Sandy had set up dinner at this cozy little spot called "The Cozy Kitchen." Before heading out, she swung by her mom Ashley''s ce to give her a heads-up and make sure she didn''t identally spill the beans.
When Ashley got the news, she froze like a deer in headlights. She had no idea Sandy had been keeping Herman, a whole person, under wraps!
This was ying with fire. One slip-up, and it could all blow up.
Ashley was on edge, just like Sean had been. Nervous.
But Sandy? She only saw the benefits, the wealth, and how Herman could boost her pride and ambition.
Shaking, Ashley said, "Sandy, I don''t know if I can meet him. I''m scared. This is Herman we''re talking about. What if he remembers everything?"
"Mom, why are you so worried? He doesn''t remember anything, right? He just wants to meet you guys. Just think of him as Nichs''s son, okay?" Sandy reassured her, holding Ashley''s arm. "Mom, my happiness is in your hands. Salma took your husband, and now I''m taking Anastasia''s. Isn''t that just fair?"
Sandy sure knew how to twist things. Ashley''s unresolved feelings were all tangled up in Tavon and Salma''s messy past.
Hearing Sandy''s reasoning, Ashley''s eyes shed with bitterness. "That Salma, she''s got some nerve. Just look at her! She snatched your dad like it was nothing. Back in the day, she''d have been run out of town for that."
Sandy: "..."
Ashley was clearly venting about Salma, but her words hit Sandy too. Wasn''t she doing the same thing-stealing someone else''s husband?
Ashley gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. "Alright, Sandy, I''ll meet Herman —or George, as he''s called now. I''ll make sure the wedding''s set. Salma took my husband. So, my daughter will take her daughter''s husband. That''s justice."
"Great! I''ve booked a table at The Cozy Kitchen for seven. It''s already past six, so you better get ready to head out." Sandy checked the time and realized they were cutting it close.
"Okay, I''ll go change..." Ashley started, but her words were cut off by Sandy''s phone ringing. It was Herman calling.
Sandy hurriedly answered, putting on her sweetest voice. "George, I got us a spot for dinner. I''ll text you the address. You can head there first, and I''ll have my brother pick you up. Mom and I will be there soon."
Sandy didn''t trust Herman wandering off by himself, so she always had Sean keep an eye on him, just in case.
But then Herman said over the phone, "I''m almost at your house. Let''s have dinner there. It''s the proper way to meet your mother."
Hearing that Herman wasing to the house and would be there shortly, Sandy panicked and shot a frantic look at Ashley, silently asking what to do.
Ashley was just as flustered. This was a total curveball.
"Sandy?" Herman''s voice came again. "I''ll be there in about twenty minutes. See you soon."
"...Sure, see you," Sandy replied, gritting her teeth.
As soon as she hung up, Sandy was all nerves. "Mom, we need to send the housekeepers home. We can''t let them see Herman. If Dad finds out, things could get messy."
Ashley nodded, "Okay, I''ll do that. But what about dinner?"
"Order takeout? No, that''s too slow," Sandy said, her mind racing. "Mom, you''ll have to cook."
"I can''t cook! It''s been years since I even stepped foot in a kitchen," Ashley protested. She had always avoided the kitchen, never bothering to learn how to cook.
Sandy wasn''t much better. She''d spent so much time in hospitals, learning to cook was never on her agenda.
"Alright, I''ll call Sean to pick up the food from The Cozy Kitchen and bring it through the back door," Sandy said urgently. "Mom, hurry and change. Get the housekeepers out."
"Okay, okay."
The two split up, with Ashley sending the housekeepers away and Sandy calling Sean to pick up the food.
Twenty minutester, the doorbell rang.
Sandy took a deep breath, adjusted her hair and clothes, and put on her most charming smile before opening the door.