave me a reminder about tonight's dinner it had occurred to me that I  had to speak with Darce about it, but all my calls went to his voice mails, it was the same for Sebastian as well, this  was highly concerning because it clearly implied that Leonel Karwitz had fucked up horrifyingly bad and the Murrows were no pussies, they would see to it that they get exactly what they desired.
In the end I had settled for sending Darce a text message telling him about my dinner plans with my mom, where I clarified that it was for my own closure, and had nothing to do with Viktor Cedine, knowing fully well that this won't sit well with my husband, butI  it did all the same, after all we had agreed on no more secrets.
The other text message was for Anders, for letting him know that I was meeting mom tonight and hoped if he would join us, I knew it was a lost case, Anders hated mom and now he hates me as well, but I really hoped that he would not let his hate win over his love for us, I could tell it was still there in him that innocent love. My gut feeling told me Mom had things to tell us, and those were her side of the story which could never reach us because of Fredrik Reux. This gut feeling of mine which had always proved to be right everytime said that I will be disappointed after hearing her out, because all the things which I have grown up believing in might turn out to be a sham. This fucking gut feeling was also giving me a bad vibe when I stepped out of the car and started walking towards the beaten down walls of this ancient restaurant, where mom has asked me to meet her, it was in the old part of the city near our old residence, somewhere we had visited a couple of times when we played the happy family. This restaurant had lost its charm and not many people came here; however to me, this place held memories and to much of my surprise they were sweet.   I wondered why mom chose this place, it wasn't an attempt to evade the eyes of her husband, because Gregory Willows was the best in his business, and for one I could tell he was possessive about her. Could it be that the remnants of the mother that she once was had beckoned here over here?
Squaring my shoulders I strode towards the restaurant, pushing away useless thoughts, mom was already waiting inside looking very much of Mrs. Willows in her white blouse and beige pants, as much as I was looking the Mrs. Karwitz. There was not even the ghost of our Reux life in any of us.
"Eri" Mom's eyes lit up the moment she noticed me coming her way and pulled me into a hug, it created a lump in the middle of my throat and forcefully pushed my feelings into a pit.

"Mom" I managed to speak, finally blinking away my tears which I never thought would appear unannounced.

"Anders still hates me, doesn't he?" She asked me with a sad smile, it wasn't a question, she knew it, and I am certain she  knew much more than I knew about my brother.

He hates me too mom.

I wanted to say, but decided against it. I can't trust her completely. Can I?

"I have already ordered, your  favourite risotto for the  both of us. You must be famished, look at you looking wasted, I am sure you haven't had anything since breakfast."

My favourite! Was she kidding me? It used to be my favourite as a kid.

You still enjoy it Eri, don't lie to yourself.