I didn't know if the medicine Brian gave me had a sedative effect, but I quickly fell asleep, dreamless through the night, and woke up to the faint light of dawn.
I got up to wash up, and the caregiver had even squeezed the toothpaste for me.
As I was marveling at the caregiver's diligence, Elara came in with breakfast. "Ms. Martinez, you're awake! Have you brushed your teeth? I squeezed the toothpaste for you. Hurry up and eat after brushing your teeth. I didn't know what you like, so I asked Brian and bought a few things you can eat for breakfast."
Elara placed the items on the table one by one as she spoke. There were sandwiches, chicken soup, and two kinds of fruit.
Looking at the breakfast, I was a little shocked and demanded, "So lavish?"
Elara said, "You're so thin; you need to nourish yourself well."
I suggested, "Why don't you sit down and eat with me? There's no way I can finish all this."
Elara waved her hand. "Ms. Martinez, I've already eaten at home. My mom's cooking is delicious. I'll bring you some next time."
I didn't stand on ceremony. While eating breakfast, I discussed the design plan with Elara.
I showed her the design draft from yesterday, and Elara's eyes widened in disbelief. I looked up and saw admiration in her eyes.
Elara exclaimed, "Ms. Martinez, you're amazing! You finished the initial design draft in just one night? And it's so well done. This is so much better than the one Aria submitted. Mr. Phillips must be blind to choose Aria over such a talented and capable wife like you."
After her rant, Elara stuck out her tongue and looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry, Ms. Martinez. I just can't stand men who cheat. If you don't want me to talk about it, I won't mention it again."
I shook my head. "It's okay. Venting can be a way to adjust emotions."
Honestly, hearing Elara criticize the two of them actually made me feel a bit pleased, as if she was voicing my own thoughts.
Elara scratched her head. "Ms. Martinez, I just think Mr. Phillips doesn't deserve you at all. If you leave him, you'll definitely find someone a thousand times better."
I smiled without saying anything, finished the last bite of my bun, and got up to clear the table. Elara was much more diligent than me, cleaning up the meal boxes and wiping the table in one go.
I said, "I hired a caregiver, so you don't have to work so hard. You're just my assistant, and you only need to handle work-related matters."
I didn't want to owe Elara any favors. Henry paid her salary, and she just needed to do her job as an assistant. Her concern for me went beyond the scope of a boss-assistant relationship, making me feel somewhat indebted to her.
Elara gave me a sincere smile. "Ms. Martinez, I don't know why, but from the moment I first saw you, I felt a sense of familiarity. Maybe I see a bit of my mom in you, and I just want to be good to you."
I sighed, and Elara patted her chest. "Ms. Martinez, don't worry. I won't let it affect my work. Look, I brought your computer. Mr. Martin gave it to me, saying it was already activated at the store."
Elara took the computer out of her bag. It was the latest model, and Henry was quite generous with this. Such a configuration would cost at least one thousand dollars.
Elara then thought of something and said, "Oh, and Ms. Martinez, Mr. Martin specifically said this computer is yours to keep."
I frowned, not sure what Ryan meant by this. But I didn't think too much about it. I needed a computer to draw design drafts, and if I didn't have to return it, I wouldn't need to buy another one, saving some money for my treatment.
Having not used a computer for a long time, I was a bit rusty with the keyboard. It took me about ten minutes to get the hang of it.
Elara came back after taking out the trash and stood in front of me, hesitant to speak. "Ms. Martinez, can I ask you a favor?"
"What is it?" I didn't look up, focusing intently on the draft.
Elara replied, "I saw an abandoned kitten on the road today and couldn't bear to leave it, so I brought it back. But my mom is allergic to cat hair, so I can't take it home. Do you like kittens? If you do, could you take care of it for now?"