Chapter 14: Be a Good Husband

Winford noticed Ophelia’s look. He wasn’t a thoughtful person. However, he didn’t want Ophelia to be down again, so he didn’t agree.

“Pick something else,” he said.

Ophelia was relieved and smiled. Elva felt bitter and wanted to argue. But seeing Winford’s look, she paused and then said, “I don’t have anything else on my mind yet.” She bit her lip and lowered her head, too fearful to say more.

Winford responded, “Then tell me when you decide.”

“OK… I’ll go back to work now.” Elva turned to leave.

But Winford said, “Stop.” Elva felt nervous, her heart skipping a beat.

Right then, Bertha came over to plead for Elva. “Mr. Pruitt, I spoiled Elva, so she didn’t behave. Please forgive her.”

Winford looked up and said calmly, “Bertha, you are her mother. Since you know she doesn’t behave, then teach her. I want her to know how to speak to my wife in the future and not to do anything like that again.”

Bertha’s expression changed. She knew he was warning her.

If it were before, he would show her some respect. But today, he warned her in front of so many other servants. Clearly, he was angry.

Thus, Bertha said with her head down, “Yes, Mr. Pruitt. I’ll teach Elva what to do.”

Winford nodded. “Go back to work.” Bertha took Elva away immediately.

Winford glanced at the bunch of flowers and held out his hand. Graham understood what he meant and got it over. The flowers were beautiful, as red as romantic roses.

Before Ophelia regained her senses, the bunch of flowers were handed to her. She looked down in a fog. She didn’t take it, so Winford was puzzled. “Don’t you like it?”

Ophelia’s heart fluttered. “I like it!” She held the flowers in her arms carefully and stroked the delicate petals with her fair-skinned fingers. The longer she looked at them, the better she liked them.

Winford looked at her cheeks, which were more beautiful than the flowers. “Are you happy now?”

“What?” Ophelia looked at him in confusion.

Graham said, “Mr. Pruitt noticed you were unhappy in the morning, so he prepared the flowers.”

Ophelia didn’t expect Winford to be so thoughtful, so she was struck dumb. She was moved and wondered how much he did for her secretly in her previous life.

Getting no response, Winford frowned for a split second. “If…”

With a scent going his way, Ophelia hugged him and interrupted, “I’m over the moon! Thank you, sweetie!” He was startled, but he didn’t push her away.

Ophelia got shy, so she rose soon and said with a blush, “I’ll go and put the flowers away.” Then, she ran upstairs.

Elva had just finished her conversation with Bertha and was on her way back to her room. Seeing Ophelia run by with the flowers, Elva gnashed her teeth.

Jenny mentioned Elva in a group chat, “@Elva, when can I get the flower? I look forward to it! (expectant face.jpg)”

Annoyance showed in Elva’s eyes, and her fingers danced on the screen of her phone. “I’m sorry. An incident happened, so I can’t give it to you. (crying.jpg)”

After Ophelia put the flowers in her room, she went downstairs again and was surprised to see Winford still there. She paused before moving over and sitting on the armchair beside him. That was the place closest to him.

“Did you put the flowers in your room?” he asked.

“Yes,” Ophelia nodded. Then, she continued with a worried frown, “Will they wither soon? Do you think I need to put them in a big vase with water in it? Then they can wither slower.”

She was thinking seriously, which meant she liked the flowers a lot. Thus, Winford’s face softened.

“Why weren’t you happy in the morning?” he asked.

Ophelia glanced at him despite herself before pouting and mumbling something.

“What?” Winford didn’t hear it.

Ophelia looked up and raised her voice, huffing, “I said why you let Elva change the dressing for you last night?” She puffed out her cheeks. “You are married. How could you let another woman do that for you? Be a good husband.”

Graham was drinking water quietly. Hearing that, he choked and coughed. Ophelia and Winford turned to him in unison. Then, Winford’s eyes narrowed.

Graham was afraid, so he put down the water and picked up the file bag beside him, saying with a serious face, “Mr. Pruitt, I’ll go and put these files back in your study.” Then, he left quickly, in case Winford got angry with him.

Winford took his eyes off Graham while surprise and some other subtle feelings spread in his heart.

“That’s why you were unhappy?”

“Isn’t that enough?” Ophelia asked in an injured tone, her attractive eyes dulling. “Or do you not see me as your wife because we haven’t registered our marriage?”

Winford didn’t expect her to say that. “I don’t think that way.” Winford was a decisive man. But now, he wasn’t sure what to do or say.

Watching Ophelia’s sad face, Winford could only say, “I didn’t ask her to change the dressing for me. Alfred does that for me every time. He had to leave early last night, so I told him to get a servant over. Who told you I had asked for Elva?”

“Really?” Ophelia looked up suddenly, her eyes sparkling again.

“Yes,” Winford said and didn’t notice how gentle his voice was.

Ophelia cracked a smile and held his arm, asking in a flirtatious tone, “Then when will we go and register our marriage?” She tried to conceal the shyness in her tone but failed.

Winford paused before responding calmly, “When my leg injury heals.”

Not long after, she ran upstairs at a brisk pace to put the flowers in a big vase. Winford watched her fabulous figure, his eyes glazing over. Thinking of his body, he clenched the armrest and knitted his brows. Then, he closed his eyes in low spirits and wondered, “Register our marriage? I’m dying. I can’t waste her life.”