Departure with a Belly (Alaric and Victoria)

Chapter 547

Chapter 547 Tolerant

As Erik approached her, Summer was taken aback by his sudden presence. A peculiar sensation surged within her, prompting her to instinctively take two steps back, maintaining some distance from him. He pursed his lips. slightly in response to her actions. “What brings you here?”

“I came to deliver a report since Audrey wasn’t available,” she replied.

At that, he noticed she still held the report and reached out to take it from her. As he took the document and lowered his head to examine it, she assumed there was nothing else for her to do. She stated, “If you don’t require anything further, I’ll take my leave.” After speaking, she intended to walk away.

“Do I have man–eating monsters in my office?” Erik asked, his voice unexpectedly cold.

This question puzzled Summer. “What do you mean, Mr. Ludson?”

“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow. “You seemed eager to leave, as if floods and fierce beasts were present here.”

She remained silent. So, that’s what he means.

“It seems that ever since I approved your resignation letter, you’ve been avoiding me. Tell me, did I mistreat you in the past?”

The word ‘mistreat‘ sounded severe when spoken by him, and it deeply affected her. Her expression changed slightly, and she instinctively explained, “How could that be? You’ve always treated me well, without any

mistreatment.”

Although she had previously complained about him due to work–related matters and perceived him as a devil for making her work overtime like a workaholic, she was merely an employee, and it seemed as if all the work

was solely her responsibility.

“Is that so?” Erik narrowed his eyes slightly, silently scrutinizing her. “Then, why did you call me the devil?”

She hesitated for a moment, and a forced smile appeared on her lips. “Mr. Ludson, why do you still remember that… I misspoke at that time, and it wasn’t intentional. Furthermore…” She mustered her courage and sincerely explained, “To be honest, I’ve learned a lot from working with you over the years.”

Although it had been challenging, her progress had been remarkable. Erik’s high expectations and strict demands had propelled her rapid growth in such an environment. Even if she left the Ludson Corporation now and joined another company, she would be capable of handling tasks independently.

“Is that so?” He sat down in his chair and continued to gaze at her.

Whether it was Summer’s imagination or not, she felt that Erik’s gaze toward her had become increasingly

peculiar since she had submitted her resignation letter. She pursed her lips and nodded, unable to contain her

excitement. “Yes.”

The atmosphere suddenly grew cold, and she did not know what else to say. She wanted to leave, but it

seemed that Erik still had something to discuss with her. Thus, she remained standing and waited.

After waiting a while without him speaking up, she decided not to say anything and contemplated leaving directly. However, just as she was about to depart, he spoke again, “How is your replacement colleague doing?”

At his words, she halted in her tracks. “She’s doing quite well. She learns quickly and is hardworking and resilient. With her assistance, the handover for you should proceed without any issues.”

13:51

Wed, 19 Ju

Erik nodded. “Hmm.”

“I believe if she maintains this progress, I can complete the handover with her in less than a month.”

At that remark, he paused briefly, his gaze slowly falling upon her face. “Oh? Less than a month?” he inquired.

“Yes, I believe two weeks should suffice,” she replied.

“So, in two weeks, you’ll be able to leave?” He clarified.

When Summer brought up the topic, her delight was evident. “If she can handle it, then I should be able to leave earlier, within two weeks.” As she spoke, joy and excitement radiated from her face. Even her eyebrows raised, reflecting her genuinely good mood.

Moreover, during this time, she seemed to be wearing makeup every day. Not only that, her clothes were no longer the usual commuting outfits she used to wear. She began wearing different clothes and even wore some

bracelets on her wrist. Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

These changes prompted Erik to reflect. Had he been too demanding in the past, leaving her with no time to shop for new clothes, apply makeup, or even think about fashion? Lost in thought, he pursed his lips.

“Mr. Ludson?” Summer waved her hand in front of Erik. “If there’s nothing else, may I leave? I have some work to

attend to.”

He let out a sigh of relief. “Go ahead.” After she left, he made a phone call to his assistant, requesting his

presence.

When the assistant arrived, Erik got straight to the point. “Did any of you take your annual leave this year?”

At that, the assistant shook his head. “No, Mr. Ludson. We did not find the time for annual leave. Projects and deadlines kept us occupied throughout.”

Erik raised an eyebrow. Almost unable to believe it, he glanced at the time on the computer. The year was drawing to a close, yet they had not taken their annual leave. “What about Summer? Did she take hers?”

As the question was asked, the assistant’s gaze turned somewhat peculiar. “Mr. Ludson, did you forget? When we wanted to take our annual leave earlier, we had a major project at that time. You asked us to forgo our annual leave this year, promising us a bonus at year–end…” The assistant’s expression shifted slightly. “Or perhaps… Did you forget about the bonus as well?”

Erik remained silent. At that reminder, he finally realized the truth in their words. It seemed he had indeed been

too occupied.

“Mr. Ludson, don’t you think it’s time for you to take a break too?”

Erik inquired, “Did you take your annual leave last year?”

The assistant replied, “No.”

As expected, it came as no surprise to Erik.

“What about Summer?”

The assistant’s despair became evident. “Her? Let’s not even mention it. Since she joined our company until

now, she has never taken any annual leave.”

Suddenly, Erik understood why Summer wished to resign and why she had been so elated upon learning about his potential early departure from the company. Throughout all those years, she has never taken a single day

off?

“Speaking of this, I must say Summer has shown remarkable resilience. Despite her typically soft and endearing demeanor, she proved to be capable of handling significant responsibilities. She approached projects diligently It’s difficult to let go of her current position.” The assistant admitted as he scratched his head. “But everyone. has their aspirations. If she chooses not to continue, there’s nothing we can do but wish her the best for the future,” the assistant concluded.

After delivering his remarks, the assistant looked up at Erik, anticipating a response. However, he found his boss sitting there, deep in thought as if he was contemplating something significant.

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