Chapter 21
Morwenna had no clue what Stuart was up to. She was busy house-hunting. NôvelDrama.Org content.
She thought she'd drawn a line under their relationship for good.
The rent in Rosefrost Hollow was sky-high, almost making her wish she could move into the dorms early.
Eventually, she found a place to share an old apartment near the university.
The thirty-square-meter space came with a shared bathroom in the hallway. Morwenna's part of the rent was only seven hundred a month if sleeping in the living room. She could pay the rent monthly.
That was the cheapest option Morwenna could find.
Most of her scholarship money had gone to a rural school, and between groceries and other expenses, she had only nine hundred left in her bank account. After paying rent, only two hundred remained.
Biting the bullet, Morwenna paid the landlord.
With Monday around the corner, she could start her job at the fish market. If she scrimped, the two hundred should last until her next paycheck.
Now that she was moving out, she wouldn't have to look after Stuart, which freed up much of her time.
After securing the apartment, Morwenna returned to Windcharm Villas to pack.
She had just zipped up her last suitcase when the doorbell rang.
“Stuart should be sleeping at this hour.” she thought but answered the door anyway.
Standing there was a woman in a flowing white mermaid dress.
Her soft curls tumbled down to her waist, her eyes sharp and beautiful, accentuated by her stylish stilettos.
The woman gave Morwenna a gentle smile. "You must be Morwenna. I'm Adelaide Gallagher, Stuart's... good friend."
The name clicked. Morwenna had heard the name Adelaide, always buzzed about as the perfect girl for Stuart.
"Hello," Morwenna greeted politely.
Adelaide nodded and made herself comfortable on the sofa, instructing, "Make me a cup of coffee, will you?"
As Morwenna went to fetch the coffee, Adelaide decided to take over. "Never mind. You're new. I'll do it myself."
She expertly located some water and started boiling it.
Morwenna wanted nothing more than to grab her things and leave but found it rude to do that with a guest present.
So, she watched from a distance, unfamiliar with the art of coffee making but finding Adelaide's movements graceful.
Once the coffee was ready, Adelaide handed Morwenna a cup as if she owned the place. "Try this. I'm particular about my coffee, and Stuart always keeps some mocha for me."
No doubt, Adelaide was going on and on about Stuart's affections. But frankly, Morwenna couldn't give a darn.
She sipped the coffee and politely commented, "It's lovely."
Adelaide examined Morwenna, seeing no appreciation for the finer points of coffee, only a crude simplicity.
Suddenly, she felt it unnecessary to have hurried back for someone who seemed no threat.
Adelaide set down her cup, sighing, "Your first time trying mocha, I assume? Well, everyone has his place in life. Some are born to simpler tastes, not suited for finer things."
To Morwenna, a country girl, coffee was something to quench her thirst.
She was only drinking it out of courtesy.
But this Ms. Gallagher seemed a bit too condescending, as if bestowing a cup of coffee was doing her a huge favor, all while spouting nonsense about social status.
That was a bit irritating.
Adelaide continued gently, "Stuart and I have been together for seven years. I'm practically the lady of Windcharm Villas by now. Stuart's on track to do some real big stuff, and quite frankly, not everyone's up to snuff to be by his side. Don't you think so, Ms. Winslet?"