Emmeline pricked up her ears. She wanted to hear the story of how Mr. Faughn became a hero.
“Don’t listen to what he says! Erin is my distant cousin, and her face was injured in an accident. She came to Struyria to find a plastic surgeon,” Mr. Faughn said.
Janie and Emmeline exchanged glances. “That’s not what Leslie said last time.”
“When I called Leslie, my cousin and I were at the foot of the mountain,” Mr. Faughn said. “Maybe he mistook what I said.”
Janie nodded. “I see.”
It was quite a sensitive topic, so they dropped the subject after that.
“Excuse me. I’m going to the bathroom.” Erin smiled and stood up. She soon left the room.
As soon as she stood up, Emmeline frowned. She could not explain what she felt when she saw the woman in front of her.
Erin went into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror.
She gently touched her face and carefully scrutinized her eyes, nose, and lips.
“I look completely different from before. They shouldn’t recognize me. Janie shouldn’t be familiar with me, but Emmeline is too discerning!”
Erin stared at herself in the mirror for two whole minutes before she declared herself satisfied with her current appearance.
She washed her hands and dried them with a paper towel.
On her way out, she bumped into a young man.
The floor was slippery, and Erin nearly slipped and fell.
The young man quickly steadied her. “Careful!”
In shock, Erin lifted her head. She wanted to say she was sorry, but she suddenly froze.
Edmond was also surprised by the beauty of the woman in his arms.
“I’m… I’m sorry,” Erin stammered. “I wasn’t looking when I came out of the bathroom.”
“I should be the one to be sorry,” Edmond said as he ogled at the beautiful woman in his arms. “Did I hurt you?”
“Oh, I don’t think so.” After composing down, Erin flashed a charming smile at Edmond.
Edmond could feel his heart thump wildly. His grip around Erin tightened without him knowing it.
“I’m fine. Thanks for helping me,” Erin said while gently pushing him away.
“But…” Edmond gulped. “You should get yourself checked at a hospital, just to be safe. Why don’t you give me your phone number? If you feel unwell, you can call me, and I’ll bring you to the hospital.”
Erin smiled and nodded. “That’s very kind of you, sir.”
“My name is Edmond Murphy,” Edmond said as he took his phone. “How about yours?”
“Erin Anderson,” Erin said with a smile. “E-R-I-N. My number is…”
She rattled a string of numbers. Edmond repeated it while typing it into his phone.
He called the number, and Erin’s phone rang in her pocket.
“Alright, I have your number. I’ll save it later,” Erin said.
“Sure,” Edmond said while staring at her. “Remember, if you feel unwell, call me, and I’ll bring you to the hospital.”
“Mm.” Erin smiled and nodded.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be responsible for whatever happens to you.” Edmond flashed a knowing smile and left.
“Heh!” Erin snorted coldly. “You’ve brought this upon yourself, Edmond. I won’t spare any one of you!”
After lunch, Emmeline took Janie back to Glenbrook.
Yvonne served them a pot of tea, and they chatted.
Emmeline said, “Janie, don’t you think Erin seems weird somehow?”
“I had the same feeling when I first met her, but she seems normal today,” Janie said. “Could it be that her face seems unnatural after plastic surgery?”
