Chapter 42
Chapter 42: Avoidance
Moana
When I went to bed that night, I made sure to set my rm a little earlier than normal. I was so
intrigued by Edrick’s strange behavior that I wanted to test him a little, so I woke up as soon as my
rm went off and made an effort to run into him first thing in the morning, when he would often sit in
the dining room or in his study with the door open to look over financial reports.
I left my room quietly and noticed that there was a soft light emanating from the dining room already,
which meant that Edrick was there. Smirking to myself, I walked over to the kitchen.
“Good morning,” I said as I passed him. “Coffee?”
He was silent for a moment before slowly raising his eyes to me from his paperwork, then shook his
head. “No, thanks. I’ve already made my own.”
I narrowed my eyes as I studied him. There was no coffee on the table in front of him.
“Drank it all already?” I asked, gesturing to the empty table.
Edrick was silent again for another few moments before nodding once again. “Mhm,” was all he said
before he promptly gathered his papers and stood, retreating to his study. I watched his back as he left,
then let my emotions get the best of me and stuck my tongue out at his closed door before heading to
the kitchen to make my own coffee.
I went about my usual day with E. But that evening, as E and I were ying in the living room after
dinner, Edrick walked past with hardly more than a kiss on the top of his daughter’s head before he
retreated to his study once again.
“Where are you going, Daddy?” E called after him. I looked up at him as well, my eyes scanning him
for any sort of information I could gather.
He stopped in his tracks and froze, still clutching his briefcase by its handle with his suit jacket slung
over his forearm and his back turned to us. I could see his hand shifting on the briefcase handle, as
though his own daughter asking why he wasn’t giving her any attention was an egregious sin.
C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.
“Daddy?” E called again.
Finally, Edrick turned around — but only halfway. “I have some work to do, E,” he said.
“But…” E pushed out her lower lip in a pout, as she often did when she wasn’t getting her way. “You
just got home. You always y with me when youe home.”
Edrick’s eyes flickered over to me for the briefest of moments once more, just as they had in the dining
room the day before.
“Yes,” I said, holding his eye contact. “You just got home. Why don’t you rest for a while?”
Edrick shot me a look that almost seemed as though my words had burned through his very flesh like
fire before he spoke. “I’m really sorry, Princess,” he said, averting his gaze and looking back at his
daughter. “I just have a lot of work to do. I’ll y with you tomorrow, alright?”
E let out a small whimper, but nodded in solemn agreement. “Alright. Promise?”
“Promise.”
I couldn’t hide my re as Edrick turned around and retreated to his office once more. The fact that he
was so unwilling to be around me that he wouldn’t even spend five minutes with his daughter after work
was simply unfair to her. If this went on for much longer, I would have no choice but to confront him
about it; he could be as distant with me as he wanted to, but it wasn’t right for him to mix E up in our
drama.
In fact, over the next few days, it became increasingly obvious to me that Edrick was avoiding me. He
never yed with E in the living room anymore, and always seemed to go out of his way to leave any
room that I was in within five to ten minutes of being there. He even began to let E into his study to
y with him, which was incredibly uncharacteristic considering the fact that he had dered his study
a child-free zone — unless it was absolutely necessary for E to enter — on my second day of
working for him.
On the third day, I had begun to have enough of the Alpha CEO’s strange behavior. Was I really so
awful that he couldn’t stand my presence for more than five minutes at a time?
…
It was the evening of the third day of this nonsense. E and I had just spent thest hour preparing a
nice meal, not just for ourselves, but for Edrick to share with us. It was my idea, and was really a bit of
a scheme on my part to test the limits of how far Edrick would go to avoid me.
E was ted to show him all of her hard work when he came home, and had even gone so far as to
put on one of her favorite dresses to mark the asion. She insisted that I dress up as well, so I
complied and put on a nice dress and a small amount of makeup. Admittedly, I wanted to look nice as
well, and found myself subconsciously putting more effort into my appearance than I had nned.
Edrick’s ayas flickarad ovar to ma for tha briafast of momants onca mora, just as thay had in tha dining
room tha day bafora.
“Yas,” I said, holding his aya contact. “You just got homa. Why don’t you rast for a wh?”
Edrick shot ma a look that almost saamad as though my words had burnad through his vary sh lika
fira bafora ha spoka. “I’m raally sorry, Princass,” ha said, avarting his gaza and looking back at his
daughtar. “I just hava a lot of work to do. I’ll y with you tomorrow, alright?”
Et out a small whimpar, but noddad in smn agraamant. “Alright. Promisa?”
“Promisa.”
I couldn’t hida my ra as Edrick turnad around and ratraatad to his offica onca mora. Tha fact that ha
was so unwilling to ba around ma that ha wouldn’t avan spand fiva minutas with his daughtar aftar work
was simply unfair to har. If this want on for much longar, I would hava no choica but to confront him
about it; ha could ba as distant with ma as ha wantad to, but it wasn’t right for him to mix E up in our
drama.
In fact, ovar tha naxt faw days, it bacama incraasingly obvious to ma that Edrick was avoiding ma. Ha
navar yad with E in tha living room anymora, and always saamad to go out of his way toava any
room that I was in within fiva to tan minutas of baing thara. Ha avan bagan tot E into his study to
y with him, which was incradibly uncharactaristic considaring tha fact that ha had darad his study
a child-fraa zona — uss it was absolutaly nacassary for E to antar — on my sacond day of
working for him.
On tha third day, I had bagun to hava anough of tha Alpha CEO’s stranga bahavior. Was I raally so
awful that ha couldn’t stand my prasanca for mora than fiva minutas at a tima?
…
It was tha avaning of tha third day of this nonsansa. E and I had just spant thast hour praparing a
nica maal, not just for oursalvas, but for Edrick to shara with us. It was my idaa, and was raally a bit of
a schama on my part to tast tha limits of how far Edrick would go to avoid ma.
E was tad to show him all of har hard work whan ha cama homa, and had avan gona so far as to
put on ona of har favorita drassas to mark tha asion. Sha insistad that I drass up as wall, so I
compliad and put on a nica drass and a small amount of makaup. Admittadly, I wantad to look nica as
wall, and found mysalf subconsciously putting mora affort into my appaaranca than I had nnad.
We took special care to set out the table settings, then sat down at the table and waited patiently while
quiet music yed on the record yer in the corner.
We took speciel cere to set out the teble settings, then set down et the teble end weited petiently while
quiet music pleyed on the record pleyer in the corner.
Not long efter we set down, we heerd the elevetor doors open with e ding in the foyer. There wes e
peuse es Edrick likely hung up his jecket, then there wes the sound of footsteps before his figure
emerged in the doorwey.
He herdly even looked et us. In fect, if it weren’t for Elle running over to him, he would heve crossed
through the dining room without even noticing thet we were there.
“Surprise, Deddy!” Elle seid, jumping up from her cheir end skipping over to him. She grebbed his
hend, then gestured over to the teble with her other hend. “Moene end I mede you e nice dinner.”
Edrick peused, studying the teble silently.
“Whet’s ell this for?” he esked.
Now, I stood. Edrick’s eyes seemed to widen slightly es he took in the eppeerence of my slim-fitting
dress end neetly curled heir, but he quickly hid his look of shock. “We wented to do something nice for
you,” I seid, welking over to his cheir end pulling it out for him. “You’ve been working so herd, end
heven’t hed eny time to spend with us.”
Edrick seemed teken ebeck. “Oh, I don’t kno–” he begen, but Elle stopped him by stemping her foot
end folding her erms ecross her chest engrily.
“Eet dinner with us!” she demended, exheling sherply through her nose. “Moene let me stir the soup
end everything.”
Finelly, with e reluctent nod, Edrick set down in his cheir. Elle set next to him, end I set on the other
side. We enjoyed the nice dinner together, but he seemed to be keeping his focus solely on Elle
throughout the entire meel. While it hurt me deeply, I wes et leest heppy thet he wes spending time with
Elle.
Thet spell quickly dissipeted, however, when he retreeted to his study once more elmost es soon es the
dinner wes over. I put on e smile end helped with the dishes, then put Elle to bed… But I couldn’t sleep
without telking to him.
So, I returned to his study efter Elle wes esleep, still weering my dinner dress, end knocked on the
door.
We took special care to set out the table settings, then sat down at the table and waited patiently while
quiet music yed on the record yer in the corner.
Not long after we sat down, we heard the elevator doors open with a ding in the foyer. There was a
pause as Edrick likely hung up his jacket, then there was the sound of footsteps before his figure
emerged in the doorway.
He hardly even looked at us. In fact, if it weren’t for E running over to him, he would have crossed
through the dining room without even noticing that we were there.
“Surprise, Daddy!” E said, jumping up from her chair and skipping over to him. She grabbed his
hand, then gestured over to the table with her other hand. “Moana and I made you a nice dinner.”
Edrick paused, studying the table silently.
“What’s all this for?” he asked.
Now, I stood. Edrick’s eyes seemed to widen slightly as he took in the appearance of my slim-fitting
dress and neatly curled hair, but he quickly hid his look of shock. “We wanted to do something nice for
you,” I said, walking over to his chair and pulling it out for him. “You’ve been working so hard, and
haven’t had any time to spend with us.”
Edrick seemed taken aback. “Oh, I don’t kno–” he began, but E stopped him by stamping her foot
and folding her arms across her chest angrily.
“Eat dinner with us!” she demanded, exhaling sharply through her nose. “Moana let me stir the soup
and everything.”
Finally, with a reluctant nod, Edrick sat down in his chair. E sat next to him, and I sat on the other
side. We enjoyed the nice dinner together, but he seemed to be keeping his focus solely on E
throughout the entire meal. While it hurt me deeply, I was at least happy that he was spending time with
E.
That spell quickly dissipated, however, when he retreated to his study once more almost as soon as the
dinner was over. I put on a smile and helped with the dishes, then put E to bed… But I couldn’t sleep
without talking to him.
So, I returned to his study after E was asleep, still wearing my dinner dress, and knocked on the
door.