Lydia nodded subconsciously but quickly lowered her eyes when she realized she had done something foolish again. "Sorry!""You should apologize. I'm here to work, not to see you fawning over me, even if I'm the one you're drooling over! But looking at how desperate you seem, is Andrew not taking good care of you?"Lambert's words pierced Lydia's heart like icy daggers, making her feel both pain and coldness. Her face turned pale as she looked up and met Lambert's cold and disgusted eyes.Lydia bit her lip. "Rest assured, Lambert, even if you were the last man on Earth, I wouldn't be infatuated with you because you're utterly revolting!""As an employee, is that how you talk to your boss?""Respect is mutual. Since you don't respect me, why should I respect you?""I almost forgot, you're always so sharp-tongued. Since you're so good at talking, why don't you go hand out flyers at the company mall?"Lambert's face darkened as he called Ivan. "Take Lydia to the outdoor mall, give her a d
"There's a Chinese restaurant next door. What do you think?""Sure, let's go there!"Lambert and Ivan decided to relocate their "stakeout," while Lydia began her lunch.The lunch was a standard boxed meal, consisting of two meat dishes and one vegetable dish. It looked decent, but the lack of seating was a drawback. The staff handing out flyers were grouped together in threes and fours, using discarded cardboard boxes as makeshift tables and placing unused flyers on the ground to make do with their meal.Some staff, who had good relations with nearby shops, managed to borrow small stools, but Lydia sat alone under a nearby tree.She wasn't as emotionally affected or disdainful as one might have expected. Even though she knew these people were isolating her, she didn't care much. After all, she would only be here for a month at most, so why bother with these workers?As Lydia opened the lunchbox, a foul smell hit her, making her stomach churn. Yet, the hunger in her belly made her eage
"What good is being good-looking if you can't be charming? Why doesn't anyone invite me out to eat? I'm not bad-looking either!" A strikingly beautiful woman complained with a hint of jealousy in her voice."Oh, come on, let's face it—you just don't have what it takes. It's not something you can be jealous of. Just focus on your work, okay? Some people get invited to dinner, but not you!"The group laughed and exchanged sarcastic remarks, but Lydia ignored them, focused solely on her meal. She was genuinely starving. For some reason, her appetite had been off lately, and she hadn't felt energetic. Now that she finally felt like eating, she wasn't going to waste time listening to their envious banter.They were on completely different paths; there was no point in getting caught up in their petty jealousy.Seated in the Chinese restaurant, Lambert watched from a distance as Lydia finally started eating heartily, and the knot in his chest began to loosen. He felt like he was being torn i
"I can make lots of money this way, so Mom won't have to work so hard!" Wythe's big, watery eyes gazed up at Lydia, nearly melting her heart."Mom, can you wait a little longer? If not, I can always go back to acting..." He had thought it over, and acting seemed like the best way to earn money quickly!Lydia's eyes grew hot, and she almost shed tears. But the smile on her lips became more pronounced as she waved Wythe over, who quickly snuggled into her arms."Silly child, Mom isn't just working hard to make money! Everyone should have their own dreams, and all the effort I'm putting in now is for my dream. So, it's okay to work hard because nothing in this world comes without effort!"Wythe nodded, only half understanding. "But it's rare for me to see you so exhausted, Mom...""It's just a temporary, important task. Once this period is over, things will be better. It's probably just the hot weather, too. Don't worry, Wythe, I'll take good care of myself.""Not just Wythe, even I'm wo
Lambert's gaze fell on Lydia. After a night of rest, her complexion looked much better, which made Lambert secretly breathe a sigh of relief. However, he maintained a cold demeanor as he instructed, "Wait outside for a while. I need to speak with Verna."Without waiting for a response, Lambert strode into the office, with Verna following closely behind like a submissive wife. Before entering, she gave Lydia a reassuring smile, but to Lydia, it seemed more like a taunt.Lydia lowered her eyes, smiling bitterly. She had nothing to do with Lambert anymore, so why would Verna feel the need to provoke her?Meanwhile, inside the office, Verna closed the door and dropped her elegant facade, looking dejectedly at Lambert. The sophisticated and graceful image she usually maintained was nowhere to be seen.Ever since Lambert started treating Verna like a sister, she had become increasingly "bold" around him. Lambert had come to realize that Verna's refined and eleg
Lambert's cold gaze swept across Lydia's face. "Verna's orders are my orders. Since she's arranged a place for you, report there immediately. I'll have Ivan notify you later."This time, Lydia didn't argue. She worked hard to keep her expression calm and indifferent, accepting the situation with a composed demeanor. "Understood. I'll do my best!"With that, Lydia turned and left without looking back. Her steps were quick, fearing that if she stayed even a second longer, her emotions would collapse.Once Lydia turned the corner and entered the elevator, Verna quickly lowered her hand. "Lambert, was I too harsh just now? I feel like Lydia was really hurt...""Really? I thought she seemed quite happy. Getting away from me is probably what she's been hoping for."Verna was speechless. Wasn't it you who arranged this? And now you're acting all resentful. Sigh, men's minds are indeed more complex than women's.As soon as she entered the elevator,
"Lydia, go to the copy room and print out two copies of the design drafts, quickly!""Lydia, help me fetch the sample clothes from the security desk. They just called to say the package has arrived.""Lydia, go to the warehouse and get some matching buttons; one is missing from the sample garment!"Tasks like these kept Lydia so busy she barely had a moment to breathe, let alone drink water. After just half a day, her legs felt as heavy as lead, barely able to move. The only consolation was that she was becoming familiar with the design department's operations, so she could complete the tasks the designers gave her efficiently.Having such a capable assistant increased the overall efficiency of the design department, but this also meant Lydia was given even more work.After a hectic morning, it was finally lunchtime, but Lydia had no appetite at all.One of the designers, noticing how busy she had been, invited her, "Lydia, since you're new
Lydia froze when she noticed that the small table, which previously held only a water cup and some bread wrappers, now had a delicately arranged thermal lunch box. Her stomach growled with hunger, and she couldn't resist walking over to it.Underneath the lunch box was a note that read, "Miss Lydia, please eat well and take care of yourself!" The handwriting was identical to the note on the door earlier. Warmth filled Lydia's heart, and she no longer felt the urgency she had before. Instinctively, she believed that the person who left the note had already taken care of her absence at work. Otherwise, how could she explain why her phone hadn't rung all this time? She couldn't imagine Stevin letting her off so easily during work hours.Besides, it was almost the end of the workday anyway, and even if she hurried back now, it would be too late. Resigned, Lydia sat down at the table and opened the lunch box.A fragrant aroma filled the air—sweet, rich pumpkin