Chapter 53 Contemplating keeping her
Irene was too stunned by Nelson's request. It was something so simple, yet strange at the same time. For almost a minute she couldn't say anything. She just sat there, stunned, unsure of how to answer his request.
He wanted her to go to the gala with him. A gala! She had never been to one of those before. What if she ended up embarrassing him? Or worse, herself?
The old Irene was a pro at embarrassing herself, so Irene doubted she could surpass her, but still. And apart from that, the question sounded weird in Irene's ears.
Like... Like he was asking her out on a date.
But then again, they have been going out to places like restaurants and Elena Yu's concert together... And then there was today, when William wasn't even with them.
It shouldn't be so strange.
But... If she went...
Irene wanted to open her mouth to refuse. It didn't feel like something she should do. But before she could say a word, Nelson added, "I told you already. You can't refuse."
That part got Irene's mouth to clasp shut. He wouldn't be taking no for an answer.
So she didn't bother to reject it. Like... It was just a gala... And she would be going as a fill-in for his wife, what was the worst that would happen?
Half an hour later, they returned home. Hillard had already put William to sleep, but he hadn't left. They would be living Vienna together tomorrow.
Irene... Too tired to torture the man any more, she retired to her bed. She only took off her shoes before falling on them, thankfully, William was sleeping in his dad's room again.
...
Morning came fast, and the family of three with Hillard returned to New York. At first, Irene forgot about Nelson's favor. He didn't bother to remind her, and her mind just blocked it out.
Almost as soon as they returned... Despite the ten-hour flight, Nelson disappeared into his study to finish up on the pile of work he had left behind just to spend a few days with Irene and his son.
He was tired... But he felt happy.
A thought crossed his mind later that night. The appointment Irene had to see a neurologist... After everything he had discovered about her... All he needed was to see a neurologist to clear his final doubts.
Memory loss... Or she was the past.
The more he contemplated, the more confused Nelson got. Not regarding what was wrong with Irene, he had established that fact already.
He was confused about what to do with the information after he found out.
What could he do with it?
If it was memory loss as he suspected... Would he want her to get her memories back? Does he want the old Irene back?
The old Irene... his wife was somewhere in that body, and the mere thought of having her back in his life terrified him. He knew it was something terrible to think like that, but... What could he do?
Irene... Right now, behaved like the woman he married. No, not like the woman he married, but the lady he fell in love with.
The jolly sweet Irene who loved to talk back at him. Who had sarcastic replies for everything. Who pretended as though she didn't find him attractive.
Not even like the calm, collected woman he married and loved, and definitely not like the monster she changed into two years ago.
He wanted this Irene to last forever.
Would that be so wrong?
Nelson let out a sharp sigh. The appointment with the neurologist was already set... Just a phone call and he could cancel it.
If she found out... Would she be mad? Nelson wondered, his eyes darting towards his phone on the table, and the door to his study.
Irene was in her room with their son. They had gotten even closer after the trip.
She wouldn't be... She shouldn't be mad because, Irene didn't think the way he did. She thought that she was from another universe.
...
Another day passed by, and before Irene knew it, it was the day of the gala. She didn't remember it was that day... She was too busy thinking of how to get away from this universe to know that.
Irene thought about it all night.
She had already decided on what to do to get back, but she had yet to start it.
And that to make peace with everyone Irene had offended, to get back Irene's father's company... And to make her son feel safe and less traumatized around her.
The third part was checked. She had done that, and William's PTSD was slowly getting better. Now it was on to the remaining two things on her list.
The first one would be hard, considering how many Irene had offended... But the second one... The second was harder.
Lawrence would never just give her what she needed. So she had to force it away from his hands. And by her... Irene meant Nelson.
"Where is Nelson anyway?" She wondered as she walked towards his study.
She had gotten the hang of the huge mansion already, the only few places she wasn't too sure about the whereabouts like Nelson's bedroom, and a few other rooms.
She had also seen the huge piano Nelson said he had at the mansion. It was beautiful.
"Mummy..." William suddenly appeared at the other corner. He was dressed in casual clothes, his hair scattered on his head. He had a huge smile on his face and an even bigger box in his hands.
William's smile was contagious, it got Irene to smile as soon as she saw it.
"Have you seen the dress Daddy got for the gala later tonight?" The little kid said hurriedly, gesturing to the huge black box he had in his hands.
Gala?
That was when it clicked.
She remembered the favor Nelson had asked her on their last night in Vienna.
The gala.
Her eyes went down to the box.
How could a mere box be so beautiful?
It was a rectangular black box with golden embroidery and a golden rope that was tied at the top, which made it resemble a gift.
All it needed was a note to be added on top, and Irene's heart would have fluttered.
Irene pulled her gaze away from it to look at Will, who looked more excited than he was supposed to be.
He wouldn't even be going to the gala, yet there was a huge smile on his face.
Irene knew what he was trying to do... Too bad she wouldn't be staying long enough for that to happen.
"Your dad got me a dress?" She asked after a minute, then feigning an annoyed look, she huffed. "What, did he think that I can't dress myself?"
Well...
William blinked. He wasn't expecting his mum to ask him that. And why did she sound so annoyed? "It's a huge gala mummy, and you have to be the most stunning woman present." He quickly explained before she could get any angrier, and it made Irene smile again.
Of course, she knew she would need something new.
She hadn't been to one of these things before, but that didn't mean that she knew how rich people did these things. She had read tons of novels.