Chapter 2515
But she approached eagerly and said, “Alyssa, I was just looking for you to have a little chat, never thought I’d bump into you here.”
Alyssa’s tone was indifferent, the smile she usually reserved for her old friends nowhere in sight.
“Alyssa, apart from wishing you a happy birthday today, I also wanted to apologize to you.”
Mara cast a nervous glance at Magnolia, who scanned the room before staring at Mara in surprise. “Are you looking at me?”
Mara shyly nodded. “I’m sorry, ma’am, I have something to discuss with Alyssa that might be a bit private. I hope you don’t mind stepping aside.”
Alyssa simply waved her hand dismissively.
“She’s no stranger, dear. You can speak your piece in front of her. Of course, if it’s nothing important, you needn’t bother. I have other guests to attend to.”
Alyssa’s impatience made Mara blush with embarrassment.
“Oh, alright then. Alyssa, I realize I’ve been foolish before. Balfour and I have cleared the air, and I understand now that there’s no future for us. So, rest assured, I won’t be as naive as I was.
I won’t harbor any inappropriate feelings anymore. I’m staying in the country just to gather inspiration for my classes and collect some material. Once this term is over, I’ll be flying back home. You won’t have to worry about me anymore.”
Mara’s speech was full of her plans, but to Alyssa, it sounded like she was being pushed away.
But what of it?
At least she had the sense to recognize she wasn’t welcome and would only stay for a semester.
That was two months away; Alyssa could endure that.
“Well, it’s good that you see it that way. You’re confirming what I’ve told you before. There was never anything between you and Balfour; if there were, you two would have settled things long ago, right? I’m not some old fossil-I don’t meddle in young people’s affairs. That goes for Balfour and for you too. But I do hope you’ll stick to the promises you’ve made today. Don’t try to come between Balfour and Ivy anymore. Ivy is a precious granddaughter-in-law to me, and I won’t stand to see her hurt because of you, understood?”
Mara had said all those nice things in front of Alyssa to smooth things over, but the old bat had publicly called her out, leaving Mara turning beet red with embarrassment. When she finally couldn’t take it anymore and fled the scene, Alyssa stopped speaking.
Magnolia timely handed her a glass of warm water, and after a sip to soothe her throat, Alyssa turned to Magnolia.
“You’ve never been so harsh with the younger ones,” said Magnolia.
Alyssa chuckled and shook her head. “You don’t know the half of it.”
She would never speak to any youngster in such a tone, but Mara was different. Mara had only stayed in her house for a brief few weeks, but that was enough to make Alyssa’s opinion of her plummet.
The words she had spoken were to let Mara know that all her little schemes were crystal clear. She better not harbor any false hopes of getting close to Balfour and Ivy again.
Watching Mara’s reluctant retreat, Alyssa sighed. “Such troubled ties.”
Magnolia patted her hand soothingly, “You worry too much. Just let the young folks handle their own matters.”
