Chapter 83 Asking for Help
"Well... the results speak for themselves. If no one has any objections, I'll assign this project to Ella, and everyone else can assist as needed."
Zane was also surprised by the outcome.
He'd actually been quite interested in Arabella's proposal and had expected her to place second. That way, he could have had her work alongside Ella on the project's marketing campaign as a learning experience.
Who would have thought his colleagues would unanimously shut her out?
Arabella was still reeling from the shock of coming in dead last and barely registered Zane's words.
Unexpectedly, Ella stood up and said matter-of-factly, "Since I'm in charge of this project, I get to choose my team members. Arabella, I quite liked your strategy. Let's chat after this."
Her words caught the other colleagues off guard, and they all turned to look at Arabella, who'd been practically invisible until now.
Arabella was overjoyed. She looked up at Ella in surprise, taking a moment to process what had just happened before quickly standing and nodding. "Yes! Thank you, Ella."
Zane smiled, pleased with this turn of events.
When Arabella went to meet Ella, they arranged to talk at the rooftop garden café on top of the office building.
It was a popular spot for employees to unwind, and many teams held meetings there to discuss work.
When Ella saw her approach, she nodded slightly with a small smile. "Have a seat."
Arabella set down her folder and sat down, gratefully saying, "Thank you, Ella. You saved me from total humiliation."
Ella lit a cigarette and took an elegant drag before responding unhurriedly, "What humiliation? Any fool could see your proposal was better than those other two."
"But my colleagues didn't appreciate it."
"They're jealous."
"Jealous?"
"Of course..." Ella stood to tap her ash, glancing at her as she explained. "The department is mostly women, and there's always an undercurrent of competition. You're gorgeous, married with kids, and from the looks of it, you married well. Of course they're going to be jealous."
Arabella's heart skipped a beat, and her expression grew uncomfortable. "How... how can you tell if I married well or not?"
She worried her marriage to Gabriel had been discovered.
Ella seemed puzzled and asked back, "Don't you know how much your clothes and shoes cost? Those boots you're wearing alone are probably worth two months of your salary, right?"
Arabella looked down at her feet.
She'd been rushing that morning and had grabbed a pair of black boots without paying attention to the brand.
Looking more closely now, she realized the boots seemed new.
Thinking back, she remembered a designer visiting their house when the season was changing.
In the two-plus years she'd been with Gabriel, this was routine. Whenever seasons changed, designers would come to the house to take their measurements.
Then, after a while, custom-made new clothes would appear in the walk-in closet.
Same with shoes.
She figured the boots she was wearing were from this season's batch—delivered and stored in the shoe closet, then randomly picked up by her this morning.
Feeling self-conscious, she tucked her feet back and lied, "These are fake—knockoffs. Not expensive."
Ella wasn't buying it. "Knockoffs this good wouldn't be cheap either."
Arabella didn't want to discuss her private life further, worried about revealing too much. She opened her folder instead. "Ella, let's talk business. You said you liked my proposal—which part specifically?"
Ella wasn't one to pry into others' private affairs either. Seeing the subject change, she sat up and took another careful look at Arabella's proposal, sharing her thoughts...
As they were finishing their work discussion, Arabella's phone rang.
She glanced at it and her expression changed slightly.
Manuel!
"Ella, let me take this call." She stood up apologetically.
Ella nodded and also rose. "I've said everything I wanted to anyway. Think it over some more. I'll head back down."
Arabella nodded repeatedly, waiting until she saw Ella leave before answering. "Hello, Manuel."
Manuel's voice was warm and gentle, with a smile in his tone as he asked, "Arabella, are you busy? I hope I'm not interrupting."
"Not at all." She smiled too, explaining, "I just started working recently, and I was discussing things with a colleague. Sorry for the delay."
Manuel sounded surprised. "You're working?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Are you free to meet up?"
"Today... I'm afraid I don't have time. It's almost closing time, and I need to rush home."
Manuel didn't ask why she was in such a hurry to get home. After a moment of silence, he asked, "What about the weekend? Are you free? I'd like to go back to Whispering Pines to have a look around, but it's been so many years, I can barely remember the roads. I was hoping you could come along... show me around."
At the mention of Whispering Pines, Arabella felt a wave of nostalgia and agreed without much hesitation. "Yes, of course! I haven't been back in almost two years either. It'd be perfect to go together."
This was true.
After her grandparents passed away, she rarely returned to Whispering Pines.
Except for a few special days each year when she'd visit the cemetery there to pay her respects, she basically never went back.
This past year and a half, with pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery, travel hadn't been convenient. And Gabriel certainly wouldn't accompany her, so she hadn't dared make the trip.
Just a few days ago, she'd been thinking she should find time to go back and tell her grandparents that she'd had babies and become a mother. She hadn't gotten around to making plans yet, and now Manuel was back.
Having someone to go with would be perfect.
Manuel sounded pleased too. "Should we make it Saturday or Sunday? Whatever works for you."
"Saturday would be good."
"Great, I'll contact you Saturday then."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Arabella immediately began looking forward to Saturday.
————
On the way home from work, she dozed off on the subway and accidentally overslept her stop.
When she finally got off at her station, she reached into her coat pocket for her phone but couldn't find it. She panicked!
Not in her coat pocket, not in her pants pocket, not in her bag either.
Standing on the street corner, feeling lost and confused, she realized her phone had most likely been stolen. Her eyes began to well up with tears.
After wallowing in frustration for a while, she trudged home dejectedly.
The moment she walked through the door, Gabriel's anger came flying at her. "Arabella, is your phone just for decoration? I called you five or six times—why didn't you answer?"
Arabella looked up at Gabriel, her expression dejected. She was silent for a moment before saying, "I lost my phone."
"Lost it?" Gabriel was taken aback.
"Or maybe it was stolen... Either way, it was gone when I got off the subway." She was in a terrible mood and sounded particularly defeated.
First, she was upset about losing the phone and having to spend money on a new one.
Second, the phone contained countless photos and videos of the babies—irreplaceable precious memories.
Seeing her red-rimmed eyes, Gabriel's attitude inexplicably softened considerably. He stepped closer, frowning slightly, and offered stiff comfort. "If it's lost, it's lost. I'll buy you a new one tomorrow."
Arabella looked at Gabriel with wide, watery eyes, saying pitifully, "I don't want a new phone... Could you help me get my phone back?"
Looking at her forlorn expression, like an abandoned puppy, Gabriel felt his heart unexpectedly soften. There was no way he could refuse.
"Go wash up and get ready for dinner. I'll make a phone call."
Knowing this meant he'd agreed, Arabella instantly perked up. "Thank you! I'll go right now."
Taking a deep breath to pull herself together, Arabella hurried upstairs to shower and change clothes.
When she came back down, she saw Gabriel still on the phone in the side room, sounding like he was coordinating with the police.
She stood nearby, and when he finished his call, she asked hopefully, "Will they be able to find it?"