Chapter 463
Chapter 463
The purpose of Karina’s visit today was not just to say those words to me.
She took out a small gift box from her bag, delicate and adorable. There was a little blue bear on it, along with an English design wishing a happy seventh birthday.
“Next week is Hiram’s seventh birthday. Neil and I are throwing a birthday bash for him. You should come,” Karina said with apparent cheer.
Seven years old. Counting back, I was married to Neil for five years, then divorced and messed around for two to three years, and during this time, his child with another woman had grown into a seven-year- old boy.
“Thanks for the invite, but I won’t be coming. Take the gift back,” I said, uninterested.
“Well, the choice is yours, Karina was not insistent. She smoothed her hair, and before leaving, she said, “Ms. Finch, since someone is treating you like a gem, please keep your distance from other women’s men. Try not to have unnecessary overlap, thank you.”
In the end, she still saw me as a love rival, and her hostility was quite intense.
I don’t know why both Bonnie and Karina fear me so much, even though they know that I was Neil’s wife for five years while living a widow’s life. After Karina left, I took a deep breath. I felt a bit moody.
Outside the window, the sun was shining brightly. It was midday, the hottest time of the day. I got up to look at the view from the window, then planned to order some take-out to fill my stomach.
Russel had to check on Serena and Brandon at noon, so he wouldn’t have time to arrange my lunch.
“Ms. Finch!”
Suddenly a man’s voice rang out. I turned around to see a plump man in a white coat, holding a lunch box, and smiling at me. “Dr. Russel asked me to bring you lunch. It’s our cafeteria’s staff meal, clean and healthy. Have a taste.”
I put down my phone, surprised that Russel had arranged for a colleague to bring me lunch. I felt touched that he remembered my lunch even though he was so busy.
I wasn’t sure how to explain my relationship with Russel to others, so I just accepted the lunch box and thanked him, “Okay, thank you.”
“No problem, Dr. Russel reminded me several times. He’s afraid you might go hungry. As for take-out, you never know about the hygiene. It’s not good for you. Enjoy your meal while it’s hot. I’m off to have my lunch,” he replied cheerfully.
“Alright, thank you,” I replied, not saying much but being very polite.
Soon the room was quiet again. I opened the lunch box, and the food inside smelled delicious, light and nutritious..
I picked up the fork and began to eat. Halfway through my meal, Russel sent a video call. In the video, he was holding Serena, and Brandon was playing in his crib.
“Have you eaten?” Russel asked about my lunch, very concerned.
“You’ve arranged it for me, so how could I not eat?” I laughed, “In the eyes of your colleagues, you’re definitely a great husband.”
Russel seemed to like this title. His tone was joyful. “Being a good doctor and a good husband are the best compliments for me. If you could give me a title, making it official, that would be even better.”
My eating slowed down a bit. I knew what Russel meant. He never gave up on marrying me, but I was hesitant.
My plan was not to marry again in this lifetime. I wanted to raise Serena and Brandon well on my own, and complete the mission satisfactorily. Russel’s persistence made me feel troubled.
Seeing that I didn’t speak, he knew he had touched a sensitive topic and didn’t continue. Instead, he mentioned Louis. “Louis is also hospitalized now. He was seriously injured and probably won’t be discharged for about ten days to two weeks.”
Russel only punched Louis once, and the rest of the injuries were almost all caused by Neil, showing how hard Neil had hit him.
“What’s going on between Louis and Neil?” When it came to this, I found it incredible. “Does Neil’s father really have an illegitimate child? Is it really Louis?”
My words stunned Russel. He seemed to know nothing about this. “What did you say?”
I suddenly realized that Louis only told me, and they hadn’t seen any of the previous gossip.
The reason Louis is so against Neil is because he’s jealous of Neil. He says he’s the illegitimate son of Neil’s father who was left outside.” I simply told Russel everything. Since Louis had told me, everyone would know soon. He wouldn’t hide it anymore.
Russel’s tone became serious. “How is that possible? When Louis’ father was a driver for the Whitmore family, it was Neil’s grandfather who introduced him to a woman. They got married earlier than Neil’s parents. All the Whitmores knew about this.”
So, I was puzzled. How did Louis determine that he was Ryan’s illegitimate son?
Russel wasn’t very clear about this either. We talked for quite a while but didn’t come to a conclusion. In the end, he said, “I’ll be back at the hospital soon. We’ll talk about it in person.”
“Alright.”
After hanging up the call, I played with my phone for a while, waiting for Russel to come to work and see me. Regarding Louis, I really wanted to clear things up. Not that I was particularly interested in him, but because he was sick and inexplicably targeted me.
At the very least, I wanted to know what happened to him and why he targeted me.
The afternoon sun was intense. It refracted through the window glass, making me feel sleepy. I went to close the curtains and planned to take a nap, but then a figure appeared at the door.
It was Neil.
How did he come to the hospital? Karina just left not long ago!
Recalling that he was the first to rush into the room to save me, a ripple stirred in my heart.
“Why are you still malnourished after all this time? Isn’t Russel a doctor? Can’t he take care of you?” Neil’s familiar and cold voice echoed in the hospital room.
“Once your health is compromised, it takes an ocean of time to recuperate. You reckon it’s a piece of cake?” I found myself growing more comfortable with Neil, like he was a dear old friend.
Neil strode in, releasing a heavy sigh that echoed through the room. His eyes landed on the gifts and flowers Karina had brought earlier, “Who stopped by?”
“Take a wild guess,” I retorted, arching an eyebrow.
Russel has been working here, it wouldn’t make sense for him to send flowers. Stella and Mitch were still caught up in the aftermath of their divorce. My folks were waiting for my aunt to wake up while juggling the numerous affairs of my uncle Lucas’ company. So, I’ve not got many friends left in Eldoria.
