Chapter 52 The Hairtie and New Client

Chapter 52 The Hairtie and New Client

Sophia waved dismissively. "No way. Nobody in Sparkle Stone dares to talk to Morris except Cressida and Calla, let alone date him. Besides, there's definitely no one in the company who uses those cheap phone cord hairties."

It was hard to believe that Morris, the CEO of Sparkle Stone, would wear something as tacky as a phone cord hairtie.

"I wonder whose hairtie it really is? It's so hard to guess," Rebecca mused, resting her chin on her palm.

"Rebecca, isn't all this food enough to keep your mouth busy?" Emily shot her a warning look.

That's when Sophia finally caught on, her eyes widening to the size of saucers. "No way! That hairtie is yours? Come to think of it, you're the only person I know who uses those things. Emily, you're incredible! You've already landed Morris!"

"Fine, I'll come clean," Emily held up her hands in mock surrender, trying to appear casual. "The hairtie is mine, but I just accidentally left it at his place. I'm guessing he wanted to return it and absentmindedly put it on his wrist. I'll get it back from him later."

Rebecca commented with exaggerated sarcasm, "Mr. Anderson is so careless, isn't he?"

Sophia still hadn't recovered from her shock. "OMG, Em, you've really stepped up your game! Don't forget your friends when you're rolling in luxury!"

"Don't misunderstand. Whatever." Emily covered her face, feeling like her explanations were only making things worse.

When Emily returned home, she searched through all the drawers of her vanity table and confirmed that one of her black phone cord hairties was indeed missing. She was troubled – what exactly was Morris trying to do? Parading around the office wearing her hairtie on his wrist – was he using her as a shield against other women, or did he genuinely have other intentions?

Emily buried her face in her pillow and groaned several times in frustration. Then she took out her phone and opened her conversation with Morris. She typed and deleted several messages before finally closing the app altogether.

On the day she was scheduled to work at her new client's home, Emily arrived at the apartment complex ten minutes early.

She used the elevator code the client had provided and went upstairs. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she could hear arguing from inside the apartment.

First came a woman's voice. "Why do they only pick on you and not the other kids? Don't you think you should reflect on that?"

Then a man's angry response. "If someone hits you, why can't you hit back? I can't believe I raised such a weak child. What good does hiding at home do? You can't stay locked inside forever, can you?"

"You have some nerve," the woman started berating the man. "She inherited her timidity from you. If you're not timid, why don't you go teach those bullies a lesson yourself?"

"I'm an adult. How would it look if I fought with children? Didn't I already go warn their parents last time?" The man's voice lacked conviction.

"And did the warning help? Are you even a man? Just watching your own daughter get bullied?"

"And you're her mother! What have you done about it? The police won't even get involved, what am I supposed to do?"

Their argument grew increasingly heated.

Emily sighed quietly. There was truth to the saying that the child is often the least sick person in a dysfunctional family.

She knocked on the door, interrupting the argument. Brian Miller got up from the dining table when he saw her, nodding briefly as a greeting before grabbing his briefcase and heading for the door. "I'm running late. If you need anything, ask Iris."

Iris Lopez glared at his retreating back before showing Emily around the apartment. The coffee table in the living room was covered with documents, and the refrigerator contained nothing but yogurt and various microwave meals – a classic workaholic household.

As Emily listened to Iris's instructions, she mentally planned her approach: first tidy the living room since a clean environment would help everyone relax; for lunch, prepare something with a sweet and savory flavor, which seemed to be Felicity Miller's preference.

After Iris rushed off to work, Emily cleaned the living room thoroughly, then went to knock on Felicity's door. "Felicity? I'm Emily. I noticed we have some chicken in the refrigerator. Would you prefer lemon herb chicken or honey mustard chicken? I also saw a recipe for mint-infused chicken yesterday that looked delicious, if you'd like to try something new."

There was no response, but Emily wasn't surprised. She knocked again, speaking more softly. "I'll get the ingredients ready in the kitchen. Just let me know if you have any preferences."

When Felicity still didn't reply, Emily went ahead and prepared the meal according to her own judgment.

Later, she knocked on Felicity's door again. "Felicity, lunch is ready. I'll leave it outside your door. If you're hungry, you can take it in. Just put the dishes outside when you're finished."

She quickly stepped aside, and heard the slight sound of the door opening. Looking back, she caught a glimpse of a small hand swiftly taking the plate inside before gently closing the door.

Emily sighed with relief, a smile forming on her lips. As long as Felicity was willing to eat, it meant she hadn't completely shut herself off.

Sitting at her desk, Felicity stared at the steaming honey mustard chicken. Suddenly, her eyes welled up with tears.

Her parents were always busy; she either ate takeout or made instant noodles. The last home-cooked meal she'd had was on her birthday last year. She took a bite of the chicken, and the tangy-sweet sauce with the tender meat instantly filled her empty stomach.

Outside the door, Emily slipped a note with her phone number through the crack. "Felicity, this is my number. I know you don't want to talk, so we can text instead. I'll be waiting."

She sat on the living room couch, phone in hand, feeling a bit anxious.

About two hours later, her phone finally buzzed with a new contact request. Emily smiled as she accepted it and sent a "Hey there" with a friendly emoji.

That evening, Iris texted that she was working late, and Brian said he had a business dinner, so neither would be home for dinner. Emily felt a twinge of disappointment.

[I'm making dinner, anything you'd like to eat?] she texted Felicity.

The reply came quickly: [I don't know. Could you give me some options?]

[Garlic butter shrimp, roasted vegetable medley, or meatball soup with fresh herbs?]

[Could you make the shrimp with lemon instead?]

[Absolutely!] Emily immediately replied, heading out to buy lemons.

Felicity ate dinner in her room again, but this time when Emily collected the empty dishes from outside the door, she found a note with a cute drawing of a cat on it.

Emily felt a warmth spread through her chest. This was the first such sweet "thank you" she had received.

It was nearly nine o'clock by the time she finished cleaning the kitchen. Emily was planning to wait for Iris to return before leaving, when she received a text from Morris.

Morris: [Done with work?]

Emily: [Not yet, waiting for the child's mother to return.]

Morris: [Send me the address. I'll come pick you up.]

Emily's first instinct was to refuse, but Morris quickly gave her a reason she couldn't easily dismiss.

[It's late, and it's not safe for you to go home alone. I happen to be out for a meeting anyway, so I can drop you off.]

She hesitated for a few seconds, then sent him the address.

She wasn't sure when her employers would return, and by then the subway might no longer be running. It made sense to accept Morris's offer of a ride.

Iris returned home just before ten. After Emily briefly explained Felicity's situation, she hurried to the entrance of the complex. As soon as she stepped outside, she saw Morris standing nearby, holding a cup of coffee.

"I ordered an extra one," Morris walked over and handed her the coffee. "You might as well have it, so it doesn't go to waste."