A little astonished, I said, “You’ve never gone to the hospital?”
“I’ve suggested it many times, but he always refuses.” She shook her head. “He was alright in the beginning, but his condition gradually got worse. I thought it could be a psychological issue. However, I’m not familiar with his past, so I couldn’t ask him.”
“Well, you could try asking Linda. She’s been working under Mr. Murphy for a long time. She should know something useful about Armond.”
She hummed, deep in thought. “Do you think he might have been in love with a girl who later left him, traumatizing him and causing him to become unable to love? Why else would such a rich, handsome bachelor of his age still be unmarried and have no woman by his side?”
“Do you not count as a woman?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Um… I meant prior to me!”
“You should really consult Linda directly about this.” When trying to solve a problem, you had to start at the possible source of it.
Changing the topic to focus on me, she leaned in conspiratorially. “I take it things are going well with Ashton?”
I sighed. “I’m not too sure what I should do from now on, actually. So many unexpected things have happened. I continuously rejected Ashton and pushed him away because I think I’m not good enough for him. But I can’t deny the fact that I love him, and I miss him, and he will always be the first person I instinctively go to when I’m in trouble. I also know that no one on this earth will ever love me as much as he does.”
“You know what, Scarlett?” She rested her chin in one hand. “I’m envious of how persistent Ashton is towards you. I used to imagine what kind of man I would meet in the future. He doesn’t have to be wealthy or especially outstanding, as long as he’s truly, madly, and deeply in love with me. Too bad it didn’t turn out that way in the end. Although, to be honest, I know all too clearly that Armond may not love me a lot, and neither do I love him a lot. I’m sure the both of us understand that we’re expendable to each other.”
That was the first time that I had an insight into Nora’s perspectives on love. Her opinions somewhat surprised me but hadn’t been completely unexpected.
After a moment of silence, I spoke up, “I was lucky to have met Ashton. Even though I have been through a lot in the past several years, I’ve never since experienced the hesitation and aimlessness that I felt after first leaving Ashton. I think I can now confidently say from the bottom of my heart that no matter what, he and I are destined to be together.”
“That’s exactly why I envy you. I’ve never been in love. When my classmates started dating in middle school, I thought they were too immature and that I was too good to get myself involved with them. Everyone seemed to be falling in love with other people left and right at university, too. I guess it was fate that I never found anyone compatible even after graduating from university. I was so wrapped up in my own loneliness until I met Armond. He was the very definition of the Prince Charming that I’ve been dreaming about all my life—wealth, power, and good looks! But now, I’m learning that maybe, just maybe, he isn’t all that I made him out to be.”
“You only think that because your relationship with Armond is progressing too smoothly,” I reassured her. “You had a subconscious belief that dating such a great guy would bring about suffering and pain and hurt, but none of that happened. You just naturally and peacefully got together, and that makes it seem all the more unrealistic to you.”
“That sounds about right.” She nodded. “He’s way out of my league. In the beginning, I’ve thought up countless methods to try and make him fall for me because I thought it would be a painstakingly long process, but I never expect things to happen so easily.
“Maybe it was because we got together so easily that I ended up thinking, if I met another handsome, fine man one day, I would eventually fall in love with him, and if he met another proactive girl who took the initiative to pursue him, he would eventually fall for her too. These thoughts just kept bothering me so much that my mundane daily life with Armond started feeling more and more like it was just a dream, with no sense of security nor belonging.”
“Have you ever thought about whether he would stay with you if you weren’t Channing Oberick’s granddaughter?” I smiled softly.
“Of course he wouldn’t!”
“So, you both understand deep down that you are actually the most compatible partners. The Oberick family has clout, and the Murphys have wealth. He knows that you’re not like other girls. Other women may only like him for his fortune, but you didn’t. You genuinely fell in love with him and think he’s a good person, and you want to be with him. That kind of marriage is the most blissful, simply because you both like each other.”
Tilting her head to one side, she was rendered speechless. After a long pause, she sighed, “Whatever. I can’t wrap my head around this anyway, so I’m just going to stop thinking about it!”
