Hamish didn’t have a smoking habit. After taking two puffs, he extinguished the cigarette with his hand. Although his fingertips were burned, he felt no sensation.
In fact, he had anticipated this outcome beforehand, but he had never dared to imagine that Lila, who was pure, harmless, and kind in his heart, would one day be overwhelmed by jealousy and do something so malicious.
And it happened twice in one day.
As the truth came to the surface, Hamish found it even more difficult to accept. It proved Elisa’s innocence, but he didn’t know how to face her afterward or how to face the first child who had died in his hands.
Hamish stared at his right hand, flipping it over and over, and despite there being nothing, he saw a hand covered in blood. Why was he so cruel and violent towards Elisa?
Now that he knew what Lila had done, Hamish wouldn’t do anything to her. He felt guilty towards Lila. Their childhood friendship, and she had even risked her life to save him.
Six years ago, he had vowed to take care of her. If it weren’t for the accident and Elisa forcing him to marry her, perhaps he would have been with Lila long ago.
Now that the Powell family had gone bankrupt, Elisa no longer held any power over him. But he couldn’t bring himself to divorce her. The mere thought of Elisa leaving him and seeking solace in someone else’s arms made him feel unbearable pain. Just imagining it was difficult, let alone witnessing it with his own eyes.
Hamish found himself in a dilemma, regretting that he had investigated in the first place.
When Hamish returned, Elisa had already awakened. She had just undergone surgery and couldn’t sit up yet, so she lay in bed, relying on others to feed her and give her water spoon by spoon.
Every day, someone in the hospital pushed a cart selling porridge. Today, they were selling porridge for fifteen per serving. The nurse took the liberty of ordering a portion and put it on Elisa’s tab.
“Miss Powell, drink some water first.” The nurse carefully scooped some water with a spoon, testing the temperature, and brought it to Elisa’s lips.
Elisa was awake, but her eyes were vacant, like two abysses that made people shudder when they looked into them.
When the nurse fed her water and porridge, Elisa opened her mouth, as if she were a machine following instructions, mechanically and stiffly swallowing.
The bowl of porridge wasn’t much, but the nurse didn’t dare to feed her more. After consuming two-thirds, she set it aside.
The nurse dampened a clean cloth with warm water and gently wiped Elisa’s face, avoiding the wound and cleaning her neck and hands.
Hamish stood outside the room, watching from the doorway. His heart ached, and when the nurse came out to dispose of the trash, he automatically hid to the side.
After the nurse finished disposing of the trash, Hamish belatedly realized that there was no need for him to hide anything. He couldn’t avoid Elisa forever.
He pushed the door open, and the nurse saw him but didn’t pay him any attention, wondering why this person hadn’t left yet.
“Let me take care of her,” Hamish said.
The nurse shook her head. “I can’t trust you alone. If something happens, Dr. Mason will blame me.”
There was indeed something she couldn’t trust, but when he considered Elisa’s condition, he chose to remain silent.
Hamish was Elisa’s nominal husband, her closest relative. The hospital couldn’t kick him out. They could only remind him not to further upset Elisa, and Hamish agreed.
The private room was quite spacious, with a separate bathroom and shower. There was a bed for the caregiver, and they even placed a reclining chair that could be used for sleeping.
The nurse couldn’t be by Elisa’s side at all times since it was her night shift, so most of the time, Hamish kept Elisa company.
Elisa’s face showed no extra expression. She was as stiff as a dead person. Hamish couldn’t help but look at her. Even though this woman was right in front of him, he couldn’t feel her presence. She seemed ethereal, like a fleeting illusion that would vanish with a gentle touch.
Hamish stood by the bedside, looking at the moon outside, feeling that something had deviated from its original path.