I Fell for the Man Who Ruined Me, Then He Forgot He Ever Loved Me Back novel Chapter 5

The sun dipped toward the horizon, painting the sky in a brilliant wash of gold.

The warm light spilled across Sienna's desk, casting long, somber shadows that did nothing to lift her heavy mood.

The events of the day had left her incredibly drained.

She finally shut her laptop, took two hours of personal time, and drove home.

Chatting with her parents managed to ease her mind considerably.

"Sienna, I haven't come by to see you lately because your old man has been swamped with work," George Quinn said, beaming at his precious daughter.

His apologetic tone made Sienna smile, and she let out a soft laugh.

"I know, Dad, you're the best. You got promoted to team leader, didn't you? You're doing much better than I am."

It was a line George used in every phone call, bringing it up at every opportunity.

Sienna loved seeing her father looking so energetic; she never grew tired of hearing it or seeing him so proud.

But with everything weighing on her mind, she was afraid her parents would notice her stress, so she didn't dare stay too long.

After finishing dinner, she said her goodbyes and drove back to her own apartment.

Once Sienna left.

Lillian Douglas gently patted her husband's shoulder.

"What's wrong? Still trying to keep up appearances in front of your daughter? George, we're getting older. Being laid off isn't a disgrace. Besides, the company is struggling. We can always find new jobs..."

George's shoulders, draped in a navy-blue work jacket, slumped heavily. All the relaxed energy he had while talking to his daughter vanished. Hearing his wife's comforting words, he let out a long, heavy sigh.

He was a veteran at the factory, dedicating half his life to the workshop floor.

Mr. Wickham had always thought highly of him.

Just a few months ago, he had even promoted George to team leader.

His righteous indignation made his wife chuckle softly. "Save your energy with that old back of yours!"

George smiled. "Yeah, I'll let my son-in-law handle it!"

"A son-in-law? We haven't even met him and you're already assigning him dirty work. You'll scare the poor boy away."

"Just kidding... By the way, I haven't heard from Arthur Carter lately. He hasn't replied to my texts. When we go see Sienna next, I'll stop by his place and see how he's doing. If he's found a new gig, I'll ask if they're hiring."

Lillian nodded in agreement.

Arthur Carter was George's long-time coworker and their former neighbor from across the hall.

Years ago, after they had Sienna and felt the old place was getting too cramped, they used their savings to buy this modest two-bedroom apartment in a newer building.

But since they all worked at the same factory, they still saw each other constantly. George and Arthur often shared drinks and meals. Whenever Arthur had a fight with his wife, he would sit in Lillian's Bistro all day. The two families were very close.

And they had never sold that old apartment.