Hattie didn’t know what was wrong with Coco. Her favorite dog biscuit was only eaten in two bites and then left untouched. Coco was pacing around the living room, then stood by the window with a toy in its mouth, staring outside. Hattie grabbed a book and sat down, following the dog’s gaze outside, where Micah always passed by on his way home.
A faint smile appeared on Hattie’s lips. Coco, just like her, was waiting for Micah to come home.
“He’s just gone out to buy groceries, not like he won’t come back,” Hattie said.
Coco turned back, whimpering softly, and looked outside before going to the door.
This was the first time such a thing had happened. Coco was usually obedient and quiet as long as someone accompanied it. But now, it was clearly restless.
What was it restless about?
Hattie’s heart suddenly tightened, as if a hand had clenched it, causing pain. The book she was holding was a cookbook she had picked up at random. She wanted to see what she could cook tomorrow.
Maybe it was influenced by Coco, but she couldn’t concentrate on the cookbook. She stood up and looked outside as well.
Micah, why haven’t you come back yet?
Micah said he would be back soon after going to buy groceries. Hattie glanced at the time. It had only been half an hour. Was she being too anxious?
It usually takes an hour to go to the supermarket and buy groceries. She shouldn’t be so impatient…
Hattie held her phone, watching the time pass slowly. An hour passed, but there was still no sign of Micah on that road.
She unlocked her phone. Should she call Micah?
Micah was always cautious and responsible. He had stopped driving as he got older and now had a driver whenever he went out.
In fact, they had enough money to live in a luxurious mansion with butlers, maids, and drivers, but Hattie preferred peace and was afraid of loneliness. As long as Micah was with her, she didn’t feel lonely.
She dialed, but no one answered.
Perhaps he was still busy choosing something at the supermarket, so it wasn’t convenient for him to answer the phone.
A message popped up in the group chat, mentioning Micah and Hattie.
“Master and Madam, what are we having for dinner tomorrow?”
Hattie replied, “I don’t know yet. Your master has gone out to buy groceries.”
“Ah, I see. Well, we’ll wait until tomorrow then…”
Before Hattie could finish reading the message, her phone suddenly rang. She thought it was Micah calling back after seeing the missed call. But the screen displayed an unknown number.
Hattie answered.
“Is this Hattie? Your husband is currently receiving treatment at the Second Hospital and needs you to come…”
“Treatment?” The word “treatment” filled Hattie’s mind with chaos.
Micah had just gone out to buy groceries. He said he would be back soon. How could he be receiving treatment at a hospital?
Was this a scam?
“Hattie, are you listening? Your husband had a car accident. He is now in the hospital undergoing treatment and needs you to come and sign some documents.”
With a loud thud, the phone fell to the ground. Hattie suddenly squatted down, and fear was engulfed by silence. At that moment, she didn’t know where she was. Her spirit seemed to have left her body and was floating in mid-air. She watched herself shakily moving forward, dragging her legs, which were in pain, and finally collapsing against the wall.
Hattie told herself she couldn’t collapse. She couldn’t lose her mind at this moment. She had to go to the hospital; she had to find Micah.
Coco heard the commotion and ran to Hattie’s side. It seemed to sense her distress and quietly squatted down, licking Hattie’s hand.
In an instant, Hattie snapped back to reality. Tears streamed down her face, and she reached out to hold Coco, seeking a bit of comfort from the dog.
Hattie picked up her phone again and started calling her students, arranging everything with her various connections.
It was a sudden accident that no one had anticipated. Less than an hour ago, Micah had been joking with everyone in the group chat, asking his students what they wanted to eat tomorrow.
Several students started making arrangements, going to the hospital, picking up Hattie, and taking care of the dog.
When Hattie arrived at the hospital, Micah had already been taken to the emergency room. She signed the documents with trembling hands.
“Madam, Master will be fine.”
The words brought no comfort to Hattie. People their age struggled to recover from a common cold, not to mention being in a car accident and sustaining head injuries.
How did the accident happen? Hattie saw the family at the accident scene. A family of three stood there, with the little girl in the middle, her clothes stained with blood and minor scrapes on her legs. She held a bouquet of champagne roses in her hands, the roses slightly tattered, and the wrapping paper stained with blood.
The girl stumbled over to Hattie, her eyes red, and held out the roses, saying, “Grandma, these are the roses Grandpa said to bring to you. The flowers are ruined; I’m sorry…”
Hattie closed her eyes, and tears fell from her eyes. She let out painful sobs, and with each cry, her heart seemed to clench. It felt like it was being pulled out of her throat.
Micah had been on his way to buy her flowers. A car suddenly rushed at them, and he instinctively pushed the little girl next to him away, but he couldn’t avoid being hit by the car.
As he lay in a pool of blood, he held the bouquet tightly in his arms and kept repeating the word “Hattie.”
He said his old lady loved flowers the most, and he wanted to bring back these flowers to her.
But he didn’t even have the strength to stand; he had to ask someone to take the flowers to the pe