Chapter 157
I stared at the message from George on my screen, feeling nothing but bitter irony, and the corner of my mouth twitched.
I thought, 'George, just how thick-skinned are you to ask such a question so matter-of-factly? Who was it last night that dumped Jack on me without even a glance my way, all to comfort the frightened Sarah? And who, after Jack hurled insults at me and nearly caused an accident, still went along with Sarah's jokes and then turned around to question why I didn't take care of Jack?'
I couldn't even be bothered to reply. I just flipped my phone face-down on the desk, as if that could shut out George and his ridiculous logic.
I worked all morning, then had lunch with Emily near the office.
We'd barely taken a few bites when my phone started vibrating again, with Violet's name flashing on the screen.
I put down my knife and fork, sighed inwardly, and answered, "Grandma."
"Grace, have you eaten yet?" Violet's voice sounded even gentler than this morning, with a hint of cautious probing.
"I'm eating now, Grandma. Have you eaten?" I replied politely.
"Yes, I have." Violet paused, her tone becoming even softer, with obvious expectation, "Grace, are you busy this afternoon? Could you spare some time to come see George at the hospital? He's doing much better now, just bored lying there alone."
I understood immediately.
Violet hadn't given up. She still hoped to see George and me reconcile, or at least maintain the appearance of a harmonious marriage.
She didn't know the details of many things, or rather, she didn't want to believe those ugly truths.
So, most of the time, George and I had to passively play the role of a respectful couple in front of her.
I instinctively wanted to refuse, keeping my tone as gentle as possible, "Grandma, I have a meeting this afternoon and I'm pretty busy. Plus, the hospital has doctors and nurses, and Ms. Wilson is there too, so he shouldn't lack people to take care of him. I don't think I need to go."
There was a long silence on the other end, then came an even longer, heavier sigh from Violet.
"Grace..." Her voice carried a barely noticeable tremor and weariness, "Tell me, has something really serious happened between you and George? Does it have to do with that Sarah?"
My heart jolted.
I hadn't expected Violet to be so perceptive, directly hitting the core of the problem.
She wasn't completely in the dark. She had also noticed Sarah's presence and the impact Sarah had brought to our family.
I held the phone, my throat feeling blocked, not knowing how to answer for a moment.
Deny it?
That would be deceiving the only elder who truly cared about me.
Admit it?
But how could I tell this elderly woman, who had always been kind to me, those dirty details?
My silence seemed to confirm something for Violet.
She didn't press me, but changed her approach, her tone carrying an almost pleading insistence, "Grace, come to the hospital, okay? I'll let you hear what George has to say for himself. Ask him face to face, let him give you an explanation, give me an answer, okay?"
Violet had already asked me twice, each time more earnestly than the last.
If I refused again firmly, she would probably keep calling, or become even more worried.
This matter needed to be settled eventually.
At least, I needed to let Violet understand some basic facts, rather than keeping her in the dark with unrealistic expectations.
I glanced at the time. There was still an hour and a half left of lunch break.
Driving from here to the hospital would take just over twenty minutes if traffic was good. Round trip plus talking time should be enough.
I told Violet on the phone, "Grandma, I'll drive over now. Wait for me."
"Okay, I'll wait for you!" Violet's voice immediately brightened, then she hung up.
Emily, sitting across from me, had been listening with her ears perked up. Seeing me hang up, she immediately asked, "What's wrong? More problems with the Smith family?"
I briefly explained the situation, and Emily immediately put down her knife and fork, "I'll go with you."
I shook my head, "No need, Emily. I'll go by myself. I'm just going to see Grandma, explain things briefly so she knows what's going on, and I'll be back soon."
Emily was still worried, "But that bastard George will be there, and that Sarah too. I'm afraid you'll be at a disadvantage."
I smiled, feeling warmth in my heart, "Don't worry, the hospital is a public place, and Grandma will be there. I'm just going to talk with Grandma. I won't get into any conflict with them, and if things go wrong, I'll leave immediately."
Only then did Emily reluctantly agree, but she still reminded me, "Then be careful. If anything happens, call me right away and I'll come over immediately."
I nodded, grabbed my bag and car keys, left the restaurant, and drove to that private hospital with its quiet environment and expensive fees.
I asked the nurse at the front desk for George's room number. It was a VIP suite on the top floor.
I took the elevator upstairs. The hallway was carpeted with thick rugs, silent and quiet.
As I reached the hospital room door and was about to knock, I heard Albert's dissatisfied voice from inside.
"Mom! What are you doing now? Why did you have to call Grace over? Isn't George annoyed enough already? He needs rest!" Albert was clearly very unhappy with Violet's arrangement.
Next came Violet's cold, authoritative voice, "Who I call over is none of your business! Didn't Jack call you to pick him up from the amusement park? Go now. Sarah said she has work to do at her company, and George needs an IV. If no one's here with him, do you expect me, an old woman, to stay here the whole time?"
"I..." Albert was stumped, seeming to want to argue, but Violet's presence was clearly stronger.
"Go now! Stop being an eyesore here!" Violet issued her order.
I heard angry footsteps and the sound of a door opening from inside, and quickly ducked into the fire exit door nearby, leaving it slightly ajar.
Sure enough, Albert came out looking furious, still muttering complaints under his breath, heading toward the elevator.
After he left, I came out of the fire exit and stood at the hospital room door again.
Honestly, I didn't want to go in and see George at all.
Seeing him would make me think of that arrow that grazed my ear last night, his cold questioning, his unhesitating figure walking toward Sarah.
I decided to call Violet and ask her to come out, just chat briefly in the hallway, explain the situation, and leave.
However, before I could dial the number, Violet's voice rang out again from the hospital room. This time, it wasn't scolding Albert, but carried a rare, suppressed anger and seriousness, directly questioning George, "George, tell me honestly, are you or aren't you having an affair with that Sarah?"
My fingers gripping the phone suddenly tightened, and my breathing unconsciously stopped.
I stood outside the door, my gaze seeming to penetrate that heavy wooden door to see the scene inside the hospital room.
Violet must be standing by the bed, staring sharply at George, who was leaning against the headboard, still looking somewhat pale.
And George...
I could almost imagine what he looked like right now. He must be slightly frowning, expressionless, looking at Violet with indifferent eyes, or looking elsewhere, denying it in that habitually calm tone, "Grandma, don't listen to those rumors from outside. Sarah and I are just longtime good friends. She just returned to the country not long ago and needs help with various things. As a friend, it's only right that I help her out a bit more."
Sure enough, the next second, George's cold and steady voice came through clearly, exactly as I had imagined, "Grandma, don't listen to people spreading nonsense. Sarah and I are just good friends. She's had a hard time alone all these years. It's only right that I help her out more."
Good friends.
What great "good friends."
Violet clearly wasn't fooled by this explanation. She let out a short, cold laugh, "Good friends? You call that helping? George, do you really think I'm so senile I can't see anything?"
"I heard that it was because that Sarah moved into the Smith Villa that Grace moved out with Milly! Is that true or not? You explain this to me clearly today."