Chapter 153: Neighborly Nuisances
Ellis removed Amelia’s hands from her own and picked up the coffee and cake, casually setting them on a nearby colleague’s desk. Under her colleague’s puzzled gaze, she smiled and said, “It’s Amelia’s thoughtfulness; let’s not waste it.”
She had actually wanted to throw it straight into the trash, but considering she worked on the same floor as Amelia and they saw each other often, she reluctantly resisted the urge to snub Amelia outright.
As the boss’s personal secretary, Ellis was a notch above Amelia, who was one of many secretaries in the CEO’s office. If Ellis didn’t want the snack, pushing it onto her colleague was hardly a faux pas; no one would blame her.
Weighing her options, the colleague returned the snack, saying, “I’m not used to fancy desserts; better let Amelia enjoy her own treat.”
The snack made a full circle and ended up back with Amelia, who couldn’t help but mutter under her breath about Ellis being hard to please: nothing seemed to work.
“Alright then,” Amelia, embarrassed yet polite, smoothed her hair and took the snack back to her desk.
She appeared focused on her work, but in reality, she was busy gathering gossip and discussing the company’s recent meeting with the Nexus Group.
Ellis, just an ordinary employee, had dismissed Morty outright, refusing to add him on WhatsApp and not giving him an easy way out, even making side remarks about him being idle and petty. Amelia was itching to understand the dynamics between Ellis and Morty.
Morty was a potential ladder for her social climbing, a juicy opportunity she was eager to seize. If Ellis couldn’t be a bridge to Morty, she definitely shouldn’t become a barrier.
Facing off against Ellis, a striking beauty, Amelia felt she couldn’t compete, especially since the rich and handsome typically preferred women with strong personalities who didn’t just conform to men’s wishes, unlike her own tendency to pander to them. After all, the rich and handsome were never short of women who catered to their every whim.
On Sunday, Ellis woke up at noon and got out of bed in a second. She had two plans for the day: first, to look after Casey, and second, to have dinner and shop with Maya in the evening. She needed to get to Petal Estates early or she risked standing Maya up, which would definitely upset her.
After a quick wash and breakfast, she headed straight for Petal Estates. Whether it was bad luck or just a small world, she ran into Morty just a few feet from Casey’s place, walking his dog.
The dog, an adorable Samoyed, wagged its tail as Morty strolled leisurely. He clearly saw her too and changed his path to head her way.
“Ms. Harper!”
Could Casey consider moving to another neighborhood? Ellis really wanted to suggest he relocate. Being neighbors with Morty meant running into him every time she visited, which was always unpleasant.
Thinking back, she did seem to bump into Morty quite often. With Easton out of the picture, it seemed Morty had taken up the mantle of making her life miserable. She didn’t bother pretending she hadn’t heard him, instead showing her annoyance at acknowledging but wanting to ignore him.
She kept walking, but Morty deliberately blocked her path, making her concede, “Aren’t you childish! Got too much free time! Aren’t you embarrassed? Just by saying hello, you get me upset?” Morty picked up the dog that was pawing at him, stroking its fluffy head. “Do you have a reaction every time you see me?”
Ellis was sure Morty was insulting her. “Psychopath! I’m normal, unlike you.”
Morty stopped short of saying more, his expression clearly articulating the insults he held back. Easton was bad enough, and his… friends were no better.
Chapter 153: Neighborly Nuisances
Every encounter was a disaster! She walked past Morty without looking back.
This time, Morty didn’t follow or block her path; he stood still.
Under the sunlight, he absentmindedly petted the dog in his arms, his gaze following her until she entered Casey’s house and disappeared from sight, his eyes brimming with a smirk only then.
The feeling of being watched by someone she disliked was chilling, even under the scorching sun.
Could it be that I need to move cities to avoid being disgusted by others?
The thought crossed her mind, but she quickly shook her head. Change cities over that? If people were repulsing her, she thought of fleeing. As humans, we can only live for nearly a hundred years, and there’s a high possibility that I will face more disgusting people in the future! Constantly running away at the first sign of discomfort in a fulfilling life… The right approach is if someone disgusts me, I should just do the same thing back!