Chapter 4

Bruce's sudden appearance came as a shock to everyone. David Henderson, one of my colleagues, had just come out of the pantry with his hair in a mess and a toothbrush in his mouth. Though such a sight was normal for programmers like us, it clearly wasn't for Bruce based on how his brows knitted together. I could understand his reaction. A small office like ours couldn't compare with a large company like Roeval. I figured Bruce might've started regretting letting Cindy work here. Cindy herself didn't seem to mind. She pointed at a spot beside the window and said, "I'll be working there, Bruce." Bruce didn't answer. I followed the direction of his gaze and found that he was looking at the cubicle across from Cindy's, which was where I usually did my coding work. Besides the desktop on the desk, there was also an old black laptop. Bruce had won it in a competition in his second year of university. It was one of the very few gifts he'd ever given me. The laptop's specs were pretty good, so I'd been using it all this time. "Your laptop is the exact same model as Bruce's, Nancy." Cindy seemed to have noticed this as well. She gazed wide-eyed at me, asking, "Does it code well?" I didn't know Bruce had the exact same model, but to prevent unnecessary conflict, I replied calmly, "It's a pretty old model. The latest ones are better." Cindy then turned to Bruce. "What do you think, Bruce?" Was she doing some kind of interview? Instead of answering, Bruce asked, "Do you want to get a new laptop?" Cindy rubbed her nose and said, "I didn't pay attention when I bought my last one and ended up being cheated by the seller." "Oh, you… " Bruce said, his tone laced with tenderness even as his words were meant to be chastising. It was pretty different from his usually cold demeanor. "Are you calling me dumb again?" Cindy pouted. She was about to say something else when she sneezed. Bruce hurried over and asked worriedly, "Did you catch a cold?" Cindy sniffled, looking worried. "Oh dear. I think it's because of my pollen allergies… " She sneezed twice more before she could finish talking. Before I could even say anything, Bruce had cut in, "Get rid of these unnecessary plants right away." He was pointing at the succulents placed by the window. Those were Caroline's beloved plant babies. I said, "Mr. Harold, those succulents have already stopped flowering. Look—" "I'm not going to repeat myself," Bruce cut me off firmly. "Get an air purifier too." I was at a loss for words. Cindy tried to explain, "Bruce, Nancy didn't know I was allergic to pollen. She wouldn't have arranged this spot for me otherwise." Cindy was pointing to the cubicle beside the window. I'd given her that spot because it had the best lighting and privacy, making it undoubtedly the best spot to work in the office. I looked at how innocent Cindy appeared, then said after some thought, "This is an oversight on our part. How about you work in the office space to the right, Ms. Lane?" David immediately piped up, "I don't think that's a good idea, Nancy. Ms. Whittaker reserved that office specifically for you." David was implying Cindy wasn't qualified to have her own office space yet. Cindy understood this as well and refused, "It's okay, Nancy. I'll just take some antihistamines for the allergy. I'm new here, after all; there's no way I could have an office of my own." But rules were made by people, and they could very well be changed by people. I was sure Bruce would say something, him being our investor and all. Sure enough, Bruce decided, "Cindy will work there then." Cindy gazed worriedly at him. "This is too inappropriate, Bruce." Bruce suddenly looked at me and asked calmly, "What do you think, Ms. Fisher?" My composed emotions briefly cracked at the seams when he asked me this. I smiled and responded with, "We'll do as you say, Mr. Harold." As such, Cindy moved into the office space just like Bruce wanted. Caroline, who'd just hurried back, asked me to have a coffee with her in the cafe downstairs. She scowled, "It feels like we're being paid to deal with bullshit as opposed to being invested in." I said begrudgingly, "It's fine. It's just an office." Caroline sipped her coffee and said in concern, "Aren't you afraid this is just the beginning, Nancy? How could I possibly rest easy while going out for business meetings now?" I tried to calm her down. "Don't forget that Bruce is our investor. Do you really think he'd let his money go to waste?" I know Cindy wouldn't. After all, she still needed to use our finished project for her graduation. Plus, it was reasonable for Bruce to cause some issues for us, given the fact he was funding us. I called David and Cindy over for a meeting after returning to the office, delegating their tasks accordingly. David immediately got to work afterwards, but Cindy gnawed hesitantly on her lip. I asked her, "Is there a problem here?" "I don't have experience in front-end development, Nance." I was surprised to hear this. Supposedly, software students would be exposed to these practical studies on campus. I gave her some relevant reading material and said, "Read through these first and ask me if you have any questions." Cindy hummed in assent and swiftly returned to her office. I soon returned to my work. When dusk fell, and the streetlights lit up, I hurriedly cleared my desk and left the office. I needed to buy an air purifier before the mall closed. The mall was packed with people. I had just stepped out of the elevator when someone called out to me. "Nancy." I turned around, confused, only to see a middle-aged woman in a wine-red gown not far away. It was Kate Hudson, Bruce's mother. It had been two years since we last met. Kate was dressed like one of those rich wives. She walked over to me with a stiff smile on her face. "When did you come back to Joddesdon and Saza?" I replied flatly, "A while ago." "Will you be leaving soon?" Kate then added, feeling awkward, "If you're not, I know a couple of fine young men I can introduce you to. You know I've always been fond of you." I understood Kate's intention. She was worried I might continue pestering her son. It was true that I tried all I could to get on Kate's good side those years ago when I longed for Bruce. The only reason we had a good relationship was because of my efforts. It was reasonable for her to be wary of me. I still felt somewhat sad to see how cautious Kate was of me when all I saw in the past was how gentle and sweet she was. She probably didn't know about my company's collaboration with Bruce or the fact that he was with Cindy. Cindy was Bruce's sweetheart right now. "Nance?" Kate questioned when I didn't respond. "Are you and Bruce…" "Don't worry, Kate," I cut her off, meeting her gaze. "I'm already seeing someone else." See? My lying skills had improved after hanging around Caroline for two years. Kate was clearly relieved to hear this. But panic then flitted across her expression. "Bruce? You're here early." I followed her gaze only to find Bruce standing a couple of feet away. He was dressed in a tuxedo and exuding a cold, distant air. His eyes were fixed on me. However, his lips curled into a sneer.