Chapter Twenty-Three
Ava Anderson
I stand with bated breath, trying my best not to let the panic sink into my chest because I know I’ll probably throw up. Wade squeezes my hand and I love how he notices my tension each time and always eases it for me.
I stared down at DJ who’s surprisingly well-behaved tonight. Another time, he would have been throwing a tantrum, wanting to run around the place. I was scared he wouldn’t be as active as he was after he was kidnapped by his father but as the therapist said, children his age don’t often have strong memories as their emotions and mental state are still developing.
The next day, DJ was up and about, wreaking havoc around the house and I was most happy to see him energetic. It was due to him I found it easy to sink back into the life I thought I would never get back .
Daniel had been arrested and his trial would be coming up soon, while the drug dealers who were caught with him would definitely be imprisoned. He requested to see me, but I refused, not wanting to have nightmares of him once again. Besides, Wade already declined sternly on my behalf.
My manager called me to ask if I was ready to head back to the stage, but I asked him for some time which he understood. My life had been a roller-coaster ever since Lynn’s death and I needed time to get myself back, if I ever do.
I missed singing in the opera, but I valued my mental and emotional health just as much. As Wade said, I needed to give myself time to heal completely so I can accept a new me who is about to emerge.
It’s been two weeks since Daniel was caught and I have to say that life has been easier, better, and much safer. Wade moved out of the house as instructed by the police, but he practically still lives with me as he sleeps in our room virtually every day.
We haven’t defined our relationship yet. We’re trying to take things slow and steady, unlike the way we met. And I just loved it like that.
Two days ago, he got a message from his father asking him to come home for dinner during the weekend. Wade’s first response was to reject it, but I dissuaded him from that. He found it odd, that his father was the one calling him home when usually, his mother was the one who begged him fervently.
Wade tried to refuse but I insisted he attend the dinner even when he claimed his father only wanted to discuss the same things again. I was surprised when he’d called me yesterday to ask if I would like to attend the dinner with him .
I didn’t even have the chance to turn his offer down because he mentioned he had already told his mother and she was expecting not only me but DJ as well. I was a wreck last night, trying to find the right outfit to be able to match the Coopers’ class. I wasn’t one to be intimidated by one’s wealth, but this was Wade’s family and the wealthiest family in NYC. I wanted , no , I needed to make an impression.
I didn’t want to seem like a middle-class woman running after their son for his money. I needed to show them I was an independent, well-celebrated and classy woman myself. One more time I looked at the silky black dress that hugged my waist tightly before falling straight from my hips to my knees. The neckline was designed with silver sequins and loose sleeves gathered at my wrists. My silver heels matched the silver and diamond necklace on my neck. Bling Bling, as DJ called it when he saw me. I dressed my little man in a tuxedo, wanting him to look dashing for the event.
Wade said his family had a weird tradition where the entire family must dine together every weekend, dressed in formal attire. Dresses, tuxedos, and suits. He’d hated the whole idea since he was little, but we only went due to my insistence. We’d flown in that morning.
My eyes look around the acres of land used to build this mansion. Scratch that, a fortress.
The house was five stories tall and as wide as my eyes could reach. The land stretching behind it was enough to build ten more houses like mine. I knew Nathan Cooper was rich, but I never knew he was this rich. I could see why Wade must have been lonely growing up in such a huge and hollow place all by himself with his overbearing mother and indifferent father. He must have had only the maids to talk to and even they worked too hard to please him, not wanting to earn the wrath of their employers by acting too friendly with his child .
The door opened and I saw an elderly man dressed in a modest suit. His carriage was elegant and I was quick to guess he was the butler of the house.
“Young Master Wade, a pleasure to have you here again.” He smiles, a white set of perfect teeth shining.
“Mr. Wang. My pleasure too.” Wade nods his head in greeting.
Mr. Wang turns to me, and after a brief second his eyes swipe down my outfit before looking at DJ as well. I may not be good at reading people’s emotions from their faces, but I would say he was satisfied.
“Miss Anderson, it’s an honor to have you and your son here tonight.” Mr. Wang smiles at me and I didn’t find it hard to smile back.
“The honor is all mine.”
“Come in.” He finally ushers us in and the moment I step into the house, I have to clench my teeth so I don’t start drooling at someone else’s house. Utter beauty. The entire house was literally the epitome of architecture. Starting from the spiral staircase that winds up toward the ceiling, the numerous works of art on the wall and the painted glass leading down the hallway. It was like I was stepping into a modern-day palace.
“Mrs. Cooper took the liberty of designing the house herself. Trust me, this is not the best of it.” Mr, Wang says, probably noticing my awe and I smile.
“Your mother is amazing. This house is beautiful.” I whisper to Wade as we walk down the hallway with Mr, Wang in front of us and about five maids behind us .
“You should tell her that.” I follow Wade’s line of direction to see an utterly gorgeous lady walking down the corridor.
I’ve seen glimpses of Mariana Gregory Cooper in magazines before, but never once have I stopped to appreciate how beautiful she was. Not just the way the entire lit up when she was present, or the way her model-like body sashayed down the hallway like she owned the world.
It was her eyes, ambience and the light beaming from her heart. I haven’t even spoken to her, but I could see she is a nice woman. The over-attentive mother Wade had told me she was nowhere in sight.
“My handsome son.” Mrs. Cooper spread her arms to hug Wade eagerly. A mother, when deprived of her child is like a nomad in the desert with no water or food in sight. It’s terrifying. That was how I felt when DJ was taken from me. I can see how much she missed her son by how she pulls away from him and examines his face. She even leaves a kiss on his cheek to which Wade groans in response.
Her eyes finally turned to me and for a second, I thought she was going to scowl at me before her face breaks into a huge smile. “Ava!” She draws me in for a tight hug, just the way she hugged Wade. Or maybe even tighter. “Oh my God!!” She squeals and I find it hard to balance on my heels from the way she shakes me left to right. “I am your biggest fan.” Mrs. Cooper finally pulls away, but she grabs my hand as she stares at me.
“Really?” My voice comes out low due to my surprise.
“Of course! Didn’t your boyfriend inform you that his mother is a huge sucker for classics? I’ve only just recently started watching your shows and my, my, you are talented, my love. ”
I’ve never blushed from a woman’s comment, but Mrs. Cooper’s words nearly made me melt into a puddle. And she called Wade my boyfriend. “Thank you so much, I don’t know what to say, Mrs. Cooper.”
“Mrs. Cooper? Please, call me Mariana. We’re way past the formalities now.” She huffs. “Huh! Is that the munchkin? Ohhh, he’s adorable.” Mariana turns to DJ who’s staring at the hyperactive woman wide-eyed.
“Mother, he has a name.” Wade sighs and I guess it’s not the first time she has referred to my son as a munchkin.
“Oh, you cute little puppy.” She picks DJ up into her arms and thankfully, my son doesn’t start bawling his eyes out like he usually does whenever a stranger carries him.
“Mr. Wang, pop the best wine in the cellar. Our guests have arrived.” Mariana walks down the hall with DJ in her arms as she baby talks to him.
“As you wish, ma’am.” Mr. Wang bows before ordering a maid to get the wine.
I follow behind Mariana with Wade by my side and I turn to look at him, a little bit bedazzled by the interaction with his mother.
“I told you, she’s a bit…too much.” He shrugs apologetically.
“She’s perfect.” I smile as we get to the dining room.
“Honey, look who’s here.” I hear Mariana saying to Mr. Cooper before we get to the dining room. If Mariana was the warm sun, Mr. Cooper would be the cool moon .
Sitting at the head of the table is a man who looks as cold as the ice in Antarctica and as calculating as a sniper. His sharp eyes turn to me and I can’t help but shrink a bit in my skin.
Wade notices and he takes my hand as he leads me over to the dining table. “Good evening, Father.” Wade greets the man who’s now standing and staring very openly at me.
“Good evening, Son.” He takes a long look at Wade before turning back to me. “Welcome to our home, Miss Anderson.” Mr. Cooper gives me a fraction of a smile but it’s more than I expected.
“Thank you for having me.” I resist the urge to bow. The man has such a commanding presence I wonder if he ever cracks jokes.
I sit next to Wade who sits across from his mother. To my surprise, a highchair was placed right next to her and now, DJ is being tended to by a maid who’s placing a bib around his neck for dinner. Wade has his eyes on DJ, and I gulp nervously. He’s probably remembering all the times he was taken care of by the numerous maids at his beck and call.
The maids begin to serve dinner and I’m awed by the vast amount of food set out for just four adults and a child. If they’d told me they were expecting twenty more guests I would believe it.
“Please, eat. Wade told me your favorite and I prepared them especially for you. Well, the chef did.” Mariana rings a shrill laughter and I look at Wade.
“She asked.” He says without looking at me and focusing on his food. Now, in his house and with his parents, I see a different side of Wade which he hasn’t let out before .
He elegantly places the napkin across his knees before moving to carefully place a bit of every dish on his plate, refusing help from any of the maids. He seems like the prince everyone expected him to be. One bred with etiquette on how to eat, talk and walk.
Somehow, it makes me sad to see how automated he is in the home he grew up in. He was more comfortable in my house.
“Here you go.” Wade hands me the plate and I stare at him blankly, a bit worried that if I take the plate from him, his father is going to stare at me disapprovingly. Wade places the plate in front of me anyway and moves to serve himself.
“Oh, doesn’t it remind you of our young days, Nathan? Sweet, pure love.” Mariana smiles and I find it hard to lift my head due to how hard I’m blushing. I just hope I'm able to stomach this food.
“So, how old are you, Miss Anderson?” The first question Mr. Cooper asks almost makes me choke on the sip of water I’d just taken.
“I-I—” I struggle to answer, trying my best not to belch in front of these rich people.
“Why bother asking when you’ve run all the background checks you needed?” Wade pats my back softly as he speaks to his father.
“Well, it’s necessary, seeing as your first choice was quite the charmer.” Wade flinches at his father’s biting remark and suddenly, I want to take DJ and leave this world I just walked into.
I look at Wade, and he smiles gently at me, soothing my nerves .
“They say the one who stubs his toe on a stone twice is a fool, Father. And surely, you know I’m not.” Wade returned to his meal and so did I.
Mariana starts small talk to ease the tension and I simply smile, nod, or say little. I don’t hate Wade’s father for being wary of me. A single mom for his very successful son would make any parent wary. I’m willing to do anything to prove to him that I’m not as bad as he thinks I am.
“Wade.” Mr. Cooper calls his son in a solemn voice. “I don’t want to fight with you. Not anymore.” He says which makes Wade stop eating and straighten up.
“I do not particularly enjoy it, Father.” Wade remarks and I take his hand, a sign for him to speak softly with the old man.
“I’m glad to hear that.” Mr. Cooper nods.
“I called you here for a reason, and it’s not to ask you to take over the company as you assume. It’s something else.”
Mariana holds her husband’s hand tightly and her expression turns grim. I can already feel we’re not going to like what he’s about to say.
“I have been diagnosed with stage three pancreatic cancer.” My heart drops at the news.