After opening the lock, she bent down and pushed the shutter up. The shutter did not slide up completely. She entered the store unhurriedly and took a long stick. Then, she used the stick to push the shutter up fully.
“You don’t seem like a blind person when you do all these things, Ms. Newman.”
Camryn placed the stick back in its original position. She said indifferently, “I’ve gotten used to it. I’ve been running this flower shop for years and doing the same daily routine. I can do it by instinct since I’m used to it.”
After opening the door, Camryn put down her cane and started moving potted plants that were taking up space outside skillfully.
“What flowers do you want to buy today, Mr. York?” Camryn asked Callum as she moved the flowers. “You can take your time and look around.”
After watching her move several flowerpots, Callum finally decided not to be a spectator and went forward to help her. He moved all the potted plants that needed to be placed at the flower shop’s entrance.
The name of each flower was on every flowerpot. However, the names were not written on paper but on wood. Each flower’s name was carved on a wooden sign, which enabled Camryn to identify the flower her customers were interested in by touching the engraving on the wooden sign.
“It’s not very convenient for you to run a business with impaired vision.”
“I have to do it even if it’s inconvenient. I have to survive.”
Camryn’s tone was always calm and indifferent.
Callum looked toward her. Her features were intricate, but her face was a little too tiny. On top of that, she wore a large pair of sunglasses, making her face even look smaller.
She was born into an affluent family, but her life was as ordinary as it could get. She said she would not be able to survive if she did not have a business.
Did the Newman family not give her any living expenses?
“Is Mrs. Newman your biological mother?”
Callum could not resist asking Camryn.
After a moment of silence, she said, “I’d rather she wasn’t my biological mother. Unfortunately, she is.”
“Why is she treating you so badly despite being your biological mother?”
The eldest daughter of the Newman family was like an invisible being who could not even compare to the servants in the house. That was a fact that everyone in that neighborhood knew.
Callum could hear things about Camryn not being favored without deliberately asking around about it.
Camryn walked to a table. There was an electric kettle and a teapot on the table.
She took the electric kettle into the pantry, filled it with water, and started boiling water.
“Ms. Newman, there’s no need to make me tea. I don’t like drinking tea.”
Callum said after noticing Camryn’s intentions.
She did not stop her movements. She took the teapot and washed it in the pantry before placing it back. She said calmly, “We’ll prepare tea for our regulars sometimes. When my employees come to work, they’ll make the tea.”
Camryn could prepare tea with her instincts. However, she would add too much water and end up spilling it everywhere.
Therefore, she would not make tea unless it was necessary. She would wait until her employees came to work to make it.
“You might find it unbelievable because you came from a happy family, Mr. York. Actually … not all parents will love their children. On the other hand, some parents do, but there’s just one child they dislike who can’t obtain their affection.”
It was not that her mother preferred boys over girls.
Carrie was simply her mother’s favorite child and precious sweetheart. Her younger brother was not even favored as much as Carrie. Maybe it was because he treated her well.
Camryn’s younger brother would protect her as long as he was home.
He would have frequent quarrels with their mother and Carrie for her sake.
Carrie would often complain to her younger brother. They were siblings from the same parents, but why was he nicer to Camryn, who was born from a different father?
Carrie could not stand her brother treating Camryn well. She asked Mrs. Newman to send him to a boarding school since he started first grade to reduce the time he stayed at home.
Even so, he still treated Camryn better.
Camryn’s brother, who was younger than her by nine years, had always felt guilty. He blamed himself for not being able to get their parents to send her to the hospital when she was sick while he was in school. It had caused her to lose her sight.
In that family, Camryn had only felt the warmth of family from her brother.
Callum listened to her saying the most heartbreaking words with a calm tone. He strangely felt sorry for her.
It could be due to him knowing she was the wife his nana had chosen for him from the start.
Callum was treating Camryn as his woman.
“Happiness will come after hard times,” Callum said with a deep, gentle voice.
Camryn smiled at him. “You don’t have to feel sorry for me, Mr. York. They don’t treat me well, but they’ve raised me until this age.”
Although they did almost take her life…
“Have you chosen the flowers you want to buy, Mr. York?”
Camryn changed the topic.
She was not close to Callum and did not want to discuss her private matters with him.
“Since I gave you a ride to work, you should give me a bouquet.”
Camryn was speechless.
She did not expect Callum to ask her for a bouquet in return for his help.
She had not given a bouquet to someone of the opposite gender before.
After thinking about it, Camryn went to get some flowers. She was going to wrap a bouquet for him.
“I want a bouquet of red roses with baby breaths.”
Camryn stayed silent for a moment. Then, she said, “I don’t think it’s suitable to have roses in the bouquet I’m giving you, Mr. York.”
“My sister–in–law bought a bouquet of roses from you previously and gave it to my brother. He showed it off in front of me.”
“So you want me to give you a bouquet of roses to show off as well?”
Callum answered with a question. “Can’t I do that?”
Camryn was his chosen wife. It was almost certain that he would marry her.
If he showed off the bouquet given by his wife in the company, it could even drive off her rivals indirectly.
As a young master of the York family, Callum had many admirers. However, he always ignored them, just like his brother did. He never accepted or made any promises and preserved his moral integrity.
His nana had told them not to mess with girls and hurt them if they did not intend to marry them.
The York brothers were doubly cautious when it came to love.
“If you want to be lovey–dovey, you can buy a bouquet of roses from me and show off in your company after you get a girlfriend or wife.”
Callum smiled. “Okay. I admit that my request was a lot. You can design the bouquet as you like, Ms. Newman. Just make sure it’s not flowers suited for graves.”
Camryn was speechless.
She then proceeded to prepare a bouquet based on her idea. She handed it over to him after wrapping it.
Callum had never given flowers to a girl before. He did not understand the language of flowers. He only knew that roses symbolized love.
Callum and Camryn had not even started dating. Well, he had started, but she did not know about it. It was understandable that she refused to give him roses.
“The flowers are pretty. Thank you for the bouquet, Ms. Newman.”
Callum accepted the flowers and admired them. After thanking Camryn, he said to her while holding the bouquet, “I’ll head to work now, Ms. Newman.”
Callum walked out of the store and went to his car. He opened the passenger’s seat door and placed the bouquet on the seat. He turned to glance at Camryn before getting in the car and driving away.
Camryn listened to the sounds at the entrance. She let out a breath of relief when she heard the sound of a car engine starting.
She felt like Mr. York was targeting her. Not targeting, to be exact, but he seemed interested in her. Maybe he had never seen a blind person.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.