Early the next morning, Calla practically dragged Carol out of the house. She had booked a full-day tour nearby, determined to spend time with her mother. Seeing Carol enjoying herself brought Calla some relief.But when they returned, Calla immediately felt herself growing weak. Her nausea was getting worse. She knew she couldn't delay her departure any longer.The day after, as they ate breakfast, Calla spoke, "Mom, there's something I need to talk to you about.""What is it?" Carol asked while eating."My boss phoned me yesterday. They need a supervisor over at Greendale, and he wants me to go—" Carol interrupted her with a frown. "Didn't they just transfer you back here? You're a young woman all alone in Greendale. How can I be at ease?""Mom, the boss said it would only be for one more year. They're offering a 20% raise, and after a year, they'll promote me. You know how hard I work to earn more money. They say men can handle tough jobs better, and women don't get promote
"Enough about me, how are things going with you?" Alicia pressed.Calla gave a little smirk before replying, "Still the same as always.""Will you be going back to Greendale this time?" Alicia asked.Calla shook her head, saying, "I haven't decided yet. But enough about that, let's talk about something else. How about I take you out for some steak?""Sure! Let's drink till we drop!" Alicia perked up at the suggestion.Calla frowned and quickly offered a made-up excuse. "My stomach isn't feeling well, so I can't drink with you."Hearing this, Alicia looked disappointed. "Then I'll drink by myself. I was hoping to drown my sorrows in alcohol!""What's troubling you?" In truth, Calla envied Alicia at the moment—living a routine life, working a routine job. Living a simple life, Alicia didn't have to deal with all the complicated worries."I'm worried about not finding a good man, not getting rich, and not having a thrilling, earth-shattering romance. I've got plenty to worry about
Half an hour later, Calla sat by the window in Coastal Coffee. As she looked up, she saw Natasha, dressed in an emerald green dress, walking toward her with a smile."Calla, you're still the same as ever," Natasha said, taking a seat across from her.Calla glanced at the radiant Natasha and smiled. "You're looking more and more stunning."Natasha touched her cheek, a slight blush creeping up. "I'm so grateful you took a chance on me back then. And Mr. Garland's guidance was invaluable. I can't thank you both enough for helping me get to where I am today.""You work hard, and you're smart. Given time, you were bound to achieve great things," Calla said sincerely.Natasha had been making light conversation all the while. However, the mood shifted when she paused and lowered her gaze, fiddling with her coffee cup."Calla, I'm sorry… but someone else is here to meet you."Hearing this, Calla frowned, not quite understanding what Natasha meant.The next moment, Natasha turned arou
As Pierre was about to leave, Calla said, "I already ordered the desserts and coffee, I can't finish them all by myself."A smile immediately spread across Pierre's face. He sat back down and said, "I haven't even had breakfast, I'm starving. How about we order two more slices of cake?"Taking in the meager slice of cake on Pierre's plate, Calla replied, "If you're paying, you can order as much as you want.""No problem at all." Pierre grinned, then called over the waiter and ordered several more cakes and some fruit.As Pierre ate, he tried to engage in conversation with the sullen Calla. "I heard from Natasha that you're heading back to Greendale?" Calla sipped her juice, responding, "Yes."Pierre began, "If you want to continue working at Miriam's, I can help—" But Calla quickly cut him off. "No thanks," she said firmly. "I want to take it easy after I go back. A couple of part-time accounting jobs should be perfect. My health took a real hit in the last two years.""It's
Hearing such a familiar voice and way of speaking, Calla was startled and looked up to see the woman.When she saw who it was, Calla frowned, questioning her bad luck as she always seemed to be bumping into this person.The other person seemed surprised to see Calla too, but she quickly sneered. "Well, well, look who it is! Couldn't manage to stay out of sight, could you? This dress I'm wearing is a brand new Chanel that cost 12 thousand dollars. Are you going to pay me back with cash or credit?"Seeing Peggy's arrogant demeanor with her chin up, Calla coldly said, "You must be blind as a bat to not see me coming. This isn't entirely my fault. At most, I'll pay for your dry cleaning.""What? Pay for dry cleaning? You bumped into me, didn't you? You should take full responsibility for this!" Peggy was throwing a fit, upset over her ruined designer dress. Seeing it was Calla only fueled her rage. Despite their draw last time, Peggy still felt humiliated.Calla couldn't be bothered t
"Miss, if you can't afford to pay, say something nice and apologize properly!""That's right, you don't have the money to pay, yet still have such a bad attitude.""Penniless people now feel invincible. They have nothing to lose so they can do anything."As the crowd gathered, a chorus of voices rose. Some pleaded with Calla to make amends, while others fueled the fire, relishing the spectacle. A few even joined Peggy's camp, convinced that Calla had overstepped."Well? Have you made up your mind? I don't have time to waste here. Go ahead, get on your knees and beg for forgiveness. It's the only thing left for you to do." Peggy was letting rip a torrent of insults.Calla certainly wouldn't pay or kneel to apologize. She pursed her lips, thinking, "I might as well fight her to the death. After all, my life isn't worth much now anyway!"Then, Calla steeled herself, clenched her fist, and stepped forward, preparing to fight."What are you doing?" Peggy saw the viciousness in Calla'
Peggy's words made the onlookers point fingers at Calla.Pierre was incensed by this. Pointing an accusing finger at Peggy, he demanded, "Peggy, you need to apologize to Calla for that!""Why should I? I know you're a skilled lawyer, Mr. Garland. Go ahead and take me to court. I'd love to see how you justify your actions for a woman who's been divorced!" Peggy was fearless, not intimidated by Pierre at all."I refuse to stoop to your level. A lawsuit with you would be beneath me as a lawyer. I've never struck a woman, but I'm making an exception for you today." Seething with anger, Pierre stepped forward to hit Peggy.Seeing this, Calla quickly held him back. "Mr. Garland, calm down!"Pierre was a top lawyer in Riverford. If word got out that he had hit a woman in public, it would be a serious blow to his reputation.When Peggy saw Pierre was getting serious, she backed off a couple of steps and yelled, "He's hitting me! A lawyer is attacking me!"In no time, the cafe manager an
"And this is..." Zayden's gaze turned toward Calla at that moment.Pierre quickly introduced her. "This is my friend, Calla Sherman.""Hello, Ms. Sherman." Zayden nodded politely with a smile."Hello." Calla nodded back in greeting.Then, Zayden addressed the cafe manager and security guard. "It's all a misunderstanding. These two are my friends. Everything's fine now. You can all go back to work."The cafe manager and security guard were both servile toward Zayden. They managed to persuade the customers to return to their tables, and the crowd instantly dispersed.Pierre looked at Zayden with a puzzled expression.Zayden explained with a smile, "This cafe is owned by my family.".""That explains it! No wonder they listen to you." Pierre chuckled.At this moment, Peggy stepped forward in surprise. "You two know each other?"Zayden put his arm around Peggy's shoulders and explained, "Pierre and I grew up together. We're best friends!""Oh, I see!" Peggy seemed a bit taken aba