“It’s useless, sis…” Alayah murmured, “Nelson just wants to ruin me.”
She had thought that she had some favor with him when she got burned. But now, the fog had cleared, and she realized she had always been a pawn. Her existence was merely to provoke someone else, and later, to please another woman.
She had done illegal things very discreetly. If there were no traces, she wouldn’t have been caught. But everything happened so suddenly, without any warning. It was impossible that no one was pushing things behind the scenes.
There weren’t many men with such authority in Ylosea. She had only offended one person, and that was Nelson.
A woman’s intuition is always accurate, and the conclusion is painful.
That Callie was special to him.
…
As the year-end approached, Callie’s workload eased up, and she started visiting the hospital more frequently.
Reuben still showed no signs of waking up.
Callie sat by the bedside, and Tobias also wore a worried expression.
“Callie, don’t worry too much. At least for now, your uncle’s vital signs are stable.”
“How can I not be anxious?” Callie couldn’t lift her spirits. “After the New Year, it will be the fourth year. What if he never wakes up?”
Tobias stood behind her, instinctively reaching out to pat her head in comfort but ultimately didn’t dare to.
“Tobias.” Callie suddenly thought of something and turned to look at him. “During the New Year, can I take my dad home for a while?”
Tobias was surprised. “Home? If you can ensure medical facilities are available, it’s possible. But as far as I know, your home…”
He trailed off. Generally, ordinary families couldn’t afford the high hospital fees, so they would take patients home to care for them. Callie’s family couldn’t afford it, so Reuben had stayed in the hospital all these years.
“I can do it. I can make arrangements.” Callie was determined. “Tobias, is it possible?”
Tobias studied her expression and saw something in it, a hint of sadness. “If you can manage it, then the hospital can accommodate.”
“That’s great. I want to spend this New Year with my dad.” Callie’s tone was melancholic. She was mentally prepared; if Reuben didn’t have much time left, spending the New Year together might fill some of their regrets.
The atmosphere fell silent for a while. Callie took out her phone from her bag, slowly typed a message, and then deleted it, feeling very conflicted.
Tobias noticed everything. His eyes were cold as he softly asked, “Do you need his consent?”
Callie was taken aback and then smiled bitterly. “Living under someone else’s roof is like this.”
Tobias felt even more bitter. “Divorce him, Callie. I’m a doctor. If you want to meet your needs, I can help you.”
Callie was stunned again. Facing his intense gaze, she didn’t know what to say for a moment. She opened her mouth. “Tobias, I can’t get a divorce right now.”
These days of frequent hospital visits had made Tobias notice something about her vitality. He questioned her somewhat harshly, “Is it that you can’t or he can’t?”
Callie’s scalp tingled, unsure how to explain. “It’s too complicated between us; neither of us can leave right now.”
Tobias’s face stiffened for a moment before he let out a bitter laugh. “… Alright then. As long as you can protect yourself, that’s all that matters.”
It was unclear whether he was comforting her or himself.