Chapter 4
Soon, Noelle was found collapsed on the restroom floor by one of the hospital’s cleaning staff.
When she woke up, she was laying on a clean white bed.
A nurse was standing beside her, flipping through a chart with professional detachment. “Call a family member to bring you a change of clothes,” she simply said.
Noelle kept her eyes on the ceiling. “My husband’s dead, and my sister–in–law’s pregnant. The whole family’s revolving around her now. They don’t have time for me.”
The nurse’s expression softened, and she let out a small sigh. “Wait here. I’ll get some for you.”
After she returned and handed Noelle some tampons and a pair of slacks, she then turned to her
colleague and started gossiping.
“I just ran into a real piece of work next door. The mother–in–law’s fussing because her elder daughter–in- law is pregnant, and apparently, the younger daughter–in–law has her phone switched off.
“She won’t answer her phone or even show up to check in. And now, the mother–in–law’s calling her rude
and ungrateful.
“Oh, and the son’s another bizarre one. He’s hovering over his wife like something’s going to happen to her and tasting the water’s temperature before even handing it over. Not to mention, he’s complaining
that we’re doing everything wrong…”
Noelle weakly picked up her phone, only to find that it was dead. If she had to guess, that reprimanded daughter–in–law in the gossip was herself.
After putting on the plain slacks the nurse had bought and giving her some cash as a thank–you, she made
for the hospital exit.
However, just as she stepped out of her ward, she ran into Yasmine. She was outside Sabrina’s ward, still bombarding Noelle’s phone with calls.
Upon spotting her, Yasmine’s face lit up with fury and blame. Without a word, she grabbed Noelle’s wrist and dragged her into Sabrina’s ward.
“Where have you been? Why haven’t you been answering your phone? Sabrina’s pregnant, and you couldn’t even be bothered to visit! Don’t you have any manners at all?”
Then, Noelle was given a harsh lecture.
Though Yasmine was never warm with her, she’d never been this hostile either and would make it a point to at least keep up appearances. But now, Noelle couldn’t understand why this particular issue would make her drop all pretense.
From the bed, Sabrina watched with a triumphant smile as Yasmine rained insults on Noelle.
Chapter 4
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At first, Noelle thought she’d imagined it. But after Sabrina shooed Yasmine and Conner out of the room, she finally realized that she’d been right and understood why Yasmine had been so brutal.
Once it was just the two of them in the ward, Sabrina arched a brow and shot Noelle a look of displeasure. “Why would you call my husband when you’re on your period and have him send tampons to the women’s restroom? What exactly are you planning?”
Sweat beaded on Noelle’s forehead from the pain, but the cramping in her abdomen could never compare to the throbbing ache in her heart.
Whenever she was on her period, Conner would clear his schedule for her. He’d even fuss over her and make her warm soup to alleviate the pain.
It was something the spoiled son of the Ashfords had probably never done for anyone else. But now, a simple request to help her for an emergency was being twisted into something so sordid.
Sabrina’s sharp voice continued, “I know what you’re thinking. You’ve always been head over heels for Conner, and Caleb looks so much like him.
“Now that Conner’s dead, you want to steal Caleb, don’t you? Well, dream on!”
Noelle didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but she knew either would have felt equally bitter. So, she calmed herself and scoffed. “If you’ve got time to worry about whether or not I’m going to steal your husband, maybe you should think about how you can keep your baby alive.
“And by the way, you only managed to save this precious baby of yours because I pulled the strings and got Dr. Brown here. Shouldn’t you thank me?”
Sabrina scoffed. “Thank you? Why should I? Caleb made a deal with you, and you grudgingly went along.”
Noelle didn’t bother to argue. She knew that she shouldn’t waste her breath on someone without basic manners and decency. Plus, she’d only been forced into the favor by Yasmine and Conner’s guilt–tripping. She never needed Sabrina’s gratitude in the first place.
As she turned for the door, Sabrina called out behind her, “Stop right there, Noelle! Pay attention and listen when I talk!
I’m warning you, I know every little scheme you’re planning. Don’t even think about pulling underhanded tricks just because I’m pregnant.
“Caleb might look like Conner, but he’s not yours to covet. And if you ever wreck my family, I’ll haunt you from the grave.”
Noelle gave her one cool, sidelong glance. Then, she arched her brows and replied, “Who cares if it’s Conner or Caleb, I’m done with both. They disgust me.”
Chapter 5
Chapter 5