Chapter 29

Slateport City

"Oh Solidad, sweetie!" comes the voice of her flamboyant secretary.

Inwardly groaning, Solidad looks up from her desk. "Yes, Harley?"

He smirks at her. "I heard Drewy-Boy is going to the orphanage today."

Solidad raises a curious eyebrow at him. Yes, she had told Drew to visit the orphanage, but she expected his selfish businessman persona would keep him from actually doing it. "How do you know that?"

Rolling his eyes at her, Harley waves his phone in front of her face. "You know his parents and Brianna put trackers on all of his cars." Obviously, Harley had managed to get the tracking app on his phone so that he can also keep an eye on Drew for Solidad.

Ever since Drew's accident, his parents have been worried that something may happen again, which is why they placed trackers on his cars. Brianna, though, just wants to keep close tabs on her husband. Therefore, once she finds out he went to the orphanage, she's going to be very upset.

When Solidad looks back at her computer and ignores Harley's words, the secretary sits on her desk to playfully wink at her. "Solidad, honey, don't you think it's about time you tell him the truth?"

While Harley was in Slateport City during Drew's whole stint with the orphanage years ago, he had heard enough to understand the gist of the situation, especially once Solidad transferred here. Despite the news in the company stating that Solidad requested a transfer, Harley has since learned that this transfer was forced on Solidad for helping Drew's mistress crash his wedding with Brianna.

"Absolutely not." Solidad sternly replies. As much as she wants Drew to learn about everything, to suffer from his actions and memories, she won't help him regain those memories. May doesn't deserve to go through him again. He doesn't deserve to think about her anymore. Solidad has been mentally cursing herself for suggesting Drew even visit the orphanage. What if something slips, and Drew finds out about May? Solidad can't let that happen, but she never expected Drew to visit the orphanage. In her fit of rage, she suggested it to him.

"Well, I think everything will be easier if he remembers everything." Harley knowingly tells her.

"You just like drama and gossip, Harley." Solidad replies to her secretary. Despite Harley being very annoying, Solidad has found comfort in him. He's been a great person to confide in, and he never reveals her secrets, though he does tell her other people's.

"You got that right, girl!" Harley giggles. "But Drew does call and text you often. You should reply. He seems to still care about you, and I know you care about him too."

With a frown on her face, Solidad returns her attention to her work. "I still care about him too, but there's a reason we can't interact like we used to anymore."

"Does it have to do with something that ends in a Wakana and starts with a Brianna?" suggests the purple haired man.

Solidad can't help but laugh at her secretary's antics. "Sure, Harley. But she ends with a Hayden, remember? It's been three years."

"Psh!" Harley waves his hand in front of his face. "We both know you don't consider her Drew's wife. She's no Hayden."

Solidad logs off of her computer and stands up, which makes Harley curiously look at her while he's still seated on her desk. "Shh. Harley, you're gonna get me in so much trouble." She giggles. "But let's go to dinner. I'll treat."

LaRousse City

"Why'd you do it?"

"Do what?" the green haired man curiously asks. Where is that voice coming from? Why is everything so dark and foggy?

"Choose to be unhappy."

"I'm not unhappy." exclaims Drew. Just who is talking to him? He doesn't recognize the voice but it seems so familiar.

"Really? Then it was worth it?"

"What was worth it? Where am I?" shouts the confused man.

He hears a scoff and the female voice adds, "Breaking my heart, Drew."

Before Drew can ask more questions, he finds himself groggily waking up with his head still seering in pain. Groaning, he brings his hand to his temple as he winces from the light in the room. This really is the worst headache he's ever had, and what was that dream? Who was that voice?

"You should relax."

He doesn't know that voice either, but it's not the same one from his dreams. Forcing his eyes open, he sees the orphanage receptionist from earlier. Being a powerful man, Drew can't let others see his weakness, even this lowly orphanage worker. Who knows who she can tell, and then other companies will target the weakened heir to Hayden Corporation?

Sitting up on the side of the bed, Drew replies, "I need to go."

However, to his surprise, the girl pushes him back down. "No. You need to rest." He gives her an annoyed look. Just who is this girl ordering him around and touching him? So what if she's concerned about him? She needs to know her place.

Before Drew can say anything, Tyler walks into the small room with a mug in his hand. "Let him leave if he wants to, Betty." Tyler knowingly tells the woman. It's what he's good at anyway, Tyler thinks to himself. He extends the mug to Drew who actually takes it.

The older man's throat is parched, so he drinks the tea Tyler made him. Drew understands why Tyler is hostile towards him. Drew is cutting the funding for the orphanage, so of course this will upset the person running the place. Removing the mug from his mouth, Drew looks at the girl sitting by his bedside. Tyler said her name was Betty? She must not know he's cutting the funding, which is why she's so nice to him. Obviously she wants to take care of the person funding this place.

"What happened?" Drew asks as he grabs his shoes to put on.

"You passed out, and we brought you here." Tyler nonchalantly replies.

"Are you sure you should be driving, Drew? What if you pass out again?" Betty worriedly inquires, making Drew curiously look up at her.

Did she just call him by his first name? Why is she speaking so familiar with him? Does she have a crush on him or something? Seeing the confused look makes Betty and Tyler instantly realize what Betty said. The girl furrows her brows in frustration while Tyler coughs to cover for her. "Do you want us to call you a driver?" Tyler offers.

Fortunately for them, Drew opts to forget about Betty's words. He shakes his head and says, "No. I can drive."

However, when Drew stands up from the bed, he wobbles over, so Tyler grabs him to prevent him from falling again. "How about you wait until you can walk in a straight line?" Tyler offers. As much as Tyler despises Drew, the boy still cares about him. Tyler doesn't want anything bad happening to Drew.

SIghing, Drew sits back down on the bed where he grabs the mug of tea back from Betty. "I'll probably be here for a little while." The green haired man then looks at the two. "Can you two tell me about the three years I lost? I'm pretty sure everyone knows about my lost memories. What happened in the city during that time?"

Betty bites her lip to prevent her from revealing everything to him. To prevent her from telling him he used to work here. He was the one who fought so hard for the orphanage. To prevent him from hearing about May. About how they fell in love, and he had to leave her for Brianna. To prevent him from learning about how much he means to this orphanage.

Instead, Tyler speaks. "It's all in the news."

Drew chuckles because he knows Tyler is right. Why would these people know every aspect of his life? He has nothing to do with them, but it seems like Solidad does. Curiously looking at the two young adults, Drew now asks, "Why did Hayden Corporation start funding the orphanage?"

The uncomfortable gazes make Drew very suspicious of the two. Just what are they hiding? However, Betty finally talks. "Our previous caretaker managed to get funding."

"Is that why Solidad is in that Christmas photo from 4 years ago?"

Betty resists the urge to worriedly look at Tyler. Drew is smart, so they can't let him catch onto anything. "Uh. Yeah." Even though Tyler suggested that they don't put up the picture with Solidad in it due to ehr ties with Hayden Corporation, Betty insisted on putting the picture up. The young woman said it's their last Christmas with May, so she wanted the photo on the wall, especially since they couldn't put up the New Years photo with Drew in it. Tyler then looks outside the window at the sun hanging low in the sky. "Can you walk now?"

Letting out a breath, Drew nods. "Yeah. You guys don't need to watch me anymore." He feels weird having younger people take care of him, especially poorer people.

Tyler nods. "Good. I don't expect to ever see you again, Mr. Hayden."

"What?" Betty exclaims at Tyler. Why is he kicking Drew out? While she doubts Drew won't visit again, Tyler shouldn't force that on him.

Shrugging as he makes his way out of the room, Tyler replies, "He's cutting the funding, Betty. He has no reason to be here anymore."

Tyler then leaves, so the woman faces Drew, who surprisingly isn't awkward about the whole situation. Drew is a businessman first, so he's used to falling outs due to money. "You can't cut the funding, Dr-Mr. Hayden!" Betty winces as she realizes she almost slipped again. Nevertheless, she can't allow Drew to cut the thing he worked so hard for years ago. The thing he sacrificed his happiness for. The thing that drove May away.

Sighing, Drew looks into the woman's eyes. "It has to be done. I hope you understand."

Glaring at him, Betty clenches her fists. She wants to tell him everything, but she already vowed not to. It'd shut the orphanage down and send everyone to different orphanages around the region. Instead, Betty opts to storm out of the room, leaving Drew to himself.

He's used to this behavior too though. People usually just walk out, yell, scream, or cry whenever Hayden Corporation cuts ties with them. Drew, ready to finally get out of this orphanage, stands up where he feels a lot better. He exits the room and is glad Tyler gave him a tour of the living quarters before he passed out. Walking down the hall, he enters the lobby where he notices the office door is closed and Betty isn't behind the counter. Did the upset woman run off somewhere?

However, hearing voices and sobbing behind the office door makes Drew figure she must be in there with Tyler. Just what sort of relationship do they have? Whatever. It's not his business, nor does he care. As Drew walks past the back of the counter to enter the waiting room before the front doors, something catches his eye. There, on what he assumes is Betty's open textbook, is a gold necklace with a small sapphire on it.

Sapphire. That color has been the cause of a lot of his headaches recently. Fortunately, he isn't going to pass out from this current headache, as it's not that strong, though Drew does feel his head hurting. Gently picking up the necklace, he studies it. It looks too expensive for anyone at the orphanage to afford. Unless Tyler is embezzling funds to buy Betty jewelry. Then that's all the more reason for Drew to cut the funding from the place.

Setting the necklace back down, Drew sighs. Just what is he doing? He's supposed to be leaving. So what if there's this nice necklace here? It's nothing extravagant, like he's used to. But for some reason, it called to him. It made him stop to examine it, and now he notices the framed picture behind the counter too.

In the photo, it's obviously a young Betty, but there's that brunette woman from the Christmas photo. He clutches his head in pain as he winces. Gosh, please don't let him pass out again. Forcing his eyes open after the pain subsides enough, Drew gazes at the woman's blue eyes. Why do they look so familiar? Who is she? Tyler did say that the owner is elderly, but this woman does not look elderly.

Drew observes the photo where his eyes land on the woman's neck. There, is the sapphire necklace he found in Betty's textbook. So this woman gave the necklace to Betty before she left? Is she just a volunteer? Shaking his head, Drew sets the photo back down. Just what is he doing? None of this concerns him, though he finds his pain in his chest is aching more than his head.

The man decides to leave before he can become more lightheaded. Once in his car, he knows he shouldn't drive. Ever since his accident, he's been more aware about driving when he's not feeling well. Although he doesn't want to call a cab or a driver, he pulls out his phone to call someone else. He'll pass the time with this call until he feels well enough to make the long drive back to the mansion.

Of course, he's sent to voicemail, so he leaves her a message. "I went to the orphanage. If you don't want me cutting the funding because you're involved with them, you should've told me, Solidad. I always listen to you." He sighs into the phone. "I wish you'd listen to me again."

When Drew ends the call, he leans back in his seat. His headache is feeling less excruciating, but he won't risk the drive. The man looks in his rearview mirror at the orphanage behind him. Why is his heart aching this much? Is Solidad ignoring him affecting him like this? He's never felt this abandoned before. No. He doesn't feel abandoned. Rather he feels like a huge part of him is missing. Obviously it's those three years, but he feels like something more than that is missing too. Something more than just Solidad.

When his phone rings, Drew instantly picks it up thinking it's Solidad. However, he hears a voice he didn't expect to hear from. "I'm willing to work with you, Mr. Hayden."

Smirking, despite her not seeing it, Drew flicks his hair. "I knew you couldn't ignore my charms for long, Ms. Berlitz."