Rosalind found herself caught in a whirlwind of emotions, unsure of what to expect when she finally met Ulric. Her feelings hung in a state of uncertainty, wavering between anticipation and hesitation.
Part of her wanted to come up with an excuse to avoid the meeting altogether, but deep down, she knew it was necessary. There had to be some resolution between her and Ulric, whether it meant terminating their contract or finding another way forward. Sooner or later, a face-to-face discussion was inevitable.
Cedric’s instructions lingered in her mind long after he left, occupying her thoughts throughout the afternoon. As the workday came to an end, Rosalind stepped out of the company building and spotted Malcolm’s car parked nearby, Tilda standing beside it, waiting.
Making her way over, Rosalind asked, “Why are you here?”
“Well, since the headquarters is far from my place, and my cousin happened to be free, I asked him to give me a ride,” Tilda replied with a mischievous smile.
“There’s no need for that. I can just take the subway.”
Tilda playfully linked arms with Rosalind, giggling. “I just want to spend more time with you! Back when we worked at Prosperity Holdings, we saw each other every day. Now that you’re here, I miss our chats!”
Rosalind couldn’t help but smile helplessly. “Then you should work harder. Mr. Chan hasn’t bothered you much lately, but by the end of the year, he’ll surely bring up your performance again.”
“Do I look scared of him?” Tilda dramatically rolled her eyes. “If he keeps it up, I’ll quit! I never liked his way of taking credit when things go well and blaming others when they don’t.”
With no financial pressure on her, Tilda had the luxury of making such decisions.
However, Rosalind didn’t share the same privilege. She had responsibilities and financial commitments to consider.
Malcolm, who had remained silent up until now, chimed in, “That’s just how workplaces are these days. It’s not limited to your company, even teachers and principals face similar issues.”
“Does your principal trouble you too?”
“No, he wouldn’t dare.”
Given Malcolm’s reputation and position at the school, the principal wouldn’t dare direct any frustrations towards him.
Tilda scoffed, “Enough chitchat. Let’s not stand here, I’m starving!”
She attempted to pull Rosalind along, eager to satisfy her hunger.
“I have a meeting at eight. I need to go back and organize my materials, so I can’t join you.”
Rosalind genuinely had work to attend to, but there was another reason she wanted to avoid too much private interaction with Malcolm. While she knew he was a decent person and could sense his intentions, she wasn’t in the right frame of mind for any romantic entanglements at the moment.
Especially since her unresolved relationship with Ulric weighed heavily on her.
She couldn’t afford to complicate things further.
“What? You have to work overtime after finishing work?” Tilda expressed her disappointment.
She had hoped that by bringing Rosalind and her cousin closer together, their bond might deepen.
“Yes, I have multiple projects on my plate. It’s a good thing, though. I want to earn more money so that when my mom is released from the hospital, we can have a stable place to live.”
While Rosalind wouldn’t mind finding a place to rent on her own, she knew her mother’s temperament well enough to understand that any issues with a landlord would be too much for her to handle.
Tilda wanted to persuade her further, but Malcolm spoke up first.
“Let me drive you back. After that, I’ll take Tilda out for dinner.”
“No need, I’ll take the subway.”
“Please don’t refuse anymore! My cousin will feel awkward.”
Continuing to decline would indeed create an uncomfortable situation for everyone involved.
“Alright then. Thank you very much, Mr. Hines.”