“Oh my goodness, Luc! I can't believe what you did to Clarissa. How could you, Luc? How could you leave her alone while you came home?”

Lucas closed his eyes dramatically. Honestly, he was not surprised by his mother's anger. On the contrary, he was surprised that Sandra had not contacted him after her encounter with Clarissa earlier this evening.

“I was exhausted and couldn't wait for her just to have a cup of tea,” Lucas said, taking off his glasses perched on his nose. “I have more important work than her.”

The laptop lit up, displaying the graphs Lucas was reviewing. Sandra's call came at an inconvenient time, and...