"No, no—just doing my job." He glanced at me. "And I should thank my wife. She had some... emotions at the time, wasn't entirely understanding, but in the end, she supported my work."
He poured a full glass of baijiu and held it out to me, eyes sharp with warning.
"Since you're here, lose the long face. Learn from Scarlett—be more generous." He pushed the glass closer. "Come on, honey. Toast her."
The sharp smell of alcohol turned my stomach.
When I didn't move, Scarlett laughed loudly.
"Oh, Colin, don't force her. She obviously hates me—thinks I stole her seat and cost her the chance to see her dad one last time." She turned to me with mock sympathy. "But Mrs. Matthews, be reasonable. Your dad's illness was a burden anyway. What difference does it make if he went a little earlier or later?"
She leaned in, eyes glittering.
"Me, though? That game only happens once every four years. Trading one life your dad was going to lose anyway for Colin's future and my happiness?" She spread her hands. "Pretty good deal, don't you think?"
She snatched the glass and downed it in one go.
"There—I drank it for you. Consider the matter closed." She jabbed a finger at me. "And from now on, stop making such a fuss. Colin and I are just bros. You can't forbid him from having female friends, right?"
Colin yanked Scarlett close and jabbed his finger in my face.
"Elise! You're an embarrassment! Look at Scarlett, then look at yourself! How can you be this petty?" His voice rose. "She treats you with respect as my wife, and you? Your head's full of dirty, disgusting thoughts!"
Scarlett jumped back in seamlessly.
"Colin, don't be so harsh. Women like her are just sensitive—easily jealous, love to blow things out of proportion, can never let anything go." She sighed theatrically. "We already told her we're just bros. If there was really something between us, we'd have been together ages ago. What would she even have to do with it?"
"But she just won't believe it. She insists there's no such thing as pure friendship between a man and a woman—she thinks we're that dirty. I don't know what else I can do."
The moment he finished, his colleagues turned on me with condemning looks.
"Seriously, who doesn't have friends of the opposite sex? Miss Henson is being way too petty."
"Exactly. People with dirty minds see dirt everywhere. She doesn't trust Captain Matthews at all."