my return will be your downfall

NEW JOB

He had been considering returning for some time

Now, with three hours available, he saw an opportunity.

He could earn extra money toward Vanessa's handbag without sacrificing his main salary.

However, he knew the risk.

Harrison had explicitly instructed him to remain available.

If his employer called and discovered that he was somewhere else, Adrian could lose his job.

And losing his job would leave him further away from the very thing he was trying to achieve.

Adrian rubbed his palms against his trousers.

He needed to calculate everything carefully.

He couldn't simply leave and hope for the best.

He had to make sure he could return before Harrison needed him.

After a few minutes of consideration, he made his decision.

He would go to the construction site, work for a limited period, and return well before the meeting ended.

He would leave himself enough time for the journey, even if traffic became difficult.

He checked his phone once more, confirmed that the battery was sufficiently charged, and placed it in his pocket.

Then he started the engine.

---

The construction site was already busy when Adrian arrived.

Workers moved between piles of sand, cement bags, wooden planks, and stacks of concrete blocks. The sound of hammering mixed with the rumble of a cement mixer.

Several labourers were carrying materials toward the unfinished building, while others worked on different sections of the structure.

Adrian parked in the designated area and approached the site supervisor.

The older man recognised him.

"Adrian? It's been a while."

"Good morning, sir."

"What brings you here today?"

"I came to ask whether you have any work available. I have a few hours, and I'd like to earn something before leaving."

The supervisor looked at him from head to toe.

"Just a few hours?"

"Yes, sir."

The man folded his arms.

"I don't want you starting a job and abandoning it halfway through. If I assign something to you, you must finish the agreed task before you leave."

Adrian nodded.

"I understand. You can give me something I can complete within the time I have."

The supervisor considered him briefly.

"All right. We need help moving materials and clearing an area near the back. I'll pay you according to the work you complete, as long as you finish the section I assign to you."

"Thank you, sir."

"And don't start complaining halfway through."

"I won't, sir."

The supervisor pointed toward a group of workers.

"Go and change. Then report to the foreman."

Adrian quickly changed into suitable work clothes he kept in a small bag in the car. He secured his personal belongings, checked the time, and joined the other labourers.

He had arrived at 10:36 a.m.

That meant he had approximately forty minutes to reach the site, complete a reasonable amount of work, collect his payment, clean himself up, and return before Harrison's meeting ended.

He couldn't afford to use the entire three hours.

In fact, he planned to leave the construction site by 1:00 p.m. at the latest.

That would give him roughly an hour to return, account for traffic, and prepare for Harrison's instructions.

It was a tight schedule, but he believed he could manage it.

The foreman assigned him to help move bags of cement and clear loose materials from a section of the site.

Adrian immediately got to work.

He lifted what he could safely manage, transported the materials to the designated area, and followed the foreman's instructions.

Within minutes, sweat began to form on his forehead.

The morning's driving had already occupied several hours of his day, and the physical work quickly reminded him that he was using muscles that rarely received this kind of exercise.

Still, he didn't stop.

Every time he felt the urge to rest longer than necessary, he remembered the handbag.

He pictured Vanessa standing beside her friends, watching them display their expensive possessions.

With her beautiful smile which always makes his heart melt.

He remembered how she had complained that she was the only one without the designer bag she wanted.

He had not liked the way she spoke to him that evening, but he couldn't deny that her disappointment had affected him.

He wanted to make her happy.

He wanted her to look at him and feel proud rather than embarrassed.

And he wanted to prove that he could provide more for her if he worked hard enough.

So he continued.

A labourer beside him glanced at his wristwatch.

"You're working as if somebody is chasing you," the man remarked.

Adrian gave a tired smile.

"I have somewhere important to be."

"Then don't let the work injure you. No amount of money is worth getting hurt."