The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 86

The next morning, Jocelyn was jolted awake by a barrage of calls from Sarah.

"How did I get home last night? Who changed my clothes?"

Jocelyn laughed. "Who do you think?"

"Oh my god, you scared me to death," Sarah said. "I thought I'd done something crazy in a drunken stupor."

"Is that a habit of yours?" Jocelyn teased.

Sarah stretched. "Never has been, but you never know about the future."

"In that case, I should probably pass on a message from Julian."

"What do you mean?"

Jocelyn then repeated, word for word, what Julian had said.

She also vividly described Sarah's drunken antics.

Sarah went completely silent on the other end of the line.

A moment later, a deafening scream erupted from the phone.

Jocelyn nearly went deaf, quickly pulling the phone away from her ear and putting it on speaker.

"What do I do, what do I do? I can never see him again! This is so embarrassing!"

Jocelyn teased her for a few more moments, then her tone shifted.

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"What are you talking about?" Sarah asked, momentarily confused.

Jocelyn felt a pang of disappointment. "I saw the box on your desk yesterday. Did you pack up and leave your job?"

Sarah paused. "Oops. I can't believe you saw that."

"You didn't tell me about something this big?"

"It's just quitting a job, what's the big deal?" Sarah said. "I was going to tell you after I found a new one. Besides, you have a ton on your plate right now. Why would I add to your stress?"

"I know you've always been proud, but I hope you know you can tell me when you're unhappy about something."

"I know, I know," Sarah said. "I promise, from now on, I'll tell you everything. Happy now, your highness?"

"That's more like it."

"So, what's your plan now?"

Sarah thought for a moment. "I'm definitely not going back to run the family business. That would be a waste of my ambition. I've decided to dedicate my youth to the field of computer science."

"Do you remember that conversation we had before, about wanting to develop our own domestic systems and chips?"

"Yeah, you mentioned it. But the conditions weren't right, were they?"

"Well, now someone else has the same idea."

"Who?"

"Julian Vance."

"Of course! Just like us, a true titan among men. You can just tell he's destined for greatness."

She could also use the time to plan the system development project.

Jocelyn loaded everything into the trunk.

The moment she started the car, a text from Julian came through.

He had set the meeting place at the same private cafe where they had first met.

It was close by, and she had plenty of time.

So Jocelyn went home and did some simple decorating.

When she lived with the Lowells, the house's style was dictated entirely by Adrian's preferences. Jocelyn had no say in the matter.

Now, it was her own nest, and she made the rules.

Jocelyn trimmed the flowers, arranged them in a vase, and placed it on the coffee table.

The vibrant blooms lifted her spirits.

After she was done, Jocelyn tried calling Maria's number again.

But it still wouldn't connect.

She had been trying to reach Maria for the past two days.

Unfortunately, aside from this phone number, she had no other information.

Jocelyn felt a pang of regret.

If she had gotten to know Maria a little better back then, she wouldn't be searching for her in vain now.