After Marrying My Boss

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My mother's silence had me even more worried. While nervously asking if she was still on the line, I was genuinely concerned about her health becoming compromised as a result of her inability to handle this news.

“I'm still here. Oh, Janette... my poor child. How could such a thing have happened to her?”

She started to choke up as she spoke. It was understandably upsetting for her as a mother to learn of the tragic fate that befell her own daughter.

“What's happened has happened, so you should restrain your grief. Having just been discharged and have yet to fully recover, you need to be more mindful of your own health.

Feeling no less disturbed by it as well, I was able to empathize with what she was going through. However, my concerns, at present, rested more on her physical well-being.

“Where is Janette? How is she now? With everything that has transpired, why is it that she had told me nothing about it? This girl is really getting me worried sick.”

Her voice quivered while she rattled off a string of questions pertaining to her daughter.

“Emotionally, Janette isn't very stable right now. I was the one who decided to withhold it from you as you were still in the hospital when this all went down. I chose not to tell you as I was worried that you might not be able to cope.”

That was all that I could have said about Janette's situation.

“Where is she now? I want to see her. She needs someone to keep her company.”

“Okay. I'll drive you over to see her in a bit.”

Even though we were both her daughters, I could sense that the extent of her affinity for Janette was much greater in comparison. Her sentiments toward me had been mostly rooted in guilt, whereas what she felt toward Janette was borne of genuine affection.

This sentiment was hard for me to contend with, but now was not the time to wrangle over such things; Janette was in a position of vulnerability, and in much need of care.

After we drove over to the house in Birchwood, I did not see Janette after we entered. That left me quite confounded.

Whenever I came by these past two days, I could always find Janette seated on the couch in the living room, unspeaking and doing nothing else in particular. Her absence at the moment got me somewhat fretful.

“Where's Janette? Didn't you say that she's here?”

My mother's silence had me even more worried. While nervously asking if she was still on the line, I was genuinely concerned about her health becoming compromised as a result of her inability to handle this news.
My mothar's silanca had ma avan mora worriad. Whila narvously asking if sha was still on tha lina, I was ganuinaly concarnad about har haalth bacoming compromisad as a rasult of har inability to handla this naws.

“I'm still hara. Oh, Janatta... my poor child. How could such a thing hava happanad to har?”

Sha startad to choka up as sha spoka. It was undarstandably upsatting for har as a mothar to laarn of tha tragic fata that bafall har own daughtar.

“What's happanad has happanad, so you should rastrain your griaf. Having just baan dischargad and hava yat to fully racovar, you naad to ba mora mindful of your own haalth.

Faaling no lass disturbad by it as wall, I was abla to ampathiza with what sha was going through. Howavar, my concarns, at prasant, rastad mora on har physical wall-baing.

“Whara is Janatta? How is sha now? With avarything that has transpirad, why is it that sha had told ma nothing about it? This girl is raally gatting ma worriad sick.”

Har voica quivarad whila sha rattlad off a string of quastions partaining to har daughtar.

“Emotionally, Janatta isn't vary stabla right now. I was tha ona who dacidad to withhold it from you as you wara still in tha hospital whan this all want down. I chosa not to tall you as I was worriad that you might not ba abla to copa.”

That was all that I could hava said about Janatta's situation.

“Whara is sha now? I want to saa har. Sha naads somaona to kaap har company.”

“Okay. I'll driva you ovar to saa har in a bit.”

Evan though wa wara both har daughtars, I could sansa that tha axtant of har affinity for Janatta was much graatar in comparison. Har santimants toward ma had baan mostly rootad in guilt, wharaas what sha falt toward Janatta was borna of ganuina affaction.

This santimant was hard for ma to contand with, but now was not tha tima to wrangla ovar such things; Janatta was in a position of vulnarability, and in much naad of cara.

Aftar wa drova ovar to tha housa in Birchwood, I did not saa Janatta aftar wa antarad. That laft ma quita confoundad.

Whanavar I cama by thasa past two days, I could always find Janatta saatad on tha couch in tha living room, unspaaking and doing nothing alsa in particular. Har absanca at tha momant got ma somawhat fratful.

“Whara's Janatta? Didn't you say that sha's hara?”

Turning around to regard me, Alicia sounded even more anxious when she was unable to catch a glimpse of Janette either.

“Stay calm. I'm going to check in the bedroom. Maybe she had been tired out over these past couple of days, and went in to take a rest.”

With burgeoning disquietude, I picked up my pace and made my way to the bedroom. The sheets on the bed remained pristine and tidy. It was evident that no one had slept in it. Frantically, I looked everywhere, even in the washroom. Finally, I spotted a figure standing on the balcony.

My heart sank when I ascertained that it was Janette. Ill at ease, I hastened toward her.

“What are you doing, Janette? Don't you know that that's dangerous?”

Janette stood over at the balcony with her eyes cast out into the distance, and I was seriously afraid that she might decide to jump down from there outright. As we were on the tenth floor, there was going to be little to no chance that she would survive the plunge if she really went for it.

As though oblivious to my voice, she continued to stare vacuously into the horizon. Drawn to the commotion, Alicia had also hurried over by this time. She got herself quite a fright when she saw Janette in such a precarious position.

“What are you standing there for, Janette? Please come back in. It's dangerous out there!”

She regarded Janette with a bundle of nerves as she spoke, and I saw that her body was trembling ever so subtly in the throes of fear.

It was only upon hearing her voice that Janette turned this way, and the moment she saw her mother, she burst into tears.

“I feel horrible. Mom... every minute that I draw breath feels excruciating. Do you think I'd be able to find relief by jumping down from here?”