I Am a Scorpio(3)

11

I went out and about my place for the next few days, but I didn't meet Mark around again.

I thought everything was over, but Xenia came to my office and made a scene on Friday night.

"Angel, please stop badmouthing me to Joe. He is my leader, and he's been targeting me for quite some time," Xenia sobbed in front of my colleagues.

In an instant, everyone looked over at me inquisitively.

I got up to grab her and walked out.

As we arrived at the elevator, my face darkened. "Xenia, did you just say that Joel is your leader?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Stop pretending."

I pondered for a while before flashing her a smile. "So... That means that your previous leader has quitted his job? He helped you to hide the fact that you fabricated your academic credentials. Should I tell Joel about this? If I do, you might get fired and be held legally accountable for that."

Her expression shifted. She smiled, trying to please me, "Angel, it's my fault for blaming you wrongfully. I'm sorry. I'll leave now. Please don't tell Joe about that."

"Stop calling me and Joel by our nicknames. It's suffocating to hear it from you." I voiced deeply.

After that, I turned around and went back to my workstation in a good mood.

It was a coincidence for Joel to switch jobs to Xenia's company. Furthermore, he was now her leader.

I remembered clearly that Xenia once told me proudly that her brother employed her with her forged educational certificate.

Thinking of this, I texted Joel: [Why didn't you tell me that you and Xenia are in the same company?]

He replied very quickly: [I'm afraid that it will affect your mood. How did you know?]

I sent a laughing emoji over and replied: [She told me that you always target her in the office!]

[That's because she can't do her job well. She's always opportunistic.] Joel might sense that I was in a good mood that day. He suggested: [Would you like to watch a movie together at night?]

Nevertheless, my department just informed me of the last-minute dinner later. I told him straightforwardly, only to receive his reply that read: [Text me after you're done with the dinner. I'll pick you up.]

[Okay. Thank you, Mr. Walker.]

It was already ten o'clock when the dinner was over. I drank a lot of wine and felt slightly tipsy.

Triggered by the alcohol, I couldn't help but feel excited.

When Joel came to pick me up, I was so excited that I left my colleague directly. I went up to him and grabbed his shirt to ask, "Someone in the HR department told me today that you resigned because the company prohibits romance in the office. Is it true?"

He looked at my colleagues behind me and smiled. Holding my shoulder, he replied, "Yes, It's true."

Hearing that, I could feel my heart start pounding fast.

I lowered my head and laughed, "All of them didn't expect you to be a hopeless romantic."

"They're right." His voice was soft like a breeze of wind. His gentle voice entered my ears, stirring up ripples in my heart.

12

It had been a long time since I had such a good night's sleep. When I woke up the following day, Joel was at my place.

The fragrance of oatmeal wafted out of the kitchen. I looked at his busy back through the golden ray shining in from the window, and my heart suddenly softened. I felt a numbing current running through my limbs as if I had been hit by something.

He turned around and saw me. He was stunned for a moment and said with a smile, "You're awake. There is lemonade on the table. Drink a little first."

I lowered my head and touched my blushing face. "Thank you for last night."

I vomited as soon as I came home last night. Joel was worried that something might happen to me at midnight, so he slept on the couch in my house all night.

Fortunately, although I wasn't a good drinker, I wouldn't behave inappropriately when I was intoxicated. Thus, I didn't make a fool of myself.

While I was drinking lemonade, a scene suddenly appeared in my mind. In the dark car, Joel leaned close to me and fastened the seat belt for me. He inadvertently looked up, and his eyes suddenly met mine. He was so close to me that I could even hear his breathing, and time seemed to have stopped.

I clearly saw his lips slowly approaching me, and his eyes were filled with candid and passionate emotions.

Realizing that it was a kiss, I was so nervous that I was at a loss. I accidentally pressed the backrest of the seat, and my whole upper body was getting farther and farther away from him.

The atmosphere suddenly changed. We were like two children who had done something wrong, and we tried to cover it up while our faces blushed.

I was still in a daze when Joel came out of the kitchen with a casserole. "What are you thinking about?"

He smiled as naturally as usual as if the failed kiss had never happened last night.

I couldn't tell what I was feeling. All of a sudden, I just didn't know how to interact with him.

"Angeline, I'll go back to work later." He served me a bowl of oatmeal and placed it in front of me. "Call me if you need anything. Don't be afraid to bother me."

I hummed softly in response and said nothing else.

Just like that, the ambiguous relationship between Joel and me lasted for more than half a month.

He wasn't a hopeless romantic, and he was especially diligent when he was busy with work. Although he had just joined the new company for a while, he had already accomplished a big project and was valued by the leader.

Under the influence of his hard work, I gradually became very motivated. We often studied together with a pile of information in our hands, and we wouldn't feel tired or bored, even if we had been researching all day long.

It was an experience that I had never experienced when I was with Mark. Mark only consumed my passion and exhausted me in my daily life.

On the contrary, Joel would make me feel that life was fulfilling and wonderful, and every day was meaningful.

Just when I thought I had completely gotten out of the haze of the breakup, I received a call from the security guard on Wednesday night.

"Ms. Ellis, there is a man named Mark Yeager who is causing a scene at the residential area entrance, saying he wants to look for you. He looks strange, and he seems to be sick. Please come quickly. He won't leave, no matter how long we've been asking him to," said the security guard.

I repeated the name "Mark Yeager" in my mind.

I walked out after impatiently putting on my coat. While waiting for the elevator, I thought for a while and went to knock on the door of Joel's house.

He was not at home, and it was Dylan who opened the door.

The young man, who was over five feet eleven inches tall. He heard that I was going to meet my ex-boyfriend, so he said that he would go with me without hesitation.

"Joe will kill me if he found out I didn't go with you. For my safety, you'd better take me with you, Angeline." The tragic look on his face amused me.

In the security booth at the residential area entrance, Mark curled up by the wall and covered his stomach with his hands. His forehead was covered with cold sweat, and his face was pale.

He had a digestive condition. If he had an irregular diet and ate unhealthily, his sickness would kick in. When I was with him, I paid special attention to him. I prepared the meals every day and asked him to take the meals to the company as his meal. I never dared to let him eat takeout.

I noticed his shoes were dirty, and the stains on his collar were not cleaned up properly. Also, he was a lot thinner. I assumed his quality of life had declined drastically after being with Xenia.

I sighed unconsciously and felt an unspeakable emotion in my heart.

Dylan looked at me vigilantly. "Angeline, you must stay calm. It's a pitiful act."

I smiled and walked toward Mark, then squatted down to check the temperature on his forehead. Fortunately, he didn't have a fever.

"If you have the strength to find me, you'd better take a taxi to the hospital," I said.

Mark's eyes were bloodshot. He raised his head and pursed his lips. He said nothing and merely stared at me with his reddened eyes.

"Where is Xenia? Do you want me to call her to pick you up?" I asked lightly.

His eyes suddenly darkened, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Angel, I was wrong."

I didn't say anything.

He tried to hold my hand.

I quickly stood up and dodged it.

"Angel, how can you forgive me? I know I'm wrong. I won't contact Xenia anymore. I'll listen to you whatever you say." He struggled to stand up with a painful expression.

"Mark, our relationship is not benign. When I liked you, you were humorous and full of fighting spirit, but since we got together, you have become lazy and less ambitious. I was always waiting for you to become mature, and I accommodated you in everything. Gradually, I couldn't tell whether I'm with a boyfriend or I'm raising a son."

After calming down, I continued, "Don't look for me again. You really should learn to be a man. Since you chose Xenia, you should take responsibility."

Mark stared at me deeply. After a while, he said with a sarcastic smile, "Are you looking down on me?"