It took a while before the car door finally opened. Aurora, almost instinctively, straightened her dress as Julian also stepped out. Whatever he said made Aurora gently punch him on the chest. Julian, seizing the moment, pulled her into his arms and kissed her, their sweet interaction palpable even to Hayden from afar.
Hayden’s hands tightly clutched the edge of the windowsill, the veins on his hands standing out. Susan scoffed disdainfully.
“God, I thought she was such a saintly woman, truly shameless.”
At that moment, Susan clearly forgot how she had drugged Hayden years ago, voluntarily undressing in front of him when she was only eighteen.
“Don’t talk about her like that,” Hayden couldn’t stand anyone slandering her, not even slightly.
“Don’t talk, don’t say a word about her, you’ve put her on a pedestal, but she doesn’t care about you at all.”
Susan was most enraged by this.
She had given her heart and soul to Hayden, but he had devoted his entire heart to Aurora, making Susan feel like nothing but air in his presence.
“I don’t need you meddling in my affairs. If you interfere again, we’ll see each other in court,” Hayden said coldly, then went back to lie on his bed.
Hearing ‘we’ll see each other in court,’ Susan felt her heart sink; he actually wanted to divorce her for a woman who did not love him.
As she approached his bed, the sounds of high heels and Aurora’s voice echoed in the hallway, “Ah, tea again, Julian, I’m really fine now, that tea is terribly bitter.”
“I’ve told you, your health needs gradual care, and I’ve already had the nurse prepare it. It will be brought over soon,” Julian coaxed her.
“But I really don’t like it…”
Aurora’s voice carried a clear whine, a sound that could soften any man.
Even Hayden felt a tug at his heart, wishing she was whining to him.
It seemed they stopped at the door, “No, I’ll indulge you in anything else, but not when it comes to your health. Go inside, and I’ll bring the tea over.”
“Oh,” Aurora sounded dejected as she pushed open the bedroom door.
“How are you feeling today?”
Aurora, now in front of Hayden and Susan, had put away the demure demeanor she showed in front of Julian.
Though her words to Hayden were caring, if he looked closely, there was a distance in her eyes-everyone except Julian was met with a guarded demeanor.
Hayden, seeing her still-flushed cheeks, knew the charming face was no longer his.
“Much better,” he suppressed his discomfort, finally understanding how she must have felt when he was unfaithful. Now, she was nothing to him, whereas back then, he had hurt her while they were still together-surely a deeper pain than what he felt now.
“By the way, Uncle Julian left in such a hurry yesterday, what happened on your end?”
Hayden asked.
Aurora shook her head, “There was some trouble, but it’s been resolved, don’t worry, I’m fine,” she said as she picked up some fruit and headed to the washroom.
“I’ll go wash the fruit.”
“There’s no need, I’m his wife, I should do it,” Susan said, snatching the fruit from Aurora’s hands.
Aurora didn’t bother to argue, knowing Hayden’s thoughts she was more than willing to avoid conflict, just looking for something to keep herself busy.
“Let her wash them, sit and rest for a while,” Hayden tried to ease the tension.
“Mm,” Aurora had just sat down when Julian entered with the medicine bowl. Seeing the dark, bitter medicine, Aurora frowned.
She used to not mind drinking tea, but being tormented daily by this bitter and astringent herbal tea, Aurora felt she was exuding bitterness herself.
Now, her menstruation period had turned into her happiest time, for it granted her a temporary reprieve. Julian, who was most sympathetic towards Aurora, found it hardest to bear seeing her distressed face, yet what could be done? The medicine was for her own good, after all.
“Don’t frown. I’ve prepared some chocolate for you. We can eat it after you take your medicine,” Julian said, his palm revealing Aurora’s favorite hazelnut chocolate.
“Alright then.”
Aurora reluctantly drank it down.
Julian tucked a piece of peeled chocolate into her lips.
“There, it’s not bitter anymore, is it?”
“Mm.”
Their little interaction was another painful sight for Hayden and Susan.
“Julian, just tell me, how much longer do I need to keep drinking this stuff?”
Aurora asked, frowning.
“Well, until your health improves. Tea isn’t a medicine; it works slowly. Your body needs time to adjust,” Julian ambiguously replied.
“Okay then.”
Aurora didn’t ponder it further.
“Uncle Julian, what sickness does Aurora have?”
Hayden asked, unable to see any apparent illness in Aurora.
“She’s not sick, just a bit weak. The doctor prescribed some herbal tea to strengthen her constitution,” Julian answered frankly.
“That’s good then.”
Hayden was relieved, having thought Aurora was seriously ill.
Four closely linked individuals were living under one roof, making the atmosphere increasingly strange. Hayden had intended to use his own injury as a pretext to get closer to Aurora, but things turned out much differently than he expected.
He constantly witnessed the couple showing affection. When Aurora wanted to peel an apple, she had barely touched the knife before Julian snatched it away.
“Do you remember the cut in your palm? What if the knife hurts you again? If you want an apple, just tell me, and I’ll peel it for you.”
“Julian, I’m really not as frail as you think,” Aurora said, a bit exasperated.
During lunch, Julian would first scoop soup for her and set it aside to cool, then serve her some of her favorite dishes.
In the afternoon, without needing Aurora’s prompt, Julian specifically had someone bring her favorite desserts.
Aurora suddenly felt a delusion that she wasn’t here to take care of someone in the hospital but to vacation instead, Julian was being exceptionally nice to her; now she could easily have everything handed to her.
Susan, on the other hand, was busy like a servant, calling nurses, changing Hayden’s medicine, and even bathing him.
Without a comparison, she hadn’t felt it was so bad, but now, seeing Julian’s treatment of Aurora, she felt like she wasn’t living a human life.
She eagerly wished for Aurora and Julian to leave soon, so they wouldn’t be in her way, yet without Hayden saying anything, she had to hold back.
On another note, she also had her own plans. The happier Julian and Aurora were together, the more it struck Hayden.
Someday he would give up, and only then would she have a chance to be with him.
As night deepened, Susan, having stayed awake for two days, finally succumbed to sleep, and Hayden’s condition had also stabilized significantly.
Julian, seeing Aurora foolishly prepared to stay awake all night, pulled her aside.
“You sleep now, I’ll watch over.”
“Julian, you should rest too. You’re more tired than I am. Let me do it.”
“I’ll take over in the second half of the night,” Julian always managed to deceive her this way, and without suspicion, Aurora lay down in bed and fell asleep.
Hayden’s body was more easily fatigued than before, and he too quickly fell into deep sleep, quieting the whole ward.
Julian, seeing Aurora snuggled into his arms, her leg perfectly strewn over his thigh, thought to himself, what a tormenting little demon… He glanced at the sleeping Hayden and, a wicked thought crossing his mind, his fingers stealthily reached towards the sleeping Aurora.