“Miss Fanshaw has gone to the laboratory.”
Darnell rushed up to the eighteenth floor, but there was no sign of Areli in the general manager’s office. Lillian informed him, “She probably won’t be back until tomorrow. Do you have anything urgent? If so, I can give her a call for you. If not, come back tomorrow.”
Darnell didn’t mind and pulled out a chair to sit down. “Nothing serious. I just came up to see her and you.”
He smiled brightly, “Lillian, your skin seems to be more smooth and fairer. Are you taking milk baths all day?”
Casey had a voluptuous figure, Shayla had a shapely backside, Bailee exuded a captivating fragrance, and Lillian’s skin was as fair as milk, each inch shimmering with an alluring glow.
Today, Lillian was wearing a fitted black dress that accentuated her charm, her bright and gentle eyes above her nose adding to her appeal.
Her knee-length skirt revealed a pair of long, fair legs, catching Darnell’s attention.
“A milk bath? At this rate, my salary won’t even cover the cost of milk,” she joked.
Lillian shot him an exasperated glance, then prepared a cup of tea for him. “How’s Bailee doing?”
Ever since their last dinner together, the bond among the four women had strengthened, so Lillian was aware of what had happened to Bailee that morning.
Darnell leaned back in his chair, rubbing his head with a smile. “With me there, how could anything go wrong? Don’t worry. She’s fine and should be meeting clients right now.”
Lillian let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear. I plan to leave work early today to see if they’re free for dinner.”
“Why don’t you invite me?” Darnell protested playfully. “I’ve treated you all to dinner plenty of times. How can you just count me out?”
Lillian slightly puffed out her chest and huffed, “This is a girls’ gathering. What would you do there?”
“With you around, it’s hard for us to talk. Besides, you’ve got a girlfriend now. Karlee is way out of our league.”
She opened a cabinet and pulled out some documents. “Why would you want to hang out with us?”
Darnell laughed at her words, sensing a hint of jealousy in Lillian’s tone. He took a sip of tea and said, “You just don’t get it, do you?”
“Have you never heard that a home flower is less fragrant than a wildflower? Especially when you four are such stunning blooms. If I don’t hang out with you, it would be a waste.”
“Go to hell, you jerk.”
Lillian was furious and threw the documents at Darnell. “These are the files Miss Fanshaw asked me to show you. Take a good look. I’m leaving.”
Then she realized she was in her own territory and turned back, huffing, “No, I won’t talk to you anymore. Don’t bother me in the future.”
Darnell ignored the scattered documents and stepped forward to grab Lillian’s arm. He could sense her feelings and spoke softly, “I was just joking. Don’t be mad, okay? I’ll apologize. If that doesn’t work, how about I take you out for dinner, a movie, or maybe even a night together?”
“Who wants to sleep with you?”
Lillian feigned resistance, struggling lightly. “Dinner and a movie? Don’t you have a rich girlfriend? Why bother with us commoners?”
Darnell explained gently, “Karlee and I are just friends. We’ve had a few close encounters, but it’s not what you think.
“To put it simply, I’m her temporary boyfriend, and I’m also Judith’s temporary boyfriend.”
“Temporary boyfriend?”
Lillian scoffed, “You’re so shameless. You want to have your fun without taking responsibility, calling yourself a ‘temporary boyfriend’?”
“You’re overthinking it,” Darnell replied, tapping her on the head. “Do you think women are that naive, easily fooled for money and affection?”
“I would have taken advantage of the opportunity, but I never got the chance. Instead, I end up being used like a tool-racing cars, fighting, catching criminals. Being a temporary boyfriend feels like torture.”
Recalling Judith’s explosive outbursts, he added, with a sense of grievance in his voice, “I even get called a ‘beast’. It’s not easy, you know?”
Lillian burst into laughter but quickly regained her composure. “You brought this on yourself.”
“Alright, I admit it. I did bring it on myself,” Darnell said with a sigh. “To make up for my wrongs, I’ll treat you to Haagen-Dazs later.”
Lillian’s face lit up with excitement. “Really? You better not be lying.”
“Of course not,” he assured her, pointing to the clock. “We have half an hour before we clock out. But first, you need to come with me to the sales department.”
Lillian smirked, “Well, at least you have a bit of conscience.”
Half an hour later, Darnell led Lillian downstairs. Just before leaving the company, he pulled her back into the sales department.
Upon returning to the office, Darnell was met with the intense gaze of two hundred staff members, who looked extremely anxious. Lillian was taken aback, unsure of what was happening.
Seeing Darnell and Areli’s assistant appear, the crowd’s expressions shifted to hopeful anticipation.
“Mr. Halford, how is it? Did Miss Fanshaw agree to our request?” someone called out.
Darnell didn’t respond directly. He released Lillian’s hand and walked up to everyone, picking up the microphone. “Everyone, I have three pieces of good news to share.”
“First, I’ve convinced Miss Fanshaw not to proceed with any layoffs!”
Cheers erupted from the crowd.
“Second, I’ve also persuaded the company not to cut salaries.”
The excitement grew even more.
“Third, if we reach a target of one billion in sales performance by the end of the year, everyone’s commission will be raised to ten percent.”
“If we don’t meet the target, salaries will remain the same, but the commission for the last month will be halved. Does anyone have any objections?”
As his words settled in, the room exploded in enthusiasm. Two hundred people nearly jumped up, raising their hands in jubilation.
“No objections! No objections!”
“Long live Mr. Halford! Long live Mr. Halford!”
The news of no layoffs was already a monumental relief, and the salary freeze combined with the potential for doubled commissions had them buzzing with excitement.
It felt like the happiest day ever for everyone present.
People shouted congratulations and embraced one another. They then rushed to Darnell, lifting him up and tossing him into the air a few times.
Some even began singing songs in praise of his achievements.
Darnell pumped his fists in encouragement, feeding off the crowd’s energy.
Amidst the chaos, Lillian stood bewildered. She could feel the vibrations of the floor and the collective excitement, yet she was lost, unsure of what was happening.
It struck her that she felt like a pawn in Darnell’s game.
A broad smile plastered across Darnell’s face as he soaked in the joyous atmosphere.
He knew that from that moment on, the sales department truly belonged to him.
Lillian tugged on Darnell and asked, “What… exactly just happened?”