Chapter 6 Cover for You

• As the sun rose, Beatrice woke up from her slumber.
• Her room felt empty, with no one else around.
• Feeling drained, she sat up and wrapped herself in a blanket. The remnants of last night's drinking left her head throbbing.
• Suddenly, she spotted a note on the bedside table out of the corner of her eye.
• Reading it, she felt a surge of embarrassment.
• You ... do yoga, don't you?'
• Even though Edward was absent, she could sense the mocking tone in his writing.
• Frustrated, Beatrice scratched her head, unsure where to direct her anger.
• But she found some relief. If Edward left such a note, perhaps he had forgiven her for the previous night.
• Just then, Randy called.
• "Beatrice, you've got to see my online performance! I was on fire last night. I got ten MVPs in a row!"
• Randy's excitement infuriated Beatrice. She went through a tough time last night, and all he cared about was his game?
• She retorted, "Randy, you're not a kid anymore. When will you grow up? When will you get the dowry ready? Are we still getting engaged? Do you want to marry me or not?"
• There was silence for a moment before Randy hurriedly responded, "Beatrice, calm down. My family is trying to gather the money. It's Edward's fault; he's useless! But I promise, we'll be married soon."
• Edward?!
• Beatrice trembled. The man from last night was named Edward too!
• Instinctively, she asked, "Who's Edward? Is he rich?"
• "Rich? Not at all!"
• Randy cursed, "He's my useless brother-in-law. My sister married him, and they've been living in a rental ever since. If he had money, things would be easier."
• Beatrice shook her head and chuckled bitterly. The Edward Randy mentioned was clearly different from the one with the Bauhinia Card.
• "Beatrice, just hold on. My parents and sister are helping us gather the money. We'll have enough soon."
• Mentioning Edward seemed to anger Randy. "If it weren't for that useless ex-brother-in-law ... I mean, that ex-brother-in-law of mine, we'd be married by now."
• Confused, Beatrice asked, "What's he got to do with it?"
• "He's my sister's husband, so shouldn't he help with my wedding? Instead, he's spending all his money on his dying mom's hospital bills. He refused to help me and even divorced my sister. Isn't he a jerk?"
• Beatrice's lips trembled, feeling disgusted.
• Impatiently, she said, "Whatever. I worked all night and need sleep." Then she hung up.
• For the following week, Edward went back and forth between the rental and the hospital, caring for his mother.
• After her liver transplant, her recovery was going well. The doctors said she could soon go home to continue recuperating.
• Beatrice was hardly on Edward's radar.
• The events of that night were purely impulsive. Had Randy not crossed his path and insulted him, he wouldn't have directed his frustration at Beatrice.
• Early the next morning, Edward, after tending to his mother all night, was about to head home for some rest when his phone rang.
• "Where the heck have you been, Edward?" yelled a voice as soon as he picked up.
• It was Peter, his boss from the real estate company.
• Edward had requested a week off when his mother fell ill. With everything going on, he had forgotten about it.
• "Sorry, Peter. My mom was hospitalized," Edward explained.
• "Is she dead? If not, get back to work!" Peter yelled at the top of his lungs.
• "Damn it. I've been covering for you all week and doing everything around here. You'd better get back here and take care of your work!"
• The call then ended with a click.
• "Covering for me? More like I've been covering for you," Edward muttered bitterly.
• Edward wasn't incompetent; in fact, he excelled in school. He could have pursued studies abroad and made a name for himself if not for his family obligations.
• Within three years of graduating, he had risen to assistant general manager at the real estate company.
• If Peter weren't the general manager, Edward's achievements would have been even greater.
• Peter only managed to hide Edward's abilities and hold his position because he was the brother-in-law of the company's CEO.
• This allowed him to maintain his role despite his incompetence and womanizing tendencies.
• Edward handled most of the company's important matters, often cleaning up the messes caused by Peter's poor decisions.
• Despite this, the CEO trusted Peter's 'abilities', leaving Edward to take the blame for many mistakes over the years, earning him the nickname 'Scapegoat' among employees.
• The only reason Edward stayed was the generous pay, which he needed to support his mother's medical expenses and assist Olivia's family.
• Taking out a prestigious bank card from his pocket, Edward's eyes sparkled. "I can't believe this card has 150 million in it. I despise accepting money as compensation, but I have to admit that having it gives me confidence and more options."
• At Paramount Real Estate, Edward hurried into the building, only to be dragged into Peter's office.
• With a slam, Peter shut the door, then sat down with a troubled expression, putting his feet on the desk and lighting a cigar.
• Edward wrinkled his nose. He didn't smoke and disliked the smell.
• "If I hadn't called, you'd still be out there, wouldn't you?" Peter sneered while exhaling smoke as he rubbed his almost-bald head.
• "Probably. I was just too busy dealing with my mom's situation," Edward replied calmly.
• Peter, despite being in his forties, looked much older due to his lewd lifestyle, which caused his baldness.
• "Hah!"
• Peter chuckled while squinting. "Edward, I know all that's happened to you in the past two years. Let me give you some advice. Your mom's illness will never go away. Instead of prolonging her suffering, let her go so you can focus on work," Peter said coldly.
• Edward kept his composure despite the anger in his eyes. "What did you call me back for?"
• Peter slammed a document on the desk. "My brother-in-law is coming to inspect the company. This is the contract for the West City shantytown redevelopment project. You were supposed to handle this, but because of your leave, I had to take over. This is all your fault!
• "The woman negotiating with me could really handle her liquor. She got me drunk and made me sign this overpriced contract," Peter continued.
• Edward didn't bother to read the contract. Peter often pulled such tricks.
• A few drinks and a night with a woman, and Peter would sign anything.
• Seeing Edward unmoved, Peter sat up straight. "You know what to do, right?"
• "You want me to cover for you again?" Edward's eyes narrowed.
• Bang!
• Peter slammed his hand on the desk. "What do you mean, cover for me? I'm giving you a chance. Do you think I'd do that for anyone? You should be grateful, Edward. You should know your place. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be here three years after graduating."
• Edward laughed bitterly. I guess I should thank you!
• If you haven't given me so many 'chances', I would've been the general manager now!