Departure with a Belly (Alaric and Victoria)

Chapter 589

100 Bonus

Chapter 589 Have You Forgotten That You Have Resigned

“Hi, Mr. Ludson.” Summer’s familiar tone caught Erik off guard.

He asked, “Are you up?”

She rolled out of bed in response, as if she was preparing herself to receive a work call while abroad. She grabbed her glasses and inquired, “Is there an issue with work?” As soon as she asked the question, there was an eerie silence on the other end.

“Mr. Ludson?” she called out.

He let out a sigh and asked, “Have you forgotten that you have already resigned?”

There was a brief pause as she processed his words. “Oh, right, I have already resigned.” It finally dawned on her that this phone call was not work–related. Instantly, exhaustion overpowered her mental state and she didn’t want to continue the conversation. She simply said, “I’m going back to sleep. I’m so tired.” She hung up the phone without hesitation.

On the other end, Erik listened to the busy tone lingering on the line for a while before realizing what had happened. He hadn’t even informed her about his plan to visit her today. Nevertheless, he didn’t expect her to react this way when she wasn’t working, displaying a completely different demeanor from her obedient self at the company. A smile formed on the corners of his lips as he rose from his seat to tidy up his belongings.

Shortly after she ended the call and settled back into bed, there was a knock at her door. She opened her eyes with a perplexed expression and couldn’t help but feel a bit speechless. Why was there such

a racket early in the morning on New Year’s Day? They all stayed up late celebrating the arrival of the New Year yesterday. Shouldn’t everyone be resting at this time?

Even though she felt rather annoyed and resigned from being disturbed, she obediently got out of bed since she was at home. As she made her way toward the door, the idea of buying a small house after New Year’s Day crossed her mind. That way, she could sleep for as long as she wanted. As she opened the door, she found Jane standing there with a smile, accompanied by her aunt.

Her aunt’s face immediately lit up with warmth upon seeing her and she showered Summer with praise, saying, “Oh, Summer, it’s been so many years since I last saw you, and you’ve grown even more beautiful, with an even better temperament than before.”

Summer, dressed in bear–print pajamas and just having woken up, couldn’t help but feel speechless at her aunt’s remarks. She glanced down at her attire and ran her fingers through her disheveled hair before forcing a smile and responding. “Thank you for the compliment. It has been many years, and you look even younger than before.”

It was all small talk, and she could handle it with ease. Clearly, her small talk was effective as her aunt genuinely believed her since the woman warmly took her hand and initiated a conversation…

Summer was still incredibly sleepy, but her aunt persisted in talking, even dragging her downstairs. However, she didn’t resist and simply ran her fingers through her disheveled hair once again. She grew up with her aunt’s children, and they had witnessed each other in all sorts of embarrassing situations, so she didn’t bother dressing up and merely followed her aunt downstairs.

To her surprise, there was another unfamiliar man waiting there. When she caught sight of the stranger, her expression briefly changed, and she turned to her aunt. Her aunt warmly introduced, “Come on, Summer, let me introduce you. This is Zach. Zach, meet Summer. Get to know each other.”

It finally dawned on her–her aunt’s enthusiastic urge to bring her downstairs was to set her up with another

man.

She lowered her head and asked, feigning a smile, “Aunt Jenny, why didn’t you tell me there would be a man? I could have changed clothes and put on some makeup, right?”

Jenny maintained her smile, and in a slightly elevated tone, she responded without hesitation in front of the man, “It’s alright. You won’t be wearing makeup every day if you get married in the future, right? Besides, you look beautiful whether or not you wear makeup.”

When Zach caught sight of Summer, his eyes immediately lit up. So, when Jenny introduced them, he eagerly approached her.

“Hello, I’m Zach.”

He smirked and said, “I hope you don’t mind. I told your aunt that I wanted to see you without makeup, so she

came up with this idea. You look natural and beautiful.”

He even winked at her after making that comment, as if he believed he was being charming. “I’ve seen plenty of girls who are stunning, but they look completely different without makeup. Those girls are just too fake. I think you’re genuine.”

Summer wanted to convey to Zach that it would be better if he didn’t verbalize every thought that crossed his mind. After all, being praised by a man like him didn’t bring her happiness. Regardless, she forced a faint smile and responded, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

To her dismay, Jenny believed that they had an instant connection after observing their interaction. She sat down with Jane enthusiastically and bombarded them with various questions. As Summer settled on the couch, Zach took a seat beside her. The close proximity made her furrow her brow in discomfort. What was this man’s deal? It was their first meeting, yet he was already trying his luck.

She attempted to stand up, but Jenny gently pushed her back down.

“Sit down and have a conversation. It’s the best way to get to know each other. Zach, why don’t you tell

Summer about your work?”

“Sure.”

He then began animatedly discussing his work. Although Jenny’s intention for them to get to know each other was pure, he launched into a relentless self–promotion spiel, bragging about himself without missing a beat.

Due to their proximity, Summer occasionally caught a whiff of his faint, unpleasant breath as he spoke. She glanced at his profile, taking note of his constant babbling. Was she expected to embark on a lifelong journey with a man like him after a blind date?

Just the mere thought of that possibility made her realize that remaining single was a far better option than being with someone like him. The idea of being with such a person was unimaginable to her.

With that in mind, she turned her face away and lowered her eyelids. She would undoubtedly feel unhappy if she had to confront such situations regularly while living at home. It became apparent to her that finding at reliable partner on her own was the right decision. After the new year, she resolved to inquire with Tissia about the individual Tissia had mentioned previously, the one she intended to introduce to Summer.

While she was lost in her contemplation, the doorbell rang.

Jane rose to her feet and remarked, “It’s probably your sister and the rest of the gang coming over.” Summer instantly felt a sense of despair. This was how blind dates played out in the countryside– relatives would swarm

in, evaluating the potential match as if it were a momentous affair. At this rate, she could barely keep a lid on her annoyance as she felt that it would be better to retreat upstairs and get some sleep, rather than waste any

more time here.

As she weighed her options, she heard her mother’s surprised voice, “Mr. Ludson? What brings you here?” ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“Jane, just call me Erik.” A man, whose voice was cold and formal, could be heard from the doorway. This caused Summer, who had been on the verge of sneaking upstairs to sleep, to freeze in her tracks.

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