Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Today was Tuesday, and the weekend was four days away.

Sam Yates, who usually rarely showed up at the company, started coming in every day. After work, he’d find an excuse to drive Lydia Lin and me back to our apartment. He acted like a gentleman, but I could see clearly that the look in his eyes was becoming more overbearing and presumptuous by the day.

On Thursday, Sam Yates cornered me in the pantry. "Jane Cooper, I’ve seen enough of this ‘playing hard to get’ act of yours. Let me tell you – my patience has its limits."

"Mr. Yates, I don’t have any other intentions!" I tried to step away, but he reached out and pinned me against the pantry wall. He grabbed my face with one hand, his fingers brushing against my skin.

His eyes were aggressive, and his voice was threatening. "You have to come to my place this weekend – do you dare not show up?"

Of course I dared not go, but I wouldn’t miss this chance. I held up the water cup I’d just filled, placing it between us. "If Lydia Lin and the other colleagues are going, then I’ll go. But if it’s just me, I’m sorry – I have no intention of playing hard to get with you, Mr. Yates."

With that, I ducked down and slipped out from under his arm.

Sam Yates had grabbed my face so hard that it left several obvious red finger marks. I kept my head down as I hurried back to my desk, took out my compact mirror, and covered the marks with foundation.

But someone still noticed what I was doing and gave me a meaningful smile. "Jane Cooper, you’re really something!"

The people who didn’t know the truth just watched me like they were enjoying a show. "No wonder Mr. Yates has been coming to the company so often this week – it’s because of her!"

I looked up silently, glancing around the office. I held my water cup and stared at my computer screen. Sam Yates had run out of patience, and I knew whatever was waiting for me at his house that weekend wouldn’t be good.

I definitely didn’t want to get involved with Sam Yates. How could I avoid this? Most of my colleagues were just here to watch the drama unfold – I couldn’t count on them to stop Sam Yates.

I’d have to deal with this as it came. If Sam tried to pull any dirty tricks on me, I wouldn’t hold back either.

As I was thinking about this, a warm little hand reached out and grabbed my cold wrist. It was Lydia Lin, and she looked at me with worry. "If Sam Yates dares to bully you, I’ll tell his brother on him."

"It’s okay. If no one can stop him, I can just quit and find another job," I gave Lydia Lin a small smile. "I’m fine."

I’d laid the groundwork, and now I was slowly revealing my true intentions. But I was sure that no one who heard me say this would think twice about it.

After all, wanting to find someone to rein in a misbehaving young boss was only natural.

So no one would suspect that I actually had other plans.

"Who said no one can stop him? There are people who can!" Lydia Lin glanced at Sam Yates, who was walking out of the pantry slowly behind me. "Both of his brothers can send him to open a company in another city. And his dad, plus all his uncles – they can all control him. At worst, I’ll quit and find another job too."

I put down my water cup, squeezed Lydia Lin’s hand tightly, and mouthed a silent "thank you."

When we got back to the apartment, Mrs. Lin noticed my swollen face right away. "Janie, what happened to your face?"

Lydia Lin told her everything – how Sam Yates had been using the excuse of driving us home every day, and how he’d cornered me in the pantry that day.

When she heard it was Sam Yates who’d done this, Mrs. Lin threw off her apron. "I have a mahjong game tonight – you two are coming with me!" She’d only half-finished cooking, but she left the mess for Mr. Lin, who looked stunned, and dragged Lydia Lin and me out the door.

"Mrs. Lin, what do you want us to do at your mahjong game? We shouldn’t go," I looked at Lydia Lin in confusion. Mrs. Lin’s impulsive move was completely unexpected.

"What do you know? The people I’m playing mahjong with tonight include someone’s sister-in-law – she’s a total gossip," Mrs. Lin said, referring to all her mahjong partners as "someone’s relative."

I listened, completely confused.

Mrs. Lin’s mahjong game was held at a nice villa. Several middle-aged women were already sitting around the mahjong table, playing intensely.

As soon as Mrs. Lin walked in, she pushed one of the middle-aged women aside with her hip. "Let me play a few rounds."

One of the women, who was sitting at the east position, knew Lydia Lin. Her eyes turned to me. "Is this your niece?"

"She’s my honorary niece – she works at the same company as Lydie," Mrs. Lin waved her hand to start arranging the tiles. The woman she’d pushed aside also stared at me.

After a moment, the woman gave Mrs. Lin a knowing look. "Are you trying to set your niece up with someone? You should’ve come to me first!"

"Cut it out – my niece is still young. Don’t you dare try anything funny," Mrs. Lin said to me. "Come over here and greet Mrs. Fang, Mrs. White, Mrs. Gao, and Mrs. Jiang. From now on, when you’re free after work, come over and spend time with them. That way, no one will dare to bully you."

So she’d brought me here to find me backers. I looked at Mrs. Lin with gratitude. Even though I’d had ulterior motives, Mrs. Lin and Mr. Lin had been genuinely kind to me. As soon as they heard I was being harassed by my boss, they’d thought of finding people to protect me.

Backers might work against ordinary bullies, but Sam Yates was driven by lust. Even though Mrs. Lin’s efforts might be in vain, I was still extremely grateful. I put my arm around her shoulders, and my eyes couldn’t help but turn red.

Mrs. Lin finished arranging her tiles and urged me to greet the four aunts.

I did as I was told, politely greeting the four middle-aged women who looked quite ordinary.

Right after that, the sound of clattering mahjong tiles filled the room.

Lydia Lin pulled me aside to look around the villa, whispering to me mysteriously. "Guess why my mom brought you here? Do you know what these aunts do?"