I doubted him. After all, a leopard would never change its spots. I watched his girlfriend’s face closely. Somehow, I pitied her. I couldn’t believe she would fall for a guy like him.
“Break up with him. He does not deserve you,” I said to her.
I knew that no matter what I said, it would be useless. Despite that, I had to say something. That woman looked at me, puzzled. There was no longer any trace of the alluring expression that she wore earlier. Rather, she looked miserable and pale. “Thanks,” she muttered after a while.
I shook my head nonchalantly. “No, I just can’t bear to see this jerk raised his hand on you.”
Anthony pursed his lips. “Let’s go.” I stood up and followed him. After a distance away, I took another glance at her. Then, with a heavy sigh, I made my way down the stairs.
“Not everyone walks the same path. Everyone is different. You can’t control it,” he said with a warm smile as he held my hand.
I turned to him. “Are you trying to say that I shouldn’t be a busybody?” I said, with a little pout.
He responded with a gentle grin before he rubbed his nose and said, “You are overthinking it.”
I huffed, and we stayed silent until the cruise ship docked. I was surprised to see a familiar face when we disembarked. “Joseph, when did you arrive?”
“Today.”
I considered him a friend. Naturally, I missed him after such a long time. As soon as we got into the car, we had a good catch-up.
On our way to the hotel, Anthony had a horrible cough. I asked worriedly, “Are you feeling unwell?” He was finally discharged from the hospital, but the doctor advised that he needed to rest. However, he just couldn’t turn down Holden’s invitation because it was an important event.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry.” I watched him silently as he leaned back in his seat and shut his eyes to rest.
Upon our arrival at the hotel, I was suddenly feeling so exhausted that I crashed on the bed while the two men chatted in the living room. What was supposed to be a nap became a deep slumber.
Anthony came and woke me up after he showered. As he stood by the bed, I could smell the scent of soap on him. “Go wash up. You can go back to sleep after that,” he said tenderly.
I stood up and rested my head in the hollow of his shoulder. “Sorry, I was too sleepy. These past few days are just mentally exhausting. I definitely need a good rest when we get home.”
He stroked my hair idly. “Shall I help you wash up? You can continue your sleep, then.”
A sly grin crept onto his face. I knew he was up to no good, so I immediately made my way to the bathroom.
The moment I stepped in, I furrowed my brows at a bottle of Vitamin A next to the sink. It was odd to see supplements around him lately, yet I tried to think positive. This is perfectly normal. Everyone takes care of themselves more as they get older.
After I got out of the shower, I showed him the bottle and asked, “Have you been taking this lately?”
He reached out and took a glance at it before nodding.
“Why Vitamin A? Are you feeling any discomfort in your body as you get older? Why are you taking all these supplements?” I asked inquisitively.
He closed the book in his hands, laid it carefully on the side table, and fixed his blazing gaze on me. “My dear wife, are you despising me now?”
I was flabbergasted for a moment. Then I shook my head and chuckled. “Of course not. You are Prince Charming. You look classy and young as ever.”
He raised a brow, then pulled me down onto the bed. He took the towel that I wrapped around the top of my head and wiped my hair gently from behind. “Stay away from Holden.” His voice was soft.
“Why?” I was surprised by his sudden change of topic.
He pursed his lips. “Is he hot?” Although he was being nonchalant, I could sense a hint of jealousy.
With a small smile, I turned my head to him. “I’ve watched a variety show a few days ago. One of the female singers said that she was not interested in the twenty-five-year-old guys because they are boring. I guess Holden is around that age, no?”
His expression darkened. “Don’t watch that kind of show anymore.”
I pouted. “I kind of agree with her though.” I tried to reassure and win over my jealous hubby.
It had been three days since we returned to K City, and Anthony was busy day and night. Going back and forth between the office and home became a routine for him. I visited him at work because I was concerned about his health since he had just recovered.
When I went down to the lobby, I saw Stella, who I hadn’t seen for almost six months. She looked like an entirely different person under such sophisticated makeup and stylish attire. I wouldn’t recognize her if she hadn’t approached me first.
“Mrs. Featherstone, you’re back from the trip,” Stella greeted me.
I was so mesmerized by her drastic change that I fell silent for a moment. After a while, I threw a smile at her and nodded. “Yeah. By the way, are you going out with someone? You look gorgeous.”
“You’re flattering me, Mrs. Featherstone.” She blushed. We both laughed.
Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Sasha’s mother. I answered the call as I knew it was around the time that she would ask me for money for Renee’s chemotherapy.
Instead of the usual sobbing I was expecting, the woman sounded calm on the other end. Instead, she forced calmness into her voice and said, “Mrs. Featherstone, are you free to come over? Renee wants to see you and thank you personally.”
She sounded rather unusual to me, so I asked in confusion, “Mrs. Brooks, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s just that Renee wants to express her gratitude for your generous support with her medical fees.”
I promised her I would stop by. I ended the call, bade Stella farewell, then headed to the hospital.
I hated the iodoform smell in the hospital, so I quickened my pace to Renee’s room. Both her grandparents were in the ward with her. They had aged considerably when I last saw them two weeks ago. Now, their wrinkles were more prominent, and they looked haggard.
Mrs. Brooks stood up from her seat when she saw me entered the room. “Mrs. Featherstone, thank you for coming.”
I shook my head slightly. They informed me they hadn’t eaten, so I agreed to stay and looked after Renee. Then, they excused themselves and went to the cafeteria. The emotion I felt when I looked at the child was unexplainable.
She lay asleep on the bed with a pale and gaunt face. It was heart-breaking to see such a lovely girl terribly emaciated because of cycles of chemotherapy treatments.
I took a seat beside her bed as I seriously pondered whether I should ask Anthony’s help for her treatments. Renee deserved the best specialist out there who could cure her illness. It was just unbearable to see her suffer.
When I was about to message him, Renee woke up and was surprised to see me. “Ms. Stanhope…” she called out my name with a quavering voice.
“Did I wake you up?”
She shook her head and looked at me. “Where are Grandma and Grandpa?” she asked.
“They went out for lunch. Renee, are you thirsty? I’ll pour you a glass of water.”
“It’s fine. Thanks, Ms. Stanhope.”
I smiled faintly and held her bony hand. My heart ached for her. “Are you hungry?”
She just shook her head, perhaps still a little groggy from her sleep. I usually felt awkward around little kids, so we fell into silence. I noticed her gaze drifting from me to the ceiling several times.
“Ms. Stanhope, am I dying?” She finally broke the silence.
Her question gripped my heart. The air surrounded us seemed too hard for me to breathe. I tried to suppress my tears and force a smile. “No. The doctor will cure you, and you will get well very soon. After that, you can run outside, play under the blue sky, or even go to the zoo with your grandparents.”
“Really?” Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
I tugged on her hand and nodded affirmatively. “Yeah. After you recover, I will bring you anywhere you want. How does that sound to you?”
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.