He paused and glanced at Fred speechless. His facial expression was blank. He acted as if he didn't understand what he meant and gently sip down the water before saying “I was invited to the sport council”
Pulling his overalls on, he continued “I won't be in the office often for the next two months. After that, I'll resume back to the office again. I hope Miss Camella understands that” he explained.
He is not like the regular employees, he's a partner but he isn't going to abuse the opportunity granted to him. He would have to work harder and stay up late to complete some tasks. But wouldn't let his absence be felt.
“Are you playing for N.Y in the forthcoming basketball tournament?” Fred asked, his eyes brightening and his face wide with a smile. This cannot be true, right?
“Yeah, I guess so,” Andre informed. He doesn't want anyone to see it as a big deal, it's an opportunity. There are definitely better basketball players than him. Luck only shone on him and he was selected.
“Wow…this is good news. Congratulations Andre” Fred Maxwell chimed. He is a witness to how good he is in the court. He does it as if he was born a basketball player.
“Thanks,” he said. He needed to check the workshop. An engineer doesn't stay in the office all day but in the workshop most often. Together they walked towards the door when Fred paused “Camella loves you, Andre”
“Please Fred. You said some crazy words a while ago and I ignored you. Don't say them again” he frowned. What has his work in the Wood's Electroworld has anything to do with love and crushing?
If she's in love, that's her problem. It doesn't concern him. Is love what he wants to put his feet into again? When he loved, what did it give him as an offer?
“Andre…I know what you went through…” Fred was saying when Andre interrupted him sharply. “You don't know anything. You only know that there's a word called heartbreak. Besides the word, what else do you know?” He demanded.
The next two hours Andre was busy and Camella got hooked on the web of different meetings. She attended to some serious matters that she momentarily got focused on the job until it was almost too late.
She sent a text to Andre “Wait behind, we need to talk” Andre received it but didn't respond. After what Fred told him, he felt like keeping distance from that woman surnamed Wood.
He knows her fiance is a pain in the ass but they are still engaged. He wants to protect her but he is feeling like keeping a distance as far as the north is from the south. He doesn't want some unhealthy infatuation to cause a hedge in their interaction.
When Camella finished, she hurried her steps into her office and ordered Andre to be invited over. A few minutes later, he walked in, his face blank, void of any emotions.
“Hello Miss Camella” he greeted and she nodded, a lump suddenly formed in her throat. He looked so cute, she forced a smile trying to cover up the uneasiness in her.
She motioned for him to take a seat and he did. Her palms were sweaty and she took a handkerchief to wipe them dry. “What happened, Andre, I called a number of times this morning and you didn't answer your phone.
You kept me worried all day and when you got to the company, you didn't come to check on me nor did you return my calls. I sent you a text to wait for me, and you didn't respond to them. What is happening Andre?
This is disrespectful Andre. You should at least respect me as the CEO even if I'm not half as intelligent as you. This is humiliating and ridiculous” she queried.
She knows she's in love with him but that doesn't mean he shouldn't recognise her position and respect her office. She's learning to not act arrogant anywhere around him but she also wouldn't allow herself to be disrespected this way.
“I'm sorry miss Camella, I was wrong” Andre apologised. He shouldn't have just ignored her that way.
Camella sighed softly and said “I needed to talk to you about last night. Someone saw us and took photographs. By this morning, the Johnson's stormed over to the mansion and accused me of cheating with you…”
“Was Jack also there with his parents?” Andre asked. Seeing two people walk out of the company building is not the same as cheating.
“Who else led the way? He accused me of cheating on him despite being engaged. He referred to that day at the restaurant and told dad that I was cuddling you openly and humiliated him publicly…and…” Camella's voice choked.
She can't believe that Jack could lie before his parents and her dad so shamelessly. He questioned her character and said some unhealthy words about her. How can he do that and expect her to be happy getting married to him?
Camella started sobbing. She couldn't hold back. She'd been waiting all day for Andre and now, seeing him, she felt like emptying herself of the burden that clutched her heart. She bowed her head, her tears cascading down her cheeks uncontrollably.
Andre gnashed his teeth. He was furious. On one hand are his lies, his cheating, his pretences and on the other hand his false accusation and the pain he had caused Camella. How can he not have a conscience in him?
He was engaged to her and yet was cheating with Sona and had a daughter with her and yet, he'd got a lousy conscience to accuse Camella of cheating on him. Even having the effrontery to say she was cuddling him.
No wonder Mr Benson called him to politely warn him to stay away from his daughter and not ruin her happiness. He wrongly believed Jack was going to bring Camella happiness?
If only he knew that the idiot was only interested in two things before flinging her off like a flea; abusing her emotionally after taking a piece of her flesh and twisting the company away from her, his hard work for many years.
Andre fisted his palm and anger rose within him. He was furious. How can he blatantly cheat on her and have ulterior motives behind his intentions to be married to her and yet, accuse her so shamelessly?
“And now, dad has declared that my marriage to Jack would be taking place in twenty hours, quietly at the marriage bureau. What should I do, Andre? I don't love him, I'm in love with someone else. I'm so confused now” Camella explained amidst sobs.
Andre was just staring at her. Her complexion had gone reddened. It's not easy for anyone to love a scumbag like Jack. But getting married to that fellow, her happiness had been signed away.
“Are you going to get married to him, did you agree with your dad's decision?” Andre asked, thinking of possible ways to help her unmask Jack's double life.
“What are you saying? How can I marry a drug addict like him, I don't love him at all” Camella snapped at him.
Drug addict?