Chapter 23: Not Answering Her Call Again

I quickly shifted my direction to avoid running into her. From the corner of my eye, I saw a woman wearing a strapless dress. Before I could clearly see her face, I heard her cheerfully call out, “Oweel!”

I turned and looked up. She wore pink oversized sunglasses that covered most of her face, leaving only her bright red lips visible.

“Nancy,” I murmured.

Nancy took off her sunglasses and revealed her heavily made-up face, grinning widely. “What a coincidence running into you at the hospital!”

“Not a coincidence,” I thought to myself. Just seeing her reminded me of what had happened during the interview. My expression remained impassive, not wanting to engage with her. I simply said, “Yeah, quite the coincidence.”

I tried to lean away.

“Why are you in such a hurry?” she caught up with me. “What are you doing here at the hospital? Why is Yvette with… pregnant?”

I slowed my pace, replying coldly, “Why does it matter to you?!”

She clicked her tongue: “Wow, you’ve got quite the temper. You’re walking around all lively. You don’t look ill at all.”

Then her expression sharpened, and she gave me a mischievous smile. “You didn’t cheat, did you? Get another woman pregnant and came here for an abortion?”

She continued talking, prowling closer as she thought she’d figured it out. Her words drew the attention of the people around us. This was so embarrassing. I furrowed my brow and shot her a look. “Stop talking nonsense! You’re young, but your charm doesn’t seem to be working. You’re at the hospital too, so are you here for an abortion?”

Nancy looked at me, surprised. “You used to only think about cooking for Yvette, waiting for her to get off work, like a zombie, too scared to even show any temper. Now, though, you seem…”

In my previous life, I wasn’t a zombie—I just cared deeply for her. I shot her a look of daggers, and just kept walking.

Nancy caught up to me. “By the way, you went for an interview at my company, right? I saw your resume!”

“You’re such a great artist, and I don’t want to miss this chance. Come work with us. The salary and benefits are negotiable. Don’t worry. I won’t let Yvette interfere.”

I stopped in my tracks, looking at her. “You want to hire me?”

I had assumed they’d reject me because of my connection to Yvette. But she nodded confidently. “We poured so much into developing this game, and it’s just getting started. A great illustrator is essential, and I won’t let company politics or funds interfere.”

I felt a slight shift in my stance as I processed her words. Uncle Benjamin needed money for his surgery, and I still had to repay Lila. My pride and self-respect couldn’t stop me from taking this opportunity.

“I can work for you, but I want a high salary,” I said. Before she could respond, I quickly added, “Don’t worry, I’ll earn my worth.”

She smiled. “Of course, I wasn’t planning on offering you a low salary.”

She murmured something, but I didn’t catch it. I assumed she was talking about someone who had been looking for me, and now that she’d found me, she wanted to sit back and enjoy the show. I let it go, figuring she was just talking about watching my work results.

“May I quietly work?” I asked and lifted my water bottle.

She nodded without hesitation. “You can come anytime to sign the contract and discuss the salary.”

Settling things, she insisted on walking with me to the ward.

“Troline, you don’t need to come with me,” I said.

But frankly, like a shadow, she kept following me. “Now that you’re my employee, it’s my job to show concern for you, right?”

Her excessively eager attitude felt a little off. With her polished looks and light, flirtatious manner, I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. She followed me to the ward, and only when she saw the man lying on the bed did she seem to realize something was amiss.

I was carefully wetting Uncle Benjamin’s cracked lips with a cotton swab. She peered around as if looking at something, then turned with a puzzled expression. “Does Yvette know about this? Your uncle is in such a serious condition, and she hasn’t…”

After I finished wetting Uncle Benjamin’s lips, I poured myself a glass of water, blowing on it to cool down. I replied casually, “…Yvette seemed inconsiderate about this for a moment, her gaze faltering, and then she left after saying goodbye.”

She probably thought…

“Laura, believe me, this concealed work will cause bigger problems later.”

Amidst the mundane land of siliceous anesthesia, my mind wandered. I was just playing games with her; that wasn’t truly me.

“I can take care of this; I don’t need her.”

Meanwhile, I thought about how my games of pretence had to end. I hadn't even gone to city hall yet. Now that I'd skipped the appointment, she…

I sighed deeply, took out my phone, and called Yvette. Whatever happened, I had to resolve this divisive issue and claim the inheritance.

“Sorry, the number you’re calling is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later…” This drove me mad. I gritted my teeth and dialed again.