Chapter 141 Apology
ANNA'S POV
As I walked through the glass doors of the building, already preparing myself for another long day at the lab, I barely had time to take two steps inside before something unusual caught my attention.
Voices.
Not the normal low chatter from staff greeting one another or patients checking in, this sounded tense. Sharp. Almost confrontational.
Two women stood at the reception desk, and from the way one of them leaned forward while the other gestured wildly, it was clear they weren’t having a pleasant conversation with Abby. My receptionist looked uncomfortable, her polite smile stretched thin as she tried to maintain professionalism.
I slowed my steps and placed my coat neatly on the couch beside the entrance. Whatever was going on, it clearly needed intervention. For a brief second, I wondered if they were patients, maybe someone had experienced a reaction or wanted to complain about a prescription.
That thought alone was enough to make me step in.
I walked closer, my heels clicking softly against the tiled floor.
“What’s going on here, Abby?” I asked calmly.
The moment my voice cut through the tension, the two women turned around.
Bella.
And her mother.
I knew I recognized the back of her hair when I walked in. Still, seeing her standing there, inside my building was the last thing I expected.
I had thought she quit.
No, not thought. I knew she quit. Stormed out with pride written all over her face.
So why was she here? And why had she brought her mother along?
“Good day, ma’am,” Bella said quietly.
I frowned.
Ma’am?
The word hit me so unexpectedly that it almost threw me off balance. I stared at her, searching her face for mockery or sarcasm, but there was none. Her eyes were lowered, her shoulders slightly slumped.
I knew the last time we spoke I told her not to call me by my name but I didn’t expect her to actually listen now that she quit. If someone had told me weeks ago that Bella would ever refer to me as ma’am, I would have laughed in their face.
Yet here she was.
Before I could respond, her mother spoke up.
“Hello, Anna. It’s been a while, don’t you think?”
I ignored her greeting completely.
“How can I help you both?” I asked, my tone professional and distant. “Is there something you’d like to purchase?”
Abby immediately stepped out from behind the desk, clearly relieved that I had taken over.
“Ma’am, I’m really sorry about this,” she said. “They came in asking to speak with either you or Mr. Dan.”
“Well, I’m here now,” I replied evenly. “So what can I do for you?”
“Anna, my dear…”
I raised my hand, stopping Bella’s mother mid-sentence.
I didn’t know where she got the confidence to address me so casually. Did they think familiarity from the past still gave them access to me? That we were still on first-name terms?
That part of my life was long gone.
“That’s Ms. Quinn to you,” I corrected sharply.
Her lips trembled slightly. “Sorry… Ms. Quinn,” she said, taking a hesitant step forward. “I followed Bella here today because she did something very stupid.”
I crossed my arms. “And what exactly did she do? And how does it concern me?”
“She quit,” her mother said quickly. “That was the stupid thing. She wasn’t meant to do that, and now we regret it deeply. That’s why I brought her here. I want to beg you, if it’s possible that she can come back to work.”
I let out a short, humorless laugh.
“Oh, so now it was a stupid move?” I said, turning my gaze fully on Bella. “What happened to that proud ego you had when you walked out of my office that day?”
Bella swallowed hard.
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I shouldn’t have done that. I let my emotions get the better of me, and it ended badly. I regret quitting. Please… if the janitor position is still available, I’d like to come back.”
Her mother nodded repeatedly. “Please, Ms. Quinn. I really need her to keep working. We need this job.”
I studied them both.
They looked… different.
Desperate
I didn’t miss the way Bella avoided eye contact or how her mother clutched her bag like it was the only thing keeping her steady. Still, I wasn’t about to let pity cloud my judgment.
But I also didn’t want to be cruel.
“Fine,” I said finally. “She can start tomorrow. You’re lucky, the next applicant for the janitor position isn’t scheduled until two days from now.”
Relief washed over Bella’s face instantly, while her mother almost sagged in place.
Without another word, I turned and walked back toward the couch to grab my coat.
“That’s not all, ma’am,” Bella’s voice called from behind me.
I paused.
Slowly, I turned around, already bracing myself for whatever request they were about to add.
And then I saw it.
Both Bella and her mother were on their knees.
My breath caught.
“What are you doing?” I asked, genuinely shocked.
Bella’s mother raised her hands slightly, palms open, her eyes glossy.
“We know we did many things to you in the past, things we’re not proud of,” she began. “And honestly, when we found out that even after everything, you still gave Bella the medication she needed… we were stunned.”
She bowed her head slightly.
“You’re the boss here. That day, you could have refused us. You could have thrown us out. But you didn’t. And then you even allowed Bella to work here. No matter your reason, that showed us that you have a good heart.”
Bella nodded beside her, tears pooling in her eyes.
“But we know you haven’t forgotten what we did,” her mother continued. “So we’re here… to ask for your forgiveness.”
The room fell silent.
Every single staff member had stopped what they were doing. I could feel their eyes on us, the weight of their attention pressing down on my shoulders.
I hadn’t expected this.
Not like this.
“Get up,” I said firmly.
They hesitated.
“I said get up,” I repeated, my voice sharper this time.
Slowly, they rose to their feet.
“I didn’t help Bella because I wanted gratitude,” I said, keeping my tone steady. “I did it because it was my job, and because I refuse to become the kind of person who lets bitterness decide who deserves care.”
I looked directly at Bella.
“You have your job back. That’s all.”