“Alright, alright. I’ll shut up about it, okay? Look how frightened you are! Anybody else would have jumped at the chance to be known as the last person Mr. Shaw had slept with. But you’re something else. You’re so scared.”
Every time Millie talked about me and Michael, I would try my hardest to draw a line between us. Apparently, Millie thought I was just being a scaredy cat.
But I did not care what anybody else thought as long as no one knew whatever was going on between Michael and I. At the end of the day, I would not want to become the public enemy of every other female employees here.
“I just want to work and earn a living in peace. I don’t want to think about anything else. Mr. Shaw and I? No way.”
What I said was only half true. Of course I wanted to be with Michael, but I did not have faith that it would last.
“You’re right. Every woman here knows that Mr. Shaw won’t fall for us, but we just can’t help fantasizing about it, you know? It’s not going to happen, but a girl can dream.”
Actually, my coworkers were well aware that a relationship with the boss was impossible. Michael would never pick them, but they would still dream about the possibility. In that aspect, I was no different from them at all.
I did not reply Millie. Instead, I dipped my head and went back to work.
Michael’s hickey might have caused a great sensation but, as work got busier, the news slowly slipped away from everyone’s mind. Eventually, people stopped talking about it. At that, relief washed over me.
After an entire day at work, I was pretty exhausted. At that moment, I just wanted to get home, have a shower, and catch some well-needed Z’s. Last night with Michael was absolute madness! Deprived of sleep, I felt dizzy the whole day. Hence, there was only one thought in my mind right then, which was to get some sleep!
When it was time to leave work, I cleaned up my desk and was about to go when my phone rang just as I rose to my feet. I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was my mom.
I hesitated for a while and eventually answered the call. “Hi, Mom.”
“You’re off work, right, Anna? Why don’t you come home? I’d like to talk to you.”
I heard her voice coming from the other end of the phone. She did not sound as cold and distant as before, but somehow it lacked emotion.
Thus, I was a little surprised by the shift in her attitude. Although she was rather indifferent whenever we talked, I felt inexplicably happy to have received her call.
“All right, I’m on my way.”
I had no idea what my mom wanted to tell me. But I ended the call right away and headed straight to the rented house I got for them some time ago. I guess sleep would just have to wait.
When I got there, the door was not shut tight, so it opened with just a light push. At that time, I could see Mom preparing dinner in the kitchen. She sent a faint greeting my way when she saw me.
“You’re here, Anna.”
“Yes, I’m back.”
I responded just as faintly. There was nothing else to say since I still could not grasp heads or tails of her change in attitude towards me.
“Why don’t you sit at the table, or go say hi to Stevie? Dinner will be ready soon.”
Mom’s voice rang from the kitchen again yet again, her tone unchanging.
For the first time in forever, Mom did not fire up when she saw me, just like she used to in the past whenever I returned home. Touched by her perceived change in behavior, my eyes reddened. Has Mom finally got it to her head not to be mad at me anymore?
“Okay. I’ll go check on Steven first, then I’ll come to help you.”
I sniffled with a grin spread across my face. The next thing I knew, I was walking into Steven’s room.
Steven was leaning against the headboard, playing on his mobile phone. Although he had been discharged from the hospital, his legs were still in casts, making it inconvenient to walk.
“Hi, Steven. How have you been doing lately? How are your legs?”
I sat down in front of him. From the fruit bowl, I randomly selected an orange and began peeling it.
“Still hurts, but I feel a lot better than before.”
Oddly, Steven’s animosity toward me had faded. He did not look at me, for his eyes were glued to the phone, but at least he responded.
Well, what do you know… My family’s attitude toward me seems to have changed. That’s a huge relief.
“Oh, okay. But you still ought to be careful and take lots of rest. We don’t want any lingering side effects.”
I threw in a reminder as I handed the peeled orange to Steven.
Steven gazed at the orange. He blinked once, shot me a glance, and accepted the fruit.
“Okay. Anyway, you can leave now. Don’t distract me from playing my game.”
After Steven ate the orange, his patience dwindled, and he was already asking me to leave.
Compared to how he behaved in the past, his attitude toward me had certainly changed for the better, so I had nothing against that. I rose to my feet and left the room.
Then, I came to the kitchen. Mom was still busy making dinner, so I approached her and helped to clean the vegetables. That evening, the whole family was at peace. I felt content, so much so that I allowed another smile to form.
“So… Mom, why the sudden call today? What is it you want to talk to me about?”
I remembered the phone call—Mom said she wanted to talk to me about something. Right then, I wondered what it could be.
“We can talk at the table.”
Mom was still cooking, so she did not spare me a look.
The fact that she had gone silent only made me wonder even more, but I said nothing about it.
Dinner was especially lavish tonight. Mom had prepared a few of my favorite dishes, and a few more of Steven’s. He could not walk on his own for the time being, so I pushed him in his wheelchair whenever I could.
“Have some more. It’s your favorite.”
In the past, Mom would give the tasty ones to Steven first, but today was different. She placed some braised pork ribs into my bowl, and when she spoke to me her tone was soft, albeit not quite affectionate.
I looked up at her in bewilderment. This was the first time she gave me good food on her own accord. An indescribable feeling swept through me, close to bittersweet.
“Thanks, Mom.”
Tears were brimming in my eyes. I smiled at Mom, filled with gratitude.
Then I dipped my head and savored the ribs she got me. It was a touching moment as I had finally experienced homely goodness.
“Anna, I called you home today because I need to ask you something.”
I was halfway through the ribs when she brought it up.
“What is it?”
I stopped eating and turned to face her.
“What’s going on between you and Michael? Are you two dating?”
I panicked at the sudden mention of Michael. Mom can’t possibly be that persistent, can she? Does she still view Michael as some sort of money-spinner?
The last time Mom asked Michael for money, it had been embarrassing. I did not want something like that to happen again.
“Mom, you’re thinking too much. Michael’s my boss, not my boyfriend.”
I looked into her eyes as I explained.
I was telling the truth. Indeed, Michael was not my boyfriend, and he would never be.
