Chapter 70 She’s Not Coming
Rachel ignored Norton’s words about Brian’s condition and acted like she heard nothing.
Norton hadn’t anticipated such a reaction from her, either.
The atmosphere grew awkward as the silence stretched on.
In the end, it was Yvonne who spoke first. “Is Brian’s leg really broken?”
“The doctor just sent over his medical report. Do you think he would give me a fake?”
“Then you’d better go see him. Who knows, maybe the sight of you will move him to
tears of joy, and his leg will miraculously heal.” Yvonne’s tone was teasing.
Norton warned through gritted teeth, “You really have a knack for pissing me off.”
“Thank you for the compliment,” she quipped.
This only made Norton scowl deeper. Huffing in frustration, he turned and stormed out
of the room.
Meanwhile, in another hospital room, Brian lay bored and listless.
He hadn’t moved since Ronald gave a report on the situation.
“I can extend another invitation to Ms. Marsh if you really wish to see her,” Ronald
offered.
“What for?” Brian retorted stubbornly. “Who said I want to see her, anyway?”
Ronald could only shut his mouth.
Then, as if on cue, they heard the door swing open. Brian was immediately on the alert, pulling himself up into a sitting position and straightening his clothes. He waited in anticipation as the door fully opened.
When he saw that it was just Norton, his expression turned sour.
0.0%
23:58
Chapter 70 She’s Not Coming
“Why is it you?” Brian whined, unable to keep the disappointment from his voice.
Norton raised an eyebrow and gave him a knowing glance. “Expecting someone else?” Before Brian could respond, he added, “Aren’t you curious why I’m suddenly here in Amberfield?”
Now that he had mentioned it, Brian’s interest was piqued. “I assumed you’re here on a business trip.”
Norton shook his head. “I had to bring Yvonne over.”
“She came to see Rachel, right?” Brian asked, though he pretty much knew the answer already.
“Rachel called my wife in the middle of the night, crying her heart out and begging for
help. She sounded absolutely devastated,” Norton calmly recounted what little he knew
of that phone call.
Brian, on the other hand, boiled with rage. Jeffrey had been in trouble last night, so of course Rachel needed all the help she could get. And yet, the first person she had thought of was Yvonne, not him.
He was her fiancé, the man she as supposed to rely on for the rest of her life. Why
didn’t she turn to him first?
Brian pressed a hand against his chest to ease the heavy, suffocating mass that seemed to have closed in around his heart.
He knew he had let Rachel down in the matter involving Doris. If he had only handled it better, Jeffrey wouldn’t have been driven to such a state, to the point that he would actually try jumping off a bridge.
Brian figured that Rachel wouldn’t want to see him, and he couldn’t blame her.
When noon rolled around, Brian asked Ronald to order an extravagant meal.
A massive dining table had to be brought into the room, and even though it was a VIP ward, the table almost took up the rest of the available space.
The dishes were bursting with color and flavor, their savory aroma permeated the air. As many as they were, they all had one thing in common–they were all spicy.
Norton had to take a moment to survey the feast in front of him, noting the thick layer of chili peppers on nearly every plate.
18.5%
23:58
Chapter 70 She’s Not Coming
Everywhere he looked, he saw red.
“Are you sure you can eat this?” Norton asked Brian.
“No,” Brian replied bluntly. “But I heard that your wife is fond of spicy food. You should invite her to join us. Consider this meal a token of gratitude for both of you.”
Norton blinked at Brian, speechless.
For someone who couldn’t handle spicy food, this entire table was as good as a torture
device.
“You’re up to something,” Norton remarked with narrowed eyes. “But fine, I’ll call her.”
“What’s up?” Yvonne sounded surprised, clearly not expecting Norton to call.
“Have you had lunch yet?”
“Not yet, but I’m about to.”
“Come over and eat with me.” Norton paused before adding, “Rachel probably hasn’t eaten, either. You can bring her along.”
“Don’t even think about it,” Yvonne snapped. “Rachel still needs to look after Jeffrey. She’s not going anywhere.”
And just like that, the call ended.
Yvonne decided to go, anyway.
“Are you sure about this?” Rachel asked, worried.
“Of course,” Yvonne replied with a flip of her hair. “It’s not every day you get to dine with two jerks at the same table. I consider the experience a novelty. More importantly, I can scope out the situation.”
“All right. Just be careful.”
……
The moment Yvonne stepped into Brian’s hospital room, her eyes immediately landed on the table laden with spicy food.
She didn’t bother putting on an act and immediate sat down and started to dig in.
Even as she ate, Brian kept glancing toward the door, his eyes wide with anticipation.
44.5%
23:58
Chapter 70 She’s Not Coming
There was no sign of Rachel.
“You can stop staring,” Yvonne told him at one point. “Rachel isn’t coming. For so long, she and Jeffrey had endured countless hardships together. He means everything to her. Now that you have brought him harm, she won’t forgive you easily. I have to give you credit–this meal is totally my style. But I think I’m done.”
Without any warning, Yvonne flipped the table over, sending dishes clattering to the
floor.
The men could only stare in shock and horror.
Norton was the first to react. “Have you lost
x J
your mind?”
Instead of answering him, Yvonne looked straight at Brian. “If anyone’s lost her mind, it’s your precious sister. Why don’t you try to look into her affairs properly? It’s true Rachel loves you. But that doesn’t give you
a free pass to trample over her feelings. Brian White, take a minute and ask yourself–after all these years, what have you actually done for her? What have you given her, huh?”
Yvonne still had more to say, but Norton had already grabbed her by the wrist and was bodily dragging her to the door.
“Let go of me! Don’t touch me! I’m not done talking!”
Why was he stopping her from speaking her mind? Brian was allowed to be a horrible partner, but she wasn’t allowed to call him out on his behavior?
This thought only reinforced Yvonne’s belief that not a single man on earth was good or trustworthy.
Yvonne flailed and gripped the door frame with all of her strength. She was determined to give Brian a piece of her mind, once and for all. But Norton proceeded to pry her fingers off one by one. Then, he bent over, hoisted her over his shoulder, and hauled
her away.
“Norton Burke! You’re insane! Put me down!”
Yvonne beat his back and flailed her legs, but Norton didn’t stop. He carried her all the way to the stairwell.
Back in Brian’s hospital room, the place was a complete mess.
Ronald said carefully, “I’ll get someone to clean this up right away.”
64.8%
23:58
Chapter 70 She’s Not Coming
“That won’t be necessary. Leave. I want to be alone.”
Ronald walked out into the hallway and left Brian alone for what felt like an eternity.
Ronald was starting to lose his patience when Brian finally called him back in.
Brian gestured for him to come closer. “Give me a hand and take me there.”
“Sure.”
When Brian arrived in Jeffrey’s hospital room, Trey had just returned with lunch.
Rachel was fast asleep, her head resting beside Jeffrey’s, her hand clasped tightly
around his.
She hadn’t slept well all night, and the emotional toll of recent events finally caught up
to her.
Trey didn’t wake her when he walked in. He simply adjusted the room’s temperature, then quietly draped his jacket over her.
