God damn it! If only I arrived sooner. Even if it was just one minute earlier, the situation wouldn't have turned out this way. I could've stopped my mother from slapping Cali. Ugh, my mother! I didn't even want to start with her. She totally crossed the line this time. If she wanted to talk, she could've done it nicely. She didn't need to use violence. I'll need to have a talk with her about this. This was the first time I've ever seen Cali cry and it was all my fault. I should've been there for her, to protect her, but I wasn't. She never looked so vulnerable like she was a few moments ago.

I pulled her toward the elevators and pressed to go down. The button lit up and while I waited for it to arrive, I gave my full attention to Cali. I held onto her shoulders and made her face me. She was still covering her face with her hands. I caught another tear roll down her cheek.

"Does it hurt?" I gently lifted her hand away from her left cheek and checked to see how bad it was.

I felt a stab of guilt in my heart when I saw her cheek. There was an imprint of a hand. It was glowing red, already beginning to swell.

"That must've hurt, I'm so sorry Cali," I apologized.

"It's not your fault."

"Yes, it is," I persisted. "If I came soon-" She rushed toward me and wrapped her arms around me. "I'm so glad you're here," she murmured into my shoulder.

I patted the top of her head soothingly and tightened my arms around her protectively. "I swear, this won't happen again. I won't make the same mistake twice," I promised.

"What mistake?" she asked, looking up at me.

"The mistake of letting you suffer alone in pain," I said. "Seeing you cry once is enough. I don't want it to happen again, especially not because of me." I pressed my lips against her forehead and gave her an assuring smile.

Ding! I led her into the elevator and pressed for the ground floor. What she needed now was rest. It'd the best for her to stay away from the company until things to cool down with my mother. She wouldn't give up that easily.

"Go sit on the sofa. I'll get some ice and be right back," I told Cali once we came into my apartment. I didn't leave until I was sure that she was sitting down.

I came back with a towel wrapped in ice and pushed it over her swollen cheek.

"Hold it there until I say otherwise."

She obediently held it there for the next 30 minutes before the swelling almost completely disappeared.

"Go sleep. You've been through a lot today."

She opened her mouth to argue when I lifted her up bridal style and walked toward my room against her will.

"Put me down!" she demanded. "I didn't hurt my legs, I can walk myself."

I shook my head. "I know you can, but I rather do it this way."

"Why?"

"Because I feel bad for what happened today," I admitted. "This is my queen treatment for you."

We entered my room and I put her down on my bed.

"Lay down."

She laid down and I pulled the blanket over her. "Relax and sleep."

Her eyes began to droop downwards, her breathing became steady, and soon she fell asleep. I wrote a quick note and left it on the nightstand before quietly slipping away, closing the door shut behind me.

Now it was time for the talk with my mother. I grabbed my keys and hurried out the front door.

I drove up the circular driveway of a large two story house and parked in front of the entrance. Just when I stepped out of my car, someone came out to welcome me.

"Young Master! You have grown so handsome! It's been a long time since you stopped by," a middle-aged maid said. "Would you like something to drink, to eat? Ramen, coffee, chips, water...." she suggested.

"Where is my mother??" I asked.

"Madame is busy doing something at the moment, would you like me to go tell her that you're here?"

"Where is she??" I began opening and closing doors, searching for her. "Tell me where she is, I need to speak with her right now!" I demanded.

"S-she's in the study," she revealed at last. " Your father's in there too."

I rushed off to the study and went inside without knocking. They were both sitting on a brown tufted sofa- my father sitting on a single seat while my mother sat on a double seat in front of him. They seemed to be in a deep conversation before I intruded.

"Son, you know better than to barge in like that. Your mother and I have taught you better than that. Apologize," he ordered. "Now." He looked at me with hard, expressionless eyes.

"Shouldn't Mother apologize too then?" I pointed out. "She slapped an employee of mine today."

His eyebrow went up at what I said. "Which employee of yours caused you such great concern?" he asked with curiosity. "You don't usually care about your staff."

I was about to answer when my mother spoke up.

"Michael, we met that employee already. It's that secretary of his that was in his apartment yesterday."

"Oh is that so?" He sounded intrigued. "And why did you go and meet that young lady, Susan?"

"I was just telling her place. I just can't stand how our son here, can't you see that she's just dating him to get his money!"

"You have no right to do that," I argued. "Besides, she's not like that. She's staying by my side for me, not my money, Mother. Why can't you see that??" I sighed in exasperation.

"Her financial background is the problem, everything about her is a problem!" she ranted. "Why can't you see that?!?"

"That doesn't mean anything. So what, she's poor. I like her the way she is, you can't stop me."

"Did you already forget about what happened with Vivian?!?" my mother blurted out in fury.

Vivian. The woman that taught me what the taste of betrayal tasted like. She stuck by me for my money and fame. I wanted to forget about her.

"Why are you bringing her up?"

"Because you seemed to have forgotten what she did to you, honey!"

"I did not forget."

"Michael! Why aren't you saying anything?!"

"Susan, keep your voice down," my father warned. "Son, are you 100% positive that this woman isn't the same as Vivian?"

"Yes," I said positively, without a doubt. "Cali would never do such a thing."

He nodded in understanding. "We'll have to see about that son. You met this woman just 2 months ago, what do you even know about her?"

I tried to think of some things that I knew about Cali, but not a single thing came up. "There's plenty of time for us to get to know each other. Thank you for your concern."

"Michael!" my mother shouted out. "Are you not going to stop him from meeting this woman?!?!"

"They've only just started dating, Susan. He'll see the real side of her soon enough," he said ominously. "Go leave now, I'm not feeling so well."

I wanted to ask him why he said it the way he did, but I didn't. I excused myself and left.