Love's perfect match novel (Elspeth and Callum)
Chapter 357

Chapter 357 Arthur's Story

As much as Elspeth's heart ached, she did personally push him away after all, so she was in no position to criticize his relationships. At that, she yanked herself back to reality, worked on Isabel's medication speedily, then brought it down with her during dinner time.

Nonetheless, it became apparent Elspeth didn't have much of an appetite. She would even space out now and then.

Unable to take it anymore, Arthur knocked on the table, forcing the young woman to return to reality. "I know you can't take the news, but you don't have to react so dramatically to it, do you?"

Wow, heartless much? Sure, no, go ahead, give my bloody heart another stab!

Elspeth snorted disdainfully in response. Instead of entertaining his mockery, she grabbed a bread roll and shoved it into his mouth. "Eat your food. No talking at the dinner table."

Meanwhile, Isabel poked at her food worryingly but dared not say a word when she saw Elspeth had flipped out just like that.

Realizing she was behaving rather hostile, Elspeth toned it down a little, then turned to Isabel and handed her the medication. "Here, Isabel. Eat this starting tonight. Coupled with the beauty cream I gave you the other time, the scar on your face should be gone in less than two weeks."

At that, Isabel put her cutleries down and thanked Elspeth joyously while taking the medication from the latter, "Thanks, Elspeth. Got it. I'll certainly take them on time." "Alright, we're all family here. There's no need for thanks."

While speaking, Elspeth glanced at Arthur from the corner of her eyes. Seeing that the man had his head buried in his food like he saw nothing else, she hit the roof again. At that, she stomped his feet.

Arthur, on the other hand, only as much as quirked a brow when he felt the force coming from his feet. "What's wrong? Is the dinner not to your liking?"

To that, Elspeth asked with a half-smile, "Arthur Winthrop, when are you going to start treating my mother?"

She had come to realize that the man wouldn't say a word about it no matter how she asked him privately. Thus, she decided to just lay it on the table.

The question didn't freak Arthur out at all, for he had long seen it coming. He glanced at Helena and pulled a subtle smile. "I've already started long ago. On the first day we arrived, in fact."

Helena, too, nodded in agreement, then looked bewilderedly at Elspeth. "Did you not know, Elsie?"

The young woman pulled an awkward smile in response, never expecting to fall into another one of his tricks.

"I was so busy before that I forgot to ask about this." She made a random excuse, and as Helena returned to her food, she stomped Arthur's feet again.

The force this time was evidently much harder than the last. It was as though she was questioning why he had lied to her. But, the man paid no attention to her at all.

Just like that, the not-so-pleasant dinner came to an end, and the joyful Isabel volunteered to do the dishes.

While Helena watched the TV, Elspeth went out for a stroll, and when Helena saw her daughter stepping out of the door, she hinted at Arthur with her gaze. "Dr. Winthrop, Elspeth seems to be in a bad mood. Why don't you talk to her for me? There are many things I can't get an answer out of as a mother, you see..."

What was more, the two were getting engaged soon, and she was more than happy to see it happen.

And it would be even better if they became closer because of this.

"Alright, Miss Joneson. I'll talk to her."

With that, Arthur grabbed a jacket from the couch and headed outside.

The night winds in this season were strong, and the temperature tended to be a little low.

When Arthur found Elspeth, she was squatting down by the steps in the garden. She looked so tiny that it was as though she would fall if the wind blew any harder.

She sure is skinny. Yet, she wears so little.

At that, Arthur draped the jacket on her shoulders. However, Elspeth didn't plan to look up, even though she felt a weight.

"Go ahead, cry if you want to. I know you must feel terrible after replaceing that out."

"I'm not sad at all," Elspeth answered clumsily. She didn't cry; it just sounded somewhat plain.

"Are you sure?"

"I said, I'm not sad."

"Okay, if you insist."

Elspeth stood up and threw the jacket back at him, questioning, "How can you be so impersonal?"

Catching the jacket, Arthur looked at her and smiled while holding his forehead. "Life would be boring if everyone was warm."

"Bullsh*t."

Elspeth didn't want his company at all, for she could always sense a subtle frostiness even just standing next to him.

Arthur, on the other hand, wasn't bothered at all as he sat on the steps next to her. "Let me ask you this. What is your impression of me?"

To that, Elspeth pondered with a tilted head for a moment before sitting a little further away from him.

"Cold-hearted, I guess you could say. Though you're always smiling, the smile is very cold. All in all, a double-crossing wolf in sheep's clothing. And you're a bit of a lunatic sometimes." While answering, a term came to her mind-sick.

Arthur, on the other hand, remained impassive the whole time. Even his tone was unhurried. "That's it?"

"That's it." As obtuse as Elspeth would get, she knew she should stop at that. She didn't want to have a bitter fallout just yet.

Meanwhile, Arthur fiddled with his phone, and the screen refracted the moonlight, illuminating his clean, crisp side profile.

"Do you know why I'd become the man I am today?"

"Why else?" Elspeth quirked her lips disdainfully. "Because you're more ambitious."

Arthur chuckled in response. "Who told you that? Callum?"

Elspeth froze over. Sure, it seemed that Callum had instilled some thoughts in her, but was he wrong?

It seemed that Arthur had a lot to say about that memory. "Well, he's not wrong. I did tend to compete with him growing up. I was a chubby kid back then, so I didn't look as good as he did. Then, with time, the differences in our IQ became apparent as well. I started panicking, but he was just too perfect."

The memory, to him, was honestly not so pretty.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you recall." Elspeth felt that she had hit a raw nerve.

All else aside, Arthur was genuinely an aspirant guy. However, the methods he used were rather deranged.

"Don't whitewash me so eagerly. It's true that I'm not a good man." Arthur turned to her, and Elspeth was met with a pair of malicious, fathomless eyes. "I've framed him many times growing up."

Elspeth's heart skipped a beat in response, and she actually felt a chilly breeze for some reason.