Gerald got a call from Aunt Elsie earlierthat morning, asking him to come to the company. "Why...?" Gerald had nonchalantly asked her. "Why are you asking me to come over out of the blues? I thought you pointed out that I don't belong there -but now, you are asking me to come over?"
"Come on, Gerald. It's not what you are thinking, I have no interior motives forthis." She told him on the phone in reply. "I'm sorry for what happened yesterday, so I want us to talk things out like grown-ups do."
Gerald wasn't sure if he should trust her words, considering how cunning she was. But on the other hand, he concluded she might mean no harm, as she has said. If she had some moves up her sleeves, she would never have asked him to meet her at the company of all places.
Gerald decided to trust his intuition, at least, for once, and gave in to her request. He arrived at the company a few minutes to noon, as they agreed on. As he walked through the door, he was escorted by two of the company's security personnel to Aunt Elsie's office -he declined their gesture, but they insisted on escorting him based on Aunt Elsie's order.
Gerald was left with no choice than to let them do as they pleased. He got to aunt Elsie's office, and she was sitting elegantly, waiting for him there, wearing a calm look. But something about her didn't seem right to him -he just shrugs the feeling off.
"Good afternoon, Gerald." She greeted him with a warm smile; the type of smile that doesn't go well with Gerald. "I'm glad you could make it here."
"Good afternoon, Aunt Elsie." He returned the greeting as he sat opposite her, his stoic emotions softening a bit. "Why not? You asked nicely, even though I would rather not trust your words, I have no options to it."
"You don't have to trust my words, just give me a chance to make things right." She responded calmly. "I know I went overboard yesterday and I apologize for that. I shouldn't have forced my decisions on you. I realize that now, and I'm willing to let you run things the way you want."
Gerald was shocked at what he just heard. Did Aunt Elsie just admit to her mistake and also offered to let him run things his own way? He had never expected such from her. But in the same vein, something about her words didn't seem right.
In as much as he tried to believe her, he couldn't bring himself to let his guard down before such a woman like her. Who knows what she's thinking?
"I'm surprised at what you've just said because this is not so you." Gerald told her, not minding how she would take his reply. "I wouldn't believe such a foxy woman as you would stoop low to apologize, though!"
Aunt Elsie smiled yet again like she understood every part of his words. "I know, right. If I'm in your shoes, I'll say more than this." She admitted, her gaze solely on him. "That's why I prepared a small gift for you -and I hope you will like it."
Gerald doesn't like the sound of her voice. '-and I hope you will like it...' it sounded more cunning than he would ever imagine, and he feels the mockery laced in it.
With his brows drawn tightly together, he speaks. "What do you mean, aunt Elsie?" He asked, trying to be on the safe side. "I hope you aren't playing one of your foxy cards on me!"
"You're too smart, Gerald." Aunt Elsie said, seeming amused by his perspective. "But I can promise you I have no hidden intentions, I only want to prove to you that I'm truly sorry for what happened yesterday."
"Then prove it to me!" He stated sharply, his gaze hard and stoic with no trail of emotion in his voice. "Show me you aren't as bad as I think you are!"
"As you wish." She replied, her voice calm and composed. "But I'll need you to trust me just a little bit."
Gerald knew he couldn't trust her, but he really wanted to see what she had in mind. Hesitantly, he nodded at her without uttering any words -his actions should speak louder than words.
Aunt Elsie picked her phone, did a few taps on it screen before placing it on her left ear. She waited patiently forthe person on the other line to pick up before speaking. "Turn it on." She cited in a simple yet blunt tone."Now...!"
With that, she dropped the call and returned the phone in to her chest pocket, a playful smirk at the corner of his lips. Gerald was confused at the call she had just made. (Turn it on', the words echoed in his ears, and he wondered what was to be turned on.
He had wanted to ask her what's it all about, but he decided not to let his curiosity get the better of him. She had implored him to trust her, Gerald thought it'll only be better to keep by his words -after all, he promised he will.
Gerald's calm facade was destroyed the next few seconds due to the louder voice that blared from the hallway. Gerald thought he heard wrong as he tried to listen attentively to the voice he was hearing -he was sure it's coming from the speakers that were mounted in the hallway due to emergency announcement.
"...I think you're the one who's been manipulating Ciara, not me. You've been here the whole time, acting like her friend, when really you're just using her to fill in for your personal interest. You've never cared about her, you're just putting on a pretence...!"
"...Yeah, I'm putting on a pretence! At least, I was considerate enough to use and manipulate her when she was sane -unlike old hag like you, who's been manipulating her into ripping her off her sweats due to her mental challenge."
As the voices went on, Gerald froze in his seat, drenched in his sweat. As suspected, the old lady had played one of herfoxy cards on him. In as much as he suspected her to be a step ahead of him, he neverthought she would use his words against him like this!
To think she is playing the voice record to the ears of everyone in the company -he couldn't feel more embarrassed like he's at the moment.
"I can see you enjoy my gift a lot." She uttered, drawling on the 'a lot'. She stood from her seat and walked closer towards him, wearing a dirty grin on her face. "Ah -why does this feel so good right now?"
Gerald snapped out of his trance as he sprang to his feet at once, grabbing her aggressively by her collar -that moment, he completely forgot she's a woman; an old lady!
"What did you think you were doing, old hag!" He screamed at her, clenching his fist tight on her collar and shaking her violently. "What have you done?!"
Surprisingly and instead of retaliating, aunt Elsie burst out in tears, wailing uncontrollably. "After everything Ciara had done to you and the trust she had in you -you decide this is the best way of repaying her? By assaulting her aunt because you were denied the opportunity to keep manipulating my niece!"
Just then, the door creaked opened, revealing men on uniforms. "You are under arrest..." One of them announced as he walked towards them, forcefully releasing Gerald's grip on Aunt Elsie's collar. "-Mr. Gerald!" He completed his statement.
"What...？." Gerald blurted out, realization hitting him hard...