Hiding Behind Her Superficiality

Chapter 66

Chapter 66 Condemnation

As soon as Elspeth woke up, she found Callum sitting beside the bed. It seemed as if he had been waiting for a long time.

“What are you doing here?”

She recalled being on the verge of freezing to death in the chiller. How did I make it out alive?

“Were you the one who saved me?”

“You’ve just woken up, so you should take it easy. Rest up.” It was difficult to detect what he felt from his tone. He poured a glass of water and handed it to her. “The doctor said you should stay in bed for the next few days. Call me if you need anything. Don’t try to tough it out and handle everything by yourself.”

Although he sounded stern and reprimanding, he did save Elspeth, so her resistance toward him eased a fair bit. Thus, she did not argue with him and drank the water with a nod.

After a while, she could not resist asking, “So, how on earth did you find me anyway? Did you plant a bug on me?”

Callum’s expression darkened. “What do you mean I planted a bug?”

“I didn’t call you for help, so how did you know where to find me?”

“A woman called and told me you got into trouble at Luna Bar. She asked me to come and save you.”

The wheels in Elspeth’s head started spinning, and Lydia was the first person that came to mind. She must’ve figured out my identity based on the name card. Then, she got in touch with the company’s

customer service to ask for the president’s number. That’s how she managed to contact Callum. She seems pretty quick-witted!

Elspeth’s heart grew warm, and she could not help but smile faintly.

“Why are you smiling? You’re hopelessly foolish, so much so that you’d run into the chiller and allow yourself to get locked in.” There was a trace of reproach in Callum’s voice.

She rolled her eyes. “I was just doing the right thing, okay? It’s my compelling responsibility to rescue young girls from the sea of misery and help lost girls find their ways in life.”

Look at her making it sound so righteous and grand.

He felt an inexplicable sense of gladness to see her back to her usual, joking self.

Their relationship became a lot more harmonious after everything that happened today.

Later, Callum went to see Margot for a bit, so Elspeth continued resting in bed alone.

All of a sudden, someone knocked on her door. “Elspeth, you won’t be displeased that I’m here to see you, right?”

Her smile froze when she realized it was Ophelia.

“What do you want?” Elspeth was not in the mood to chat with her.

Ophelia’s eyes began to water as she took in Elspeth’s indifference. “Elspeth, I’m truly just here to visit you. Can you not be this fierce toward me?”

“It’s one thing for you to put on this facade in front of others, but there’s only the two of us now. You don’t have to keep this up in front of me.”Text © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.

However, it seemed as if Ophelia did not understand what Elspeth meant. Her head remained lowered as she said, “It’s not an act, Elspeth. I just came to see you. I truly want to get along with you, so that’s why—”

“How are you gonna explain what happened with the meal last time?”

Get along with me, huh? Is that what you meant by trying to knock me down a peg within the first three days of your return?

“About that… I didn’t know either. I was in the washroom when I suddenly remembered that Mrs. Winthrop shouldn’t be eating those foods, so that’s why I got so agitated. I wasn’t trying to blame you or criticize you for anything.”

What a perfectly logical and understandable explanation. I’m almost inclined to believe her.

Elspeth smirked. “I don’t know what you’re up to now, but remember this: don’t try to cross me again. Or else, I won’t let you go.”

Ophelia did not raise her head, but her eyes flashed viciously. Suddenly, she raised her hand and slapped herself hard. The slap was so loud and heavy that even Elspeth was startled.

“It’s all my fault. Here. I slapped myself to make it up to you. Elspeth, I came here today to make amends so that everyone thinks better of me. I’m not trying to do anything else.” She wept. “I know Callum likes you. I wouldn’t dream of trying to take him away from you.”

Elspeth could not help but laugh at her act. “What now? Are you trying to make a scene and let Callum see how much of a bully I am toward you?”

Ophelia hid her face as tears streamed down her face. It was as if she was the most pitiful person in the world.

“That’s not true, Elspeth. I’d never even thought of that.” Now that the time was right, Ophelia did not waste any more words. “I’ll leave now. Take good care of yourself.”

“Door’s that way.”

Not long after she left, Elspeth was just about to close her eyes and nap when Margot and Ophelia came marching into the room.

As soon as Margot entered, she snapped. “What’s going on, Elspeth? Did you slap Ophelia?”

Elspeth looked at Ophelia with an amused expression. “I didn’t slap her, Mrs. Winthrop. She did it herself.”

“That’s impossible. Why would Ophelia slap herself for no reason?”

Naturally, Margot did not believe Elspeth. Her heart was aching at the bright red slap mark on Ophelia’s fair face.

She promised Ophelia’s mother that she would take good care of her daughter, so she could not sit idly now that something like this happened.

“In that case, why would I slap her no good reason, Mrs. Winthrop?”

This question stumped Margot as well. She has a point.

Seeing that Elspeth was about to clear her name, Ophelia stepped in. “Mrs. Winthrop, Elspeth didn’t do anything wrong. She just doesn’t like me very much because I did something bad to her. She hasn’t forgiven me yet, so I deserve this…”

In other words, Ophelia was claiming that Elspeth was a small-minded and mean-spirited person who still had not forgiven her for the incident a while back. That was why Elspeth slapped her.

Margot’s fury swelled up again as she started condemning Elspeth. “I know what Ophelia did to you was wrong, but she’s not a bad person at heart. It’s just that she liked Callum too much. She told me she’ll let you have Callum. Can’t you see that she has already changed? Why can’t you forgive her?”

“I can’t forgive her, of course. In fact, I’ll never forgive her,” Elspeth declared without a doubt.

“I will never allow a woman like you to marry Callum!” Margot fumed. “You’re so heartless that you won’t even forgive a young girl!”

“That’s enough. If you still think I did it, then I can show you the evidence.” Elspeth pointed at the surveillance camera in the corner of the ceiling and said with a smile, “This hospital has surveillance cameras in all its rooms. If you still suspect me, why don’t you ask the hospital to let you take a look at the footage and see for yourself who did the slapping?”

That alone was enough to prove that Elspeth did not have a guilty conscience.

Therefore, Margot became confused. Does this mean it wasn’t Elspeth who slapped Ophelia?

“Ophelia…” She turned to Ophelia, who squirmed a little awkwardly.

Then, Ophelia quickly began to explain, “Mrs. Winthrop, I… Yes, I slapped myself, but I just wanted to receive Elspeth’s forgiveness…”

She lowered her head as her eyes filled with aggrieved tears that threatened to spill.