In the meeting room of Hans International Corporation
“Show me the plan before next week. Let’s call it a day,” Cristofer announced.
After that, he stood up, walked out of the meeting room, and loosened his tie irritably.
Somehow, he didn’t feel well today.
Then he suddenly remembered that Nelson had asked him to go to the hospital for a reexamination last night.
After thinking for a while, he went to the hospital.
****
In the hospital, the Doctor was reading Cristofer’s medical examination report carefully.
With a worried expression on his face, he asked, “Mr. Hans, have you taken excessive doses of sleeping pills before?”
“Yes.”
“According to your medical records, you suffered from bipolar disorder before. Did you take sleeping pills when you had an attack of manic depression?” the Doctor asked.
“Yes,” Cristofer acknowledged with a nod. “During that period… I attempted suicide on several occasions.”
Startled, the Doctor’s eyes widened, and he inquired, “How many times?”
“Approximately four or five times. I can’t recall precisely. I battled severe insomnia, unable to sleep each night, which led me to rely on sleeping pills. As time passed, I realized the pills were ineffective, so I increased the dosage. I’ve experimented with various sleeping pills, but none have provided relief. Presently, insomnia continues to torment me.”
The Doctor shook his head in concern. “Your stomach can’t endure the strain of these sleeping pills any longer! Mr. Hans, you must stop taking the sleeping pills.”
“No. My stomach will be fine.”
“You had a stomach perforation before, right? Look at this X-ray. Your stomach has almost recovered, but recently, there’s a sign of relapse. If you continue to live an unhealthy lifestyle, it is very likely to cause gastrorrhagia. Serious gastrorrhagia is life-threatening!”
With a deep frown, Cristofer said, “It’s okay. Maybe the condition will not be that serious.”
“If you suffer from serious gastrorrhagia, then everything will be too late!” the Doctor asserted, “Did you try any other ways to aid sleep?”
Cristofer shook his head and said, “No.”
“No? But your medical records show that three and a half years ago, you stopped taking sleeping pills. And half a year later, you began to take them again. Didn’t you sleep during that half a year?”
Cristofer sighed heavily and said in a deep voice, “I had a very serious car accident before, and I can’t remember what happened during that time.”
“That’s so strange…”
Cristofer was silent.
“By the way, how’s your mental state these days? Your mental problem seemed to be very serious before. Have you ever been suicidal recently?”
“Not at all,” Cristofer quickly responded, “All I think about daily is my work.”
“Perhaps work could serve as a valuable therapeutic option for you,” the Doctor sighed, nodding in acknowledgment. “Mr. Hans, despite the report indicating no other health issues, you must still prioritize self-care.”
“Understood. Thank you, Doctor,” Cristofer expressed his gratitude before departing, clutching his medical report.
When he was about to drive back to the company, he received a call from Ron.
“Mr. Hans, Miss Wilson had gone to the wedding dress store,” Ron told him.
“Got it. Keep an eye on her.”
“But Mr. Hans…” Ron wanted to say something but then hesitated.
“Get to the point.”
Gritting his teeth, Ron continued, “The person that drove her to the wedding store is… is…”
“Who?”
“Estelle.”
When Cristofer heard this, he subconsciously held the steering wheel tightly, and then he felt severe pain in his left arm.
Nelson had informed him about the extensive damage to his left arm caused by a car accident three years prior, leading to numerous lingering issues.
For instance, he could not lift heavy objects or exert excessive force. Moreover, he experienced excruciating pain on rainy days.
Yet, in the present moment, Cristofer found that the physical discomfort in his arm paled compared to the ache in his heart.
“… I was keeping an eye on Miss Wilson in the Grand Hotel of Hadale City and ran into Estelle in the elevator last night. I don’t know how Estelle knows Miss Wilson. I was surprised when I saw her drive Miss Wilson to the wedding dress store just now. Mr. Hans, the performance of the Hudson Group has been good recently. Estelle grabbed many of our clients by providing lower prices for them. Could it be that she sent Miss Wilson to your side to steal the trade secrets of our company?”
“That’s highly unlikely,” Cristofer retorted with a scornful tone. “She’s not that cunning or complex. I’ve known her since childhood, and I understand her quite well.”
“Mr. Hans, have you disregarded what Mr. Lopez mentioned? Women tend to be conniving and skilled at lies. Estelle duped you and heartlessly left you before. It’s uncertain if she might…”
“She didn’t leave me,” Cristofer interjected, his voice was firm. “She went abroad only to give birth to Yohan. I had misunderstood her back then.”
Ron said in a hurry, “I’m not talking about this. Estelle abandoned you three…”
Cristofer closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Well, I don’t want to talk about her anymore. You keep an eye on Miss Wilson and inform me if there’s anything wrong.”
“Okay.”
“By the way, what’s the name of Miss Wilson?”
With a helpless smile, Ron was stunned and said, “Her name is Mila.”
“Mila… Okay, I see. Send me the address of the wedding dress store.”
After hanging up the phone, Cristofer started the engine and drove to the wedding dress store.
****
“How about this one? Is it better than the one I tried on just now?” Wearing a white wedding dress, Mila asked as she looked at herself in the mirror.
The wedding dresses on display were numerous and exquisitely designed. As someone from an average background, Mila had never entered such a luxurious bridal store, making it difficult to determine which gown to select.
Observing Mila’s uncertainty, Eva remained silent, choosing not to offer advice to avoid the possibility of causing further dissatisfaction.
Estelle initially intended to leave, but her plans shifted when she noticed Eva’s limp. Compassion took over, compelling her to stay.
Considering Eva’s ankle injury that restricted her movement, Estelle mused, ‘I should remain here and lend a hand. After all, Cristofer won’t be showing up.’
As Mila checked the wedding dresses, Estelle took out her phone and contacted the hospital, inquiring about the possibility of expediting Christina’s operation as soon as possible.
“I’m sorry, Miss Hudson. The suitable donor we found before said that he won’t donate his liver.”
“Why?” Estelle asked anxiously.