Chapter 498
Fallon and Latham walked out of the elevator, sharing a laugh. Even without touching, the way they stood said everything—they were obviously close.
The moment Latham spotted Octavia, his expression shifted and he went a little pale. Fallon just smiled, completely unfazed. “Hey, Octavia, you’re here already?” Her voice was light and teasing. “You’re not here to check up on us, are you p>
Octavia felt her anger threaten to spill over. She’d had a bad feeling for days. Now it all made sense. When Claire mentioned an “old friend,” of course it had been Fallon. This woman again. But she couldn’t let herself blow up, not with Latham’s assistant, Wheeler, still there.
She took a breath and forced a calm smile. “I was just in the neighborhood, so I thought I’d catch dinner with Latham.” She turned her attention to Fallon. “When did you get here? Was there something you needed p>
Fallon, seeing how controlled Octavia was, remembered the last time they’d met. The hurt was still fresh. She hated Octavia, hated her with every bone in her body, but still managed to keep her smile soft and gracious.
“If you want to know why I’m here, you should ask your husband,” Fallon said as her gaze slid to Latham.
Only then did Latham work up the nerve to explain. “I asked Fallon to stop by. I needed her help finding some review materials for Cindy. You’ve been worried about Cindy’s grades, right? Fallon was always great at English, and she teaches it now. I figured what she prepared might really help p>
Octavia gave Fallon a skeptical look. “Isn’t Fallon a middle school teacher? Is she familiar with what Cindy needs for her exams p>
She caught herself and softened her tone, adding, “I’m not doubting your skills, Fallon. I know you’re capable p>
“I just don’t want to trouble you too much p>
Most people would have bristled at that, but Fallon was used to swallowing her feelings. She smiled, calm and collected. “It’s really not a problem, just a small thing. I appreciate your trust in me p>
“And even though I mostly teach middle school, I help the high school English department write exam questions pretty often. I’m up to speed on the high school curriculum p>
She paused, looking straight at Octavia. “But if you’d rather, I can just hold on to the materials. I’m sure you’ve already hired some amazing tutors for Cindy p>
Looking at Latham, Fallon
continued, “Sorry. I was just hoping to help Maybe I’m not as qualified as you thought. I’d hate to cause problems between you and your wife p>
“It’s totally normal for parents to have different opinions on their kid’s education.” She turned back to Latham. “Did you even talk with Octavia before you called me p>
Latham let out a nervous laugh. “That’s on me. I should’ve mentioned it to her first. But honestly, she doesn’t mind little things like this p>
“And anyway, I really trust what you’ve put together, Fallon. I know it’ll help p>
Octavia jumped in before Fallon could reply “Of course, Fallon, I really don’t have a problem with it. Why do you sound so offended?
You’re not mad just because t
in
brought up that you teach middle
school, are you p>
She forced a laugh. “I guess I didn’t say it right. I’d be annoyed too, in your shoes p>
“I genuinely appreciate your help p>
“If you have time, maybe you could
come over and tutor Cindy in person? I’ve already got someone working with her, but clearly Latham thinks you’re the right one for the job.
As she said that, Octavia shot Latham a hard, meaningful look.