Chapter 37A Man's Heart, A Puzzle
People often said that a woman's heart was inscrutable. However, Ophelia, however, felt that it was a man's heart that was like a puzzle.
She glanced at the remaining pizza in the box and said, "Mr. Abbott, if you're not eating, may I finish it?" Waste not, want not. Before Finnegan could respond, Ophelia had already polished off the remaining food.
"Miss Sinclair, you certainly have a hearty appetite," Finnegan commented, his words carrying a subtle undertone.
On one hand, she was ambiguous with Magnus, yet claimed they were just friends. When he was in trouble, she wept bitterly. Which side of this woman was real? Her tears had seemed so genuine that he had thought...
Ophelia didn't catch his implication and candidly replied, "That's because you, Mr. Abbott, have never experienced what it's like to go hungry. Those who have would know how blessed it is to have a full meal."
As she cleaned up the food container, she continued, "Magnus and I are both orphans. The resources in the welfare institution were limited, so we entered society at a young age. We earned our own college tuition fees. I've done all sorts of grassroots jobs to save up. Construction sites paid well and settled wages daily, so Magnus and I even worked there for two months during the summer..."
A girl working on a construction site? During the hottest time of the year? Finnegan found it hard to believe. Could this seemingly delicate woman before him have really worked on a construction site? Many men couldn't withstand the hardship of such work. Could Ophelia handle steel bars or move cement?
Finnegan asked, "Don't welfare institutions receive donations? And aren't there scholarships for college?"
Ophelia smiled faintly, "Mr. Abbott, you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. How could you understand that some funds, even if you're eligible, are not necessarily accessible..."
Why was she telling Finnegan all this? It was unlikely he would understand. Ophelia changed the subject, "Mr. Abbott, you rest. I'll go dispose of the trash." The scent of pizza was strong and would leave a smell in the ward.
Finnegan was quite interested in knowing more about Ophelia's past, but seeing that she didn’t want to talk about it, he didn’t press further.
As Ophelia went out to throw away the trash, Finnegan leaned back on the hospital bed to rest.
He glanced at his clothes again. They might be cheap, but Ophelia certainly had some taste.
…
Ophelia carried the trash to the garbage can on the floor. As she was returning, she saw a familiar figure in the hallway. It was Seraphina.
Ophelia was surprised. Why was Seraphina here?
"Seraphina."
Ophelia called out, stopping Seraphina who was heading towards Finnegan's room.
After hearing Ophelia's voice, Seraphina was also taken aback. She stopped and looked at Ophelia. Then, she immediately understood that Ophelia was here with Finnegan.
Seraphina felt a surge of jealousy in her heart. Finnegan seemed to take Ophelia everywhere he went; there must be something going on between them.
"Seraphina, why are you here?" Ophelia approached Seraphina. They hadn't had any contact or seen each other for quite a while since their last argument.
Today's Seraphina looked even more extravagant than before. The clothes she wore, and the bag she carried, all seemed pricier.
Seraphina didn't dare to admit that she was here to see Finnegan. She responded to Ophelia in a sarcastic tone, "What I'm doing here doesn't have anything to do with you."
She was truly insufferable, but Ophelia chose to suppress her anger, "Seraphina, can you just tell me how I've offended you? If it's because I said something about your boyfriend that upset you, I apologize."
She didn't want to argue with Seraphina. It wasn't worth spoiling their friendship of over twenty years over a man she hadn't even met.
"No." Seraphina couldn't give a good reason, but she didn't want to reconcile with Ophelia either. However, she wanted to know what was going on between Ophelia and Finnegan, so she reluctantly said, "I was a bit hot-tempered last time; I might have said some harsh words."
Now that Seraphina's tone seemed to soften, Ophelia felt a little better, "Seraphina, we've been friends for over twenty years; I hope we can continue as we were."
Seraphina feigned ignorance, "Ophelia, why are you here?"
"I was on a business trip with my boss, and we had an accident..." Ophelia briefly explained the situation, "Mr. Abbott was a bit more seriously injured; he might need to stay in the hospital for a few days, so I won't be returning to City A for now."
Seraphina was shocked, "Why are you okay, but your boss is so seriously injured?"
After hearing this, Ophelia felt a chill in her heart, and her eyes filled with disbelief. Her old friend's reaction to her accident was to question why she was okay?!
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