Bitter & Sweet
The Part 55

Throughout the day, Chloe loses her concentration many times, and almost messes with Matthew's work schedule.

Chloe had tried her best not to think too much about what Matthew said this morning, about the Matthew problem that had involved Chloe in it.

But still, Chloe's attention is often distracted by questions Matthew hasn't answered, which disturbs Chloe's mind.

And it seems, it's not just Chloe who's often deep in her own thoughts.

Matthew seems to be like that.

So, both Chloe and Matthew, both almost messed up while doing their work that day.

Now, as they prepare to return home, Matthew doesn't even seem to care much about Chloe being busy texting David.

Until they were already in Matthew's car, then Matthew seemed to realize that Chloe had spent quite a long time on his phone.

"Who?" matthew asked, raising both eyebrows.

"Mister David" Chloe replied, honestly.

"What else is with him?" matthew said, grunting rudely.

"Mister David and his daddy are now having a meeting with your Grandpa, at your parents' house," Chloe replied, thinking of something.

"The sir! ... Can I go outside for a minute?" chloe asked, be careful.

"Where are you going?" Staring at Chloe fixedly, Matthew asked back.

A bit of regret, then flashed through Chloe's mind, feeling that she might just upset Matthew.

Chloe, hesitating to tell Matthew her goal, taps her fingertips over the screen for a moment.

"Cloe!" matthew said, looking impatiently waiting for an answer to his question.

"Mister David invited me to meet" Chloe replied, slowly and hesitantly.

"Tsk!" Looking annoyed, Matthew clucked while turning his face away from Chloe. "Do you have to see him?"

"Hm ... He said there was something he wanted to talk about" said Chloe, then looked at Matthew who looked out the window.

"I—"

"You—"

Matthew, who was talking simultaneously with Chloe, ended up stopping his words just like Chloe.

"What do you want to say?" matthew asked, who was looking back at Chloe.

"You're going to have a family meeting. At that time, do I have to accompany you?" chloe said, be careful.

"No," replied Matthew, then massaged his forehead. "But I want you by my side, when I'm done talking to my family."

According to Chloe, at this moment Matthew looked uneasy.

However, Chloe also felt the same way. And it seems, Chloe might actually be affected by a panic attack if she does nothing, while waiting for the Matthew family meeting to finish.

That's why, until Chloe thought of accepting David's invitation.

In the hope that if David invites her to talk about something that has nothing to do with Matthew, then Chloe might be able to take her mind off the no-no, which can make her anxious.

And it could be, because Chloe's meeting with David, will make her time to wait for Matthew, it won't take too long for Chloe.

However, seeing Matthew who currently seems to need his support, it seems that Chloe also does not have the heart to leave Matthew alone.

Chloe then types a message to David, telling the man that Chloe can't meet him outside tonight, as Chloe will accompany Matthew to his parents' house.

It took a long time, then a reply message from David went into Chloe's phone.

In fact, the message from David was just received by Chloe, when Chloe had arrived at Matthew's house, and Chloe had also delivered Matthew to enter his room.

And in the end, David doesn't mind Chloe's refusal. David also understands that delivering Matthew is still the responsibility of Chloe, as a personal assistant.

"I'm not going anywhere" said Chloe, until Matthew looked at her. "I've canceled my meeting with mister David, and I'll accompany you, go to your parents' house."

However, Chloe's words seemed unsatisfactory to Matthew, until Matthew who was sitting on the edge of his bed, looked even more agitated.

"Why did you do it? Why did you cancel your meeting with David? Is it because you're afraid I'm scolding you?"

Question after question, Matthew was thrown like a bullet from a machine gun that was fired in succession.

"No, Sir ... I'm not worried just in case you're going to scold me" Chloe replied, convinced.

"I'd just like to accompany you. Because I'm hoping, if you find out that I'll be by your side, as you were, ...

... Then you may be able to feel calmer when talking with your family. So that your problems can be resolved immediately."

According to Chloe, Matthew should be able to realize Chloe's sincerity, when he said that to her.

But....

"Gosh!" said Matthew who actually looked frustrated, while massaging his forehead, then continued to say, saying,

"You better stop doing it! ... You just make the people around you misunderstand....

... Don't you understand everything I've ever told you? You're making my situation even harder."

Chloe furrowed her brows, while looking at Matthew fixedly, with a keen sense of probing.

Chloe did not understand at all what Matthew was talking about, so Chloe tried hard to think about what her boss thought was wrong.

Didn't Matthew want Chloe to be with him?

Then why would Matthew act like that, when Chloe fulfilled her wish?

Since it felt like she could not find a suitable answer, Chloe then gave a slow snort.

"Don't tell me you don't understand what I'm talking about!" matthew said, as if he could read Chloe's mind.

"I don't understand, sir.." said Chloe, slowly and almost bowing her head.

Matthew snorted violently.

"Chelle! ... Come here! ... Sit near me! ... Because it feels like I want to shout at you right now," Matthew said firmly, and seemed to harden his jaw.

Chloe who was still standing by the door of the room, then approached Matthew, and sat down next to him.

"Chelle! ... I won't scold you, as long as you answer honestly," Matthew said, staring fixedly at Chloe. "Do you hate me?"

Chloe shook her head. "No, Sir."

"Then do you like me?" matthew asked, without taking his eyes off of Chloe's.

Chloe was silent for a moment while thinking.

"Chelle! ... Answer my question!" Matthew seemed to have almost lost his temper.

"There must be a reason until you try to follow my wishes ... Then what is it? Do you just feel sorry for me? Don't confuse me!" matthew said, again.

Chloe hesitated if she had to answer, that the reason was simply because she could not bear to see Matthew fidgeting.

But it felt like there was no other answer she could tell Matthew, so Chloe then said,

"I feel like you need me. And I can't bear it if I can't realize your wish. While I can actually do it for you."

"So you feel sorry for me? ... Do you think I'm a weak person?" matthew asked, furrowing his brows deeply.

"It's not like that, sir ... Like I said earlier. I just feel like there's no harm in me if I do something for you, when I can."

Chloe hastily refuted Matthew's estimate, repeating and emphasizing his statement again.

"Sin...!" Matthew seemed to be trying hard to calm himself down, in order to speak well to Chloe.

"You know that the responsibilities of your job don't include your boss's feelings, do you?!" matthew said, then hurriedly said,

"You don't have to feel sorry for yourself, and just do your job."

"Yes ... I know that, sir," said Chloe.

"Then why do you have pity on me now?" matthew asked, looking curious.

"In the meantime, you've been intending to stop working for me ... Are you planning to make me regret that you will lose an employee like you?" matthew again.

"I never thought of anything like that at all, Sir ... I'm just trying to be as good as possible to help you as my boss, while I'm still your employee."

Chloe tried her best to explain what she thought to Matthew, so that her boss would not continue his misunderstanding of Chloe's bad intentions.

"Chelle! ... Didn't I just tell you? What you're doing right now, what you think is helping me, it's not your responsibility" Matthew said.

"If it is only a job, then your task does not include getting to the personal feelings of your boss, because it has absolutely nothing to do with work....

... Your attitude that tries to help me to pay attention to my personal feelings will only make me misunderstand" continued Matthew, while looking at Chloe fixedly.

For a while, Matthew and Chloe just fell silent while looking at each other, until Chloe felt a little awkward.

"So right now, do you want me to accompany you or not?" chloe asked, breaking the silence.

At once, Matthew seemed to let out a long, deep sigh, closing his eyes, as if he was trying to calm himself.

"You're smart enough to do office work. But, you are completely insensitive to anything else!" matthew said, after he opened his eyes again and looked at Chloe.

***

In the end, Chloe's coming with Matthew to Matthew's parents' house tonight.

Upon arrival, Matthew and Chloe are invited by Maddison to have dinner together.

Chloe had actually rejected the invitation, but Maddison insisted, so Chloe could not turn it down again.

And apparently, the dinner was not only attended by the core family of Jackson alone. However, several other members of the McLean family also attended.

David and his parents, as well as several executives of the McLean property company, which still bears the name of McLean's extended family, were seen gathering there.

And according to Chloe's judgment, it's probably because some of the McLean family members haven't arrived there yet, so the dinner has yet to begin.

Then, while waiting for another arrival, the time was then used to have casual conversations between members of the McLean family, while they enjoyed champagne.

Because only Chloe was the outsider there, so Chloe felt very awkward and uncomfortable, when she had to sit at a table with the McLean family.

Plus, ever since Chloe walked into the dining room, and joined in, Jackson often stared at her with a piercing glare, which was enough to make Chloe tremble so nervous.

Matthew may have realized what Chloe was feeling at the time.

So suddenly, Matthew then took Chloe's hand and grasped it tightly, while holding it by placing it on his lap.

However, Chloe was even more anxious, worried that someone might see Matthew holding his hand under the table.

Chloe then turned her head to the side, looking at the thinly smiling Matthew towards her.

And as if she could read Chloe's mind, she wanted to calm Chloe down there, whispering until she could barely hear her voice, Matthew then said,

"It's okay! ... Relax! ... No one will ever know."

Not long after, Matteo is seen entering the dining room, and taking a seat next to Chloe.

Then, although it may not be the same purpose, but Matteo applies the same as Matthew.

Matteo took Chloe's hand, grasped it tightly, and held it by placing it on her lap, saying, saying,

"I'm glad I'm not late."

"I'm money ... There are many things I don't remember anymore. You have to tell me everything that happened last night" Matteo continued, with his voice still whispering, while staring fixedly at Chloe.