Chapter 218: A Windfall of Wonders
“I wasn’t clear just now; it was from someone I dislike.”
“Consider it unsaid,” Ellis said, watching Zoey zip her lips. She pointed at Zoey’s desk, hinting for her to get back to work and stop gossiping. Zoey, weary from her workload, sought a break by slacking off.
Pretending not to understand the hint, she nudged Ellis’s shoulder lightly. “Ms. Harper, the Tate Group has asked our company to send a representative to their office tomorrow. Can I apply to go?”
“I’m not handling that project anymore; ask someone else.” As of two days ago, Ellis had decided to distance herself from Easton and that whole crowd, including avoiding any involvement with their interests. She had already handed off her responsibilities to other colleagues.
“Why aren’t you handling it? You and Mr. Morty seemed so close.” Zoey suddenly remembered the gossip that had circulated within the company. “Mr. Morty, he’s tall, handsome, and as gentle as a breeze, a real gentleman…”
Ellis didn’t know how Zoey determined the quality of relationships, but hearing praise for someone she disliked made her want to claw at the floor. Maybe I should save up and do something better instead of torturing my toes.
Interrupting Zoey, she said, “It’s work hours. Don’t get lovesick!”
“It’s not being lovesick!” Zoey leaned in and whispered near Ellis’s ear, “Ms. Harper, don’t you think Mr. Morty is a one-in-a-million catch? Not only that, but he’s also got a lot of great qualities!”
“He’s not that handsome!” Ellis had no aesthetic appreciation for Morty; to her, he was no different from recyclable trash. Easton was non-recyclable trash, and Morty was recyclable trash! After all, those two had been close since childhood, different types but both still trash in her eyes, and neither was remotely appealing, just annoying and bizarre.
Sensing Ellis’s disdain and contempt, Zoey tried to make her see the appeal. “Ms. Harper, handsome men are a rare resource in life. Describing Mr. Morty as one-in-a-million isn’t an exaggeration, it’s…”
“Go get some work done!” Ellis covered her ears, physically showing her reluctance to hear any more praises of Morty. She truly didn’t find him attractive; hearing it over and over was like noise pollution.
Taking the hint that she was being dismissed, Zoey quietly walked away.
Unable to focus completely, Ellis didn’t immediately resume work but casually scrolled through her phone. Out of habit, she checked her WhatsApp messages. When she opened the app, Morty’s chat was right at the top.
“Did you get the flowers? Did you like them?”
Morty’s message left her speechless. This guy was too weird! Just the other day, when she asked what he was up to, he wouldn’t say, leaving her feeling uneasy. Her sense of caution intensified, and she replied, “Don’t talk, or I’ll block you.”
After sending the message, Ellis couldn’t be bothered with Morty anymore and promptly set her messages to do not disturb. Soon, her focus returned, and she put down her phone and got back to work. Tomorrow was the weekend, and she needed to finish all of this week’s tasks by tonight, so she ended up working until nearly midnight. By the time she got home, it was the early hours of the morning, and she slept until noon.
Before she could get out of bed, the delivery person called, asking her to come out to receive a package and kindly suggesting, “Ms. Harper, there’s quite a bit; maybe bring someone with you?”
Ellis was puzzled. The few household items she had ordered, like shampoo and shower gel, were small. Why would the delivery…
Curious, she asked Maya to accompany her to the building’s entrance. Turns out, it wasn’t just a bit much, it was a lot.
Maya glanced at the pile of packages, noticing the logos and asked, perplexed, “Did you spend all your hand-care money on this stuff?”
Every item was from a luxury brand. Knowing how much Ellis earned and her savings, Maya felt that Ellis must have spent a significant portion of her money on this shopping spree, which seemed utterly frivolous.
Watching the delivery person tally the items, Ellis wondered if she had shopped in her sleep. “Why don’t I remember any of this?”
Bringing the packages inside, she picked one at random and began to cut it open, saying, “I must be losing my memory; I really don’t recall buying all this.”
“You don’t remember?” Maya speculated. “Could someone who knows your address have bought them to send to you?”
As Maya mentioned it, Ellis thought about the bouquet from the previous day and involuntarily shivered, feeling a chill. “That’s actually possible.” Before Christmas, she had received gifts from Nexus Group, explicitly labeled as surplus from Morty. It wasn’t beyond possibility that these were from him as well.
“Who could it be?” Maya also grabbed a pair of scissors to help Ellis open the packages. “Got any suspects?”