Becoming strangers again (Lily and Ryan)

Chapter 36

Chapter 36 RYAN Upon arriving home, I noticed that it was already quite late, rendering it impractical to make any phone calls. Therefore, I made the conscious decision to postpone reaching out to Lily until the following day, in order to inquire about the matter she wished to discuss earlier. The subsequent morning greeted me with rather disheartening news conveyed by Angelo. It was revealed that we had suffered the loss of one of our clients recently, and to my dismay, today marked the day of his final resting place. As he resided in Canada with his family, it became evident that I must embark on a journey to attend his funeral service. While pondering the situation, the notion of having a representative attend on behalf of our company briefly crossed my mind. However, upon careful consideration, I think you already know what my option will be. Deciding to attend the funeral in Canada and seize the opportunity to visit Lily to uncover the purpose behind her desire to talk, I prepared myself by donning my vintage black suit and carefully tying a matching tie. With a sense of purpose, I made my way to the private airport, where I found the pilot already prepared for departure, allowing us to take off promptly. Upon arrival at the funeral, I made a deliberate choice to switch off my phone as a gesture of reverence towards the departed. In contrast, Angelo kept his phone accessible, anticipating any urgent communication that might arise during the ceremony. As the moment arrived for the old man to be laid to rest, I approached his grieving family to offer my heartfelt condolences. After expressing my sympathies, I began to make my exit. Yet, to my surprise, the wife of the deceased, whose name eluded my memory. chose this moment to play the unlikely role of a matchmaker. The audacity of the woman to play matchmaker at her husband’s funeral! I couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer absurdity of it all. As she introduced her daughter Martha, it was as if she was forcefully pushing her forward, completely oblivious to the fact that Martha was teetering on pointed heels. “This is my daughter, Martha,” As Martha extended her hand for a handshake, I couldn’t help but pause for a moment, contemplating the sheer number of hands she might have shaken throughout the condolence period. The thought of the lack of sanitization crossed my mind, making her extended hand seem somewhat awkward. “It’s nice to meet you Mr. Williams.” With an apologetic smile, I responded, deliberately addressing her by the wrong name, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mary. It’s unfortunate that we have to meet under such

circumstances.” She smiled tersely in return. “It’s Martha, she corrected me. I acknowledged her with a sharp nod, attempting to let them know that I’m done with the conversation as I redirected my attention. back to her mother. Eager to conclude the interaction and proceed either to Lily’s residence or the hospital, I assumed she would pick up on my subtle cues of disinterest. However, it seemed the woman doesn’t just know when to stop, persisting in her endeavors despite my apparent lack of enthusiasm. Didn’t my evident disinterest in remembering her daughter’s name communicate my lack of investment in her matchmaking endeavors? “Martha majored in business administration at Oxford University,” she proudly declared, undeterred by my lack of engagement. “She’s now keen to join her father’s business following the completion of her studies.” Reluctantly, I shifted my gaze back to the young woman in question, offering a detached yet polite, “Congratulations.” Her smile radiated appreciation. “Thank you.” “I must take my leave now. There’s another important meeting I to depart promptly but she stopped me with her ridiculous need to attend. I turned to leave, assuming she would respect my need offer. “If you’re still in Canada by nightfall, please have dinner with us,” she extended the invitation, her tone hopeful. Halting in my tracks, I mentally counted to five before turning to face her. Angelo couldn’t contain his amusement, emitting a snicker as I prepared my response. “I never dined with your deceased husband,” I informed the seemingly delusional woman, my voice firm with resolve, “what makes you think I would desire to dine with you?” Suddenly embarrassed by my blunt question, she glanced around nervously. “I thought you and my husband were friends?” she queried. Chapter 36 seeking validation for her invitation. With a resigned sigh, I dipped my hands into my pockets, contemplating who had fed her such misconceptions. “If it weren’t for business, your husband and I would have remained mere acquaintances, I clarified, my tone tinged with frustration “If you two weren’t close, then why did you come for his funeral?” she pressed further. “You flew all the way from New York to be here today.” This woman was truly pushing the boundaries. I shot a glance at Angelo, who shook his head in silent admonition, advising me to refrain from expressing the thoughts racing through my mind. Clicking my tongue in frustration, I addressed her, “I am sorry for your loss, Mrs. If you will excuse me. With that, I turned on my heel and walked away from her doorstep. Settling into the car, Angelo couldn’t contain his amusement. “You weren’t planning on being sarcastic with her, were

you?” he inquired, his tone tinged with amusement. Dialing Lily’s number on my phone, I muttered, “She was just getting on my nerves. The call remained unanswered, adding to my mounting frustration. “We’re heading for the airport, right?” Angelo questioned, already maneuvering the car out of the driveway. “Where do you suppose Lily might be at this moment?” I posed the question to myself aloud, eliciting a quick glance from Angelo via the rear–view mirror, his gaze tinged with suspicion. “Don’t look at me like that, I snapped at him, my irritation obvious. “She has something to discuss, and I’m simply going to hear her out.” “And you can’t do that over the phone?” Angelo questioned, raising a valid point. Glaring at him. I retorted, “Just stop talking and take me where you think Lily will be.” Angelo steered the car towards the hospital. Upon arrival, he left the engine running and ventured inside to inquire about Lily’s whereabouts in her office. Meanwhile, I remained in the car, idly scrolling through my phone. As Angelo returned to the car, his forehead marked with frown lines, his eyes betrayed a confusion that wasn’t typical. Concern crept in, and I couldn’t ignore the feeling that something was wrong. “Are you okay?” I inquired, meeting his gaze as he blinked slowly at me. “Are you going to tell me what the problem is, or do I have to smack it out of you?” Moistening his lips, he hesitated before posing a seemingly simple question, “How many Dr. Lily works here?” The simplicity of his inquiry heightened my unease. “You know the answer to that question as far as I know, I responded tersely. A momentary fear gripped me as I pressed, “Did something happen?” Leaning back against the car’s plush backrest, Angelo began to recount the what happened in there in vivid detail. “So, as I made my way to the front desk to inquire about Dr. Lily’s current whereabouts, I couldn’t help but overhear a random nurse engaging in conversation with another. She mentioned, quite matter–of–factly, that Dr. Lily had just stepped out to pick up her kids from school. The directive followed for all emergency patients under her care to be temporarily transferred to Dr. Gideon’s supervision.” My incredulity was obvious as I interrupted him, finding the entire narrative utterly implausible. “What utter nonsense is this? Lily isn’t a mother, and Becky, as far as I know, doesn’t reside in Canada. There’s absolutely no likelihood that the children she allegedly went to pick up belong to Becky.” Acknowledging my skepticism with a nod, Angelo mused, “I had the same thought. I mean, when exactly did she give birth to a child old enough to be enrolled in school?” My mind ran multiple thoughts at a time. If, by some bizarre twist of fate, she

did indeed go to pick up a child from school, then that would suggest she’s headed home. Drive us to her house,” I instructed. Angelo acknowledged my directive with a sharp nod, the car engine revving to life as he maneuvered us out of the hospital’s driveway. As the familiar road leading to Lily’s house came into view, I found myself still grappling with the unfolding events and the mystery surrounding Lily’s sudden involvement with children. Taking a calculated turn onto the well–trodden path leading up to her residence, Angelo guided the car with precision. I instructed him to park a safe distance from the gate as we awaited any sign of Lily’s arrival. “What if she’s already home!” Angelo queried, his voice tinged with uncertainty. “We’ll give it forty–five minutes,” I replied decisively. “If she doesn’t show up by then, you’ll drive up to the gate and inform her security 11:40 AM Chapter 36 that she has an unexpected guest. We settled into our wait, the passing minutes stretching out before us. After just fifteen minutes, a sleek black car zoomed past us, unmistakably belonging to Lily, considering the absence of neighbors in the vicinity. Angelo wasted no time in pursuing Lily’s car, employing the horn to signal our demand for her attention. Her vehicle glided to a halt near the gate, awaiting its slow opening, while I disembarked from our car and approached hers. Despite the tinted windows, I could sense Lily’s gaze fixed upon me. I could feel it, unnerving almost. As I closed the distance, one of her security personnel attempted to block my path, his hand outstretched in a misguided effort to deter me. Angelo swiftly intervened, forcefully pushing the security aside. “What gives you the right to dare touch a Williams like that?” Angelo’s voice boomed with authority, asserting our presence in the face of outnumbered opposition. Despite the tension, I realized the odds were stacked against us. It became clear that I wouldn’t make it to Lily’s car. After a tense pause, the driver’s door swung open, and Lily emerged, exuding an air of

composed authority as she made her way towards us. “Let him go, she commanded the security personnel, who had now formed a protective circle around Angelo and me. Slowly, the circle of security personnel dissolved as Lily’s authoritative command took effect. “What are you doing here,

Ryan?” Lily’s inquiry cut through the tension, but my focus remained fixed on the tinted windows of her car. It was as if an invisible force compelled me to peer inside, perhaps driven by curiosity. “I came for a funeral here and thought it best to see you in person to discuss matters instead of having you travel to New York,” I explained, my gaze flickering back to the car briefly. “Why didn’t you call me?” Lily’s voice betrayed a hint of hurt. “At least let me know that you’re here?” “I did call you,” I interjected, setting the record straight, “but you didn’t pick up.” Just as I was about to broach the topic Angelo overheard at the hospital, the window unexpectedly rolled down, revealing a little boy who bore an uncanny resemblance to… me? He poked his head out urgently, his voice breaking the momentary silence. “Mummy! I need to use the toilet fast!” My eyes darted from the boy to Lily, whose complexion paled visibly, her shock evident. The air grew heavy with unspoken questions. “Is that my son?” My voice quivered with a mixture of disbelief and dawning realization.

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