Chapter 127 Kelly Causes Trouble Again
"Maria, I owe you big time for this. I'll make sure to return the favor," Thea, said, giving Maria a hearty pat on the shoulder. Thea was always so straightforward and strong, and Maria's shoulder ached from the force of her pat.
After Thea agreed to come with her, Maria shared the details of the speech's time and place, and they discussed what needed to be prepared. As they were chatting, Laura walked in. Joe had insisted she dress more professionally at work, so she wore an outfit that clashed with her hairstyle and makeup, making her look out of place in the office.
Laura, oblivious to this, thought she looked unique and attention-grabbing. When she noticed Maria looking at her, she dropped her shy smile and glared at Maria, huffing loudly to show she was still upset.
Maria regretted even glancing at her and quickly looked away. Thea sighed, "She acts angry all the time. Does she think anyone's going to comfort her?"
Maria stayed silent. She hadn't wanted to have issues with Laura, but Laura never seemed to understand social cues or boundaries. When people were polite to her, she assumed they were obligated to be.
Maria chose to keep her distance from Laura, but it wasn't always possible. At lunch, Laura brought her takeout box over to their table and sat down.
Luminex Innovations had a cafeteria with top-notch chefs, and employees could eat for free by scanning their IDs. Maria and Thea, not ones to waste money, enjoyed the delicious cafeteria food every day.
Laura, however, refused to settle for cafeteria food. She either ordered takeout or brought meals from home, acting like she was too good for the cafeteria.
"Maria, Thea, I ordered extra food. Let's share," Laura said with a smile, pushing the food to the center of the table.
Maria and Thea exchanged a glance, quickly finished their meals, and stood up. "No thanks, we're done. Enjoy your lunch," Maria said.
As they walked away, Laura glared at their backs, muttering, "Ungrateful women. Just wait until I'm the president's wife. I'll fire you both."
Thinking about her chance encounter with the "president", Laura's face flushed, and her eyes sparkled with hope.
The school speech was in two days, giving Maria and Thea enough time to prepare. Joe had even allowed them to submit their design plans a few days late, but they didn't want to be seen as slackers. They worked on their designs whenever they had free time. After work, Maria packed her half-finished design into her bag, planning to continue at home.
Thea had the same idea, and they headed to the elevator together. As they reached the first floor, Thea exclaimed, "Maria, look! That's the president of Luminex Innovations."
Maria instinctively looked up. In the lobby stood several men, one of whom had an impressive presence and stood tall with his back to her. He was talking to a blond man. Maria couldn't see his face, but his back seemed oddly familiar, like Henry's.
"They're leaving. Otherwise, you could've seen his face," Thea said, disappointed. The reason she was so excited was that she found out Maria had never met the president of Luminex Innovations, a man who had left a deep impression on her. As a good friend, she was eager for Maria to meet him as well.
Maria shook off her thoughts, telling herself she was overthinking. Henry couldn't possibly be the president of Luminex Innovations. She smiled at Thea, "It's okay. I'll see him another time."
Maria wasn't particularly eager to see the president. After all, he was far removed from her life as a junior designer.
What Maria didn't know was that Henry had initially planned to stay, but Jared had spotted Maria and Thea and informed Henry. Henry then changed his plans and escorted the blond man to the parking lot, earning the man's favor and increasing their order.
On the way home, Maria received a call from Molly. Since Kelly had tried to set her up with Frank, Maria had told Molly everything. After Molly arranged for Kelly to be hospitalized, they hadn't been in touch.
"Maria, Mom wants to go back home," Molly said, her voice weary.
Maria's heart sank. She took a deep breath and asked, "Why?"
"Never mind, I'll come over. Are you home?" Maria's question made Molly pause before she said she was. Maria understood that if Kelly wasn't causing a big fuss, Molly wouldn't have called.
"Wait for me at home," Maria said, hanging up and redirecting the taxi. She called Kenna to tell her that she would be home late tonight. On the way, Maria thought about Kelly's motives, suspecting she wanted to draw her over.
Maria stayed alert as the taxi arrived at the apartment complex near the school. She paid the fare and went upstairs. Molly opened the door, looking exhausted. Maria felt a pang of sympathy and asked, "Haven't you been sleeping well?"
Molly forced a smile. "I've been busy with my thesis. Come in, Maria. Whatever Mom says, don't dwell on it."
Molly's hesitation made Maria nod with a smile. She was grateful that despite having a biased mother, Molly was on her side.
In the living room, Kelly sat on the couch, looking thinner and more haggard from her illness, which made her appear even more bitter.
"You finally decided to show up. I thought you'd only come if I died," Kelly spat out, her words hitting Maria like a punch.
Maria had expected this. She swallowed her initial concern and sat down, meeting Kelly's gaze. "Why do you want to go back home? What are you planning?"
Kelly's anger flared, and she started yelling, "What am I doing here? I'm just a burden to you. Send me back home. I'd rather die there."
Maria was taken aback by Kelly's outburst. She glanced at Molly, who was setting down a fruit tray with a numb, detached expression.
Maria realized Molly was at her breaking point too. She couldn't let Kelly stay here any longer.
"Mom, we've never thought of you as a burden, but..." Maria paused, then continued, "If you feel uncomfortable here, you can stay at my place. It's bigger and has better facilities. I'm busy for the next few days, but if you still want to go back home after that, I'll take you."