Chapter 3 I Thought Richard Liked Me, But He Brought Home A Girlfriend

"Did I hire you to sit around gossiping all day?" "What kind of proposal is this? Is this your first day on the job? Take it back and redo it." I knocked on the door but didn't wait for a reply before entering.

Everyone inside looked at me as if I were their savior, and I could see the gratitude in their eyes.

Richard was caught off guard for a moment-he hadn't expected me to show up.

I cleared my throat, walked up to him, and set the food down. "Richard, you should eat something. Mrs. Stewart said you haven't had dinner." He didn't move at first, so I grabbed his arm and guided him toward his office.

As I closed the door behind us, I gave the others an "OK" signal.

Richard's expression softened a bit, but he still looked like he wasn't in the mood to talk.

I brought him a bowl of noodles, and he didn't even leave a single bite of meat. He must've been starving.

"Richard, you need to take care of yourself. Work will never end. If you keep this up, your parents will be worried sick."

He looked into my eyes, and I saw a mix of emotions-too many for me to make sense of. "And what about you?" I started tidying up the takeout container, avoiding his gaze.

"Of course, I'm worried too. Why else would I come looking for you in the middle of the night?" My attempt to coax him worked. He picked up his jacket, slung it over his arm, and got ready to leave.

"I'll take you home. It's not safe for you to walk alone at night."

In the car, I avoided his eyes, pretending to look out the window at the passing scenery.

For several days, I didn't contact Richard.

My mom thought we were fighting and kept urging me not to be stubborn. "Don't be so willful. Richard is busy with work, and he still makes time to take care of you." I didn't know how to explain it to her, so I just stayed silent.

As work got busier, I pushed the matter to the back of my mind.

We spoke occasionally, but only about work-related things.

Eventually, he became distant with me.

I sighed with relief, but at the same time, I felt an odd emptiness inside.

Time flew by, and before I knew it, Christmas was approaching. The company gave us a holiday starting three days before Christmas.

Coincidentally, Lanny was holding a concert in Alodon, so I flew over to catch it and even took a photo with him afterward.

Lanny said we hadn't taken a picture together in years and asked me to send him one.

I did, and moments later, I saw him post it on Facebook.

"Great concert! Thanks to all the friends who came from far and wide." When I returned to Pheldence, it was Christmas Eve.

For some reason, I couldn't shake this feeling of unease.

Every year, our families took turns hosting the family dinner, and this year it was at Richard's house.

As soon as I walked in, I heard laughter coming from the living room.

I headed toward the sound and saw a gentle, elegant girl sitting on the couch.

She had long hair, was dressed in a luxury coat, and carried a limited-edition handbag.

Clearly, she was the same type of person as Richard.

The most important thing was that she was sitting next to him, with her hand linked through his arm.

Richard didn't even look at me. His attention was completely on her.

I felt an inexplicable surge of frustration and placed my things on the coffee table a bit too forcefully.

My mom shot me a sharp look.

"Tricia, can you show some manners? You just walked in, and you're already giving attitude."

Richard smiled-barely, but I noticed it.

Sitting across from them, their closeness felt glaringly obvious.

"So, what should I call you?" I asked the girl.

For the first time since I arrived, Richard actually looked at me. "Tricia, this is my girlfriend. Say 'Hi'." I didn't know what to say. Suddenly, I understood where that feeling of unease had been coming from.

Richard was in a relationship, and I was the one who felt the most hurt.

I quickly greeted her, but despite the feast in front of me, everything tasted bland and unappetizing.

Once I got home, I rushed to my room, buried myself under the covers, and let the tears flow freely.

I didn't know how much time had passed when I suddenly heard the door creak open.

I hastily wiped away my tears, pretending to be asleep.

Someone walked slowly to my bedside. I could feel his gaze on me as he crouched down.

He pulled at my blanket, and though I clung to it, I couldn't match his strength.

I opened my eyes to see Richard standing by my bed with a faint smile. "Tricia, why are you crying just because I'm in a relationship?"