Second Chance: Marrying into Wealth Chapter 328

Since that day when I ran away in a panic, my heart had been a mess.

Christopher, on the other hand, might've already figured out how I felt about him. He hadn't brought it up, but I knew him well enough to guess he had got his reasons. Christopher was the type who always had everything under control.

But it had been rough for me. I was the kind of person who overthought everything. I kept telling myself not to let my imagination go wild, but I couldn't help it.

Then I got a call from Faye.

Seeing her name on the caller ID made my heart skip a beat. The phone kept ringing, and it was clear Faye wasn't going to give up.

I reluctantly answered, "Mrs. Collins, is there something you need? I've been pretty swamped with the company's advertising projects lately, so I might not be able to..."

"Oh, come on, why so formal? Can't I just call you for no reason?" Faye pretended to be annoyed, then quickly changed her tone. "How's your hand? I was worried about you. Christopher shouldn't have made you go back to work so soon after your injury. Anyone can be a secretary; it's not like the company can't function without you."

Faye's concern seemed more like a reminder that I was replaceable and shouldn't think too highly of myself.

I pretended not to understand and replied with a smile, "Thanks for your concern, Mrs. Collins. But it wasn't Mr. Collins who made me go back to work. I felt my hand was fine, so I decided to return on my own."

Faye gave me some insincere compliments before getting to the point of her call. "Even if it's fine, you don't want it to scar. As a young woman, you should take care of yourself. I was worried about you, so I asked a friend who specializes in ointments to make a special scar cream for you. I'll give it to you after work, and we can have dinner together. It's been a while since we had a meal together."

The thought of meeting Faye in person made me uneasy. I didn't want to see her, let alone have dinner with her.

So I made an excuse, "Mrs. Collins, I don't think I can. I might have to work late..."

"Don't use work as an excuse. You need to take care of yourself. If Christopher is making you work overtime, I'll have a word with him. Besides, I didn't just invite you; Paula is coming too. She's always so gracious and agreed right away. The Ellis family raised her well. She's charming and well-liked. I liked her the moment I met her. Her family background is good too, a perfect match for Christopher. Mr. Ellis and I are considering a marriage alliance."

I was already aware of the marriage alliance. Paula had told me about it.

Faye was convinced that Christopher liked me and that I had ulterior motives. Paula, wanting to secure her inheritance, wouldn't miss the chance to marry Christopher. Faye probably thought Paula wouldn't tell me about the alliance, trying to drive a wedge between us.

But someone who lived in a world of schemes wouldn't understand the value of friendship.

She asked, "Don't you think Paula and Christopher make a great couple? As Paula's best friend, you should be happy for her, right?"

I smiled and kept playing dumb. "Mrs. Collins, you have a good eye. Paula will be very happy."

Faye's "blessing" didn't seem genuine. It was better not to have it.

Faye didn't get the response she wanted and her tone became colder. "Melinda, you're not getting any younger. The past is the past. I want to see you happy. If Paula gets married and you don't have anyone, she'll worry about you. If I find someone suitable, I'll introduce you. Don't use work or not wanting to get married as excuses to refuse me."

Her tone became more forceful. Anyone who didn't know better might think she was a kind, caring elder.

But I wasn't fooled. She was trying to drive a wedge between Paula and me while pretending to care about my happiness.

I gave a perfunctory response.

Faye could tell I was being dismissive. Although she was displeased, she was used to being in a position of power. It wasn't easy for her to lower herself to talk to me, only to be met with my attitude.

She was slightly angry and left me with, "I'll text you the address. See you later!" before hanging up.

Even though I didn't want to go, I couldn't let Paula face Faye alone. So I had to go.

Before going, I contacted Paula to confirm if Faye had invited her. Once I got the confirmation, we agreed on a time.

After work, I headed straight to the restaurant.

As soon as I walked in, I almost bumped into a well-dressed woman. I stepped aside and recognized her.

"Mrs. Collins..."

But before I could finish, she hurried past me, seemingly in a rush.

I frowned, puzzled. Weren't we supposed to have dinner together? Why was she leaving?

Just as I was wondering, Paula spotted me. I was about to look for her when she came over and patted my shoulder. "Forget about her. We're here, so let's eat."

Seeing Paula stay, I naturally followed her to our reserved table. Without Faye, dining with Paula was a delight.

Once we were seated, I asked, "What's going on with Mrs. Collins?"

I pointed in the direction Faye had left.

Paula raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her eye. I knew her well enough to sense she had something to do with it.

Paula didn't confirm my suspicion but pointed to the nearby staff who were cleaning up. I could already smell the aroma of pork chops.

"She probably tripped and knocked over a server carrying hot pork chops," Paula said with a smirk.

I could see she was enjoying this.

I gave her a thumbs up. "Good luck. How about we order some pork chops?"

Paula grinned at me. "Great idea. Waiter..."

The waiter apologized, "Miss, it was our staff's mistake. We'll bring you a new pork chop, and this meal is on the house."

Paula, curious, handed the waiter some money. "It's not your fault. I think you did a great job. This is a tip."

The waiter hesitated, but Paula insisted.

Just then, a man angrily pulled the waiter aside and yelled, "Paula, did you do that on purpose?"