CHAPTER 124: CHAPTER 124: MEMORIES (24)

Once she recovered from the pain, Florence felt better.

Her hand could still move normally, though any large movement would cause pain. Going to the hospital was unnecessary, it would heal in a couple of days.

"How did you end up injuring your hand like that?" Abigail looked at her son.

Ethan glanced at his watch: "I didn’t keep an eye on her."

"It was my own carelessness." Both spoke simultaneously.

Abigail: "..."

Florence touched her face and glanced at Ethan.

Ethan raised his eyebrows at her.

Abigail saw their little exchange and sighed: "Oh dear, really..."

"Aunt Monrose." Florence interrupted her by holding Abigail’s hand: "Have you seen the flowers now that they’re planted?"

"Yes, they look nice." Abigail knew this girl wanted to change the subject, so she laughed helplessly and didn’t bring it up again.

Clara came looking for her today, so she definitely needed to return to the Fuller Family.

Florence changed out of her dirt-stained clothes, showered, and went to find Ethan.

He wasn’t downstairs, nor in the study, so he was probably in the bedroom.

However, she’d never been to Ethan’s bedroom before because, when she first arrived, Sister Dawson and Aunt Monrose told her that Ethan was extremely privacy-conscious and didn’t like people entering his bedroom.

So even when she couldn’t find Ethan before, she’d just send him a message and wait for him in the study.

This time was no different.

She went to the study to wait, and Ethan called her over.

Hesitatingly and cautiously, she found herself standing at the door.

She was about to knock when Ethan opened the door: "Come in."

He seemed to have just showered too, wearing a bathrobe, and through its deep V-neck, Florence could see his chest.

After the brief kiss, she entered Ethan’s bedroom, leaving Florence with an inexplicable sense of guilt as she walked in slowly. Ethan’s bedroom was large, simple yet grand, and though Florence didn’t look around, she noticed his navy blue bed.

"What’s wrong?" Ethan asked her: "Does your hand still hurt?"

"No." Florence remembered he loved watches: "Did that watch break? Let me check."

Ethan nodded, turned to fetch the watch.

Oh no.

Ethan’s watches all cost six figures and above; how could she possibly afford to compensate?

"Can it be fixed?" Florence looked at the broken watch face, not quite understanding, yet thinking it was just the screen that shattered.

"Yes." Ethan pulled her over to sit by the bed: "Are you going to compensate me?"

"Though it wasn’t intentional, it was indeed my fault." Besides, he’s a watch lover, Florence learned this soon after arriving at the Monrose Family: "I’ll compensate you."

"Then, when you have the money, you can just get me a new one." Ethan said: "No rush now, I can wear another one."

Florence looked at him, nodded, and stood up: "Then I’ll go first, I need to go back to the Fuller Family."

"I’ll take you." Ethan grabbed her hand: "Let me change clothes."

"No need." Florence stopped him; she didn’t want the Fuller Family to know her.

"Then I’ll see you out." Ethan said.

Florence didn’t refuse again.

Michael wasn’t home, and the old couple had left too. Florence returned to find Laura in the living room, looking at the jewelry on the table, with Clara nestled beside her, also examining the pieces.

Florence didn’t glance sideways and headed straight upstairs.

Laura’s gaze followed her as she disappeared at the stairs, displeasure in her eyes, and Clara pulled Laura’s arm to bring her back from her thoughts: "Mom, I think this one’s nice. How about wearing it to my birthday party?"

Laura withdrew her gaze: "Let me try it on for you."

During dinner, Florence came downstairs.

Michael still hadn’t returned, just the three of them at the table.

Florence ate quietly, even though Laura kept looking at her. Florence chose to ignore it.

After dinner, she was about to return to her room.

Laura couldn’t hold it in anymore: "Stop."

Florence turned around, looking at her calmly.

"You’re about to start school. Since there aren’t classes that need tutoring, don’t run off to the Monrose Family anymore. What will people think?" Laura said.

Florence heard her out without responding, turning to leave.

Laura’s temper flared: "I was talking to you, didn’t you hear?"

Florence turned around, replied quietly: "Then I won’t agree to it." She said and walked away.

Laura’s breath quickened with anger, Clara stood to comfort her: "Mom, it’s fine, you know Florence is just like that."

Florence’s cold demeanor made Laura’s heart feel choked, uncomfortable. She sighed: "Forget it."

Clara thought of the man she saw at the Monrose Family, though she would never tell Michael and Laura about it, lest Michael abandon the idea of Florence marrying the son of a government official, turning instead to give Florence such a good man.

Clara Fuller would never let such a thing happen.

"But Mom." Clara had previously been happiest when Florence wasn’t around the house, yet now, knowing she was involved with such a good man, she couldn’t let Florence have it so easy.

"Florence is already eighteen, you know Dad has ideas about her being with the governor’s son. Picking up and running to the Monrose Family like she does, isn’t it inappropriate?"

Laura nodded: "It is indeed. But looking at her demeanor, do you think I can control it?"

"Yet, being her biological mother, it’s partly my fault." Clara lowered her head: "If it weren’t for me, you and Florence might not be like this."

"Silly child, what nonsense are you saying?" Laura looked at her: "This has nothing to do with you, who would think she’d develop such traits outside, returning home disinterested in your presence."

"Then during this period, Mom, you should mend your relationship with Florence. I really don’t want what happened with me to be the cause of this, I very much wish I could be sisters with Florence."

Laura looked at her sensible daughter like she was the flower of understanding, sighing: "If she were as sensible as you, we wouldn’t be like this."

So, the next day, when Florence was leaving, Laura stopped her.

Laura instructed the servants to watch the door, not allowing Florence to step out of the Fuller Family, leaving Florence bewildered as she questioned Laura: "What exactly do you want?"

Laura: "Is this how you speak to me? Look at yourself now, you have no grace, no lady-like demeanor. When you marry into the Somerset Family, what will your mother-in-law say about you?"

Her words irritated Florence immensely: "So my role in this family is just to secure a profitable marriage alliance for you?"

Though biologically mother and daughter, they had hardly interacted over the years, making them almost strangers.