Callie was speechless. “If you have the guts, come in.”
The hospital restroom was always crowded, with women of all ages coming and going. Kieran swallowed hard, remembering Nelson’s instructions, and followed her in with a heavy heart.
“What the hell, this is the women’s restroom! What are you doing here, you big man?”
“Are you being a pervert?”
“Get out now! If you come any closer, I’ll call the police!”
Kieran raised his hand to signal, “I’m just looking for someone. I’ll leave right away! I won’t look around!”
No matter how he explained, no one believed him. Some even raised brooms to chase him away, and others went to find security.
Callie listened to the commotion from inside the stall, took out her phone, sent a message, and waited for a reply. She didn’t rush out. Only when Kieran’s face was flushed red and security was about to take him away did she slowly step out.
Seeing her come out, Kieran felt relieved as if he had been granted amnesty. “Callie, you’re killing me!”
Callie laughed, “Who told you to come in? I don’t have wings; I can’t fly out.”
Kieran’s face was still red with embarrassment, and he looked helpless.
Callie entered the elevator. It was crowded, and she bumped into a man wearing a baseball cap. He immediately helped her up. “Sorry, I’m in a hurry.”
Then he left.
Kieran didn’t even get a good look at him.
“Callie, are you okay?”
Callie shook her head and glanced at the man’s departing figure.
Back in the ward, Callie saw a woman in a wheelchair coming out. She was there to visit Mollie.
Callie’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly walked in and saw that Mollie’s face looked even worse than before, with tears streaming down uncontrollably.
“Who was that?”
Mollie took a deep breath. “Bridger’s ex-wife.”
Callie froze, letting out an exclamation. Although Bridger was low-key, she hadn’t known he was divorced.
“He… how…”
“She’s also my sister.” Mollie forced a smile, her expression pained. “Do you want to hear about it?”
…
Mollie remembered May when she was nineteen. The weather was getting hotter, and the roadside trees seemed listless.
It was an ordinary day. She came out of the lab, changed clothes, and saw a message from her mother.
The gist of it was: Your room has a good orientation, and your sister wants to move in since you’re not home often anyway.
Mollie’s father had passed away early. Two years later, her mother remarried into the Hudson family, a high-ranking family in Ylosea. Mollie then started living under someone else’s roof.
This life didn’t last long. Mollie worked hard and got into the best university in Ylosea. She usually stayed in the dormitory and only returned to the Hudson family when necessary.
She had an older stepsister named Marely Hudson, two years older than Mollie. A car accident had crushed her dreams at eighteen, and the Hudson family treated her like a treasure, afraid something might happen to her. To please the Hudson family, Mollie’s mother naturally catered to Marely’s every whim.
Marely wanting Mollie’s room wasn’t unusual. She liked taking Mollie’s things to assert her status in the Hudson family. It had always been this way; everyone knew it and indulged her.
Mollie replied with four words: I do not agree.
“Since you’re not home often anyway, just let her stay there,” said a roommate casually after hearing the story.
“She wants more than just my room.”
Mollie sat down, took out her laptop from her bag, and worked on the project she hadn’t finished that morning. She couldn’t write anything then and still couldn’t now.
“By the way, do you know Bridger?”
“What’s up?”