I Slept with My Boss and Ran Away

Meredith just wanted to find out if the things Mr. Thatcher had said were true, to judge his character. Reese, however, threw her off by saying, "His family only has one son, where did you get the idea of several children? Meredith, are we even talking about the same person?"

"Just one son?" Meredith was surprised. "Reese, Mr. Thatcher is over sixty years old, his eldest son is named Tristan, and his wife Rosalind-these details are correct, aren't they?"

"He does have a son named Tristan; we even climbed mountains together when we were kids," Reese replied. "But that's it, no other children."

"The name matches, and so does the address, it should be right," Meredith puzzled. "You're neighbors, Reese; think again, does his family really have no other children?"

Reese shook his head, then something seemed to click. "I remember visiting their house when I was little, I saw his mother heavily pregnant, but I never saw another child being born. I was maybe seven or eight at the time, it's a faint memory." Justin was twenty-eight this year, and Reese around thirty-five or thirty-six. According to Reese, Mrs. Thatcher must have been pregnant with Justin at that time.

Justin was definitely born, so why did Reese claim not to see any other children in the Thatcher family? Could a child just disappear right after birth, without even being able to walk?

Deeply unsettling thoughts ran through Meredith's mind, convinced there was something amiss with the Thatcher family.

"Reese, is it possible you were too young and remembered wrongly? Could you help me out and ask your family, see what they know about this?" Meredith asked earnestly. "Please, help me out."

Meredith was highly regarded by Bianca at work, and her subordinates were keen to gain her favor; such a small favor was nothing for Reese.

"Sure, no problem, a small matter," Reese smiled. "I'll call my parents after work; they're probably out busy with farm work and can't answer the phone right now."

"That's great, thanks a lot." Meredith pulled out a snack from her desk drawer and offered it to Reese, "Try this, it's pretty tasty."

The snacks were prepared by Terrence Sterling, consisting of high-priced healthy treats.

"You're too kind, Meredith," Reese demurred.

"There's plenty more where that came from, my husband bought them. Try them, and if you like it, I'll bring more next time."

"Oh, I really shouldn't," Reese said, though his hand had already taken the snack and he tore open a packet to try it, visibly delighted. "These are delicious, Meredith. Where does your husband buy them? I've never tasted snacks this good before. He really treats you well."

Meredith, who wasn't usually a snack eater, had been convinced by Terrence Sterling to keep some on hand in case she got hungry, especially when she was too busy to eat.

"They are good, aren't they? Next time he buys, I'll ask him to get more," Meredith smiled, then shared some with her other colleagues who had gathered around.

After tasting the snacks, everyone praised them highly. One colleague, who recognized the brand, remarked, "I've seen this brand before; it's imported and very expensive, not something we could usually afford. Meredith, what does your husband do?"

There had been much speculation at the company about Meredith's recent marriage, and everyone was curious about the kind of man she had married, especially since she was often seen being picked up and dropped off by a luxury car. Meredith could hardly tell the truth, even if she did, no one would believe her.

"My husband's family is in business," Meredith replied vaguely, and the conversation drifted away as everyone understood not to pry further. Meredith then had to prepare for an evening engagement, tasked by Joy Chaucer to handle Kendrick Gould, possibly with some tricks up her sleeve.

Before heading to the engagement, Meredith sprayed some perfume under her arms, but the fragrance was unpleasant, resembling body odor.

She believed with such a stench, Kendrick Gould would surely keep his distance.