“I don’t know, either,” the receptionist answered, shaking her head.
Sonia was silent for a couple of seconds before saying, “Alright, I’m coming downstairs now.”
After she hung up, she kept her cell phone away and hobbled toward the elevator in crutches while Daphne followed behind her.
When they reached the reception desk on the first floor, Sonia asked, “Where’s the package?”
The receptionist took out a big cardboard box. “Here it is.”
Sonia’s gaze fell on the sealed box on the desk, but she couldn’t see what was inside, and there wasn’t any information on the outside about the sender either.
Reaching out her hand, Daphne then lifted the box from a corner and said, “It’s quite heavy, President Reed.”
“Open it up and take a look,” Sonia instructed the receptionist.
With a cutter, the receptionist opened the box and everyone saw that it was filled with exquisitely packaged bottles.
Taking out a bottle, Daphne took a look at it and exclaimed in surprise, “President Reed, this is the most famous supplement overseas and works amazingly for the healing of bones. Just one bottle easily costs more than ten thousand. Look how many bottles are in here. The sender is really generous.”
To spend so much just to buy supplements for President Reed, the sender must be her loyal suitor, she reckoned.
Hearing that, Sonia frowned. “Put back the bottle and reseal the box.”
“Huh?” Daphne blurted, stunned. “Aren’t you going to keep them, President Reed?”
“No, I’m not,” she answered, turning to leave. “Get someone to return everything to the Fuller Group.”
“Fuller Group?” Daphne repeated, her jaw hanging in surprise. So all these are a gift from President Fuller. No wonder President Reed doesn’t want to accept it.
“Daphne, why do you think President Fuller is sending these supplements to President Reed? This isn’t the first time that he’s sending her gifts, is it?” the receptionist asked in a gossipy manner. “Could it be that there are still some leftover feelings between them?”
“How should I know?!” Daphne snapped and returned the bottle into the box. “That’s it. Don’t spout nonsense about your superior and arrange for someone to send these back.”
“Yes,” the receptionist answered with a nod.
Daphne chased after Sonia, who had already returned to her office and was calling Toby on the phone.
“What do you mean by this?” she asked.
“What are you speaking about?” Toby was just finished with his meeting and was also on his way back to his office.
Taking a deep breath, Sonia had an annoyed look on her face as she said, “You’re the one who sent those supplements, aren’t you?”
Last night, he already mentioned that he would send her some supplements, and she had already turned him down, but he still did it.
“Yes, it’s me,” he admitted, nodding his head.
Sonia snorted. “President Fuller, didn’t I already tell you that I don’t want it? Why did you still send them?”
Is she questioning me? he wondered as his face turned glum. “I also said that I’m partly responsible because you had an accident at my place.”
“Responsible?” she repeated, and chuckled sarcastically as though she had just heard the biggest joke. “President Fuller, you hadn’t been responsible to me when I was your wife, but you want to be responsible now that we’re divorced. Don’t you find it ridiculous?”
Hearing the sarcasm in her tone, Toby lowered his eyes without a word because he had no rebuttals for her words. Even he himself didn’t know why he had to be responsible for her.
“I’ve already asked someone to return the supplements to you. Don’t send me anything else in the future. I don’t need it!” she said and hung up on him.
Stopping in his tracks, Toby stared at the screen of his cell phone with an inexplicably complicated look in his eyes.
Seeing that he had stopped walking, Tom stopped as well and asked, “President Fuller?”
“Say… What’s wrong with me?” Toby asked suddenly, lowering his cell phone. Why am I so concerned about Sonia?
Confused, Tom asked, “President Fuller, what do you mean by that?”
Toby’s lips wavered, and just as he was about to speak, an attractive woman came out of his office and hugged him by his arm intimately. “Are you finished with the meeting, Toby?”
Looking a little surprised, Toby muttered, “Tina, why are you still here?”
Pouting her lips in dissatisfaction, she answered, “I’ve been staying here the whole time just to wait for you. How could you ask me something like that?”
“I’m sorry,” he apologized, stroking her hair. “I thought you’d already left.”
After taking a glance at the time on her cell phone, she said, “Toby, what do you think if I go to your place tonight? Your mom just sent me a text saying that she had bought foods which I like.”
“Sure,” Toby agreed, nodding, and Tina beamed.
Just then, a security officer stepped out of the elevator holding a box in his hands. “President Fuller, this is from Para—”
“Just put down the package on the floor,” Toby interrupted him before he could finish speaking.
It was the supplements that Sonia returned. If Tina found out about it, he was worried that she would overthink again.
After dropping off the box, the security officer left.
Tina looked at the box on the floor curiously. “What’s in that box, Toby?”
“Supplements,” he replied curtly.
Suddenly, it dawned on Tom why he suddenly broke off the security officer’s words.
“What supplements?” Tina paced over and opened the box. Her eyes gleamed when she saw what was in it. “Oh, it’s these supplements! This is really difficult to buy on the market. Even my dad wasn’t able to get any the last time when he pre-ordered them, but you bought so much in one shot, Toby.”
“I’ll get someone to send this to your father’s place later, then,” Toby offered.
Returning to his side, Tina said, “Thank you, Toby.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, giving her a smile.
So be it, he thought. Sonia’s right. Since we’re already divorced, we shouldn’t be in contact anymore. In addition, he had a hunch that the situation would be out of control if they kept in contact.
Suppressing the emotions in his heart, he held Tina’s hand and said, “Let’s go to my place.”
With a smile, Tina nodded her head enthusiastically. “Okay.”
Then, Toby instructed Tom to have the supplements sent to Tina’s place before leaving with her, and an hour later, they arrived at the Fuller Residence.
As Jean had heard the sound of the car even before they walked in, she rushed out of the house to greet them with a handful of sunflower kernels still in her palm. When she saw Tina getting out of the car, she went to her happily and grabbed her hand. “You finally came, Tina.”
“Hi, Mrs. Fuller,” Tina greeted in a gentle voice, and lowered her gaze to look at Jean’s hand that was holding her own hand.
There was still a piece of kernel peel covered in saliva stuck on her hand, and the sight of it made her nauseous.
The smile on her face turned stiff, and a look of disgust flashed across her eyes, but she drew away her hand without revealing her emotions.
Toby, who had just parked the car, came over and saw the both of them standing there. “Why didn’t you go in?”
“We’re waiting for you.” Tina took a step closer to him to distance herself from Jean before she held him by his arm.
Chuckling, Jean said, “Toby, Tina is so clingy to you. You have to treat her well.”
“I know, Mom. Let’s go in,” he said and led Tina into the house.
With the presence of the three of them, the huge living room suddenly became lively. Releasing Toby’s arm, Tina said, “I’m going to the washroom, Toby.”
I have to wash off the disgusting bacteria on my hand, she thought, unable to stand it for even a second longer.
“Go ahead,” Toby said, lifting his chin a little and thinking that she really wanted to use the toilet.
Then, she quickened her steps and strode toward the washroom.
After taking off his jacket, Toby asked, “Mom, where’s Tyler?”
“He’s upstairs now,” Jean replied in a huff.
“What happened?” Toby asked, looking at her.
“I’m angry because of that kid. Instead of listening to my advice to withdraw from the basketball team and focus on his exam for the university, he’s now throwing a tantrum at me, going as far as locking himself up in the room,” she complained while munching on the sunflower kernels.
Rubbing the knot between his brows, Toby said, “I’ll go check on him.”
