Chapter 237: No Love for the Lovelorn
“No need to bother anyone else,” Ellis said, still refusing. Then she hopped into a taxi and left.
Morty stood alone where she had been moments before, openly following the taxi until it vanished from sight. Being a lawyer involves unique demands; it’s not always possible to take weekends off, and working overnight or through the weekend on urgent cases is not unusual. Maya, who had headed out early that morning to gather evidence in a neighboring city, suddenly received a call from Morty.
How did Morty get my contact information? Why was he reaching out to me? Even though Nexus Group had become a client of the law firm, Morty wasn’t involved in that aspect of the business. Setting aside work-related matters, Maya couldn’t think of any personal reasons Morty might have to contact her.
Upon hearing from Morty about the harrowing day his good friend had endured, Maya couldn’t focus on the evidence she had halfway gathered and rushed back to Stonebri. When she saw Ellis looking downcast, Maya gently pinched her chin.
Caught off guard by Maya’s sudden gesture, Ellis blinked. “What are you doing?”
Examining her friend’s bright and delicate face to make sure it wasn’t disfigured, Maya couldn’t help but exclaim, “Your beautiful face has really been through the wringer this year. First, Bree almost scratched it beyond recognition, and now someone has swollen it up!”
Ellis was stunned; she too felt she had been through a lot. This year was just unlucky! She couldn’t wait for the new year to shake off this bad luck and turn things around.
Letting go of Ellis’s chin, Maya sat directly across from her, interrogating like a cop. “You didn’t tell me about what happened today; Morty did. Can you tell me what’s going on with you guys?”
“Everything’s been dealt with. I was going to wait until you got back tomorrow to tell you.” Remembering the day’s events, Ellis hugged a pillow to her chest for some semblance of security.
“That Morty knew before me makes me feel like a bad friend,” Maya said, somewhat bothered that she wasn’t as informed as Morty, feeling like she ranked lower in Ellis’s heart.
“I’ve realized something.”
Ellis’s slow speech, combined with her expression, made Maya perk up immediately. She made a show of clearing her ears, signaling she was all attention.
“I think Morty likes me.” As Ellis voiced her suspicion, her toes curled on the floor.
“What?” Maya’s volume spiked. “We were talking about you getting hit; why are we suddenly on Morty liking you?”
Could it be I have misunderstood? Ellis wasn’t sure either. But after parting ways with Morty earlier that day and mulling it over, that was the conclusion she reached. Otherwise, how could I explain Morty’s odd behavior? Only by suspecting that he had feelings for her could his strange and mysterious actions make any sense.
“You’re in the mood to be narcissistic?” Maya wasn’t belittling Ellis’s narcissism; it was just that, at such a sensitive time, Ellis focusing on Morty’s supposed affection seemed oddly self-centered.
“I’m not being narcissistic, I have reasons,” Ellis insisted, counting off Morty’s actions from the day on her fingers.
After hearing everything, Maya was stunned. She had joked before about Morty sending Ellis flowers, thinking he was pursuing her. The joke turned into reality, and Maya was like a statue.
Chapter 237: No Love for the Lovelorn
Seeing Maya’s stunned look, Ellis poked her. “So, do you still think I’m being narcissistic?”
“I don’t.” Maya regained her composure.
When a man showed such diligence and concern towards a woman, claiming he was just being friendly and helpful was a lie even a kid wouldn’t believe. However, the idea of Morty falling for Ellis was so incredible it bordered on absurd.
“What does he even like about me?” Ellis rubbed her forehead, perplexed. “It’s so weird.”
“Let’s be honest, feelings aren’t easily controlled by humans!”
Noticing Ellis’s gesture, Maya knew she was troubled. Indeed, discovering that someone you dislike might have feelings for you is shocking!
Maya offered her strategy. If you don’t like him, you must keep your distance and not give him any false hope! His position is also quite awkward, being your ex-husband’s close friend. If anything were to happen between you two, the rumors would be terrible!
“I’ve been keeping my distance; it’s him who keeps coming closer…” Ellis wasn’t completely sure about Morty’s feelings, but she had made up her mind to nip any potential issues in the bud to avoid trouble. First off, she wasn’t thinking about starting a new relationship so soon after her divorce; she was focused on working and earning money. Moreover, as Maya pointed out, Morty’s position as her ex-husband’s close friend was complicated—it was like dating someone from the same social circle. Lastly, she didn’t like Morty! His double-faced personality was not what she wanted in her life.