Chapter 12

"Honey, did... Did you hear me talking?" Yarrick was startled, his hand involuntarily trembling slightly. He wondered if Hailey could hear him. He felt pretty awkward. After all, it was embarrassing to always call her "sweetheart" and "honey". "Uh, Ms. Yandon, can you hear me?" To avoid further embarrassment, Yarrick switched to calling her "Ms. Yandon" instead. After all, calling her "Ms. Yandon" would never be a problem. "Ms. Yandon, Ms. Yandon..." Yarrick gently squeezed her delicate hand, cautiously calling out to her. Yet after a while, there was still no response from Hailey. It was likely that she had only gripped his hand out of reflex earlier. Gradually, Yarrick began to relax. "Honey, you really gave me a scare. I honestly thought you woke up. I mean, I do hope that you'll wake up. But at the same time, I have no idea how to face you when you do. Alas... I know that once you're truly awake, you'll probably want a divorce. After all, I'm just someone brought in to bring you good luck." As he spoke, he let out a quiet sigh without even realizing it. Perhaps it was because Hailey was now part of his daily life. Lately, he even found himself wanting to talk to her more. Time slipped away gradually, and before he realized it, it was already 1:00 pm. "Honey, I haven't had lunch yet. I'm going to grab something to eat. I'll come back and keep you company in a bit. Be good, okay? Try to wake up a little more often and eat a bit more, alright? Okay, sweetheart, I'm off to eat. See you later." With that, Yarrick stood up and let go of Hailey's hand. After his meal, Yarrick returned and continued to chat with her. It wasn't until nearly 5:00 pm that he finally started getting ready to leave. "Honey, I begin my new job tomorrow. The company is in the fashion industry, and it's located nearby. I'll probably have time to visit you during my lunch break and after work in the evenings too. Alright, sweetheart. I'm heading home now." After leaving the hospital, Yarrick went straight back to the new place he had just started renting. "Come on, Yarrick, you've been out nearly the whole day. What kind of patient are you even visiting? Don't tell me you've actually taken up a job as a caregiver?" The moment Yarrick walked through the door, Michael immediately picked up on that distinct hospital smell clinging to him. "No, it's nothing like that. I was just keeping the patient company and chatting. The doctor said it helps with recovery." "I see. Does the patient have no other family? Visiting the hospital daily like this must be incredibly draining." "Uh… Yeah, the patient has no family around." Yarrick gave a vague reply. After all, this wasn't exactly something he could easily explain to Michael. "I see. Well, that's really thoughtful of you." "It's nothing. We're family, so it's the right thing to do. Come on, Michael. Let me buy you a drink." Yarrick glanced at the time. It was a good time to grab a nice meal and enjoy a drink. He had over 400 thousand dollars on him now. There was no need to be overly frugal at the moment. "Seriously?" "Of course!" "That's great. Let's go." With that, they headed out together. Soon, the two of them arrived at a small restaurant just outside the neighborhood. They ordered some food and two bottles of beer. Since the following day was their first day at work, it wasn't the best idea to drink too much, so they decided to take it easy. "Come on! Let's drink." After filling their glasses, Michael picked up his glass and couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. "What's wrong? Why the sigh?" The two clinked their glasses and drank it all down in one go. "It's about Isabelle…" "What happened with Isabelle? Aren't you two getting along pretty well? You're even staying in Jillburg for her." "She said yesterday that if we're getting married, I need to buy a house in Jillburg. I just graduated. How am I supposed to afford a house? Plus, she wants me to save half a million dollars for the wedding gifts." As Michael spoke, he poured himself another drink and knocked it back. "A thousand-square-foot apartment in Jillburg costs over two million dollars. I can't afford that even if I were to sell everything I own. Besides, she said she'd only give me two years to sort everything out. If I succeed, we can get married. If not, there's no future for us." Yarrick was rendered speechless hearing Michael's words. Earning two million dollars in two years seemed impossible for a fresh graduate. That was one million dollars a year or about a hundred thousand dollars a month after taxes. If she insisted on this, their relationship would likely end. "I regret getting into a relationship. Without a partner, I wouldn't have all these worries and attachments. Look at you. How good it is to be single and carefree. What the hell was I thinking, getting into a relationship?" "I..." Yarrick felt slightly guilty. In fact, he was no longer single. He was married, and at that very moment, his wife lay in a hospital bed. While he might not be responsible for all the medical expenses, that didn't lessen the weight of his own worries. "Michael, consider this. If you and Isabelle end up together, it'll be a great love story. Even if it doesn't work out, you would've gained relationship experience. And come on... You two have already slept together, right? So, that's a win-win situation. "She'll just marry someone else in the future, and you won't be losing anything either. Don't take it too seriously. It's just one of the relationships in your life." Yarrick couldn't help but chuckle as he spoke. "Damn! You've got a point here. But I already see her as my future wife. If we don't make it, she'll end up with someone else, and just the thought of that makes me feel nauseous." Indeed, Michael raised a valid point. However, there was still the pressing issue of the two million dollars that he needed to save up before he could propose to her. "So, what are you gonna do? With your physique, you're not gonna make much money even if you sell your body..." "Hey Yarrick, with your physique, have you considered pursuing a wealthy woman instead? If you find success, you can then provide for me, no?"