Chapter 7

Who would have imagined that now only Murphy stood firmly by her side. She nodded with red eyes, but the next moment, the phone on the table vibrated a few times. She opened it and saw a photo sent by Edith. In the photo, Parker and Edith were watching fireworks and having dinner at a resort. In the photo, Parker’s smile was one Cornelia had never seen before. In the three years since their marriage, Parker had never once smiled genuinely in her presence. Cornelia closed her phone, not wanting to look anymore. But the scene in the photo kept playing in her mind. For a moment, she lost her appetite. Just then, dazzling fireworks suddenly erupted outside the restaurant, large blooms rising into the sky, breathtakingly beautiful. “Don’t worry about her. What she has, you will have too.” Murphy spoke softly. Hearing this, Cornelia’s heart trembled, and rare ripples formed in her heart. After dinner, the two of them were taken to the same hotel room by several men in black suits. A group of people surrounded them, as if afraid they would escape. Cornelia’s sense of shame grew even stronger, and she felt her face burning. Distracted by her thoughts, Cornelia didn't watch where she was going and tripped over the long-pile carpet, her body crashing uncontrollably into Murphy's arms. She slowly lifted her head, and as their eyes met, both felt awkward. Cornelia could sense Murphy's body stiffen. He then spoke in a strained voice: “You go to sleep first; I'll sleep in the bathroom.” He quickly placed Cornelia on the bed and then went into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of water could be heard from the bathroom, but there was no steam rising, and it continued all night long. Cornelia lay in bed, trying to wrap herself tightly in the blanket and plug her ears with a pillow. Even so, she couldn’t sleep all night. She dared not think about why Murphy had been taking a cold shower all night. The next morning, Murphy, dressed neatly, took Cornelia home and left. Seeing Cornelia’s neat appearance and clean, fresh body, aside from the dark circles under her eyes, there was nothing unusual. It seemed this attempt had failed again. Parker fidgeted impatiently with the bracelet in his hand, and accidentally broke them. The red-brown beads rolled onto the ground, and suddenly a dog darted out, almost picking them up to play with. “Cherry, don’t eat them!” Edith ran over, panting, and quickly grabbed the leash. Seeing Cornelia’s shocked expression, she suddenly remembered something and explained sheepishly. “Sister, the warter pipe at my home is leaking, so I have no choice but to bring Cherry to stay with you for a while. You won’t mind, will you?” Perhaps because she had run too quickly, her white shirt was damp with sweat, slightly transparent. Parker stood up, took off his jacket, and draped it over Edith, then led her inside. “Her opinion doesn’t matter. I’m the boss who say so in this house.” The two passed by Cornelia, but Cornelia didn't have time to feel sad. She was allergic to dog fur, and the dog fur floating in the air now made her tear up and sneeze uncontrollably. “Parker, I'm allergic to dog fur. I won't let them stay here.” Cornelia coughed uncomfortably a few times and hurriedly blocked the door. Parker pushed her aside without mercy. “If you’re allergic and it bothers you, just stay away from the dog. Move aside.” Parker led Edith and the puppy past Cornelia, and the puppy even shook off a bunch of fur onto Cornelia. The puppy, Cherry, was very lively. Even in a new place, it wasn’t afraid at all, running around everywhere and exploring its new territory. Cornelia had no choice but to lock herself in her room and quickly take some allergy medication. Even so, Cornelia’s allergies were severe, her body turning red and swollen, and she even had difficulty breathing. “Help! Save me!” Cornelia screamed desperately, but her voice was pitifully weak. She fell to the ground and struggled toward the door, hoping someone would notice and save her in time. However, Edith and Parker were playing with the puppy in the courtyard, and the servants were all busy with their own tasks, so no one noticed Cornelia's plight. No matter how much Cornelia shouted, no one came. When Parker finally noticed Cornelia had fainted, he merely frowned and called Murphy.