Chapter 25 Visit The Hospital Alone
The room was dark and dead silent. I was completely alone.
I wondered if Charles had never come home as I scrambled out of bed and hurried into the hallway.
My legs felt weak and unsteady, causing me to nearly stumble on the staircase.
Bella was tidying the living room when she noticed me. “Ms. Thompson, you’re awake. Are you hungry? What would you like me to prepare for you?” she asked.
I shook my head, having no appetite, and asked her, “Has Charles come home?”
“Not yet,” Bella replied. “Would you like me to call him for you?”
“No, don’t worry about it,” I said quickly, waving my hands.
As I looked out at the empty yard, I realized it had all been a dream. I had been dreaming about Charles, about him humiliating me.
A cold night breeze came through the window, making me shiver. I suddenly noticed that my clothes were damp with
sweat.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and made my way upstairs, feeling defeated.
It was already past nine, and it seemed clear that Charles wouldn’t be coming back tonight.
When I got back to my room, I took a shower. But I still felt dizzy and unwell, with my whole body feeling heavy and sore.
Certain that I had a fever, I asked Bella for some fever medicine. After taking the medicine, I quickly fell back asleep.
Throughout the night, I drifted between wakefulness and dreams. I kept feeling like Charles had returned and was watching me from beside the bed. But each time, it turned out to be just another dream.
I spent the whole night in a groggy state and didn’t fully wake up until ten o’clock the next morning.
I woke up soaked in sweat, but the fever was still raging. My entire body throbbed with pain.
Bella brought in breakfast and immediately noticed how awful I looked. She pressed her hand to my forehead, frowning.” You’re still burning up,” she said before leaving to get me some fever medicine.
I asked her if Charles had returned last night, but she just shook her head.
I stared out the window, trying to ignore the disappointment settling in my chest. But more than that, I felt a growing sense
of dread.
If I didn’t do something by today, the debt collectors would come for my father tomorrow.
I couldn’t just keep waiting around for Charles. There was no guarantee he would ever come back, so I had to find him myself.
When I entered Charles’s company, I immediately heard the whispers–people talking about me and my father like we were a joke.
They called us gold diggers and leeches, clinging to Charles now that he was rich and successful.
They called us pathetic for pretending Charles was into me when everyone knew he was in love with someone else.
I brushed off their comments and headed straight for Charles’s office.
However, his secretary told me he’d left with Cheryl earlier.
When I asked when he’d be back, she just shrugged dismissively and said she had no idea.
I waited in the lounge for thirty minutes, growing dizzier by the minute, but Charles never showed.
The meds weren’t working at all. I figured I needed to get to a hospital first and clear my head before I could ask Charles for help.
After taking a cab to the hospital and going through all the tests and blood work, I realized over an hour had slipped by.
It turned out I had a nasty fever from being out in the cold, and they put me on an IV since it wouldn’t break.
I sat alone in the infusion clinic, mindlessly scrolling through my phone.
I’d texted Charles twice last night asking if he was coming home, but he still hadn’t bothered to reply.
I was staring at our text thread when I suddenly felt a strong need to use the restroom. I grabbed my IV pole and made my way to the women’s room down the hall.
But I still needed someone to hold my IV bag while I used the restroom, so I looked around for help. Then I spotted a familiar face–Charles.
I was just about to call out to him when Cheryl appeared out of nowhere, slipping her arm through his. “Charles? I told you
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Chapter 25 Visit The Hospital Alone
to stay downstairs with my results,” she said, her voice sweet but slightly scolding.
Charles smiled and ruffled her hair. “I was worried about you being by yourself,” he said, his voice gentle.
His words echoed in my ears as my gaze dropped to the IV line in my hand, following it down to the needle taped to the back of my wrist. A sharp sting hit my nose, and tears blurred my vision.
“Aww, it’s nothing,” Cheryl said with a cute pout. “Just here for some blood work. Really, don’t worry about me.” Then they both turned and walked toward the elevators.
Instinctively, I turned slightly away and let my hair fall over my face. But Cheryl had sharp eyes–she noticed me right away. “Ms. Thompson?” she said, sounding genuinely surprised.
I pulled myself together, turned around, and mustered up a smile. “What a surprise seeing you both here, Mr. Bennett and Ms. Grant.”
Cheryl looked at me, a little stunned. “You know me?”
I smiled faintly and replied, “Well, you seem to know me too, Ms. Grant.”
Cheryl seemed somewhat embarrassed and turned to Charles with a slightly hurt expression.
Charles narrowed his eyes and gave me a cold look, clearly angry that I had upset the woman he cherished.
This was not good at all. I couldn’t risk angering his favorite person, especially since I still needed to ask him for money.
I quickly softened my expression and smiled warmly at Cheryl. “Everyone knows you mean the world to Mr. Bennett. Of course, I know who you are.”
Cheryl gave a shy smile, her delicate features radiating an innocent charm.
But Charles’s gaze turned icier as he looked at me, making me wonder if I’d said something wrong again.
Just as I was mentally replaying my words, Cheryl turned to me with fake concern. “Ms. Thompson, are you feeling okay? What brings you to the hospital?”
“Just a fever,” I said, keeping my tone light and polite.
She told me to take care of myself, then glanced toward the restroom. “Were you trying to use the restroom? It must be hard with an IV.”
Her question caught me off guard, and I didn’t know how to respond.
She leaned in with a pitying look. “You came here all alone? And your eyes are red–have you been crying?
“When people are sick, they feel completely vulnerable. If Charles hadn’t stayed with me the whole time, I definitely would have cried.” She carried herself like with the air of a pampered princess.
I used to be his princess too. I remembered when I got sick, Charles would camp out by my bedside, bringing me anything I wanted without me even asking.
He never let me come to the hospital alone, always insisting on coming with me. Back then, I didn’t appreciate it like I should have, always snapping at him instead.
Now that he had become successful, he no longer had to put up with me and could finally be openly with the person he truly loved.
A deep sadness welled up inside me, filling my heart until I felt like I might cry.
I quickly forced a weak smile and said as lightly as possible, “It’s nothing serious, just a minor illness.”
“Let’s go,” Charles told Cheryl abruptly.
Cheryl looked at me with concern and said, “But Ms. Thompson needs to use the restroom. Should we help her?”
Before I could refuse, Charles cut me off with a cold look. “She can handle herself just fine. She doesn’t need our help.” With that, he turned and walked away without even giving me a glance.
Suddenly remembering the money I needed to borrow, I instinctively reached out and grabbed his arm.
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