Rita was all kinds of mixed up inside when he spoke, but she put on her smile and said, "Yeah, we're cool, no worries."
Jefferson gave her a grin and offered her a lift to work.
Like usual, Rita hopped out of the car a couple of blocks before the office, just to make sure none of her coworkers got the wrong idea about them two riding together.
On her walk to the office, Rita's mind was racing, chewing over what Robert had thrown at her the night before.
She muttered to herself, "What in the world went down with my parents?"
The worry was gnawing at her; the only way to figure out if Robert was bluffing was to get Esther on the case.
Esther had her feet on the ground in Lew City, and she could snoop around without Robert catching wind.
Rita wasted no time, punching in Esther's digits. "Hey, Esther, I'm in a bind. I need you."
"Say no more, sis. What's up?" Esther's voice was a lifeline.
"Robert popped up yesterday and..." Rita barely got the words out.
"Robert? That good-for-nothing? Rita, tell me he didn't lay a finger on you!" Esther's voice was hot with anger, ready to jump to Rita's defense.
"Easy, Esther," Rita said, trying to steer her friend back to calm waters.
She had to bite her tongue to stop from spilling the beans about the time Robert got her thrown in the slammer.
"Listen, it ain't about that. Robert said something about my parents. I need to know what's going on with them in Lew City. Can you help me out? I'm fretting over here..."
"On it, Rita. I'll swing by your parents' place as soon as I clock out," Esther promised, all business now.
Rita showered Esther with thanks and ended the call, her heart heavy as she entered the office building.
Around 4 in the afternoon, Rita's phone buzzed with Esther's name flashing on the screen.
"Hope they're okay," she whispered to herself, her heart sitting heavy in her chest as she answered the call.
"Hey, Rita, you gotta promise me you won't lose it, okay?"
"Esther, this ain't the time for games. Spit it out already. What's going on?" Rita's voice quivered with urgency.
"Okay, here's the deal... Your parents, they're flat broke. I mean, everything's gone—house, stuff, all of it. They're working as help at the Hum family's place now..." Esther's voice was steady, but the news hit like a freight train.
"Help? As in servants? That can't be! My parents, they've always lived large, never lifted a finger to do housework. How on earth are they servants now?"
Rita's voice cracked as she struggled to wrap her head around it.
"I wish I knew, Rita. But it's clear they ain't being treated right. I couldn't get near the Hums to find out more. Look, if you wanna do something for your parents, you might have to face that scumbag Robert," Esther suggested reluctantly.
"Good Lord! They can't deal with this kind of mess. What am I gonna do?" Rita's voice broke as her fears spilled out unchecked.
"Rita, do you want me to come over? I'll fly into Murray City this weekend. We can go see Robert together. How's that sound?" Esther's offer was a lifeline in the chaos.
"I... I don't know, Esther. Thanks a bunch. I gotta figure something out. I'll catch you later, okay? Thanks again." Rita's words tumbled out in a rush as she ended the call and stumbled back to her desk, her thoughts a tangled mess.
Walking through the hallway, she accidentally bumped into Jefferson.
He'd been looking forward to seeing Rita, hoping for a warm hello after their recent coolness, but she just brushed past him, head down, like he was invisible.
Jefferson's brow furrowed in confusion.
"Why's she acting like this? Didn't she say we were good this morning? What'd I do this time?" His annoyance was clear, and he stopped in his tracks.
"Hey, Rita," he called out, ignoring the curious gaze of his secretary, Linda.
Rita, hearing her name, looked up to find Jefferson.
Overwhelmed with worry and fear, she acted on impulse, rushing to him and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.
As she buried her face in his chest, the tears came freely.
"Oh, Rita..." Jefferson was taken aback.
He realized Linda was still there, likely itching to gossip.
As he gently patted Rita's back, he turned to see Linda fumbling with her phone, trying to sneak a video.
"Hey!" he called out sharply.
Before he could stop her, Neo appeared, instructing Linda to delete the video.
She complied, but not before snapping a photo.
Neo then ushered Jefferson and Rita into a nearby meeting room, quickly locking the door behind them for some privacy.
Outside the meeting room, Linda was seething with anger, her teeth practically grinding together.
"Rita, again! Why hasn't the boss booted her out yet? Has she wormed her way into his heart? No way, not happening! Jefferson is mine, and I'm gonna make sure she's out on her ear!"
As she fumed, her eyes were glued to the phone screen, replaying the image of Rita and Jefferson in a tight embrace, plotting her next move.
Inside the quiet sanctuary of the meeting room, Jefferson's brows were knit together with worry as he observed Rita's distress.
He could feel the tremors of her sobs as he held her close, and he took on the role of a comforting presence amidst the storm of her emotions.
His thumb, gentle and assuring, swept across her wet cheeks, catching the tears that fell like rain from her troubled eyes.
With a softness in his voice that seemed to fill the space with warmth and understanding, Jefferson encouraged her.
"Alright, Rita, just take it one breath at a time. Nice and slow, that's it."
He waited for her breathing to steady before he continued, his gaze never leaving hers, "Now, tell me everything. What's ripping you up inside like this?"
He gave her a small, encouraging smile, a silent pledge of his support.
"I'm right here with you, Rita. I'm here to help you, and that's a promise."