Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 136

I pinged Oscar for a video call, and he picked up in no time.

It had been months since we last saw each other, and the lad seemed to have matured a bit. His hair was cropped short, donned in a grey jacket with specks of dust on it.

He ran his fingers through his hair, somewhat embarrassed, "Irene, I got back from the construction site a while ago. The clothes are a bit dirty. I’m working there for my internship, living and dining with the workers. Hope you don't mind."

I instantly replied, "Why would I? You look rather dashing with your hair cut short."

He chuckled, "I think it's not bad either. Mainly because having long hair gets in the way at work." Oscar laughed, "When I first started, everyone thought I was too trendy."

His joke got me laughing. We were chatting along, and out of the blue, he asked, "Irene, when are you coming back? I've saved a portion of my salary. I’d like to treat you to a meal or get you a small gift; I can't afford anything too extravagant at the moment though."

"No need. Keep your money for yourself, for future needs, or for when you get married. Don't spend it recklessly." I felt touched and guilty at the same time.

"I save a portion of my salary every month, don't worry. Just that my internship doesn't pay much." Oscar assured.

"Which company are you interning at?" I asked.

"A small real estate firm. Mainly working on the site for now, and I will slowly move up." Oscar answered casually.

He had always been optimistic, full of hope for the future. I admired his attitude.

If I were to return anytime soon, it would probably be during the Day of the Dead, which was fast approaching.

So, I promised Oscar that once I was back, we'd have a meal together. I wanted to ask him about Bonnie in person.

Oscar was thrilled. He excitedly said, "Great, great! I'll wait for you!"

"See you in a few days." I replied softly.

After hanging up, I headed out again. I needed some fresh air since I slept too much during the day and couldn't sleep now.

Just as I stepped out, I ran into Bonnie and Malinda. Their faces dropped at the sight of me.

Malinda was one sourpuss. She always seemed to enjoy hurting people with her venomous words.

"Bonnie, if we knew Neil wasn't in, we wouldn't have come. Just our luck to run into certain someone!"

Bonnie gave me a cold look.

We've already been brutally honest, so if she still wanted to play innocent in front of me, it would be unnecessary. At this moment, her gaze and expression were full of hostility.

"Malinda, is it?" I walked up to them, smiled, and said, "Watch your mouth, or you might end up hurting your friend Bonnie."

"What are you talking about?" Malinda retorted immediately.

Bonnie's face changed color. She understood what I meant. Not knowing what I had on her, she needed to tread carefully.

She pulled Malinda back and said, "Malinda, stop it!"

Her voice was filled with command and annoyance.

Malinda obviously had a lot more to vent at me, but Bonnie stopped her. She could only glare at me angrily.

I gave a satisfied smirk, "Good to see you two know your place."

Both Bonnie and Malinda looked upset, but they didn't say anything else.

The elevator door opened again, and Louis stepped out, "Bonnie, Malinda, let's go!"

"But this lady ordered first." The boss glanced at me and spoke up for me.

"She didn't finish her sentence." Malinda retorted.

"Boss, wrap it up for me." I ignored them and whispered to the boss.

Malinda suddenly turned to Neil, "Neil, Bonnie wants to eat fried chicken. The fried chicken here is the best, but there's only one left. Aren't you going to buy it for her?"

I found it strange. How dare Malinda talk to Neil like that?

Because her best friend was dating a wealthy man, she thought she was also worth more.

Those who didn't know their place really annoyed me.

I looked at Neil, and so did Bonnie. Her eyes were full of anticipation.

Although she was cunning, her background was still there, showing her naivety in some aspects. Like now, she actually wanted to test if Neil cared about her by snatching a piece of fried chicken.

I guess I used to be that naïve, too, obsessing over tiny details to prove how special Neil was to me.

Neil didn't bat an eyelid. He just kept staring at me like he always did.

Russel looked a bit worried, probably fretting over whether something was wrong with my health. He had caught me overeating several times.

Bonnie's eyes were gradually losing hope with a touch of defiance. Louis broke the tense atmosphere and suggested, "Let's grab something else to eat. Malinda, didn't you always want us to hang out here? You should know where the best grub is."

The chicken stall owner had my fried chicken all bagged up. I walked up to Bonnie and shoved it into her hands.

She looked at me, a bit stunned.