Pierre's words struck a chord with Calla. Although it was a modest space, she had devoted countless hours decorating it. Every nook and cranny was a reflection of her personality.Looking at the tidy home, Calla smiled and said, "Those who wander yearn for the warmth of a home. Alone in Greendale, I can only make my little space as cozy as possible. It helps me not miss home so much."She was putting on a brave face, but she was homesick being here alone. However, she didn't intend on returning to Riverford anytime soon. She had used the excuse of her company sending her for a year-long study program to convince her mother.With no family or friends here, Calla felt very lonely outside of work.Yet, the new environment meant she spent less time overthinking. This was a stark contrast to her days in Riverford.Gradually, she grew to like it here. Though not as bustling as Riverford, the air was fresh, the local snacks were tasty, and the rent was cheap.Pierre looked at Calla, the
"Why? Is it because I'm Mercer's cousin? That's not fair to me, and you know that." Pierre's countenance grew stern.Calla felt the onslaught of a headache coming. She had been so unlucky in love these past few years. It felt like every guy she met was nothing but trouble."I don't understand why you don't get it. Look, I'm not looking for anything right now. I don't have any feelings for you. Mr. Garland, if there's nothing urgent, I'm feeling quite worn out and would like some rest. Please see yourself out!" Calla suddenly regretted letting Pierre come in. Still, it was good to clear things up once and for all so that he'd give up.Calla's dismissal left Pierre rooted to the spot. It was a struggle to make himself move, but being the gentleman he was, he forced himself toward the door.Calla crossed her arms over her chest, not looking at him. She was hoping he would leave as soon as possible. She didn't want to be involved with any man anymore.When Pierre reached the door, h
A flicker of disappointment crossed Pierre's face. But ever the gentleman, he quickly composed himself. His gaze lingered on Calla with deep intensity. "I should be the one apologizing. I've disturbed you. I'll leave now." With that, he turned to open the door and then walked out. After hearing the door close, Calla turned her head to confirm that Pierre had indeed left. Feeling very tired, she sunk onto the couch.Pierre was a man with a sense of justice, kindness, and determination. Although sometimes a bit of a flirt, he was still a good man. Yet, they weren't destined to be together.A week later, Calla returned to work at the travel agency. As soon as Floyd saw her, he pulled her into the office with a broad smile. "Calla, have a seat," Floyd said, sitting at his desk and gesturing for Calla to sit down.Calla was surprised to see Floyd's exaggerated smile but sat down anyway. Although Floyd had always been nice to her, he had never worn such a fawning smile, making h
As time went on, even her closest colleagues began to shun Calla. Rumors circulated that she had influential connections. To avoid any potential complications, everyone started giving her the cold shoulder. Calla eventually felt isolated and distressed.After struggling for a few days, Calla decided to resign.When Calla placed her resignation letter on Floyd's desk, he was alarmed. Floyd quickly stood up, his concern evident. "Calla, is the treatment here not up to your standards? Your salary is already quite high. Look at Piper. She works so hard leading tours every day yet still doesn't earn as much as you do."Calla quickly raised her head to explain, "Mr. Burrows, it has nothing to do with how the travel agency treated me. It's something personal on my end.""Then, why are you leaving? We can't do without you here. Remember when your friend helped us out with the tourism bureau? "Things have been great ever since. All the other agencies are green with envy. If you leave,
Therefore, Calla decided it was better to ignore everything. This way, nothing could affect Calla anymore.The watch in the package was a Longines, worth at least several thousand dollars. Pierre could afford better but probably feared she might refuse something too expensive. He bought a watch that was in the mid-range, not quite high-end but not cheap either.Calla eventually put away the watch with its packaging intact. Due to the rapid obsolescence of certain tech products, it was a good idea to upgrade phones from time to time. Since her old one broke, she decided to use this new one for now. Looking at the new phone in her hand, Calla hesitated. After some consideration, she put the phone in her pocket. Floyd's request could wait. His travel agency had been running for years without any issues, after all.A week later, Calla successfully resigned from the travel agency. She then began searching for a new job.With her CPA certification in hand, she set her sights on accou
Calla left Miriam Accounting Firm and headed straight for the hospital. At the hospital, Calla realized how severe this flu outbreak was. The hospital was completely overwhelmed with patients. Calla frowned as she looked at the long line of people ahead of her. She figured it would take a couple of hours to get her prescription filled.Feeling exhausted and weak, she decided to go to a small clinic instead. She soon picked up some medicine and then went home to rest. After taking the medication, Calla drifted off into a hazy sleep.In the evening, she felt chills all over her body. At this point, she somehow managed to get up and pour herself a cup of hot water.Having eaten a few crackers and taken more medicine, Calla went back to sleep. This time, she slept until dawn and found herself too weak to even get up.…At 10:00 am the next morning, Avery knocked on Miriam's office door. "Come in," Miriam said, looking down at an accounting ledger on her desk.Avery entered ju
"Hello?" Miriam said just one word into the phone. But when she looked down, the call had already been disconnected, leaving her frustrated. She tossed her phone onto her desk, feeling disappointment and irritation with nowhere to direct her feelings.A little over a month ago, after a long period of no contact whatsoever, Pierre reached out to her. What's more, he even personally came to Greendale to invite her to dinner. Miriam dressed up and happily went to the appointment, only to find out that Pierre's purpose for inviting her out was to ask her to look after Calla, who had just successfully landed a job at her accounting firm.At that moment, Miriam felt like a herd of wild horses were running through her mind. However, she couldn't refuse Pierre's request, as that would make her seem too petty. Besides, she was also curious to know what kind of woman could make Pierre give up on Wanda.In reality, what Pierre asked for wasn't much. He just wanted Miriam to keep him update
"Are you awake?" A familiar voice suddenly came from beside her. Calla turned her head and saw Pierre sitting by her bedside, smiling."What... are you doing here?" Calla struggled to sit up.Pierre quickly helped her raise the bed and placed a pillow behind her back."You had a high fever and were convulsing. It's a good thing I got here early; otherwise, it could have been much worse." Pierre sighed as he sat down.Hearing this, Calla lowered her head and tried to recall the earlier incident. She remembered trembling from a high fever. She had also taken some fever-reducing medicine. However, she couldn't remember what happened after that. It seemed she had passed out from the fever.Looking up at Pierre, who had once again saved her, she thought about how she might not have made it this time if it weren't for him. Why was it that she and Pierre seemed to cross paths every time? No matter how much she tried to avoid him, he always appeared just when she needed help. Could he