Rich People Problems-Kwan 2017 (WWT)

All the color drained from Astrid’s face. “Oh my God.”
“I’m so sorry…” Sophie began.
Astrid stood stock-still for a moment, and then she snapped into crisis-management
mode. “I need to go. I need to get Cassian out of school. Please tell them I needed to go,”
Astrid said, as she made a run for her car.
As Astrid sped along the Sentosa Gateway heading back to Singapore, she found herself
unusually calm and collected. She tried ringing Charlie from her Bluetooth but his cell
kept going straight to voice mail. Finally, she left a message: “Charlie, I suspect you’ve
already heard about the video leak since you’re not answering. I just found out minutes
ago. I’m fine, don’t worry, I’m on my way to ACS now to get Cassian. I would suggest
doing the same for Chloe and Delphine. If they haven’t found out already, it’s better
coming from us than from some classmate. You know how kids can be. I’ll talk to you
soon.”
The minute Astrid ended the call, her phone started ringing again. “Charlie?”
There was a brief silence on the other end, and then a screeching voice filled her car.
“Oh my God, you are still talking to that horrible pervert! I can’t believe you!” It was her
mother.
“Mum, please calm down.”
“A sex tape! Ohmygod, in my worst nightmare I never imagined I would ever hear those
words uttered about one of my children! I just got home from showing Tyersall Park to
some dreadful Chinese people, and now I hear this news from Cassandra Shang? Your
father is so angry, I’m worried he’s going to drop dead of a heart attack!” Felicity cried.
Astrid couldn’t help but notice how her mother always managed to sob hysterically,
scold, and guilt-trip her simultaneously. “Mother, we did nothing wrong! Michael secretly
videotaped us in the privacy of Charlie’s home, and now he’s leaked the video everywhere.
This is a crime, Mum.”
“The crime is you sleeping with Charlie in the first place!”
“How is that a crime?”
“You’re a harlot! Your reputation has gone down the toilet, and you’re branded for life
now!”
“Did you even see the video? It’s ten seconds of grainy footage—”
“Ohmygod, if I were to actually see the video I think I would instantly go blind! How
could you have slept with that man when you’re not even married to him? This is God
punishing you!”
“I’m sorry, I’ve had sex before marriage, okay, and I’ve had sex with Charlie, who, by
the way, I was having sex with the first time he was my fiancé over a decade ago!”
“The two of you have brought nothing but disgrace onto us. You have disgraced your
father and me and you have disgraced your family for generations! And you have ruined
poor Cassian’s life! How will he ever show his face at ACS again?”
“I’m on my way to get Cassian now.”