Emily Hart was a workaholic. She hadn't taken a single weekend off in weeks. All to sign up new clients. She often worked until midnight.
Evelyn sometimes worried about her safety. Emily always laughed it off. She carried pepper spray, she said. Besides, she looked too tough for anyone to mess with.
Evelyn finally clocked out at seven. She texted Alexander first. Made plans with Em for dinner. Home later.
Then she called Emily. "I'm done for the day."
Emily was still swamped. "Give me half an hour," she said.
"Take your time," Evelyn replied. "I'll wait."
True to her word, Emily called back in thirty minutes. She was waiting in the lobby.
Evelyn grabbed her bag. She waved goodbye to Amy Harper and Ella Baker, who were still working. Then she called the driver to pick her up at the entrance.
She found Emily in the lobby, beaming.
Evelyn walked over and smiled. "Congratulations!"
"Finally!" Emily said triumphantly, linking her arm through Evelyn's. "All that hard work paid off!"
"Let's go," Evelyn said. "Dinner's on me. A celebration."
"No way," Emily protested. "I'm treating tonight!"
"You did all the work," Evelyn said with a laugh. "I can't take credit for that."
"Just being happy for me is enough," Emily insisted.
They walked out together. The driver pulled up just as they reached the curb.
Evelyn slid into the back seat with Emily.
"Is this your personal car?" Emily asked, impressed.
"No, it's the family car," Evelyn said. "But tonight, it's your ride."
"Lucky me," Emily said, looking around at the interior. "I'm riding in style."
Evelyn laughed. "What do you want to eat?"
"Anything you want," Emily said grandly.
"Let's hit Elmwood Lane for some street food."
Emily groaned. "Evelyn, you don't have to save me money like that."
"I'm not. I actually want to eat there."
"Fine," Emily gave in. "Me too."
They ended up at Elmwood Lane. As they ate, Emily couldn't resist gossiping. Opportunities like this were rare.
"So," Emily began, "you don't live in the dorms anymore. Is that because Mr. Sterling won't let you?"
"Not exactly," Evelyn replied, embarrassed. "But there's no reason to stay out if I can go home."
Alexander didn't like her sleeping anywhere else. Even if she visited her parents, she always came back. He was used to having her in bed. She'd been accommodating him.
But she didn't want to admit that to Emily.
"What's it like being married?" Emily asked.
"What's the difference? It's just one more person around."
"Come on," Emily said. "Two people living together. You have to compromise on everything. And you have to get used to each other's habits. Mr. Sterling is such a dictator. You must be so gentle around him."
Evelyn couldn't help laughing. She didn't see Alexander as a tyrant. He was childish and willful sometimes. But maybe that was just his way of showing he cared.
"We respect each other," Evelyn said. "There's some adjustment, but he's very considerate."
"You're so lucky," Emily said. "No wonder you're getting prettier. Stella and I were wondering why you look so radiant. Now I know. It's love."
Evelyn's face turned red. Emily's words were innocent, but her mind went somewhere else.
"Eat your food," Evelyn said, stuffing a dumpling into Emily's mouth. "You talk too much."
Emily chewed, grinning.
Evelyn changed the subject. "Is his family life like what they show on TV? Where do you even get these ideas?"
"TV and novels," Emily said.
"You still have time for that?"
"Time is like a sponge. Besides, it's my stress reliever. I can't give it up."
"It's not as dramatic as you think," Evelyn said. "They're a traditional family. They have family dinners, but the atmosphere is warm. We usually live in our own home."
"So you have a big family and a small family?"
"Not exactly separate," Evelyn explained. "Everyone has their own life circle."
"That sounds mysterious."
"It's not that different from your family," Evelyn said quietly.
"It's very different," Emily insisted. "The Sterlings are rich. Super rich."
Evelyn shook her head. "Come on. Super rich? You might as well call me a superhero."
"You are a superhero," Emily said. "How else could you marry Mr. Sterling?"
Evelyn laughed.
"You're the kind of superhero who wins with gentleness," Emily added.
Evelyn just smiled. They chatted as they ate. Eventually, the conversation turned to Stella.
"Remember when we saw Stella with that older guy?" Emily asked.
"Yeah," Evelyn nodded. "He wasn't that old. Just older than us."
"He's the vice president of her company. Not married. Stella's interested," Emily said.
"Is she serious about him?"
"She's thinking about it. If she signs a contract, she might have a chance to settle down," Emily said.
"Her company doesn't have a collective account for her. She has to work for years to get enough points. Or she can marry a local and get on their household register. That's the fastest way."
"What does Stella think?" Evelyn asked.
"She's still deciding. She's dating him first. If they get along, she might consider marriage," Emily explained.
Evelyn was quiet for a moment. She wanted to say that marriage was a big decision. She wanted to say she should be careful.
But then she thought about her own situation. It wasn't her place to say that. So she stayed silent.
As Alexander always said, some things were for the people involved to decide. Onlookers could only offer advice. They couldn't make the choice for someone else.