Katherine got back into the car, and suddenly her nose felt sore, like she was about to cry.
She was truly grateful for Joshua's help during this time, but aside from friendship, she felt nothing more for him.
She didn't expect to be misunderstood by his mother.
After her divorce from Andrew, she didn't want to fall in love again.
Katherine gave a bitter smile. What she had with Andrew wasn't even love.
But the marriage had already left her full of scars.
For the rest of her life, she would just love herself. She had no energy left to love anyone else.
She had originally planned to say goodbye to Joshua before leaving, but now it seemed unnecessary.
She took out her phone and looked at the account number sent from that unknown number. She quickly typed a message:
[I will transfer the three million to this account within a week.]
Joshua's mother sent another warning:
[Don't let Joshua know we met. I hope you keep your word, Miss Shen.]
Katherine let out a cold laugh and didn't respond.
She checked her bank balance. Though she had worked for several years, her savings weren't much—just over two hundred thousand in her account.
Even with her house and car, it still wasn't enough.
Her family had money, but they wouldn't give her a cent.
A wave of sadness hit her hard. Since her mother passed, she had no one to rely on.
Thinking of her mother, Katherine couldn't hold back anymore and clutched the steering wheel as tears streamed down her face.
She missed her mom so much.
She was overwhelmed by sorrow. She cried so hard even her stomach started hurting.
She pressed one hand over her stomach. Years of overwork had already caused chronic stomach problems.
She grabbed some tissues and wiped her face, then reached into the glove compartment for her stomach medicine.
It was empty. She suddenly remembered she had finished it last time and forgot to buy more.
Katherine bent over, trying to endure the pain. All she could do was wait for it to pass.
After a while, the pain eased a bit.
She quickly forced herself to calm down and drove away from the area.
It was nothing she couldn't survive. She could get through anything.
She had originally planned to sign the house contract in a few days. Now, she needed to speed things up and get the money as soon as possible.
While waiting at a red light, she put on her Bluetooth headset and called the real estate agent.
"Hello, this is Katherine. I mentioned earlier that I would sign the contract in a few days, but I've had a change of plans. Could you ask the buyer if we can sign it tomorrow instead?"
The agent responded quickly, "Yes, Miss Katherine. The buyer actually called today to ask when the contract could be signed."
"I told them it might take a few more days. They'll be happy to know it can be done tomorrow."
"Just have all your documents ready tomorrow. We'll exchange the house and money at the same time."
"Okay. I'll come to your office at 9 a.m. tomorrow."
After hanging up, Katherine found a random place to grab a quick bite.
…
In his office, Joshua stared at Katherine's phone number. His finger hovered over the call button but didn't press it.
Just then, Secretary Kim walked in, looking serious.
Joshua immediately noticed the change in his expression. He raised an eyebrow and asked,
"What's wrong? You look like something's bothering you."
Secretary Jin's lips trembled slightly as if choosing her words carefully. After a moment, she spoke with difficulty, "Boss, I just got a message. Madam went to see Katherine."
Joshua's face instantly darkened. He stood up sharply, his voice tinged with barely hidden anger. "What? Didn't I tell you to have someone keep an eye on her?"
Secretary Jin looked helpless and guilty, quickly explaining, "Boss, I didn't expect Madam to go see Katherine so soon."
"I don't even know where Madam got Katherine's number. She contacted her directly."
Joshua's face grew even darker. He knew well his mother would not have good intentions when meeting Katherine.
A flicker of panic appeared in his eyes as he urgently asked, "Where are they now? I'm going to find them."
Secretary Jin sighed heavily, her face troubled. "Katherine already left. She was with Madam for less than twenty minutes."
Joshua's heart sank sharply, an unknown fear flooding him. He was afraid his mother said something deeply hurtful to Katherine, something that would ruin their relationship.
"What did they talk about?" His voice trembled slightly, full of nervousness and worry.
Secretary Jin silently took out her phone and handed it to Joshua, her face full of bitterness. "Boss, you see for yourself."
Full of guilt, Joshua took the phone with a pale hand, the veins on his fingers bulging from gripping it tightly.
He took a deep breath and played the video. On screen, Katherine and Joshua's mother sat facing each other.
His mother's aggressive posture and expression were like sharp swords, stabbing painfully at Joshua's heart.
The conversation made Joshua's face grow even uglier.
When he heard Katherine say, "I never wanted to climb onto the branch of the Joshua family. I never wanted to step into your family's door."
"I will never see him again."
Joshua felt as if an invisible hand grabbed his heart and squeezed hard. A sharp pain hit him, almost making it hard to breathe.
His hand on the table clenched tightly into a fist, veins bulging as if all his anger and pain gathered there.
Secretary Jin stood nearby, watching everything anxiously. She knew how much the boss cared about Katherine.
This situation was like a cold bucket of water, mercilessly putting out the small flame of hope just lit.
Joshua's eyes turned red as he grabbed his own phone and dialed Katherine's number. But the cold mechanical ringing tone was all he heard.
He called again and again, still no answer.
Joshua panicked and became desperate. His unspoken love had been exposed so openly by his mother's words. He knew he had caused Katherine endless pain.
Since she didn't answer, he quickly sent messages filled with apologies. No matter how many he sent, they vanished into silence without any reply.
Secretary Jin watched anxiously, unable to help. She whispered softly, "Boss, what Madam said was too hurtful. Katherine probably really won't see you anymore."
Joshua's hand holding the phone was shaking. Katherine had always been the person he carefully kept in his heart.
Why did his mother have to tear everything apart like this?
"Secretary Jin, I'm going out."
Before finishing, he rushed out like a storm, his expression full of urgency.
Joshua drove straight to the community where Katherine lived. His mind was tangled in a mess of emotions on the way.
After arriving, he could only wait in the underground parking lot. He didn't know which building Katherine lived in.
He dialed that familiar number again, but still, no one answered.