Chapter 8

"You're being rather greedy, Mr. Ford," Luther remarked.

Disregarding Jared's warning, he smiled and said, "I heard you transferred Yvonne to another department after getting yourself a new secretary. Since things are over between you two, you should accept that she'll have other guys hanging around her."

"Who said it's over between us? Did Yvonne say that?"

Jared was outraged. He didn't expect Yvonne to have admirers crowding in so soon. He was so pissed that his ears were ringing.

"Yvonne and I haven't broken up!"

It had been seven whole years since they'd started dating in college, and Yvonne had never left Jared's side. He was the most important person in the world to her. She would never leave him.

"I'm afraid you've misunderstood the situation, Mr. Ford. Ms. Jamison and I were just discussing work matters," Luther explained.

"That being said, with her beauty and brains, she has every opportunity to find herself a new man. Don't tell me that your childish attempt at threatening me is your way of handling the issue, Mr. Ford."

"All couples fight, but they always end up patching things up, Mr. Feland," Anthony said with a smile. "Perhaps you didn't know, but Yvonne and Jared are already planning their wedding. Jared, once you guys set a date, don't forget to send Mr. Feland an invite."

Having been a friend to both Jared and Yvonne, Anthony had also witnessed their relationship all these years. No one could break the bond of love between the two childhood friends.

"I'll most certainly invite Mr. Feland to my wedding," Jared declared confidently.

"We're all friends here. There's no reason to fight over a woman. It's good to clarify any misunderstandings and clear the air," Shane piped up in an attempt to ease the tension.

"Are you that confident, Mr. Ford?" Luther asked with a provoking smile. "If Ms. Jamison chooses to marry you, I'll offer you my well wishes. However, if she decides not to choose you, I shall exercise my right to pursue her."

"Ha! You have no right to pursue her, and you won't get that opportunity either!" Jared insisted icily.

Still, he couldn't ignore Luther's words. They were lodged in him like thorns.

Who else could Yvonne choose, if not him? He'd always been her only choice!

Things ended on a sour note between the men.

Shirley, who'd been eavesdropping nearby, approached with the car keys in hand. She was officially on the job as Jared's secretary.

"I'll drive you home, Mr. Ford."

Jared hesitated as he got into the car. When Yvonne came to pick him up, he'd always sit in the front passenger seat and use the proximity as well as his inebriated state to pester her. This time, when he saw Shirley in the driver's seat, he chose to sit in the back instead.

The car felt stuffy. Jared hadn't eaten anything during dinner, and drinking on an empty stomach only made his stomach feel worse. Frowning, he lowered the car window.

"Don't use such a strong perfume ever again."

"Okay," Shirley responded sweetly.

As they exited the parking lot, Jared spotted Luther's sports car, and it ignited his competitive streak.

"Don't take me home. Take me to Clearwater Bay," Jared instructed. He'd had Frederick look into it and found out that Yvonne had moved into a villa there.

"Are you going to look for Yvonne, Mr. Ford?" Shirley asked.

Eyes flashing deviously, she blinked and lied, "Actually, I heard Yvonne on the phone earlier at the office today. She specifically asked to meet with Mr. Feland here. I think she said she wanted someone to see her."

"Did you really hear Yvonne say that?"

Jared was briefly startled, but soon, he started smiling. He'd nearly fallen for her trick!

Knowing full well that he and his friends were having dinner at Thompson Lounge, Yvonne had purposely arranged to meet Luther there too. She was just trying to make him jealous by showing up with another guy! That had to be it.

Jared was a little pissed, but he was happier than mad about it. He knew Yvonne better than anyone. He was her first love and the only man she would ever marry.

…

After confirming the venue with Feland Group, Yvonne and her team spent the next two days setting things up on-site.

She was so busy that she didn't even have time to check her phone. Even though it was past 10:00 am, she still hadn't had breakfast yet.

"Babe, you can't work on an empty stomach! Here, I brought you a feast!" Isabel declared.

When she'd failed to get in touch with Yvonne, she'd marched right over with a bag of fast food in one hand and the interior design plans for their studio in the other. The two women sat on the stairs and ate.

"The design plan looks great. You sure have good taste, Ms. York," Yvonne said teasingly.

Between bites of her hamburger, she checked the countdown calendar on her phone.

"I'll be resigning in ten days, which coincides perfectly with the end of the exhibition. When the time comes, I can start sharing the workload for the studio with you."

"Don't end up fainting from exhaustion," Isabel cautioned.

"It's worth it for the sake of pursuing my dreams and goals in life," Yvonne said, to which Isabel nodded in agreement.

At the very least, it was better than prioritizing that bastard Jared over all else like she used to.

"Yvvy, does anyone bother you at work?"

Yvonne understood what Isabel was implying. She chuckled and responded, "Nope. My phone's been silent too."

…

Jared's gastric issues had persisted for several days now. After yet another bout of drinks during a lunch meeting, his body finally caved, and he was brought to the emergency room.

Anthony was the only one who could rush to the hospital to check on him. After seeing the terrible state Jared was in, he quickly texted Yvonne.

"Yvonne, Jared has just been admitted at Central Hospital with stomach bleeding. You should come over right away."

After entering the emergency room, Anthony spotted the pale-faced Jared and said, "I've informed Yvonne. Although you two are still giving each other the cold shoulder, I'm sure she'll rush over to take care of you once she finds out you're not feeling well."

Jared frowned, but he didn't object to Anthony's actions. In fact, he started feeling a little expectant too.

Meanwhile, Yvonne was shocked by a message she received. She scrambled to her feet and said, "Isabel, something came up. I need to leave. I'll call you tonight."

…

Half an hour later, Jared was still at the hospital receiving an IV drip when he heard the sound of heels clacking against the floor. Someone was running toward him.

He slowly opened his eyes, waiting hopefully to see Yvonne rushing toward him with an anxious expression the way she used to.

The door to his hospital room flew open, but when he saw Shirley dashing in instead, his eyes filled with disappointment.

"Are you alright, Mr. Ford?" Shirley tearfully checked on him.

Yet, Jared didn't seem to hear her. He glanced out the doorway instead. There was no sign of Yvonne anywhere.

Anthony, who'd just returned after settling the hospital bill, caught the hopeful look in Jared's eyes and said, "Perhaps Yvonne hasn't seen my message yet. I'm sure she'd rush over if she knew you were in the hospital. I'll give her a call to urge her."

Jared's expression soured. "Don't bother calling Yvonne! I'm not waiting for her! She's the one who missed her chance. Let her stew in regret over it!"

Once he finished speaking, he started wondering if stomach issues led to pain in other areas too. Why did he feel an ache in his heart as well?

…

Yvonne drove right to Hover Group and ran all the way to the front desk. Panting, she said, "Hi there. I received word that Mr. Hover is back. Is he free to meet with me now?"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Jamison, but you arrived a little too late. Mr. Hover left after settling some work matters," the receptionist informed Yvonne with a helpless smile.

"Well… when will he be back?"

"I'm not sure either."

Yvonne visibly deflated at that.

"I'll be waiting at the cafe opposite the building. Do inform me the moment Mr. Hover returns. Thank you."

The cafe was on the third floor of the building opposite Hover Group, and Yvonne had a clear view of its entrance.

It was so hard to meet the mysterious Samuel Hover. If she couldn't discuss loaning her sculpture from the Hovers, she would have to cancel the plan to showcase her work. It was an important part of the exhibition for her.

Yvonne ended up working at the cafe that afternoon. Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly noticed a man in a suit sit down at her table.

Looking up instinctively, she was startled to see who it was.

"Mr. Quillan?"

Why was her blind date here?

Samuel smiled at her.