Chapter 12

Eric spent over an hour in the kitchen and made steaks, mac 'n' cheese, and fruit salad.

"Sylvia, dinner is ready," Eric called out.

Sylvia limped to the kitchen and furrowed her brow when she saw the dishes.

"What's wrong?" asked Eric.

Sylvia rolled her eyes at Eric and replied, "It's high in fat! Didn't you complain that I was heavy yesterday? Are you trying to make me gain more weight?"

Eric found himself at a loss for words, never expecting that Sylvia would stubbornly cling to his words from the previous night.

"I was just kidding," Eric said with a sheepish smile. He then ignored Sylvia as he picked up his cutlery and began devouring his meal.

Sylvia took a few bites of the fruit salad and then scooped a spoonful of mac 'n' cheese into her mouth, observing Eric as he enjoyed his meal. She had assumed it would be greasy, but it was surprisingly delicious. Sylvia realized just how hungry she was, especially since the kitchen was empty and she didn't feel like hiring a housekeeper.

Eric was pleased with his cooking skills, which had improved significantly over time. On his off days, he would often cook in his rented space as a way to save money. He had successfully created a delicious and satisfying dinner tonight.

The dishes were so good that Sylvia unconsciously finished her entire plate of food

finished her plate of food unknowingly. When she finally noticed she had downed every morsel of food, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"I-I'll rest in the living room," said Sylvia.

Eric nodded, not noticing her expression. He gathered the plates and utensils to the sink and washed them.

Sylvia limped back to the sofa, feeling embarrassed as she thought about how much she had eaten.

'Damnit!' She kicked the coffee table in frustration, completely forgetting her injuries.

"Ouch!" She grimaced in pain, cursing Eric inwardly.

Eric was done doing the dishes and went into the living room.

"How are your ankles? They seem to be better today," said Eric.

He thought it should not be a problem anymore since Sylvia was able to walk to the kitchen by herself. Eric would not offer help unless Sylvia requested it. He had to maintain a distance from her, or else it would be a violation of their marriage agreement.

"They are much better now," replied Sylvia.

At the same time, she pulled out a bank card and put it in front of Eric. "We will be living under one roof for the next three years. Use this card for our daily household expenses. Just give me a heads-up if there is a huge transaction." She then took out a set of keys. "There's a BMW in the garage. Get a driving license as quickly as possible if you haven't gotten your license yet. My family is informed that we're married, so you need to have your own car."

Sylvia knew her brothers well. They might be secretly monitoring her after learning that she was married. She then pointed toward the balcony and said, "Please go and pull the curtains for me."

Seeing the curtains being drawn, Brook scratched his head and wondered, "Have I been discovered?"

Eric politely declined her offer, saying, "That's not necessary. I still have a couple hundred bucks saved up, which should be enough to cover our daily expenses. As you mentioned, we'll be living together for three years, so I can't just rely on you for everything."

Sylvia frowned. "How is it enough to survive on a few hundred bucks?"

Her words hit hard.

Eric had spent close to $100 solely on ingredients and daily necessities in the afternoon. When he was about to nod his head, Sylvia took back the bank card and car keys.

"Suit yourself. You should be able to take care of yourself since you're a full-grown man," said Sylvia.

Eric was rendered speechless. He regretted letting his ego get the better of him.

Nothing else happened for the rest of the night. Eric was curious to know where Sylvia's family was, but he dismissed his thoughts of bringing it up after reminding himself of the marriage agreement.

-

Eric was disrupted by an early morning phone call from his ex-girlfriend, Jasmine. Irritated, he quickly glanced at his phone and decided to block her number, seeking peace and quiet.

Soon after, he received a message from Andy asking him if he would come to the office that day. With David having fired him abruptly, Eric knew he was entitled to proper compensation from the company. Considering his current financial situation, he felt it was only fair to demand what he rightfully deserved from David. Moreover, with proof of David's infidelity in his hands, Eric had no reason to be afraid of him.

Eric jumped out of bed and freshened up. He made bacon and eggs for breakfast and a pot of coffee. Sylvia was still sleeping, so he reserved a portion for her on the dining table before leaving the house.

-

Andy greeted Eric with a broad smile when he arrived at the office. He displayed genuine sympathy for Eric's situation and stood by him when the rest of the employees shunned Eric like the plague after learning of the animosity between Eric and David. Everyone in the company knew that Eric had punched David in the face after finding out David had been messing with his girlfriend. They never expected Eric would show up in the company after what happened.

"What are your plans for the future?" asked Andy.

He had assumed that Eric would be completely devastated by his father's accident and Jasmine's betrayal, which happened at the same time. Yet, Eric turned out to be much stronger than he thought. Nonetheless, it would be impossible for Eriic to continue working for David.

"My father is still in the hospital, so his recovery is my priority for now. David must compensate me for firing me, which should be enough to sustain me for a while," replied Eric.

Eric did not have any immediate plans. His father's recovery was his priority before he could consider anything else.

Andy nodded and said, "I'll pay your father a visit later in the day. I'm done working my b*tt off for David. I should slack whenever I can."

Eric and Andy did not plan to confront David with proof of his infidelity unless it was necessary. They were only concerned about whether David's wife could handle him.

The HR manager, Richard Thompson, walked over while Eric and Andy were in the middle of a conversation.

Richard forcefully handed a document to Eric and said indifferently, "Eric, you should never show up anymore since David fired you."

Eric skimmed through the termination notice, looked at Richard, and asked, "What about my compensation? When an employee is unjustly terminated, they are entitled to receive compensation from the company!"

Richard laughed. "How dare you even bring this up? You assaulted David, and you're asking for compensation? That's ridiculous!"

Eric stood up. "I'll take this matter to David."

Richard sneered, thinking, 'David will never compensate Eric after what the latter did.'

Eric did not expect to see Jasmine in David's office as well. However, at least she was not sitting on David's lap today when he entered his office.

When David saw Eric, he rose to his feet, grinning from ear to ear. "Eric, you're here."

Jasmine also stood up and seemed pleased to see him.

Their sudden change of attitude confused Eric. It made him wary, as he felt something was amiss.