Chapter 19
Sunlight peeked through the curtains, casting a patchy glow on Emily's weary face. She lay sprawled on the big wooden bed. eyes squeezed shut, trying to soak up every bit of this rare peaceful moment.
Lately.her life had been one long, relentless nightmare. Between Lisa's and Gordon's health problems, the money troubles, Shirley's spiteful antics. and Patrick's lack of trust, it was all just too much.
Thank goodness for her neighbor Carol. who helped with Gordon,and Marlon's support. Without them, she might not have made it through.
Emily stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thoughts about her future.
Suddenly,her phone rang, jolting her out of her reverie. She grabbed it and saw it was HR from her company. Her heart skipped a beat,dreading more bad news.
Taking a deep breath, Emily answered the call.
"Hey, Emily. Just a heads-up, your leave is almost over. You need to come back to work tomorrow," the voice on the other end said.
"Okay, I'll be at the Canyon Ridge project team on time tomorrow,"Emily replied.
"Actually, not the project team. You're coming back to the main office,
"the voice corrected.
"What?" Emily was confused.
"Yeah, Mr. Rivera just issued the notice and specifically asked me to call and remind you," the voice explained.
Emily thought. 'Patrick, what are you up to now?
"Emily, you there?" the voice asked.
"Yeah. I got it," Emily said, snapping back to reality.
Hanging up, Emily felt a swirl of emotions. She had no idea what Patrick's intentions were in calling her back to the main office.Was he going to explain things, or was she about to get fired?
But she knew it was time to face Patrick and settle things.
She quickly freshened up and picked up Gordon from Carol's place.In the afternoon, she took him shopping for some new clothes and then drove him back to his special school, where he could get the education and treatment he needed.
The school staff were very welcoming when they saw Emily bringing Gordon back. After the last incident with Gordon, the school had held several meetings to address safety issues, and the responsible teachers had written formal apologies.
"Thank you for your trust. Rest assured, I will take good care of Gordon!" Gordon's teacher said as he shook Emily's hand.
Emily patted Gordon's head. "Gordon, be good. I'll come to pick you up this weekend! Remember, don't go with anyone else except me,okay?"
Gordon nodded, somewhat understanding, and followed his teacher back to the classroom.
Emily left. looking back several times. By the time she returned to Lisa's place,it was already dark.
She knew she had to start preparing. Both Lisa and Gordon needed more money, and since she had decided to leave, she had to plan ahead.
The next day, Emily returned to the main office, only to find the atmosphere a bit off.
"Did you hear? Emily's hooked up with the CEO of the Hughes Group."
"No wonder she can go to the Canyon Ridge project whenever she wants and come back whenever she pleases. She's got connections!"
"That's not all. I heard Mr. Rivera caught her and Mr. Hughes in bed together!"
"Oh my God, that's scandalous! Mr. Rivera must have been furious!"
"He was probably relieved to get rid of her. She was the one who seduced him in the first place!"
Her colleagues whispered among themselves.
"How do you know I'm not the one who's relieved?" Emily said,startling the most talkative one by tapping their shoulder.
"Emily, Mr. Rivera wants to see you!" Iris from HR called out,giving
the gossiping colleagues a stern look.
"Don't you all have work to do?" Iris snapped.
The gossiping colleagues reluctantly dispersed.
Emily took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, and walked confidently into Patrick's office.
Holding her resignation letter tightly, Emily felt conflicted.She knew that once she handed it in, it would mean the end of her complicated relationship with Patrick and the start of new challenges.
But she was determined. She knew that only by breaking free could she truly start over.
Emily placed the resignation letter on Patrick's desk and turned to leave.
Patrick said, "Emily, did I say you could leave? Sit down!"
Emily stopped, standing straight in front of Patrick, but did not sit.
They stared at each other in silence, the only sound being the ticking of the clock.
Patrick opened the resignation letter, reading it carefully.
Emily glanced at Patrick occasionally, noticing the glass figurine on the shelf behind him.
That figurine was from the first event she attended with Patrick.Back then, she was so nervous that she didn't dare accept the gift
from the organizers until Patrick signaled her to.
She had chosen a small glass rabbit with a crooked ear, which Patrick had teased her about all day. Embarrassed. she had left it behind. but later found it on Patrick's shelf.
Remembering those moments. Emily felt a mix of emotions. Patrick made her heart flutter was now the source of her deepest pain.
His distrust. coldness, and domineering attitude had left her exhausted and hopeless.
She had wanted to explain herself to him, to ask what she meant to him, but every time, she swallowed her words,afraid of his answer.
"Mr. Rivera, I want to resign," Emily repeated.
Patrick was silent for a moment.
"Emily, are you sure? This is your last chance," Patrick's voice trembled slightly, whether from anger or reluctance.
Emily said firmly, "Yes, I'll repay the money for my mother as soon as possible."
"Repay? How?" Patrick scoffed.
He added, "You can resign if you complete this project. The money for your mother was my gift, not a loan."
'A gift? ' Emily thought bitterly. Whether it was a leverage or genuine help, it was Patrick who had convinced Lisa to open up.
Patrick. Ill help you one last time.' Emily thought.
Patrick slammed a folder on the desk in front of her.
Emily frowned. quickly scanning the contents. It was an almost impossible task.
"Scared? Then take back your resignation letter, and I'll pretend I didn't see it." Patrick said, watching her reaction closely.
"Mr. Rivera, you said if I complete the project, you'll let me go. I hope you'll keep your word," Emily said firmly.