Chapter 50: He has always protected you

“I’ve completed everything Mr. Ji asked. I’ll take you home now,” zoey said, expressionless.

Angelia shook her head.

She pulled out a deep blue diamond from her bag and handed it to zoey. “Please return this ring to Jerome. I think it should go back to its owner.”

“To be honest, you’re probably more likely to see him than I am. It’d be better if you returned it yourself,” zoey replied, nodding and not taking the ring. She turned to leave.

Would she ever get to see Jerome again?

Maybe not seeing him was for the best…

Days passed—one week, two weeks—two whole months went by…

Jerome hadn’t shown up or called, almost like he’d vanished from her world.

She hadn’t called him either, hadn’t gone back to his company. Instead, she joined a food delivery service.

Each delivery earned her about 5 dollar. During lunch and dinner rush hours, she could make around 6,000 dollar a month—enough for her and Alyssa to get by.

But she felt sorry for Darcey.

Darcey’s mother was sick and needed money for medical bills, plus there was the mortgage to pay. Because of her, Darcey lost her job and couldn’t start working immediately. She found a hotel job in Detroit but was making half of what she used to as a newcomer, struggling to adapt to a new job and new colleagues.

Darcey was fiery and straightforward, which often made her a target for gossip and exclusion.

One day, Darcey came back in a terrible mood, opened the fridge, grabbed a beer, and popped it open. “Ange, don’t go out delivering tonight. Stay and drink with me.”

“Rough day at work?” Angelia asked, concerned.

“Don’t even get me started! I finally got a conference booking, spent so much energy, time, and connections, thinking I’d earn a commission of at least 10,000 dollar. But after the conference, they said it was Ember’s booking because she’d registered it earlier. They saw me working hard and just took advantage. It’s infuriating!” Darcey fumed, slamming the fridge door.

The door popped open again, and she pressed it shut.

Angelia understood the pressure Darcey was under, being the main support for her family. “I have 40,000 dollar; you can take it for now.”

“No need, I can manage for now. You’re still paying rent and taking care of Alyssa’s school fees. You have enough stress,” Darcey said, kicking a chair and sitting down.

“I’m sorry,” Angelia said, feeling guilty.

Darcey knew what she meant. “It’s okay; you were tricked too. Just be more cautious in the future. By the way, why don’t you work for Manager Walden? He should value you.”

“His place…” Angelia shook her head. “It feels dark and creepy; I subconsciously avoid it.”

“Right? I felt the same when I checked it out. Now that Alyssa is in school, why don’t you come to the hotel? I’d feel more at ease with you around.”

Angelia hesitated. “I signed a contract with Jerome, and if I break it, I owe him a million. Plus, I still owe him a lot of money.”

“Then why not work there?”

Angelia lowered her gaze. She didn’t want to face anything related to Jerome right now; it would just hurt too much.

Especially now that he was engaged, it felt like their agreement didn’t matter anymore.

How could she even ask him for a job again?

“He hasn’t called me,” Angelia whispered.

Darcey was instantly more upset, slamming her hands on the table. “You can’t just wait around like this! Call him and get a clear answer. I hate this unclear mess. You need to think about Alyssa and your future. When it’s time to let go of your pride, do it first!” Darcey urged.

Angelia thought about it—she really needed closure.

She dialed his number.

One ring, two rings…

With each ring, her heart tightened. Maybe it was better if he didn’t pick up.

“Hello.” Just as the call was about to end, Jerome answered.

His voice was deep and solid, just like she remembered—cold, without warmth or feeling.

Her heart ached again. Taking a deep breath, she said, “So, do I still need to come to your company? If not, can we cancel the contract?”

“You haven’t been to work? Hold on, let me check.”

He hung up quickly.

He didn’t even know she hadn’t been going to work.

Of course, she was just a small player; it made sense he wouldn’t remember her.

“What did Jerome say?” Darcey asked eagerly.

“He said he’d check,” Angelia murmured, looking down.

“You don’t still have feelings for him, do you? He’s been gone for so long,” Darcey said, frustrated. Only she knew how Angelia had been suffering these past two months.

She couldn’t sleep, waking up in the middle of the night, heartbroken and helpless, just waiting for dawn.

Angelia had lost over ten pounds during these two months.

She claimed it was from delivering food, saying she was intentionally dieting.

But one day, when Darcey spotted Angelia sitting alone on a bench, quietly crying, it was clear that wasn’t the whole story.

“I’m fine,” she told everyone around her.

But all her pain was bottled up inside, something she bore alone.

“I’ll be back early tonight,” Angelia replied.

Darcey wanted to say more, but her phone rang.

Angelia saw it was Jason and picked up.

“Sorry, Angelia! I’ve been swamped. When are you coming back to the office?” Jason said with a smile.

“Are you saying I can come back?” Angelia asked, curious.

“Of course! We signed the contract, right?”

“What about Darcey?” Angelia glanced at Darcey.

Darcey was waiting eagerly for the answer.

“Oh, she’s supposed to be your assistant, right? You both can start tomorrow. You know the address, right?”

She remembered it was on the contract. “Yeah, I know.”

“Great! See you tomorrow, Vice President Green,” Jason said before hanging up.

“What did he say? What did he say?” Darcey asked, anxious.

“He said we both start tomorrow.”

“Awesome!” Darcey jumped up, excited. “I’m quitting my job right now! Who needs that lousy company?”

Angelia watched Darcey call, feeling uneasy.

Something didn’t feel right.

There was a wound in her heart that hadn’t healed; touching it would hurt.

She would rather Jerome cancel her contract so she could find a quiet place to nurse her wounds until they healed.