I decided to wait until after his fever had completely broken and he was back to normal before bringing up my resignation.“Here’s your medication,” I said, handing the bag of medicine to Luke.He glanced at me with tired eyes as I started the car.Luke was exhausted, and on the way home, he kept his eyes closed the entire time. When we arrived, he got out of the car and said, “Get some rest.”“You still have a fever. I’ll stay and take care of you tonight—double the overtime pay,” I teased, opening the door and stepping into his yard before he could respond.Doggo, who had been playing in the yard, ran toward me excitedly, wagging his tail and pawing at me in greeting. Goofy, more composed, walked over to Luke and followed him at a respectful distance.“Doggo, you've been hanging around Goofy for so long, and you still haven’t learned to be calm and mature?”I laughed at my own words, but the smile quickly faded as I realized how much I was like Doggo. Despite being around Luke
Images of Luke standing by the door, his eyes hazy from the fever, drifted through my mind. He seemed less aloof, more vulnerable, and his lack of common sense in situations like this made me uneasy about leaving him alone. I stroked Doggo’s soft fur, the sensation easing some of my anxiety.After setting Doggo down, I went to the guest room, washed up, and lay in bed. Luke’s fever hadn’t fully broken, so I set an alarm to check his temperature in an hour.When the alarm rang, I hesitated briefly outside his door, hand raised to knock. Instead, I quietly twisted the handle—the door wasn’t locked.The soft click of the door made Luke jolt awake. His eyes were sharp at first, but relaxed when he saw me. “Why aren’t you asleep?”“I’m here to check your temperature.”I had been as quiet as possible, yet even while feverish, he was so alert. Later, I would learn this hyper-awareness stemmed from his childhood trauma.“Thanks,” he said, his voice low.I held the thermometer to his for
Before I hurt my wrist, I used to work out with Luke and left a few changes of clothes in the guest room, which came in handy today. When Marianne saw me at the top of the stairs, she immediately showed concern. “Ms. Middleton, your health comes first. Your wrist is still injured—you can take a break from exercising for a few days.”“Mr. Walker had a fever last night.” Exercise was the last thing on my mind. To be honest, as someone with little enthusiasm for working out, I was happy to use my wrist injury as an excuse to skip training altogether.“Mr. Walker used to be in perfect health! Why’s he been getting sick so often lately? It couldn’t be...” Marianne quickly shook her head and spat on the ground, scolding herself. “I shouldn’t be talking nonsense first thing in the morning.”“There’s no need to worry, Marianne. He got sick because he took a cold shower.”“He’s been taking cold showers for years! Why didn’t he get sick before?” Realizing her slip-up, she looked apologetic
This matter was something of an open secret in their social circle. Recently, Luke had hinted during the interview that he liked someone. Mrs. Walker had initially wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to announce Luke's "engagement," but she feared he might refuse to play along, embarrassing her and making her family the laughingstock of their social circle."If Mrs. Walker already has someone in mind, why is she trying to matchmake with the Smith family?"What game was Mrs. Walker playing?I couldn't figure it out for the life of me."She didn't specify whether she meant me or Jenny," Wendy scoffed. "Yesterday, when those two heard Mrs. Walker was visiting the Smiths, they got all dolled up. Mrs. Walker kept complimenting them and even gave Jenny an expensive antique bracelet before she left.""..." Mrs. Walker loved to win people over, always seeming to have a gift at the ready. Suddenly, it dawned on me. "Is she trying to drive a wedge between you, Sarah, and her daught
Jon felt uneasy and scared in the unfamiliar environment. To help him cooperate with the medical examination, Stephen took the initiative to contact Penelope.The three of them, along with Annette, were on their way to the hospital.I informed Wendy of the situation."Looks like it's time for her backburner guy to shine," Wendy remarked.Me: ...As it was time for Wendy to start work, we ended our call.I called Penelope back.Amidst the commotion on the other end, Joey's voice rang out, "Who told you to bring him here? His health is fragile, and I won't allow him to do a bone marrow match for me!"Joey was agitated. "Take him home right now!"Joey was relatively polite to Annette, who tried to calm her down. "Ms. Parker, Jon is in good health. If the compatibility test is successful...""He won't be compatible with me!" Joey's temper had worsened since learning about her serious illness.After speaking, she noticed everyone staring at her and looked away. "All of you, get o
Joey was Jon's older sister. Despite Penelope's grievances against Joey, she wouldn't do anything to interfere with Stephen's plans. Stephen had decided to keep Joey in the dark and proceed with getting Jon tested for a match. Penelope cooperated with him and helped calm Jon down. The results from the match test would take about four days.Ever since Joey was hospitalized, her temper had grown more volatile.While I was chatting with Jen, I received a message from Wendy, asking why I wanted to resign.I couldn't tell Wendy the real reason.I tapped a few times on my phone, suddenly feeling the urge to relax and enjoy life a little.Wendy: "That's a great idea! Take it easy!"The same Wendy who had been trying to convince me otherwise on the phone earlier had now completely changed her tune. Her support instantly made me feel much more relieved.Wendy: "As long as you're not leaving for another job, you can relax. I'll take care of you! I just have one small request. Could you wa
When he learned that Luke wanted to meet Joe in person, he quickly objected, "Joe Harris is a lone wolf. He doesn't like interacting with people. His personality is a lot like Mr. Walker's. If you put two ice-cold personalities together, are they going to have a contest over who can be more aloof?"Me: ..."I barely managed to get two words out of Joe. I'm counting on this deal to go through. Please, don't let Mr. Walker mess this up for me!""Mr. Walker isn't aloof; he's just experienced and wise without losing his kindness.""Ms. Middleton, you've been his assistant for a while now. Hasn't he made things difficult for you? How do you still see him through rose-colored glasses?""..." Luke just had high standards for work; he wasn't nitpicky. The candidates Henry had listed earlier had impressive educational backgrounds and resumes, but no outstanding achievements in their work.Hanque had already signed Jon, and Luke had high hopes for Hanque. He wanted to achieve mutual succes
"What casting couch? Can't you think of anything wholesome?" Jenny thrust her hand in front of Wendy's face. "I found out this bracelet belonged to European royalty from the 14th century. It's incredibly valuable!""Fine jewels suit fine ladies. You're just a plain Jane trying to boost your appeal with fancy accessories.""... I'm pretty!""Not compared to me." Wendy looked up, her eyes scanning Jenny's face. "Your eyes are big but vacant. Your nose is too high and sharp, sticking out like a mountain on your face. It looks so out of place, as if it might break free from your big round face and set up shop on its own. And those thick lips...""Wendy, shut up! Stop talking!""My mouth is on my face. I'll say what I want. You can't control that." Wendy smiled at Jenny. "And that neck of yours..."When Wendy mentioned her neck, Jenny quickly covered it with her hand."Alright, I won't talk about your neck."Jenny lowered her hand, relieved.Wendy continued, "Most people have swan