Luna didn't get much sleep last night. With her under eyes darkening and her body feeling exhausted, she forced herself to get up and make some breakfast for her and Fluffy. With only some plain rice and eggs left in her pantry, she prepared egg congee soup and omelet rolls. Meeting Hero Li last night made her feel horrible.
It was a good thing that she was finally done with her assignment and wouldn't have to work for today. Therefore, she had enough time to visit her mother. Although she was tired, she couldn't let her brother sacrifice his time and neglect his studies.
Before going to her mother's room, Luna gave a quick visit to the doctor's office and thanked him for his help. She then went to the billing section to pay the bills so Elaine could go home later. Luna couldn't help but wince when she saw the amount; nevertheless, she still gave her card. She knew she would be practically broke after this.
She already maxed out her card, and yet, she hadn't paid her rent for almost three months. Luna was sure that she would need to evacuate her apartment soon, but she didn't have the heart to tell her mother her own problems.
Luna decided to give Corinne a call. There's no one can understand her better than Corinne.
"Corinne, do you think I could stay in your place for a while? I promise it wouldn't take long. I just need some time to save up so I can move to another apartment," Luna said while she signed the releasing papers of her mother.
"Luna, you can stay here anytime. Don't worry about the time. You know you're always welcome here, and besides, Mia will be happy with you around."
"Corinne, thank you!" A little embarrassed, Luna still thanked her friend.
"Don't say that. We're friends. That's what are friends for, right? Now, go and give me a call if you need help in packing up your things." Corinne's reply warmed Luna's heart. She felt that her friendship and Corinne's concern for her were truly genuine, unlike Aiko's.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city ...
"What do you mean she isn't there?" Hero said with disdain. He wasn't in a good mood since yesterday, and Daryl knew that he and the other secretaries would sure suffer from his wrath today. Their boss wasn't like this before, but it was surprising to know that one woman could easily affect his mood.
Daryl was sweating as he answered his boss.
"She filed a leave today, sir. For personal reasons."
Hero ignored him, but his eyes were glaring down at the paper on his hand. Did she really mean what she said last night? Did she already know that she was working for him?
No. Impossible.
Something might have come up. It was very unlikely for Luna not to come for work without valid reasons.
"What valid reason?" he asked.
"I have no idea, sir," Daryl admitted.
"Are you saying that I am paying you thrice as what the others could get, and yet, you had failed to get the details I needed?"
Daryl's eyes widened in horror. "I'll do it right away, sir."
Without waiting for Hero's answer, he turned around and walked out the door. He almost bumped into Joanna who just arrived to talk with Hero again.
"You scared him away," she told Hero. She noticed the sour mood of her elder brother and shook her head. Someone who could make him pissed like this was sure asking for their death warrant.
"He could always quit if he couldn't do his job properly."
"Must you be always like this, Hero?"
"Relax," Hero reached out a hand and stroke the picture of Amber on his desk. She was just a year old in the picture. Her cheeks were flushed from her constant crying. "Whatever you're thinking right now, I assure you our brothers and sisters won't be short-changed once I get married again."
"I'm not worried about that," Joanna replied, but her face turned into an unbecoming shade of red. "We had a deal, and I'm sure you wouldn't break your promise."
Hero met her eyes and was satisfied that Joanna was able to recall the deal they made years ago.
"I know. I'd let him go, didn't I? But I will never understand why you chose to save him in spite of all the things he did to you."
"Of course, you wouldn't understand. You've never experienced being in love."