Chapter 216 Regret What Happened in the Past
Susan came out and saw Edgar outside. “Mr. Royden… you heard it all?” Susan was upset at herself. If she hadn’t said all that it wouldn’t have invoked disgust in Jean.
She had done it with good intentions and wanted to act as matchmaker, so that the both of them could reconcile. Or at the very least, they wouldn’t hate each other so much.
Edgar looked away, and his tone was aloof. “Take care of yourself. Don’t think about other things.” Susan nodded. Other than herself, Edgar was the only other person who knew her condition the best.
Susan let out a breath silently. At her age, she was indifferent about life and death. That night, Jean was about to sleep when she was called to the study room by Edgar. He made her type out documents.
She frowned. “Mr. Royden, these are project proposals from Royden Group. It’s not appropriate for an outsider like me to type it out.”
She didn’t want to be criticized by others in the future. Moreover, it would be the wee hours in the morning when she was done with it. The man looked up at her. He didn’t say anything, but his sharp expression conveyed his meaning.
Jean flattened her lips and sat down, frustrated. After two hours, her eyelids were putting up a fight. “Go on.” Edgar tossed another file in front of her.
Jean was dizzy and her vision was blurred. When she took it, she almost overturned the cup of tea on the desk. At that moment, the sound of shattering pieces suddenly came from outside the door.
“It’s not me.” Edgar immediately stood up and went in the direction of the living room. Jean chased after him only to find Susan, unconscious, beside the couch. “Get the driver, we’re going to the hospital!”
“Okay.” Jean could see for herself the worry on Edgar’s face. He picked Susan up and took big strides out the door. Jean’s heart tightened as she followed hurriedly.
The hospital corridors in the early morning were very quiet. The light in the operating room was on. Jean curled up on a bench while Edgar sat across from her. Their eyes met but they said nothing.
What Susan said to her in the afternoon rang in her ears. Edgar wasn’t born devoid of emotion. He was forced to become like this by the circumstances of life.
Jean put her head down.
It seemed like she had never investigated why Edgar treated the Eyer family as enemies.
What was the resentment they kept mentioning…?
Bang.
Susan lay on a hospital bed as she was pushed out by doctors.
Since it was a patient Edgar brought in, the primary surgeon was the vice hospital director who was on duty that night.
“Mr. Royden, let’s talk in my office.” The doctor’s face was frozen with worry.
It was as if Edgar had already anticipated that outcome. He followed with no emotion on his face.
Holding both their coats, Jean shifted her steps as she walked behind them.
“After our effective critical care, the patient will regain consciousness quickly. The cancerous cells in her body have taken over and spread. You and the patient have worked hard for the past few years. It’s very regretful.”
Edgar clenched his fists. A sadness that wouldn’t go away spread in his eyes.
Jean was alarmed.
She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.
“How long does she have left?” Edgar asked after a moment’s silence.
The vice hospital director sighed and said guardedly, “One month at most.”
It was hard to tell what Edgar was feeling from his expression as they left the office and walked to the hospital room. It looked like sadness or indifference.
He finally stopped before they reached the hospital room.
Jean looked up. She saw that he no longer had his usual arrogance and coldness. The rims of his eyes were slowly reddening.
“Let me stay with Susan.” Jean wanted to do her part. “If you’re there, she’ll worry.”
Edgar glanced at her deeply and didn’t move for a long time.
Miles heard the news, and he rushed over. “Mr. Royden, should I cancel your flight at six in the morning?”
Royden Group did have a lot of matters to deal with at the time. He glanced at Jean and after a while he said, “Contact me at any time if anything comes up.”
Jean nodded her head in response and watched as the man turned to leave.
The light in the hospital room was still on. Jean got herself together and walked in. “Susan, you’re up? How do you feel?”
She was still nervous but tried not to show it.
Otherwise, Susan would feel even worse.
Susan smiled as she sat up. “I’m fine. It’s just a chronic illness.”
She glanced in the direction of the door. Although she never said anything, Jean knew what she meant.
“Edgar has gone to the office. Maybe he doesn’t want to see me.” Jean forced out a sliver of a smile. “What a coincidence. I didn’t want to see him either. Susan, what do you want to eat in the morning?”
Jean tried her best to act normally.
Susan smiled and said, “Let’s go back and eat. I’ll make pancakes for you, alright?”
But she can’t leave the hospital!
“Susan… the hospital said that Edgar must sign for you to leave. But he’s not around now. We can’t go through with the discharge procedure.” Jean explained as she thought of an excuse.
Susan was startled for a moment, and it seemed like she believed it.
“I’m going to the hospital restaurant to take a look. Rest. I’ll be back shortly.” Jean smiled and waved before quickly leaving.
She didn’t know what to say to Susan at all.
Her cell phone vibrated. It was a text message from Edgar.
The message explained in detail what Susan liked and what safeguards should be taken for her sickness.
Jean’s pupils trembled slightly. That man wasn’t cold and indifferent. He was just taking care of Susan in his own way. Too much care would scare Susan and get turned down by her.
That was why he maintained his usual indifference.
Jean held her cell phone and replied, ‘Okay.’
She hesitated before sending it out then added, ‘Don’t worry.’
At that moment, the man looked at his cell phone screen in the car on the way to the airport. The corners of his lips curved unknowingly.
Scrolling up to the previous messages, Jean’s manner of speaking was never kind.
As he scrolled, he reached text messages from two years ago.
‘Edgar, are you coming back for dinner tonight?’
‘Edgar, I think there’s some problems at Dad’s company. Can you help him out?’
‘Edgar…’
He never replied to a single message.
Edgar’s heart suddenly plunged into ice. When Gary got into trouble, she must have been so helpless. He had also been through the pain that she felt at the time.
The man gripped his cell phone tightly. The thrill he felt from the plan succeeding back then vanished in an instant.
He used their marriage to reach his goals but also completely ruined Jean’s whole life.
How could she not hate him?
Edgar’s throat choked with emotion. It was as if there was something pressing on his chest, making him unable to breathe.
Jean stayed at the hospital with Susan the whole day. When she went out at night to buy groceries, she bumped into Farra.
Only Mr. Coleman was behind her.
Seeing Jean, Farra walked up to her immediately. “Jeannie, why are you at the hospital? Are you not feeling well?”
“My… my friend is in the hospital.”
Jean continued, “Why are you at the hospital, Mrs. Ludwig?”
“I haven’t been feeling well recently, so I came for a check-up.” Farra held on to Jean’s hand and refused to let go. “Benny has been busy with company affairs recently. He hasn’t abandoned you so don’t take it to heart. He won’t be like this once he settles everything.”
Of course Farra could feel the coolness Jean had toward her.
It was far from the friendliness and warmth that Jean had when Ben was in the hospital.
Hearing that, Jean shook her head. “Mrs. Ludwig, it’s not like that. Maybe Ben didn’t tell you. We…”
