Delayed Passion: Miss Lynch's Unrequited Love-Chapter 25: White Swan

Due to illness, overnight, Thea Lynch changed completely.

The little princess of The Coronet Circle, feared by all, was gone forever. She was like a broken doll, her eyes hollow, with not a trace of her former pride.

Aaron Lynch’s job transfer was too sudden, and Aunt had her own work responsibilities. After discussing with Uncle, they decided to bring Thea Lynch to Westmere. Thea’s maternal grandparents were in good health and both were doctors, capable of taking good care of her.

On her first day at Westmere High School, Thea Lynch became the center of attention throughout the high school department.

During breaks, many people rushed over to the window to catch a glimpse of her. But she didn’t acknowledge anyone, her gaze never settling on anyone, like a noble and aloof white swan.

Initially, everyone thought she was just a cold and beautiful person who didn’t like speaking. Later, they noticed that all the teachers were extra attentive to Thea Lynch, never calling on her to answer questions. Someone began to spread rumors, claiming Thea Lynch was mute.

A curious boy, trying to get her attention and verify this, once pulled her hair from behind in the corridor during a break.

It was then that everyone discovered the hearing aid hidden under her long hair.

Afterwards, everyone referred to Thea Lynch as the deaf-mute girl. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Even though they knew she had a defect, it couldn’t conceal her dazzling aura. No matter if she was just sitting quietly in a corner, the number of people coming to see her during breaks only increased.

Back then, boys would secretly give her love letters and small gifts, stirring jealousy among many girls. One boy in particular was very persistent, being rejected time and time again, but he never gave up.

Eventually, Thea Lynch was fed up with the disturbances and publicly threw down the gifts the boy had given her. Humiliated, the boy retaliated in kind on the way home from school, in front of everyone.

The boy removed her hearing aid and threw it into the trash can.

Soon after, the boy transferred schools. Where he went or why, Thea Lynch didn’t know at the time.

But now... Thea looked coldly at the man at the door, now she knew.

——

The HR glanced at the new employee they recruited, "Do you know Foreman Lynch?"

The man’s face turned awkward, clearly recalling the unpleasant encounter with Thea Lynch.

He didn’t know how to respond and could only nervously look at Thea Lynch not far away.

Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment before slowly moving away.

The man let out a discreet sigh of relief.

Thea Lynch asked HR expressionlessly, "Is this my new assistant?"

"Ah, yes, yes, yes." HR nodded and nudged the dazed man beside them, "Get moving and say hello to Foreman Lynch."

"Don’t be fooled by the fact that Foreman Lynch is as young as you. She’s a top overseas graduate. You’ll learn a lot from her, so make sure to cherish the opportunity!"

After HR’s words, the man was not pleased but rather more nervous. With HR’s urging, he tried to greet Thea Lynch, "Foreman..."

But she didn’t give him a chance to introduce himself, turning instead to HR, "I don’t have much going on right now, take him for a tour elsewhere."

"Alright, alright, you take care." HR quickly led the newcomer away.

The office door opened and closed again, and the atmosphere inexplicably grew even more somber than before.

Foreman Chandler and the others exchanged glances, unaware of what went wrong.

They were all straightforward engineering types and didn’t bother thinking too much about it, quickly resuming their discussion with Foreman Lynch about whether or not to have lunch at the cafeteria.

——

In the afternoon, Thea Lynch was the only one in the office.

Foreman Chandler and the others went to play in the gym downstairs. Feeling a bit tired, she returned after lunch.

Noticing a figure hovering by the door, Thea adjusted her reclined chair to sit up straight and called out to the door, "Come in if you have something to say."

Her voice was never loud, sounding rather flat. But the half-open door still allowed the figure outside to hear.

After a long pause, the door was carefully pushed open and then gently closed.

"Thea Lynch." The man inside smiled fawningly at her, "Long time no see, do you still remember me?"

He took a few more steps, standing before Thea Lynch’s desk. "I am..."

Thea glanced up at him, "Do we know each other?"

The man mumbled, "No, no we don’t."

"Are you here for something?"

Uncertain if she remembered him, the man decided to abandon his purpose, "This is my resume, HR asked me to show it to you."

Thea motioned with her chin for him to place it on the desk, "Leave it there."

The man awkwardly retrieved his hand and placed the resume down.

"So, Foreman Lynch, is there anything I need to work on this afternoon?"

"Of course." Thea Lynch: "Bring me a cup of coffee at 2 o’clock."

The man’s mouth twitched, holding back his temper as he asked, "What kind of coffee does Foreman Lynch like?"

Thea stared at him, her eyes cold, "Didn’t your predecessor pass everything over to you? Didn’t they tell you?"

"..."

In just a second, she withdrew her gaze, her tone detached, "If there’s nothing else, I need to rest. Remember to close the door on your way out."

——

"Foreman Lynch, is this the resume of that newcomer?" Foreman Chandler noticed the document on her desk as soon as he returned.

"Mm."

Foreman Chandler casually flipped through it, "Oh, a master’s degree from University of Meritide! How impressive this resume is."

Others glanced at it too, "Everything’s so competitive these days. A few years ago, our qualifications might only have landed us on the streets asking for handouts."

Foreman Chandler swiveled in his chair, "You guys needed ambition! A person should have goals."

Thea Lynch: "Like?" "Like me, if I couldn’t survive on this job, I’d definitely be the greatest foreman ever!"

Everyone couldn’t help but laugh, and even Thea Lynch was amused by Foreman Chandler’s words.

"Hey, Foreman Lynch, what would you have done if you weren’t in this industry?"

"Come on, do you think Foreman Lynch is like you? She’s an MIT Ph.D., companies line up to hire her."

"I never considered that question." Thea Lynch was steadfast in her single-minded pursuit of her goal.

"You can think about it now, it’s just a hypothetical." Thea twirled a pen in her hand, leaning her chin on one hand, "There’s no such hypothetical. If there’s no suitable job, I’d likely start my own company and continue chip research."

Everyone: "..." Is this the difference between people?

That evening, Thea Lynch had to visit her grandfather at the institute, so she left work early. It was only 5 PM by the time she arrived at the institute.

As soon as she entered, she heard Norbert Rhodes and Aunt laughing and chatting inside.

Almost instantly, Thea Lynch withdrew the foot she had stepped in with, turning to leave.

[Author’s Note: In competition now, please remember to vote if you’re passing by]