“In my eyes, you are still you, it’s time that has changed. You are still the same Hattie, at least in my heart, you have never changed.”
Micah held Hattie’s hand, then stepped on the gas and turned the steering wheel. He looked ahead seriously, his outer calmness masking inner nervousness.
He wasn’t good at comforting people or saying nice things.
Although he said these words, he actually meant something else in his heart. He liked Hattie, no matter how she changed.
Just like how he liked watermelon. Watermelon juice wasn’t good, neither was watermelon-flavored cake. He liked Hattie, whether she was the proud and arrogant Hattie from two years ago, or the disheveled Hattie who had been in prison. He would like her all the same.
But he was bad with words and shy, unable to express his feelings to Hattie.
Micah could only place himself in the position of a close friend, fearing that getting any closer would push her away.
Micah took Hattie to his hospital, where she stayed for half a month before being discharged. During this time, she didn’t hear any news about Harry, as if he had disappeared from her life entirely.
Only Hattie knew that Harry couldn’t have disappeared. He would always linger in the shadows of her life, occasionally appearing in her dreams.
During her hospitalization, Max visited her once, telling her about recent events such as his family’s plummeting stocks and Harry being closely monitored by the police.
As for Fiona, she was currently detained in a mental hospital, claiming to have a five-year history of mental illness and constantly taking psychiatric medication. Thanks to this, she escaped legal responsibility.
Mental illness? Could she fake it for a lifetime? Hattie didn’t expect Fiona to come up with such a trick.
“Miss Mason, you rest well. I will keep an eye on Harry, he won’t disturb you,” Max assured her.
It was only then that Hattie realized that these peaceful days were thanks to Max’s efforts.
Max was a dedicated and righteous police officer.
“Mr. Brown, how do you view murderers?” Hattie suddenly asked.
Mr. Brown was about to leave when Hattie’s question caught him off guard. He scratched the back of his head and said, “Murderers should all go to prison.”
“And what if they had no choice but to kill?”
“Guilty parties should be punished, regardless of the circumstances. Whether or not it was justified, such extreme actions shouldn’t be taken. Whether someone should live or die should be left to the law.” Max paused and added, “I hate murderers.”
If Hattie had accidentally killed Harry in the past, would the present Max dislike her and refuse to help her?
Hattie smiled and remained silent.
As Max was about to close the door and leave, he suddenly saw Hattie sitting quietly on the hospital bed, looking somewhat desolate.
He didn’t understand why Hattie asked him such a question out of the blue. “Miss Mason, you are a good person. Those who have hurt you will eventually receive the punishment they deserve. Don’t do anything foolish, justice will prevail.”
Hattie looked up. “Mr. Brown, you are a good cop.” She hadn’t misjudged him.
Max saluted awkwardly and then left. Shortly after, Micah arrived and noticed a basket of apples and flowers on the table. “Someone just visited you?”
“Yes, a police officer I know.”
Micah pulled a chair to the bedside and casually picked an apple from the basket, skillfully peeling it from top to bottom while holding a fruit knife. His fingers were slender and agile, easily peeling the apple.
Hattie glanced at his hands. The sunlight streamed in from the window, illuminating his hands with a warm and golden glow. His hands were beautiful, in stark contrast to her scarred and dirty fingers.
Micah’s hands were clean, while hers were dirty. Even the slightest touch of her fingertips felt like desecration.
Hattie didn’t like eating fruit, but whenever Micah visited her, he would peel two apples for her to eat.
Micah noticed Hattie watching him peel the apple. He looked up, a gentle smile in his eyes. “Do you like what you see?”
“Your hands are very beautiful,” Hattie nodded, admitting that she had been watching him without any embarrassment.
Micah sliced the apple into wedges, removing the seeds in three swift motions, then handed the peeled apple to Hattie.
“My hands are not just beautiful, they can do many things. They can peel apples, hold umbrellas on rainy days, cook soup, earn a living, and take care of people. How about it? Want to give it a try?”
The apple that Max brought was crisp, sweet, and juicy, and she choked on it, her face turning red from coughing.
After being taken care of by Micah for these few days, Hattie’s health gradually improved. Now, she could cough without looking too pale. Her face seemed a bit rounder compared to a month ago, and her lips had a healthy color.
Whenever she coughed, Micah’s expression would change dramatically. He would gently pat her back in concern and fetch warm water for her.
“Don’t worry, I was just… joking.”
“Your joke wasn’t funny at all.”
Micah felt a lump in his throat. He hadn’t meant it as a joke.
Micah couldn’t understand why Hattie was so resistant to their feelings. Maybe she wasn’t interested in him, treating him only as a friend when he was hoping to marry her.
Hattie remained silent, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense. She bit into the apple in her hand.
“I can be discharged tomorrow, right?”
“Yes, you can recover at home.”
“After I’m fully recovered, I want to find a job and look for a suitable house.”
“Are you in such a hurry?”
“I can’t just sit around doing nothing. You know I can’t stay idle, I always want to keep myself busy.”
“In that case, can you work with me?” Micah couldn’t have been more obvious, yet Hattie pretended not to notice.
She shook her head. “I’m not suited for working in a hospital.”
“In the past, you said you couldn’t work in a hospital because of your prison time. Now that it’s all in the past, why can’t you? What are you hiding, Hattie?”
“I…” Hattie gripped the apple in her hand tightly. Genuine people were rare, and when she finally met one, she felt like she should hold on tightly. But she felt too filthy, unworthy of someone as good as Micah.
She couldn’t overcome the years of being nurtured by Harry, her time in prison, or the pregnancies she had lost. How could such a ruined self deserve someone with a bright future? Her existence was a stain to others.
She had tainted herself, but she couldn’t taint others.
In the end, Hattie became the person she despised the most. Once confident and assertive, she had become weak and incapable, unable to even look others in the eye.
For her, Micah was a beam of light breaking through the clouds, but after spending too long in darkness, the light would only hurt her eyes.