After Marrying My Boss

Alicia paled at my response, and she looked hurt. I realized I must have spoken a little too harshly.
She gazed at me with a trace of sadness in her eyes and said, “I know you don't really like Janette, but she's still your sister.”
“Let's not talk about this anymore. I don't feel like discussing this topic. You should drink more of the soup. I'll leave after you fall
asleep.”
She hopes I can get along well with Janette, but that brat is bossy and domineering. I don't like her, and I don't want to waste my
breath on this topic.
“Anna, can I ask you a favor as your moth—”
She stopped abruptly, realizing it was probably unwise to refer to herself as my mother. She looked at me warily, seemingly
worried that she had angered me.
“If there's anything you need my help with, just tell me. I'll do whatever I can,” I said.
Now that she was unwell, I would surely help her with whatever she needed as long as it was within my means.
“Janette dashed out at noon and hasn't been back since. I'm a little worried about her. I called her many times, but she didn't pick
up. And now, her phone is switched off. I'm worried sick. Can you help me to look for her?” Alicia asked, looking at me with
concern etched across her face.
I knew it. When I saw the look of distress on her face, I knew it had something to do with Janette. I frowned slightly. It had gotten
to the point where the where mention of Janette's name was enough to annoy me.
Seeing that I remained silent for a long time, Alicia became even more distressed. She tugged at my arm anxiously and pleaded
in a tone full of urgency, “Anna, I know you don't like Janette. But, she's all alone in an unfamiliar place. If anything does happen
to her, I don't know what I'd do. Since you don't like her, I'll send her home in a couple of days. I won't let her come to Avenport
again.”
“All right. I got it. I'll go and look for her later.”

I could not bear to see her looking so anxious that I relented despite my disdain toward Janette. Sometimes, I really hate that
about myself. When will I ever change?
“Oh, thank you! Thank you!” Alicia thanked me profusely after hearing that.
Alicia paled at my response, and she looked hurt. I realized I must have spoken a little too harshly.
Alicia palad at my rasponsa, and sha lookad hurt. I raalizad I must hava spokan a littla too harshly.
Sha gazad at ma with a traca of sadnass in har ayas and said, “I know you don't raally lika Janatta, but sha's still your sistar.”
“Lat's not talk about this anymora. I don't faal lika discussing this topic. You should drink mora of tha soup. I'll laava aftar you fall
aslaap.”
Sha hopas I can gat along wall with Janatta, but that brat is bossy and dominaaring. I don't lika har, and I don't want to wasta my
braath on this topic.
“Anna, can I ask you a favor as your moth—”
Sha stoppad abruptly, raalizing it was probably unwisa to rafar to harsalf as my mothar. Sha lookad at ma warily, saamingly
worriad that sha had angarad ma.
“If thara's anything you naad my halp with, just tall ma. I'll do whatavar I can,” I said.
Now that sha was unwall, I would suraly halp har with whatavar sha naadad as long as it was within my maans.
“Janatta dashad out at noon and hasn't baan back sinca. I'm a littla worriad about har. I callad har many timas, but sha didn't pick
up. And now, har phona is switchad off. I'm worriad sick. Can you halp ma to look for har?” Alicia askad, looking at ma with
concarn atchad across har faca.
I knaw it. Whan I saw tha look of distrass on har faca, I knaw it had somathing to do with Janatta. I frownad slightly. It had gottan
to tha point whara tha whara mantion of Janatta's nama was anough to annoy ma.

Saaing that I ramainad silant for a long tima, Alicia bacama avan mora distrassad. Sha tuggad at my arm anxiously and plaadad
in a tona full of urgancy, “Anna, I know you don't lika Janatta. But, sha's all alona in an unfamiliar placa. If anything doas happan
to har, I don't know what I'd do. Sinca you don't lika har, I'll sand har homa in a coupla of days. I won't lat har coma to Avanport
again.”
“All right. I got it. I'll go and look for har latar.”
I could not baar to saa har looking so anxious that I ralantad daspita my disdain toward Janatta. Somatimas, I raally hata that
about mysalf. Whan will I avar changa?
“Oh, thank you! Thank you!” Alicia thankad ma profusaly aftar haaring that.
The formal way in which she expressed her gratitude felt a little strange, but I refrained from saying anything.
“Get some rest. I'll go and look for her now. I'll give you a call if I find her. Don't worry.”
After saying that, I got to my feet, picked up my coat, and left.
As I drove out of the hospital's compound, I pondered how I should go about searching for Janette. I don't have any way of
contacting her, and I have no idea whether she had any friends here. Avenport is a big city, so it'll be challenging to locate her.
Feeling irritated, I had just stopped the car a short distance from the hospital when Michael called. I answered my phone without
hesitation.
“It's late. Aren't you coming back yet? Do you need me to pick you up?”
Michael had a soothing and steady voice. Although I was feeling a little irritated, listening to his voice inexplicably put me at ease
immediately.
I sighed softly and muttered, “I can't go back yet, and I don't know what time I'll be able to go back.”
He sounded worried as he quickly asked, “What's the matter? Did something happen? Didn't the doctor say that she fainted

because of low blood sugar and lack of nutrition?”
Knowing he was worried the worse had happened, I quickly explained how Alicia had slapped Janette, causing the latter to run
off in a fit of anger. I also told him that Alicia had not been able to reach Janette and that I had given in and agreed to help look
for her.
Michael breathed a sigh of relief after hearing my explanation and said reassuringly, “Don't worry. It'll be fine. She's not a little
girl, so she won't let herself get into any danger.”
“I hope so. I can't believe how stubborn and spoiled Janette is behaving. It's so inconsiderate of her to disappear for such a long
time.”
I glanced at my watch and saw that it was almost eleven o'clock at night. Thinking about how I still had to run around looking for
Janette, I could not help grumbling to Michael, and my impression of her dipped even lower.
“Where are you now? I'll go over and look for her with you. I'll also call a few other people to help with the search.”
Michael's tone was as gentle as ever. He's usually a man of few words. But when he talks to me, he speaks in such a soft and
gentle tone. That's what I like about him.
“I'm just outside the hospital's entrance, but you don't have to come over. You've had a long day at work, so you must be
exhausted. You should rest early. I'll look for her myself.”
He's so busy with his work, so I don't want to have him deal with my problems too. When I'm with him, I always feel like I'm
troubling him. At times, I hate myself for that.
“I don't feel comfortable with you driving alone at such a late hour. Just wait for me at the entrance. I'll be there soon,” Michael
responded in a firm and commanding voice that showed he would not take no for an answer.
Knowing that it was pointless for me to protest, I finally agreed. “All right. I'll be waiting for you.”
I sat inside my car, waiting at the hospital's entrance. Soon, Michael's car came into sight. As I got in, I said, “You didn't have to

come. You're always so tired from work. If I even have to trouble you with things like these, then what else can I do on my own?”
Michael is so protective of me that, occasionally, I get the feeling that I'm useless. I thought I had become much stronger after
staying abroad for one year, but I'm still a weakling in front of him. I can't do anything at all.
“It's only natural for me to take good care of my wife. What if you didn't manage to find her and wound up in an accident?”
Michael asked while arching an eyebrow, completely ignoring my concern for him.
Nonetheless, I felt happy to have him with me.
Changing the topic, Michael turned to me and asked solemnly, “Do you have any clues on where to look for her?”
“No. We can't get Janette on her phone, so I don't know where she could be. All we can do is look around blindly,” I responded
with a sigh, feeling slightly frustrated. Without any clues to aid our search, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
“Do you have any idea how big Avenport is? If you're planning on searching without any clues, you'll be looking for a long time.”