"I have a letter from Madame Athalena sir."
My secretary places an envelope on my desk. I stare at the envelope with my name. Pain. Anger. Disgust. I am flooded with mixed emotions that are hard to keep contained.
"I shall take my leave then sir."
W...
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LEO
Its been a week since Aunt Trish passed away and two days since her funeral. Caught up with assisting with her funeral and other matters, I have left my trusted subordinates to ensure that the company continues to run smoothly.
Now I have to catch up on the many paperwork put on hold these past few days. I lean back and shut my eyes for a few minutes. Checking my watch, I see that it is 11:55 AM. Determined to finish this mountain of work, I ask my secretary to order me lunch as I decide to have work while eating.
Next, I have to decide on the new restaurant design. I look at the pile of folders containing the design proposals from different firms. I grab one of the folders on my desk and begin reviewing.
This restaurant, along with my love of cooking, is a secret that I plan to keep under wraps. Therefore, the hired General Manager handles all the transactions related to the restaurant. However, all decisions are still made my me.
Reviewing the proposals, I am thoroughly impressed by one. Though there are a few minimal things I want changed, overall I am satisfied by the design. I grab my phone and call Stan.
"Good afternoon Stan. Call the architect ... Swara ... and give our confirmation. Arrange a meeting with them since I have some minor details I want changed. But overall, I'm satisfied with their design. And gather a list of contractors, we will be sending out invitations to bid within the week."
"Noted sir. I will text you the meeting details once I've finalized with them."
I quickly give my thanks and drop the call upon hearing the knock on my door. The door opens to reveal Aunt Trish's youngest son and my bestfriend, Alex.
"Hey Leo, you shouldn't work too hard. At the very least have a proper meal."
"I am having lunch."
"Yeah, working lunch. Note the word 'working'. You know what mom would've done, she would've refused to order lunch for you and have you leave the office to eat." Alex says with a sad smile.
"Right, work life balance, I know. What are you doing here anyway?" I reply as he leans on my desk.
"I was cleaning up mom's stuff and I found this" Alex holds up a brown envelope with my name. "It's mom's handwriting so I thought that she forgot to give it you."
"Did you open it?" I ask while opening the envelope. The first thing I notice is a letter addressed to me.
"Nope, so I dunno what's inside." Alex replies while I take out the letter. Slowly, I read through Aunt Trish's letter.
My dearest Leo,
If you are reading this, I do not know how you got a hold of this letter. I am hopeful that I finally gathered up the courage to hand this letter to you. If not, then it may be that you found this in my home. Either way, I hope it is not too late.
I know it is difficult for you to talk about Madam Alena. I cannot imagine the pain that you went through. But I also cannot neglect the emptiness I see reflected in your eyes. I think of you like my own son Leo and seeing you this way pains me. I believe that you should resolve your issues with Madame Alena. You know my stand regarding the situation, but what I think doesn't matter. What matters is that you get closure. Whether you get back or part ways with the Madame is up to both of you; but what I do hope it that you settle the matter. Thus I have kept the letter Madam gave to you before. I know you don't want to read it given you've thrown it in the trash. But please read it, if not for your sake then for mine. Grant this request of mine Leo.
With much love,
Aunt Trish
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