PLAYHOUSE

SIX

Iris' POV

I went home with down shoulders feeling defeated. Well, I wasn't talking about my encounter with Leyla, I won that. I was actually talking about my job. I'm jobless!

I dropped the box full of my things on the floor not caring whether something would break. I would probably throw them out anyway. I didn't want anything to remind me of how I ended up at Osborn Publishing, Co.

How am I supposed to tell my parents about this? And how about Iver? I have to get another job soon. And with soon I mean really really soon! And tomorrow, first thing in the morning, I will do a job hunt.

I changed my working clothes with some comfy pants and cotton shirt. I sat on my couch with a steaming coffee in one hand for my throbbing head and a newspaper to look for job vacancies for Iver and I's future. And lucky for me there were tons. I wrote down their email addresses for later.

I was busy writing when suddenly my door bell rang. I walked to see who it was and when I opened it I was again surprised for the 5th time today.

"Good day, darling."

A tall and gracious woman stood in front of me with a cigarette in between her fingers. Her hair was meticulously done and her dress coat looked very expensive. Seriously, why would someone wear a dress coat in a warm weather in New York City?

To boast of course.

"Olivia." I mouthed. "I wasn't really expecting you'd be coming around."

"Of course you didn't." She smiled and took a puff of her cigarette.

"I think you're on the wrong neighborhood."

"Oh, no I'm actually on the right door." She threw her cigarette somewhere and suddenly a man wearing suit and tie appeared.

"Who is he?" I questioned.

"This is Mr. Lambert, my attorney and we have come here to take my grandson."

"What?" I blurted with obvious shock and anger.

"Hi, Ms. Payton.—"

"Don't you hi me. You have no right to be here and if you're saying that you could just take Iver like that then you're wrong."

"Now, Irene."

"It's Iris." I corrected.

"Whatever. Just think of this as my help in raising my grandson." She tried to smile but she won't fool me.

"Help? If anything, you're just going to make a bad guardian for Iver. You don't even know what love and care means, even Tanner told us so."

"Don't you mention my late son's name over me!"

"Then leave." I commanded.

The attorney cleared his throat and moved forward. "Ms. Payton, I know this is so sudden and we didn't mean to intrude but Mrs. Sandlers here just wants to have some time with her grandson."

"Some time? Are you kidding me? She didn't even want Iver from the very beginning. She called my nephew a bastard. Are you even aware of that?"

The attorney stood there dumbfounded.

"See? Of course you don't. I bet this woman's feeding you lies. And I bet the only reason why she wanted Iver is to just make a point and feel less guilty about Tanner and Ivory's death. She's the reason why they died in the first place. If she hadn't become some psychopath and just accepted the fact that Tanner was inlove with my sister they would probably be alive."

"You have no right to talk to me that way. So disrespectful!" Olivia said, her eyes were wide and her nerves in her neck were obvious.  now.

"Just as disrespectful as you are." I spit.

"Ms. Payton, Mrs. Sandlers please, let's just talk this out like normal matured people."

I crossed my arms and if they thought that they can talk this out to me, then they're wrong.

"Ms. Payton, we are very much aware that you got fired."

"How did you know that?" I was already pissed and hearing about me getting fired just pissed me even more.

"I had you tracked down, dear."

This woman didn't really know her boundaries and she's bringing me to my edge.

"Anyway, she just did that to make sure that the child was taken cared of very well. And I would like to congratulate you because you're doing a pretty good job." Mr. Lambert said.

"Oh don't you play nice to her Paul."

"Olivia please, this is my job and with you whining around we wouldn't be able to finish this."

She eyed me devilishly while I tried to smile on her face just to annoy her. This attorney wasn't so bad, I guess.

"As I was saying, you're now jobless and even if you get a new job will you be able to sustain the child's needs? With only you in the picture?"

"Of course attorney, like you said, I've been doing a good job on raising him."

"Yes, but you're paid twice as much than a regular employee at Osborn, right? I'm afraid you can't find a job that would pay you that much for starters."

"I have my parents to help me out, and I can do multi-tasking. That's not much of a problem, I have my ways, attorney. I will do anything for Iver."

"I know and I understand Ms. Payton, but in order to have full responsibility to the child you have to be with someone beside your parents."

"Are you saying that I had to have partner just so I could keep Iver?" It was insane! I couldn't believe what this attorney was telling me!

"Yes, Ms. Payton. Someone who could help you out financially and love the child like his own."

"This is absurd!"

"Oh it is not dear." Olivia mouthed behind her attorney.

"We will give you time Ms. Payton. Three months."

"Three months? You think it's that easy to find someone? I don't think there could even be someone out there. This is crazy! Do you think this is some kind of story in a stupid novel that I could just find someone and trap him in my life?"

"Either that or you lose the child Ms. Payton. I'm sure there could be someone out there." Attorney said and smiled. "Have a great day Ms. Payton."

And with that, he closed the door.

The world's playing shit on me!