Man, what's wrong with you?

Sherry trembled with fear at the thought.
Steve frowned in dissatisfaction and said, "It doesn't matter. You can be my female partner, and still, represent the company."
"No, you don't understand. It's a big news who your female partner is, and I don't want to be the center of gossip. I don't want
everyone to misunderstand me."
She shook her head in dismay and fear, for all she wanted now was to excel in her job and work hard, and she wanted to work
for the things she needed with her ability, and not because it was provided by any other man.
If she became his female partner, she would be the hottest topic in the city.
Suddenly, she remembered that Jeremy was likely to attend the party on account of their friendship.
Of course, she was no longer afraid of Jeremy, and she didn't care about what he thought of her, but she was so tired of all the
drama, and she just wanted to avoid all the trouble that being with either of them brought.
Steve was not willing to give up at all, but when he saw how determined Sherry was, he knew that he had no chance at that
moment. He told himself that it was more important to make sure she attended his birthday party.
As long as she didn't reject him directly, he was confident that he would conquer her heart, sooner or later!
"Well, since you are so determined, I won't force you, but you have to come on that day!" Steve compromised, although there
were still traces of disappointment in his voice.
And when Sherry heard this, she sighed in relief like a thorn had been plucked from her side. She was worried that Steve would
force her just like Jeremy was fond of doing, as her rejection had basically humiliated him. Thankfully, that reason was enough
for him.
"Well, let's continue to talk about the advertising plan!" said Sherry lightly, picking up a pen on the table.
She almost groaned out loud, as she said this, because she felt sick from all the durian she had eaten, and she was on the verge
of throwing up. She wanted to finish this business with Steve so that she could finally rest.
Meanwhile, Steve wanted to prolong their conversation, as he said, "There's no rush, so let's talk about it later. Why did you hang
up on me two days ago?"

The truth was that Sherry was getting annoyed. Without thinking, she simply said, "Oh, it's because the phone's battery ran out
of power."
Not to mention, Jeremy had helped her hang up the phone, but she didn't know that, and Steve surely couldn't figure that out.
"I see. I thought you did it on purpose..." muttered Steve silently, although she still heard it.
She suppressed a haughty grin, and she wondered why Steve was so interested in her. Why wouldn't he give up on her no
matter what she did?
During the meal, they didn't talk much about the project that they had, and the bulk of their time was spent talking about Steve's
upcoming birthday party.
Sherry was so uncomfortable throughout the meal because of her stomachache, although thankfully, she still managed to sit
down and have a few words with Steve. When she was about to leave, Steve was still talking endlessly, even while she barely
stopped herself from walking out on him.
She came out of the restaurant with her stomach in so much pain that she could not even wait for the car that would take her
back to the company, and she staggered to the side of the road with weak knees, as she threw up everything she ate, and it was
only thanks to the tree that she was able to stay upright.
The pungent taste of durian was so unpleasant and irritated her taste buds, and she could not help but throw up all the contents
of her stomach. She wiped her mouth with a wet tissue, but even after she had thrown up, it did not relieve the discomfort that
she felt.
The afternoon sunshine would have felt pleasant at any other time, but at that moment, she felt too nauseous to appreciate it and
exhausted from all the vomiting that she had done.
Her weakened knees trembled and buckled, depositing her on the ground, but she was too weak to get back up. Unfortunately,
there was nobody on the road to help her up, and she was too embarrassed to call anyone for help
Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded from behind her. "Sherry?"
'Who is it?' she wondered. She could see a figure a fair distance away, who seemed to be running over to her. "It's really you!"
The person said as he squatted beside her. Now that he was near enough, she could see that it was Jeffery, and he looked quite
handsome with his tight blue jeans and a white shirt.

It seemed that he didn't expect to see Sherry because he looked shocked and worried at her sick state.
Every time Jeffery saw her in the past, she always looked graceful and beautiful, so he had never seen her in such a disheveled
state as this.
"Jeffery!" Sherry cried out weakly. Her face was pale, her hair was messy, and her skin was cold and clammy. Jeffery carefully
helped her upright, although it looked like she had been drained of energy and could not even keep her head up.
"What happened to you?"
At her current state, she didn't think she could go back to the company, but thankfully she was the manager, so it would not
matter much if she skipped work for the rest of the day.
"Can you please take me home?" Sherry asked with an apologetic smiled, as she felt sorry for the trouble that she was causing.
"It's no trouble at all. Hang in there, and I'll get you home soon," he answered. He did not even hesitate and immediately carried
her on his back, and afterward, he hurriedly hailed a cab to take her home.
When they were settled inside the car, Jeffery helped her freshen up with a packet of wet wipes, which he tenderly wiped her lips
and cheeks with.
"What happened?" Jeffery asked softly.
Sherry felt weak at that moment. She knew that she shouldn't rely on Jeffery too much, but he felt so good against her, and his
wide shoulders made her feel safe. At that moment, leaning on him, she felt so much better.
"I was tricked by a big client during a lunch meeting." She smiled bitterly, as she spoke, remembering the hellish food that she
just had.
"Who? It's disgusting to trick woman!" Jeffery exclaimed angrily, and Sherry could not help but feel touched. 'So, he does care
about me,' she thought with a small smile.
"He invited me to lunch, saying that he was going to talk business with me, but he just kept flirting with me! And I hate durian the
most, but most of the things he ordered had it as the main ingredient. It was so disgusting." Sherry frowned, and a phantom pain
hit her stomach once again, as she remembered the things she was forced to eat.

Meanwhile, Jeffery felt bad to see her in pain, and he had to actively restrain himself from touching her. The pout on her face and
the sweet fragrance of her hair made it very hard.
He tried to focus on their conversation and tried to forget how near she was, how a small movement could drag her into his
arms.