Divorced the Cheat Married the Fleet (Camilla and Lance) novel Chapter 269

The words “mentally ill” stung, and Dahlia’s hands were shaking even harder.

Camilla’s expression went cold. “If you two want to catch up, or if you have anything else to say, take it outside. Don’t disturb everyone else here.”

Magee shot a sideways look at Dahlia, his eyes clouded with emotion she couldn’t quite read. He didn’t argue, just took Pamela by the arm and left, closing the door behind them and leaving the room to Camilla and Dahlia.

Camilla gently patted Dahlia’s back. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s all behind you now. Really. You’re safe.”

Dahlia raised her head a little, tears staining her cheeks. Her eyes searched Camilla’s for reassurance. “Camilla, am I pathetic?” Her voice trembled. “It’s been years, but whenever I see her, I still get so scared. I thought I’d be better by now, but I’m not…”

“Being scared is normal,” Camilla said softly. “But look at you. You’re still standing, you’re taking care of yourself. That’s more than enough. You’re stronger than you think.”

Dahlia stayed quiet, her eyes empty and tired. After a moment, she glanced over at the door. Through the tiny glass window, she could see the back of Magee’s head. He was still talking to Pamela somewhere in the hallway. No sound reached their room, just a heavy silence.

An uneasy feeling crept up on Camilla. “Dahlia, you heard what he said just now, right? He’s not someone you can pin your hopes on. You’re still young, you have so much ahead of you. Don’t waste your time and energy on a person like that. It’s just not worth it, do you understand?”

Dahlia bit her lip until it turned pale. Her normally dark eyes churned with emotion that even Camilla couldn’t piece together. She still didn’t speak, which only made Camilla more on edge. She pressed again, “Dahlia, forget everything else for a minute. Can you just tell me, honestly, what’s really going through your mind right now?”

“I don’t know,” Dahlia whispered. Her fingers clung to the edge of Camilla’s sleeve. Her voice was barely holding together. “I don’t understand why they treat me like this. I just don’t get it. Camilla, I hate him, but I…”

The words tumbled out in messy fragments. She tried to hold herself together, clutching the front of her shirt over her chest as if that could keep her heart from shattering.

Camilla’s answer was sharp, and a little disgusted. “You? After all the pain you caused her, you think you’re the right person to help? Even if she needs a doctor, we don’t need your help.”

Camilla had never trusted Magee, not then and not now. To her, he was no better than Barnard. There was no way she’d ever let Dahlia go with him.

Magee tried to explain. “Camilla, you don’t decide everything. I know you’re close with that person from the Charles family, but connections can only get you so far. Even they might not be able to find the best doctor for Dahlia. I just want her to get better. Back when…”

He seemed like he wanted to say more, but the words just hung in the air. Finally, he fell silent.

Camilla didn’t want to hear about the past. “If you really cared about Dahlia, you wouldn’t have disappeared all these years. You knew what Pamela was doing to her, and you never said a word in her defense. You show up out of nowhere, act like you care, and still couldn’t even stop Pamela from finding her again. After everything, what makes you think I’d ever trust you with her?”