"You fired Erica?" Henry asked his father, who was on call with someone. "Let me call you back later. I did. I don't want to keep hurting you or your mother Henry. I'm going to tell her about it, and respect whatever decision she makes." Terry hanged his call and spoke to his son with sincerity. Henry could not believe it when Rosie said his father sacked the chief maid, his mistress. Apparently, that was the reason why, she had come to kneel in tears before him by the staircase, this afternoon when he took Ellen to his room, not sparing her a glance. She left a little while after they left for Kempinski. "Are you being serious right now? Or this is a trick?" Henry asked with caution. "I am. In fact, I'll do it right now, in front of you." Terry affirmed, dialing his wife's number via skype. "Hi daddy." Audrey's cheerful voice and beautiful face came from the other side, making Terry beam with joy. "Hi princess, how are you?" He asked, Henry standing aside, not bothering to speak to his sister, as he was shocked his dad was really going through with his plan. "I'm fine daddy. Happy birthday once again, hope you liked your gift." Audrey replied and wished again. "Thank you, princess, I loved it. Your brother is here, would you like to say hi?" Terry responded and asked, Henry's attention getting drawn by his question. "Hey little man. Happy birthday jerk." Audrey greeted and wished with a chuckle. "Thank you, princess." He replied with a smile. Audrey loved calling him both little man and jerk. "Thought you've forgotten me?" He asked his sister, and she rolled her eyes. "I try, but it's just not possible. I must be smitten by your charms, like your playthings." Audrey said in sarcasm. "I miss you princess." Henry said with laughter, he absolutely adored his sister. "I miss you too little man, although you are not so little anymore, hahaha." Audrey said and they all laughed. "It's so great to have all of us talk together, but where's my queen?" Terry commented and asked with a smile. "She's here now. She was in the shower, so I answered when I saw it was your call. Mom, it's the big and little men." Audrey announced to her mother, who was wearing a bath robe with a towel on her hair. Sarah was a half British, half Ghanaian. She met Terry in Oxford university, and they both hit it off. Unlike Elena, she was from a rich family in London, but captured the player's heart, like Elena captured Aaron's. They loved each other deeply, but had to leave in different timelines due to work. They met occasionally when they vacationed in Paris, or anywhere else as a family on holidays, and certain seasons. Rosie loved her son's bride, as she was so humble for a rich girl who lived in London. "Hello my loves. Happy birthday." She greeted and wished cheerfully. "Wow, you two look so handsome. Kobby, when are you coming? I want to hold my baby boy, who's growing up so fast. Oh, how is our girlfriend?" Sarah continued and asked with a smile. "He'll be there soon; they just finished the exam. Which girlfriend is that?" Terry answered and asked with curiosity. "Oh, you don't know? Aren't you the one living with him, Terry? Her name is Eleanora, and Kobby really likes her." Sarah responded cheerfully. "Oh yes, I've seen her on social media. Funny thing these two don't have a single picture together, online. Talk about privacy, huh little man." Audrey commented with a tease. "I just found out today actually, she's Aaron Wilson's daughter. I hope you are right, and he does like her." Terry said with a snare, making Henry roll his eyes. "Terry, don't threaten my son please. You'll ruin his birthday. Our little man is now a big man, who can exercise his franchise even." Sarah warned playfully. "Fine, and people say I pamper him." Terry said sarcastically. "Of course you do." Both women said simultaneously, earning a chuckle from the men. "You don't see me keep on buying expensive things for him, do you? You just bought a car that can change someone's life with that kind of money, after he's destroyed a lot. That's not even pampering, that's spoiling, and it's bad parenting." Sarah pointed out. "Yeah dad, even I don't change cars that way, this jerk however changes it like girls. It's too much." Audrey chimed in. "Why are you two ganging up on me?" Henry asked with a pout, and they laughed. "You might be eighteen, but you are still a little man. I wonder if any of your girls know you have a childish side, throwing tantrums here and there." Audrey teased and Henry looked at her with a scowl, making her laugh. "Okay that's enough. I admit I spoil him; we cool? (ladies nod) That's why he better not destroy my partnerships; it would be more of his loss than mine." Terry admitted, looking at his son with his last words, and Henry scoffed. "Alright Princess, may I speak to my queen alone?" Terry started, coming back to the basis of this call. "Sure dad, goodnight both of you, and happy birthday once again. Jerk, please introduce your girl to us one day. I'd love to know what is so special about her, that she captured my brother's heart." Audrey said, and left with a tease, before Henry could answer. "Is everything okay? You sound serious." Sarah asked, adjusting herself by the bed with a pillow. "I have to tell you something, and I don't think you'll like it. But I want you to know that this isn't easy for me and I'm so sorry. I love you Sarah, I really do, I just messed up." Terry began, voice and face full of emotion, while Henry stood silently by. "Ter, what did you do?" Sarah asked, getting afraid of the answer to the question she just asked. Worry and fear pitched their tent on her face as those emotions molded into her facial expression. "I…" Terry began, but "He almost slapped me for breaking your precious vase!" Henry jumped in before his father could break his mother's heart, and hung the call, Terry looking at him in shock. The expression on his mother's face pricked, as realization dawned on him, that his parents might have been through this before in their early years, because Terry was no angel, and there was no way this was the first time he was cheating on her. Besides, he regretted it now, right? So, there was no need to destroy the beautiful relationship they share, when they clearly love each other. After all, he wasn't a saint either to judge his father so harshly. All he needed to know was that he regretted his actions, and had taken measures to correct them, by sending his mistress away. "What did you just do?" Terry asked after the initial shock was over. "Saved your marriage, you are welcome." Henry said, playing it cool. "Huh? I thought you wanted me to…" He began but Henry cut him off again. "Let me ask you this, is this the first-time mom was about to find out about your rendezvous, or she's known about it before?" Henry asked. "She has, when we were about to get married. It was not pretty; she almost called off our wedding. I love your mother, Kobby, I do. It was tough getting her to the altar, but she came, because she loves me too." Terry answered with a sigh. "Then why put her through that again? If you really love her dad, don't do things that will make you lose her, mom's worth your fidelity and more. She's an amazing woman, and you can't break her trust that way, or hurt her." Henry counseled and his father smirked. "You're not so little any more Kobby, I hope you take your own advice too. Thank you, son." Terry said, hugging his boy. "Just don't do it again dad, I'll be keeping an eye on you." Henry said with a smile. "Would you look at that? Haha, you do that son, and I'll check you for your little girlfriend. Don't you think you can fool me because everyone believes you like her? I'm your father after all, I know how this game is played." Terry warned. "You are really serious about messing me up if I do something wrong, aren't you?" Henry asked out of curiosity. "Try it and see. In the world of business and economics, partnership and shareholding are key for your finances. That girl's father is not only a doctor, but he also has business ventures as well which bring us all money, because we're part of it. All those other girls you dated were not up to our level, but Aaron Wilson, boy I'll kill you if I lose him. He's part of my major sources for business and money." Terry explained with seriousness, putting Henry into thought. "Don't worry dad, nothing will happen to your precious partnership…I think mom's calling back, I'll leave you two." Henry said and urged his father to answer the call coming through. "I'm sure you're in much more trouble than I, concerning her vase. Thanks for sticking your neck for me little man." Terry said with a chuckle. "That's your gift, happy birthday dad." Henry said with a smirk and left, allowing Terry to answer the call. "Where is he?" Sarah asked when her husband's face came to view. She couldn't believe what her son had said. That vase was really dear to her, but she was relieved it was not what she was thinking. For a moment there, she thought he was going to tell her he had another woman, or women, it was all possible with Terry. "He left. Sorry I didn't call you back, I was talking to him. Don't worry about the vase, he'll pay for it." Terry said. "If you lay hands on my son, I'll kill you." Sarah said with a relief and smiled. "Seriously? First of all, he's, our son. Secondly, I meant with his allowance, not physical force. I did almost slap him though, mom stopped me in time. That boy is too strong headed, and stubborn sometimes, it's frustrating. Just doing whatever he wants without a care…why are you looking at me like that?" Terry complained and asked why Sarah was looking at him mockingly. "Nothing, just wondering who he reminds me of. I know someone like that, such a headache to his parents till he got married." Sarah said teasingly. "Ha-ha, very funny. I'm telling you, he's worse than me." Terry said with sarcasm, and his wife laughed, proceeding to talk about other things.
