Chapter 99 Aurelia Isn't Someone You Can Call
Aurelia's steps halted. She didn't have the leisure to go for coffee with someone like Amy, a workplace poison. With someone like her around, the design department would only descend into chaos.
Moreover, she was pregnant now and wouldn't even touch coffee.
"Sorry, I don't like coffee."
This statement nearly made Amy kneel. In her understanding, Aurelia's refusal meant she wasn't willing to reconcile with her. She felt like she was about to lose her job, with next month's mortgage hanging in uncertainty.
She felt even more uneasy.
Aurelia detested this kind of superficial corporate culture the most. Now, Amy's attempt to please her, betraying Chelsea, looked particularly ugly.
It felt ironic. Just a few days ago, in the same corridor, Amy arrogantly warned her to yield to Chelsea and even mentioned that Nathaniel was coming back to deal with her.
Now, she had completely changed her tune.
"I advise you to focus on work and not dwell on evil thoughts all day," Aurelia said and went straight back to her office, leaving Amy alone in the corridor, anxious.
Amy returned to her desk and pondered for a while. She quickly borrowed three thousand dollars from her close friends to cover up the embezzled department team-building funds. She realized she couldn't be arrogant anymore from now on; her good days were over.
Amy glanced at the empty desk next to hers. Chelsea was in a similar situation, on leave. She didn't even have someone to discuss strategies with. After learning about Aurelia's special relationship with the CEO, everyone began to respect Aurelia and isolate Amy, leaving Amy feeling collectively ostracized.
The atmosphere had completely shifted in Aurelia's favor.
Aurelia paid no mind to all this. She continued to work as usual, sticking to her plan, knowing her resignation was not far off.
Three days later, Chelsea hobbled in on crutches to work.
She had only injured her leg in a car accident a few days ago, nothing serious, and she would be discharged after a few days of careful rest.
As for other matters, they were just excuses she used to stay close to Nathaniel. Aurelia even felt Chelsea's leg wasn't that severely injured; it was all an act to gain sympathy.
Aurelia didn't know what Nathaniel had said to Chelsea these days, but Chelsea seemed much clearer now, agreeing to stay out of Nathaniel's sight and not seek self-destruction anymore.
Chelsea had a thick skin. She ignored everything she had done in the design department and was even able to joke around with colleagues. Of course, now everyone avoided her, unconsciously, due to the presence of the real boss.
The way everyone treated her only fueled Chelsea's hatred towards Aurelia.
Chelsea glared at Aurelia and thought, 'I am determined to drive Aurelia out of the design department, out of the Heilbronn Group jewelry, and even out of the Earth, disappearing forever from Nathaniel's world.'
Nathaniel had accumulated a lot of work in the days he hadn't been at the company. He barely had time for lunch, quickly eating a few bites and burying himself in the pile of documents on his desk.
Aurelia felt sorry for him, pitied him, and was angry that he had given Chelsea the leverage to manipulate her.
Days such as these made Aurelia unable to see the end. Her previous decision was starting to waver. Should she tell him the secret in her belly?
What she feared most was whether he would one day neglect their baby to please Chelsea. The thought suffocated her; a child deprived of paternal love would feel inferior and sensitive and might fall into self-doubt.
She was a living example of that.
That feeling of not being loved by her father was something she didn't want her baby to experience.
Her baby deserved the best love.
That day, Aurelia came home and dismantled all the decorations from the past few days, throwing them away. She unfolded the two sets of small clothes she had bought, repeatedly folding them, and finally packed them into a bag, hiding them in the closet.
At night, Nathaniel worked late at the office, returning home exhausted.
Aurelia didn't know how long it had been since he last had a good night's sleep. Nathaniel hadn't even eaten dinner; he took a quick shower and collapsed into bed, worn out by Chelsea's antics in recent days.
Aurelia didn't dare disturb him; the house was quiet.
Mid-month arrived, with a bright moon hanging in the sky. The moonlight seeped through the curtains, illuminating the room a few degrees more colorful than usual.
She gazed at him in the moonlight. Nathaniel's stubble seemed a bit longer, the dark circles under his eyes more pronounced, showing how exhausted he was, yet he still went to the office first thing and worked until almost eleven before coming home.
She gently stroked his eyebrows and eyes; even in sleep, he looked as handsome as when she first met him, every strand of hair aligning with her aesthetics.
She couldn't help but think the baby in her belly would be incredibly handsome.
"Aurelia, sleep," he murmured softly, pulling her into his arms.
Listening to his strong heartbeat, she wished she could let him listen to the recorded heartbeat of their baby.
That night, both of them slept soundly.
The next day, Nathaniel was awakened by his phone ringing. Still groggy, he picked it up without realizing it was Aurelia's phone.
"What's up?"
The person on the other end of the line was shocked.
Caleb heard a man answering the phone and checked the screen to confirm he hadn't dialed the wrong number.
Why was his fiancée's phone being answered by a man early in the morning, sounding like he had just woken up, with a hint of annoyance from being disturbed from his sleep?
Caleb felt a rush of blood to his head; he felt betrayed.
"Who are you, and why do you have Aurelia's phone?"
Already annoyed from being woken up, Nathaniel heard the rude tone on the other end and the cursing. Calling his wife's phone early in the morning and, most importantly, addressing his wife by name directly, it seemed like the man was asking for trouble.
"I'm Nathaniel. Who are you?"
He stated his name directly. He was always ready for a confrontation and never afraid of anyone. Taking the phone away from his ear, he glanced at the screen, seeing an unfamiliar number without a name.
Upon hearing his declaration of war, the person on the other end fell silent.
Caleb felt relieved when he heard it was Nathaniel, but that relief only lasted for a few seconds. He quickly realized that even if Nathaniel was her brother, he shouldn't be so close. Answering the phone was one small thing, but sleeping together was another matter entirely.
He mentally exclaimed, 'What the hell!'
Incredulously, he tentatively asked, "Nathaniel, did you just wake up?"
Upon hearing this, Nathaniel wondered who dared to address him by name as if they were equals.
"I haven't gotten up yet. If you have something to say, mind your words. Aurelia isn't a name you can call."
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