Chapter 8

A man in uniform hurriedly walked over with an eager and respectful look. Callum and Zoey turned to look at Roxanne at the same time with looks of astonishment. Roxanne was about to answer when a doctor called out to the uniformed man, saying, "We're ready to begin your checkup, Mr. Hayes. Please come this way." "Oh, alright. I'm going to get my checkup done now, Chief O'Brien. Let's catch up soon!" the man said before leaving with the doctor. Callum's sharp eyes fixed on Roxanne yet again. This time, it was filled with curious scrutiny. His brows were knitted together as he asked, "What did he just call you? Chief?" Zoey quickly reacted with a giggle, covering her mouth as she did so. Her tone was filled with sarcasm and mockery as she commented, "You must've misheard that man, Callum. I don't even think Roxanne knows how to spell the word 'research', let alone be a chief of any kind." What seemed like a polite attempt to defuse the situation on her part was actually a jab directed at Roxanne. A nurse turned up at that moment to ask Zoey to head over for her checkup. Callum agreed that he must have misheard things earlier. Then, he turned from Roxanne and left with Zoey in his arms. A bitter smile emerged on Roxanne's face as she watched the two of them leave. She then quietly returned to that cold, empty home of hers. … Since Roxanne was still feeling weak, she decided to make some chicken noodle soup for herself. She busied herself in the kitchen and finally cooked a small pot of delicious chicken noodle soup. Roxanne had just set the chicken noodle soup on the dining table when Zoey and Callum came home. Zoey sniffed the air the moment she entered the house. "Whoa, that soup smells lovely! I bet it tastes delicious!" At that, she grabbed the bowl of soup from Roxanne. Roxanne instinctively held it away from Zoey and said, "I made this for myself. Feel free to cook for yourself if you want some." Zoey's hands stopped mid-air. She appeared aggrieved. Callum's expression immediately darkened. "What's with your attitude, Roxanne? Zoey is our guest. Why are you being so stingy over a simple bowl of soup?" He then snatched the chicken noodle soup from Roxanne's grasp and handed it to Zoey. With a soft tone, he encouraged Zoey, "Have it while it's still hot." Zoey immediately grinned. She took the bowl of soup and began drinking it. Roxanne stared at the empty spot on the table before her. It felt like someone had shoved a burning knife into her soft, bleeding heart. Having lost all her appetite, Roxanne quietly stood up and returned to her bedroom, but her door was soon slammed open once again. Callum marched in and dragged her out of the bed. He looked pissed off, demanding, "What did you add to that chicken noodle soup? Zoey's having a stomachache now because of it! She's in so much pain she can barely move!" Roxanne felt lightheaded and dizzy from Callum's force. She was incredibly exhausted and no longer had any strength to struggle against him. She explained weakly, "I didn't add anything else… It's just a normal bowl of chicken noodle soup…" "It's all lies!" Callum didn't believe Roxanne at all. "Zoey wouldn't be in so much pain if you hadn't done anything to that soup! I demand you go out and buy her medicine for her stomachache right now! Don't bother coming back home unless you have them!" She was then shoved out the front door and into the mercy of the cold night wind. Her clothes were thin and didn't help with the cold at all. She went to all the pharmacies she could find, searching for pain medication. Most of the stores had already closed at this time of night. After wandering for what seemed like an eternity, Roxanne arrived at a small clinic that was still open at this hour. She then purchased the necessary medicine for Zoey. Roxanne clutched the medicine tightly on the way home. When she walked past a dark alley, a motorcycle suddenly sped toward her. The person in the passenger seat swiftly reached out and snatched the medicine from Roxanne! "My medicine!" Roxanne cried out, quickly tightening her grip on the plastic bag. The snatch thief immediately accelerated his vehicle, angered by her resistance. Roxanne fell to the ground from the speed and started being dragged across the road. However, she still clung to the plastic bag containing the medicine. Just like that, she was dragged across the road for several hundred feet. Her arms and legs were scraped harshly along the road, inciting great pain. This was the first time the snatch thieves had met someone so fearless. They didn't want to risk having blood on their hands, so they threw the plastic bag at Roxanne and sped off. That was before they yelled, "Fucking psycho!" Roxanne crumpled to the ground, her body covered in bloody cuts and scrapes. It hurt so much she nearly passed out. With trembling hands, she opened the plastic bag and made sure the medicine was still inside. Pushing herself up with great difficulty, she limped home in pain. It felt like blades were slicing her skin each time she took a step forward. … Finally, she made it back home. She handed Callum the pain medication. He took it, but not before seeing how disheveled and bloody Roxanne was all over. His brows knitted further together as if he wanted to say something. "I've gotten Zoey her medicine," Roxanne said quickly, interrupting Callum. Although she sounded hoarse, she was eerily calm. It was as if she'd quietly resigned to her despairing fate. She continued, "I won't be leaving the house anymore. I know you hate me and can't bear to look at me, Callum. Just hold on for a few more days, please… You'll get what you wish for by then."