Edward replaced his damaged car with a new one, once again opting for a black vehicle. It was his preference, contrasting with his wife’s choice of navy blue.
The car, which had been a mess just the day before, was now impeccably restored. This elicited a grimace from Jeffery. “Wow, a new car. It’s different when you’re the boss.”
Edward, closing the car door with a thud, dismissed Jeffery’s comment. “You could do it too.”
“Only if I get off work. Please let me leave work.”
“If you feel aggrieved, why don’t you get married?”
“Ah, I need to leave work to meet a woman!”
Frustrated from the start of his morning, Jeffery yelled. Edward, half-heartedly covering one ear, walked ahead into the lab, ignoring him.
Jeffery followed, determined to provoke his boss. “So, how was the royal party?”
Predictably, Edward’s face scrunched up in annoyance. “Shut up.”
Pleased with himself, Jeffery sat down. That’s when it happened.
“Hey, Jeffery.”
“Yes?”
“You’ve been… working hard.”
“What?”
Jeffery was stunned, thinking his excessive workload had finally caused auditory hallucinations.
“Did I just hear something weird, boss?”
“…”
“Did you just say ‘thanks for the hard work’? I must be imagining things, right?”
Edward, turning away from him, remained silent.
“Ha, I knew it. My ears have finally given up. All thanks to the excessive workload from my boss—”
“Shut up! Can’t you just accept a thank you without complaining?”
Edward burst out, then added a small curse under his breath, “Damn.”
Jeffery, looking dumbfounded, muttered to himself.
“Crazy.”
He quickly moved to Edward’s side and whispered, “Boss, is something wrong? Did you not go to a party but to a hospital yesterday? Do you have a terminal illness?”
“Just, Jeffery. Shut up.”
“These terminal illness dramas are so popular these days. So poignant and heart-wrenching…”
Edward endured Jeffery’s chatter, thinking only of his wife’s advice.
[Tell Mr. Curtis how grateful you are for his work and discuss future tasks.]He had done so in his way, with a grand bonus.
But he knew that wasn’t what his wife meant. After much internal struggle, he finally managed to say those words today.
Indeed, thanks to Jeffery, he had an opportunity to mend his relationship with Louisa.
“Damn.”
Edward muttered in embarrassment. Jeffery approached him with a grin.
“Right, I really did work hard. So, boss, how about a vacation for me?”
But Edward was firm in his response. “What are you talking about? We have more research to do.”
“But, boss…”
“What are you talking about? We need to focus on the next research project.”
“No, boss…”
Jeffery, who had been clinging to his side, looked defeated. But Edward was firm.
“The magic stone is a resource with uncertain future availability. Even though there’s enough domestically, and there’s talk of conflicts to absorb the newly discovered large deposits nearby.”
“That makes sense.”
Jeffery reluctantly agreed.
“That’s why we need to prepare. We have to develop it further for maximum efficiency and try to expand its uses. We need to have a tight grip on this energy resource.”
“You have big dreams.”
“That’s the mindset I started with.”
Edward pulled out a notebook from his desk, scribbled something, and tossed it to Jeffery. With a nimble catch, Jeffery asked, “What’s this?”
“The tasks you need to start on.”
He opened the notebook to the marked page.
“An amplifier? Ah, that kind of approach.”
Jeffery muttered as he read the notes.
“Still, wouldn’t it be better to go slower? Presenting the high-output controller at the exhibition and gauging the response before moving forward seems sensible.”
“That would be too late. Our company needs to move faster than others can follow.”
“Boss, I understand but—”
The Allen couple was just beginning to move towards recovery. If this relentless boss returned to his old ways, it was clear where their future was headed. However, what Edward said next was unexpected.
“That’s why you need to run faster.”
“Excuse me?”
“I can afford to go slowly at times. But you need to speed up.”
“No way, boss. Am I a horse crazed for carrots? To run faster? Really?”
“Horses don’t get paid. But you do. And did I mention that if you accept this, your salary will double?”
“Of course, I can run faster. Should I bring you the reins, boss?”
Jeffery obediently sat down.
Edward realized more than ever at the recent party.
He had to maintain the title of a successful engineer.
The only ones watching him there were businessmen. To exist beside Louisa with nothing else to his name, he needed at least that much.
“But boss, did things get any better with Mrs. Allen?”
“I don’t know.”
Edward nonchalantly replied.
“But fortunately, she did smile at me. I hope things improve gradually.”
Despite his light tone, he repeatedly adjusted his posture with apparent anxiety.
Jeffery looked at his boss with sympathy.
With that temper, it wouldn’t be easy. He decided to be the horse that runs well, helping his clueless boss.
It was a particularly sunny autumn day.
An Indifferent Woman is the One Men Desire the Most
One-line summary: The female lead is actually cold-hearted and extremely rational. She has stage-by-stage relationships and won’t two-time, but there will always be someone who secretly likes her.
This novel has the following triggers, so if you’re sensitive to these, please don’t read:
1. The female lead has had many relationships, but she treated each one seriously and broke up properly.
It’s just that the men unilaterally pestered her incessantly. For the female lead, when she doesn’t like someone anymore, she simply doesn’t like them.
(This applies to her relationships with Male Lead 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well, but she’s loyal in each 1-on-1 relationship!)
2. In this novel, Male Lead 2 and the female lead kiss in a car, and Male Lead 1 sees it and beats up Male Lead 2.
The female lead calls the police and sends both Male Lead 1 and 2 to the police station! Male Lead 1 begs the female lead not to break up with him.
3. Male Lead 1 has a gentle appearance but an obsessive personality.
Male Lead 2 has a delicate and soft appearance, slightly green tea-like (two-faced).
Male Lead 3 is a youthful college student and a smart person who has secretly liked the female lead for a long time.
Male Lead 4 is the female lead’s father’s special assistant, a business elite with deep, hidden thoughts.
4. At the beginning of this novel, the female lead has already broken up with Male Lead 1 (Chapter 4) and gotten back together with Male Lead 2 (ex-boyfriend).
5. Enter with caution if you have triggers!!!
