Chapter 2

I thought my voice was loud enough, but it was drowned out by the sound of Noah frantically slamming the door shut.

When I turned around, I saw what a mess the living room was. Wine bottles and cigarette butts littered the floor, and Jessie's shorts were stuck in the couch seam.

I paused for a few seconds but did not tidy up like before. Instead, I went straight to the bedroom to get my suitcase.

I planned to stay at the office for some time before resigning and leaving this city once my last project was completed.

After putting away the last piece of clothing, it was already dark outside. However, the doorbell suddenly rang.

I opened the door to find a delivery person. "Hello, I have your meal here."

I froze for a moment before taking it.

The receipt was stuck to the cover. The phone number was Noah's, and the customer's name was ‘Mrs. Lucas’.

The note read: [Gastritis. Don't add chili to the side dishes.]

I stared at that line of text, and my fingertips gradually went cold.

The next second, Noah texted me.

Noah: [Has the food delivery arrived?]

Noah: [I forgot to change the address. I remember you like this place too, so consider it dinner.]

Noah: [Jessie needs to be hospitalized for a detailed examination. I'll stay with her, so I won't be coming home tonight.]

Immediately after that, Jessie also texted me with a photograph.

Jessie: [Lola, Noah bullied me again.]

Jessie: [I wanted a burger, but he bought me chicken soup instead!]

I looked at the identical takeout bag in the photo.

Even though I had not eaten all day, I lost my appetite.

He remembered Jessie had a stomach problem and could not eat spicy food. He had only ordered me a meal by mistake.

I left the takeout in the foyer and dragged my suitcase out the door.

The next afternoon, my phone was bombarded with calls from Noah.

My colleague, Jason McGreg, who was also working overtime on Sunday, saw the screen light up several times and nudged me. "Lola, it's Mr. Lucas calling."

I had to run to the pantry to answer his video call.

Before I could speak, he impatiently bombarded me with questions. "Where have you been? Why did it take you so long to answer? Did you not clean the house? The food's gone bad in the foyer. Can't you just say what's on your mind? Why are you disappearing like this?"

I gripped my phone tightly, trying to keep my voice calm. "The cleaners will come on Monday. I'm working overtime at the office."

Noah's frown relaxed, and he seemed like he was about to say something.

Jessie effortlessly wrapped her arm around his neck and squeezed into the frame.

"You lost! I knew Lola wouldn't leave us. She would never run away from home. Go buy groceries! I want your baked lobster tonight."

Regardless of whether Noah had anything else to say, I hung up. The phone never rang again.

At Monday morning's meeting, I arrived at the conference room on time with my team.

Half an hour later, Noah finally arrived, followed by Jessie, who was not supposed to be there.

After I carefully explained the proposal, Noah put down his pen and solemnly said, "The rebate for this Mother's Day is high, and it generates buzz. Changing the host to Jessie will help her rebuild her image."

After he finished speaking, the air was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

My team members all turned to look at me.

After three seconds of silence, I turned my laptop screen back on. "Mr. Lucas, the original host is a mother of three with three million followers. Jessie isn't married yet, and she has other options if she wants to switch tracks. Is there anything else you don't understand about the proposal? I can explain it again."