Chapter 5

Elise's eyes burned red with anger. She parted her lips, but she was at a loss for words. Samuel had always put Zara above everyone else. It was pointless to argue with him. Henry couldn't take it anymore. He'd thought that even if Samuel didn't like Elise, he would at least show some decency as her husband. The surgery would only take a few hours—surely Samuel could spare that much time. Henry had never expected the man would be this heartless. "You have no idea how important her right hand is!" he snapped. Samuel responded in a low voice, "In that case, why don't you tell me just how important it is?" "I—" Henry faltered. He couldn't tell Samuel. Their research was confidential. When the anti-cancer drug, Y-1, was about to be released, Elise had withdrawn from the project to get married. Her name had been removed from it, and she'd signed a nondisclosure agreement that forbade her from ever talking about it. In the end, the research had been published under his name. "Cat got your tongue?" Samuel's gaze landed on Elise's face. His lips curled into a mocking smile. "You've learned a few new tricks, I see." Elise was already in pain, and with each word he said, the color drained from her face bit by bit. After a long moment of silence, she swallowed the bitterness rising in her throat and said quietly, "Mr. Holt, if you insist on making things hard for me, I'll have no choice but to ask Anna for help." Six years ago, when she'd traded Evelyn's heart for this marriage, Samuel hadn't wanted it. He would rather have given her more money than she could ever spend. Anna Delroy, his grandmother, had forced him to marry her. After the wedding, Anna had drugged them and locked them in a room. That was how Lucas was conceived. Samuel always hated it when Elise used Anna to threaten him, even though she'd never actually done so. Over the years, to please him, she'd never once complained to Anna or let Wanda breathe a word about her situation. No matter what he'd done, Elise had always found a reason to defend him. However, her right hand was too important. Elise had no choice but to bring up Anna. Samuel sneered, "Do you really think you can use my grandmother to pressure me every time?" Elise hadn't wanted it to come to this, but she couldn't wrap her head around his actions. Why did he still have to make things difficult for her when they were already getting a divorce? He hadn't saved her and had allowed her right hand to be injured. Yet now, he wouldn't even let her save herself. In that case, she had no choice but to go against him. "But I've succeeded every time, haven't I?" The air between them was thick with tension. "Cut it out, Sam," Zara chimed in at just the right moment. "Even if El has you to rely on and her right hand isn't that important, no one wants to be disabled. Let Dr. Quinton perform her surgery. It'll only take a few hours." "We'll have it your way," he said without the slightest hesitation. Elise felt like a joke. But it didn't matter. This joke had reached its end. Even though he'd only given in because of Zara, the weight on her chest still eased a little. "Mr. Holt, please take your wife back to her ward and wait for me. I'll come over once I finish the surgery," Ben said. Samuel wheeled Zara out of the office. When they passed Elise, Zara reassured her, "You'll be fine, El. Don't be afraid." Ignoring her, Elise took Henry's hand and left. Samuel looked displeased, but Zara soothed him. "El's just upset because she's hurt. I understand how she feels. Once she's out of surgery, you should comfort her a little." "She doesn't need anyone to comfort her," he said coldly. … The surgery lasted five hours. Elise was only partially sedated, so she was conscious when she was wheeled out of the operating room, though she looked a little tired. Ben told Henry, "Take her back to the ward and keep an eye on her for a day." Henry thanked him and wheeled her back to her hospital room. Elise was so tired that she fell asleep the moment she lay down on the bed. He sat on the couch, watching the IV drip. When the first bottle finished, he called a nurse to change it. By the time the last bottle emptied, Elise was awake. She went to the restroom, and by the time she emerged, Henry had already set the table for dinner. Elise sat down and started eating with her left hand. "Mom!" The food she'd just scooped up slipped off her fork. She hadn't expected Lucas to visit her. She thought he only cared about Zara now and must have long forgotten about his biological mother. Lucas walked up to her and asked pitifully, "Can you come home and cook for me, Mom? I threw up today. The food there tastes awful! I want to eat superhero!" So, that was what this was about. Her heart had softened for a moment. After all, she'd raised him. Even though she'd decided to relinquish custody, she couldn't help but feel touched that he'd come to see her. However, as soon as his words sank in, the small ripple in her heart went still. "I told you this morning that you can't be picky anymore. Eat whatever Wanda makes you. I can't cook right now." The meals she used to make for him took a lot of effort. She would carve vegetables and arrange the meat into the shapes he liked. It took a lot of time, effort, and careful work with her hands. He was her beloved son, so she didn't mind doing those things for him. That was what mothers, especially housewives like her, were meant to do. Yet, after seeing how much he cared about Zara yesterday, she'd lost the heart to do it. Besides, if she wanted to go back to the lab, she had to take good care of her right hand. She wouldn't do anything that could damage it again. "Mom, are you still upset because I went to see Zara?" Lucas' temper flared. "You're so petty. Zara is Dad's younger sister and my good friend. I see her the same way I see you, Great-Grandma, and Wanda. Can't you just get along with Zara? Dad's younger sister is your sister too, isn't she?" Younger sister? If that were the case, Lucas should've been calling Zara "Aunt Zara", just as he did Samuel's older sister, Samantha Holt, who was "Aunt Samantha" to him. Since Samuel had him call Zara by her name, it meant he'd never seen her as his younger sister. After all, if Lucas became accustomed to calling her "Aunt Zara", people would start talking when she and Samuel tied the knot someday. Samuel cared too much about Zara to ever let her be the subject of gossip. He really did plan ahead. Just then, a familiar, cold voice rang out. "You seem to be doing just fine with your left hand. Why did you insist on getting surgery for your right hand?" Elise's head snapped up, and she met Samuel's cold, unreadable gaze. However, she didn't answer him. "I already let you have the surgery, yet you still went crying to Grandma?" She froze. "I didn't tell Anna…" The words on her lips died when she met his mocking gaze. There was no point. He wouldn't believe her anyway. In his eyes, she'd already done this before. "Mom!" Lucas pouted. "I've said so much. Why are you ignoring me? When are you coming home? "You've been mad for long enough! When I was upset, you always used to cheer me up and make me feel better. I came to see you on my own accord this time, not because Dad asked me to. Why are you still acting like this?" Elise had almost forgotten he was still there. In response to his complaints, she said calmly, "I'm not angry. Since you came to see me, I'm sure you can see that my hand's injured. I can't cook right now." "You're so mean, Mom!" Lucas huffed and stormed out of the ward.