I Am a Scorpio(4)

13

A car stopped at the residential area entrance, and Joel got out of the car.

Dylan bumped into my shoulder and said, "I've just sent a message, and he already came back in less than ten minutes. Isn't Joe quick, Angeline?"

I complained inwardly as I wouldn't know if Joel was quick or not.

I was calm on the surface, but I was secretly delighted to the point that I didn't seem to hate Mark so much when I looked at him.

Joel hurried over and glanced at Mark. "Dylan and I will take him to the hospital. You go home first. I'll call you if there's anything wrong."

I thought for a while and nodded. "Okay."

Just as Mark wanted to object, Dylan and Joel had already walked toward Mark. They carried Mark into the car like they were kidnapping him.

The security guards were dumbfounded.

I explained with a dry smile, "They are good friends..."

After watching Joel's car lights disappearing into the street, I turned around and went home. As the night wind blew, I felt comfortable.

At 11:00 p.m., Eva called me. Her tone was frantic and tinged with tears. "Angel, Mark is so pitiful. He is sick. Xenia refuses to take care of him in the hospital and even quarrels with him. I'm begging you to please take care of Mark. I know Mark has made a mistake and wronged you. I apologize to you on his behalf. He's my son, so I know him well. He still loves you a lot. Mark and Xenia only made a mistake after drinking. Can't you be more gracious? Isn't it a pity for you two to stop seeing each other after being in love for so many years? I promise you that Mark will be nice to you after the two of you get married."

"Hah... I don't do garbage collection anymore. You should beg Xenia again."

After saying that, I quickly hung up the phone and was once again glad that I cut my losses right in time.

During that period of time, my work was recognized by my leader. He assigned me a very important bidding project. If I completed it well, there would be a new breakthrough in my career.

I cared about this opportunity very much. I couldn't waste my time on Mark.

After blocking Eva's number, I sent a message to Joel: [Are you okay? Are you back yet?]

Joel quickly replied: [I'm still accompanying him to take an injection. It's okay. Go to sleep. I'm here.]

I responded: [I'm just concerned about you.]

He sent an emoji that looked like he was so happy that he was flying and replied: [I'm good. I'm very fine now.]

I texted back: [Yeah, you're good. You're very nice.]

It was already three o'clock in the morning after I had finished the proposal. I was hungry and dragged my tired body to the kitchen to cook pasta.

Suddenly, I heard the door opening next door and hurried out to look.

It was Joel and Dylan. They had just come back from the hospital.

"Do you want to eat pasta?" I pursed my lips, and I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes unconsciously.

Joel and Mark had no interaction at all. If it weren't for me, Joel wouldn't have gotten into this trouble.

"Dylan already had dinner. You can cook it for me." Joel pushed Dylan into the house, then closed the door deftly and walked towards me.

I remembered the last time we had stew together. At that time, Joel also told me that Dylan had already eaten.

"Did he really have his dinner already? He's a young man who's growing now." I turned around with a smile and let Joel in.

When I was taking the cooked pasta out of the kitchen, Joel was so tired that he fell asleep on the couch.

I squatted beside the couch and stared at his face quietly. He was sleeping soundly. His breathing was light and even. The light shone from the ceiling, plating a layer of soft light on his smooth side profile, and his long eyelashes sprinkled a faint shadow on his fair skin.

"Thank you." I couldn't help but reach out my hand to trace his eyebrows and eyes gently.

I was determined to take the initiative and make the first move as soon as I completed the project on hand.

14

On the day of the bidding conference, I met Xenia at the venue.

She also participated in the bidding on behalf of the company.

After I finished speaking, she came down from the stage and bypassed several people to sit next to me, then greeted me, "Angel, you did an impressive job today."

"I think so, too." I tidied my hair and said lightly.

I was really in a good shape that day, and I performed better than every drill I did at home.

Xenia was stunned for a moment, and the smile on her face became a little strange. "Eva has been talking about you recently. Do you still have contact with each other?"

I glanced at her hand holding the hem of the skirt. She seemed to be holding back something.

"It's none of your business," I responded.

Ten minutes later, it was Xenia's turn to present. Her performance was average, and she stammered two or three times nervously.

After getting off the stage, she looked at me unhappily. "What were you laughing at offstage?

I was confused.

I was quite certain that it was polite to smile on such an occasion.

"I'm laughing at your poor performance." I was lazy to be polite to her.

At the end of the bidding conference, a supervisor came to greet me, and the appreciation shown between their words was obvious.

Xenia's face darkened further as she heard that.

As soon as I returned to the company, Joel called me. He was very excited and proud, telling me that his classmate praised me.

It was not until then that I learned his classmate was one of the bidding supervisors. He said he didn't tell me before because he was afraid that I would be under pressure.

"I saw that Xenia went to the bidding conference today. Is your department also responsible for this?" I asked.

"Xenia is not in our department now. She has changed her post. I don't know what project she is in charge of."

"She switched departments? Did you bully her?" I was a little curious.

"She proposed to transfer herself. Maybe she is too poor at work and is too embarrassed to stay there." He thought for a while and said, "Should I send my classmate's WhatsApp contact to you? You can ask him about it."

"Our two companies are competing with each other. It's so obvious that you're doing this out of selfish motives. Aren't you afraid that your boss will be jealous?" I smiled and said, "I don't need his WhatsApp contact. I've tried my best, so I'll let fate decide the rest. I'm too lazy to socialize anymore."

The work had been done with all my efforts, and it was time for me to take the initiative to deal with my relationship.

I knew very well that my feelings for Joel were no longer pure.

I was attracted to him.

It was not the emptiness after the breakup. In fact, I really wanted to move forward in life hand in hand with him.

At night after work, Joel came to the company to pick me up as usual. There was fast-paced music in the car, and his body swayed slightly with the rhythm.

It could be seen that he was happy.

When I got in the passenger seat, I was also feeling excited. I smiled and said, "Why are you so happy?"

"I'm so proud to hear that you've been praised. Let's eat something good tonight to celebrate." He turned to look at me with sparkling eyes and a kind of seductive sincerity.

During the meal, Joel was still excited and kept picking up dishes for me, saying that he was rewarding me. Every action of his was pure and childlike.

Looking at his handsome eyes, I suddenly realized that Joel's talent and appearance were really attractive, but his inner softness and sincerity moved me even more.

Suddenly, I felt like I couldn't wait any longer anymore. I wanted to tell him immediately.

"Joel, I want to—"

A series of ringtones interrupted me as Joel's phone rang.

Not long after the call was answered, his smile collapsed and his eyes were gloomy.

After hanging up the phone, he clicked on his phone twice, and his face darkened.

"What's wrong?" I asked cautiously.

He handed me his phone and showed me the screenshot sent by the supervisor.

On the screenshot, a woman claimed to be Angeline. She told the supervisor all kinds of bold words and sent him several private photos of her in a maid costume.

The supervisor sent another message: [Is she really the girl you like? There is something wrong with this person's character.]

I endured the surging anger and returned the phone to Joel. "It must be Xenia. These photos..."

My voice choked for a moment, and I slowed down. "It was sent by Mark to Xenia. It must be her. I didn't know who else would use them for such disgusting means except for her."

The purpose of Xenia doing this was to destroy my impression at the bidding company. Moreover, if I won the bid, she could also say that I was relying on improper means.

I clenched my fists and calmed down. After pondering for a while, I said, "Joel, ask the supervisor to forward those WhatsApp messages to me. I'll see if there is any way to prove it is Xenia."

Joel typed quickly and soon handed me the phone again.

This WhatsApp account looked a little familiar...

Suddenly, I remembered that it was the alternate account Mark used to play games.