Camellia looked at herself in the mirror. She was dressed formally in a skirt and shirt, and though she looked lovely, her mind was somewhere else. Her heart was light today, and she felt happy, something she had forgotten how to feel. She glanced at her watch and slipped out of her room with her purse. It was near eight in the morning and James would have left for work. Slowly, she came down the stairs and to her surprise saw him sitting on the family room sofa reading a newspaper in his business suit. Suspiciously wondering why he was still there, she walked by hoping he would not see her.

“Are you ready?” he remarked as he placed the newspaper down and turned to look at her.

He stood up and glanced at his watch.

“Am I ready for what?”

“I’m taking you to work.”

She looked defiantly at him.

“I have a ride to work already. I don’t need your generosity,” she remarked and turned to leave the house.

He followed her. Sam stood by the car and quickly opened the car door in glee, but Camellia walked passed him. The elder man looked in confusion. James walked in front of her and blocked her from going.

“I have agreed to let you work, Camellia, but I will take you to work,” he plainly stated.

She shook her head in disbelief.

“You have no right to agree or not to let me work,” she stated. “You are not my guardian or my husband.”

His eyes narrowed, and he closed their space.

“But you owe this family, Camellia, and I will not let you go with some penniless man who would probably one day not return you to pay me,” he cruelly remarked.

She was angry at his words.

“I have no man to leave with, Mr. Shaw. You can rest assure I am not that kind of woman,” she remarked coldly.

“Then get in the car, and I will take you to work,” he ordered sternly.

She faced him defiantly and looked to the gate to see if Jerry was there, but there was no car.

“Don’t worry about your friend,” James remarked, seeing the look on her face, “I have informed Sara to tell him you won’t need his generosity anymore.”

She faced him angrily, wanting to oppose him desperately. But instead, she coolly turned and got into the car. He followed her triumphantly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the Mercedes-Benzes parked in front of the clinic, Camellia did not wait for Sam to open the door for her. She wanted to leave the car with all her defiance, but to her horror, James followed her to greet the kind doctor. Dr. Sirimon looked joyful as he saw his friend.

“How have you been, my friend?” James remarked, coming up to Camellia and Dr. Sirimon.

“I’ve never been better. And you, my friend, how have you been?”

James looked to her and smiled.

“I have been busy with many things on my hand,” he remarked sarcastically.

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Camellia excused herself and left them there. Her heart pounded in frustration that he wanted to mock her life, even on her job.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the next couple of days, James orchestrated her trip to the clinic with him or had Sam send her alone. Though she hated those rides, Camellia seemed to be getting along well at work. Brielle was beginning to like her and talk with her more. Though her daily routine were the same and she liked to color more than anything else, Camellia tried to teach her other things as well.

One day, after seeming like Brielle was looking tired and sad and did not want to do anything, Camellia asked to take her outside to get some fresh air. Brielle enjoyed the weather. She ran and chased butterflies like every normal child. She laughed and giggled like every normal child. Camellia sat and watched as she enjoyed herself outside.

“She seems to like it out here,” came the voice of Dr. Sirimon.

Camellia turned and found him standing behind her. He smiled and looked to the child.

“I think staying inside was draining her energy,” Camellia replied looking at the happy child.

“I think staying inside was also draining your energy, Miss Quintana,” the doctor suddenly remarked.

Camellia looked to him and smiled. Just then Brielle cried, startling them. Camellia turned and saw that she had fell and scraped her knees and hands. Dr. Sirimon and she quickly went to pick her up as she laid on the ground crying. Camellia tried to calm her as the doctor quickly brought her back into the hospital. Brielle was still crying when Camellia washed her knee.

“It’s only a scrape, darling, it will be alright. See this pretty bandage? It will make your knees all better,” she sweetly replied, trying to calm Brielle.

The bandage was colored with cartoon characters, and Brielle stared at it in fascination, as her crying lessoned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a long day, Camellia stood out of the clinic and waved to Brielle and Mrs. Wesman as their car drove away. Brielle seemed happy as she had the cartoon bandage to look at.

“Are you tire, Miss Quintana?” Dr. Sirimon said from beside her.

She smiled.

“Would you mind if I ask you to join me for dinner tonight. We can talk about Brielle’s progress?” he slowly asked.

Camellia looked unsure. She knew Sam would pick her up soon, but the sincere looked on Dr. Sirimon brought her to agree with him. When Sam came, Camellia told him she would be coming home with the doctor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Do you have any relatives here, Miss Quintana?” Dr. Sirimon asked from across her in a restaurant.

“I don’t think so,” she began, looking uncomfortable in answering questions about her family. “Brielle seems to be opening up more. She seems to listen well and follows directions well. But more so she is willing to share more.”

“I know if you spend more time with her, she will find a friend in you, Miss Quintana. How do you find living in the Shaw mansion?” he asked again.

Camellia looked up, strangely finding the doctor to change the subject.

“It is alright. How long will Brielle be with us?” she asked changing the subject again.

“She’ll be with us until twelve or so, or when her mother stops bringing her,” the doctor replied, a twinkle in his eyes. “But why have James not bring you out to society. I’m sure there are many young eligible men out there who would like to meet you.”

Camellia sighed.

“I don’t think Mr. Shaw would feel comfortable with that, Dr. Sirimon. I will embarrass him as someone living under his roof.”

The doctor did not understand her message and smile.

“James won’t be like that. He is a good man. That makes me wonder why he did not marry his girlfriend after his father passed away,” he stated.

Camellia looked up with a tinge of curiosity in her heart.

“You mean Teresa?” she asked quietly.

“No,” Dr. Sirimon remarked, “Teresa came afterward, but I was talking about Prada, his first girlfriend. He was very much in love with her.”

Camellia looked stunned that she forgot to eat.

“You mean James was in love with someone...very much?” she asked numbly.

The doctor seemed to be lost in his words and did not notice the look on her face.

“He was very much in love with her, and she is incredibly beautiful, but he was still in college and his father refused to let him marry her or even to be engaged with her. I never understood why,” he remarked. “Perhaps the old Mr. Shaw didn’t like her that much.”

Camellia looked away stunned. There was heaviness in her heart, as she listened to the doctor’s words.

“He was going to elope with her, but something happened, and he returned to America to study. I never heard about Prada anymore. James never speaks about her anymore too. I think he was heart-broken that his father disagreed with the woman he chose to love...and that he had to let her go...I guess that is why he shuts himself up in the house all alone these days...I guest he became bitter...” (If you like this novel so far, please support our author at uniqnovels.com. Thank you.)