Chapter 70 I Don't Have an Ex-Girlfriend
"What's wrong?" Arabella's voice broke through the frantic din as she rushed into Emily's room, her face etched with concern.
Seeing Emily's face contorted in pain and her scalded hand, Arabella was immediately seized with terror. "Quick, get some cold water!" she commanded urgently.
A servant swiftly brought a basin of cold water, into which Emily immersed her burn without hesitation. The commotion had drawn the rest of the family, who poured into the room one by one.
"How's Emily? Is the burn serious?" asked someone anxiously.
"Emily, does it still hurt?" another voice chimed in.
"I’ll get the family doctor now!" declared yet another.
Amid the flurry of concern, Cecilia found herself nudged to the back of the crowd. Observing silently, she concealed her suspicions about Emily's intentions.
"Are you feeling better now?" Arabella asked, her eyes filled with worry.
"Yes, much better." Emily nodded weakly, attempting to reassure her mother.
"How could you be so careless? The cocoa is so hot. You must be in terrible pain!" Arabella exclaimed, her voice a blend of scolding and heartbreak as she looked at Emily's blistered hand.
"Mom, don't blame Cecilia. She didn’t do it on purpose," Emily quickly interjected.
Her statement redirected everyone's gaze to Cecilia. It was evident that Emily’s manipulative tactics had a more refined touch—she wasn't above using herself as a pawn in her schemes, unlike someone like Juliana.
"I was too careless," Cecilia admitted, a hint of self-reproach in her voice. "Emily asked for a cup of hot cocoa. After pouring it, I realized it was too hot and placed it on her bedside table. When she reached out to me, the cup was accidentally knocked over. I should have placed it farther away."
"Exactly, it was my fault. I accidentally knocked over the cup; Cecilia didn't do anything wrong," Emily insisted, taking all the responsibility upon herself.
"But if I had positioned it better, this wouldn't have happened. It’s partly my fault too," Cecilia added swiftly.
"No, it was entirely my carelessness. Don’t worry about it; I’d feel bad if you did." Emily's eyes reddened, attempting to draw sympathy.
"Emily, calm down. The doctor advised you not to get agitated," Arabella soothed her daughter.
Grace chimed in, "Yes, Emily, don’t cry. No one is blaming either of you."
"But today, I've hbeen involved in two accidents with Cecilia. She must think I’m causing trouble. Just now, I also unintentionally mentioned Alaric’s past with Rebecca... I..." Emily's eyes gleamed with unshed tears, as if genuinely fearing she had become a burden.
Her performance seemed designed to insinuate that Cecilia harbored a personal grudge, perhaps even implying the hot cocoa incident was deliberate.
With a calm demeanor, Cecilia faced Emily's remorse with grace. "I already knew about Alaric and Rebecca’s past. As I mentioned before, it doesn’t bother me; it’s all behind us. Regarding the two mishaps, first, Pamela almost scratched me, and second, I mistakenly hurt your hand. We’re even now. You don't need to feel guilty about Pamela anymore."
Emily was left stunned, clearly not expecting Cecilia to diffuse the situation so neatly. Unable to escalate the matter without appearing vindictive, Emily’s usual ability to play the victim was thwarted. Her strategy, exploiting her own apparent frailty to gain sympathy, crumbled under Cecilia's poised response.
In that moment, Emily realized she was outmaneuvered by Cecilia’s unshakeable composure.
Emily thought of Rebecca back then, who was completely defenseless against her. A small, calculating smile formed on Emily's lips. "Alright. We're even now. I won't dwell on it anymore. Thank you," she said, her expression as innocent as an angel's.
Cecilia returned the smile, but with a touch of introspection. She mused that this household might not be somewhere she should frequent.
Not that she was intimidated. Yet, considering her marriage to Alaric was a sham, there was no point in stirring up unnecessary drama.
"I'm just relieved Emily won't obsess over it. Cecilia, you really have a knack for comforting her; you made her understand immediately, and that is so reassuring," Arabella praised sincerely.
Cecilia smiled modestly. "I just didn’t want Emily to carry any guilt. Alaric mentioned that her emotions heavily impact her health."
"Indeed." Arabella sighed. "I was worried she'd keep fretting about Pamela attacking you. Emily's always been sensitive. I’m just glad she’s finally opening up."
As she listened to the exchange between Cecilia and Arabella, Emily masked her dissatisfaction. She hadn’t anticipated that her injury would result in Cecilia receiving commendations from her mother. It was a bitter pill to swallow, though she kept her resentment hidden, already plotting her next move with subtle malice.
Soon, Emily's private doctor arrived, performing a cursory examination before treating and bandaging her burn. With Emily declared alright, the others slowly filtered out of the room.
Cecilia retreated to Alaric’s quarters. With his absence, she felt a bit at loose ends, especially after the incident with Emily. Sleep eluded her, prompting her to message Alaric.
Cecilia: [Why didn't you tell me the viper in your family is Emily?]
Alaric’s response was swift. Alaric: [You found out so soon.]
Cecilia: [I thought it was Rebecca.]
Alaric: [Do you care about her?]
Cecilia: [No.] She answered with conviction. Why should she care?
Alaric: [Rreally?] His tone seemed to be teasing.
Cecilia: [I messaged you just to confirm who the real viper is.]
Alaric: [So you were fishing for information.]
His reply was nonchalant. Cecilia couldn’t gauge Alaric’s emotions from the texts. As she contemplated ending the conversation, another message came through.
Alaric: [Rebecca is not my ex-girlfriend.]
Cecilia frowned, puzzled.
Alaric: [I don't have an ex-girlfriend.]
Cecilia thought, 'Perhaps Alaric has a peculiar interpretation of the term "ex-girlfriend."'
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