Chapter 241: Unwelcome Advances and Icy Dismissals
Approaching the girl, Morty picked up Maya, gently stroking its head as he raised an eyebrow and said, “Good evening!” He motioned for the girl to pat Maya. Maya looked at her with hopeful eyes, and not wanting to disappoint it, Ellis patted it a few times while never taking her gaze off Morty. Although he acted as if every encounter with her were fatefully arranged, she had seen through that trick many times before.
Ellis thought to herself: Before I became Easton’s wife, before we had even been intimate, whenever I longed to see Easton but couldn’t arrange a meeting, I would contrive chance encounters by appearing where he was bound to go. Now, witnessing Morty’s deliberate act, she couldn’t help but wonder if all the contrived efforts I’d made in the past were so clumsy that Easton could effortlessly see through my true feelings. In that instant, a wave of discomfort washed over her.
“Busy,” she said curtly before quickly striding into Casey’s house. Her cold, distant back spoke volumes, an unspoken refusal.
Ellis thought to herself: People are always double-standard. When I had fallen for Easton and exhausted every effort to win his love, I never felt wrong for doing so, even if it meant bothering him. Yet when a man I didn’t like behaved the same way, it drove me mad.
Her attitude hadn’t shifted overnight; not long ago, she’d been indifferent toward Morty, and he had taken it well. As the saying goes, a meal is eaten one bite at a time; some things have no shortcut and must be taken slowly.
After finishing her business at Casey’s, Ellis left just as deep night fell. On that cool autumn evening, dressed too lightly, she couldn’t help but shiver. Suddenly, as if sensing the chill in her bones, Morty, like an unnoticed worm, crept up and handed her a brand-new coat, even adding, “No one’s worn this yet, perhaps worried she might think it unclean.”
Faced with his kindness, Ellis felt no embarrassment nor the flutter of a girl’s heart, only annoyance. Yes, sheer annoyance.
Ellis thought to herself: I had made my feelings so clear that Morty had no reason to miss the fact that I disliked him. And I was equally aware that I couldn’t just reject him outright. After all, he hadn’t confessed his love; if I suddenly said no, it would come off as neurotic and self-indulgent. What would I even say if he then smugly claimed he never liked me? My pride would be shattered!
“Thank you,” she replied coolly, refusing to accept the coat. “I don’t like clothes like these.”
“Should I have my driver take you to the gate? Save you the effort of walking, you look tired,” Morty offered, casually retracting the coat without a trace of awkwardness.
In the past, not knowing of his affection, she could have enjoyed the convenience of his driver. Now, however, she refused to give him even the slightest hope, determined to keep her distance.
“No thanks, I’ll have Casey’s driver pick me up.” With that, Ellis hurried back inside Casey’s house and shut the door, cutting off Morty completely.
In truth, Casey rarely left his home and didn’t really need a driver; Lois had never arranged one for him. She had only claimed the excuse to avoid Morty. Noticing her lingering presence, Casey hurried about and asked, “Aren’t you leaving?”
Sitting on the sofa, Ellis replied in a serious tone, “There’s something undesirable outside; I’ll leave once it’s gone.”
Casey frowned.
Seeing his puzzled look, Ellis sighed and added, “Kids just don’t understand adult matters. Stop asking.”
Already considering himself an adult, Casey retorted irritably, “I’m twenty, only four years younger than you! Who’s the kid here? You’re even less mature than I am!”
“Being mature isn’t just about age,” Ellis countered, confident despite knowing her own temper and impulsiveness.
“Then what exactly is out there? Could it be… your man has arrived? Are you treating my home as a playground for flirtation?” Casey mused, having forgotten the name of her husband; he only recalled an awkward incident when someone had shown up unannounced.
Pressing her red lips, Ellis enunciated clearly, “I have no man! I’m not flirting with any man, I’m single!”
“Then what’s that undesirable presence?” Casey’s curiosity peaked as he pulled up the security footage. All he saw was darkness, nothing at all. He looked at her in bemusement and half-jokingly asked, “Could it be that you ran into a ghost tonight? That some unseen filth has clung to you!”