Early the next morning, Gloria came to Fittro Club. She put her things into the locker, came to Christine's office, and knocked on the door.
"Christine, I'll have to ask you to save for me again," Gloria said and put a stack of bills on Christine's desk.
Christine gawked at the money on the desk for a second and asked, "Who gave it to you?"
Christine thought Emily had arranged a new job for Gloria.
Gloria didn't think too much about it. She briefly explained to Christine what happened last night.
Christine frowned deeply after hearing Gloria's words.
She looked at Gloria and said, "Him? Gloria, didn't I tell you to stay away from this man?"
"But he gave me money," Gloria said.
Christine felt a little helpless. If someone other than Gloria had said this, Christine would have despised the person a lot. However, she knew Gloria well.
Gloria wanted to get rid of Patrick. Therefore, she had to earn a million dollars in a month.
Christine knew better than anyone that although Gloria looked like a weak pushover, she was actually quite stubborn.
"Gloria, come here." Christine looked at Gloria and felt the need to enlighten Gloria a bit. She put her hand on Gloria's shoulder and pulled Gloria close to her. "Take my advice. Never have anything to do with this man again. I haven't seen much of the world, but I've met all kinds of men in Fittro Club. Gloria, this man that you've talked about, don't ever see him again, even if he offers you money."
Gloria was silent. After a while, she looked up and said honestly, "Christine, I can't."
Christine grabbed Gloria's shoulder and said, "Just listen to me for once. OK?"
Gloria shook her head and looked determined. "I'm sorry, Christine. I can't. I need money. Mr. Hammond said that if I had a million dollars in a month, I could either stay or go. He wouldn't stand in my way. Christine, he keeps his word. I have been entangled with him for half my life already, and I don't want anything to do with him for the rest of my life."
Gloria didn't elaborate on her feud with Patrick. For one thing, Christine didn't ask. For another, Gloria didn't want to talk about it.
"Christine, I know you're saying this for my sake, and I know Lucas is a dangerous man. I know he has other intentions. But Christine, do you remember what I said when you first saw me?" Gloria said.
Christine fell silent. Of course, she remembered. It was because of what Gloria said that she decided to give her the job.
Gloria looked up with a flicker of bitterness in her eyes and said decisively, "So, whatever Lucas wants to do, whatever his motives are, and whatever peculiar fetish he has, I will satisfy me with all that I have left, including my battered body."
Gloria wondered if Christine would get her point.
Anyway, she cared about Christine's concern for her. It was just that she was bound to let Christine down.
Christine's heart sank for no reason. The words Gloria said at the interview before echoed in Christine's mind. Back then, it made her feel that though Gloria wasn't pretty, at least she was self-aware.
Back then, after hearing Gloria's words, she praised Gloria silently, thinking that Gloria was sensible.
Yet now, after she heard those words again, she realized how helpless Gloria must have been when she said so.
"Christine, I have nothing, so I am fearless."
After she finished speaking, Gloria asked Christine to help her put the money into the card and then walked out.
Christine was alone in the office, looking at the money on her desk for a long while. Eventually, she stuffed it into the safe, took out a ledger, and wrote down the number.
"Gloria, I'm sorry. Maybe that's all I can do for you."
Since Patrick told them not to arrange any job for Gloria, he was determined to see Gloria fail the task, the one-million-dollar task before the deadline. In short, Patrick had never intended to set Gloria free.
All Christine could do was save up all the money Gloria had given her until the end of Patrick's one-month deadline.
If Gloria made it, Christine would put all the money into the card at once and give the card to Gloria.
That way, Gloria could go to Patrick with the card, and she might have a chance to leave.
Gloria went to the bathroom, locked the stall door, took out her phone, and clicked on the calendar.
She had a month. Gloria never knew a month could be this short. She had to make a million dollars within a month. Where the heck could she get such an amount of money?
She stopped staring at her phone. She walked out of the bathroom with her head lowered.
She bumped into someone soon after she left the bathroom.
"I'm sorry," Gloria hurriedly apologized while keeping her head low.
"You are always apologizing to me. Do you enjoy it so much?" A pleasant male voice rang out, and Gloria raised her head instantly. "Oh, Mr. Fisher. Hi. I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going, and I bumped into you."
She was about to leave after apologizing. But Derrick reached out his arm and pulled her back.
Derrick said, "Hey, we just met and you are leaving already. Do you hate me this much?"
He stopped Gloria, grabbed her arm, and said, "Come on. Join me for a meal."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Fisher. I'm working," said Gloria.
"What's the point of working? Let's go. I'll take you to eat," Derrick insisted.
"But I..." Gloria wanted to say something, but she was interrupted by Derrick again.
"No worries. I'll help you ask for leave later." As he spoke, he grabbed Gloria's arm and walked out.