Out of curiosity, I went to the meeting with Matthew and brought Howard along.
Howard and I arrived first and waited in the restaurant for quite a while before we saw Matthew walk in with a woman, who was dressed in a striking red gown, carrying an umbrella and wearing a hat.
With that, I stared at her with increasing curiosity, wondering what kind of person Matthew would be fond of.
"Sorry, we're late," Matthew walked towards us slowly.
But my attention was not on him at all; I looked at the woman beside him in disbelief.
I sprang up from my seat as a nearby waiter was just serving dishes. The unexpectedness of my movement caused him to fumble, and the plate crashed to the floor. Hot oil and soup splattered everywhere, and the sudden searing pain brought me back to my senses.
Howard quickly stood up and pulled me into his arms, looking at my feet. "Why are you so excited?"
Fortunately, I was wearing long pants to ward off the cold, so I did not sustain any serious injuries.
I hit Howard hard and pointed at the woman walking towards us. "Look."
Howard followed the direction of my finger and saw the woman standing next to Matthew. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, and then he said, "Why make such a fuss?" His eyes were very calm, as if he had already expected it.
Seeing his reaction, I remembered his calm reaction yesterday and couldn't help but grit my teeth. "Did you already know that female ghost is Matthew's girlfriend?" As I spoke, my words were filled with uncontrollable anger, feeling deceived.
"I didn't know," Howard looked at me seriously. "I found the scent on him familiar when he approached yesterday. I had my suspicions, but it wasn't until I saw her that I confirmed them."
Reluctantly accepting Howard's answer, I felt extremely complicated inside, thinking anyone could become Matthew's girlfriend, expect the female ghost.
While we were talking, Matthew had already brought the female ghost over. Seeing the mess on the ground, he looked at us with some confusion, asking, "Did you have a fight?" Perhaps seeing us arguing so intensely, he misunderstood.
Suppressing the shock in my heart, I tried to appear calm and shook my head, staring intently at the stunning woman. "Matthew, who is this? Is she your girlfriend?"
Matthew looked at the woman beside him and flashed a tender smile, dodging the question. "Let's sit down and talk while we eat."
I quickly sat down and couldn't wait to ask again. "Matthew, you haven't told me yet; is she your girlfriend?" As I asked, I kept my eyes fixed on the female ghost, hoping she would say no.
Matthew smiled gently and said softly, "This is Ivy Price. We just started dating. Don't scare her. She said she doesn't have many friends, and I thought with your outgoing personality, you could be friends with her, so I wanted to introduce you."
My voice suddenly became sharp. "No, you can't be together!"
Perhaps startled by my reaction, Matthew looked a bit confused. "What's wrong with you?"
Ivy smiled and comforted Matthew. "I haven't gotten to know her yet. How about we talk alone for a while?"
I stood up immediately, looking at Ivy with a pale face. "I was just about to go to the restroom. Would you like to join me?"
"Sure, I was thinking of touching up my makeup in the restroom too." Ivy stood up with a smile, her calm demeanor making me feel quite uncomfortable.
Seeing the strange atmosphere between us, Matthew said to me before we left, "Karena, Ivy is a bit shy. Don't scare her when you talk to her."
My heart immediately felt even more constricted as I realized I was aggressive in Matthew's eyes, given that he even warned me not to startle Ivy.
Feeling upset, I didn't respond and headed to the restroom first, while Ivy smiled and winked at Matthew before following me to the restroom.
Angered, I forgot to be afraid and spoke somewhat aggressively. "Ivy, what are you up to? No matter how much you like to play, you can't involve him. Matthew is a good person and has never been in a relationship; you can't harm him."
"Who said I'm deceiving him? I never intended to harm him." Ivy said.
'She made up a name to get close to Matthew. Isn't that deception?' Thinking of this, I looked at her with a heavy gaze. "Then what do you mean by getting close to him now? He's different from the men you usually interact with. Getting close to him will only bring him trouble."
Ivy remained calm, facing my anger with indifference. "I know what you want to say. Didn't I always tell you I was looking for someone? Ever since I met Matthew on the road that time, I knew he was the one I was looking for."
I was dumbfounded, looking at her in disbelief.
She smiled slightly and continued, "My name used to be Ivy Price. I didn't lie to him and I really want to be with him."
I found it extremely absurd. "The person you're searching for is him, but you two belong to different worlds. Staying by his side will only bring him harm."
I didn't know who Ivy was looking for before, but now that I knew it was Matthew, I couldn't stand by and do nothing.
Seemingly provoked by my intense attitude, Ivy's tone turned unpleasant. "I'll handle this my way. It's none of your business."
I responded firmly without hesitation, "He's my neighbor. He watched me grow up. We've known each other since we were kids. I can't ignore his affairs!"
Ivy's gaze fell on me, and after a long silence, she sneered, "I know you're into him and it bothers you seeing us together, but you can't change my mind. If you know what's good for you, step aside. Otherwise, watch out." As she threatened me, a red light flashed in her indifferent eyes, and her cold tone made me shiver.
I forgot that although she always appeared kind and friendly, she was actually a female ghost. Knowing I couldn't stop her decision, I fell silent.