Chapter 4 Send Me The Address

At Riverside Restaurant, Helen picked up her white shirt at the front desk and was just about to turn and leave when someone called out to her, "Helen?"

Helen paused and glanced sideways. A man in a dark green T-shirt was walking toward her from the lounge area. He was handsome, with striking peach blossom eyes, long brows, and a harmless smile.

She recognized him as a college alumnus. She knew the name well, but for some reason, she couldn't remember his full name or even his last name.

Before he reached her, Bernie introduced himself, "Bernie, do you remember me?"

Helen finally matched the name to the face. She smiled lightly and said, "Of course I remember. Long time no see."

Knowing Helen's personality, Bernie half-jokingly said, "I was worried you'd forget. Are you from New York City?"

"Yes." Helen extended her hand, and they exchanged a handshake. "Are you in New York City for business?"

"Yes. A friend of mine is married to one of your New York City sons-in-law. He's been getting everyone to invest in your New York City park, even setting KPIs for all of us. I have to come to New York City two or three times a year," Bernie said, pulling out a QR code and handing his phone to her since he didn't have Helen's contact information. "I heard you married your college boyfriend, congratulations."

"Thanks."

They exchanged contact information, and Helen updated her contact list.

She had never spoken much with Bernie, and after years without contact, there was little to talk about. Their brief reunion ended with Bernie saying, "Let me know when you're free and I'll take you out for a meal." He returned to the lounge area to wait for his takeout, while Helen left the restaurant to find Linda.

During the ten minutes it took for Helen to enter the restaurant, Linda had spent ten minutes admiring the man in the car next door.

At first, she was just admiring him, but as time passed, her gaze wandered, her thoughts drifting to the work handover she had to deal with tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Rex turned his face again, checking if Bernie had left, and Linda's gaze once more met his. He calmly withdrew his gaze and looked toward the restaurant's entrance.

When Bernie came out, Linda's white car had already driven away.

"I got you a takeout," Bernie said, placing the food in the backseat and starting the car.

Rex replied, "I told you I don't need it."

Bernie had originally planned to invite Rex for a late-night meal, but since Rex wasn't hungry, he decided to get takeout instead. Not wanting to eat alone, he ordered an extra portion, but Rex didn't appreciate it.

With good humor, Bernie said, "Then I'll eat both."

At a traffic light, Bernie leaned against the car window, rubbing his chin absently and muttering, "The world is so small. Guess who I ran into at the restaurant? A college alum. She didn't even remember my name."

He gave a dry laugh.

After a moment of silence, he added, "I know she's from New York City."

Rex didn't understand and wasn't interested in gossip. "I'm flying back to London tomorrow morning."

Bernie's arm came off the window, and suddenly he had a bad feeling. "Wait, if you're leaving, what about tomorrow's meeting?"

"You go."

"I... I can't handle it the same way you do."

The semiconductor material project in New York City was a joint investment between Bernie and Rex. Previously, major company decisions were always made by Rex, and Bernie was responsible for running errands.

Tomorrow's meeting in New York City was especially important, and Bernie was worried about handling it alone.

"Why the rush to leave?" Bernie asked.

Rex replied, "Something came up with my older brother."

"Oh, I see," Bernie stopped asking further questions because he knew Rex wouldn't explain. Over the years, he had realized that everyone who spent time with Rex eventually adopted a habit of speaking less and doing more. Even someone like him, who had no tact and spoke his mind, had learned to read between the lines.

Twenty minutes later, the car stopped at the hotel entrance.

"From now on, you'll handle the New York City project," Rex said as he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.

"Hey, wait a minute," Bernie grabbed the takeout bags, and seeing Rex's driver and secretary in the car behind, he pointed to the Cullinan, signaling the driver to park properly, before quickly chasing after Rex. "What's going on?"

Rex replied, "I have other projects to focus on, and I won't be coming to New York City as often."

The New York City project was mostly on track, and there was no need for Rex to monitor every detail. Bernie should be able to handle it.

-

The next day, Linda went to the office as usual, arriving at the same time as her colleagues, who were all surprised to see her there.

Their dark circles were even worse than Linda's, as they had created a small group chat the previous night, complaining about the boss until three in the morning. If it hadn't been for Sally dissolving the group, they probably would have stayed up all night.

Sally took the initiative to go to the kitchen, refill Linda's cup with warm water, and make coffee for herself. She had received a message from the boss late last night, asking her to assist with Linda's work handover.

"Drink some water." She placed the cup on Linda's desk and looked at Linda's eyes. There were no puffiness, just a few thin red blood vessels. "I was worried your eyes wouldn't be able to meet people today."

Linda smiled lightly, "My tear ducts aren't that developed."

The man who could make her cry hadn't been born yet.

After dropping Helen off last night, Helen asked her to wait for a few minutes before going to a pharmacy to buy some soothing sleep medicine. Linda fell asleep within half an hour of lying down and woke up to the alarm in the morning, without any time for tears.

Sally got to the point, "Jamie asked me to take over your work. If you're not feeling well today, we can do the handover another day, no rush."

"No need, losing a relationship won't stop the handover."

Sally sighed inwardly. She couldn't stand the boss but had to keep her complaints to herself. The next day at work, she still had to act like everything was fine.

"Jamie also said, don't worry, the bonus for the last project will definitely be given to you, and it won't be less," she added, offering a bit of advice. "Your face is important, but money is more real. Don't be foolish and reject this bonus. You worked hard for it."

Linda paused, looking up from her work. "The bonus is mine, why would I refuse it? If the company doesn't give it to me, I won't accept that."

Sally gave her a thumbs-up and tried to keep the conversation light, avoiding mention of Jamie. "Once you settle in at the new company, I'll come work for you."

Linda laughed along, "I'll hire you with a high salary when I become the boss."

She was joking, but Sally wasn't.

Linda was one of the few employees who didn't give a month's notice before resigning. The handover was swift, taking only three days to complete.

During those three days, she didn't see Jamie.

Jamie's office was on the same floor, but she heard he was out of New York City for a business trip. They all speculated that he was deliberately avoiding Linda by being away.

As for the bonus, Linda received it a month later.

The day she received the bonus was the same day that Bert and Jamie got engaged. She didn't think it was a coincidence, as it seemed too ironic.

The company's finance department knew that the boss's fiancé was her ex-boyfriend, yet they chose this exact day to transfer the money to her.

That day felt like a lifetime, with the morning dragging on like a week.

Linda couldn't concentrate on reading, so she decided to get on the treadmill and run.

Her phone rang. Sweat dripping from her face, she answered the phone and saw it was from the real estate agent. The Riverside Community villa she had listed had attracted some potential buyers.

Linda picked up the call. The agent asked if she was available, as a client was interested in her house.

With nothing else to do, Linda responded, "I'm available."

The agent said, "The client is in the office now. Can you come by?"

Linda put down her phone, took a quick shower, and decided to apply a fresh makeup look before heading out.

A month had passed, and it was impossible to tell from her appearance that she had experienced both a breakup and job loss.

At the agent's office, the family that was interested in her property had been waiting for some time, and they had brought a lawyer with them.

The lawyer got straight to the point and made an offer, which was below her expected price, but the buyers were paying in full. They were ready to sign the contract and pay the deposit as soon as she agreed.

Today, Bert got engaged, and such a special day seemed to seal the fate of this house.

Linda didn't want to stay even one more day, and agreed to the deal.

The paperwork was a bit complicated, and it wasn't until the next day that the transfer was completed.

This week, Linda resumed her regular routine, waking up at 6,30 AM, making a hearty breakfast, and after eating, relaxing on the sofa with a book.

Helen sent her a message, "Are you busy?"

In the past month, they hadn't had any contact.

Linda put down the essay collection in her hands and replied, "I'm free."

Helen knew she had quit her job and had been resting at home for over a month. Bert got engaged the day before, and Helen had wanted to call her but worried that Linda might be too upset to talk about anything.

Linda asked, "What's up?"

Helen asked with concern, "Have you found a new job yet? Or are you planning to rest a bit longer?"

Linda planned to figure things out after her dad's wedding, "I'll think about it after my dad's wedding. No rush."

"By the way," Helen asked Linda, "Does Aunt know you broke up and quit your job?"

Linda hadn't told her mother yet. She didn't want her to worry, "The supermarket stuff is enough for my mom to deal with."

Helen, "Should I tell Uncle Jackson? Even if we don't tell him now, it won't be long before he finds out."

Her father and Helen's mother's wedding was approaching. Linda thought for a moment, "Let's wait. I want him to have a good mood for the wedding. After the wedding, I'll tell them once I settle down with a job."

Helen, "As long as you're in the New York City finance circle, you can't avoid dealing with Jamie. Have you thought about working at French? It's not far from home, and a change of environment might help you feel better."

Linda admitted, "I don't have the resources for French."

Helen, "I'm attending a dinner party tonight, hosted by French's billionaire Hazel. Hazel does business with all the major groups in New York City, so whether you go to French or not, it won't hurt to know someone. Even though I'll just be a backdrop at the dinner, you're good enough at networking to turn these big names into connections."

"Such a rare opportunity, go for it."

Linda didn't waste Helen's good intentions, "Send me the address."