Chapter 137

**Acacia Point of View**

Jerk went of a business trip? Alone? Without taking any of his subordinates?

Nay, he is not that normal!

He loves to show off, he loves to display his power over his people and he mostly loves getting people to do work for him.

He actually went on a trip - a business trip that too?

Something is definitely wrong here!

"Huh, mamma, I'm so jealous." I came out of my thoughts and looked at the little guy standing in front of the wall length mirror and doing his neck bow.

I raised a brow at him and gave him an all over, "Jealous of whom?"

"Of course, myself. Just look at me, I'm cute, handsome, manly, kind, caring, loveable, talented and creative. Sometimes, even I'm jealous of myself." Igses looked at himself in the mirror and sighed again as he looked at himself with jealousy and envy.

There was also a visible hint of admiration in his eyes for himself.

I exhaled a laugh and poked his forehead gently, giving him a playful glare. "You are worrying too much, my son."

Igses snapped his head to look at me and gasped dramatically. "Mamma, you don't have to comfort me. I know you don't want to praise me because you worry that I will become too self centered. To be honest, even you know what I said is right."

Why didn't I realize that the little guy's self-love has reached to this level?

I only thought he loves himself a lot and took great care of himself but this is -

"Little guy, it's just a small get-together office party. You should dress comfortably. Why are you in a three piece suit for no good reason?" I sat down and arranged the neck-bow for him neatly.

After the bow is neatly tied, I took a comb to style his hair but he took my phone and showed me a picture of a Korean actor in my phone and asked me to style it in that way.

I looked at the picture and styled his hair in curtain fringe. Once I'm done, he turned to look at him in the mirror again and nodded his head in satisfaction.

"Thank you, mamma. Also, you are welcome." The little guy smiled at himself in the mirror and admired himself a little more.

"Welcome for what? I did not thank you for anything."

"Aren't you over the grandmother of cloud nine when you look at your son? You surely used all the good luck when you gave birth to me." Okay. I admit defeat.

I cannot win him when he is in his self-love mood. His retorts get too mushy whenever he is too much into himself.

"By the way, you look absolutely stunning, mamma. No wonder I am so vibrant." Yes, yes, you are so great!

Alright, I get it.

"Thank you so much, son." I pecked him on his cheek and picked him in my arms and went downstairs where others are already waiting for us.

"What took you so long? You weren't so pressed on overly getting dressed before?" Damien started to complain the moment he saw me.

Damien, Liam and Dad are in their suits while I, mamma and Viva are in long party gowns. It's a party arranged by Jerk's company for their employees and mine to celebrate the start of the resort project.

This is kind of a party that encourages employees to work harder and share some good time with their family and colleagues; which I have to attend.

"Don't look at me. I was done long back. This little guy has spent forty minutes just to choose his outfit and match the suitable accessories." I put Igses on the ground and pointed an accusing finger at him.

"Right, how did I forget this? Igses The Great, who loves to take care of his image." Viva pointed another accusing finger at Igses.

"I was wondering why he takes a long time whenever I ask him to accompany me to spa." Mom pointed her finger at Igses and looked like she is suppressing her smile.

"I see, so this is why you take extra effort in dressing yourself whenever I take you with me to a public place." Dad played along and gave Igses a knowing look.

"He always showers squeaky clean whenever we are going out. He showers at least four times a day right?" Liam asked me while his eyes are on Igses.

Seeing that everyone was ganging up on his, I thought he would be a little angry or frustrated but igses was as calm as still water with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"Heh, I was only doing it so you all have good representation in front of others. My goodwill is widely misunderstood. That's okay though; I know that deep in your hearts, you really love me so much." Like a benevolent priest, he said in a soft voice.

The little one even have the gall to look at everyone and shake his head with disappointment. The expression in itself is so adult-like that for a moment, I and I'm sure everyone also forgot the child in front of us is only five plus years old.

"Drama Queen. Now, hurry; we need pick up Noemi on our way." I pinched my overdramatic son ear and laughed at his antics.

Damien and my parents got in one car while Aviva, I, Liam and Igses got in another. On our way to the party venue, we picked up the dolled up Noemi.

Noemi and Igses has a rule between them that they will go to parties together. If one is going, the other will tag alone as their date partner. It has been going this way for a very long time that even Noemi's family is used to it.

"Oh my God!" Noemi only just got into the car, suddenly stumbled back in the seat when she saw Igses.

"What? Mesmerized?" Igses raised one side of his mouth in proud smile and seemed very satisfied with Noemi's current expression.

"Aunty Dawn, are we going to fancy dress party?" Noemi, who looks quite uncomfortable right now, hugged me and asked in a low but obvious audible tone

"No dear. It's a normal party."

"Then why do Devil look like stuck-up, rich young master who has love for clowning around? Is he trying to audition for circus?"

"This only tells that you have no eye for beauty and fashion. Pity, you don't even have a heart to learn from me." Igses gave Noemi a sideways glance and waved his hand nonchalantly to sit properly beside him.

Noemi only went to sit beside him when she got a nod from me. Why are both these kids so extra?

Both are dramatic than the other. Who learned it from whom?

We finally drove to the party venue amidst lot of back and forth war of wits between the kids. As soon as the car stopped in front of the hotel entrance, the bickering kids immediately stopped their war.

Igses got down from the car first and with a gentleman smile, he offered a hand to Noemi which the latter took looking very much like a willing date.

The sudden change in kids baffled Damien and my family because they never saw the kids acting like this.

"Weren't they at each other's throat just now?" Liam whispered in my ear.

"They don't like to show their weak side to strangers. Even when they are at their wits end, when they are in a public place, they go back to their gentlemanly-ladylike behavior. You will get used to it slowly."

After handing the car keys to the valet, we finally found the hall where the party is held. Noemi has his hand wrapped in Igses arm as they both walked side by side like a couple walking on the wedding alter.

God, they look so adorable and funny that I don't know whether I should fawn over him first or laugh at them.

By the time we got in the hall, the party has already started and most of the guests has already arrived. The first one I saw the moment I crossed over the threshold was the very person who was supposed to be on a business trip.

He was there, with few unfamiliar men around and an old man who was talking to him. When my eyes found him, the words Damien said the other day, rushed back in my head.

'He is not so hateful, right?'

'Didn't he still respect few of your decisions?'

'You should strike when the iron is still hot.'

'You cannot be thinking to stay single your whole life, right? You should get a life partner, be it Tzalmon or someone else. But if he is teachable, then isn't it better to find the medicine from the same place where you got hurt in the first place?'

'It is better to try and regret than regret without trying. I think he has changed a lot after coming here and seeing how the world here is.'

'I'm not telling you to love him. I'm telling you to put yourself in his shoes and weigh all the things he did to you from his perspective by the way he was brought up according to his kingdom's conditions. Maybe you might feel that he is the worst one out there or maybe he is not that worst.'

One after the other, his world resonated in my mind. Although I don't agree with many of Damien's statements, a few of what he said were rather right.

I can see that Jerk has indeed changed for better even if it is only one percent. I'm not blind, even if Damien did not tell me, I can see it myself.

But the hate for him that is residing in my heart is so strong that it is not easy to quench it so easily completely.

Should I rather try to change him for better and regret than regret without trying?

**~*~*~*~*~*~

Hello Sweeties,

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