Sirena’s fingers slowly curled into a fist, but she managed to force a smile. “I apologize for reaching out so late.”
“No need to apologize.”
The car swiftly arrived at the hospital, where Johnny was already waiting attentively at the entrance.
Unlike Ulric, Johnny approached immediately, opened the passenger door, and gently carried Sirena in his arms.
“Ulric, don’t leave just yet. Come and assist me! The doctor needs patient information for admission. I’ll accompany her for the check-up, and you can handle the paperwork.”
“Okay.”
Ulric nodded calmly, parked the car nearby, and sent a WhatsApp message to Rosalind as he headed towards the hospital:
[Get some rest. If your face still looks swollen tomorrow, you can work from home. I’ll inform Cedric.]
There was no read receipt or response, indicating that Rosalind had likely fallen asleep.
Feeling reassured by her silence, Ulric entered the hospital.
…
That night, without Ulric by her side, Rosalind found it difficult to sleep. How had she grown accustomed to his presence?
She saw Ulric’s WhatsApp message but chose not to reply.
Early the next morning, with slightly reddened cheeks, Rosalind went to the bathroom to freshen up. Lack of sleep had left her looking a bit tired, with faint dark circles under her eyes.
She applied two layers of foundation to conceal the finger marks.
When she emerged from her bedroom, fully dressed, she was surprised to hear noises coming from the kitchen!
Rosalind walked over in her slippers and saw Ulric wearing an apron, busy preparing breakfast.
When had he returned?
“Awake? Just a moment, it’s almost ready.”
“…”
Rosalind glanced at the sofa in the living room and noticed a neatly folded blanket.
“Did you sleep on the couch?”
“Yes, I didn’t want to disturb you.”
Due to the house’s good soundproofing, Rosalind hadn’t heard any noise from outside.
Ulric brought out toast and fried eggs and noticed that Rosalind was already dressed for work.
He furrowed his brow. “If I hadn’t come back, were you planning to skip breakfast?”
“I’m not very hungry. I wanted to get to the office early to organize some data.”
“Rosalind, irregular eating habits can cause stomach problems.”
“Oh.”
His concern didn’t particularly warm her heart since she believed such care should be directed towards Sirena.
“Come and eat.”
“Okay.”
They sat down in silence, eating without exchanging any words. Rosalind didn’t even lift her gaze.
Finally, Ulric broke the silence. “You didn’t finish what you were saying last night. Did something happen?”
“Last night? I said everything! You’ve already found the best doctor and the most expensive ward for my mother. Now we just have to wait for her condition to improve for the surgery. What other trouble could there be?”
“Really nothing?”
Rosalind waved her hand. “Why would I lie to you? Oh, you’re really pushing me, not giving me any credit! It’s just that my mom and I had a minor argument over something trivial. She was in a bad mood and slapped me once.”
Ulric gazed at her face, somewhat convinced by her words.
“How’s Lawyer Garner doing? She seems dedicated to the company. I sent her some documents at 2 AM the other day, and she responded immediately.”
“She’s doing well. She had an appendectomy.”
“Oh! Then you should take extra care of her during this time.”
As a woman herself, Rosalind knew that during such moments, a woman’s heart is most easily moved. Perhaps this would lead to a reconciliation between her and Ulric sooner.