Departure with a Belly (Alaric and Victoria) novel Chapter 548

Chapter 548 A Partner 

What’s going on? 

As the assistant looked at Erik in this state, he subconsciously wondered if his boss was reflecting on himself after hearing that they had not taken any annual leave. 

After a while, Erik snapped out of it and hesitantly asked, “Do you think her resignation has anything to do with 

that reason?” 

At that, the assistant was momentarily stunned before finally reacting. “I don’t think it has, honestly.” He scratched his head. “If she wanted to resign because of the annual leave, she wouldn’t have waited until now.” 

Erik remained silent. Although his assistant did not think it was an issue, he had a vague feeling that it had to be related. After all, she had not taken any annual leave for so many years, and it was normal for her to feel disappointed with the company’s policies and consider leaving. 

He needed to ask her when he had the chance. 

“Mr. Ludson, if you don’t want her to resign, why did you sign it?” 

Erik replied, “If I didn’t, would I not be confining her to the company?” 

The assistant scratched his head. “True.” 

After the assistant left, Erik took out his phone and opened WhatsApp, where he found his conversation with Summer. Their chat box was updated daily but always revolved around work, even until her resignation. 

He rarely scrolled up absentmindedly, but as he read through it for a while, he finally understood why Summer thought he was a workaholic and the devil. He was someone who worked relentlessly, not only demanding from others but also being strict with himself. When he became stern, he would work day and night, neglecting his well–being. That was why he often did not pay attention to the feelings of those around him. 

Now, looking at it calmly, it was no wonder she called him the devil. From all aspects, except for the salary, he 

seemed no different from one. 

With this realization, he pursed his lips with displeasure. 

Summer had no idea about Erik’s thoughts. She returned to her workstation to finish the remaining tasks, and 

her phone rang. Seeing the incoming call, she quickly regained her energy and smiled as she answered the phone. “Hello, Mom.“, 

Under normal circumstances, she would not call her parents during work hours because she was too busy. She was afraid of both affecting her work and worrying her parents. So, whenever she received their calls at work, she would not talk for too long. 

This time was different, though. With the recent handover process with Audrey, she had taken on fewer tasks and finally had some time. Hearing her daughter’s clear and cheerful voice, Summer’s mother, Jane Howmon, could sense her mood through her tone. 

“Summer? What’s the matter? Do you have good news?” 

Summer had not told her family about her resignation yet. She had been afraid that Erik would disagree or that 

the approval process would take time. She did not want to worry her parente by telling them but did not 

expect him to sign it so quickly. 

Weirdly, she felt no urge to tell her mother anymore. She decided to persevere and give her parents a surprise when she returned home. Won’t that be better? With that, she suppressed all the thoughts in her heart and 

said, “No, Mom.” 

“No? Why do you sound so happy, then?” 

“Oh, Mom, I’m always optimistic and happy. It’s not the first time we’ve talked on the phone.” 

After thinking for a moment. Jane realized that her daughter had always been optimistic and cheerful during their phone calls over the years, never showing any emotions. Still, as her mother, how could she not understand her daughter? 

Her daughter had always been exceptionally sensible since she was little, perhaps because of her father’s unfortunate circumstances. She was always considerate toward her mother, speaking and acting gently. Even when feeling down, she would force herself to cheer up and smile when talking to her mother, afraid of worrying her. 

Thinking of her daughter’s thoughts, Jane did not want to expose her, fearing it would worry her more. So, she smiled and said, “Yes, yes. My daughter is like a little sun, always brightening up the people around her.” 

This comment made Summer satisfied, and she smiled with her eyes. “That’s right.” 

“But my little sun, while brightening up others, don’t forget to shine on yourself. It’s been so long since you’ve come back. Don’t just focus on making money.” 

Hearing this, Summer knew what her mother was going to say next and preemptively replied, “I know, Mom. You can rest assured that I won’t just focus on making money. I will take good care of my health.” 

After hearing her long response, Jane felt somewhat helpless. “Summer, that’s not what I meant.” 

She was momentarily puzzled and asked, “Huh? What do you mean, Mom?” 

“You’ve been working outside for so many years, and there’s been no progress?” 

“What progress?” After asking, Summer suddenly realized. 

“What progress? What do you mean by progress? Other girls find partners on their own when they go out to work. How come you don’t even have a trace of one? What’s the matter with you, Summer? After all, I’ve seen other girls find partners themselves. How come you don’t have anyone?” her mother asked with concern.