Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
The girl’s voice took on a piteous quality, and her already sweet voice turned sickly sweet.
Hank had an unfathomable look on his face, but he still found an excuse to avoid answering. “We don’t have to rush it. We can take our time.”
Yelena instantly felt like her world was crumbling.
She had reason to overthink their conversation because it sounded too much like an engagement.
Could it be that Hank had truly let go of her and was now ready to accept someone else?
“As for the blind date today… I’ll talk to my dad about it.” The girl chuckled lightly, and she seemed extra cheerful.
“Okay.” Hank nodded. He didn’t say anything more, and the expression on his face softened a little.
The words ‘blind date’ was enough to confirm Yelena’s guesses. Hank had not only let go of her, but he had also gone on a blind date.
Yelena shifted her gaze down to see that the ring on Hank’s finger was gone.
He had taken off the ring.
Seeing Yelena’s extremely piteous and desolate behavior, Summer couldn’t help but coax, “Don’t dwell on it too much. Hank isn’t all that great anyway. He’s just a little more handsome, has a slightly nicer personality, is a bit more focused, earns a slightly higher salary, is a little cleverer, comes from a slightly better background-“
“Just stop.”
By then, Yelena’s tears were already streaming down her face, but she still stubbornly refused to admit it.
“I get it. I won’t come back ever again.”
Now that things had come to this, if she still insisted on coming over, that would really make her a simp.
Even if she wanted to be a simp, she didn’t want to simp for someone she wasn’t sure she could get.
Yelena sniffled, then wiped her tears away and took off the cap on her head.
“Thanks, Summer. I think I should get going.”
While Hank was taking that woman on a tour around his firm, Yelena had left in silence. When Hank turned back, he saw Summer standing at the reception alone, staring at him.
Noticing Hank looking at her, Summer looked at him as well. For the first time ever, there was no admiration in her eyes. There was disappointment and disdain.
Is that disdain I notice? Hank thought he was seeing things. When he tried to take a closer look, Summer had looked away and was staring at the entrance.
“Hank? What are you staring at, Hank?” The girl waved her hand in front of Hank’s face, snapping him out of his stupor.
“Nothing. Let’s go upstairs.”
Cecelia waved her hand. “No. Someone’s waiting for me. That concludes our appointment today. See you tomorrow, Mr. Damazio.”
Hank looked away and nodded gently. “Sure. Go now. Drive safe.”
“I know, I know. Bye now.” Cecelia picked up her bag and walked off. When she reached the entrance, she asked Summer, “Who was that with you just now? She was staring at me.”
Summer thought of Yelena as her friend. The fact that Cecelia was trying to act innocent got on her nerves. She snapped, “That’s confidential. I cannot answer that, miss.”
Surprised by Summer’s snappish attitude, Cecelia smiled awkwardly at Hank. “Your employee can be quite the character.”
Hank’s face fell. “She needs more training.”
Summer didn’t care about his opinion.
Cecelia shrugged and left.
Then, Hank asked, “Why did you snap at her?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Mr. Damazio.” Summer sorted out the files in her hand, refusing to answer.
Hank narrowed his eyes, frustration welling up in him. “Why did you snap at my client? Have you forgotten what I told you?”
“No. I just never took you for someone so heartless, but I thought wrong.” Summer met Hank’s gaze without fear. This was the first time she spoke to him that way, and she was ready to lose her job over this. This job was hard to get, it paid well, and she didn’t have to do much. If I lose my job, you’re going to have to support me, Yelena. I’m doing this for you.
Hank looked at her in disbelief. Summer had always been a smart, quiet girl. This wasn’t the kind of attitude he expected from her. However, he realized Yelena had been chatting with her lately. It was normal if they became friends. She made an ally out of Summer in just a few days. That’s surprising. “What do you mean I’m heartless?” He pursed his lips.
“You know what I mean.”
“Did Yelena say something?” If she’s already calling me heartless, there’s no telling how much worse the critique is behind my back.
Hank heaved a sigh. He was about to keep asking, but Summer got agitated. “It hasn’t been days since I knew her, but she’s a timid girl. She gets flustered and will apologize profusely just because she bumps into someone, yet she won’t give up on you. She follows you around all day, but you won’t even give her an answer or even a moment of your time. That’s cruel.”
Hank looked at her silently.
“And as if that’s not enough, you bring another girl around just to spite her. Words aren’t enough to express how I feel.” Summer was fuming as if she was the one being bullied.
Hank laughed. “You’re going to call me a jerk, aren’t you?”
Summer took her tag off and resolutely said, “If you think I’ve offended you and your client, then fire me. I won’t complain, but please don’t leave her hanging.”
“Very well.” Hank nodded.
Despite her brave front, Summer still winced from the termination. Damn it. I’m unemployed now. “I’ll pack my stuff up and go.” She turned around to pack her things up.
“You don’t have to. The firm needs someone with a sense of justice like you.”
Summer froze and turned around in disbelief. “Really? You think I have a sense of justice?”
“I’m not terminating you.”
Hank left it at that. Before he left, Summer said, “Mr. Damazio, I have another message for you. Yelena saw that woman and it broke her heart. She said she won’t ever come to the firm again.”
She won’t ever come again? She must’ve been really heartbroken. Something stirred in Hank’s heart, but he couldn’t put a finger on it. Yet, he nodded. “I see.”
Summer heaved a sigh. I did my best. It’s all in fate’s hands now.
…
Yelena came to a bar for the first time. She picked Luna. It was Elspeth’s turf after all. Nobody would try to pull anything funny.
Yet some people just had to disturb her. Noticing Yelena trying to get wicked drunk as if to forget her worries, someone came holding a couple of glasses of wine. “Alone, cutie?” The man leered and shoved a glass of wine over to Yelena, then he sat down beside her.
Yelena looked at him groggily. She drawled, “Get away from me. I’m a simp.”
The man’s smile froze, and his lips twitched. That’s a… refreshing way to refuse pick-up artists.
The guy found himself taking interest in Yelena’s story. A few minutes later…
“My God, fate does not smile at me. The guy I like went on a blind date with another girl. I can’t understand him. She’s not better than me, but he still brought her over to his place just to disgust me.”
The man patted her shoulder. His face fell, and he shouted, “Men are pigs, miss. Don’t fall for his tricks.”
“I think so too. Bottoms up.”
“We should really stand up for ourselves, sis. There’s a whole sea of fish out there. Don’t hang on to a single one.”
The two of them got tipsy and became close friends. In the end, Yelena collapsed on the table. She wasn’t a good drinker.
The guy stared at the drunken Yelena, and then he snapped out of it. What the hell am I doing? Why did I listen to her story? The man rolled his eyes and had an intense debate with himself. In the end, he couldn’t take advantage of her. Before he left, he even draped his coat over Yelena.
Yelena was a petite woman, and the coat almost covered her whole body. Hank almost missed her. Someone told him Yelena went to Luna alone and hadn’t come out for an hour. He was going to let Yelena do whatever she wanted, but then he remembered that Yelena was a bad drinker. She might not even last thirty minutes.
What if something were to happen to her? Hence, Hank went to Luna and found Yelena sleeping on the table. Not even the blaring music could wake her. He took the coat off and pushed Yelena, waking her up. He stared at her and asked, “Whose coat is this?” It’s a man’s coat. I can smell the cologne. Hank’s face fell.
“No idea. Probably belongs to a female friend of mine.” Yelena’s face was red, and she wouldn’t stop burping. Hank couldn’t get any answers like this.
