With a creak, the door opened and closed again. A gust of cold wind blew in.
Dorothy trembled as she looked down at Credence’s head, as though it were fixed to the spot, unmoving. Her heart ached.
It was so painful that her internal organs were churning inside of her. The pain was so intense, her pupils moved rapidly, and her vision blurred. She couldn’t see anything clearly.
Only the cold, motionless man and his facial features were captured by her eyes and entered the deepest parts of her brain and her heart. She would never be able to forget him for the rest of her life.
A sturdy wooden wicker chair was placed beside the bed.
Dorothy sat down quietly and gazed at Credence’s pale, thin face. As she continued to look at him, her throat felt uncomfortable.
She stretched out her hand and grabbed his palm which was riddled with scars. The corners of her eyes filled with tears as she said softly, “Credence, promise me, promise me that you will wake up, okay? If you’re not around, I don’t have anyone as strong and loving as you to rely on. I’m so helpless, so lonely, I have no one. I feel cold like I’m being soaked in icy water. No matter how thick the quilt is, it will still be cold, and it will stay cold no matter how many quilts I have.”
“Credence, I remember ten years ago, you hated me for setting you up. Even on the day we got married, you didn’t let me hold your hand as we stood at the altar. You did not even swear upon the wedding rings or to the priest. You canceled so many unnecessary procedures for no reason. It was because you didn’t love me back then, you hated me for plotting against you. You thought I was a scheming woman. You never ever said you loved me before, right?”
“The night we went to Kowloon City, didn’t you ask me if I still loved you, and whether I would give you another chance?”
Dorothy took a deep breath. She suppressed all her worries and heartache and stared at Credence on the hospital bed. Even though she knew that he couldn’t hear anything she said at all, nor could he see what she was doing, she still gave a faint smile.
She looked at him and said, “Credence, listen carefully, I love you! Sixteen years ago, I fell in love with you, and now, I still love you! Even if all the men in the world stood before me, I would still choose you!”
“So, since I love you so much, can you please wake up? Belle and I, as well as the baby in our womb, we need you. We can’t live without you!”
After all those years, she had gotten used to his indifference, his hatred, the difference in attitude he had towards her and Rosalie. She had gotten used to his powerful and ruthless thrustings in bed, but she wasn’t used to seeing him motionless like a dead man.
She had given him everything, she had loved him for sixteen years. Aside from him, it was impossible for her to fall in love with any other man.
She loved him deeply, and she was also deeply hurt by him. Every bit of love and attachment in her life was wholeheartedly connected to him. It was molded into her blood and bones, and could no longer be removed.
After talking for some time, Dorothy felt thirsty. Her mouth and tongue were dry. She stood up and poured a glass of water, then took a few gulps. She almost choked. After that, she started to cough violently, then her eyes turned red.
After drinking the water, she placed the cup down and slowly returned to her seat. She bent down and placed her cheek on Credence’s face. She spoke with a hoarse but subtle voice, “Credence, hurry up and wake up, I’ll tell you something that’s worth celebrating. Belle can finally be cured.”
“Jeremy found a suitable bone marrow donor for Belle, and he had Wilson send them over to Juelz today. Juelz is keeping an eye on them, he guarantees that nothing will go wrong.”
“Do you know who that person is? She had something to do with the two of us. Our four-year marriage ended because of her.”
“You’ve probably guessed who she is by now, right? Yes, it’s Rosalie. Her bone marrow is a perfect match for Belle’s.”
“When I found out, I was just as shocked as you. But then, I gradually accepted it. It turns out that Rosalie and my foster parents, as well as the entire Fisher family, owed us a great debt. Rosalie will repay us by saving Belle. Perhaps this was fated to be.”
“Credence, Belle’s surgery is scheduled to take place in two days’ time. It starts at eight o’clock in the morning. If you wake up within the next twenty-four hours, you can be with me and the child in my womb. We can cheer Belle on and watch her recover. But… if you don’t wake up, you might never see Belle, the child in my womb or me ever again…”
“Credence, you have to wake up. Do you hear me? From now on, I won’t throw tantrums at you anymore, I’ll put aside my past resentments. Let’s start all over again. Let’s bring Belle and her little brother up together. Let’s live happily together, ok?”
Dorothy repeatedly said all those things to him over and over again but he was still motionless and was as quiet as a mountain.
She didn’t know why he didn’t wake up even after she had said so much.
Her eyes were bloodshot red, and she felt a sharp pain. Even her heart ached.
Dorothy closed her eyes, and the gathering tears turned into painful tears. Drops of tears flowed down her pale cheeks and onto his face.
It flowed down his face and into his mouth.
As time went by, Dorothy became even more desperate.
Apart from forcing herself to swallow a tiny portion of food, she didn’t move at all. It was as though she had sprouted roots and was entangled onto the chair. She wouldn’t move away.
At eleven o’clock that night, Jonathan opened the door and entered the room. He brought her some snacks and a bowl of soup. Seeing how depressed she was, he frowned and asked, “Dorothy, hasn’t Credence woken up yet? F*ck, I’m getting so f*cking anxious.”
Dorothy turned her head and smiled politely at him. She stared at the food in his hands, but she didn’t have any appetite for them. She gently shook her head and didn’t say a single word at all.
Jonathan’s face darkened. He put the food on the bedside table and walked towards the bed. He stared at the display screen on the intensive care machine for a few seconds, and then looked at Credence. After a while, he looked concerned. He seemed to have discovered something, and his brows twitched. He quickly reached out his finger and said, “Dorothy, look over there, look over there. Do you see that?”