He Said the Cat Needed Him. There Was No Cat Chapter 08

He Said the Cat Needed Him. There Was No Cat Chapter 08

I heard about Adrian Cole’s statement from a former coworker.

She sent me a screenshot and asked cautiously,

“Claire, are you okay?”

I replied: I’m fine.

That wasn’t exactly true.

My father was still in the hospital.

My mother stayed beside his bed every day. She insisted she wasn’t tired, yet at night she could barely line the key up with the lock.

I spent my days at the hospital and my nights sending out applications.

The Fairview branch finally invited me to interview.

The last line of the email read: Referral provided by Adrian Cole.

I stared at his name for a long time.

At the interview the next day, the manager asked, “You know Director Cole?”

“I do.”

“Then you probably know he contacted us about this position.”

I pushed my resume forward.

“I accepted the interview because I meet the requirements.”

“If you’re only considering me as a favor to him, you don’t need to hire me.”

The manager looked surprised.

I continued.

“I’ve completed three major projects and trained two new employees.”

“I can also explain the reason I left my last position honestly.”

“But I won’t accept special treatment because of a personal relationship, and I won’t accept being punished because of one either.”

The interview room remained silent for several seconds.

Then the manager smiled.

“Let’s talk about the work.”

An hour later, I received an invitation for a second interview.

As I left, I saw a man in the lobby.

He was holding my father’s insurance paperwork.

“Claire Bennett?”

I nodded.

He handed me the documents.

“Marcus Hayes, Administration.”

“The hospital said you left a copy behind yesterday. I had business nearby, so I brought it over.”

I accepted the folder.

“Thank you.”

He glanced at my interview badge.

“Good luck with the second round.”

That afternoon, I returned to the hospital.

My father was playing chess with the patient in the next bed.

The board was old and missing one knight.

My mother said, “A nurse told me someone delivered a new chess set.”

I turned and saw a box beside the door.

Adrian Cole’s handwriting covered the card.

“Mr. Bennett once said he wanted to finish our game.”

“Now we can.”

My father stared at it for a long time but didn’t open the box.

He only pushed the old board forward.

“This one still works.”

My mother sighed.

I said nothing.

Adrian Cole came that evening.

He waited outside the room instead of entering.

He carried fruit and supplements.

When I stepped into the hallway, he visibly relaxed.

“Is your father doing better?”

“He’s stable.”

He nodded.

“Did the Fairview branch contact you?”

“Yes.”

“I only sent them your old project files.”

“I didn’t ask them to do anything else.”

I looked at him.

“Adrian Cole, do you still think this is about whether you help me?”

His face stiffened.

“I’m only trying to repay what I owe you.”

“Your job, your father’s condition, the rumors at the company.”

“I’m fixing all of it.”

I said, “You’re correcting the damage you caused. That’s not compensation.”

He fell silent.

The elevator doors opened.

Marcus Hayes stepped out holding a printed hospital payment form.

When he saw me, he handed it over.

“I printed the paperwork for your father’s follow-up tomorrow.”

“The insurance desk closes at four thirty, so don’t make the trip too late.”

I took it. “Thank you.”

Adrian Cole stared at the form, his fingers slowly tightening.

Marcus Hayes didn’t look at him. He only said, “I’ll head out.”

After Marcus left, Adrian Cole finally spoke.

“New coworker?”

“Yes.”

“Someone replaced me that quickly?”

I looked up at him.

“Do you think I’m an object that needs someone to take possession of it?”

Adrian Cole went pale.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?”

He couldn’t answer.

I turned toward the room.

He suddenly spoke in a low voice.

“Claire, Vanessa Reed is leaving.”

“She said she won’t bother you again.”

My step paused.

“Whether she leaves has nothing to do with me.”

Adrian Cole swallowed.

“I won’t look after her anymore either.”

I looked at him.

Once, I had waited a long time to hear those words.

I waited on my birthday.

I waited outside Vanessa Reed’s apartment.

I waited in the hospital hallway.

Now that he had finally said them, all I felt was tired.

“Adrian Cole, doing the right thing now is your responsibility.”

“It has nothing to do with whether I come back.”

His eyes reddened instantly.

I looked away.

When I returned to the room, my father asked, “Did he leave?”

I nodded.

My father pushed the new chess set under the bed.

“Claire.”

“You can’t build a life by replacing one broken chessboard after another.”

The next day, I received the job offer.

There was no referral note.

Only one sentence: Ms. Claire Bennett, after a comprehensive review, we are pleased to welcome you to the Fairview branch.

I showed the email to my mother.

She smiled until tears slipped down her face.

“Good.”

“Our Claire can build a good life on her own.”

Sunlight poured through the window.

For the first time, I understood that returning to Fairview wasn’t a retreat.

It was a new road I had chosen for myself.