Chapter 203
If my memory served me right, my neighbors moved abroad ages ago and only popped back in for a flying visit every once in a blue moon. I had been living here for donkey years and I had only bumped into them once or twice.
Now, had this mansion been sold to Neil?
I couldn’t stop Neil from buying the house, but the thought of us being neighbors again gave me the creeps.
He used to be my neighbor across the way in another country, and now he was my neighbor again.
The idea of him being my neighbor again didn’t exactly have me jumping for joy, but there was something else that piqued my interest.
“Russel put Finn behind bars, but someone’s got Bonnie’s back. I don’t buy that her stepparents did it. Was it you?” I asked.
Besides Neil, I couldn’t think of anyone else who could keep Russel in check.
I knew Russel must have pulled the family strings, but I didn’t get why his parents would let him.
Neil, with his hands in his pockets, radiated a kind of glow.
“She’s my girlfriend, so I helped her. What’s wrong with that?” He asked me.
I laughed at his response, “Ha, nothing wrong with that. Give her my thanks. If it wasn’t for her drama, I wouldn’t even be with Russel.
Upon hearing my response, Neil’s face turned stormy.
I turned on my heel and made a beeline for home.
Upon arriving home, my mom was fussing over a pot of flowers in the living room. She asked, “Did you know that the house next door had been sold?“
I took a seat, speechless.
I’m not sure who bought it yet. Let’s pop over and say hi to our new neighbors tonight. Mom said with a hint of a smile on her face.
It was kind of an unwritten rule here. Every time a new neighbor moved in, the rest of us would go and say hello. It was pretty standard.
I put the brakes on Mom’s plan, “Let’s not. It’s not worth it.”
“Why?” Mom looked surprised.
“The new neighbor isn’t someone you’d want to meet. You’ll just end up being extremely angry’ I warned her.
Mom looked baffled, “Someone I don’t want to meet? A business competitor?”
I didn’t say a word, afraid that the mere mention of Neil would set her off.
But Mom wasn’t one to be easily fooled. After I didn’t react to any other names she threw out, she guessed, “Neil?”
“Mhm, that’s him.” I confirmed. It wouldn’t be long before she found out anyway. It was not like I could tell Neil to get lost.
Mom became anxious, “What on earth is he up to? Why would he move next door? Isn’t he with that Bonnie? Is he trying to pester you?”
I also got the feeling Neil was deliberately flaunting his preserice, but he and Bonnie were about to get engaged; there was no need for him to stir the pot
with me
“Mom, he and Bonnie are getting engaged next month. Maybe he bought this house as an investment; he’s always been a fan of buying properties.” I tried to keep my cool and reassure Mom..
Mom looked skeptical, ‘Really? They’re getting engaged?’
I wish I had brought that invitation back as proof to show that everything I said was true.
“Mom, it’s true. You can ask Barbara. I was with her at the bridal shop today. She heard Bonnie herself.” I replied.
Mom seemed relieved, but her tone quickly changed to one of anger, “I knew those two were up to something behind the scenes, and they even had the nerve to bother you. They’re way out of line!”
“We’ll ignore them. If it comes to it, I can move out; it’s no problem.” I suggested a solution.
Neil living next door would definitely cause me a lot of headaches. I needed to figure out a way to steer clear of him.
I can move out and find somewhere else to live.
Mom nodded, “Okay, you move out. But don’t tell anyone. He definitely can’t find out where you’re staying!”
With this backup plan in mind, I no longer felt anxious. I spent the afternoon playing the plane to unwind, and after a hearty dinner cooked by Mom, the weekend came to an end.
I leave for work at 8 am every day and drive myself to the office.
Everything used to be hunky dory, but these past few days, every time I step out the door, I run into Neil.
He was either also leaving, or he was on the same route as me. I just gave him the cold shoulder.
Rena, come to the office early today for a meeting in the conference room” i got a text from Mom early this morning.
She always beat me to the office, so she must have been waiting for me in the conference room by now.
left home half an hour earlier than usual and rushed to the office. As I was leaving the community gate, I noticed Neill’s car was taking me I glanced at the rear view mirror and saw him in the car
For some reason, he honked twice, as if to hurry me along.
I immediately hit the gas, getting out of his sight as fast as I could.
At an intersection, our paths finally diverged Having him tailgate me made me feel extremely uneasy
My position at the office wasn’t high; I didn’t usually attend meetings with the boss unless it was something really important and Mom asked me to join.
I had a bad feeling about this. When I got to the conference room, I noticed it was filled with the company’s higher-ups, who all had their eyes on me. I could only nod as a greeting and find my seat.
“A few people are still missing, let’s wait a bit longer.” Mom said to everyone.
She looked serious, which made me a bit nervous,
After a while, a few more people trickled in, and we finally got started.
Turned out that last night Bonnie announced the establishment of a cosmetics company called ‘StarGlow Enterprises, aiming to create a mid-to-high-end cosmetics brand.
Overall, StarGlow Enterprises’ main business was very similar to ours.
And StarGlow Enterprises was located near our headquarters.
Everyone knew what this meant
That was why Mom called a meeting with the company’s top brass to discuss a countermeasure. StarGlow Enterprises was bound to poach our resources and business, so we had to be ready.
My mood turned gloomy as I listened to everyone’s opinions and views.
The meeting lasted a whopping four hours and ended at lunchtime. I gathered my things and, a bit absent-minded, prepared to go out for lunch.
As soon as I stepped out of the office building. I spotted Russel waiting for me at the company entrance.
Our relationship was no secret, so everyone in the company knew he was here for me, and we’d occasionally catch people stealing glances our way. “What brings you here?” I put all my troubles aside for a moment as I approached Russel.
As if he could read my mind, Russel asked, “Are you upset because Bonnie plans to start her own company?”
He took my bag from my hands. Every time we were together, he’d always take the initiative to carry my bag. It was a small detail, but it made him seem so considerate.
“You’re pretty sharp.” I sighed deeply, “She seems determined to go head-to-head with me, using her fortune to compete against my family’s company”
