Chapter 7 Ch. 7 - MEETING THE CEO

VALERIE

"Don't touch that, Daisy." My eyes darted from my book to the restless human I had next to me.

Daisy, my daughter, squirmed in the seat. I grasped her wrist and pulled her up, causing the predicted mischief.

I looked back at what she was about to touch. Her tiny fingers were inches from the emergency exit lever, curiosity plastered on her face. I shouldn't have taken a seat next to this place, but this was what I got from Simon's wife to be.

According to her, this was what I deserved.

"Mommy, what is that?" She asked, tugging against my grip.

I swiftly redirected her hand with a warm smile. "It's not okay to touch, baby."

Daisy's gaze wandered, locking onto the overhead controls. Her small hands stretched upward as if she wanted to protest. She was well mannered, so I didn't expect a tantrum, but still, she was a child.

I intercepted her reach once again. "No, honey. Those are off-limits. Do not touch."

Daisy pouted, her lower lip jutting out. She reminded me of when I was her age. And at that point, I knew she was about to throw a tantrum. I did what was sanely left to do. I rummaged through the bag with me.

"Shall we colour? It's a bright day; you can colour that beautiful garden picture. Wouldn't you?"

Daisy's face brightened at once. "Yay! Let's colour!"

I gave her the book and crayons, and she settled into her seat, momentarily distracted. I exhaled quietly, vigilant for the next potential mishap.

I stared at her for a while, wanting to be sure she wouldn't touch anything. After a while, I began to feel sleepy, and I decided to give in to the inevitable. I was tired anyways. The night of trying to make Bianca's dress was taking a toil on me. I just needed sleep. I slept for about ten minutes until a loud bang woke me up.

I woke up immediately and looked around. I saw Daisy's crayons scattered on the floor as she suddenly squirmed out of her seat. My senses were alerted, and my eyes widened. "Daisy, wait!"

But she was already disappearing into the aisle, her blonde pigtails bouncing behind her. I quickly got up and made my way to the cabin she disappeared into. When I got to the front of the room she got into, I looked up, and my eyes widened.

Daisy went into the first-class cabin and I didn't know when I let out a, "Oh, Lord." I ran a hand into my head and bit my lips nervously to keep myself from screaming.

The plane's first-class curtain swooshed open, revealing Daisy's tiny frame slipping through. I hastened after her, navigating through passengers. "Daisy, come back!" I said in a low voice, but Daisy didn't stop. She went ahead to the next cabin but was stopped by someone.

It was a man. He had this intimidating figure that made me stop to stare at him. I watched him bend and look at Daisy. He had a stern expression on his face. For a moment, I stood there until I regained my senses. "Daisy!" Valerie exclaimed, rushing over.

As soon as the man saw me, he stood upright, and his expression turned disapproving. "You're the mother?"

My smile faltered, but. "Ah, yes...thank you for finding her, sir."

The man's face still held the disapproval, and his tone turned scolding. "You shouldn't have children if you can't take care of them. It's not proper to leave kids wandering around, woman."

My face flushed with defensiveness. What the hell was this man saying? He doesn't even know who the heck I was! I wanted to lash out at him, but I kept my cool. "I was just-"

But before I could respond, the man cut me off. "Irresponsible parenting. You put her safety at risk. You should be looking after her."

My eyes flashed with anger. "What the-"

At that moment, I wanted to scream, but before I could do that, the flight attendant appeared. "Is everything okay?"

The man nodded curtly and ran his eyes over me; his eyes were not happy. "This mother left her child unattended; that is what is wrong."

The attendant's expression turned professional. "Sir, I assure you, she was searching for her child. Children can skip away in an instant. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

I gave the man a pointed glance before focusing on the attendant. "Thank you. I was sleeping, and I woke up to find her gone. I'm sorry."

The attendant smiled warmly. "No worries, ma'am. Let's get you back to your seat."

I nodded and allowed the attendant to lead me back to my seat. I couldn't help but think about the rude man. What does he know about me? What does he know about my daughter? I hate people who jump to conclusions. He doesn't know me, and that should remain like that.

"Thank you. I apologize for the inconvenience. I'll look after her better." I said with a low voice that I knew would turn teary-choked if I continued to talk.

"It's okay, ma'am. Enjoy." The attendant said with a smile and walked away.

I sat down and cautioned Daisy not to misbehave, and she sat still. My mind went back to that rude man, and I knew I didn't want to see him ever again. D*mn that man! I don't know him, but I hated him already.

***

Once the plane landed, we got off, and I went to get our bags and suitcases. I stood beside Daisy. The hum of the airport and chatter of fellow travelers created a soothing background noise.

Daisy's grip on my hand tightened, and I followed her gaze to a familiar figure-the man who had been rude to me on the plane. The same one who had called me an irresponsible parent.

Daisy's face scrunched up in annoyance, and before I could react, she darted towards the man. Her legs carried her faster than I could imagine.

"Daisy, no!" I called out, trying to keep my voice low.

Daisy tugged at the man's pocket, and his phone clattered to the floor. The man was taken aback by what had happened, and his face widened in surprise. He spun around, his face reddening. For a moment, I thought he would yell or push Daisy away; instead, he took a deep breath and let his words out slowly.

"Where is your mummy?" He asked.

I rushed towards them, my heart racing with anxiety. "I am so sorry, sir," I apologised, trying to intervene. "My daughter didn't mean to cause any trouble. I apologise, I apologise."

One moment I hated this man, and I wanted him to apologise to me; now I was the one begging him. This world was indeed twisted.

The man didn't say anything for a while; he only nodded curtly. "It is fine," he said. "Just keep her away from me."

My jaw dropped as a wave of relief washed over me. "Thank you for understanding, sir. I'll make sure to pay for any damages to your phone."

The man waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. Just...just go."

I nodded, feeling a mix of gratitude, embarrassment, and confusion. This was the man that called me irresponsible moments ago. What changed in him? "Thank you again, sir. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

As I turned to leave, a deep, smooth voice cut through the resolved tension. "She should go? Hell no! She wouldn't go without getting you another phone, uncle."

I spun around, my eyes scanning the crowd for the speaker. A tall, imposing figure emerged from the sea of people, her eyes fixed intently on me. Her familiar, clear skin and graceful features seemed to radiate confidence and authority. Her eyes, a deep, piercing colour, locked onto mine, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. Those eyes had looked at me before in such a way that I did not like. The eyes would sweep me up and down with disdain and regard me as useless.

The man who had been rude to me took a step back, his eyes darting between me and the newcomer. "Uh, Princess, I don't want to cause any trouble," he muttered, his tone suddenly soft.

was wondering where the tag 'princess' came from. The man took a step forward and hugged the woman, but she wasn't about to let me go. "I would handle this, uncle."

As she said that, I felt a sense of trepidation. The rude man, whom she had called her uncle, placed a hand on her arm, calming her down.

"It's okay, Bianca. Let's just forget it."The man said, but Bianca was not ready to let me go.

Yes, Bianca. The bride I was making a dress for, my ex's new woman, and now the family member of a man who was rude to me on the plane.

If the devil wanted to deal with someone, this was one way to start that.