His Contractual Mistress

That morning, Vincent underwent all the tests he needed to ensure he was okay from the accident. The results are all negative. It was a miracle that he only got a minor scratch the way it threw his car on the roadside. 

Since Vincent didn't have any injuries from the accident but his left shoulder, Fred encouraged Hilda to go home and have a proper rest tonight.

She insisted on staying, but Fred has to go to the company the next day to take care of Vincent's meetings. He has no time to worry that Hilda would shut her mouth around Vince and his girlfriend.

"I am Vincent's mother; why do I have to be the one to leave!?" she expressed furiously inside the car. Fred pretends deaf the entire trip back to their mansion. "I want to take care of my son as well!" 

"Just accept the fact that your son only wanted his girlfriend to take care of him!" Fred said that made Hilda gritted her teeth. They have now arrived at the mansion. Fred gets out of the car, leaving Hilda to continue babbling. 

"Then that was his wife's job! Not someone else!" Hilda blurts out, following her husband climbing the patio.

Fred halted in the main door and turned around to face Hilda. "Then where is his damn wife!? Why can't Eva do her duty as a wife to our son and not someone else!?" Fred's voice echoed the entire entrance hall of the mansion. 

Hilda remained silent. She could not refute. Even though she will argue with her husband, she has no answer to what Fred is pointing out. He is right. Why does Eva didn't come home to Metro City? 

This thought made Hilda infuriated because there is no way for her to win this argument. She walks past Fred. She turned around to look at him, but there are now words form in her tongue. She stomps her right foot before she rushes to the grand staircase. 

"I hate you, Frederick Shen!" 

Hilda halted halfway to yell at her husband. Fred's veins were visible on his forehead. Hilda, acting this way, made him dumbfounded. 

"We are not newlyweds Hilda Shen!" He yelled back at his wife. "We already had grandkids!" 'Damn it! Why does she never change!?'

Fred sighs furiously. It upset him that Hilda acted childishly. He closed his eyes and pressed his eyelids, massaging his forehead. He has no time to spare time with Hilda's tantrum. They have other things to worry about, and his wife has no sense of understanding of the current situation! 

What matters most to her? She's only becoming unreasonable and selfish! 

Fred headed to Vincent's study and called Timothy Cheng to bring the documents he needed to review for tomorrow's meetings. 

Work is his best companion at this moment. 

*

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Hailey peeled an orange, sliced an apple, and washed some seedless grapes. She places it all together on a plate and feeds them to Vince. He is such a baby even though he had no serious wounds. Well, he just took advantage of this chance to be pampered. Hailey thought.

They just finished having an early dinner, and his parents went home. Carl remains in the hospital, so Vince makes sure to lock the door.

"Would you believe if I tell you that I dreamed I arrived at the penthouse and watched you preparing dinner in the kitchen?" He told Hailey afterward.

Hailey lifted her head with surprise on her face. A chill came down her spine, hearing Vince's story. It's all because she also had a dream about Vince arriving in the penthouse, which probably by that time around, he was already sent to the hospital and given first aid and taking initial laboratory tests. 

That evening, after she cooked dinner and waited for him to come back, she sat on the long sofa and read her lesson, but then she fell asleep. 

And in her dreams, Vince confessed to her. 

She thought it was all true. But the loud rings of her phone woke her up. It was Hazel calling her to watch the news.

For the first time in a very long time, she feared for someone to disappear from her life. First, her mom died, and then next is her grandma. 

And seeing the news that Vince got into an accident made her world suddenly stop. She called Vince's phone, hoping someone would answer it. It was dead.

But she was grateful that Professor Carl came to the penthouse and explained Vince's situation. Just then, she felt relieved, most especially when Fred Shen permitted her to see Vince and take care of him. 

She felt helpless that she have to wait until Vincent came out from the hospital because she knew that Madam Hilda Shen would not allow her to see Vince. Gratefully, his dad invited her to come to see Vince. 

And now that Vince mentioned him dreaming he arrived in the penthouse, a superstitious belief suddenly struck her head. 

She didn't believe it. But her visits to different countries able her to learn about foreign cultures and their beliefs. And one of those is these superstitious events. 

Vince said that he dreams of arriving in the penthouse, and she also dreamed of him being home. It was like Vince's soul suddenly wandered for a limited time. And gladly, he found the way back to his body and woke up. 

Of course, she didn't believe that, but who knows? Her dreams seem so real. Or is it because her feelings for Vince are that strong? That her heart is wishing for him to appear right in front of her. 

"So, is that what you only dream?" She queried after a long moment of her silence. 

"Hm... It feels so real that I hug you and kiss you. But then I had drifted away to distant memories four years ago," said Vince. 

Four years ago? What happened? Questions rose in her head. She is curious to know about it. 

"My dream was too clear because it is what happened four years ago. I was sitting at this coffee shop. It was my second day in that city. And in two days, I've always seen this girl across my table. No. I am watching her." Vince began.

Hailey's forehead crease as anticipation overwhelms her. 'Is she the girl Vince's friends and Zenaida are talking about? It was Vince's first love!?'