Chapter 6
Colette snapped back to reality when James confronted her. She hurriedly shoved the love letters into the drawer. Then, she stammered, "I-I'm just trying to tidy the study for you…"
James did not appreciate it at all. In an icy tone, he demanded to know. "Did you read the contents?"
She was taken aback. He seemed to care more about her reading the love letters.
His face progressively soured. She hurriedly shook her head. "No, I did not."
He relaxed after hearing her answer. Still, his voice was filled with rage. "Get out now. Do not touch my stuff without my permission."
"Sorry. I won't do that again." Bowing her head, she left his study without retorting.
She went back to her room. Lying in her bed, she thought of the love letters she found in the study. She hadn't heard of James having a crush on anyone. Ever since she was a kid, she never saw him with another woman, except for herself and Sophie.
Who did he write the love letters to? Were they for her?
Messy thoughts filled her head. She fell asleep slowly and woke up after midnight.
Colette heard some noises from the room next door. Sophie was back. She immediately perked up as she made her way to the bedroom door.
Colette's room was close to James and Sophie's. Since they did not shut their door, she could hear the sounds from their room.
She heard Sophie squeal in joy and surprise. "Wow, did you write all these love letters for me when I was away for two days?"
James' voice, filled with joy and tenderness, followed. It reminded Colette of the way he spoke to her before she confessed her love to him.
James asked Sophie, "Do you not like them?"
Sophie kissed him with unbridled joy. "I love them! Write one every day for me."
After that, Colette overheard the sounds of the couple making out. When their door slammed shut, Colette hurried back to her bed with a pale face. She closed her eyes, feeling pathetic for a moment.
"Gosh, Colette Anderson, what exactly were you thinking?"
At first, the panic on James' face when she found the love letters introduced a ridiculous idea; she thought he wrote them for her.
It wasn't until she overheard James and Sophie's conversation that she realized how outrageous her idea was.
…
Sophie's birthday fell on the date three days from Colette's deadline. James splurged on a grand birthday party and invited many guests, as it wasn't just a birthday party. At the event, he publicly announced his engagement with Sophie.
As the guests congratulated the couple, Colette stood there in shock. She hadn't expected James to love Sophie to such an extent. He had decided to get engaged to Sophie in three months' time.
Smiling wryly, she stared at the gift in her hands. She couldn't believe that her farewell gift turned into a congratulatory gift for his engagement.
Once the guests dispersed, she approached James with the gift. Although she had made the decision to give him her blessing, no matter who he ended up with, she struggled to utter words of congratulations.
"Uncle James, I wish you a happy engagement in advance. May you live happily forever after."