Chapter 86 You Should Quit
A line of text popped up on the screen, short but totally wild: [Mr. Forbes, I know your secret with Katniss. She's knocked up with your kid. If you don't want this to blow up at work, hit me up.]
Below that was a string of phone numbers.
Katniss couldn't believe her eyes. She read it twice just to be sure, then let out a laugh fueled by pure rage.
She was about to storm off with the letter when she noticed Tristan standing next to her, his tall, lean frame lit up by the overhead light.
As the weather got chillier, he'd thrown a black coat over his suit, hands stuffed in his pockets, his deep eyes locked on her.
"Whose letter is that?" he asked.
Katniss instinctively tightened her grip on the letter. "Just some nonsense, I'll deal with it."
Tristan didn't question her and turned to hit the elevator button. "How's the banquet prep going?"
Katniss had planned to leave work but followed him into the elevator. "Almost done. Everyone who needs to know has been told."
"Good." Tristan replied softly, leaning his tall frame against the elevator wall.
She thought he might say or do something, but he didn't. He just went back to his office to handle some work.
After giving some instructions, he let her call it a day.
It was around nine at night. After leaving the office, she didn't head straight home but went to Rupert and Jessica's place.
She rang the doorbell, and Jessica, with a face mask on, opened the door, grumbling, "Back so early? Why didn't you take more gigs to make money, and you didn't even bring your key…"
Before she could finish, she saw Katniss standing there and visibly freaked out.
"Katniss, what brings you here?" She quickly forced a smile and opened the door wider.
"Have you eaten? I've got some dinner I kept warm for Rupert. If you're cool with it, I can get it for you."
Katniss walked in with her bag, her eyes scanning the room's decor, mostly Jessica's stuff. Apart from a pair of Rupert's slippers at the door, there was hardly any sign of him.
"No, I'm not hungry," Katniss replied.
As she spoke, Jessica had already peeled off her face mask and washed her face. When she came back, she saw Katniss sitting on the sofa with a letter on the coffee table in front of her.
"What's this?" Jessica walked over and sat as far from her as possible.
Katniss pushed the letter toward Jessica. "Cut the act. You put this threatening letter to Tristan in the suggestion box, didn't you?"
"Hell no. Why would I use your relationship to blackmail him? That'd just mess things up for you," Jessica shot back.
But Katniss hadn't even mentioned what the letter said, and Jessica had already spilled the beans.
Even if she hadn't, Katniss knew the letter was from her.
"Jessica, you're lucky this letter ended up with me." Katniss cut to the chase. "Do you really think you can threaten Tristan? He could ruin your life in Velvet City with a snap of his fingers."
Her icy tone made the room feel like a freezer. Jessica, in her thin pajamas, felt a chill run down her spine.
Facing Katniss's glare, Jessica's excuses died in her throat.
"You should quit. Don't stay at Synergy Global Corporation anymore," Katniss said.
Knowing Jessica, who knows what dumb stunt she might pull next, pissing off Tristan and dragging Rupert down with her.
Jessica stood up and glared back. "Why should I quit? I didn't do anything wrong. And even if what I did was shady, wasn't it to help you? You're pregnant, and a miscarriage would be awful. Don't you deserve some compensation…"
"Even if I do, it's not your place to get involved!" Katniss stood up, her eyes cold. "You know exactly what you're after. No point in pretending. This isn't the first time I've warned you. Quit by the end of the month; that's the last bit of respect I'm giving you."
Katniss turned and walked out with her bag, ignoring Jessica, who was chasing after her. "Katniss, wait! Hear me out. Let's talk this over, okay?"
She slammed the door, making the whole building shake and shutting out Jessica's fake concern.
She had almost let this mess reach Tristan.
Getting Jessica to leave wasn't just about worrying she'd piss off Tristan and get kicked out of Velvet City; it was also about her actions making Katniss look bad in front of Tristan!
She couldn't imagine what kind of look Tristan would give her.
As she stepped out of the elevator, she ran into Rupert, who had just gotten back from work.
"Katniss, what brings you here?" Rupert's face lit up, and he quickly walked over. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I would've skipped work to have dinner with you!"
He thought Katniss had come for dinner. Katniss smiled and said, "You've lost weight. Delivering food is tougher than delivering packages."
At least couriers spent some time in the warehouse sorting packages. But food delivery drivers are always on the road, braving the weather, and can't even eat their meals on time.
"Jessica always says I'm fat. Guess I don't need to diet now," Rupert grinned and added, "Katniss, why don't you come back up and hang out for a bit? It's been ages."
Katniss shook her head. "Nah, let's just chat here. Have you thought about going back home? You can't leave her alone, especially since she's getting older."
The "her" referred to their mom.
Bringing up their mom made Rupert a bit puzzled. "I've thought about it, but Jessica wants to stay in the big city. Besides, Mom said that since you're here, I don't need to worry about her."
"I can't give you much support, and I'm struggling here too. With your skills, you'd have more opportunities in a smaller city. You should think about going back," said Katniss.
Once Jessica quits Synergy Global Corporation, losing that big paycheck, it'd be tough to make it on Rupert's salary alone.
With Jessica's skills, finding another job wouldn't be hard, but getting one with the same high pay as Synergy Global Corporation? Not likely.
So, the best move for Rupert and Jessica would be to head back. As long as Rupert worked hard, they wouldn't have a bad life.
Rupert seemed to catch on. He asked, "Katniss, are you in some kind of trouble?"
"Nothing major, just that I might lose my job too. I wanted to give you a heads-up so you can plan for your future," Katniss replied.
Rupert got it. His staying here depended on Katniss. He asked, "Don't worry about us. What about you?" Rupert was concerned. "You've been in Velvet City for so many years. Where would you go? Especially with someone who has cancer."
The overhead light flickered due to a wonky circuit, its brightness constantly changing.
Standing under the light, Katniss suddenly fell silent. What would she do in the future?
This question was even harder than figuring out what Rupert and Jessica should do.
"Don't worry about me. Just think about what you're gonna do." After a long pause, she patted Rupert on the shoulder. "Go back and rest. I'm heading out."
Rupert followed her, seeing her off. "Katniss, even though you followed our dad back then, Mom still thinks about you. If it comes to it, you can come back with me. But don't neglect yourself while taking care of your stepmom."
This wasn't the first time someone had said this to her, but it was the first time Katniss found it heartwarming.
Because Rupert was worried she couldn't afford it and would be exhausted.
Others implied that her money was wasted and that it wasn't worth it for a stepmom.
"Go back. If you ever run into any trouble, you can come to me. I'll help if I can." Katniss didn't directly answer Rupert's question, waved at him, and got into her car.
She rolled down the window halfway, smiled at Rupert who was waving like crazy, and drove off.
Rupert stood by the roadside, watching her car fade into the distance before heading back home.
The weather was freezing, and Katniss's place felt like an icebox. She cranked up the heat, but her hands and feet stayed cold for ages.
Sitting in the living room, she sorted through Kieran's course materials. Time flew by when she was busy.
She hardly had any time to think about what she'd do after Adelaide's birthday party. She could only leave it to fate.
The next day was the weekend. Her internal clock woke her up at seven. The first thing she did was hit up Matilda to visit Sophia in the hospital.
She planned to pick up Matilda and go to the hospital together, but Matilda turned her down.
The reason? Matilda had moved to the dorms arranged by George's studio and would take George's car to the hospital.
At the hospital, the VIP ward area was super quiet. When she got to Sophia's room, the nurse was just removing an IV.
Seeing Katniss, Sophia quickly gave the nurse a look.
"Good moring, Miss Grey." the nurse smiled and left after removing the IV.
"Good morning," Katniss responded, her eyes falling on Sophia's face, frowning slightly. "Mom, you don't look so hot. Have you been feeling off lately?"
As she spoke, she turned to call the nurse who was about to leave. "I don't remember Damon prescribing IV meds."
The nurse, holding a tray, stopped at the door without speaking, looking at Sophia instead.
Sophia got out of bed and pulled Katniss to sit down. "It's a new medication. Damon told me about it."
She nodded to the nurse. "You can go now. Katniss will take care of me today."
The nurse quickly left.
Sophia then turned to scold Katniss. "We've had this nurse since we got here. Your attitude might upset her."
"I didn't mean to question her. I was just curious why the meds were changed," Katniss explained, feeling a bit helpless.
"Your energy is all focused on work. No need to bother you with such small stuff. You're here now, so you know. I told Damon not to distract you with these little things."
Seeing her about to say something, Sophia glanced at the door and asked, "Where's Matilda?"
"She got a new job with room and board. It's not on my way, so she said she'd come on her own." Katniss didn't push the medication change issue further and continued, "Mom, you don't look well. I'll go find Damon to see if it's related to the meds. Do you have any other discomfort?"
She got up, ready to find Damon.
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