Fletcher, Davina, and Daphne.
Chapter 38: Loved by Everyone
Running into Davina didn’t surprise me.
But I didn’t expect Fletcher and Daphne to be standing beside her.
From my memory, Fletcher wasn’t fond of shopping, let alone trailing behind two women, holding shopping bags with a docile expression like he was now.
It was sudden, yet somehow made sense.
Since we had already crossed paths, out of politeness, I couldn’t avoid greeting the three of them, though I wasn’t particularly eager to do so.
Daphne glanced at Winston and Miles, who were standing beside me, and with a
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knowing look, said, “So when you said you had plans, it’s with Professor Fleming, huh?”
Her tone carried a hint of displeasure.
That was when I remembered the phone call she had made to me the night before. It seemed she had misunderstood.
Before I could explain, Davina’s sweet voice chimed in, “Daphne, look, Charlene’s wearing her new coat. It makes her look even more graceful and elegant.”
With a single sentence, all eyes were drawn
to me.
I was about to mention that I had been trying on clothes, but Fletcher, standing opposite me, suddenly spoke, “Do you like this one?”
He was asking for Davina’s opinion.
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Davina’s big, watery eyes lingered on me, then she said, “I just think this vintage, old–money style is really charming. It’s simple, understated, and comfortable. Quite rare, actually!”
Fletcher gave me a brief glance, then his gaze returned to Davina’s face, and he gently said, “Then try it on.”
No sooner had he spoken than the enthusiastic sales assistant’s face suddenly turned awkward. “I’m sorry, sir, but this coat is our store’s signature item, and we only have one in stock.”
When Davina heard this, she lowered her eyelids and muttered, “Never mind, Letch. I wasn’t that fond of it, anyway.”
She was considerate.
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Perhaps it was her kindness that moved Fletcher. He stubbornly asked the sales assistant, “Has it already been paid for?”
His question was direct and domineering, and I could hear the unspoken meaning behind it.
Yes, if I wasn’t mistaken, Fletcher, who spoiled Davina, was trying to secure the right to buy this coat from the sales assistant.
I was left speechless.
I hadn’t expected Fletcher to behave so gracelessly.
The sales assistant, who clearly had sharp judgment, glanced at the expensive fabric of Fletcher’s suit, then at the modest attire of
our group, and tentatively asked me, “Miss,
what do you think?”
She cleverly passed the decision onto me.
“Wrap it up,” Winston suddenly spoke up, his tone unusually firm with a hint of displeasure. “Sorry, Letch, but we’ll be taking this coat.”
His tone was more assertive than usual.
I understood. No one wanted the coat they had carefully chosen for their mother to be snatched away by someone else.
There had to be a sense of order in everything.
But it seemed Fletcher was determined to win Davina’s favor. He stepped forward and said to the sales assistant, “Why don’t you give Manager Lee a call?”
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Given Daphne’s love for shopping, she should have been a VIP customer by any measure. Add to that Fletcher’s reputation in Myslana over the past two years, and securing this coat was almost a foregone conclusion.
But did he really have to go this far?
Winston frowned at the sound of Fletcher’s words. “Letch, a gentleman doesn’t take what others desire.”
Winston still tried to reason with Fletcher, who was clearly lost in his infatuation.
Fletcher sneered. “Professor Fleming, an item that hasn’t been paid for isn’t yours, is it?”
As expected from someone with a
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background in economics–he had a way with twisting logic for everything.
Miles, who had been silent until now, could no longer stand it. He angrily said, “Are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for us?”
His words were sharp and delivered fluidly. His fists were clenched, and the glare he shot Fletcher was full of intensity.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense.
Davina, sensing the change, looked at me with a guilty expression. “Sorry, Charlene, we didn’t mean to take something you wanted. Letch just wanted me to try it on. If you really like it, I… I won’t try it.”
She lowered her head, and I noticed her eyes were red.
As for Daphne, she had remained quietly standing to the side, not saying a word.
A dull pain throbbed in my ankle, and I frowned, turning to Winston. “The waist on this one is a bit tight, the comfort could use some improvement.”
I was speaking the truth, but I also meant it as a compromise.
Winston paused for a moment, then, after a brief hesitation, said, “Let’s go look around some more.”
In the end, the situation was resolved through our compromise.
As we exited the store, I vaguely heard Davina’s playful voice, “I have so many
clothes already, Letch. Don’t spend any more
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money. Just pick something for Daphne instead.”
She was considerate and tactful.
It wasn’t in vain that Fletcher was willing to risk the reputation of taking someone else’s favorite just to please her.
After everything that had happened, none of us felt like continuing to shop. Winston, seeing that Miles was carrying multiple bags, insisted on escorting him back to the East District.
Once we got out of the car, Miles looked dejected. After hesitating for a few seconds, he asked, “Lena, do you still have contact with Daphne and Fletcher?”
It seemed he recognized Daphne.
They had only met once, but clearly, Daphne didn’t remember him at all.
I didn’t want Miles to worry. “Not much interaction.”
“Really?” Miles clearly didn’t believe me.
I forced a smile and said, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
Miles didn’t say anything more, but before he left, I noticed the unease and anxiety he couldn’t hide in his eyes.
I suddenly felt a little guilty.
When the BMW reached the neighborhood, Winston unexpectedly stopped in front of a pharmacy.
“Wait for me for five minutes.”
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He hurriedly got out of the car without explaining why, but when he returned, he was holding a bottle of Arnicare Gel and some anti–inflammatory pills.
He handed them to me. “Apply this.”
His gaze was focused on my ankle, filled with concern.
my
I didn’t even know when he had noticed injury. I had been holding it in, not wanting Miles to worry, but now it seemed like I couldn’t hide it anymore.
I was wearing casual pants today, the kind that would cover my boots.
I murmured my thanks, too embarrassed to roll up my pants in front of Winston.
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Winston didn’t notice my hesitation. Seeing that i wasn’t moving, he rolled up his sleeves and began to lift my pants. When he saw my ankle, he froze for a moment. “How did you endure this long?”
I looked down and noticed that my ankle had swollen, red and bruised. I felt embarrassed. “I was almost home, so I thought I could handle it.”
Winston paused, sighed, and then helped me back to the building.
He supported me all the way to my door.
“Apply the medication after the cold compress, don’t move around too much,” he reminded me. “Call me if you need anything!”
He was so considerate that he didn’t come inside.
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Chapter 38 Lovea by
His gentlemanly manners made me feel guilty.
Ten minutes later, sitting on the couch with ice on my ankle, I was handling some work. As I refreshed my WhatsApp Status, I inadvertently saw a post from Davina.
“Today, I’m the princess loved by everyone.”
The post was accompanied by a picture of various gifts neatly arranged.
Among all the luxury brands, I immediately recognized the shopping bag of the old–money style coat.
It seemed that Fletcher had indeed bought that coat for Davina in the end.
