“Doctor, please disregard what he said earlier. Please tell me the dos and don’ts. Since he can’t move freely right now if I insist on helping him with his personal hygiene, he’ll have to cooperate,” Estelle asserted.
“How could you be so unreasonable?” Cristofer blurted out what he had always said when he and Estelle bickered in the past. As soon as he finished his words, Estelle and him were stunned and fell silent.
Looking at them meaningfully, the doctor broke the silence and said to Cristofer, “Well, stop bickering and listen to me. Just let your wife help you clean your body. Although you have servants, asking a male servant to do that for you is strange. Don’t you think so?”
Cristofer wanted to say that it was not strange at all. But before he could utter the words, the doctor’s assistant and the nurse who came to deliver the medicine burst into laughter at the same time when they imagined the scene where a male servant wiped Cristofer’s naked body with a wet towel. They looked at each other and lowered their head, trying to hold back their laughter.
At first, Cristofer was puzzled by their laughter, not understanding what amused them. However, his expression turned serious when he realized what they were thinking. Despite wanting to laugh, Estelle held it back, especially seeing Cristofer’s stern face. She smiled at the doctor and said, “Doctor, please provide me with more details. I’ll remember all the instructions and follow them.”
“Of course,” the doctor replied, taking a moment to jot down some medication guidelines on a piece of paper, which he handed to Estelle.
Estelle carefully folded the paper and placed it with the medicine. While she engaged in conversation with the doctor, she listened attentively to avoid missing any important information, not noticing that Cristofer was watching her.
Cristofer hadn’t seen her this focused in a long time. Over the years, whenever he looked at her, there was a hint of sadness in her eyes.
‘I’m the cause of her unhappiness. It’s only fair that she sought revenge on me. I have no right to blame her. After all, compared to the pain I inflicted on her, what I’ve suffered is nothing,’ he thought. During his six months in prison, he often contemplated this while gazing at the stars through the small cell window.
On the day Cristofer was released from prison, Justin asked him, “What are you going to do about your relationship with Miss Hudson now?”
At that time, Cristofer simply smiled sadly and thought to himself, ‘I can’t do anything about it. I still love Estelle, and I don’t want to give up on her. But she doesn’t love me anymore.’
Their relationship had become awkward. They were once intimately close, but now they felt like strangers. Cristofer sensed an invisible barrier between them that neither could break. He longed to reunite with Estelle but was hesitant to admit it. ‘I’m a coward who can’t confess my true feelings,’ he thought, avoiding Estelle’s gaze.
“I’ve remembered all the instructions,” Estelle said with a smile. “Thank you, Doctor.”
The doctor was pleased that she was willing to follow his advice and gave her an approving nod. “With your care, your husband will surely recover soon. I’ve encountered some couples who did the opposite of what I recommended, and it was quite frustrating!”
Estelle couldn’t help but laugh and reassured the doctor, saying, “I’ll follow your advice. You can count on me. I won’t do anything we shouldn’t do.”
“Good. When he’s all better, you can do as you please,” the doctor replied.
Just then, the office door swung open, and the nurse, having heard that the treatment was finished, brought the three children back in. She warmly smiled, saying, “The kids missed you and wanted to be with you, so I brought them back. They’re adorable.”
Upon seeing Estelle, Yohan proudly declared, “Mom, I didn’t let Yvonne and Christina out of my sight while you were away.”
Recognizing Yohan’s desire for praise, Estelle gave him a pat on the shoulder and praised him, saying, “Great job, Yohan. You’re very reliable.”
“Mrs. Hans, your daughters are so lovely. They’re like little angels. I wish I had a daughter too,” the nurse said as she shook hands with Yvonne and Christina one by one.
Hearing this, the doctor chimed in, “If you enjoy being around the children, we can transfer you to the pediatric department. There are plenty of kids there.”
The nurse, however, quickly shook her head and declined. While she loved children, she didn’t want to work around the clock every day. The three children then bid farewell to her. After the nurse left, they gathered around Cristofer and expressed their concern for him.
“Dad, does it hurt?” Yvonne pulled out a piece of chocolate from her pocket and handed it to him.
Cristofer accepted the chocolate with a smile and gently patted her head, saying, “It doesn’t hurt at all.”
Christina stood beside Cristofer, wanting to touch his legs but hesitating out of fear of causing him more pain. She pouted and gently blew some air on Cristofer’s legs. In her sweet voice, she said, “Dad, Mom told me that blowing on an injury can make the pain go away. Your pain will disappear soon.” Afterward, she used her tiny hand as a fan to gently fan Cristofer’s legs.
Cristofer, touched by her adorable gesture, smiled even wider.
“Dad is a superhero. He’s not afraid of pain, and he’ll be all better soon,” Yohan quickly explained. “Dad, I want to be a superhero like you. Can you teach me how to become one when I grow up?”
With a chuckle, Cristofer replied patiently, “Yohan, you don’t have to be like me. Just be yourself, and you’ll become a superhero.”
“Is that all?”
“Well… There’s one more thing you should do.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t make the person who cares about you feel upset. Most importantly, no matter what happens, always believe in them. Otherwise, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
Since the doctor still had other patients to attend to, Estelle didn’t want to keep him busy any longer. She said her goodbyes to the doctor and the nurse. Afterward, she left the doctor’s office with the three children and Cristofer.
Their driver received a message indicating that the treatment had finished, so he promptly drove to the outpatient building’s entrance and waited for them. Without Luke’s help, Estelle felt a bit overwhelmed. Fortunately, the three children were well-behaved. The driver and Yohan helped her get Yvonne and Christina settled into their child seats.
Estelle approached Cristofer with his wheelchair and extended her hand to assist him in getting into the car. However, Cristofer declined her offer in a cold tone, saying, “Don’t bother. I can manage it myself.”