Tilda swiftly grabbed the money from Rosalind’s hand and placed it in Malcolm’s arms.
“Alright, my cousin will accept it then!” Tilda declared.
Malcolm looked puzzled.
Rosalind smiled, excused herself, and said, “I’m going to the restroom. You guys enjoy your meal.”
As she left, Malcolm glanced at the stack of money, furrowing his brow. “What does it mean if I accept this money?”
“Malcolm, you don’t understand Rosalind! She’s meticulous about everything, wanting to account for every penny. If you want a future with her, you can’t be so forceful.” Tilda explained, feeling helpless about her best friend’s tendencies.
Having known Rosalind for many years, Tilda understood that she had deep-seated insecurities and often put on a strong front.
“She needs money right now, especially for her mother’s surgery. Does she really have to be so precise?” Malcolm realized that Rosalind wasn’t the girl he had initially imagined.
It seemed like she was constantly creating distance, cutting ties with any kind of relationship.
As if… she was afraid of getting too close, too intimate in any connection.
“Just accept it anyway. Is this amount enough?” Tilda suggested.
“It’s more than enough, I didn’t spend much.” Malcolm pulled out a few bills from the stack. “Return the rest to her.”
“Alright.”
…
In the restroom, Rosalind splashed cold water on her face to wake herself up.
Due to sleepless nights, she felt light-headed, as if she could faint at any moment.
As she stared at her swollen and injured face in the mirror, Rosalind clenched her fists and impulsively dialed Ulric’s number!
She convinced herself that she merely wanted to discuss terminating their contract, nothing more!
But even as she rationalized her intentions, the moment she dialed the number, Rosalind held her breath.
Until she heard a voice on the other end.
“Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently switched off…”
Seizing the opportunity, Rosalind dialed Cedric’s number.
“Hello, Cedric, I need to speak with Mr. Walters.”
“Mr. Walters? He’s already on the plane. I just dropped him off at the airport and am heading back.”
“…”
“If it’s urgent, you can send him a message on WhatsApp. He’ll see it when he lands.”
Rosalind bit her lip. “Can you tell me where he’s traveling to?”
“Sinoington, for a technology development cooperation conference.”
So Ulric was out of the country…
Cedric detected a hint of unease in her voice. “Is everything alright?”
“No, it’s nothing urgent. I heard he was in a car accident and wanted to check on him as an old classmate.” Rosalind forced a laugh, tinged with self-mockery.
“Oh, don’t worry. I just saw him, and he’s fine! By the way, can you come to work tomorrow as usual?”
“Yes, see you tomorrow.”
“Alright.”
As she hung up the phone, Rosalind felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her.
That was her last ounce of courage.
In truth, Rosalind wasn’t even sure what she would have said if she had reached Ulric just now. Would she explain the situation with Malcolm at the hospital? Would she directly discuss terminating their contract? Or perhaps… show concern for his well-being?
Standing before the restroom mirror, she felt relieved that the call hadn’t gone through.
This way, she could pretend she never made the call and wait for Ulric to come to her first-whether to discuss the contract or… something else.