Chapter 6

When Vanessa woke up, she was in the hospital. As soon as she opened her eyes, her mind still groggy, the doctor said to her seriously, "Your right hand is severely injured. There may be long-term complications." Her heart dropped when she heard that. Just as she tried to sit up, pain shot through her injured right hand, jolting her fully awake. Scenes from before she passed out flashed through her mind, and a sharp ache tore through her chest. "What kind of complications?" she asked hoarsely. "Possible issues with grip strength, stiffness, and difficulty with fine motor skills. For now, focus on recovery. We'll observe you further as you heal." Calling it "complications" was to put it mildly. In truth, her hand was ruined. The doctor, unable to help further, lowered his eyes and quietly left the room. Vanessa's face turned pale, her gaze empty. She lifted her right hand, which was wrapped in a cast. Other than pain, she felt nothing. How did it come to this? Suddenly, Baxter's words echoed in her ears. "Since you ruined Tabby's hand, you'll pay with yours." So, he really did follow through with what he said. She hadn't done anything, yet he blindly believed Tabitha and made her pay with her own hand. "Why?" The pain in her heart was unbearable. She buried herself under the covers. She bit down hard on her lip, but still couldn't muffle her sobs. Her tears quickly soaked the pillow beneath her. She cried for a long time before gradually calming down. Then, she quietly ate her dinner, appearing composed, but her eyes were unfocused. The light in her had completely gone out. After dinner, she needed to use the bathroom. But her hand was useless, so she had to ask the nurse for help. Seeing the extent of her injury, the nurse couldn't help but ask, "How come no one from your family is here to take care of you when your hand is hurt so badly?" Vanessa paused. A flicker of sorrow crossed her eyes as she softly replied, "I don't have any family left." Sonya was gone. As for Baxter, the man who was her husband in name, he was already dead to her. Besides, he had probably already forgotten about her. Upon hearing that, the nurse standing outside sighed, looking at her with sympathy. "That's really unfortunate. It's best for a woman to have someone to rely on. "If you can meet a good man, your whole life is set. Like that woman who came this afternoon—Tabitha, was it?" At the mention of Tabitha, her voice rose. "She only had a shallow cut on her palm. It was deemed nothing serious after the checkup. "But her partner wouldn't let it go. He brought in the top orthopedic specialist just to make sure and only relaxed after everything was confirmed to be fine. Now that's what I call a good man." The nurse outside clearly had no idea that the so-called "good man" she was praising was actually Vanessa's husband. His goodness was reserved for Tabitha alone. Vanessa hadn't cared about any of this before. But upon hearing those words, something pierced her heart, causing her to nearly fall into the bathroom. She gripped the wall to steady herself as another wave of grief rose up. Once again, tears welled up in her eyes. Tabitha's hand was fine? Yet, Vanessa had paid such a heavy price for it. … The next day, Baxter came to pick her up. But not to bring her home. Instead, he took her to a high-end club to attend Tabitha's birthday party. "What's the meaning of this?" Vanessa demanded angrily. But Baxter paid no attention to her and, still full of self-righteousness, he said, "Tabby doesn't blame you for what happened. I hope the two of you can bury the hatchet." After saying that, he walked over to Tabitha and handed her a necklace. "Happy birthday, Tabby," he said. His eyes were filled with so much tenderness, it was almost overflowing. Vanessa recognized that necklace instantly. It was a piece from the Erewhon royal collection. It was the same one that she had fallen in love with the moment she saw it. But Baxter told her it wasn't for sale, only for display. Now, the joke was on her. Tabitha's eyes sparkled at the necklace. Looking blissfully at Baxter, she asked sweetly, "Can you help me put it on?" "Sure." Baxter helped her put on the necklace. Amid the cheers of the crowd, the two looked like a couple deeply in love. The sight was the last straw for Vanessa. Holding back her tears, she turned and walked out. She stayed outside for a long time before finally going back in. But just as she passed by a private room, her steps came to a halt. Peeking through a small gap in the door, she caught sight of two bodies entwined together. As the man let out a muffled groan, the woman tilted her head back. To Vanessa's surprise, that woman was actually Tabitha! She froze in shock. Just then, a voice came from behind her. "What are you doing here?" She jumped in fright and turned around. It was Baxter!