Chapter 38 Reminding Herself
Before, when Ophelia had a minor cold or injury, Seraphina was always nervous and worried. But now, after nearly losing her life, Seraphina showed not even the slightest bit of concern. Her tone almost seemed to imply that she was blaming Ophelia for being well.
"Ophelia, how badly is your boss hurt?" Seraphina pressed on, "Where is he injured?"
Ophelia looked at Seraphina and countered, "Seraphina, why do you care so much about my boss?"
Caught off guard and feeling guilty, Seraphina's eyes flitted as she said, "You and your boss were in a car accident together. What if the Abbott family blames you? Of course, I need to know everything."
Was that really the case? Ophelia felt like it wasn't that simple. She was sure Seraphina was hiding something from her.
Testing the waters, Ophelia said, "My boss’ hospital room is just up ahead. Seraphina, why don't you come check on him with me?"
With Ophelia there, Seraphina wouldn’t dare.
"No need; he's your boss, and I don’t know Mr. Abbott. Why would I visit him?" Seraphina asked uncomfortably, "Ophelia, are you going to stay at the hospital tonight?"
"Yes," Ophelia answered, "I should." She couldn't just leave her superior and return to the hotel alone.
Seraphina’s jealousy surged even more. She had taken an hour-long train ride to come and take care of Finnegan, hoping to cultivate a relationship with him. How could she foster any relationship with Finnegan with Ophelia in the way?
But Seraphina was helpless; she couldn’t send Ophelia away.
Ophelia probed further, "Seraphina, you still haven't explained. How come you're in City B?"
"I... came with a friend for a trip," Seraphina made an excuse, "My friend got hurt, so I came to see him."
"A friend? Which friend?" Ophelia was curious. "Seraphina, introduce me to your friend."
"My friend is part of high society. He never associates with people outside our circle."
The implication was clear: Ophelia was from a lower rung of society; she was not worthy enough.
Ophelia’s temper, which had just cooled, threatened to flare up again. It was at this moment that she realized she and Seraphina were no longer from the same world.
Seraphina constantly made it clear, reminding her that she was not fit to even be around her.
If she kept pursuing this friendship, others might think she was trying to cling to Seraphina for some benefit.
Ophelia was angered and spoke plainly, "Seraphina, rest assured; I have no intention of clinging onto you. If you feel that I'm no longer qualified to be your friend, then let's not associate with each other anymore."
"Ophelia, that's not what I meant..." Seraphina began to explain, "It's my friend who is picky, not me."
Now wasn't the time to fall out with Ophelia, which was why Seraphina spoke as she did.
"Then go see your friend; I need to get back to the ward to take care of Mr. Abbott," Ophelia said, no longer in the mood for an extended conversation with Seraphina.
"Ophelia," Seraphina caught her arm, "do you... do you have feelings for your Mr. Abbott? I heard from Magnus that you and your boss are quite close, and now you're taking care of him. When Mr. Abbott went on a business trip, why did he only bring you? Could it be that he likes you too?"
The idea seemed preposterous to Ophelia. How could Finnegan possibly have feelings for her? And as for herself...
As Ophelia thought about the car accident, how Finnegan had tried his utmost to ensure her safety, the intimate night they shared, and the baby growing inside her... She suddenly realized that, at some point, she had developed different feelings for Finnegan.
But every time she thought about how Finnegan belonged to a different world and about his girlfriend, she knew she had to keep her feelings hidden deep inside. "Seraphina, you're overthinking it. Mr. Abbott and I have a strictly professional relationship," Ophelia stressed. "Mr. Abbott has a girlfriend."
She was also reminding herself—Finnegan had a girlfriend; he didn't like children, and the gap in their social standings was too wide.
There could never be anything more between them.
Seraphina visibly relaxed. As long as Ophelia didn't have feelings for Finnegan, that was all that mattered.
Yet, she needed to be cautious about the future, and the best way to do that was to make sure Ophelia found a boyfriend soon.
"Don't be mad at me for being nosy, Ophelia, but haven't you noticed? Magnus has always liked you," Seraphina said. "I can see how he feels about you. Haven't you realized it?"
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