Chapter 42 A Blind Date

"I only found out about this today. I'm really sorry," the middle-aged woman apologized sincerely.

Ashley and Ellie were displeased with the result, but they had no intention of putting her in an awkward position. After all, the woman was nice to them.

"It's okay. Now that you are going to sign a contract with someone else, we're fine with that," Ellie replied.

"I'm really sorry for wasting your time," the woman continued apologizing, with guilt written all over her face.

Ashley and Ellie bid her farewell and walked out. There was no point in crying over spilled milk.

...

They had come there to sign the contract in good spirits, but neither of them expected this to happen.

"It's so annoying! We have to go somewhere else now to rent a shop. What's going on? We agreed to sign the contract," Ashley whined in frustration as they left the shop.

"Things change, you know. Never mind. We'll find a good place," Ellie comforted. But there was a tinge of displeasure in her voice.

The two girls perked up again and started to look around for another suitable shop to rent.

For some reason, they were having a really hard time finding a suitable shop to rent. Even though they had found a few perfect shops, each time they were about to sign the contract, something would happen and the owners would suddenly back out of the deal.

The owners of the shops would have a different reason for doing so.

One of them said that they suddenly realized that the shop had already been reserved and that she had received the deposit for it.

Another said, that he changed his mind and didn't want to lease his shop anymore.

And one even said that he didn't have time to sign the contract since he was going to his hometown because his wife was due to have a baby.

...

Ashley and Ellie got an array of different excuses and reasons but the end result was always the same.

They had settled everything, but when it came to signing the contract, something would always crop up and the owner would give them a reason why they couldn't sign it.

After so many refusals and reasons as to why the owners couldn't or wouldn't sign the contracts to lease their shops out to the two girls, Ashley and Ellie were beginnin

them and do whatever they ask of me? She is being ridiculous.'

Ashley put her phone on speaker, put it on the tea table and settled herself on the couch.

'She has repeated those same words to me over and over again for so many years, ever since I lived with the Mu family. Isn't she tired of the same old cliche? I have already memorized those words, ' she sighed inside.

Ashley let Peggy rattle on without cutting in. When she had finally finished with her lecturing, she rudely hung up the phone. But not before reminding Ashley to be on the date tomorrow.

Ashley lay on the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Since Ellie was with Ashley, she had heard their conversation. With her mouth agape in shock, she asked in disbelief, "They even arranged a date for you? Are they afraid that you and Raymond would get back together?"

Ashley nodded, "I guess so. Otherwise, they wouldn't have arranged the date at this point."

"They are so mean to you. Lena stole your boyfriend and now they want to marry you off to some man," Ellie commented with an indignant look on her face.

"It doesn't matter. It's a win-win. After the date, I will have nothing more to do with the Mu family. No matter what happens to them, it is none of my business," Ashley replied casually. Ashley didn't think it was a bad thing. As long as she went on the date, she could get rid of her foster family. But what made her foster parents think that she would fall for the guy she was going to meet? she wondered.