Chapter 11

Now that lunchtime was over, the other secretaries filed back into work, ready to continue the afternoon. Miranda had a lot on her mind, so she was distracted as she worked. Seeing that something was wrong with her, Wendy asked, concerned, "Ms. Jennings, are you okay?" "I'm fine. It's nothing," Miranda replied with a smile. Miranda was far healthier than the average person. Otherwise, she wouldn't have survived slaving away for Xavier for the past seven years. However, the car accident still had some lasting effects. Miranda would feel tired if she had worked for too long. The glass to replace the broken pane in the meeting arrived at three that afternoon. Miranda led the workman over to the meeting room and watched as he replaced the glass. The workman worked on a ladder. As he bent down to grab a tool and tried to straighten himself again, he fell backward. Since Miranda was behind him, she crashed to the ground with him on top of her. Her vision went dark as pain bloomed from the back of her head. She heard someone run over. "Oh no, an accident! Someone, anyone, please help!" Miranda fell unconscious while the workman remained still. Xavier rushed over the moment he heard the news. When he saw Miranda on the ground, pale and unmoving and bloodied, his chest tightened. "Oh no, Ms. Jennings! What happened here?" Yovanna asked, her face drained of color. Xavier whipped his head over to Naomi, who was crying. A chill ran down Wendy's spine as she explained the situation. "I… I don't know. They were on the floor when I arrived." "Have you called an ambulance?" "Yes." Xavier's expression was dark as he approached Miranda. A wave of panic bubbled inside Yovanna as she chased after him. "It's better if you don't move her." "I have no intention of doing that." Xavier's expression softened when he saw the gash running down Miranda's arm. Yovanna bit her lip as she observed him. Was Xavier worried for Miranda? The ambulance soon arrived. Miranda and the workman were then carried over to it. "I'm worried for Ms. Jennings. I want to go with her." Yovanna clutched at Xavier's sleeve. "Do you… want to come with me?" She tested Xavier to see if he was truly worried for Miranda and if he still felt anything for her. Despite Xavier's earlier warning, Yovanna was an insecure woman. She couldn't stop herself. Xavier regarded her with a chilly look. "What is there for you to do? You're not a doctor." That was what Yovanna wanted to hear. Her face lit up in a bright smile, but then she realized that it was inappropriate to do so now. She quickly wiped the smile off her face. "You're right. But I still want to see her. It just seems a little sad, for Ms. Jennings has no one at the hospital for her." "Do whatever you want," Xavier answered casually before returning to his work. It turned out that the workman had suffered a heart attack. Fortunately, he would make a safe recovery after the doctors' efforts. Meanwhile, Miranda had suffered a mild concussion. Other than the gash on her arm, she was alright. When Miranda woke up and saw Yovanna by her bed, she stared at her in exasperation. Yovanna definitely had some hidden motivation. Miranda wanted to tell her that she was wasting her time. Miranda was not a threat to Yovanna's relationship with Xavier. "You're awake at last." Yovanna's face lit up. "If you had stayed unconscious, I would have thought that the doctors were lying to me to spare my feelings." Miranda was definitely not going to think too hard about those words. Miranda closed her eyes for a while before opening them again. Her head still throbbed in pain. "Sorry for making you worry then." Her voice was still hoarse from the pain. Yovanna helpfully handed Miranda a glass of water. "This is considered a workplace injury, so Xavy should be the one here instead. But he's so busy with work, so here I am. Still, it doesn't matter whether it's me or him in the end." Miranda could read between the lines. She simply smiled and stayed quiet. Yovanna didn't continue to stay with her and soon left the ward. It wasn't until a nurse told Miranda that the workman was alright that she finally relaxed. The next day, Miranda received a call from Naomi, who recounted the accident over the phone. Miranda didn't want Naomi to worry, but unfortunately, her head spun too much. The world whirled around her whenever she got out of bed. Without anyone supporting her weight, she would fall over. Miranda didn't want to trouble the nurses, so she asked Naomi for help instead. Naomi quickly rushed over to the hospital, even bringing Josh with her. Miranda and Josh had kept in touch through texting after that date. Despite a few days of messaging, they were still stuck at surface-level pleasantries. Miranda wasn't interested in getting more involved, while Josh had been too shy to keep talking. So, they ended up in an awkward situation. "Oh, my poor, darling Miri. You ended up in the hospital again after you just got out. Xavier definitely has to be a serial killer or something." Naomi sobbed dramatically by Miranda's bed. "Cut it out already." Miranda had no idea whether she should be laughing. Naomi looked up and wiped away her nonexistent tears. "I'm being serious here. I got someone to do a tarot reading, and she said that Xavier brings bad luck to those around him." Miranda glanced at Josh. She just wanted to get back to work at Evergreen. From the looks of things, she had to hurry up and wrap up the project. Josh was the same as ever, and he smiled. "Have you done a tarot reading for Miranda and me?" "Yep. A match made in heaven, for sure." Now Miranda knew why Naomi had brought Josh with her. She met Josh's gaze for a few seconds before averting her eyes. Sometimes, one should be rational and make the correct choice in order for life to be easier. Josh was definitely the best choice for her when it came to potential husbands. Just as Miranda was wondering if she should pursue a closer relationship with Josh, Yovanna and Xaiver arrived. Yovanna held Xavier's hand as she pressed her cheek against his upper arm. She had a blissful look on her face. What a pair of mood-wreckers. "Are you feeling better today, Ms. Jennings?" Yovanna asked, concerned. "Far better. Thank you for asking," Miranda replied politely. "That's good." "It'll be better if you don't show up here at all," Naomi pointed out. Yovanna shot Naomi a look and pretended that she didn't hear her. She reached inside Xavier's pocket to pull out a card and place it on the bedside table. "I don't know your favorite food, so I just bought you a gift card." "You think a gift card is enough?" Naomi swept the card off the table. "Mr. Schneider, your employee suffered an injury at your company, and all you got for her was a measly gift voucher. Don't you think that you're being way too stingy?"