8. Trouble

"Didn't you sleep well?" Jared asked as Caroline approached him, looking a little disheveled. Her face looked rumpled, with visible eye bags. It seemed that she had stayed up late this evening while accompanying Anthony to the hospital.

"Sorry, Uncle. This is the last time, I promise. I'll improve my sleep quality so that my performance won't suffer." Caroline pleaded desperately. She was afraid she would be fired by Jared. Where else would she get a job this good with a salary that is many times higher than it should be? She didn't even have to spend any effort on lunch, as it was covered by the office.

Jared smiled slightly at Caroline's pleading expression. Now he knew how much Caroline depended on him. At least he knew that she would never leave him suddenly.

"You don't want to tell me?" Jared began to bait Caroline into telling him about what had happened.

"About what?"

"Anything you think I should know."

Caroline shook her head. This was a family matter. She didn't want her family's image to get worse because of Aalya. Her family was very poor, with debts piling up now. She had been dumped by the man she loved so much, ostracized and shunned by her friends, and now her sister had attacked her father. Who would stand by her with such severe family problems? She didn't want Jared to fire her after knowing what happened.

"Okay, then," Jared replied casually.

They arrived at the office fifteen minutes after work started. When they entered the office, Caroline was the center of attention. She was a new employee and was already late for her first week of work. Her presence there had been the center of conversation since the beginning, and now her name was even more the subject of conversation.

Caroline tried to ignore it. She wasn't bothered, as long as it didn't interfere with her work. She worked with great focus, doing everything Jared assigned her to do.

Due to a lack of rest and the amount of pressure Caroline was under, she had a nosebleed without realizing it. The droplets of blood stained the file she was checking. She tried to remove the blood stain, but it spread everywhere. Caroline started to panic. Not because she had a nosebleed, but because the file she was holding became dirty. She tried to clean it up, but she couldn't.

"Can't you work?" Lenzy, who had been watching, began to give a reprimand.

"Sorry." Caroline apologized as she wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

"You stained the files. You should have realized yourself and gone straight to the back to wash your face." Lenzy pushed rather roughly.

There was a sudden commotion as Caroline did not accept the harsh treatment Lenzy gave her. Instantly, they became the center of attention.

Thalius told Jared about the commotion. The man immediately intervened at the scene because this was related to Caroline. If it wasn't for Caroline, he would have left the matter to Thalius to handle.

"You don't deserve to work here!" Lenzy pushed Caroline's body again. This time, it was rougher than before.

Caroline almost fell, but she was saved by Jared's burly body. Realizing Jared was there, everyone suddenly froze in place. No one dared to stare, let alone open their voices. Only Lenzy seemed to show more and more that he was looking for a face.

"Mr. Madison, Carol has made a mess of things. Look at the files I worked so hard on; they're filthy with her nosebleeds." Lenzy said as he pointed to the pile of files that had been messed up by Lenzy.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm really sorry. My head is a little dizzy from lack of rest. I'm sorry; I'll be more careful next time." Caroline bowed repeatedly, begging Jared to forgive her. She couldn't afford to lose this job.

Jared looked at Caroline, who looked so pale. He sighed harshly, put his arm around Caroline, and looked at Lenzy with a cold look. "You know your coworker is unwell. Instead of helping her, you're giving her a hard time. Why is your work on her desk?"

Lenzy fell silent at Jared's question. She was suddenly very nervous.

"You should also ask for a leave of absence if you're unwell. The company never forces employees to keep working if they're sick." Jared was giving Caroline advice. However, his tone toward her sounded different. He sounded warmer and gentler when he was talking to Caroline. This made the other employees wonder about their relationship.

"I will take you to the hospital."

"Sir, let me accompany her to see the doctor." Lenzy was suddenly sweet. She smiled widely, putting on her best smile.

"You just continue with your work. It's my job to make sure my assistant stays well." Jared said it firmly. He carried Caroline's weak body out of the office area.

Thalius and Donny quickly prepared the car. A moment later, they sped off to the hospital.

"Don't think too much, get enough rest, and don't forget to eat." The doctor said this after he examined Caroline's body. "You're not getting enough rest, coupled with stress and an irregular eating schedule. That's why you suddenly had a nosebleed. The headache is due to your lack of sleep."

"Is this dangerous?" Jared asked with concern.

"A good rest will help her recover quickly. I'll give her vitamins and blood-boosting supplements."

"Thank you." Jared was relieved that nothing serious had happened to Caroline.

"I'm sorry, Uncle. I'll work even harder."

"Stop apologizing. I'm tired of hearing apologies from you." Jared cut in before Caroline could finish. "What did you do all night to become like this?"

Caroline didn't answer.

"I'll be mad at you if you're not honest with me." Jared threatened Caroline to open up to him.

"My house was broken into by robbers yesterday afternoon. My father was attacked, so I stayed with him at the hospital all night as he was in a very serious condition." Caroline inserted a little lie there. She didn't want me to tell her that the attacker was her sister.

"So, the money you borrowed was—"

"For my father's hospital bills."

Jared rubbed his temples at Caroline's answer. He couldn't believe that Caroline would take on all of this alone.

"You should have told me!" Jared looked upset.

He was worried and panicked when he found out. What if something bad happened to Caroline? Who would help her?

"Get used to asking for help. Asking for help is not a criminal act." Jared said it firmly. "I'll fire you if you don't tell me every time you get into trouble."