Chapter 23
Linda couldn’t stand seeing how Karine kept picking on Cordelia at the office, so she decided to take her out for some sales work, introducing her to all her clients. She also taught Cordelia a lot of valuable negotiation skills.
“You’ve got to remember, business isn’t a one-time deal. You might have to meet and negotiate eight or ten times before closing a deal. It’s all part of the process.”
Cordelia nodded, absorbing the advice.
“You need to maintain constant engagement with your clients. They’ll only close the deal once they feel comfortable with you!”
“Mm, I understand.”
“Most importantly…” Linda said with a smile. “You have to be shameless when it comes to sales. Put your pride aside, and you’ll be able to feed yourself. Got it?”
Cordelia’s eyes crinkled like crescent moons in a warm smile as she watched their order number pop up on the screen. She quickly stood and hurried over to collect their meal from the counter.
Lunch was simple fast food, and Linda noticed that Cordelia had ordered the cheapest option, just one entrée. She couldn’t help but ask, “Will you be full with just this?”
“No worries.” Cordelia chuckled. “I don’t eat much anyway. This is enough.”
“No way! Sales is a physical job. Look at your size—this is…” Linda’s thoughts halted mid-sentence, and she turned to Cordelia with a more serious look. “Did your husband use up all your money?”
Cordelia opened her mouth to explain, but then her phone buzzed with a text from Marcus. After reading it, she went silent.
Linda noticed the change in her expression and quickly grabbed her phone. Her eyes widened in disbelief. “What kind of person is he?!” she fumed. “He’s out shopping? He saw a belt he likes? And it costs $400?”
“Linda! Shush!” Cordelia quickly tugged the phone back.
Speaking of Marcus, he had been acting a bit strange lately, enjoying life in different ways. Once, while working, Cordelia had called him on a whim to ask what he was up to. To her surprise, he was out having afternoon tea.
She had asked where, and he sent her a photo—he was at the Regalia Hotel again! Later, when she received the bank notification, she nearly fainted at the balance. The transaction hurt, but to keep up appearances as the “heiress,” she forced a smile and let him enjoy his tea.
There had been other similar instances, and with each one, her account balance continued to shrink. Every time she asked Marcus about it, he’d smirk and say, “Yelena, aren’t you the Jenners’ daughter? Why are you worried about such petty money?”
Cordelia bit her lip, glaring at him. In the end, she returned to her room, feeling deflated as she worked on her sales proposal, unaware that Marcus behind her was smiling happily, like a boy enjoying a successful prank. He was nearly at the final step of his little game.
…
Cordelia scrolled through her phone, her account balance showing exactly $400. If Marcus had been standing in front of her now, she would have choked him out. This man seemed to have a sixth sense, and his ability to predict her spending was almost unnerving.
“Hey!” Linda grabbed Cordelia’s hand. “You… You’re really transferring the money to him?”
Cordelia flashed an innocent grin. “He rarely takes a liking to something. Let him have it. I still have some cash left. I’ll be careful, and I should be fine until my next salary.”
“Have you lost your mind?” Linda cried. “What’s so great about him that you’re spoiling him like this?”
“I’m not spoiling him. It’s…” Cordelia trailed off, lowering her head.
She wasn’t spoiling him, but she couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. Every time she thought of Marcus being alone in the past—without anyone to rely on, how poor he had been, or the times he had ended up in jail or been mocked by thugs in the village—she couldn’t ignore it.