Love’s Unexpected Arrival The Bride Who Came Knocking by Rochelle

Chapter 13 At the Construction Site

Maria couldn’t recall how she had made it home. She really had drunk too much last night! She couldn’t even remember if her mother had scolded her. When Maria went to work, seeing Scarlett’s pale face, she chuckled, “Scarlett, I was drunk last night!” “You realized you were drunk?” Scarlett responded with a displeased look. “I was in high spirits!” Maria continued with a sheepish grin. “So being happy means you have to get drunk? What should I say about you? So much time has passed, why dwell on it? Aren’t you getting married? Isn’t he tall, rich, and handsome? Just think about living a good life ahead. Why think of the past? Are you sad because Chris is coming to Erus City?” Scarlett looked into Maria’s eyes, guessing her feelings. “No! Not at all, I was just truly happy!” Maria didn’t want Scarlett to worry. Maria recalled three years ago when she first came to Erus City from another place. Her emotions had been a roller coaster, and Scarlett had been there for her, watching her cry and laugh like a madwoman. She didn’t want Scarlett to worry about her anymore. “You really should stop thinking about it!” Scarlett hugged Maria tightly, whispering in her ear, “Maria, don’t look back. A man who cheats is like money dropped in filth—picking it up is truly revolting. Let’s not betray the tears you shed and the heartbreaks you endured for him.” “Oh, come on, you’re overthinking. There’s no way I’d look back. Besides, he’s getting married, and so am I! Let’s go to the construction site. We need to check on site and measure dimensions today.” Maria adjusted the safety helmet on her head. “Go ahead,” Scarlett nodded in agreement. Maria stepped onto the construction site, tapping the safety helmet on her head. She thought she couldn’t drink like that again because her head was throbbing! Regardless of the reason, she shouldn’t treat her body this way. As always, she approached the site supervisor to verify the measurements. The supervisor enthusiastically assigned two interns, Mark Groves and Daniel Turning, to accompany her. “Maria, Daniel, and I will do the measuring. You just record. Tell us where you want the measurements,” Mark, who had measured for her multiple times before, was quite familiar with her. Maria was two years older than Mark. She used to tease him by calling her ‘sis’, but Mark never did. Eventually, Maria got used to it. “Alright, let’s start from Block G inside!” Maria replied with a smile. The three of them proceeded inside. The construction site was uneven, and Mark kept reminding her, “Maria, walk slowly. Block G is under excavation, so the ground is uneven. Block E is having piling work, and there are many rebars around. Some might not be well organized, watch your step! And be extra careful near Block C. They’re constructing rapidly there, going up three floors a day. There are several cranes operating, watch out for falling objects!” “Okay!” Maria smiled, nodding in acknowledgment. Mark was always thoughtful and meticulous. Every time she visited, he reminded her about safety. Occasionally, he’d share his dreams with her. Three of them quickly reached Block G, where excavators were at work, loading trucks with soil. One by one, large trucks filled with soil exited the construction area. “Maria, which locations do we need to measure?” Mark asked again. Maria took out the blueprints and pointed, “These places. We need to leave a pathway between the west and east walls. Let’s measure the distance and see if any changes are required in the landscape design. There’s a tennis court here and we need to check its size…” “Alright! Daniel and I will measure. You just note down the numbers.” “No problem,” Maria nodded. The two interns began their work. Their coordination was impeccable. Every so often, they’d look up and call out measurements to Maria. “The distance between the west and east walls is 88 meters!” “The gap between Block G and Block F is 103 meters!” “The western main entrance is 36 meters from the northern wall of Block F!” “…” Maria quickly jotted down all the numbers.