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It’s also my last day at the internship. I was still wrapping up a housing project for him, but it was my last day. I couldn’t spend it at the office, but Dillon hosted a going-away party for me.
There were whispers about bias because we’re in a relationship, but who cares? It was a great party. All our friends were there, along with the few tolerable coworkers I’ve met.
“Ms. Willis,” Lucio said. I’ve always asked him to call me Azzaria, but he insists it’s disrespectful during work hours. He probably thinks Dillon would overreact about it. “Mr. Xander wanted to know if you’re alright. He’s been trying to reach you on your cell.”
“I’m good. I left the other phone at home on the charger, so I didn’t get the message,” I replied as he started texting Dillon. Sometimes it’s annoying to carry two phones everywhere.
We arrived at the supermarket, and I got out of the car. The main purpose of this trip was to buy the salsa Dillon likes and to get baking supplies. I needed pans, tins, whisks, and all the necessary items to get my lemon-baking adventure started.
“I’m so sorry,” I said as I accidentally bumped my cart into someone.
“It’s fine,” the person responded and looked at me. Her expression hardened upon seeing me, and she spoke, “I don’t think we’ve met in person.”
Dillon has exes crawling all over the city, and I’ve dealt with most one of them except for her—Annalise Brielle Woods, my boyfriend’s ex-wife.
“I don’t think we need to meet,” I replied, beginning to walk away, but she started following me. She even left her grocery cart behind.
“Dillon’s so—”
“Look, Annalise. I don’t care about what you’re saying, and I don’t care about what you have to say. You hurt him deeply and caused him so much pain. If you truly love him the way you claim you do, you’d leave him alone. Let him be happy, even if it’s not with you,” I spoke firmly and walked away.
I could only imagine how sour her expression must have looked, but that was none of my business. I needed to be free from the “other women drama.”
While I could understand the obsession when it came to Dillon because trust me, I’m head over heels for him, they make their obsession weird. I would never try to ruin another person’s relationship if I saw them happy with someone else. Especially Annalise, who’s trying to play the victim when all she did was lie, cheat, and cause pain.
Shaking off those thoughts and moving on from that situation, I finally found myself in the baking aisle. There are so many products and materials I didn’t know I needed until now. The piping bags and the cookie cutters… I think I’m in baking heaven, to say the least. What a good thing Dillon gave me his AmEx!
The shelf had about a hundred different items, and I put every single one of them in the cart.
“Are you sure you need all of these, Ms. Willis?” I jumped in fear but soon calmed when I realized it was only Lucio. “Mr. Xander insisted I accompany you inside.”
“You don’t have to listen to him; you’re a grown man, Lucio,” I pointed out.
“I am, but we’re also best friends, and he’s sort of my boss.” We wrapped up the supermarket shopping, paid, and left. I intentionally didn’t mention the incident with Annalise to Lucio or Dillon. It would have only prolonged the matter. The more attention everyone gave her, the longer she’d stay. I’ve learned that it’s best not to feed the attention seekers. They’ll eventually fade away, with time and some luck.
Me
Just left the grocery store. On my way back to the penthouse. I love you!
I had Dillon’s phone number memorized, so I used my other phone to send him a quick message. He wouldn’t see it now because he doesn’t use his phone during board meetings, but I was sure he’d check it during their ten-minute interval break.
While walking, an unknown private number called me multiple times. I usually didn’t answer such calls, but the repeated rings made it seem important.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Good evening,” the woman on the other line said, “Is this Ms. Azzaria Willis?”
“Yes,” I replied, “Who is this?”
“My name is Dr. Sharma Lee McIntyre from Wellness General Hospital.” That was the hospital Ronan owned, the one he often complained about. He’s a cancer specialist. “I’m calling about your mother, Leann.”
My heart sank, and the sounds from the bustling street outside seemed to fade away. This couldn’t be real.
“Yes, is everything okay?” Panic and fear surged through me.
“She passed away some minutes ago, and we need you to come down here as soon as possible,” she said.
I abruptly hung up the call. Without a second thought, I turned to Lucio and said, “Lucio, take me to your brother’s hospital. Something happened to my mom.” My voice was emotionless, my face devoid of expression. All I felt was fear. Losing her was not an option.
