Chapter 10

I couldn’t help but doze off in the car. The aftereffects of alcohol had taken their toll on me, and all I wanted to do was sleep. I expected Henry to leave me in the car overnight, so I was surprised to wake up in my bed the next day. This was the second time Henry carried me back to my bed while I was sleeping. This was a strange tendency. When I woke up, I had a terrible headache that only got slightly better after I washed up. But I suddenly became hungry. I assumed Henry was not at home, so I did not wear underwear and went downstairs in my light and airy silk nightgown to prepare breakfast. Halfway down the stairs, I saw three people sitting on the sofa and looking up at me in unison. Henry was also among them, holding a handful of cards as he looked at me. When he saw what I was wearing, his face darkened more than usual. “Cover your eyes!” Sid Langdon pushed the other man’s head down. I hurried back upstairs to change out of my nightgown. At the same time, I cursed Henry a million times. What was wrong with him these days? Was he possessed? Why was he at home so often? After getting dressed, I went downstairs again. Instead of playing cards, the three of them were chatting. Henry only had a few close friends — Sid Langdon, Evan Eisenberg, and Jake Fuller. I knew who they were, but we were not close. They were all rich young men from affluent families. Evan Eisenberg was slightly different from the rest of them. Instead of taking over his family business, Evan chose to be a doctor. These people knew that Henry didn’t like me. Thus, they never regarded me as Henry’s wife. In my previous life, they even encouraged Henry to pursue Laurel. Evan was the sole exception. The three men watched silently as I walked downstairs and into the kitchen. I made a simple bowl of pasta and ignored them. “Let’s go,” Henry said to his friends as he stood up. Sid and Jake nodded and followed Henry out the door. They soon drove away, and I slurped my noodles without complaint. I put on minimal makeup and went to the hospital after breakfast. My main goal was to get a physical examination. Then I would go see Zachary. When I arrived at the hospital, I registered my information and had a full-body checkup, with a focus on the mammary glands. I had breast hyperplasia, but no anomalies were found at the time. After putting the test results away, I went over to Zachary’s ward. “Dr. Eisenberg, do you want to have dinner with me after work?” I heard a nurse’s delicate voice as soon as I walked into the inpatient department. Evan was not far away, dressed in a white coat that concealed his lean and graceful figure. He looked reserved. Evan was a rare ascetic in Henry's circle who remained uncorrupted by worldly pleasures. Most rich men in our circle were players and liked to fool around. Evan was the only one who devoted himself to his medical career. Evan would go out with Henry and the others for drinks and games, but he hardly ever fooled around with women. In my previous life, Evan was also infatuated with Laurel. I walked past Evan and into Zachary’s ward. To my surprise, Laurel was there again. “Laurie, I only have a minor skin abrasion on my leg. My arms aren’t broken, so I can eat on my own.” Zachary was showing his gratitude to Laurel by eating the apple she was feeding him. Laurel’s laughter was crisp and soft. “What’s wrong with feeding you? Don’t you want me to treat you well?” “Of course I do! You’re the best, Laurie!” Zachary smiled brightly, his gaze fixed on the lovely lady beside his bed. I coughed, interrupting the young couple’s intimacy. Zachary was surprised to see me. “Zena, why are you here again?” Laurel hurriedly got up and gave me the seat. “Zena, have a seat.” Laurel’s fair and flawless heart-shaped face was even more stunning up close. I suddenly remembered Evan, who was outside, and grabbed Laurel’s hand, yanking her out of the ward. “Zena, what’s wrong?” Laurel was startled and followed me to the corridor. How did Evan disappear so soon? I was a little disappointed. In my previous life, Henry was the first to meet Laurel. Then Evan met Laurel through Henry. What if Evan met Laurel first? Would the outcome be different? Would Evan fall in love with Laurel at first sight, as Henry did? I sighed and gave Laurel a faint smile. “Nevermind. I wanted to introduce you to a skilled doctor. That way, you can look for him when Zach needs his stitches removed.” “Zena, you’re too kind. Zach’s injury is not that serious.” Laurel smiled shyly. “He’s a man, so he can live with a small scar. He is used to getting injured while playing basketball.” I nodded, but made a mental note to bring Laurel to Evan the next time I had the chance. With Laurel here, I didn’t have a chance to chat with Zachary, so I left after a few minutes. On the way back, I stopped by the herbalist to buy another batch of medicine. “Lee, have you hired the housekeepers?” I called Lee after getting into the car. “Madam, I am sending them to your house right now,” Lee replied. “Okay.” I returned to Maple Villas half an hour later. Lee was one step ahead of me. The housekeepers had already been briefed on their responsibilities and had begun work. Lee's efficiency and thoughtful planning impressed me. Seeing that I was back, Lee introduced me to the housekeepers, who bowed slightly and greeted me respectfully. “Hello, Madam.” I nodded and handed over the package of herbal medicine to one of the housekeepers with a fair complexion. “Here’s my herbal medicine, along with cooking instructions. Make it and bring it over to me when you are finished.” Then I went inside to rest. Soon after, a housekeeper approached me with the herbal concoction and said politely, “Madam, the medicine is ready.” I looked at the dark liquid in the mug on the table, then at the housekeeper’s lovely face, and asked gently, “What’s your name?” “My name is Edith White,” she quickly replied. “Okay. Thank you, Edith!” I offered what I thought was the sweetest smile I could muster and waved my hand. “Alright, you can get back to work.” Edith nodded and turned to walk away, but my gaze was fixed on her. Her appearance and physique were strikingly similar to Laurel’s. I suddenly realized how small the world was. Everything seemed to be interconnected. That day, I inadvertently hit on Laurel’s boyfriend. Now I have accidentally hired Laurel’s mother as my housekeeper! I messaged Lee and asked him to send me the new housekeepers’ background information. Then I went over Edith’s information, paying special attention to her emergency contact, who was usually her spouse. I could not help but smirk when I saw the name on the emergency contact list. These two names — Edith White and Aren White — were familiar to me. In my previous life, I did not get much out of researching Laurel’s past, but I did learn the names of her parents.