Chapter 24

Vanished Into Thin Air Sure enough, Matthew soon came to the office.

With a composed smile, I asked, “Did Johnson call you? Where were you so early in the morning?”

“Yes, he called me. He said you were coming to work, and I was surprised you didn’t mention it last night.”

He removed his coat, hung it up, and then looked at me. “I just went to check out a construction site on the way here.”

I explained, “It was a spur–of–the–moment decision. I felt a bit free after sending Ava to daycare.”

Meanwhile, Matthew approached and sat beside me. “I thought about something on the way back. You can go to the general office if you insist on working. I think it suits you well. It’s flexible, no pressure, and it’s also good to have someone overseeing company matters.”

“No, I’m going to the marketing department. That’s where I’m best suited,” I rejected Matthew’s arrangement, expressing my thoughts and seeming stubborn.

I understood Matthew’s intention to send me to the general office. It was just a nominal position, but I wanted to get involved to know what Tanum Corporation was like as a company now.

“But Johnson is in the marketing department.”

“Hey! I can start as a regular employee. He’s your right–hand man, and I won’t usurp his authority. I want to challenge myself and see if I still have my previous drive. I miss those days,” I spoke lightly.

Then I smiled without care and continued, “The schedule is flexible too. If you make me work every day, I might not adjust well. I haven’t worked for four to five years, so let me ease into it.”

Matthew relaxed once I said that. Then he walked over to my side, laughing. “All right, honey. You get to decide. Whatever makes you happy.”

Johnson was efficient and quickly cleared out an office for me. The room was decently sized, right next to his office.

I was true to my words, slowly easing into work life again. I went through the motions at peace, doing nothing substantial all day. I looked at client information and checked In with different departments haphazardly, without strict protocol.

Sometimes, I disappeared for half the day but would show up in the office again before the day ended.

Nobody knew my routine.

I had been a restraint on Matthew since I returned to work. Although he seemed busy, we showed some Initially, Johnson was quite nervous, closely monitoring and circling my actions. However, my working pattern for the past three days and idling for two left him at a loss on how to keep up. Gradually, he relaxed.

That was when I heard him saying I was just passing the time by being at the company. Frankly, that wasn’t all I was doing. While others thought I was just easing in, Ivanna had dug up Tanum Corporation’s clientele information, and I was busy going through those records.

Time wasn’t on my side, and Ava developed a high fever on the night Matthew was on a business trip in Operose. My daughter’s fever was so severe that I had to immediately take her to the hospital.

However, after arriving at the hospital, I discovered the billing counter only accepted cash. I rummaged through my purse and, fortunately, found my bank card. A nurse told me there was an ATM near the entrance, and I handed Ava to the doctor before rushing to withdraw some money.

I was petrified when I realized I couldn’t withdraw even a hundred dollars. This card held the money Matthew and I had saved to buy a house. We hadn’t touched it for years, and the money was supposed to remain in the account until we found the right house. 1 How could there be no money in there? I felt dizzy as I checked the account a few times. Then I quickly pulled out my phone and called Matthew to ask what was happening and where the money went.