Chapter 58 Chapter 58
Chapter 58 Chapter 58
Carter
I was surprised to see Mila standing outside Tessa's door. My mind reeled. What was she doing here?
I approached her, my voice low, although I knew Tessa had discovered what was going on but would rather keep her cool than talk and raise suspicions between us.
"Mila, what are you doing? I thought I left you in the kitchen not quite long trying to prepare dinner or I think you were fixing some stuff in the kitchen?" I asked, my presence still covering the entrance to the door.
She smiled, a hint of surprise as she was not expecting me to open the door to find her standing quietly and noiselessly. "Is it a crime if I decide to leave the kitchen and come to my daughter's room?" Mila replied teasing me.
"Come on, don't quote me wrong. I was just surprised to see you standing at her door after telling me you guys had a lengthened talk not quite long, and you straightened out the issues between the both of you," I paused breathlessly. "I didn't realize that mother and daughter's bond is unbreakable." I joked, beaming a smile at her.
Mila returned the smile except this time there was a hint of mischievousness. "Carter, calm down; I didn't mean to interrupt your meeting or rather a little discussion with my daughter; that was why I waited at the door till you stepped out." she said. "I was just checking on Tessa. Have you forgotten I told you she is not feeling too well? And I don't like the color of her skin and how pale she looks."
My eyes narrowed suspicion crept in. Had she overheard our conversation? Had she stood there just for the sake of listening to what we were discussing? But I kept quiet unable to voice it out less I raised questions that should be kept silent. No need to alarm her, yet.
"Mila, Tessa's fine. Don't mind the young girls of this generation; she is perfectly fine, and there is nothing for you to be worried about." I said.
Mila's gaze lingered on the door, then she nodded. "Okay, I have heard. I am not worried about her; I just thought of checking up in case she would need me to do something for her or I could do something for her."
My thoughts swirled. What had she heard? Had she discovered our secret? My stomach twisted, and anxiety gripped me. I couldn't shake the feeling, that Mila knew more than she let on.
I took a deep breath composing myself. I couldn't let paranoia consume me, but the image of Mila standing outside Tessa's door, quietly waiting for me to open the door before announcing her presence, haunted me.
I turned my gaze back to Mila since I had focused it on the wall behind her, my expression neutral.
"It's okay, Mila. I don't think Tessa needs you to do anything for her or if there is anything you could do for her. Tessa's fine," I said calmly reassuring her
Mila's eyes searched mine as if seeking reassurance.
"But if you're worried, go check on her, since you looked so worried about her health and well-being and I don't want to strike you as if I am trying to keep you away from your daughter or lie to you about her well-being," I paused and nodded at her. "So it is okay you check on her but Mila, Tessa is doing great," I added.
A mix of surprise and gratitude flashed across her face.
"Thanks, Carter. I appreciate your concern, but I'd rather check on her, or else I won't feel at ease with myself." Mila said softly.
I nodded. "Just making sure you're okay and not troubled on a grown-up big girl like Tessa," I replied, chuckling at the end.
Mila slapped my arms playfully and joined in the laughter. "A child will remain a child to his or her parents no matter how big they grow, and would still be under their protection and care," Mila explained.
I grinned. "Yes, yes, yes, lecturer Mila." I joked laughing.
"Carter, you are something else," He shakes her head smiling widely at me.
I walked to my room while Mila ventured into Tessa's. Earlier today the school called me. When I saw the call, my heart flew out of my chest; the last discussion we heard yielded no positive results. My mind flashed back to the last discussion we had.
FLASHBACK
"Who is this boy? Is he a student in my department?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
The school administrator hesitated. "We can't reveal his identity yet, but we assure you, we're taking this seriously."
I felt a wave of frustration wash over me. Serious? They were being serious? This was my reputation, my career, my life they were playing with.
"I want to know what he said," I demanded. "What proof does the person have?"
The school administrator's expression turned sympathetic. "We understand your concerns, but we have to follow protocol. We'll investigate and gather evidence."
End of Flashback
By the time I was done with my thoughts, the call ended. It rang again, and I hurriedly picked up the call.
"Hello, Mr.Carter," His voice filled my ear from the other end, which I supposed was his office.
"Hello, Sir, it is nice hearing your voice today after a long while of investigation. Am I getting called to be informed about the progress of the investigation?" I didn't bother beating around the bush instead, I went straight to the point.
"Ahh! Yes, so you had it in mind all these while but decided to keep silent until we called you?" The school administrator chuckled outwardly.
"Of course, what was I supposed to do? Meddle? When you told me not to?... Oh! How was it you put it the other day to me at the meeting? Aaah! Yes...We understand your concerns, but we have to follow protocol. We'll investigate and gather evidence," I paused technically to see his reasons for his accusations. "So I waited and allowed your protocol to work. What is the latest piece of information for me now?" I questioned, tired of what we were doing.
"I am sorry if you felt hurt by our decision, but like I said, we work by protocol, and it says we investigate properly in matters as trivia as yours before concluding; your denial of the accusations won't be enough to pull you out." He took a deep shuddering breath which I heard and which made my heart raced. "We are happy to inform you that we followed all processes of the protocol and investigated deeply the accusations leveled against you, and we, the school board of directors, have concluded, according to the report given to us from our investigation, that it was a false accusation, and you were wrongly accused. We are sorry for the inconvenience we caused, but you are off the hook." The administrator explained, I know the look he would be having on his face, apologizing for what he already knew was wrong but decided to investigate, and it still came out wrong; it would be embarrassing and not utterly sweet.
"So what are you trying to say now?"
"Do I have to repeat myself countless times before you understand, or is my explanation not enough for you to put the pieces together," He demanded, already getting pissed off, but I smiled, loving it. "What I said is that you are off the hook, you still have your job as a lecturer in the school." He answered. "I look forward to seeing you resume the following week," he added immediately, and the mine went dead before I could say a word.
My lips curled into a smile, and my face lit up joyfully; I was happy that I was going to keep my job. Finally, it was secured, and just maybe, I could convince Tessa to continue our relationship.
I still have the joyful expression on my face as I reach my room, om but my smile faltered as I entered it. My daughter sat on my bed, a sly grin spread across her face.
"Hey, Dad," she said with a mocking tone.