Chapter 28: Family breakfast
It has been almost a week since Kathe started working. Though the work came with stress, she was able to adjust to it, and she also knew that Jark helped in reducing her work. At least it kept her from being bored at home.
Kathe had also developed the habit of waking up early and also forcing Jark to have breakfast in the morning with the whole family.
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They were all seated at the dining table.
"Hope work isn’t that stressful for you, Kathe?" the old lady asked as she stirred her coffee, looking at Kathe.
"No, it isn’t," Kathe replied with a smile. The old lady had been a great help to her too. She had helped to explain how the company runs.
"Jark, how’s her performance?" This time, the old lady asked Jark, who wore a proud look on his face.
"She is great. I picked her myself," Jark replied.
Kathe rolled her eyes at him. It was more like he was praising himself rather than her.
All through the breakfast, Rhea had been quiet as she stared at her food due to loss of appetite from hearing how they were all praising Kathe.
"I think it’s more of her potential than you picking her. She had it in her," the old lady praised Kathe.
"Thanks, Grandma," Kathe smiled at the old lady while she sent Jark an angry glare.
Ting!
Shashe hit her spoon on her plate, making everyone turn to look at her except Jark, who was busy applying butter to his toast.
"Any problem, Shashe?" the old lady asked.
"No, it’s just that I’ve been wondering why an outsider can work in the office while my son can’t," Shashe said as she picked up her spoon again, using it to play with her food.
Rhea, who had been dull, suddenly became excited. ’At least something spicy is about to happen.’
"Who is an outsider?" the old lady asked, her voice more like a whisper.
"It’s obvious," Shashe said, giving Kathe a fake smile.
"Kathe isn’t an outsider, Shashe. She’s part of our family," the old lady said with a frown as she knew where Shashe was driving to.
"If it’s more about family, why can’t Jacklyn work in the company?" This time, she stopped playing with her food as she looked at the old lady.
"I think it’s more about potential." The old lady was already having a headache from the discussion. It seemed to her that Shashe had been waiting for the right opportunity to bring the topic up.
"Are you saying that Jacklyn lacks potential?" Shashe responded with a trace of anger.
"I never said that," the old lady said.
"Then don’t you think he deserves to work in the company too?" Shashe suggested.
Kathe later figured out that Shashe wasn’t really after her but was trying to place her son in the discussion, using her as the bait.
Kathe turned to look at Jark, who was eating his breakfast unbothered, which meant he had already figured it out.
"Hmmm," the old lady hummed as she drank tea from her coffee mug.
Seeing that the old lady wasn’t willing to comply, Shashe turned to Jark.
"Jark, what do you think? He’s your brother. Can’t he start working in the company too?"
"Mom, what are you saying? Brother, don’t listen to Mom," Jacklyn said, looking down as he acted like he didn’t want to work in the company.
Kathe could see that he was pretending. Something about Jacklyn always gave Kathe a creeping feeling.
But Shashe was not having Jacklyn’s words.
"You deserve to be in the company too, so what do you say, Jark?" she asked again.
Instead of giving a reply to Shashe, Jark turned to face Kathe, raising his toast mid-air.
"I must say you’ve improved in toast making. I’m getting addicted to it."
The old lady looked through her tea mug as she observed the table. The atmosphere at the table was becoming tense.
Kathe knew that Jark was using her as his escape route. She still decided to comply with him.
"Thank you, hubby," she replied with a shy smile.
Rhea rolled her eyes at their affection.
Shashe was already furious that Jark was ignoring her, but adding Kathe to it made her more furious.
"Jark!" she yelled.
"Grandma, make sure to avoid the fries. It isn’t good for your health," Jark said as he wiped his hand with the table napkin.
"I know. I won’t touch them," the old lady replied.
Jark turned to Kathe.
"We should get going."
Kathe nodded at him as she wiped her hand and stood up from the chair.
"Okay, Grandma. Goodbye. I will see you when I’m back."
"Have a nice day at work, dear," the old lady said with a smile.
They both walked out of the dining room, their aura alike.
Rhea didn’t even stand up to join them because lately she had been going to the office with Thompson.
Shashe stared at Jark as he walked out, ignoring her.
Jacklyn sighed silently to himself. He already knew that Jark wouldn’t agree at the first try.
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The ride to the office was a slow one as Kathe kept glancing at Jark every second, and each time, Jark always caught her stare.
"What is it?" Jark asked as he opened his eyes, turning to face Kathe.
"What?" Kathe feigned ignorance.
"You keep stealing glances at me, so I asked what."
"Nothing, just thinking," Kathe replied, biting her lips.
"About what?" He was a little curious about what she would ask him as he stared at her lips briefly.
"I noticed that you don’t have chemistry with your brother."
Jark scoffed as he turned to look out of the side window.
"We have. It’s just that you haven’t looked deep."
"I don’t feel it."
"There is."
"And....." Kathe asked as she leaned closer to him, not wanting to miss any word.
Jark used his right hand to push her back, like he was arranging a doll back in its right position, but Kathe didn’t care as she was more focused on his reply.
"Enemy chemistry."
Kathe went quiet for a few seconds.
"Why?"
"It’s complicated."
They chatted all through the ride to the office.
Even the driver was surprised at the way his boss was a little lively. He hardly talked, but with Kathe, he seemed to enjoy it.
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