Before leaving the park. I really thought I couldn’t leave-it felt like I was the only one who could hold everything together. Even if it was done, it wouldn’t be to my satisfaction. But now that I was actually leaving, it felt strangely indifferent.
It was like how I felt about letting go of Alvin.
“Your resignation isn’t valid,” Philip’s response was forceful, carrying an air of authority.
I knew he had the power to make it stick, and if not, he could have Peter step in, voiding Alvin’s approval. But I didn’t want
that.
So I hit back, “Mr. Dolton already approved it.”
After all, Alvin was now the true head of the Dolton Group, not Philip.
There was silence on the other end for a moment, before Philip asked, “Where are you?”
I had moved here in secret. Besides Jasmine and Josh, no one else knew where I was, though I wasn’t sure Philip wouldn’t figure it out.
He seemed to have a knack for remembering my phone numbers, so he might connect the dots.
But I wasn’t about to tell him. “Philip, the amusement park is my work of the past two years. The rest is up to you to finish.”
“Zoe…”
“Don’t say more,” I cut him off.
I hung up the phone and stared at the bubbling oatmeal in the pot, inhaling its sweet aroma.
I didn’t have any vegetables because I hadn’t bought any, so oatmeal was all I had for now.
Sitting on the couch, I ate my oatmeal while sending out job applications.
With my experience at the Dolton Group, finding a good job wouldn’t be hard. I had that much confidence.
Once I finished, I saw the neighbors across the hall were still moving things around.
I was full, ready to rest. Iy down on the couch, turning my phone to silent mode to avoid any disturbances.
I must’ve fallen asleep for several hours. When I woke up, everything outside was eerily quiet, like I had stepped into another world.
I picked up my phone to check the time-it was already past three in the afternoon.
It felt like time was dragging. Usually, when I was busy, the hours flew by, but now, it felt as though everything had slowed down.
I noticed several missed calls-Myra, Michelle, and a number I didn’t recognize. The unknown number had called three
times.
I wasn’t too worried about Josh’s calls. If he wasn’t calling me, it meant things were going smoothly at work.
But I called Myra back anyway. She picked up immediately. “Zoe, why aren’t you answering your phone?”
“Was there something urgent?” I askedzily, still groggy from sleep.
Myra immediately sensed it. “So, you’re just taking naps while we’re here working our butts off?”
“Yeah, with nothing else to do, of course I’m going to sleep,” I replied, as if it was the most obvious thing.
Myra gave a little hum, then said, “Zoe,e back. I can’t handle this alone without you here.”
Her voice was soft, but I could tell she didn’t want Josh to hear. I couldn’t help but tease, “What, is your crush giving you a
hard time?”
“Not really. He’s just annoyed because I can’t keep up with his pace. He gives me that ‘you’re an idiot’ look, and it really bruises my ego,” Myra said, making meugh.
But afterughing, I reassured her, “A strong general has no weak soldiers. You’re not an idiot. If he’s looking down on you, he’s underestimating me. I’ll take care of him.”
Then, suddenly, I heard a familiar voice on the other end of the line. “What do you want to do with me?”
I froze for a second, then responded casually, “Josh, Myra needs some time to adjust. You should show a little mercy.”
Josh didn’t answer. I hesitated, then asked, “Is there something wrong?”
There’s another issue with the testing today. Myra doesn’t fully understand it, and we still need your help,” Josh exined, catching me off guard.
Without missing a beat, I said, “I’ve resigned. This isn’t my responsibility anymore.”
“But you said you wanted it to end perfectly, didn’t you?” Josh’s words made me pause.
I stayed silent for a few seconds, then finally relented, “Alright, I’lle overter.”