Chapter 4

Garrick set his phone aside. He extended his hand and was about to steady her, but the painful look on Kaelis' face made him pause. He frowned slightly and asked, his voice carrying a perfunctory trace of concern, "Does it hurt? I'll get the doctor." Kaelis looked away, not wanting him to see the tears in her eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the glow of his phone screen. It showed an open chat with another woman. The last message was sent just ten minutes ago. "Don't be afraid. I'll be back soon to be with you." It turned out that the tender smile on his face earlier by her bedside was never meant for her. Although he stayed in the ward for the next few hours, his heart was elsewhere. His phone buzzed every few minutes, and the corners of his lips would subconsciously curl into a smile. "You don't need to be here." She finally broke the silence. Her voice was hoarse. "Go to her." He raised his brows and suddenly laughed. "Are you jealous?" He set down his phone and held her hand. His tone sounded more like condescension than comfort. "Fine. I'll stop looking at my phone today. I'll be with you." His attitude hit her like a splash of ice water, chilling her to the bones. She remembered he would stay up all night by her bedside whenever she had a fever. He would be running to get a doctor at a faint frown from her. However, she was expected to be grateful for his undivided attention now, even though it was only for a day. He wheeled her out to the garden that afternoon to get some air. The sun was warm, gently wrapping her in its glow. She looked at their long shadows stretching across the ground and was suddenly brought back to the past. He had also wheeled her around like this when she sprained her ankle. She had insisted he carry her, so he crouched down to carry her on his back for what felt like miles without complaint. The sun back then had been just as warm. She looked at his broad back and believed she could lean on him forever. "Garrick, I fell. It hurts…" Lyra's tearful voice suddenly rang out from his phone, shattering Kaelis's memory. He immediately let go of the wheelchair, his face instantly turning anxious. "Lyra's hurt. I need to check on her." "Garrick!" Kaelis called after him. Her voice trembled without her realizing it. "How am I supposed to get back like this?" "Figure it out yourself." He ran off without looking back, showing his determination to leave. The sky gradually darkened and was weighed down by heavy clouds. Kaelis struggled to maneuver the wheelchair, but it suddenly spun out of control on the slope. She instinctively braced herself with her hands the moment the wheelchair overturned, but the motion tore at her injured ribs. The agonizing pain blinded her and nearly knocked her out. It started raining, chilling her to the bones. She lay sprawled on the muddy ground and tried desperately to push herself up, but her injuries left her too weak to move. The rain mixed with dirt seeped into her collar, and the wound on her back burned with pain. "Help…" Her voice was drowned by thunder, just like how all her years of grievance and sorrow were never heard by Garrick. Kaelis didn't know how much time had passed before the pain finally dragged her into unconsciousness. … The ward was quiet when she regained consciousness. She could only hear the beeping sound of the heart monitor. Her phone vibrated. It was Theron. "Kae, what happened yesterday?" His voice carried with an uncontrollable sense of worry. "Why didn't you answer my calls?" She forced herself to stay calm. "Nothing happened. I fell asleep and missed your calls." "Really?" His voice sank. "Did Garrick upset you again?" "No." She turned her gaze to the sunlight spilling through the window. She suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of weightlessness. "Don't worry. This marriage will be over soon. He'll never be able to hurt me again."