Chapter<b>375</b>
Matthew’sbrowsfurrowed.“Wi?”
AND1/1
Hehadn’tmeant<b>to</b>hurtWilhelminawhilehewasinadaze.HehurriedforwardandpulledWilhelminaintohisarms.<b>“</b>I’msorry,Wi.Iwasjust<b>…</b><b>”</b>
Whatwashesupposedtosay?Thathehad imaginedtheloveofhislife assomeotherwoman?Itwasunforgivableofhimtodothat,anditwouleoutwrongnomatterhowhardhetriedtoexinhimself.
Wilhelmina’shearttightened.ShewasafraidtohearMatthewspeakthe truth<b>–</b>thathehadpicturedherasWillowandlostcontrolofhimself.
Wilhelminawouldn’tknowhowto livewiththeshame.
ShethrewherselfintoMatthew’sarmsandsaidsorrowfully,“<b>It’s</b>okay,Matt.Youdon’thavetosayanything.Ibelieveyou,andIhavefaithinourrtionship.
“We’vestuckbyeachother’ssideforfouryears.Wepromisedwewouldfacetheworldtogether.Youwouldn’tbetraymeafterallwe’vebeenthrough.
<b>“</b><b>If</b>youdid,thentheretrulywouldbenogoodmenleftinthisworld.Iknowyourloveformeistrue,andyou’lwayshave mytrust.<b>”</b>
WilhelminahaetotheboothtodaytogiveWillowahardtime,yetdespitehereffort,sheonlyseededinhumiliatingherself.Willow,<b>in</b>contrast,wasunscathed.Wilhelminawastooembarrassedtolingeraround.ShegrippedMatthew’shandtightlyandpleaded,“I’mnotfeelingtoowell,Matt.Canwegohome?”
Ian,whohadbeensilentallthiswhile,suddenlyinterjected,“Hold on,Ms.Foster.”
Wilhelmina’sembarrassmentgave way todelightandreliefwhensheheardIan’svoice.Shecouldn’thelpfeelinglikeshehadjustseenthelightatthe endofthetunnel.
Shereckoned Ianhadstoppedherfromleavingbecausehewantedtoofferheranendorsementdefterseeinghowbeautifulshelookedinthegown.
“Mr.Nightingale,istheresomethingIcanhelpyouwith?”Wilhelminaasked.Shewouldn’taskforanendorsementdealoutright,soshesettledforshingademure andpolitesmileatIan.
<b>For</b>somereason,Ian’sstomachchurnedeverytimehelookedatWilhelmina.
He had tokeephimselffromretchingashepointedoutimpassively,“Ms.Foster,Ibelieveweshoulddiscuspensationafter yourippedthegown.”
“What?”Wilhelminademandedloudly,hersurpriseevidentinhervoice.
Shehadtotakeafewdeepbreathsbeforeshefoundhervoiceagain.“Mr.Nightingale,Ithought…yougavemethisgownasagift.”
Ianregardedherlikeshewasanidiot.“Ibelieveyou’vemisreadthe situation,Ms.Foster.WhywouldIgiveyouthegownwhenIbarelyknowyou?”
Wilhelminawasrenderedspeechlessbyhisretort.Nowthatshethoughtabout<b>it</b>,hewasright.Hehadallowedhertotryonthegown,buthehadn’texplicitlysaiditwasagift.Inanycase,Wilhelminahadmisconstruedhisintention.
Shelookeddownandappraisedevery detailofthegownshewaswearing.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.
Thedelicateembroidery,threadedwithgoldanddepictingsubtlepatterns,wasaworkofart.Themother–of–pearlsewnintothebodiceand pleatslookedfineandexpensive.TheFostersrantheirownbusiness,butitwasn’tfaringwendthefamilydidn’efrommoney.
Dorothy,Matthew’sgrandmother,hadpulledacalctedmovebysecretlyhavingWilhelminasignaprenuptigreementbeforeWilhelminamarriedMatthew.
Wilhelmina’scareerintheentertainmentindustrywasn’texactlyflourishing,either.
Shecouldn’tbringherselftoaskMatthewforthemoneyforthegown,bupensatingforitoutofherownpocketwouldcosther anarmandaleg.
Notwantingtopayacentindamages,WilhelminamusteredhercouragetoreasonwithIan.“Mr.Nightingale,Iwouldneverhavetriedonthegownifyouhadn’taskedmeto.“SoIcan’tbeheldliableevenifIrippedthegown.”
Iancounteredsharply,“WhileIletyoutryonthegown,Ineversaidyoucouldtrytosqueezeyourself into<b>it</b>evenwhenitwouldn’tfit.”
WilhelminanchedatIan’ssharpremark.
Meanwhile,Erouldn’tresistapudingIan’sretortandsoundinghisagreement.
Atfirst,EricthoughtIanwasinsaneforlettingWilhelminatryonthegown.
HehadquestionedIan’sjudgmentandwonderedifIanhada thingforunavablewomenwhowerevapid,washboardlookalikes.
HewasrelievedwhenherealizedIanhadonlydonesotomakefoolsoutofWillow