One year, one love by Aurora Miller

Chapter 70

Chapter 70

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“Lily, Leia is no good. You're literally making a deal with the devil... the consequences are pretty obvious, Doris

warned Lily.

“Don’t say that about Ms. Martin. You're not any better Lily shot back, defending Leia and reprimanding Doris.

As Lily walked into the changing room, she deliberately brushed her shoulder hard against Doris, strutting

arrogantly.

Doris raised a hand to massage her sore shoulder.

“Doris, are you okay?” Lola asked with concern, reaching out to follow Lily.

Doris stopped her. “I'm fine. Let's go.”

She didn’t want to cause any more trouble at the hotel. They were no longer staff there, and causing a scene

would only get them ruthlessly kicked out by security.

Leaving with dignity was the best way to maintain her self-respect.

As Doris and Lola left the hotel, their colleagues couldn't help but regret seeing them go.

All good things must cto an end, but they just hoped they would take care of themselves.

Once outside, Lola spread her arms wide, closing her eyes as she inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh air.

“It feels like the air is different now that we're out,” Lola said, her eyes crinkling into a bright smile. “Doris, it's

almost noon. Lettreat you to lunch to celebrate that we're finally free from all this nonsense.”

“Doris, you really shouldn't have quit just for me,” Doris said, feeling guilty, as though she had let Lola down.

“I didn’t do it just for you,” Lola responded. “We can’t keep letting people push us around like that.” She placed a

hand on Doris’ shoulder. “One day, I'll make sure we get our revenge.

“My dad’s been tellingto quit and chome. He says he can supporteven if | don’t work or get

married. I've been working for years and I'm exhausted. This is the perfect tto take a break.”

Doris kept her lips tightly pressed together, just watching Lola. Lola’s loyalty was something Doris had never

taken for granted. The bond between them was real, and it truly moved her.

Lola added, “Doris, if something like this happened to me, would you have done the sthing for me?”

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Without hesitation, Doris nodded. “Of course.” Their friendship was solid, built on promises never to betray each

other.

“So why are you still feeling guilty?” Lola smiled brightly. “We've got each other's backs, no matter what.”

Afterward, the two of them decided to go out for seafood.

By lunchtime, the place wasn’t too crowded, so they picked a table by the window. They each ordered their

favorite dishes, and Lola got a beer.

The food arrived quickly, and it looked absolutely delicious.

Lola cracked open the beer and poured it. “Seafood and beer, the perfect combo,” she said, raising her glass.

Doris, still feeling down, didn’t object and clinked her glass with Lola’s, taking a sip.

“Doris, Hartman Group's right around the corner. Should we invite Mr. Hartman and Mr. Mitchell to join us for

seafood? It'll be more lively,” Lola suggested.

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“You just want to have lunch with Mr Mitchell, fed binis trased, catching on to todd’s intentions.

Hey, when you're feeling down, playing with a francguy can rexity cheer you up! Lola said, sipping her

drink. “And *riously, eating cafood? It just make everything better?

Tve been fired and will havet figured on how to tell him? Doris mumbled, poking at her food with her fork

“You were set up. There's nothing endarrassing about it. You shindert hide it. Married couples should be honest

with each other Lola said, picking up a piece of spud to ext

*T'Il tell him, Doris said, lifting her beer and taking another drink.

“Alright, let’s not think about that now. Let's just enjoy this meal first, and then we can think about what to do

next,” Lola said, clearly enjoying her food.

Not long after, Doris‘ phone rang She glanced at the screen, and her brow furrowed even deeper.

She immediately hit the decline button, placing the phone face down on the table as she went back to eating

“Who was that?” Lola asked, curious,

“My dad, Doris replied flatly. “It's probably just more of the sproblem. I'm going to get yelled at anyway, so |

might as well wait until I'm full before | get the lecture. It’s better than dealing with it on an empty stomach.

Lola continued eating, shaking her head. “You sure know how to comfort yourself.”

“At times like this, eating is the most important thing. Doris said, fully relaxing.

After lunch, Lola called a cab and took Doris to Greenlake Hill.

“Doris, for the next couple of days, don’t think about anything. Treat this as a break and rest up. We'll figure out

what to do next,” Lola said, patting Doris on the shoulder.

Doris had never been the fragile, sheltered type. The harder the situation, the more resilient she became. “I

believe that there's always a way out. As long as | don’t give up, no one can bringdown.

“Lola, don’t worry. If | have to, I'll find another job. I'm not the kind of person to give up on myself.”

When Doris got home, Biscuit immediately ran over to her. Seeing Biscuit made her feel a bit better.

She sat down in the living room and noticed there were missed calls from both her father and her mother.

‘Seems like they're trying to reachurgently, she wondered. But Doris wasn’t in the mood to talk to them right

now.

If it weren't for her father’s selfishness, protecting only his son and forcing her into this situation, she wouldn't

have lost her job.

Doris shut off her phone. She'd had sbeer earlier, and it was making her feel dizzy. She went to her room

and fell into bed to sleep.

Later, as the workday ended, Lewis tried to call Doris, but her phone was still off. He tried several times, but

there was no response, which made him uneasy.

Doris had never been unreachable like this. If something had happened, she would have called him in advance,

not just left him unable to reach her.

Lewis drove to the Hampstone Hotel. As soon as he walked in, the front desk staff took notice.

“Sir, how can I help you?” the receptionist asked before Lewis even spoke.

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“I'm looking for Doris,” Lewis said directly. “Has she finished her shift?”

“Sir, Doris was fired today,” the receptionist said with regret in her voice.

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“Fired?” Lewis was shocked.

‘No wonder she askeda few days ago how I'd feel if she quit. Did she see this coming?’ He thought to

himself.

“Is Ms. Bates around?” Lewis asked, hoping to find Lola and get more information.

The receptionist responded, “Ms. Bates resigned.”

Lewis was taken aback, surprised that both of them had been let go. “Can you tellmore details?”

She began. “Ms. Martin cin this morning and accused Doris of trying to seduce Mr. Watson. She claimed

Doris‘ behavior was inappropriate and demanded that Mr. West fire her.

“Mr. West didn’t want to upset Ms. Martin, so he let her go. We all believe Doris is innocent. She’s not the type of

person they say she is. This wasn’t her fault; they took it too far. Ms. Bates quitting in solidarity didn’t help

either.

“Thank you,” Lewis said quickly, turning to leave. He called Doris, but her phone still didn’t go through.

He knew how much Doris had loved her job. Working at Hampstone Hotel had given her a real sense of

accomplishment. To be let go after five years of hard work must have been devastating for her.

‘Where would she go to cry? Where could she hide?‘ he thought, feeling worried for her.

Lewis called Daniel urgently. “Daniel, send someone to find Doris.”

“Mr. Hartman, is something wrong with Mrs. Hartman?” Daniel asked, concerned.

“She was fired from Hampstone Hotel. Her phone's off, and | can’t reach her. Find her, and letknow as soon

as you do,” Lewis said, his brow furrowed.

“Yes, Mr. Hartman. Don’t worry. We'll find Mrs. Hartman,” Daniel replied, sensing the urgency in Lewis’ voice.

“Okay.” Lewis turned right, heading toward Greenlake Hill.

‘If she has nowhere else to go, would she go back home?‘ he wondered.

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