Chapter 18: Happy Puppy vs. Golden Cat

 

The week flew by. It was finally Friday evening. Harper cooked a feast for Sebastian, then packed her bag to go home for the weekend.

Back at the Evans family apartment, she was greeted like a war hero returning from battle. Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa lined up to inspect her. They checked her arms, her face, even her teeth (as if buying a horse).

[Did the boss bully you?] Dad signed aggressively. "No, Dad. He's very nice."

[Are you eating well?] Mom signed. "Look at my face! I gained two pounds!" Harper pinched her own cheek.

The family finally relaxed and stuffed her with food until she couldn't move.

---

[The Lonely Villa]

Meanwhile, at the Sterling Estate. The lights were on, but the massive house felt colder than usual. It was quiet. Too quiet.

Sebastian ate the dinner Harper had left for him. It was delicious, but eating alone in the silent dining room felt... hollow. He put the dishes in the dishwasher. Usually, this was his routine. But tonight, the silence pressed against his ears.

He went upstairs. He glanced at the closed door of the guest room opposite his. Empty.

He washed up, changed into his pajamas, and maneuvered himself into bed using the grab bars. He reached out to turn off the lamp.

Ding. His phone buzzed on the nightstand. Ding. Ding. Ding. A barrage of notifications. Noisy and chaotic. Just like a certain someone.

Sebastian picked up his phone. A small smile, one he didn't even notice, touched his lips.

[Harper]: Boss! How was dinner? [Harper]: I'm not across the hall tonight. Are you scared sleeping alone? 👻 [Harper]: If you're scared, be brave! [Harper]: But... if you offer triple overtime pay, I can come back to protect you. ⚔️ [Harper]: (Of course, I don't care about the money. I care about your safety. Cough.) [Harper]: Wait, if I come tomorrow for the massage, that counts as holiday overtime, right? So... 6x pay? 💰 [Harper]: See you tomorrow!

Sebastian read the messages twice. He waited a moment, then began to type.

Harper was about to sleep when her phone buzzed. [Boss]: Dinner was good. I finished it all. [Boss]: I am used to sleeping alone. I am not scared. [Boss]: Yes, I know you view money as dirt. (Sarcasm intended). [Boss]: You don't need to stay all day. Even for 30 minutes, I will pay you the full day rate at 6x salary. [Boss]: See you tomorrow.

He replied to every single point. Serious. Precise. Like he was drafting a contract.

Harper giggled, rolling around in her bed. 6x Salary for 30 minutes! No wonder ancient maids were so loyal. She would die for this job!

[Harper]: Okay! Goodnight, Boss! 🌙

[Boss]: Goodnight.

Sebastian put down his phone. He looked at Harper’s contact name: "Harper Evans". He thought for a second. His long fingers tapped the screen. He deleted the name and typed a new one: "Happy Puppy."

Across the city, Harper was doing the same. She changed "Boss" to: "Golden Cat." 🐱💰

---

[The Annoying Neighbor]

Saturday, noon. Harper slept in, ate brunch, played some video games, and then got ready to go to the Sterling Estate.

As she walked down the stairs, she bumped into Dennis (the landlady's son). He was wearing a flashy badminton outfit.

"Harper?" Dennis smirked. "Going to work on a Saturday? How sad."

Harper rolled her eyes. "None of your business."

"You know," Dennis blocked her path. "Sterling Corp employees never work on weekends. It's mandatory rest. I'm going to play badminton. Work-life balance, you know?"

"You? Badminton?" Harper scoffed. "I remember beating you 21-0 when we were kids. You spent two hours picking up shuttlecocks."

Dennis turned red. "That was years ago! I'm an elite HR manager now!"

"Good for you," Harper tried to step around him.

"Wait," Dennis sneered. "Does your employer pay overtime? If not, it's illegal. At Sterling Corp, overtime is triple pay."

Harper stopped. She was annoyed. "Dennis, stop bragging about Sterling Corp like you own it. You're just an employee. Even a golden trough doesn't change the fact that you're a donkey."

Dennis put his hands on his hips. "Hey! I'm trying to help you! You're stuck in some dead-end maid job. I work in HR! I could pull some strings and get you a job at Sterling Corp. Just ask me nicely."

Harper raised an eyebrow. "You? Pull strings?" Wait. A thought flashed through her mind. She applied for the Planning Department at Sterling Corp, but her resume was mysteriously moved to the Domestic Staff pool. Was it him?

"Did you... handle my application?" Harper asked slowly.

Dennis looked smug. "Maybe. I saw your name. I thought, 'Harper isn't smart enough for an office job, she's better with her hands.' So I did you a favor."

Harper’s blood boiled. So it was him. He sabotaged her application!

She took a deep breath. She wanted to punch him, but she had a better idea. She smiled sweetly. "Thanks, Dennis. You really did me a huge favor. Bigger than you know."

Dennis looked confused. "Uh... you're welcome?"

"Enjoy your badminton," Harper said, her smile turning icy. "I have a date with a billionaire."

She hopped into her taxi and slammed the door, leaving Dennis choking on the exhaust fumes.

"Date with a billionaire?" Dennis shouted at the car. "Yeah right! Keep dreaming, loser!"