After she hung up, Evelyn said Isabel wanted to see her, so she told Teresa to get off. Teresa clenched her hands. “Well, I wish you happiness!” she said, then got off, tears rolling down her cheeks. Even if she was no longer Evelyn’s baby girl, she still wished her all the best.

A few days later, Teresa was back at the office, having just finished a meeting. The month was ending, and the company’s quarterly financial report was ready for her review. Back in the car with Evelyn, Teresa had mentioned everything was going smoothly, and the company was making money. Despite good sales and profits, she was baffled to find the final numbers showed the company operating at a loss.

Teresa contacted Benny, asking him to come to Teresouth Group. He arrived, and Teresa immediately noticed his cologne. She frowned. “Where have you been fooling around again? You smell like a perfume shop.”

Benny laughed. “I’m quite the flirt, but I do set my boundaries.”

“Says he who patronizes the bar three times a week,” Teresa mocked.

Benny clicked his tongue. “There are only three reasons I go to the bar: to drink with your hubby, entertain clients, or watch the ladies dance.”

“You can’t expect anything good from a foul mouth. Let’s talk business,” Teresa said, stomping on Benny’s shoe. She’d asked for Benny to see if his accounting firm could handle her company’s future account reconciliations.

“You really treat me like family,” Benny said.

“Better to let you have the money than someone else, old friend,” Teresa chuckled, making Benny coffee. She then asked him to analyze why, despite decent sales, the financials showed a loss.

“Instead of asking me, your best bet would be seeking Jonathan’s advice. He has business experience and studied finance; his opinion would carry considerable weight,” Benny suggested.

“I don’t want to! We’ve stopped staying in touch,” Teresa remarked.

“What happened between you two?” Benny asked. Seeing Teresa wouldn’t answer, he refrained from pressing further. He eyed the employee benefits section of Teresouth Group’s paperwork.

“Work’s from ten to four, with a one-hour lunch break; meal allowance; weekends off; a base salary of 2,600 dollars plus full insurance coverage?” he recited, his eyes widening. “Your company offers such great benefits. There isn’t another like it in all of Nareigh, right? No wonder you’re not making money—it’s all going to your staff. As the boss, how do you even make money?”

“I used to work for someone, too. I was severely exploited at NewEdge Media. That’s why I don’t want to do it to my staff; it’s not easy to earn a living,” Teresa explained.

Benny said, “It’s not exploitation. Your company’s just getting started. After deducting renovation costs and other expenses, you’re already in debt. With such high pay, the money is only going straight to your employees.”

“I’ve set the base salary at 2,600 dollars; it’s not going lower. My employees are all good. I’m not going to change the wage,” Teresa insisted firmly.

Benny thought Teresa was too stubborn for her own good. “Even if you halved the offer to 1,300 dollars a month, there’d still be people lining up to interview. In times like this, there really isn’t a shortage of people.”

Teresa insisted she would never lower the salary. Benny piped up again. “Then why don’t you get some big company to form a long-term partnership with? Your current partners are all small fry; your profits are minimal. Horizonlead Group brings a lucrative opportunity, and it’s right at your doorstep. You don’t even need to do a thing. Just a smile, and Jonathan will come to you himself.”

Teresa’s expression turned icy. “You done? I told you we stopped staying in touch, so quit mentioning him, okay? Just go. I’ll handle my company’s matters myself.”