Chapter 8

By the time Lester returned home, it was already dark out. He'd heard that Margaret's condition had finally stabilized. When he saw the bruises all over her body and heard the caregiver explain what had happened, he realized he'd accidentally pushed her to the ground earlier that day. In the bedroom, he held her tightly and kept apologizing. "Margie, I'm sorry. Things were too chaotic, and I didn't see you. You can hit me if you want, okay?" Margaret kept her eyes shut and said nothing. Even her hands and feet felt cold. No matter how gently he coaxed her, all she could remember was him carrying Scarlett away in his arms. After what seemed like ages had passed, she still remained silent. He thought she had fallen asleep and gently laid her down on the bed. Just then, another call came from the hospital. Scarlett's condition had taken a sudden turn for the worse. Even with her eyes closed, Margaret could sense Lester's gaze falling on her. Maybe he was hesitating. But in the end, he looked away. All she could hear was his footsteps fading into the distance. Margaret still didn't open her eyes. Tears trickled from the corners of her tightly shut eyes, making her heart ache as they fell. … Scarlett was still in a coma, so Lester was often unavailable. On Saturday morning, after breakfast, Margaret suddenly asked, "The wedding venue is being set up. Do you want to go have a look?" Lester seemed distracted. Putting on his coat, he replied dismissively, "I'm busy. Let's go another time." With that, he turned and left the house. He never brought it up, but she knew exactly where he was going. She sat in silence for a while, then followed him. Ever since Margaret became disabled, she hated going back to the hospital. It held her worst memories and deepest nightmares. But that day, she wheeled herself through its doors alone and watched as Lester walked into Scarlett's hospital room. Scarlett was still unconscious. Margaret came to a stop outside Scarlett's ward and saw Lester take Scarlett's hand, begging her to wake up. "Scarlett, didn't you say you loved me? If you wake up, I'll give you anything you want. "I won't lock you up or hurt you again. Whatever you want, I'll give it to you. "Just wake up, Scarlett. Please, wake up!" Outside the door, Margaret listened quietly. Her whole body was tense, and she trembled in silence as she watched Lester stoop so low before the very woman who ruined her life. His raspy voice drifted out from the room again after a long silence. "If you want me to call off my marriage… I'll do it, too. As long as you wake up." Margaret froze. She felt as if the last shred of hope she had for Lester was shattered, leaving her utterly heartbroken. Her nails dug into her palms, but she couldn't stop trembling. Finally, she turned around and left, her face as pale as paper. Whatever that had been holding her together vanished. That one sentence had pushed her over the edge, plunging her into an abyss of hopelessness. … Back at Vista Heights, Margaret looked around at what had once been their home. Every corner was filled with memories—the curtains they picked out together, the vase they chose, and the mural they painted as a joke… How could two people who were once smitten with each other end up like this? The boy who had sworn to marry her when he was 16 years old had now changed his mind. His wish was no longer to marry her. Her eyes quivered shut. A few seconds later, a call from the wedding planners came through. "Ms. Reynolds, the site had been fully set up. When would you and Mr. Hamilton like to come and take a look?" The staff's polite question got no response after a long time. "Ms. Reynolds?" "We're not going," Margaret finally said through gritted teeth, clutching her phone. The person on the other end paused, unsure whether she meant they wouldn't be visiting the venue or wouldn't be having the wedding at all.