The Ex- Wife

Chapter 5

Richard and Annie are in the car heading home. It was engulfed in silence and Ric is uncomfortable of the silence. The silence makes him sick so he finds a way to break the silence. He fished out his Samsung s7 and opened his Facebook. His timeline is filled with selfies of his friends and emo sayings. What the hell? He kept on scrolling down to find interesting pictures, videos or topics.  Unfortunately, a message popped out saying his phone is in low battery. He cursed silently and put his phone back in the pocket. He looked at his aunt quickly who is busy on her phone, then looks away. He forgot to bring his power bank. His power bank is left at the house.  How can he cope the silence? He doesn't want his aunt and him to stay silence forever. Annie is very disappointed in him during the interview of Lannie in her office and talking loudly in the hallway about Lannie convincing her Lannie is his cousin.  She wants him to control himself.  

Richard can't take the silence anymore. He must break the silence. He is scared to talk with her what if she will shout at him. He knew his aunt Annie when she gets mad. He lived with her at her house when he was little. He can't forget the day when he saw her mad like cow talking furiously someone on the phone. And that day is the day when Lannie is abducted by someone. He can't forget her long lost cousin.  Their memories is still a crystal clear in him, but how about Lannie?

"Aunt Blake" Richard is said courageously. 

"What Ric?" She said with a cold voice without looking at him.

"Can we be friends now? I can't take this silence anymore! I don't want us to be like this forever! Please, Aunt Blake. I know you're mad at me and I'm so sorry" He pleaded placing his hands together, with the palms touching like praying. " I promise I'll be careful now. I promise I won't talk about Lannie in the company"

" Good! I hope you can keep your promise, Ric" She turned her head at him. " Know to control yourself" She said while looking out the window. 

"I will.... by the way, can I talk to her?"

"Talk with her discreetly"

"Thank you, aunt Blake!" He said happily and give her hug. Annie was surprised by his action and she hugged him back. She knew how he missed his cousin so bad. 

"Are we friends now?" Richard pulled away. 

She nodded and smiled at him. 

"I miss my old aunt Blake" He hugged her again. Annie and him are best friends and Richard is an aunt's boy since his mom died when he was little His mom is her sister, Jackie. Annie adopts his nephew and raised him well as she promised to her sister before she died by the car accident.

"Auntie, I will make you believe that Lanie is my cousin someday!" He has a high hope that Lannie is his cousin.

Annie let out an exasperated sigh and said " believe what you believe, Ric. I'll just wait for the affirmation by Officer Jenny. I don't want to hurt her mom, you know that" 

The car stop at Richard's house then the personal guard informed him. 

"I'm Lanie's cousin and I know her well than Officer Jenny" He was insulted, he stepped out of the car.

"Are you alright, Ms. Blake?" Troy, her personal guard asked her worriedly.

"I'm fine, thanks for your concern, Troy" He and her driver, Joe are her friends. She is gregarious to her people in the house and she treated them as her family.

"Why don't you admit it now?" 

"I'm still investigating"

"Do you still believe Reese is your niece?" 

"25 percent"

During the interview, she is scrutinizing Lannie's face. Her green eyes look the same from her niece. But her hair is black, the real color hair of her niece is a Golden Brown. She had thought Lannie dyed her hair. Maybe?

Annie told the driver to go to the Hospital to visit her sister, Claudia who had been comatose for 10 years. She is the mother of Lannie. Annie is worried about her condition because what if she wakes up brainwash? She promised she would bring her daughter back.