Chapter 9 You're an Architect?

"Of course, I'll take it back!" Kathleen replied quietly. "Would you hear some advice?" Arthur looked at her with a lack of interest. When their eyes met and she noticed his unusual serious expression, Kathleen nodded automatically. "Please continue." Arthur lifted an eyebrow slightly. "If you confront your opponent this way, you'll likely be embarrassed and come back with nothing. It's wiser to be well-prepared beforehand." "But I ... " Kathleen didn't complete her thought as her phone suddenly rang. Noticing it was her closest friend Maeve on the line, she felt tears welling up and swiftly picked up the call. "Kathleen, what's going on? You've ignored my texts and calls. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Maeve's worried tone came through the receiver. Kathleen felt a rush of emotion and quickly covered her mouth with her hand. She looked up, attempting to steady her feelings, and replied, "I had my phone set to silent and didn't hear it. I'm fine." "Just from your voice, I can tell you're not fine. Where are you? I'm on my way to find you now," Maeve responded, clearly unconvinced. "I ... " Kathleen looked over at the man driving, recalling his earlier advice. After a moment of hesitation, she bit her lip and asked, "Mae, do you have a place where I can stay? I'd like to come over for a few days." "You silly girl, I always have a spot for you! Just tell me where you are, and I'll come get you." Kathleen caught the hint of tears in Maeve's voice and smiled through her reddened eyes. "Don't bother coming. I'll be at your house shortly." "Alright, I'll be waiting for you at home." After ending the call, Kathleen took a deep breath. She unabashedly said to Arthur, "You were right. I can't just walk away like this. Um, if you're not too busy, could you give me a ride to my friend's place? It's only about three miles from here. But since it's rush hour, there might be some traffic. Maybe you could just drop me off on the side of the road, I ... " "Open the navigation," Arthur cut her off. "Oh!" Kathleen grabbed her phone, then set it back down and pointed ahead. "No need for navigation. Just take a right at the next intersection and go straight. You'll see that crescent-shaped building. That's the apartment complex." "Crescent Bay?" Arthur asked, intrigued. "Exactly! It's not far from here." "It's the first residential complex in the country designed to resemble an office building," Arthur said casually. Kathleen muttered softly, "Is it not pretty? Who said residential buildings can't have unique designs? It's so boring to have everything be square and blocky." Arthur let out a soft laugh. "You still have the mood to debate, huh? That's not bad." "It's because I'm ... one of the designers," she replied. The man's expression shifted slightly as he looked at her in surprise. "You're an architect?" "Yes, but I designed that building back in high school." After Kathleen said this, a trace of sadness crossed her face. Her childhood aspiration had been to become a remarkable architect, carefully sketching the pavilions and towers she adored in her dreams and then witnessing them come to life. She had once confidently declared to her parents after winning several design awards, "By the time I turn 25, your daughter will be a prominent architect in the world!" Now, just about to turn 24, her family was in ruins, and her dreams were slipping away because of a broken marriage. "Is your designer named Jane?" The man suddenly inquired, interrupting Kathleen's train of thought. She was taken aback. "How did you know?" Arthur answered earnestly, "You mentioned it last night in bed." "That's impossible! I never share my designer name with anyone," Kathleen replied without hesitation. Her designer name was only used during design competitions. Arthur shrugged. "Last night, you mentioned not wanting to disclose your real name for safety, but now that you're sober, you won't admit it?" Kathleen was speechless. It was likely. After all, last night had been the first time she felt so bold and uninhibited, yet she still had some clarity in that critical moment. At Crescent Bay. As she observed Kathleen devouring a plate of spaghetti with her head down, Maeve scolded with her red eyes, "You silly girl, haven't you eaten anything all day?" "It's been three days ... " Kathleen set her cutlery down, managed a smile for her best friend, and replied, "No, I drank a lot of alcohol last night, so that counts as eating." Maeve handed her a tissue. "Kathleen, I'm sorry. I've been putting in extra hours at work lately and wasn't there for you when you needed me the most." If it hadn't been for the news about the Howell Builders' incident, she wouldn't have realized that her best friend's family had fallen apart. Kathleen pouted and leaned in. "I'll forgive you because of this spaghetti." "You silly girl!" Maeve wiped her mouth and asked, "What are your plans now? Your aunt and that couple are just awful!" Kathleen gently held her best friend's face and said, "It's alright, Dear. I'm not sad anymore."