Johnny’s words struck a chord deep within Ulric’s heart. Since the incident, he hadn’t received any messages from Rosalind.
“Snap out of it, Ulric. There’s someone better suited for you, someone who truly cares about you,” Johnny suggested, almost mentioning Sirena by name.
Ulric remained silent, his eyes fixed on the phone screen, unmoving for a long time.
Observing his friend’s state, Johnny sighed. “Alright, words won’t make a difference. You have to figure this out on your own! Should I help you pack your things? You still have a business trip tonight.”
“No need. I’ll drive back to Easthaven Bay myself,” Ulric replied.
“You want to go find her again?!” Johnny knew that Rosalind lived in Easthaven Bay.
“All my clothes are there,” Ulric explained.
“In that case, I’ll go get them for you.”
“No need.” Ulric’s response was resolute.
In that moment, his thoughts were clearly written on his face.
Ulric pondered, perhaps… it was all just a misunderstanding? Maybe Rosalind could provide a clear explanation.
“Ulric, listen to me this time. Don’t go back on your own! Test if she’ll actually reach out to you. You can’t keep deceiving yourself.”
“…”
…
Meanwhile, despite Malcolm’s invitation to dinner under the pretext of celebrating her new home, Rosalind remained mostly silent, frequently glancing at her phone.
It was already half-past seven, Ulric should have left for his business trip by now, right?
Had he not noticed her departure from Easthaven Bay?
Or… was this matter not important enough for the busy Mr. Walters to make a special call to discuss the termination of their agreement?
“Rosa, eat! This is really delicious,” Tilda cheerfully served food into Rosalind’s bowl, her joy evident.
“Mm,” Rosalind forced a smile, trying to conceal her distraction.
Suddenly, the phone on the table lit up, signaling an unread message.
She immediately picked it up and saw that it was from her mother:
[After the surgery, you two must have a wedding. Just registering the marriage is not enough.]
It wasn’t from Ulric.
Rosalind took a deep breath and replied:
[Got it.]
Everything would come to an end once her mother’s surgery was over.
She hadn’t planned on continuing with this charade until then.
“Do you have something on your mind? Are you waiting for someone’s call?” Tilda finally noticed.
Malcolm shot his cousin a look, silently urging her not to ask.
But Tilda disregarded the signal, feeling that her best friend was hiding something from her.
“Is it work? Or is your mom causing trouble again?”
Rosalind shook her head and smiled, “No, I was just thinking about finding a place to stay.”
“Why bother? Just stay with me! If you really want to feel better by paying rent, then pay me!”
Rosalind felt helpless. However, when it came to money, she took out a wad of cash from her bag. She had withdrawn it from a nearby bank after packing her things in the afternoon. She handed it to Malcolm across the table. “Thank you for helping me. I don’t know if this is enough for all the supplements. If it’s not, I’ll make up for it next month when I get paid.”
Tilda’s eyes widened as she looked at her cousin. “Malcolm, that’s so low! How could you ask Rosa for money for the supplements?!”
Malcolm appeared genuinely wronged. “Rosa, what are you doing? I only bought some things for your mother.”
“No, you’ve already helped me so much by playing along. I can’t let you spend money too.” Rosalind firmly placed the money on the table. “Tilda, if you still consider me a friend, make your cousin accept it. Otherwise, our friendship won’t last.”