Chapter 7

A flash of guilt quickly appeared on Carson's face. "That's not funny, Mimi. You're the only one who'd be my bride. Why would I be marrying anyone else? If you don't like Gianna's going to try out the dresses in your stead, then I won't let her tag along." Carson sounded like he was accommodating to Miranda's wishes. However, Miranda replied, "I just brought it up without thinking much of it. Gianna does have a very similar figure to mine. Let her try them on." Carson sighed in relief. He then held her hand and said, "Mimi, I'll send you to Winterland after the wedding to treat your illness. They have a very advanced medical system, and I also heard that they have already developed a miraculous drug that might work on you. "You can retire from your job after the wedding. I'll take care of you after that." Miranda stared at Carson for a long time. She simply couldn't understand what he meant. He was the one who hurt her first. And yet, he was already trying to find other ways to help her. Still, Miranda decided that she wasn't going to trust Carson any longer. No matter what he said, she would just answer with, "Okay." For the rest of the day, Carson didn't leave Miranda's side. It was as if he was deathly worried that she would get hurt again. Even the nurses sang his praises when they came in to check on Miranda. "Ms. Oakley, you're so lucky to have such a loving boyfriend like him!" Sometime later in the evening, Carson's friend said that they wanted to come and visit her, so he went down to the hospital lobby to bring them in. Miranda also got up from her bed and went over to the nurse's station. "Hi, may I know who was the one who sent me here?" she asked. Just before passing out, Miranda thought that she caught sight of Ivan walking toward her with an umbrella in his hand. But Ivan was supposed to be a cripple! How could he possibly walk toward her at all? The nurse, Felicia Jackson, replied, "It was a man, but he didn't tell us his name." There was a flash of disappointment in Miranda's eyes. She didn't even have a chance to repay the person for sending her here. While she was still in a daze, she suddenly heard familiar voices coming from behind her. "It's going to be your wedding in a few days, Carson. Since you're going to abandon her at the altar, you still need to make sure that you have a good reason for it. "Everyone in the elite circle here knows about your relationship with Miranda. If you choose to dump her on the day of your wedding, people will think that you're heartless and cruel. So, we've come up with a solution for you. "We can publish her HIV medical report and also show videos of her sleeping with other random men during the wedding. That way, your reputation won't be ruined. People will even take your side and feel sorry for you. Don't you think that this is a brilliant idea?" Edwin asked. Carson frowned at his suggestion. He said in a serious voice, "I hate her, but don't you think that it's a little too cruel?" Edwin was indignant. "Carson! You can't feel sorry for her now! She never once thought of you when she betrayed you before!" "Exactly!" another friend piped up. "Don't tell me that you've actually caught feelings for her! You can't marry a slutty hostess like her. Your ancestors would be rolling in their graves if they knew about this!" Carson went silent for a long while. Finally, he said, "Just do whatever." "Great. You don't really have videos of her sleeping with other men, do you? We need to record it before the wedding, or else we won't be able to play it during the ceremony…" Carson's friends continued piling more and more ideas, and Miranda couldn't bear to listen to the rest of their conversation anymore. She ran into the stairwell and crouched in a corner, shivering uncontrollably. So, Carson never trusted her and actually thought that she slept around with other men behind his back. She should have known earlier that people would always think of her as a filthy slut simply because she worked as a hostess, no matter whether she actually slept around or not. … When Carson realized that Miranda had gone missing for a while, he searched the entire hospital like a madman Finally, when he found her in the stairwell, his eyes were red with anxiety, looking as if he was completely in love with her and terrified that something bad had happened to her. "Mimi! What happened? I thought you had disappeared! You scared me half to death. I can't live without you!" Carson pulled Miranda into his arms and refused to let go, even after a long while. Miranda had been crying for such a long time that her emotions had gone numb. She lied and said, "I missed my mom." Carson sighed in relief and comforted her gently. "It's fine. You still have me. I'll always be with you." Miranda closed her eyes and let her tears slide down her jaw and drip onto the ground. … Over the next few days, Carson was basically glued to her hip, except for the one day he went out to try on wedding suits for the wedding. The night before the wedding, his friends took him away, saying that they were "kidnapping" him for a surprise bachelor party. Miranda and Gianna were the only people left in the house that night. Gianna poured a glass of milk for Miranda and smiled at her, saying, "Miranda, it's your wedding tomorrow. Carr specifically told me to give you a glass of milk before you went to sleep tonight because he says it helps you sleep better." Even though Miranda already knew the truth, she still couldn't stop her heart from tearing in half when she saw it happen. So, Carson couldn't bear to do it himself for the final time. Was this the reason why he'd gotten someone else to do it for him? Suddenly, Miranda chuckled bitterly.