Chapter 518
Eileen sighed. “An adult doesn’t just disappear without a word. You won’t know what really happened unless you make an effort to find out.”
“I’ll call him right now. If he doesn’t pick up, I’ll call his mom!” Bailee shot out of the café, phone in hand, her fingers trembling with urgency.
Eileen watched Bailee from the window, observing her make call after call in vain.
Suddenly, a familiar figure caught Eileen’s eye. She turned her gaze to follow the limp stride of Milford as he entered the café.
A waitress rushed over to him. “You’re late. And what happened to your foot?”
“It’s nothing, just a little scrape,” Milford said, trying to brush it off. “Don’t worry; it won’t affect my work.” He stomped his foot to show he was fine, though his wince suggested otherwise.
“That’s good, then. Get to work quickly!” The waitress returned to her duties, diving back into her work.
Milford limped toward the staff changing room, keeping his head low. He didn’t notice Bailee outside, engrossed in her phone calls, nor did he see Eileen, the only customer quietly sitting in the café.
A few minutes later, Milford re-emerged, now wearing his uniform top. He stopped short when he saw Eileen standing just outside the changing room, her arms crossed.
“Eileen?” Milford exclaimed in surprise, his face lighting up. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m a regular here. I should be asking you the same question. Why are you here?” Eileen responded, giving him a once-over. Her eyes lingered on his crumpled black pants, clearly worn for quite some time. The uniform seemed to highlight how much weight he had lost, and even his face looked noticeably thinner.
“Is the academic pressure really that bad? Why are you working here? Shouldn’t you be resting at home on weekends?” Eileen asked.
Milford’s throat tightened, but he forced a casual shrug. “I just thought getting some work experience would help me find a job after I graduate.”
Eileen raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. “With your grades, companies will be tripping over themselves to hire you. Why would you need work experience?”
Her gaze then dropped to Milford’s left foot, noticing how it barely touched the floor, making him lean slightly on his right. “What happened to your foot?” Eileen asked.
Her sharp eyes caught details that Milford’s own sister, Zola, had missed. Zola had seen the blood trail but hadn’t bothered to ask about Milford’s injury.
Milford always took pride in his resilience, but now, Eileen’s concern nearly brought him to tears. “It’s just a minor injury, nothing serious,” he replied.
Eileen was silent for a moment, tilting her head thoughtfully. “How much living allowance does Zola give you each month? You live so far from school. Do you stay on campus, or does she pick you up every day?”
Milford stayed silent, his circumstances laid bare without a word.