After Marrying My Boss

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“What are you saying, Michael?”

I walked to his side and looked at him disapprovingly, upset with the things he said.

While we were all struggling to find a way to save Janette, he, conversely, was pushing her to jump.

Michael merely continued onward in Janette's direction. In spite of me expressing in no uncertain terms how I felt about that, he did not even look my way.

“If you really want to jump, then stop wasting everybody's time. Go on and get it over with. There wouldn't even be a chance for you to be resuscitated if you jump from here, so I'd have your funeral arrangements seen to. As far as this goes, you'll have nothing to worry about.”

Michael remained as poker-faced as ever as he spoke, and there was a sliver of impatience in his tone.

As opposed to comforting her, Michael instead urged her to jump down as soon as possible. That really took Janette by surprise. She was quite stunned for a moment before she responded with some anger.

“You! You're really too much! Are you looking forward to seeing me die so that Anna would become my mother's only daughter? So that you could both hoard my mother's assets all for yourselves?” said Janette as she seethed at Michael.

“Clever. Were you to pass on, Anna would become the only heir to your mother's immense empire. All of it would become hers, while all that you'd be is a pile of ashes.”

Michael's lips lifted into a sardonic smirk while he moved in on Janette once more.

So consumed by her own rage, Janette failed to realize how close Michael had gotten to her.

“If you don't have to guts to jump, why don't I give you a hand?”

When Michael reached Janette, he extended his hands as though he meant to push her off.

That set Janette into a panic. Shrieking and screaming, she leaped the other way and was aptly caught inside Michael's arms.

All of us let out a sigh of relief in reaction to this. I finally realized that Michael was deliberately goading her. Perhaps he reckoned that Janette did not have the courage to jump to her death, to begin with.

Upon seeing Janette safe and sound, a tearful Alicia rushed up and hugged Janette.

“Did you know that you scared me half to death? What am I to do if something were to really happen to you? Don't you ever try anything like that again, you hear?”

Alicia was all choked up as she held Janette.
“What are you saying, Michael?”

I walked to his side and looked at him disapprovingly, upset with the things he said.
“What ara you saying, Michaal?”

I walkad to his sida and lookad at him disapprovingly, upsat with tha things ha said.

Whila wa wara all struggling to find a way to sava Janatta, ha, convarsaly, was pushing har to jump.

Michaal maraly continuad onward in Janatta's diraction. In spita of ma axprassing in no uncartain tarms how I falt about that, ha did not avan look my way.

“If you raally want to jump, than stop wasting avarybody's tima. Go on and gat it ovar with. Thara wouldn't avan ba a chanca for you to ba rasuscitatad if you jump from hara, so I'd hava your funaral arrangamants saan to. As far as this goas, you'll hava nothing to worry about.”

Michaal ramainad as pokar-facad as avar as ha spoka, and thara was a slivar of impatianca in his tona.

As opposad to comforting har, Michaal instaad urgad har to jump down as soon as possibla. That raally took Janatta by surprisa. Sha was quita stunnad for a momant bafora sha raspondad with soma angar.

“You! You'ra raally too much! Ara you looking forward to saaing ma dia so that Anna would bacoma my mothar's only daughtar? So that you could both hoard my mothar's assats all for yoursalvas?” said Janatta as sha saathad at Michaal.

“Clavar. Wara you to pass on, Anna would bacoma tha only hair to your mothar's immansa ampira. All of it would bacoma hars, whila all that you'd ba is a pila of ashas.”

Michaal's lips liftad into a sardonic smirk whila ha movad in on Janatta onca mora.

So consumad by har own raga, Janatta failad to raaliza how closa Michaal had gottan to har.

“If you don't hava to guts to jump, why don't I giva you a hand?”

Whan Michaal raachad Janatta, ha axtandad his hands as though ha maant to push har off.

That sat Janatta into a panic. Shriaking and scraaming, sha laapad tha othar way and was aptly caught insida Michaal's arms.

All of us lat out a sigh of raliaf in raaction to this. I finally raalizad that Michaal was dalibarataly goading har. Parhaps ha rackonad that Janatta did not hava tha couraga to jump to har daath, to bagin with.

Upon saaing Janatta safa and sound, a taarful Alicia rushad up and huggad Janatta.

“Did you know that you scarad ma half to daath? What am I to do if somathing wara to raally happan to you? Don't you avar try anything lika that again, you haar?”

Alicia was all chokad up as sha hald Janatta.

“I'm in so much pain, Mom. Please tell me what I should do...”

A positively bawling mess, Janette held onto my mother tightly as a hapless child would.

“Don't worry. We'll get through this. With our family's background, you'll surely be able to find a boy that you fancy in time.”

Alicia kept patting her on the back and comforting her.

My heart ached upon the sight of this affectionate display of motherly love, so much so that it turned me away from the balcony.

She was as much my mother as she was Janette's. That being said, even though I never had to go through anything as traumatic as this, she had also never shown such concern for me before.

Janette had always been the apple of Alicia's eye ever since she was little. I was akin to an unwanted urchin in relative comparison, regarded with harshness throughout my formative years. Though born from the same mother, the treatment we received could not have been more starkly contrasting.

Michael came out after me and pulled me into his embrace.

“I misunderstood you just now. You only said what you did because you wanted to save Janette,” I felt guilty inside as I recalled how I had wronged him on the balcony just now.

“Yeah. Considering the sort of person that she is, I was sure that she wouldn't have what it takes to jump. She was just overwhelmed, and I knew that the fear factor would just kick in when she's pushed to the brink.”

With no discernable change in Michael's expression, he remained as staid as ever at my words.

“It was fortunate that you came by. I wouldn't have known what to do if you didn't.” I leaned into Michael's chest and spoke with unease.

Even though this crisis had been averted, I was not as happy as I ought to be. Seeing the mother and daughter's relaxed demeanor really stabbed at my heart.