Chapter 22 An inexplicable heartache

Claire’s POV:

Vivian couldn't bear to see Sarah give me a hard time at the company, so she took me out to drum up business and introduced all her clients to me. She also taught me numerous strategies for negotiating orders.

"You need to remember that business isn't done in one go. You might need to negotiate an order ten or eight times, and that’s normal," I nodded understandingly.

"It's important to maintain good relationships with clients. Once you're familiar with them, they're more likely to sign the deal with you! Of course, the most important thing," Vivian said with a smile, "is to be brazen in sales. Be brazen to fill your belly! Understand?"

I smiled and acknowledged that I understood. Just then, our order number flashed on the screen in front of us, and Vivian hurried to the counter to pick up our meal. Lunch was a very simple fast food meal.

Vivian noticed my plate, had only the cheapest option, and couldn't help asking, "Can you really get full on that?"

"Oh, don’t worry about me." I replied with a light laugh, "I’ve always eaten just a little, this is enough for me."

"That won’t do! Running business errands requires energy, look at your petite frame, this..." She stopped mid-sentence, realization dawning on her, "Is it because your husband has been holding back your money?"

I was just about to clarify when a message from Colin came through. After I read it, a silence fell. Vivian, seeing my troubled expression, snatched the phone from my hand, almost jumping with anger.

"Who is this guy!" Vivian was livid. "He... he actually went out shopping? Falling for a belt? And it costs over three thousand dollars?”

"Vivian, keep your voice down!" I hastily pulled back my phone.

Speaking of which, Colin had indeed been acting oddly these days, finding new ways to indulge himself daily.

One day while I was at work, on a whim, I called him to see what he was up to, and to my surprise he casually responded. "I'm having coffee."

When I asked where, he sent a photo – and there he was at the Kingdom Hotel again! I nearly passed out, just before I received the text message, from the bank, about the card being charged.

Looking at the numbers on my card, I couldn't help feeling pity – my own money. But I knew I needed to maintain the image of a ‘rich heiress’. All I could do was smile reluctantly, feigning generosity and telling him to enjoy his coffee.

Many similar incidents happened, my account balance dwindling steadily, and yet every time I confronted Colin, he would look at me with a smirk and tease, "Hailey, aren't you the daughter of the Watson family? Can't part with that little amount of money?"

I bit my lip, frustrated and glaring helplessly, and finally sulked back to my room to continue working on the sales proposal.

…

I stared at my phone, scrolling through the bank app. My bank account balance was precise, exactly three thousand dollars.

If Colin was in front of me at that moment, I would have had the urge to throttle him. The man not only had X-ray vision but also a calculator for a brain, down to the last penny!

"Hey!" Vivian hastily pressed down on my hand, "you... you're really going to transfer it to him?"

I paused for a moment, gave a silly smile, "He rarely takes a fancy to anything; let him have this one. Besides, I still have a few hundred dollars in cash on me, and if I am really careful over the next few days, making it until the next paycheck shouldn't be a problem."

"Have you lost your mind!" Vivian exclaimed, "What's so great about him that you keep spoiling him!"

"It's not spoiling; it's..." I trailed off, my voice fading as I sadly bowed my head. I wasn't indulging him; it was more that I pitied him.

Whenever I thought about how Colin once lived his life, lonely and destitute, about his numerous stints in and out of jail, and the taunts and jeers from the thugs in his village...my heart softened.

I couldn't understand where this feeling came from. Could it be... I had actually fallen for this man?