They Both Wanted Me Every Day — Now They Both Want Sunday to Last Longer Without Me Chapter 07

They Both Wanted Me Every Day — Now They Both Want Sunday to Last Longer Without Me Chapter 07

He lifted his chin. “I’m the sponsor for this celebration. Chad Harrington.”

Ethan introduced him. “Mr. Harrington owns a few malls. Nora’s going to be in his stores.”

Chad looked me up and down. “Miss Vance, I hear you’ve got a temper. Do Mr. Sterling a favor and don’t wreck the party.”

I said, “How much is your favor worth?”

He stopped smiling.

Ethan grabbed my wrist. “Are you trying to make this ugly?”

I looked at his hand. “Let go.”

He didn’t.

Nora said softly, “Ethan, it’s fine. Lena’s just upset.”

Chad snorted. “Upset about what? The Vance is missing out on some credit? Ms. Hale crawled up from nothing and made it on her own. She hates it when people use their background to bully others.”

I turned to Nora. “Do you feel that way too?”

She lowered her head. “Lena… Chad is just standing up for me.”

Mia stood at the edge of the crowd, growing paler by the second.

I asked her, “Mia. Who fixed the gown?”

Everyone turned to her. Nora’s stare was like a hook.

Mia’s lips moved.

Ethan cut her off. “What does an assistant know?”

Chad laughed. “Miss Vance, if you’re calling an employee as your witness, at least find one who tells the truth.”

Mia set down her tray. Then she raised her head. “Miss Vance fixed it. I held the lamp all night. I saw it with my own eyes.”

The room went dead quiet.

Tears hung on Nora’s face. “Mia… is this because I scolded you the other day?”

Mia shook her head. “Nora, I don’t blame you. But I’m not going to lie for you either.”

Ethan glared at her. “You’re fired. Don’t come in tomorrow.”

Mia went bone-white, but still said, “Okay.”

I walked over and pulled her behind me. “She’ll work for me starting tomorrow.”

Chad laughed out loud. “You? Miss Vance, aside from the Vance name, what do you even have that needs employees?”

I smiled too. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

That night, Mia followed me back to the Sycamore House. She stood at the gate, afraid to step inside.

“Miss Vance… did I just cause you trouble?”

I turned on the light. “Yeah.”

She went paler.

I pointed to the west room. “So starting tomorrow, you’re going to help me sort fabric.”

She froze.

Frank carried out a few crates from the house. Inside were old embroidery patterns, ledgers, dyed threads, and half-finished garments.

Mia crouched down to look, her voice small. “I’ve seen these fabrics in books.”

I said, “Don’t breathe a word to anyone.”

She nodded fast. “My lips are sealed.”

Frank handed me the blue ledger. “Miss. Found it. The first loan Grandma Eleanor made to Mr. Sterling’s company is in here. The original lease for Ms. Hale’s storefront is also here.”

I opened the ledger. Line by line. Every detail clear.

Ethan and Nora thought I’d only given them money. They didn’t know Grandma Eleanor had left me not just money—but an entire network of atelier contacts and reputation.

I just never cared to use it. I thought the needlework was too much trouble, kept it hidden for years.

My phone buzzed. Ethan texted, [Send Mia back. Don’t make this ugly.]

I replied, [She’s not a piece of furniture. I’m not sending her anywhere.]

Moments later, Nora called.

I picked up. Her voice was tearful. “Lena, why did you take my employee?”

I asked, “Yours?”

“Mia is mine. I trained her.”

“Then why did you fire her?”

Nora stopped. “I did that because you made me angry.”

I watched Mia carefully sorting threads by color in the yard.

“Nora. Not everyone waits around until you stop being angry.”

She cried harder. “Are you happy now? You have the Vances, you have your grandmother’s things. I only have Ethan and my atelier.”

I said, “You also have the storefront I gave you.”

Silence on the other end.

I continued, “The one I leased to you for a dollar. The contract is almost up.”

Nora’s breathing went ragged. “Lena. You wouldn’t do that.”

“Watch me.”

She sounded like she was meeting me for the first time. “You said that storefront was a gift.”

“And I said you were my best friend.”

She stopped crying. After a moment, she said quietly, “Ethan won’t let you.”

I hung up.

Frank asked, “Miss, do you really want to take it back?”

I closed the ledger. “Not yet.”

A few days later, word came that Ethan had held back the sponsorship letter. His messenger said, [If Lena apologizes to Nora, everything goes back to normal.]

I burned that note in the fireplace.

As the paper turned to ash, the signboard from Grandma Eleanor’s old atelier was brought out of storage.

The words on the board, covered in dust. Eleanor’s Atelier