Second Chance: Marrying into Wealth Chapter 114

"What? You helped Mr. Collins undress, Melinda? Wow, I thought you were a scaredy-cat, but turns out you're pretty bold." Paula's excitement made her a bit too blunt.

What kind of comparison was that? Just bringing up that night made me blush, and Paula's comment made me want to hide.

"I was so embarrassed at the time. You have no idea how much my hands were shaking while I was undressing him. The more nervous I got, the more mistakes I made. I was trying to clean up Christopher's sweaty clothes, and I almost ended up sweating myself." I couldn't help but share my feelings from that moment.

Paula, however, couldn't resist gossiping and giggled, "Were you so nervous that you touched Mr. Collins' abs? Maybe even his V-line? Are you sure you weren't doing it on purpose? I didn't know you were such a flirt, Melinda!"

"Shut up, Paula! Please, stop!" Paula's jokes were getting out of hand.

Even over the phone, my face was burning, and I wanted to crawl into a hole.

"Melinda, don't be shy. If the girls at Starlight City High knew you touched Mr. Collins' abs, they'd be so jealous. You don't know how lucky you are."

Well, Paula had a point. Thinking back to accidentally touching his abs, the memory made my face even hotter.

"Melinda, don't you think you and Mr. Collins have some kind of fate? First, he got sick, then you had to take care of him, and now you're his assistant, living so close to him. You see his handsome face every day at work. Are you really going to let this opportunity slip by?"

Paula was really pushing it.

I quickly interrupted her fantasy, "Stop with these dangerous ideas. I undressed him, and thank goodness he didn't say anything when he woke up, or it would have been so awkward. This just shows that Christopher doesn't see me that way. You said it yourself, he can have any woman he wants. Why would he be interested in me? You're just making things up."

Paula sounded a bit disappointed. "You're still so young, just in your early twenties. Even though you got married and will be divorced, you have a bright future ahead. Don't let one bad experience with Lawrence stop you from loving again. Lawrence was a jerk, but there are good men out there. From what I can see, Mr. Collins is a good man—handsome, rich, kind, responsible, and he treats you well. I can already imagine how happy I'd be if you two got together. I might even write a novel about you two. Just thinking about it is exciting."

Paula's imagination was running wild.

A drop of cold sweat ran down my forehead as I stopped her, "You've read too many novels. If you want to switch careers, go ahead. I believe you can do well in anything, but don't use me as an excuse." 

I refused to let Paula pair me with Christopher. He was rich and handsome, and I was just a woman with no family. Only Paula would think Christopher saw me differently.

I was not the naive girl I used to be. I had become more rational.

"Fine, I won't push it. Are you really planning to stay single forever? Not looking for a new relationship?" Paula asked, concerned.

I thought for a moment and sighed. "I don't know yet. Maybe after everything that's happened, I'm not ready to think about it. Right now, I just want to focus on work and find joy in life. As for the future, who knows? Maybe I'll meet someone I can trust and take a chance again. But for now, I don't have the courage. I'll take it one step at a time."

Paula didn't push further but seemed a bit sentimental. "With a guy like Christopher in front of you, how did you end up with someone like Lawrence?" Paula sounded regretful.

I smiled wryly. She was really fixated on me and Christopher.

I looked out the window at the swaying flowers, petals dancing in the wind, and my thoughts drifted back to when I first fell for Lawrence.

"You know, when we were young, we all liked a certain type of boy. White shirt, bike, short clean hair, a backpack, riding down a tree-lined street with sunlight filtering through the leaves. It was like a dream. Maybe that's why I fell for Lawrence when he pretended to be that guy."

Even though Lawrence was in prison now, the beautiful fantasy of my youth was still a cherished memory.

"Lawrence knew what you liked and pretended to be that guy. You were too naive to see through it," Paula said, indignant.

Maybe. But it didn't matter anymore. What was done was done.

"Let's not dwell on it. Life goes on. I'll live well. The future will take care of itself."

"Right, we'll look forward. Whatever you decide, I'll support you," Paula said with a smile.

After sharing with Paula, I felt much better.

That night, I slept better than ever.

The next morning, I woke up feeling full of energy. Even Christopher noticed.

After I finished my report, he called me over, "You seem to be in good spirits. Did you hear about Lawrence's trial?"

"What? The trial? When, Mr. Collins?" I looked at him, surprised and a bit anxious.

I had been waiting for this day for a long time.

Christopher saw my reaction and frowned slightly.

I was about to say something when my phone rang.

It was a notification from the court. Lawrence's trial was in a week.

Since I was close to Christopher, he could hear the call.

After I hung up, he nodded. "Don't worry too much about the case. Jason is handling it. He's the best at dealing with criminal and financial cases."

Christopher was trying to reassure me. I trusted Jason, and I appreciated Christopher's kindness.