Isabella sat at the table, resting her chin on one hand, smiling as she watched Andrew wash the dishes.
When Andrew had almost finished cleaning the kitchen, she approached him, stood on her tiptoes, and gave him a kiss on the cheek as a reward.
Andrew smiled helplessly. A kiss from the little girl was all it took to dismiss his efforts. He felt his labor was a bit undervalued.
“Since the chores are done, how about we go out for a walk?” Isabella said, linking her arm with his and smiling sweetly.
Seeing her smile mischievously like a little fox, Andrew knew she had some ulterior motive.
“Can you even walk?” Andrew’s gaze traveled down her body suggestively.
Blushing, Isabella playfully hit his chest and grabbed the collar of his shirt with both hands. “Andrew, can we go to the hospital to see James?”
“Me, go to the hospital to see your ex-boyfriend? Do you think that’s appropriate?” Andrew raised an eyebrow, feeling somewhat betrayed.
“I just want to see him to put my mind at ease. Please accompany me, won’t you?” Isabella looked up at him with innocent eyes, shaking his arm as she pleaded.
Andrew, unable to refuse her, changed his clothes and went out with her.
At the hospital, Isabella held flowers and a fruit basket, standing at the nurse’s station for information.
Andrew stood aside, looking on as if it had nothing to do with him.
After inquiring, Isabella walked over, holding the flowers in one hand and the fruit basket in the other. She had to lift her foot to nudge Andrew.
“Let’s go, third room on the left, Room 506.”
“Well,” Andrew responded, striding down the left corridor. Isabella followed behind him.
Just as they reached the hospital room door, they heard a quarrel inside.
Zoey’s voice was not loud but filled with coldness.
“James, are you tired of living? I don’t care what feelings you have for Isabella, but you need to understand that she is now Andrew’s wife, not someone you can covet. James, please use your brain! I’ve told you countless times to stay away from Isabella, but you always ignore me.
This time, it’s fortunate that nothing serious happened. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even know how you died. If you want to die, I can’t stop you, but please don’t drag me and Mom down with you. We just want to live our lives peacefully!”
James’s voice was hoarse and repressed. “Are you done?”
Zoey pressed her lips together, too angry to speak further.
“I don’t want to argue with you now,” James said after a brief silence, then lay back on the bed.
The room fell into a standoff.
Outside, Andrew and Isabella exchanged looks.
“Is it a bad time to go in?” Isabella whispered.
Andrew raised an eyebrow, looking a bit lazy. “What do you think?”
“I think we should go back,” Isabella said.
Going in now would only add to the tension, not help James.
“Let’s go,” Andrew said, taking the flowers and fruit basket from her. He planned to leave them at the nurse’s station to be delivered later, but as they turned, they saw Mrs. Brown standing behind them with a thermos.
“Isabella, you’re here. Why don’t you go in? James and Zoey are inside,” Mrs. Brown said, pulling Isabella into the room.
Isabella looked back at Andrew, her face pleading for help. He gave her a helpless look in return.
Isabella thought he was probably teasing her silently.
was probably cursing her silently. Mrs. Brown led Isabella into the room, not noticing the tension between Zoey and James.
“Isabella, Andrew, come sit,” Mrs. Brown said, gesturing for them to sit while placing the thermos on the table. She opened it and poured some nourishing soup into a bowl, then handed it to James.
“Drink it while it’s hot. The housekeeper spent the whole morning making it.”
“Thanks, Mom,” James said, holding the bowl and drinking the soup with his head down.
Isabella stood in the middle of the hospital room, feeling somewhat awkward. She instinctively looked at Andrew, who was half-leaning against the door, looking like he had nothing to do with the situation, clearly wanting to see her embarrassed.
She gave him a displeased glare, thinking, “This guy is asking for it. I’ll definitely deal with him properly when we get back.”
“Isabella, sit down,” Mrs. Brown said, pulling over a chair and pressing Isabella into it.
Isabella gave Mrs. Brown a stiff smile. “Auntie, is James badly hurt?”
“It’s nothing, just some surface wounds. James is tough; he’ll be fine,” Mrs. Brown said with a cheerful smile.
Despite Mrs. Brown’s reassurances, Isabella couldn’t help feeling guilty. She looked up at James, who had thick bandages wrapped around his head and appeared quite pale.
“James, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“Isabella,” James interrupted her suddenly, “Given the situation, you did the right thing. I’m fine. You and Andrew should go back now.”
At this point, Mrs. Brown also sensed the awkward atmosphere in the room. She glanced at Andrew, who was still leaning indifferently against the door, then at Zoey, who had been silent with a cold expression. She also saw James’s stiff demeanor and Isabella’s embarrassed look.
Mrs. Brown felt a headache coming on.
“Isabella, why don’t you and Andrew head back first? The hospital isn’t a pleasant place, what with all the disinfectant smell. Come to our house another day for a meal. I’ll cook your favorite dishes myself.”
Isabella stood up from the chair as if granted amnesty. “Auntie, then I’ll leave now and visit you another day.”
Mrs. Brown warmly escorted Isabella out. They chatted and laughed all the way to the elevator.
As soon as Mrs. Brown and Isabella left, the room fell silent.
Andrew continued to lean against the doorway, one hand in his pocket, his gaze fixed coldly on James. “This is my first and last warning: stay away from my wife. ”
With that, Andrew turned and left indifferently.
James leaned back in the hospital bed, his head hanging low, feeling like it was going to split.
Zoey walked over, opened the drawer of the bedside table, took out two pills, and poured half a glass of water, placing them both on the table.
After doing this, she picked up her bag and coat from the coat rack, gave James a disdainful look, and left with her bag.
Left alone, James reached for the medicine and water on the bedside table. After taking the medicine, he forced himself out of bed, walked to the window, and picked an orange from the fruit basket. He slowly and meticulously peeled it.
He remembered that Isabella loved oranges. Once, when she was playing at his house as a child, she ate seven or eight oranges in a row, didn’t eat anything else all day, and he teased her about it for a long time.
After peeling the orange, James placed the bright orange segments on the windowsill and stood there, lost in thought.
Those times were gone for good.