Before they parted ways, Luke was the same as he always was. He kept her illness a secret from her and was afraid her condition would get worse. He was so nice to her, but she always thought he was forcing himself onto her.
In fact, when did Luke truly harm her? If she could understand that earlier on, then they might not have to be separated by death.
Yes. It was all her fault. If she had realized this sooner, the person who was supposed to be dead was her and not Luke. If there was a chance to do it all over again, she would rather be the one who died and not have things turn out the way it was…
“Gwen…”
Steven panicked when he saw Gwen start to cry. “I… I shouldn’t ask you that, should I?
He clumsily drew out some tissues from the tissue box to pass them to Gwen. “Don’t cry–it’s my fault. I just… I just wanted to ask. You…”
He passed the tissues over, but Gwen did not accept them. What he did not know was the tone he talked in was so identical to Luke’s that it pained Gwen’s heart deeply.
She bit her lip to prevent herself from weeping and embarrassing herself. However, her sadness would not just go away. Every time she thought of Luke, her heart started to throb painfully.
Steven, too, felt sad when he saw Gwen cry sadly with tears falling down her face incessantly. He no longer tried to give Gwen the tissues. Instead, he extended his hand out and used the tissue to wipe away Gwen’s tears.
His voice was panicked, bitter, and low. “Did I…say something that upset you? You… Did it remind you of him?”
Steven did not need to clarify which person he was referring to. Gwen knew he was asking about Luke, thus she nodded feebly. “Yes.”
Originally, she had no intention to answer, but she could not help it.
Just a simple answer, but it pained Steven so much. He sighed. “Don’t cry…” “I can’t control myself…”
Gwen sniffed to stop her snot from drooling and tears from falling.
She turned around and hugged Steven, her entire being racked with helplessness. “What should I do? I can’t forget him… I really can’t…”
After two days of recovery, she thought she had accepted the fact. Nonetheless, Steven’s words reminded her of Luke again. The man was deeply engraved in his heart that she just could not remove him.
“I can’t… I just can’t…”
Steven closed his eyes silently and embraced Gwen. “Why don’t I help you to get him back?”
Gwen, who was hugging Steven, shivered at what he said. She furrowed her brow and removed herself from his embrace. After she wiped off the tears from her face, she asked, “How are you going to get him back?”
Steven sighed when he saw Gwen’s swollen eyes. He took out a medicine bottle from the car.”
With this.”
This was the medicine he requested from the doctor yesterday.
“Maybe this medicine can help you to regain back the memory of Luke gradually. However, I need to warn you about the risk of taking this medicine, Mr. Hughes. Because of your special condition, we’ve never had a patient with your condition before, so we need to tell you the truth.
“The best part of this medicine is to help you recall Luke’s memory and gradually turn you into the person you want to be. However, with your current personality, you’ll be devoured,” the doctor said.
“What’s the worst case that could happen?”
Steven had asked.
“The worst case…is that you’ll end up with mental illness, Dissociative Identity Disorder…or in simple terms, split personality,” the doctor replied.
“What is this?”
Gwen’s voice pulled Steven back to the current world.
He looked at the medicine bottle Gwen took and smiled faintly. “This is the thing that can help bring Luke back.”
Yesterday, the doctor had told him the worst case that could happen to him after he took the medicine– he would develop a split personality. On and off, he would become another person.
At this point, he suddenly felt like… it was not a bad choice to have a split personality when he saw how upset Gwen was. At least, there would be a time that he would become the person she loved the most to ease her sadness of losing Luke.
It was a good choice, was it not? He did not want to see her cry or feel upset.
“Are you saying…this medicine can turn you into Luke?”
Gwen furrowed her brow and looked at the medicine bottle with scribbles written in a foreign language she did not understand. Her eyes were filled with doubt.
Steven nodded. “Yes. As long as I take it continuously, you can probably see the effect within a month”
Before he could finish his sentence, Gwen wound down the window and threw the medicine bottle away. “No.”
Steven reeled back in shock at her abrupt action. For a long period, he failed to find words to express his feelings. “I don’t need you to make the sacrifice.”
Gwen wiped away the remaining tears at the corner of her eyes and looked up at Steven. “Yes, I’m devastated by Luke’s death, and I’m also angry with what your parents and the Miller family did to Luke. However, I can also tell the difference.
“You are Steven, not Luke. Since Luke passed to save your life, you should live happily for his sake. I don’t need you to turn back into Luke. And please give up that thought.”
She then gazed up ahead. “Aren’t we going to the hospital? Let’s go. Don’t waste any more time.”
Steven’s body trembled after hearing what Gwen said. He did not expect…to get such a reply from Gwen when he suggested regaining Luke’s memory. After a moment of silence, he did not say anything and started the car engine.
Gwen sat in the passenger seat and looked at the road in front of her. Albeit what she said, the sadness did not vanish.
If Steven took out the medicine yesterday and proposed to turn him back into Luke, she would be extremely grateful and excited. At this point, however, she had promised Denise to leave herself and Steven in peace.
After settling the case with the Hughes family and the Miller family for framing Luke, she would let Steven go so he could live happily ever after.
It was important to be a person who held true to their word; this was a principle Luke taught her before he passed.
Shortly, Gwen and Steven arrived at the hospital. Everything was just as Brettley expected; the hospital was so heavily guarded that they did not have the chance to enter.
The guard at the entrance was very persistent and serious. “I’m sorry, but this is a private hospital. After the death of Mr. Howard, his family reserved the hospital. No one is allowed to enter other than the employees of this hospital and the patients who have been staying in this hospital and their families.”
After the explanation, the guard glanced at Steven and continued, “Mr. Hughes, why are you involving yourself with the Howard family’s business?”
That simple question had cut off Steven’s thought of fabricating his identity to enter the hospital. If the guard at the entrance knew Steven, the guard would never let him in no matter what kind of identity he made up.
Without any choice, Steven and Gwen returned to the car. At that moment, Gwen’s phone rang. She looked at the screen and was enlightened as Neil was the one calling her. This was the first time Bethan and Brettley’s children called her after she came to this city, especially at a time like this.
Based on Gwen’s understanding with Neil, Nigel must have already hacked into the city’s traffic control at this time since they were calling her. They must have known she was in trouble, and thus that was the reason why Neil called her.
She picked up the phone excitedly. “Hey, Neil!” “Hi, Aunt Gwen,”
Neil’s cheerful voice came from the other side of the phone. “Daddy contacted us. Nigel and I have been monitoring the surveillance system the whole time. After our effort, we’ve confirmed Mr. Zink is currently locked up in the underground car park of the hospital.”
“The heavy amount of guards outside the hospital was just a cover–up, so you and that…Uncle Steven don’t need to enter the hospital. You just need to go to the car park.”
Gwen was thrilled to hear that. “Really?”
“Of course.”
Neil pursed his lips. “Both of you are helping my daddy, so Nigel and I need to help both of you. We won’t lie to you.”
He even giggled. “But, if you feel bad having our help, you can bring more gifts back for me when you come back from Saigen City! Nigel and Nellie don’t have anything in mind and don’t want any. I’m the only materialist here, so you just need to prepare gifts for me!”
Gwen smiled helplessly. “Alright. I’ll bring gifts for you.” “Alright!”
Neil nodded vehemently. “Daddy said you guys are coming back after a week. I’ll be waiting for you!”
Gwen smiled and responded, “Alright, alright. I’ll start preparing the gifts today!”
After the chit–chat, Gwen hung up the phone. Just when she was putting away the phone, she realized Steven was staring at her. His face was just too charming to ignore. She quickly looked to the other side so she did not have to look at his face. “Why are you looking at me?”
“Are you guys…leaving next week?”
Steven stared deeply at Gwen, feeling very reluctant to know Gwen was leaving. “Do you need to leave so soon?”
Gwen was startled by this, but she did not make eye contact with him. “Yes. If that day at the airport…”
She paused for a while and resumed, albeit a little hoarse, “If I didn’t see you at the airport that day, Bethan and I would’ve been gone by now.”
After that reply, the atmosphere in the car became dead silent.
Steven looked at Gwen’s intricate and exquisite face. He wanted to say something as he opened his mouth, but he did not know what to say. He thus closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Nevermind. He was not Luke and not her lover. He did not have the right to stop her from leaving
Nonetheless…
Was there any meaning for him to turn into Luke if she was gone? “Let’s go.”
At that moment, Gwen’s voice interrupted his thinking. When Steven’s senses returned, Gwen had already opened the door and walked toward the car park. He felt listless for a moment, but he quickly made his move to chase after her.
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.