“Andre, what brings you here?” Clara asked with some surprise. She never told Andre the address of Helena’s house, so she didn’t know how he managed to get here.
“Oh, Andre, there you are!” Hearing the voice at the door, Laura wheeled herself out. Her eyes were shining with excitement when she saw Andre.
“Clara, I invited Andre to join us in the meal, but he was late,” Laura said and looked at Andre. “What a shame! We’ve just finished the meal. I told you to be early!”
Laura was very hospitable. However, Andre coldly stared at her without speaking.
After checking Laura out, Andre worriedly turned to Clara, afraid that something went wrong with her.
“What’s wrong, Andre? Why are you looking at me like that?” Clara asked in confusion.
“Nothing.” Seeing that Clara was all right, Andre heaved a sigh of relief. “Have you finished? Let me give you a ride home?”
Thinking of the appointment with Horace, Clara waved her hand and said, “No, I’ll go back myself later. Do you want to come in for some coffee?”
“Clara, why not say yes? Andre can drive you home.” Before Andre could say anything, Laura said, “It’s dangerous to go back alone at this time. What if you have an accident?”
With that, Laura wheeled herself back and fetched the handbag for Clara. “Clara, I will take good care of Clara. Just go home with Andre”
Laura was very passionate, but Clara did not think much of it. After all, Laura was eager to set Clara up with any man but Horace.
Tired of talking with Laura, Clara took her handbag, turned to Andre, and said, “Please wait a moment. I need your lift home.”
Andre nodded. Clara turned to the kitchen, wanting to bid farewell to Helena. After all, Clara didn’t intend to visit Helena anymore.
Standing at the kitchen door and looking at Helena, who was brushing the bowl, Clara hesitated for a long time before saying, “Mom, a friend of mine is picking me up. I got to go.”
Helena turned her head, wiped her hands on her apron, and walked toward Clara with a worried look, as if she wanted to say something.
“What’s wrong?” Helena’s expression reminded Clara of the way Andre looked at herself. She wondered why both of them were a little strange.
“Nothing.” Helena opened her mouth and finally said so. She added, “Get home safe.”
Clara had an intuition that Helena was keeping something from her. However, now that Helena didn’t want to talk about it, Clara didn’t take it seriously. “Take care of yourself. I get to go.”
Clara said in a constricted voice. She went forward and couldn’t help giving Helena a big hug.
“Goodbye, Mom.”
After Clara got into the kitchen, Laura gave a meaningful smile to Andre who was standing at the door.
“Why did you tell me to come over?” Laura’s evil smile gave Andre a bad feeling, so his tone turned stern.
Disdainfully turning around, Laura wheeled herself towards the living room. “I want you to pick up Clara. You told me you liked her, so, as your friend, I offer you such a good chance to get close to her.”
Andre’s eyes became even warier. He didn’t think Laura was so considerate! Andre took two steps forward. He was about to get the answer when Clara walked out of the kitchen.
“Andre, let’s go,” Clara said directly to Andre, not noticing the strange look on his face.
With a warning glance at Laura, Andre followed Clara without saying anything.
After Clara and Andre left, Laura gave a triumphant smile. “Andre, I do offer you a rare chance.”
After getting into Andre’s car, Clara was afraid that Horace would come later, so she sent him a text message that she would wait for him at the Hutchinson’s.
“Andre, did Laura ask you to come for dinner tonight?” Finishing the text message, Clara turned to look at Andre curiously and asked. She felt very strange about Andre’s arrival.
“Yes.” Andre nodded. “She sent me an address, saying that she was having dinner with you and asked me to come over. But as you know, I have fallen out with her. I did not want to come, but I was afraid that she would plot against you.”
After saying that, Andre looked at Clara worriedly, “Are you all right? Did she do anything to you?”
Hearing this, Clara felt alarmed. Nonetheless, on second thought, she didn’t find anything wrong with what happened today.
“I’m fine. Laura didn’t do anything strange today. She probably just wants to set you and me up.” Clara guessed.
“Whatever her purpose is, it’s good that you’re okay.” Hearing what Clara said, Andre felt a little relieved.
Gratefully glancing at Andre, Clara felt a little sorry for him. However Andre loved her, she didn’t feel the same way.
“Andre, thank you!” Clara said in a serious tone, “Thank you for all you did for me, but I…”
“At least we’re still friends, aren’t we?” Knowing what Clara wanted to say, Andre interrupted her and asked with a smile, “Clara, don’t tell me we are not friends anymore.”
“No!” Clara hurriedly denied it. “It’s my honor to have you as my friend.”
“Then you don’t have to say anything else. I know what you mean.” Andre gave a bitter smile. He knew that Clara didn’t like him.
Embarrassed, Clara did not know what to say now. Silence descended over inside the car.
After a short while, Clara suddenly felt it was a little hot inside her with a dry mouth. At first, she didn’t take it seriously, thinking it was because of the high temperature in the car.
Nevertheless, as time passed, she felt hotter and hotter, as if something was burning in her body.
Clara swallowed with a frown, wondering what was going on. Clara guessed she had gotten a fever from a fever due to the hard work these days.