But life doesn’t always work out the way you want it to. I had let go of many things in the past four years. Yet, I always found myself thinking that maybe Anthony had his own grievances. Maybe he had his reasons for lying to me and hurting me.
Because I loved him too much, my hatred and anger towards him were poisoned with love. As time passed, those opposing emotions canceled each other out and dissolved into nothing. No matter what happened, we were now two separate people leading two separate lives.
Colin worked efficiently to secure me a spot in the office, but it was hard for me to get used to having a job that gave me so much free time.
As a result of that free time, I distracted myself by listening to some gossip and rumors that were going around the office. Apparently, someone in the hotel had committed suicide by jumping off a building because they were facing relationship troubles.
Some people in the office debated over the issue.
“I heard that the girl’s parents are ministers from K City. I know that our hotel had no part in her death, but it still happened on our hotel grounds. I have a bad feeling about this.”
“I know, right? We had put so much effort into helping the hotel recover, but now, it looks like we’ll have to look for new jobs again.”
“Ugh. I also heard that our parent company is super well-off and doesn’t care about the profits our small hotel is making. Those snobbish higher-ups probably don’t want to waste money on handling the situation. In fact, they might just shut down the hotel.”
“That means, we’re going to become unemployed… To think that I went through so much trouble to work here—where the pay is actually good and the environment is alright. I can’t believe I’m losing my job because of this.”
Some of the hotel receptionists stood near me and chatted as I subtly listened in on their conversation. They did have a point. R Province was a small city without any large corporations. Instead, it only had some factories and smaller companies.
This holiday hotel was already considered large compared to the other hotels in the city, with a better salary and working environment. If it shut down, I would have to look for a new job all over again.
It would be hard to find a job that paid even three thousand monthly. I couldn’t help but sigh internally. It was just my luck that this would happen right before I was about to get this month’s paycheck.
Colin walked in, furrowing his eyebrows as his stare swept over the gaggle of receptionists. “If you have time to stand around moping, I’d rather you use that time to think about the work you have done.”
The young women jumped, instantly scattering.
Colin headed towards me, noticing that I was staring blankly at my computer screen. “What are you doing? It’s nearly time to get off of work. Do you want to go pick up Summer and Michael together?”
I nodded on reflex before remembering the work I still had left. I frantically shook my head. “Please help me pick Summer up. I haven’t finished my tasks yet.”
Glancing at my computer screen that displayed an incomplete table, he laughed and walked away without another word.
The group of receptionists from before started whispering among themselves as soon as he stepped out the door, turning their focus to me.
Joyce stared me down with disdain. “Hey, Sienna. How did you turn from a janitor into one of the most laidback workers at this hotel in charge of two positions overnight? What’s your secret?”
Her tone sounded weirdly sharp and icy as she spoke. Someone else, adding fuel to the fire, chimed in, “Tell us, Sienna. You seem so much prettier and wiser with experience compared to us. I’m sure you know some tips for sweet-talking people.”
Joyce scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Sweet-talk? More like sleeping around! I heard that women turn into hungry cougars when they become thirty years old, and it looks like Mr. Johnson couldn’t escape this old witch’s clutches either! Her method of using sex to benefit herself is much more convenient compared to our way of working hard day by day to get to where we are now!”
I looked up at them as they continuously spat out terms like “old witch” and “sleeping around.”
Immense envy for youth surged through me. The leniency that came with being a juvenile meant Joyce could speak without reservation and lash out at people as she pleased.
My gaze settled on the glass of water on the table. I stood up and approached her. There was no anger in my voice, but a cold indifference seeped through my words. “Indeed, I’m thirty now. That’s four to five years older than you. I wonder what I was up to when I was your age.”
Quirking an eyebrow, I continued, “I was a newlywed at that time, and my career had just taken off. The work culture back then was a lot more complicated than what you’re experiencing now. I, too, had my fair share of interactions with some older girls at my workplace. They were all my superiors, but I focused on working hard to reach their status instead of sabotaging them.”
“Witnessing your insolent behavior gave me an epiphany—that good upbringing is crucial. My parents taught me to look up to those who are better than me and follow in their footsteps, not defame them. Ms. Newton, your upbringing sure is… Disappointing.”
Objectively, these were not harsh words, but it was a different story altogether since I involved her family and character.
Joyce was still young and easily incensed. Fuming, she raised a hand to slap me.
I was not a naive lady in her twenties. In one swift motion, I intercepted her swinging arm, picked up the glass of water, and mercilessly threw the water in her face.
“Ms. Newton, you’ll get your tongue severed if you don’t watch it well. Remember to choose your words wisely the next time you decide to run your mouth.” I was in no mood to finish the forms and promptly left the office.
An enraged shriek pierced the air. “Sienna, you vile woman! Just you wait and see!”
I could hear her having a mental breakdown behind me, but I paid her no heed and returned home.
Colin had brought Summer back. The young girl had been acting as my shadow lately, trailing behind me wherever I went. Perhaps my bout of illness had worried her, so she took to following me around for fear that something would happen to me.
Halfway through our meal, Colin suddenly looked at me and said, “A developer from K City will be checking in at the hotel tomorrow. You may need to entertain him on my behalf and plan an itinerary for his stay at R Province, which will last for a few days. The higher-ups decided that it would be best for him to take over the hotel after the incident.”
I paused momentarily before voicing my confusion. “Why is a developer taking over a hotel business?”
Colin smiled wryly. “The land around the hotel is undeveloped. As you rightly suspected, these developers have no interest in the hotel itself. Instead, they have plans to start up new projects near the hotel. R Province has been doing well in the past two years. Paired with the fact that we have beautiful scenery and a good number of foreign visitors, it would only take a couple of years to develop R Province into a tourist destination.”
His reasoning made sense. R Province was not huge, but it had picturesque scenery. Every year during spring, the daffodils surrounding the city would be in full bloom, making it appear as if the nondescript city were floating on a sea of yellow.
There were also numerous natural waterfalls and minorities living at the edge of the province. Recent trends showed that more and more people from busy, bumbling cities wished to live in a tranquil environment after retirement. R Province, with its peaceful surroundings, would be an ideal spot.
“What time will he arrive?” I inquired as I piled Summer and Michael’s plates with vegetables. The two children had identical preferences for food—both being meat-eaters with a strong aversion to greens. Their picky appetite warranted force-feeding to ensure that they get their nutrients.
Colin finished his food and set his utensils down. “Around noon. Make sure to dress professionally.”
I nodded in understanding. While I had never been a hostess, I had been on the receiving end a few times before, back when I held a high position in Featherstone Corporation.
I had a good idea of how things worked.
The following day, I donned the clothes I brought with me from J City. I intentionally selected the outfit with hopes that I would appear presentable when I greeted the esteemed visitor. I barely bought any clothes in the last few years I lived in R province, and on the off chance that I did, the clothes were cheap items from night markets. It had been long since I last wore branded clothing, let alone customized outfits.
The outfit I had on was a customized piece by a renowned Italian designer, courtesy of Anthony. A plethora of similar clothing hung in my wardrobe. Back then, I was carrying Summer and had thrown on this formal attire for convenience when I left.
After arriving at R Province, the outfit had been shoved in a box, never to see the light for years. The attire that was worth tens of thousands now smelled vaguely of mold, but its exceptional workmanship shone through. Even years of neglect could not dim its excellent quality.
I stood waiting at the entrance of the hotel.
Coincidentally, Joyce was the receptionist on duty for today. When she glimpsed my luxurious attire, she could not help but make a sarcastic remark.
“Is seducing the manager not enough? Are you targeting the developer now? You’re a mere sparrow hoping to be a phoenix. Do you have no shame at all?”
Taking into account that we were in public, I refrained from commenting and gave Joyce the side-eye.
Our relationship had grown tense after the dispute the day before.
It was known to all that she had a beef with me.
A black Mercedes-Benz pulled up at the entrance. It might very well be the best vehicle in R Province.
Upon noticing the developer’s arrival, Joyce averted her eyes and plastered a cordial smile on her face as she took her post near the door.
The hotel staff gathered at the entrance and stood in a line to welcome the distinguished guest.
I walked toward the car and bent down to open the door.
However, I was interrupted before my hand made contact with the cool metal.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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