Chapter 17 The Impression I Left on You
Frederick's breath drew closer.
Xandra's eyes widened, taking in his handsome face. Mesmerized, she found herself unable to move.
A faint noise snapped her back to reality.
She quickly shoved Frederick away, her face burning with embarrassment as she caught a glimpse of a figure disappearing around the corner.
"Uh, I'm going inside now."
Frederick staggered slightly but managed to regain his balance.
Watching Xandra flee, his Adam's apple bobbed and a hint of regret flashed in his eyes.
Who had interrupted his moment?
In the living room, Xandra ran into Richard, who was guiding Margaret towards the kitchen. Her cheeks flushed again.
"Grandpa, would you like some tea? I can make you some."
How embarrassing!
Richard must have seen her awkward moment!
"Mr. Flores and Mommy almost kissed!" Margaret exclaimed.
"Shh, keep it down. Your mom gets shy!" Richard replied.
Xandra remained silent.
Could someone please dig a hole for her to crawl into?
Frederick strolled over and glanced at Richard.
"Had your fill? When are you leaving?"
Richard's smile vanished, replaced by a stern expression.
"I've barely been here, and you're already kicking me out? Want me to tell your wife?"
Frederick scoffed, ignoring him, and sat on the couch.
Xandra emerged from the kitchen with a pot of tea.
Richard shot his grandson a look and loudly said, "Xandra, I'm staying here tonight. Is that okay?"
Xandra paused, then smiled. "Sure."
"No way!" Frederick objected.
Richard glared at him. "Ungrateful brat! I raised you, and now you're treating me like this?"
Frederick's warning glance was sharp.
Richard snorted but refrained from arguing, turning to Xandra instead.
Xandra quickly mediated, "Grandpa, don't be upset. No one's kicking you out. Stay as long as you like."
Charles, sitting on the couch, piped up. "Mr. Flores, respect your elders!"
"Mr. Flores, let Grandpa stay!"
"Yes, Grandpa shouldn't go!"
Richard beamed at the children's support.
Xandra was truly wonderful.
She had raised the kids to be so polite and considerate!
"See? The kids love me!"
Frederick laughed bitterly. "There are only three rooms. It's already crowded. Where will you sleep? The couch?"
Richard glanced at the couch, frowning.
"The couch is too soft for an old man like me."
Frederick asked, "Where do you want to sleep then?"
Xandra interjected, "We can't let Grandpa sleep on the couch. Grandpa, you can have the master bedroom tonight."
"What did you say?"
Frederick's face darkened.
He had a thing about cleanliness. No one, not even his grandpa, could sleep in his bed!
"Grandpa's old, his back isn't good, and he needs a firm mattress," Xandra explained gently. "Besides, he's family. He should have the master bedroom."
Frederick looked at her. "If he takes the master bedroom, where will we sleep?"
Xandra thought for a moment. "I'll share a room with my daughter. You can sleep on the couch or share a room with Chuck."
Richard felt satisfied with this arrangement.
"I'll go with my granddaughter-in-law's plan."
Frederick's face grew darker. Wasn't Richard the one who had been grumbling about him marrying a single mom? How quickly his attitude had changed!
Of course, Richard didn't actually sleep in the master bedroom. He had said that to tease his grandson and to test Xandra's response.
Seeing that Xandra didn't mind having him around, Richard was pleased. So when Frederick returned from work that night, he found his grandpa sharing a room with Charles.
Richard had a big house but chose to stay here instead!
Frederick asked, "Did Grandpa choose to sleep with Chuck?"
Xandra took his suit jacket and hung it up. "Yeah. Don't try to make Grandpa leave. He's lonely living out in the countryside by himself."
Xandra's voice was gentle, her expression serene, looking very nurturing. Frederick glanced at her.
"Did he say anything to you this afternoon?"
"He did."
"What did he say? Did he badmouth me?"
Xandra blinked. "Not really. He just mentioned that your upbringing made you a bit temperamental and cold, and asked me to be patient with you."
Frederick's face darkened. "That's not badmouthing?"
Xandra chuckled. "It's true. I knew that even without him saying it."
Richard had shared some background about her quickie marriage husband. His parents divorced early and both remarried. No wonder he felt unloved.
His parents had their own families, often neglecting him. So her husband had grown up lacking love. She felt a bit sorry for him.
"Are you saying your impression of me is just that I'm temperamental and cold?"
Frederick moved closer, his presence intimidating.
Xandra's heart raced. "Nobody's perfect. You're tall, handsome, and talented. God's been kind to you. If you didn't have any flaws, would you still be human?"
Frederick's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying I'm not human?"
Xandra burst into laughter. "Can you stop nitpicking? Go take a shower!"
Her smile was warm and inviting. Frederick watched her fetch his change of clothes, his lips curling slightly. Taking the clothes, he headed to the bathroom.
With Richard's visit, Xandra had been on edge all day. Fortunately, Richard was pleasant and easy to get along with. She sank into the couch, finally relaxing a bit.
Thinking about the accusation of plagiarism against her jewelry designs, she picked up her phone and logged into her social media.
Messages kept popping up. Many people had tagged her. Xandra's face turned cold as she read.
Vivian had posted a statement on her social media. A follower had shared it. The statement read:
[Recently, many followers have tagged me about a jewelry studio named Sunny Handmade, whose designs resemble mine.]
[Everyonem please remain calm. The owner is someone I know well. We were once good friends, and she studied design before dropping out due to personal reasons.]
[Many of her designs were inspired by my guidance. I don't mind her drawing from my ideas, considering her tough situation. Please be kind and understanding.]