C7 Roll over and See Me

After Eztli hurried home, she was concerned her sister might spill the beans about their recent encounter to their parents, so she decided to play the blame game first.

As Eustace and Dagny stepped through the door, they were met with Kori's stern expression.

"Eustace, Dagny, come here!" she demanded.

With a look of confusion, Dagny approached and asked, "What's going on, Mom?"

Kori interrogated them, "Did you run into Eztli and Arno when you got back? Did you go up to Arno's car and interrupt their romantic moment?"

"Mom, let me explain..." Dagny began, but it was clear Kori wasn't in the mood to listen.

"Enough, I don't need to hear it. Eztli filled me in. So what if Arno and Eztli shared a kiss outside the complex? No one else saw, so where's the harm? You want to talk about shame? Bringing home a good-for-nothing son-in-law—that's what's truly embarrassing for your father and me."

"We can't all shine in the reflected glory of you and your worthless husband. We'll just have to bask in the success of Eztli and Arno. With a son-in-law like Arno, the Phelps family will finally hold our heads high. And when it comes to your father's and my retirement, we'll probably be depending on Eztli and Arno, because we certainly can't rely on you two."

Dagny felt a wave of injustice wash over her.

"Mom, I wasn't trying to stop Eztli and Arno's relationship. I just didn't want her to get hurt."

"Pfft!" Eztli scoffed dismissively. "What loss could I possibly suffer? Arno is so good to me. He buys me anything I want. I even asked him to find Eustace a job tonight, and he agreed right away."

Kori chimed in, "Do you hear that? Arno is completely devoted to our Eztli. You two need to stop worrying unnecessarily. And Eustace, once Arno gets you that job, you'd better start right away. We don't need you loafing around the house."

With tears brimming in her eyes, Dagny turned and fled to her bedroom.

Eustace, saying little, followed her to offer comfort.

"I'm sorry, honey. It's all my fault. Momma's mad at me and you got caught in the crossfire."

Dagny quickly regained her composure, taking several deep breaths to steady her emotions.

"Maybe I'm meddling too much. If Eztli is really into Arno, I should just let her make her own choices. Besides, Arno's offering to help you find a job. With his network, he's likely to land you a decent position. Sweetheart, when you get that job, you've got to give it your all and show my mom and everyone else what you're capable of."

"Sure, I will!"

Eustace agreed, though he harbored doubts about Arno's promise of a good job. If Arno was going to offer him an apprenticeship in a hotel kitchen, there was no way he would go.

The next morning, Dagny left early for work.

Eustace tidied up the dishes, took out the trash, and then headed to the market to do the daily grocery shopping.

Afterwards, he'd stroll through the nearby park to unwind and pass the time. Going straight home would only invite his mother-in-law's scorn.

Close to lunchtime, Eustace made his way back home. He busied himself in the kitchen, washing and chopping vegetables for the meal, when he heard the door and Kori's voice.

"Hey, Dagny, what brings you home at this hour?"

"Well, I'm not feeling well, so I took the afternoon off."

Dagny rushed toward the bedroom, and Eustace, emerging from the kitchen, caught only a glimpse of her retreating figure.

It was unusual for Dagny to come home at noon since she typically grabbed a quick bite near her office and then returned to work for the afternoon.

Concerned, Eustace approached the bedroom, only to find the door locked from the inside.

"Dagny, what's wrong? Do you need me to get you some medicine?"

"No, thank you. I just need to lie down for a bit. Don't worry about lunch for me; I'm not hungry today."

Eustace's brow furrowed with concern. Dagny's voice had a quiver to it, the kind that hinted she was holding back tears, as though she had been wronged.

He made his way to the living room and addressed Kori, "Mom, could you make lunch today? I need to step out for a bit."

Kori called out with a hint of irritation, "Hey, why aren't you cooking at midday? Where are you off to?"

After Eustace left home, he hailed a taxi straight to the Continental Properties Sales Center.

He suspected that something had happened to Dagny at work, prompting his visit to investigate.

Upon arrival, he noticed several female sales associates enjoying takeout, including Gemma.

"Eustace? What brings you here?"

Gemma gave Eustace a look of disapproval.

Unfazed, Eustace replied, "I need to ask you about something. Could we talk outside for a moment?"

Gemma cast a look at her coworkers and said, "Sure, let's step outside."

Outside, before Eustace could get a word in, Gemma preempted, "You're here about Dagny, aren't you?"

Eustace furrowed his brow and inquired, "Dagny was upset when she came home this afternoon. Did someone give her a hard time?"

Gemma scoffed, her expression one of scorn as she faced Eustace.

"And what could you do about it? The one who's been hassling Dagny is our sales center manager, Gideon, the son of the CEO of Continental Properties. His father, Misael, is a real estate tycoon in Rustin. Do you really think you can take him on?"

Eustace's expression turned icy as he pressed, "What happened to Dagny?"

Gemma responded, "I'm not entirely sure of the details. Gideon summoned Dagny to his office, and shortly after, she emerged in tears, her clothes somewhat disheveled. It seems they had some sort of altercation."

Eustace's demeanor was frosty, his suspicions about the incident growing clearer.

"Where's Gideon now?"

"He left after Dagny did."

With a mocking laugh, Gemma added, "Eustace, no offense, but you're no match for Gideon. You're out of your league. Frankly, I think if you divorced Dagny and Gideon married her, she'd become the Young Mistress of Continental Properties. She'd be set for a life of opulence, far better off than with you."

Eustace spun on his heel and walked away, no longer bothering to hear Gemma out. He hailed a cab and made a beeline for Continental Properties.

"Is Misael in?" Eustace demanded, his expression darkening.

The receptionist gave Eustace a once-over. Noting his attire, she couldn't hide her disdain.

"And you are? What business do you have with our general manager? It's after hours; he's not here."

"Where is he now? Tell him I need to see him," Eustace insisted.

The receptionist snickered, "Who exactly do you think you are? Our general manager isn't someone you can just see on a whim."

Without further ado, Eustace pulled out his phone and dialed an unusual number. The call connected quickly.

"Hello, Hugh speaking."

"Sir, how can I assist you?"

"I need Misael to meet me within the next half hour, no matter what it takes. I'll be waiting right outside his company."