2: 2
2
Four-thirty. We arrived at Irma's small two-bedroom apartment.
Irma got up to boil water, then carried a teacup over to me, timid as ever.
"Sis, I boiled this water myself. If you drink it, it means you've forgiven me."
I looked at the steam rising off the boiling water and let out a cold laugh.
"Irma, you want me to drink scalding water?"
"And if I don't? Then I don't get to walk out of this room, is that it?"
As I said it, I lifted my eyes and looked around the room.
This apartment was still the place I'd bought to give her a roof over her head.
My parents died when I was young. Grandpa hated to see me so alone, so he took me to the orphanage to pick out a little sister for company.
I took one look at the thin, pitiful Irma and chose her. For ten whole years we ate together, lived together, called each other sister.
Every servant in the Maxwell house even addressed her respectfully as the second young miss.
Before Grandpa died, his will left not a single cent to Irma. Back then I even felt guilty toward her, telling myself that once I inherited the company I would make it up to her.
Now I understood. Grandpa had been the wise one.
Then the cup tipped, and the whole thing of hot water poured across the back of my hand, and Irma let out a shrill scream.
"Sis, even if you resent me and don't want to drink it, you can't throw hot water on me!"
Abner's face changed at once. He grabbed Irma, caught her hand, and examined it closely.
Then, aching for her, he lifted it to his lips and blew on it gently.
"Irma, don't be scared, I'll take you to the hospital right now. It won't leave a scar, I promise."
Then he raised his eyes to me and denounced me, righteous with fury.
"Glenda, when did you turn this vicious? You've really let me down."
"Today, you're going to apologize to Irma and swear you'll never bully her again. Otherwise, don't even think about walking out that door."
He took one long stride and locked the door with a snap.
Everything in me went cold. I walked over and wrenched at the lock.
"Abner, open the door."
"Let me be clear. You don't have to sign, but you do have to let me leave. If there are consequences, you can't shoulder them."
Abner clamped down on my hand, his voice cold as ice.
"You scalded Irma. You apologize to her. Once she forgives you, I'll let you go right away and come with you to sign."
The huge blister on my hand burst in that instant, the sting shooting straight to my heart, but Abner didn't notice a thing. He only stared at me, forcing the apology out of me.
Irma rushed over cradling her hand and pulled at Abner.
"Abner, please, please don't be angry with Sis because of me."
"I really don't need Sis to apologize. I'm the child the Maxwells adopted. It's only right that they hit me and scold me."
"Irma, from now on you've got me. No one will ever bully you again. Some people throw their weight around, and today I'm going to get justice for you."
Abner announced his decision like a man taking a noble stand.
Irma cried harder, and then, tears brimming, she turned and glared at me, indignant.
"Sis, I was born lowly, so you bully me, and I accept it. But how can your Maxwell family humiliate Abner like this?"
"He's your fiancé, he's the man who saved your Maxwell family's lives. Why are you making him sign that garbage waiver giving up his inheritance rights? Isn't that humiliating him?"
The minute hand crept toward thirty-five. I watched the two of them putting on their tender little act, and I drew a deep breath, and at last I understood: two years, and why Abner had been late for two whole years.
It wasn't an accident. It was on purpose. My Maxwell family had propped him up, and it had made him feel humiliated.
He wanted to set the rules, teach me a lesson, make me beg him.
And the joke was on me, feeling guilty, humbling myself to explain to him that it was only a formality, that once we married, what was mine would be his.
To smooth over that little bruised ego of his, I'd even gone against the board and taken a hundred-million loss, handing him three orders each worth over a hundred million.
I looked at Abner, pressing down the sting in my chest, and spoke calmly.
"Fine, Abner. I'll apologize to Irma."
I watched the quick glance the two of them exchanged, and I straightened my clothes, pushing down the anger in my chest.
The shareholders, the lawyers, the witnesses at the signing were all waiting. The company's thousands of employees were watching with held breath. I couldn't destroy everything over one flash of temper.
I looked at Irma and spoke, my face grave.
"Irma, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lost my temper today, and I certainly shouldn't have scalded you by accident. It's all my fault. Please forgive me."
A satisfied smile spread across Abner's face.
"See, that's more like it. Losing your temper over something so small. It's just a signature, and you had to keep chasing me and nagging me about it."
"Irma is the little sister you love most. Me currying favor with my future sister-in-law, isn't that because I love you too?"
I lifted my eyes to the digital clock. Four forty-four.
I held down the anxiety clawing at me and forced patience into my voice.
"Abner, I've apologized. Can I go now?"
I turned to pull the door open, and the moment I twisted the lock, Irma's timid voice sounded behind me.
"Sis, you apologized to me, but just now you scared Lucky, and you haven't apologized to him yet."
