Chapter 18 A Defiant Display?
"Lillian, I get it now, you totally disregarded what I said!" Alexander flew into a rage, his voice icy, "You deliberately didn't come home after work. Are you trying to challenge me?"
"No!" Lillian stamped her foot in frustration, "Ms. Reed piled tons of work on me; I just couldn't finish it all. She said you needed those documents by tomorrow, so I didn’t dare slack off. I had to stay late."
"You're just a junior secretary. How could you possibly have that much to do? Are you lying to me?" Alexander's lips were pressed tightly together as he gave her a skeptical look.
Misunderstood again, anger welled up inside Lillian and she couldn’t contain it, shouting loudly, "I’m not lying!"
No sooner had she spoken than she suddenly slumped to the side, powerless.
Seeing this, Alexander stood up and walked over to her, chiding, "Lillian, stop pretending to faint, get up."
However, the woman lying on the ground was motionless.
Alexander crouched down beside her, touched her forehead, and found it burning hot. He pushed her gently, but with no response, he then picked her up and carried her downstairs.
In the hospital treatment room, Lillian had fluids administered, her fever subsided, and she finally came to.
"Awake?" Alexander’s voice was as haunting as a specter. He sat by the hospital bed, eyes coldly fixed on Lillian.
Startled, Lillian asked nervously, "What are you doing here?"
"Shouldn’t I be here?" Alexander reached out to touch her forehead.
Instinctively, Lillian recoiled, "What are you doing?"
Alexander extended his hand again, touched her forehead, and then quickly withdrew his hand, standing up and saying, "Get up, your fever’s gone."
Only then did Lillian realize she was in a hospital. Looking at the white adhesive bandage on the back of her hand, she understood what had happened.
"Thank you for taking me to the hospital," she murmured in the car on the way back.
Alexander glanced at her with a disapproving tone, "Don’t get it twisted. If something serious had happened to you, it would have been a mess at my place."
Great, just great!
Lillian bit her lip, holding back her anger, turning her head to look out the car window, refusing to speak any more.
After Lillian got back home, the medication she took in the car took effect. She went straight to her room and climbed into bed. That night, she slept well, her fever did not return, and upon waking, she felt rejuvenated.
Daylight filled the outside world. Lillian screamed and with the utmost haste, she got ready, changed, and hurried to the kitchen.
"Kelly, hurry up, I'm gonna be late for work!" she said while scrambling to find something to eat.
Kelly walked over with a cheerful grin, "Lillian, look at what time it is, it's already after ten in the morning!"
"What? What? Oh my gosh, I'm gonna lose my perfect attendance award for the month!" Lillian's grip slackened, and the soup spoon dropped to the floor.
Kelly touched her forehead, comforting her, "Don't worry, I think it's for the best. You haven't been resting well these past few days, and you've been sick, too. You should really rest up. I made you some soup, after you finish it head back to your room and lie down."
"But I haven't finished my work yet, Mr. Sinclair is still waiting for those documents."
"Mr. Sinclair said you could take time off, just relax at home," Kelly replied, then went to serve her the chicken soup.
Lillian was in disbelief that he would give her time off. Was he really that generous? Especially after he had been so demeaning to her just yesterday.
Kelly brought over the chicken soup and then went off to do other things. Lillian sipped the soup while fiddling with her phone.
Suddenly, Leo sent her a message.
Leo: [Lillian, tomorrow is Christmas Eve, let's go to Ilington.]
He quickly followed up with another message.
Leo: [There's a new restaurant that just opened near the office, I'll treat you to lunch.]
Lillian puffed her cheeks, thought for a moment, and replied.
Lillian: [Leo, I have plans with Wendy tomorrow, so I can't join you. I had something come up today and didn't go to work. Let's grab a bite another day.]
Leo quickly responded with an "OK" emoji.
Leo stared blankly at his phone at work. Ever since he returned from his business trip, he felt that something was off with Lillian, but he couldn't put his finger on what had changed. He had planned to confess his feelings to her tomorrow, but since she already had plans, he would have to delay his confession.
Right after chatting with Leo, her good friend Wendy Lewis called her up.
As she answered the call, she heard Wendy exclaim, "Lillian, what are you up to? Have you missed me? Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and you better keep your schedule clear, we three always spend Christmas Eve together!"
"Tomorrow is Saturday, so we have the whole day since it's our day off!" Lillian asked, "Did you call Angela?"
"Angela's busy, she didn't have time for me, but she's definitely all set," Wendy replied confidently.
"Alright then, we'll meet up at our usual spot tomorrow!"
Lillian, Wendy Lewis, and Angela Turner, three girls with distinct personalities, established a friendship back in high school. Fortunately, they all attended the same college, which further solidified their bond. Since high school, they had made a pact to spend every Christmas Eve together. This tradition continued from high school through college, and even as they entered the workforce, they honored this agreement every year.
After chatting with Wendy for over half an hour, Lillian felt refreshed and her anger toward Alexander had dissipated thanks to the pleasant conversation with Wendy.
The next day arrived quickly, and Lillian's sickness had faded. She woke up early to a bright and cheerful sky, which put her in a great mood.
"Good morning, Kelly!" Lillian greeted Kelly with a clear, chirpy voice.
Feeling Lillian's happiness, Kelly turned around to look at her and couldn't help but tease, "Look at you, a real beauty! You look gorgeous!"
Lillian smiled and sat at the table, shaking her head and winking at Kelly. "Kelly, do I look good today?" she asked.
"Yes!" Kelly exclaimed with admiration. "You look absolutely stunning! Lillian, you must have a date today, right?"
"Mm, it's Christmas Eve, and I'm going out to have fun with friends. Kelly, I’ll bring you a pie when I come back tonight." Lillian served the food at the dining table next to the kitchen and asked with concern, "Kelly, how's Quentin feeling? I haven't seen him these past couple of days. Is his back still hurting?"
"His back pains come every winter," Kelly sighed. "Let's eat now, and I'll go check on him afterward."
As they sat down, Lillian said, "Kelly, my friend's dad is a well-known doctor, specializing in orthopedics. You should take Quentin to see him. I'll talk to my friend in advance."
"Who is he?" Kelly asked. "Mr. Sinclair has already found quite a few specialists for us here in Rihegde. I pretty much know all the renowned doctors!"
"He is—"
"Ms. Hill, come to the study after breakfast. Mr. Sinclair has a last-minute video conference, and he needs you to take notes," Kevin suddenly appeared in the kitchen, cutting off her sentence and leaving her feeling like she had plunged into an abyss.
