Chapter 6

James said nothing, merely dropping his arm. Jenna didn't let go. Instead, she linked her arm through his. "James, are you alright? I'm sorry for being late. I'll take care of you and Ethan tonight." There was a striking contrast between her soft-spoken words and Wendy's icy expression. As James stared at Wendy's face, a sharp pang pricked at his chest, but it was quickly drowned out by irritation. Before this, Wendy would rush to his side at the slightest frown. When did she change? "I'm fine," he said coldly before looking away. "If a certain someone doesn't want to fulfill her duties as a mother, then she shouldn't be here getting in the way." To him, all Wendy's repeated antics were just pathetic attempts to get his attention. James wasn't about to let her have her way. Hearing this, Jenna glanced at Wendy, her lips curling ever so slightly. "Wendy, didn't you always pride yourself on being a good wife and mother? Surely you're not the kind of person James is talking about?" The two of them seemed to be working in tandem, trying to tear off her calm facade and watch her lose control. But Wendy said nothing. She stepped past James without even glancing at them and headed straight for the nurses' station. Being ignored made James' breathing hitch, and his expression stiffened. Jenna caught that and said guiltily, "Wendy must've gotten upset because of me. I was just really worried when I heard you and Ethan were sick." Her large eyes brimmed with tears, her voice catching with emotion. James snapped out of his daze and looked down, his tone soft. "It's not your fault. She's just overly sensitive and petty. Ethan doesn't like that about her either." His voice wasn't loud, but in the silent, empty corridor, every word reached Wendy's ears. Her hand paused mid-signature, the tip of the pen pressing down hard, causing ink to seep into the prescription sheet. The nurse quickly reprinted a new one and placed it carefully in front of her. In a small voice, she said, "Dr. Sanders, don't worry. I'll pay special attention to your son." Wendy double-checked the medications and signed the sheet. "Thank you. If there are any issues, contact me right away." The nurse nodded and took the updated sheet, then asked, "Do you want to check your husband's prescription as well?" "No." Wendy capped the pen. "I'll let Dr. Lennox know about the prescription changes. Thanks for your help." Ethan was still just a child. Of course she cared for him. As for James, whether he lived or died, it was none of her concern anymore. She walked out of the emergency department and exited through the front doors. A gust of cold wind blew past, making her clutch her thin jacket tightly. She had left in such a rush that she'd put on the wrong outerwear. A car pulled up in front of her. Mary got out and grabbed her arm, looking worried. "What happened? Jenna suddenly said she was rushing to the hospital. Did something happen to Ethan?" Wendy looked at her, the scene from earlier that afternoon flashing through her mind. Without her realizing it, her gaze turned cold. "Gastroenteritis." "How could you let such a young child get gastroenteritis? What kind of mother are you? And where are you going now? Aren't you going to stay with Ethan? Don't you care?" Mary's barrage of criticism made Wendy laugh out of sheer frustration. "And what kind of mother are you?" she snapped, her chest tight with rage. "You really think none of this is your fault?" No sooner had the words left her mouth than Chris shouted, "Is that any way to speak to your mother?" He raised his hand and swung at Wendy with force. Wendy couldn't dodge in time. She instinctively raised her arm to block, but the expected pain never came. Instead, a familiar scent filled her nose. As she looked up, she found a tall figure standing between her and Chris. It was James. He had caught Chris' hand. "Ethan's awake. Jenna's with him. She told me to come get you two." Chris looked at James in surprise, then sullenly lowered his hand. Without a word, he and Mary went upstairs. Wendy stepped back, but James grabbed her arm. "Whether it's being a mother or a daughter, Jenna's better than you at both." His cold words pierced Wendy's heart deeply. That must mean that, to him, even as a wife, she was no match for Jenna. Wendy flung his hand away, her eyes full of disgust as she glared at him. "If I'm not good enough, then go ahead and have her replace me. You just have to sign the agreements." "Replace you?" James sneered. "You really think you're that important? If this is how you want it, don't come crawling back later." At that, the icy look in Wendy's eyes faltered slightly. James knew that look all too well. He thought she was about to drop the act and show weakness, but he didn't want to give her the chance. As such, he turned to leave. "James." As expected, her voice rang out behind him. He stopped in his tracks, not turning back. "If you want me to forgive you, then just this once, an apology will be enough." Wendy ignored what he said, simply remarking, "Ethan is your child too. If you genuinely care about him, take proper care of him. Make sure he doesn't eat anything he shouldn't." James froze. That was all she wanted to say? He spun around angrily, but Wendy was already gone. His jaws clenched, and he stared into the distance, his expression darkening. ... Early the next morning, just as dawn broke, the pediatric ward rang out with a flurry of urgent nurse call bells. The nurse rushed in with equipment to find Ethan vomiting uncontrollably on the bed, eventually retching up bile. Jenna, who had been sleeping on the nearby bed, opened her eyes groggily and was startled by the chaos around her. "What's going on?" No one answered. She only heard one nurse say, "Notify Dr. Sanders right away. The child's condition just got worse!" The words jolted Jenna fully awake. She rushed to the bed, alarmed. "What's wrong with Ethan?" Not that she really cared about him. She just didn't want Wendy to pin this on her. One nurse shot her a glare. "What kind of care were you giving? The child pressed the call button himself!" Jenna's face turned pale. She stared at Ethan, now wearing an oxygen mask, and muttered reflexively, "I'm not the nanny or anything…" Before she could finish, she saw James rush in. Instantly, she changed her tone. "This is all my fault! I was just so tired that I closed my eyes for a bit. I didn't expect this—" "Out, out! Don't get in the way!" the nurse snapped, eyes darting to the door. "Where's the doctor?" James furrowed his brows tightly. "What's wrong with Ethan? I'm his father." "He must have eaten something that made his condition worse," the nurse replied. Hearing this, James turned to Jenna. "Where's Zelda?" Jenna stood frozen, biting her lip, unable to say a word. Last night, she had purposely dismissed Zelda so she could be alone with Ethan and badmouth Wendy. To curry favor with Ethan, she'd even given him milk candy. But with Ethan in this state, how could she possibly tell the truth?