章節 12: Chapter 12

"Thirty-five years old?" the HR interviewer frowned when she read Choe's curriculum vitae. She looked at Chloe sitting on the chair in front of her and then at the document in her hand.

"Wow, I have to admit that you look younger than your age, but…" the interviewer put the paper down and sighed, "I can't hire you."

"Ah, don't worry, I can work in anything here—"

"No, there is only one opening here, to be the receptionist, and the age limit is twenty-seven years old. You're way past that," the HR interviewer said. She put the document on the table and pushed it to Chloe. "I suggest you search somewhere else for work. Maybe to a daycare? I mean, they would certainly accept a thirty-five years old woman with little job competence."

Chloe sighed. She thanked the interviewer and left the office.

Chloe drank from a water bottle that she refilled from the nearest water fountain and checked her phone.

"It's been three days," she said. She started to lose hope as she had been job hunting around to no avail. Of course, they could take her even though she had no competence for some low-paying jobs.

But there was always a better candidate, younger, more beautiful, more vigorous, and a university graduate.

"I don't have much savings as well…" Chloe mumbled. Of course, she got a text from Vincent this morning;

— Bastard Vincent —

Giving up now?

I know that you'll return anyway. A little dumb bitch like you think you can get a job outside? Come on, how can you be so naive?

Return to me with Mackie. As long as you beg, I will forgive you.

—

"In your dream, asshat!" Chloe cursed as she texted back. She saw that it was already evening and she had to pick up Mackie from her school.

…

Chloe waited in front of the gate for Mackenzie to return. She thought that Mackie would greet her with a smile on her face, but Chloe could see the sulking from far away.

Mackie sulked as she walked out of the gate, and she sulked even more, when she saw her Mommy.

"Oh, dear, what's wrong?" Chloe asked as she caressed Mackie's head.

"Mommy, I pushed Jaden today."

"Jaden? Your friend? Why?"

"He said that her Mommy kissed Daddy…." Mackie reported. "It's not true, right? Why would Daddy kiss Jackson's Mommy? I don't understand…."

…

Chloe could only stay silent because that was true. Jada Jackson was one of Chloe's acquaintances. She met her during a teacher-parent meeting in school about a year ago.

She attended that event with Vincent back then, and his eyes were always on Jada Jackson. So it wasn't surprising when Jada called Chloe about a year ago and said Vincent and her had a fling, apparently.

Jada said she wanted to inform Chloe because Vincent said that his wife was used to seeing him cheating, so it didn't matter. Of course this news hurt her so much when she heard it for the first time, but she grew nonchalant overtime.

Jada Jackson was just one of Vincent's flings anyway, she didn't matter.

No woman mattered for him.

"Mommy? It's not true, right?"

"A-Ah, of course, it's not true, dear," Chloe held Mackie's hand, and they walked to the Uber that Chloe had ordered. They drove back to the motel.

Mackie was still pondering, "But Jaden said that he saw it with his own eyes. He said that Daddy kissed his Mommy last night in their living room!" Mackie said as she followed her Mommy inside.

Chloe finally turned around and crouched in front of Mackie, "Maybe Jaden is just playing pranks on you. Don't think about it too much, okay? Your Daddy is busy, as always."

…

"Okay, Mommy…"

Chloe had to admit that she didn't feel much knowing that Vincent was sleeping with Jada Jackson last night. Knowing how much of a bastard he was.

When you got used to something, you saw it as something trivial;

'Heh, I would be more surprised if Vincent suddenly decides to be a good husband and father. That'd be more shocking than him sticking his dick everywhere."

…

"Mommy, when will we leave this place?" Mackie asked as they were watching TV together.

"Hm? Why do you ask? Do you not like it here?" Chloe returned the question, and she glanced at Mackie, who was still sulking.

"No, I don't like it. So many scary people in here…" Mackie replied. "Can we return home instead? I don't want this picnic anymore…."

"We can't return home, Mack. Daddy is uh… leaving to another country this morning. He told us to go on a picnic..."

"Then, can we go to a picnic somewhere else?"

"… That would need to wait, okay?"

Mackenzie sulked again after realizing that she would be stuck here for a while. She stopped watching the TV and pulled the blanket instead, ending the conversation immediately without any answer.

Chloe sighed. She knew that she was already at her wit's end. She didn't have enough money to stay in this motel for more than a week. She couldn't return to her mother because her little sister and her family were already living in her mother's house right now.

Besides, if her mother knew about this whole thing, she would be calling Vincent and be the one who begged Vincent to take her daughter back to the house.

…

Chloe slid into the drawer beside her bed and picked up the business card handed to her by Vernon on Dorothea Gray's birthday.

"That man…" Chloe started imagining the face of that man again. Of course, she could see his face on the internet. Vernon Phoenix Gray was infamous for dating various actresses.

But seeing his face in real life, she realized that Vernon was a lot more… charismatic. He had short black hair and jet black eyes. He was clean-shaven, so Chloe could see all of his facial features.

His facial features reminded her of one actor, Henry Cavill.

His eyes were deep, and he had this… somewhat dangerous aura, even if he tried to be nice in front of her.

"That dangerous aura…." Chloe looked up, staring at the ceiling as she tried to process what would she do next. "Maybe because he is Vincent's brother, it's the same dangerous aura I sense with Vincent."

…

"Maybe they're the same bastards. They're brothers, after all. But I have to take any job that I can land. But, I think Vernon and Vincent aren't close, even before Vernon left for a long time. Vincent told me once that Vernon never likes to talk with him.""

Chloe turned her head to the left, staring at Mackenzie, who was already sleeping.

"But I need to take the chance."

Chloe decided to put Vernon's office number on her phone. She planned to call his office tomorrow morning.