As Caroline ran the numbers, she realized that she could earn nearly 10,000 a month.
This was roughly equivalent to what she had made over six months at the factory.
I owe all of this to Blake–if he hadn’t recommended this amazing opportunity; I might still be working as a private chef, bouncing from one house to another.
Her previous work as a private chef didn’t provide the same stability as the job she had now.
A wave of gratitude washed over her as she thought about it. “Honestly, thank you so much. You’ve been such a big help to me.”
Ever since she’d met Blake, he had been like a guardian angel–always there when she was lost and helpless.
She couldn’t help but wonder, Why didn’t I meet him in my past life?
But after thinking for a moment, she understood the answer. In her past life, she had always followed her brothers‘ lead, putting their needs above her own. She hadn’t ventured outside of that role.
This time, things were different because she had chosen a path that wasn’t influenced by her brothers.
Blake gave her a charming smile, the kind that could melt anyone’s heart. “If you really want to thank me, why not do something for me in return?”
Caroline didn’t hesitate.
She always felt a bit awkward about paying him back by treating him to dinner, so if he wanted her to help with something, she’d gladly do it.
Blake raised an eyebrow. “You’re agreeing without asking what it is? Not worried I’ll ask you to do something shady?”
“I trust you won’t do that, right?” Caroline replied, smiling back at him. She had known Blake long enough to know he wasn’t the type to get involved in anything dishonest.
If someone like him could do bad things, then there wouldn’t be many good people left in the world.
Before Blake could respond, Caroline asked, “What do you need me to do?”
Blake’s expression turned serious, and he looked a bit troubled. “In two days, I’m going to a charity gala, and everyone has to bring a date. As you know, I’m single, so I was hoping you could come as my date for the night.”
Caroline blinked, initially thinking it might be something serious. But when she realized he was simply asking her to pretend to be his date, she felt relieved- didn’t seem like a big deal at all.
I can easily pull that off.
“No problem! I’ll play the part perfectly. No one will suspect anything,” Caroline said confidently.
After dinner, the night had fully settled in, and darkness had taken over the sky.
Caroline finally made her way home.
Upon entering, she was surprised to find Edwin sitting on the couch. She froze for a moment, then forced a polite smile.
“Edwin, you’re back.”
Edwin, who had been smiling when she walked in, immediately lost his grin. His face became serious.
“You’re back late. Where have you been?”
Today, he had learned a lot at the factory, including the chaos that had unfolded in his absence.
The financial records were in disarray.
If he had stayed away any longer, he didn’t want to imagine the disaster the factory would have turned into.
And according to Liam, all of this was Caroline’s fault.
At first, Edwin hadn’t believed it, because Caroline had always been obedient, never stepping out of line. He had always trusted her to do the right thing.
But now, seeing her return so late, without even making dinner, he couldn’t help but start to question what Liam had said.
It doesn’t make sense–I’ve only been gone for a few months. How could Caroline have changed so much in such a short time?
Caroline glanced at Liam, who was sitting on the couch as well. She could tell he had probably filled Edwin in on the events of the past few days.
There was no point in hiding the truth anymore. She spoke calmly, “I went to deliver some food.”
She quickly changed her shoes by the door.
Though she had intended to go straight to her room, she knew Edwin would have more questions, and Liam was likely going to interrogate her about the loan office incident.
She figured it would be better to sit down and talk with them for a bit.
When Liam heard her explanation, his patience snapped. “You said your tummy was acting up
this morning. I waited at the loan office for hours, and now you’re telling me you were delivering food?”
Liam had told Edwin about the loan when Edwin questioned him about the factory, so now there was no reason to hide anything.
“That’s right.”
“You’re lying! How could you deliver food when your phone was off?”
The humiliation of waiting at the loan office and now being stuck with the loan weighed heavily on Liam.
“Now that Edwin’s back, you’d better tell the truth and come up with a good explanation. Otherwise, this ‘won’t end well for you!”
He was furious, thinking that Caroline had ruined his plan.
What made
even
him angrier that
was
he
was the
one who
had to
handle Joan.
the
As a manager, and someone who’s supposed to be well–off, how have I ended up in this humiliating position, having to pay back the loan myself?
Caroline had already prepared her explanation. “I have two phone cards, and I must’ve accidentally turned one of them off. The number you tried to reach was the one that was off.”
