Chapter 63 Picking Up the Car

That afternoon, she left work early and headed to the preschool to wait.

Five minutes later, Sam came bounding out of school.

She had made it clear to the preschool teacher that only she would be picking up her child from now on. At that moment, Sam ran towards her, "Mommy!" His chubby little hands reached for her face.

"Hey, buddy! Did you have fun at preschool today?" Melinda's face lit up with a smile as she scooped Sam into her arms.

A tall figure approached them from the side.

She looked up, her eyes narrowing in surprise. It was Raymond!

"I told you, it's not necessary," she said, a hint of irritation in her voice.

Raymond didn't respond right away. He just looked at her with a deep, complex gaze.

He extended his hand, signaling for her to get in the car.

A flash of determination crossed her stubborn eyes. She took a deep breath and shook her head, "No, I'm not getting in your car." Raymond's brow furrowed slightly. He looked at her, a trace of confusion and disappointment in his eyes.

But he didn't push it. He just nodded slightly and then turned to leave.

She watched him walk away, a wave of inexplicable sadness welling up inside her. She knew it was best to keep a clear boundary between herself and Raymond.

After taking a cab back to her apartment complex, Melinda and Sam had just stepped out when a surprised voice called out, "Ms. Sharp?" She turned towards the voice and saw Marc, the guy who had found her phone.

He was carrying a laptop bag and walking towards her.

"Marc?" Melinda raised an eyebrow in surprise, "You live around here?"

"Yeah, I do. Didn't expect to see you here too. Small world," Marc said with a smile.

He pointed to a nearby building, "I'm in building four. What about you?"

"Building six," Melinda replied with a smile.

Sam looked at Marc curiously. and Melinda introduced him warmJy. "This is Mr. Murray. the one who found Mommy's phone."

"Hi, Mr. Murray," Sam said politely with a smile.

Marc crouched down, patted Sam's head, and asked in surprise, "Your son?"

Melinda nodded, "Yep!"

Marc's eyes widened slightly, a flash of disappointment crossing his face, but he quickly masked it. These days, it was surprising to see a young, pretty woman already being a mom.

After a brief chat, Marc waved goodbye and left.

Melinda held Sam's hand and continued walking towards their home.

When they reached the bottom of building six, Melinda stopped and looked up at the top of the building.

She felt a sense of relief.

Then, she pinched Sam's chubby cheek, "How about I make you a steak tonight?"

"Yay! Mommy, I haven't had your steak in so long," Sam exclaimed excitedly.

At eight o'clock that evening, after putting Sam to bed, Melinda's phone buzzed.

It was a message from Delilah: [Melinda, you're paired with Tenley this time. She's the team leader for this experiment. Be careful.]

[Thanks for the heads-up.] Melinda quickly typed back.

This phone incident reminded her that she needed to buy a car.

Not only would it make picking up her child easier, but it would also prevent Raymond from finding excuses to bother her.

The next morning, Delilah walked into her office and saw her browsing car listings on her phone.

Delilah glanced at the screen and asked in surprise, "Are you planning to buy a car?"

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"Yeah, taking cabs every day is such a hassle," Melinda nodded. Having a car would make things so much easier.

Her tone was resolute. Delilah raised an eyebrow, surprised, but quickly regained her composure and helped Melinda research the car's features.

Melinda even took half a day off to go to the dealership and pick up the car.

She wanted to take it for a test drive. As she gripped the steering wheel, a wave of excitement surged through her.

After a couple of laps, she smiled in satisfaction, "This is the one."

With that, Melinda pulled out her bank card from her bag and paid in full without hesitation.

Standing at the dealership entrance, Melinda watched as the staff brought her new car

to her. Her heart raced, excitement and joy coursing through her veins.

She took a deep breath, opened the car door, and sat in the driver's seat...

Later, Melinda was back at work, shaking a test tube in her hand, when a figure inexplicably appeared in her mind.

He was strong-willed and domineering, and he hadn't contacted her for days.

Melinda shook her head, trying to push him out of her mind.

Her red lips parted slightly as she tried to stay focused.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed in her coat pocket, breaking the silence. She lifted her beautiful eyes and quickly pressed the answer button, "Hello, who is this?"

"Ms. Sharp, is the test report that was just sent in ready?" Aurelia Kingsley, her assistant, asked on the other end.

"Yes, it's ready. Come in and get it."

Melinda hung up the phone.

She lightly patted her head, annoyed at herself for hoping the call was from Raymond.

Just as she was about to get back to work, the phone rang again.

Her heart involuntarily sped up a few beats. She reached for the phone, "Hello, who is this?"

"Melinda, where's the test report?"

"I've already given you two extra days. If there's any problem, don't say I didn't warn you."

Tenley's impatient voice came from the other end.

"I'll try to get it to you by tomorrow," Melinda replied helplessly.

"Fine, if you don't have it by tomorrow, don't blame me for being harsh. You won't get any performance bonuses," Tenley huffed and hung up.

Melinda looked at the test tube in her hand with a headache. Now Tenley was using her team leader status to pressure her, targeting her for any small mistake.

She couldn't afford to be distracted. She had to finish her work quickly. Glancing at the time, it was already afternoon.

Melinda sighed. She'd have to work late tonight. She still needed to pick up Sam.

"Mommy, Mr. Thomas hasn't come over in days. Will he come to our house for dinner?" Sam looked at her expectantly.

"He's very busy. He won't be coming over anymore," Melinda said, watching the light in Sam's eyes dim, her heart softening.

Sam pouted, looking unhappy, "But I miss him."

"Then just think about him in your heart. We can't bother him, okay?" Melinda advised,

then smiled brightly, "Mommy bought a car. We won't need Mr. Thomas to drive us anymore!"

"Why?" Sam's smile froze.

Seeing Sam's unhappy face, Melinda felt both helpless and heartbroken.

She had to finish the report tonight. Melinda brought her laptop home, and Sam, understanding, didn't make a fuss.

However, the laptop suddenly blue-screened.

"What's going on?" Melinda groaned, holding her head, "My test report!" She glanced

at the time. It was already nine o'clock at night.