The following day was New Year's Day, and Allison decided to visit the Owens family. Both Linda and Javier were home. As soon as Allison walked through the door, Linda greeted her with a warm smile, "Allie, you're back! Dinner's almost ready, so go wash up first."
Allison was still feeling the effects of last night's celebration and had only woken up around eleven. She quickly showered, got dressed, and drove over just in time for lunch.
Little Lizzy came running over in her tiny shoes, hugging Allison's leg, "Allie!"
With a big grin, Allison pulled a big box from her bag and handed it to Lizzy, "Happy New Year, Lizzy." The little girl beamed, planting a sweet kiss on Allison's cheek as she accepted the giftbox.
Javier handed Allison a gift bag, "Here's your New Year's present. Go on, open it."
Curious, Allison opened the bag to find a set of keys and a property deed.
Javier explained calmly, "Allie, this apartment is close to your office, so it'll be convenient for work. Consider this a gift from your old man. Linda picked out the car for you, it's in the garage. You can check it out after dinner."
A wave of gratitude swept over Allison, her eyes misting up. "Thank you, Dad. Thank you, Linda."
After dinner, Allison casually scrolled through her phone and noticed a friend request. Her heart skipped a beat. She held her breath, hoping it was from Joshua, but disappointment quickly set in. It wasn't him.
Shawn, whom she'd blocked ages ago, couldn't reach her directly, so he tried with a new account. Allison wouldn't have recognized him, but he included a message:
[Did you and Joshua break up? I told you, all men are the same. You just wouldn't listen. Come back to me, Allison.]
Reading the message felt like swallowing something bitter. She promptly blocked him without hesitation.
Joshua paused before saying, "She's moved to a new place. I don't know if the housekeeper there can cook to her taste."
Fifteen minutes later, Allison received another call from Shannon. "Ms. Allison, Mr. Fisher let me go. I don't have a job now. Do you need a cook at your new place?"
Allison was taken aback but quickly got it. Joshua had originally hired Shannon specifically for her. Now that she'd moved out, it wasn't surprising that he let Shannon go.
Every time Allison saw Shannon, she was reminded of how Joshua had gone to great lengths to ensure she ate well, even hiring the Hartley family's housekeeper to teach Shannon how to cook. Joshua had once been so attentive to her needs.
Allison initially wanted to decline, but the thought of Shannon being out of work stopped her from saying no.
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