Chapter 414 Resolutely Not to Ask for His Help
When Susan heard that, she couldn't help but think Henry was one smart cookie.
Susan cut to the chase, "You nailed it. Dorothy's a mess right now. She's been clutching Amanda's photo all day. She's even gone to your folks' place looking for Amanda, but no one's ever home."
Henry paused for a sec on the other end, then said, "Susan, gotta be real with you. My folks took Amanda overseas. This ain't a vacation; they're moving for good. Amanda's already in preschool over there."
Susan's face scrunched up, and she blurted out, "What? Amanda's abroad? Henry, how could you do this without telling Dorothy? That's just cold!"
Susan couldn't wrap her head around how Henry's parents could pull such a stunt. How was Dorothy supposed to handle this?
Henry, staying chill, replied, "Susan, I had no choice. You've seen Dorothy. She's too intense, and it's bad for Amanda. Amanda's all scared and fragile now, thanks to Dorothy's drama these past two years. I can't let my kid be dragged down by that anymore. If Dorothy really cared, she wouldn't have ditched custody and skipped out on child support. She doesn't deserve to be a mom!"
Just then, Catherine, who'd overheard about Amanda moving abroad, jumped up. "What did Henry say? Amanda's abroad? How can this be?"
Susan couldn't argue with Henry's points, but she still had to call him out.
"Henry, you're right, but Dorothy's still Amanda's mom. She gave her life, and you..." Before Susan could finish, the call cut off.
Susan yelled into the phone, but it was dead.
"How can Henry do this?" Catherine said, wringing her hands, not knowing how to break it to Dorothy.
"Mom..." Susan started to say.
Suddenly, the bedroom door flew open, and Dorothy walked out, looking blank.
She grabbed Susan's shoulders hard and, all worked up, said, "What did you just say? Henry's parents took Amanda abroad? Is that true?"
Susan, caught off guard, didn't know what to say.
Dorothy tightened her grip and shook Susan. "Tell me! Tell me now!"
"Yes." Susan, feeling dizzy, nodded quickly.
Dorothy looked crushed. She grabbed her hair and let out a wail.
Then she bolted back into the room, calling for Amanda. "Amanda, my baby!"
Seeing this, Catherine snapped at Susan, "Why did you tell her?"
"Mom, you can't hide something like this. Maybe it'll help her face reality." Susan said, frowning.
A moment later, Catherine followed Dorothy to the bedroom door and saw her leaning against the headboard, clutching a doll, looking dazed but at least quiet.
Catherine dragged Susan out to the balcony, not wanting Dorothy to catch wind and freak out even more.
"Susan, think we can track down Amanda's address abroad? Maybe if we take Dorothy to see her, it'll help?" Catherine asked, frowning.
Susan mulled it over for a sec. "Mom, Henry's folks left on the down-low to keep us from finding Amanda. Even if we figure out the country, pinning down the exact address is a long shot. And even if we did, would it really help? Dorothy seeing Amanda might not fix her. We gotta focus on getting Dorothy better first. Then we can hit up the court. Dorothy should have visitation rights."
"Guess that's our best bet. Then you gotta talk to Seb about getting her into a sanatorium," Catherine said.
Susan nodded.
Leaving Dorothy's place, Susan's mind was racing.
Her relationship with Seb was rocky. How was she gonna ask him for help?
Instead of grabbing a cab, Susan hoofed it back to the office.
Sitting at her desk, she was stressing about the sanatorium when her phone rang.
"Hello, Susan Accounting Firm," she answered.
"Ms. Wilson, it's Derek Lopez," a guy's voice came through.
Hearing the name, Susan perked up. "Hey, Mr. Lopez."
"Ms. Wilson, just checking in on our company's case. How's it going?" Derek asked, sounding friendly.
"It'll be wrapped up by tomorrow. I'll have it sent over ASAP," Susan replied quickly.
"Awesome, Ms. Wilson, you're on top of things," Derek said, sounding pleased.
An idea hit Susan.
Derek ran a small company but had deep roots in Maple Valley and lots of connections. He was also super generous. Maybe he could help with the sanatorium in South Maple Valley.
Deciding to bend her professional rules for now, Susan went for it.
"Mr. Lopez, I need a favor, and I feel a bit awkward asking. But I know you're a helpful guy, so here goes."
Derek chuckled. "Ms. Wilson, I respect you. Just tell me what you need. If I can help, I will."
Susan felt a wave of relief. "My sister's been a wreck since her divorce. The doc suggested a sanatorium in South Maple Valley. They say the place is great for recovery, but it's tough to get a spot. Do you know anyone there?"
Derek didn't miss a beat. "The sanatorium in South Maple Valley? Yeah, the director's a buddy of mine. Leave it to me. I'll call him right now. No problem at all!"
Susan was thrilled. "Thank you so much, Mr. Lopez. Dinner's on me next time."
"It's nothing; don't sweat it. Just wait for my call," Derek said before hanging up.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
