Hannah landed on the bed after a full day of work and meetings, feeling completely exhausted. She glanced at her phone, which read 7 PM, and Alden still hadn’t come home. He hadn’t even sent a message.
Alden was undoubtedly very busy, especially after signing the partnership deal with Giantic. There would be adjustments to be made, and that required extra hours at the office. Still, Hannah couldn’t help but worry.
Feeling uneasy, Hannah left the bedroom and walked wearily to the dining room. She wanted to skip dinner, but she felt bad knowing the maid had prepared everything since earlier in the afternoon.
As she turned the corner in the corridor, she was startled, nearly bumping into Edward.
“Mrs. Hannah, my apologies,” Edward said.
“It’s okay. I was walking too fast.”
“I wanted to deliver a message from the Young Master. He will be home late and won’t be able to join for dinner.”
“Oh, okay, Edward. Thank you.”
Edward immediately stood behind Hannah, accompanying her to the dining room. As usual, Edward quickly set up dinner for Hannah and then hurried out.
Hannah had no appetite. Her mind was swirling with questions. Why hadn’t Alden contacted her? Why did he have to go through Edward? It felt like Alden was avoiding her.
Just as she was about to take a bite, her phone rang. Hannah quickly checked the screen, hoping it was her husband. But it was Francesca calling.
“Oh great, what now?” Hannah grumbled, annoyed.
Hannah felt guilty ignoring Francesca. She finally answered the call. On the other end, she heard Francesca’s sobs.
“Hello, Hannah?”
“What’s wrong?” Hannah’s tongue felt heavy as she tried to address Francesca.
“Please, help me. Aspen is in the ICU and will be moved to surgery. The baby is coming prematurely. I don’t know what to do… we can’t afford Aspen’s surgery.”
Hannah put her spoon down. Hearing that made her heart sink. Even though Aspen had previously insulted, threatened, and angered her, could Hannah turn a blind eye in such an emergency?
If Alden hadn’t helped John before, John’s time might have ended back then. But when Hannah asked for help, Alden didn’t even know her. Yet, he was still willing to offer assistance.
“Wait a moment, I’ll go to the hospital now,” Hannah said.
“Thank you, Hannah. I’ll send you the hospital address.”
Their conversation ended. Hannah finished half of her dinner and quickly left the house. She initially wanted to call Alden but decided against it. She drove to the hospital immediately.
*
At the hospital, Hannah saw Francesca and Jeffrey waiting in the patient’s waiting room. Francesca stood up and half-ran to Hannah. Francesca looked pitiful, tired, and distressed. It hadn’t even been a year since John passed away, and now Francesca was even more miserable.
“Thank you, Hannah. Thank you for coming. Aspen’s condition is very dangerous. If she isn’t operated on… I don’t know if she will make it,” Francesca sobbed.
Whether Francesca was exaggerating or not, Hannah didn’t want to dwell on that.
“I’ll take care of the administration,” Hannah said flatly.
Hannah walked to the administration desk, with Jeffrey suddenly catching up and walking alongside her.
“Hannah, I don’t know what to say to you,” Jeffrey whispered.
“What now, Jeffrey? I’m only doing this because Aspen needs help. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“I know. And that makes me feel even more helpless.”
Jeffrey’s chance of working at Goldtime was undoubtedly ruined because of Aspen’s actions. Where would Jeffrey find another job to support his small family? Working at another company might not guarantee the same pay and work environment.
“Pray and strive for Aspen,” Hannah said.
Jeffrey nodded weakly. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes towards you.”
Hannah paused. She realized she had never spoken to Jeffrey about everything that had happened. It wasn’t necessary, but Hannah just wanted to make it clear that she didn’t want to know about her brother’s marital problems with his ex-girlfriend anymore.
“I’m sorry, Hannah,” Jeffrey continued.
“Listen, Jeffrey, I’m not thinking about the past anymore. I don’t need your apology or regret. I’ve been given a much better life now.”
“You deserve better than a loser like me.”
“Stop. Don’t pity yourself in front of me. I don’t want you validating yourself.”
Jeffrey nodded repeatedly. “Okay. I’m sorry.”
Hannah looked at Jeffrey, and a thought crossed her mind. How could she have loved such a weak man before? But Jeffrey was kind, gentle, and never made Hannah worry. There were good qualities in Jeffrey.
Unfortunately, the man in front of Hannah might not be the best for her future.
“Fight and find a decent job as soon as possible, Jeffrey. Because after your child is born, it’s not just Aspen you’ll need to think about, but your child’s future too,” Hannah advised.
“I will, Hannah. I’m trying, but Aspen always suspects me.”
“Make her comfortable so she doesn’t think badly of you all the time, okay?”
Aspen might continue to act that way, unpredictably. If Aspen had won Jeffrey by stealing him from Hannah, she’d be afraid someone else might steal him too. It was a vicious cycle, since Aspen cheated first.
“Hannah, can’t I return to work at Texco?” Jeffrey asked hopefully.
Hannah shook her head firmly. “Sorry, Jeffrey, the answer is no. You might find work at another company. I have to ask my husband. The problem is, wherever you work, if you don’t resolve this issue with Aspen, you won’t last long.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“I can’t help you with that. My help for Aspen ends here, and that’s it.”
“Sorry for troubling you.”
“Why don’t you try applying at Giantic? Maybe they have an open position that suits you.”
Hannah herself didn’t realize she had said that. Why did Giantic come to mind just then?