Chapter 513 Handing You This Project
Amelia only rested for two days before insisting on going back to work. Oscar failed to convince her and unwillingly drove her to work.
When they arrived at the company entrance, he reminded her worriedly, “If you have a headache, call me and don’t force yourself to work, okay? Don’t give in to anyone’s pleading for Mrs. Larson, either. I’ll handle it.”
She leaned toward him and kissed his cheek with a smile. “Okay. You should go to work now. Don’t forget to invite Mrs. Hutton to a meal at noon. They have been taking good care of me for the past two days. I want to show them my gratitude.”
“Got it.”
After she got off the car, she watched him leave before turning toward the company. Someone unexpectedly approached her from behind a pillar. She stopped and smiled at him. “When did you arrive, Carter?”
Carter’s heart ached as he stared at the gauze on her forehead.
“Does it hurt?” He approached her and asked caringly.
She was stunned for a second before she realized what he was referring to. “A little bit at the start. It’s fine now, though.”
The look in his eyes suddenly turned deep as he apologized in a low voice, “I’m sorry.”
She smiled casually. “Why are you apologizing? It’s not like my wound has anything to do with you. There really is no need for you to act like this, Carter. Besides, it’s getting late. I’m going inside now. We can talk more later.”
His hand grabbed hers to stop her from leaving.
Her gaze swept past the other workers heading into the company before she gave him a warning glare. “Don’t do this, Carter. There are people watching. I don’t want rumors about me to spread in the company, and I especially don’t want them to reach Oscar’s ears.”
Carter’s eyes darkened even further. “Are you avoiding me on purpose, Amelia?”
Amelia withdrew her arm forcefully. “I have a husband and child, Carter. You also have someone of your own. I don’t want the mother of a woman to make a bunch of rumors about me for no reason and lead to me being beaten up again. I’m not a masochist, and I’m not going to do nothing when other people are actively bullying me.”
He stared at her in a daze. “I’m sorry. I’ll take care of it.”
Her head shook. “I’m not blaming you. However, if you’re here because of Mrs. Larson, I suggest you don’t speak any further. I don’t want our friendship to crumble.”
“I’m not going to. I’m only worried about you, and I wanted to check up on you.” Carter quickly denied it.
“Knowing you don’t have intentions like that put me at ease. At least you’re not throwing our friendship away for love.”
“You know I will never do that, Amelia. Jennifer and I are only friends. I—”
“That’s enough, Carter. I need to go to work, and so do you. We can talk more when we’re free.” After she finished speaking, Amelia left as she didn’t want to give him too much space for imagination.
“Amelia…” he called out.
She ignored that and went straight into the company. Just as he was feeling disappointed, she walked out of the building.
“Nothing will ever change the fact that we’re friends, Carter. You should head to work now.” She then returned to the company.
When he heard that, his lips couldn’t help but curve up. Amelia sure has that strange ability to affect my mood with her words.
Upon exiting the elevator she went in, Amelia stunned her colleagues because they weren’t expecting to see her. They quickly suppressed their suspicions and surrounded her to show her how much they cared about her.
They just learned that she was the wife of the heir to Clinton Corporations. If they could get a hold of her, they would increase their chances of getting a raise. Therefore, they did their damndest to butter her up, despite the fact that they despised and were envious of her.
It didn’t matter to them how many men she was sleeping with or had a fling with because she was rich and powerful. They saw her as an opportunity to obtain greater benefits, and they would do anything to get it.
“Thank you all for your concerns. My injury is an insignificant one, so I only needed to rest for two days. You all should return to your work. I should too. Otherwise, I’ll be counted as late and miss my full attendance for this month as a result,” Amelia joked.
Everyone smiled when they heard that. They didn’t believe a rich woman like her would care about a couple hundred. It probably wasn’t even enough for her to have one meal.
Still, they obediently returned to their work. She smiled at them courteously and headed to the design department in her high heels.
When her colleagues from the design department saw her, they also enthusiastically greeted her. “Are you all right, Amelia? We’re so worried about you. Everyone wanted to visit you after work today, but we’re afraid that Mr. Clinton won’t allow us to do that. And just as everyone was wondering about it, you showed up for work. Why didn’t you rest for a few more days?”
“I’m fine. Thank you all for your concerns. I’ll treat everyone to lunch as thanks for protecting me two days ago,” Amelia offered generously.
She was much better at socializing compared to the shy Amelia seven years ago.
“Don’t say that, Amelia. You’re going to make us all feel guilty.”
“If none of you had protected me, I would’ve been seriously hurt. She can spread rumors about how I was a cheating woman, but I believe the truth will reveal itself in time. I’m certain all of you know what kind of person I am after spending so much time with me, so I won’t waste time explaining myself. Those who believe me will do so without any prompt, and those who don’t are free to believe whatever they want.”
It was hard to tell if she managed to convince her colleagues because of her straightforward attitude or her identity. Regardless, all of them supported her. “All of us believe you, Amelia. Really. Just a look at you is enough to tell us you’re the type of person who gets misunderstood easily. We support you.”
“Thank you.”
Lydia, the new manager, greeted Amelia when she arrived and saw her. She asked, “How are you doing, Amelia? Are you still feeling pain in your forehead? I hope not. Mr. Franklin told me you could take a month off. Why have you come to work after only resting two days?”
“It’s just a scratch, and staying at home is quite boring. I might as well come back to work. Besides, I feel much better being accompanied by you all.”
“It’s good that you’re feeling well. If you’re feeling dizzy, you must tell us about it. Don’t force yourself too much, okay?” Lydia reminded.
“Thank you, Lydia. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Everyone else was staring at Lydia with a cold look. They knew she had always been a selfish woman in her thirties. She was basically telling everyone that she had her eyes locked on the person supporting Amelia by showing how much she suddenly cared about her.
Still, no one was going to blame her. How could one not grab the golden opportunity right in front of them? If one didn’t know how to hold it tightly, it meant they were either too stupid or didn’t know the rules of the battlefield in the workplace.
“I’m glad to hear that.” Lydia swept her gaze past the others who wanted to give it a shot and said, “All of you should return to your work. You can talk more during lunch break.”
“I want to invite everyone to lunch later, Lydia. You should come too.”
“I’ll definitely join you.”
After the hubbub was over, everyone returned to their spots.
A short period after Amelia started working, the phone on her desk rang. She picked up the phone and answered, “Hello?”
“It’s me, Amelia. I heard you’re already back at work. Do you mind stopping by my office right now?” Shane’s voice was heard on the other end.
“I’ll be there right away.”
After hanging up the call, she tidied up the documents on her table and headed to the elevator.
Upon stepping out of the elevator, Shane’s secretary personally guided her to his office and opened the door. “Mr. Franklin is waiting for you inside, Amelia.”
The door behind Amelia closed when she entered the room.
“What’s the matter, Shane?” she asked politely.
He pointed at the chair in front of his desk. “Sit.”
She sat as instructed.
His head was only raised after he finished signing a document. “Why didn’t you rest a couple more days in your home?”
“I’m already fine, Besides, staying at home is really boring. Drawing in the company is a lot more fun.”
Shane couldn’t help but chuckle. “You didn’t change a single bit. You either refuse to do something or do your best to get it done.”
“Thank you for your praise. Having a boss who cares about his employees like you makes me embarrassed to be lazy.”
Both of them exchanged a couple more pleasantries before he handed her a folder. “This is a joint project between our company and Clinton Corporations. Since you’re Mr. Clinton’s wife, I think this project is best suited for you to handle. It’ll also give you more opportunities to meet with him. If you think you can handle it, I’ll leave the project in your hands.”
She opened the folder and briefly read through the files before raising her head to meet his eyes. “A joint advertisement project? I only know how to draw blueprints, Mr. Franklin. Do you think I can do it?”
“There’s no need to hide your true abilities. Everyone knows that, aside from designing blueprints, you’re skilled in making advertisements. If you can’t even do this, how could you have so much inspiration for the blueprints?” He smiled.
Amelia shrugged with a smile. “Since you trust me this much, I’ll come off as unreasonable if I reject it, won’t I?”
His smile grew wider. “I’m leaving this project in your hands.”
“Still, aren’t you embarrassed that you’re exploiting an employee of yours who hasn’t even fully recovered yet, Mr. Franklin? I thought you’re a good boss.”
Shane wasn’t sure if he should laugh or cry. “This joint project with Clinton Corporations really isn’t in a rush. You can deal with it after resting for half a month. The planning will only start next year. I’m telling you right now to make sure you’re mentally prepared.”
“I was only joking with you. I didn’t expect you to take it seriously. Since you’ve already handed the project to me, there’s no way I’ll leave it unattended. Don’t worry. I’ll complete it on time.”
“I’ll be counting on you, then. How about I treat you to a meal some other time?”
“Sure. You now owe me a meal.”
Both of them smiled.
Seven years later since they last met, they were no longer two people living hand to mouth. It was just a joke.a
