Chapter 5 Her Boyfriend?
1073 Words
"Not now." Joseph pushed open his office door. "Get me a coffee."
But as he made his way to his desk, Taylor added, "Mr. Graham said he's not leaving until he sees you today."
Joseph shot a quick glance back at Taylor, who immediately looked down.
"Bring him in," he commanded, sitting down and leisurely loosening his suit jacket.
Soon, Taylor arrived with coffee, followed by Harvey, who looked visibly upset.
"That woman! Where on earth did you get her?" Harvey blurted out.
Joseph took his coffee, signaled for Taylor to leave, and then finally looked up at Harvey.
"Look at this." Harvey pointed to a scar on his neck, his wrist bandaged. "She almost severed my tendons."
Joseph's eyes briefly passed over Harvey's wounds, a slight smile of satisfaction crossing his face.
Feigning ignorance, he asked, "What happened?"
Harvey was still in lingering fear. "She had a knife! Her skills were unbelievable. The doctor said it was a near miss on my major artery. I was close to losing my life instead of enjoying the moment. Tell me, where did you find her?"
Joseph was pleased to know that Harvey hadn't succeeded with Yolanda. Relaxed, he leaned back comfortably in his chair, his face expressionless. "What do you want with her?"
"To get revenge, of course," Harvey responded.
No women had ever caused him such a loss.
But Joseph seriously knew nothing about Yolanda's life and work.
"Find her yourself if you're after revenge," he replied dismissively.
Stunned, Harvey then spoke bitterly, "Fine, I'll handle her myself, breaking her hands once she's located. I'll see if she dares to wield a knife then!"
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Yolanda walked out of the examination room, a sudden chill running down her spine.
Was someone speaking ill of her behind her back?
"Yolanda, remember Wilma's farewell party tonight at eight, the Celestial Vista Hotel, section B," reminded a colleague.
Yolanda, hands in her lab coat pockets, nodded reluctantly.
Her mind remained heavy with thoughts of Wilma and Joseph, which chilled her to the bone.
At eight, Yolanda arrived at the Celestial Vista Hotel.
She was about to enter when she saw a car pull up.
Wilma got out, followed by Joseph.
Yolanda quickly ducked behind a pillar.
Stealthily peeking out, she found the two seemed well-matched, standing together. Joseph obviously made his presence a fondness for Wilma.
Everyone who worked in the hospital would show up, which meant everyone would see them together.
"Thanks for coming," Wilma said, her voice tinted with shyness. With flawless makeup, she dressed quite classy tonight.
"We're friends, after all," Joseph replied.
He only appeared here for their encounter that night.
Wilma yearned to be closer, but her previous words now served as a barrier. She maintained her poise. "Shall we go in?"
After they moved on, Yolanda stepped out from behind the pillar.
The thought of facing Joseph was daunting. After pondering, she decided to call Wilma and prevent her attendance by excusing an emergency.
Unfortunately, just when she was about to dial, a colleague approached and called out, "Yolanda."
Wilma turned around.
Yolanda's hand froze in the air and accidentally hit the call button. By the time she heard the sound, Wilma's phone had already started ringing.
Yolanda quickly hung up and forced a smile. "Sorry, wrong button."
Her voice sounded familiar, causing Joseph to turn around and spot Yolanda nearby. Her stance was somewhat awkward as she held her phone.
He raised an eyebrow in surprise, wondering if she was also a doctor at Harmony Heights Medical Center.
Wilma gave a gentle smile. "No worries."
As she spoke, she inched closer to Joseph.
Since Joseph had demanded that she should not act as his wife in public, Yolanda pretended not to know him.
"Is this your boyfriend?" she asked playfully, her eyes twinkling brightly.
Wilma let the assumption stand uncorrected, as it aligned with her own desires.
And Joseph, curious about Yolanda's reaction, did nothing to correct it while fixing his eyes on her.
Yolanda, smiling, complimented them, though inside she despised the duo in front of her.
One had snatched a career opportunity from her, and the other was her estranged husband and the instigator of her miseries.
"You two seem like a perfect match, destined for each other," she said.
Somehow, Joseph felt a sudden urge to wipe the smile off her face.
"Yolanda, come sit with us." Terry invited before she could move to a more secluded table.
She glanced back to see Joseph watching her.
Feeling nervous, she smiled at Terry, "I, uh..."
But before she could finish, Terry had already pulled her down to sit. "Just sit here."
Reluctantly remaining at the table, Yolanda felt uneasy and didn't even dare to look up.
"Yolanda, Wilma is not only your classmate but also colleague. Aren't you going to toast to that?" Terry nudged Yolanda.
"She doesn't drink," Joseph interjected unexpectedly, causing a pause among the group.
How would he know that?
Yolanda was taken aback, locking eyes with Joseph, who was smirking slightly.
Clenching her fists under the table, she wondered what he was up to.
Wilma sensed the tension but chose to overlook it, assuming she was reading too much into it.
"In our profession, we should avoid alcohol. I've always been close to Yolanda, and I'll miss her even after I leave," Wilma said, remaining her elegant manner.
Just then, Joseph's phone rang.
"I know," he answered briefly and then hung up.
Moments later, Yolanda's phone also rang. She answered, and Jordan, the butler for Lawrence, was on the line. "Yolanda, please come to Sutton Manor. Mr. Sutton wants to see you, immediately."
"Okay," Yolanda replied.
After hanging up the phone, she told Wilma, "I have to run. Something urgent came up. Best of luck to you.”
She then picked up a glass of wine from the table and downed it.
As she rose, Joseph's gaze lingered on her. He spoke with a playful smirk on his lips, "What a coincidence. I have to leave too. Will you join me?"
Yolanda fell silent.
Joseph's behavior puzzled her deeply. The more she tried to keep her distance, the closer he seemed to get.
Joseph, too, found it hard to understand that he was just annoyed to see her pretending not to know him.
His resolve hardened to test the limits of her charade.
Everyone fixed their curious eyes on Yolanda.
- Writer
