Chapter 164
Ella wanted to take Zachary to the airport, but he turned her down.
Watching Zachary get in the car and quickly disappear from sight, she felt a mix of emotions and was particularly upset.
If there really is a next life, she would choose Zachary without hesitation the moment that next life begins.
She just hopes that everything she owes Zachary can be repaid in the next life.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Ella went to the hospital again.
Joshua still showed no signs of waking up.
She helped Joshua wash up and gave him an hour-long massage. By the time she returned to the Lewis family home, it was already evening.
Aurora and Dorian were playing in the yard with Rhea.
Ella walked over, crouched down, and called to them, "Aurora, Dorian."
When Aurora and Dorian saw Ella coming, they ran toward her and threw themselves into her arms.
"Mom, why are you always leaving early and coming back late? Mom, didn't you say you'd take me to see Dad? When are you going to take me to see Dad?" Aurora kept thinking about Joshua every day.
She really wanted to see that tall, handsome dad.
Dorian, however, had no interest in seeing Joshua. Instead, he asked Ella, "Mom, didn't Uncle Zachary go out with you? How come you're back but he isn't?"
Ella held Aurora with one hand and stroked Dorian's head with the other, telling them the truth, "Dorian, Uncle Zachary, and I got divorced. He won't be coming back anymore. He went to Eldoria."
Hearing this, Rhea came over looking worried. "Ella, did you really divorce Zachary?"
Ella nodded and stood up to face Rhea. "I'm the one who wronged him. He asked me to say hello and goodbye to you all, and hopes you won't take it to heart."
Rhea felt sorry for Ella and reached out to hug her. "Are you okay? How did this happen so suddenly?"
Although they had previously felt that Ella wasn't very happy being with Zachary.
Plus, since Ella belonged with Joshua, they hadn't been very supportive of Ella and Zachary being together.
But during this time, Zachary had indeed been good to Dorian and very tolerant and accommodating toward Aurora.
So they had come to support Ella's choice.
They never expected these two young people to divorce just like that, without even discussing it with them.
"Mom, are you sad?" Dorian was very thoughtful. Even though he liked Zachary, he didn't want to force Ella to do something she didn't want to do.
Ella looked down at Dorian and smiled weakly.
"Mom's not sad. With Aurora and Dorian here, Mom is the happiest and most joyful."
"Without Uncle Zachary, we still have Joshua."
Aurora tilted her little head up, her big eyes looking at her mom innocently, "Mom, take me to see Dad. With Dad around, our family will be even happier."
Ella picked up Aurora and held her in her arms, walking into the house with Rhea. "Okay, I'll take you to see Dad tomorrow."
Joshua was in that condition—who knows if he'll ever wake up.
If Aurora wants to see him, she might as well take her.
Maybe with Aurora there, it could awaken some consciousness in Joshua.
During dinner, Ella noticed she hadn't seen Mason for several days, so she asked, "Dad, where's Mason? I haven't seen him these past few days."
Heath explained patiently, "Your mom found him a match. She's having him spend more time with the girl. After work these days, I've been sending him to see her."
Ella asked, "He's willing to do that?"
"Willing or not, he has to be. He's in his thirties—if he doesn't get married now, who'll want him later?" Heath was frustrated with Mason for not living up to expectations.
Always hanging around with Joshua and Samuel—none of them looking for partners. People who don't know might think there's something going on between them.
At least Joshua was doing okay—he had Ella, and now he suddenly had two kids.
If he didn't push Mason a bit, with Scarlett in his heart, he might end up alone for the rest of his life.
Ella didn't say anything more.
The next day, she took the two kids to the hospital to see Joshua.
When they arrived, Jasper, Ava, and Samuel were all there.
The three of them stood outside the ICU, each with very serious expressions.
"Is Joshua really never going to wake up?" Ava covered her face and cried, her voice hoarse.
Samuel hung his head and sighed, "I've done everything I can. His legs are ruined, and the bullet in his waist went through his kidney. The fact that he's still breathing is already a miracle."
His dozen years of medical experience told him that the chances of Joshua waking up were extremely slim.
Right now, he was no different from a vegetable.
For him to get up and be like a normal person again—that was impossible.
"How did this happen?"
Ava slid down against the wall and cried out loud, "He's my only son, and Dorian won't come back to the Thomas family to be recognized. What are we supposed to do?"
Jasper's eyes also reddened. He crouched down and pulled Ava into his arms.
"Let's go ask Ella again. For the sake of Joshua going with her to rescue Aurora, let's ask her to let Dorian come back to the Thomas family to be recognized."
That way, with Dorian, they'd at least have some hope.
However, these words were heard by the mother and two children not far away.
Dorian immediately spoke up in refusal, "I don't want to go back with you. I hate you. You know in your hearts how you treated Mom and me before. It's too late to regret it now."
Hearing this, several people looked over at once.
Seeing Ella coming with the two children, Ava quickly wiped away her tears and got up to greet them.
"Ella, you're here."
She looked at the children, choking up, "Dorian, Aurora, Grandma knows she was wrong before. Grandma apologizes to you. But for the sake of your dad being seriously injured and unable to wake up, can you forgive us?"
"I'll never forgive you. Joshua is a bad guy too. It would be better if he died."
"Dorian." Ella sharply cut off Dorian's words and scolded him, "Don't talk like that. You don't have to like him, but don't curse him."
Dorian got angry, crossed his arms, and huffed as he turned to face the other direction.
Aurora tugged at her brother, her voice sweet, "Dorian, Dad is pretty nice. Why don't you like him?"
"I just don't like him. He used to bully Mom and me."
Dorian held a grudge.
If Joshua hadn't kidnapped her, he wouldn't have run away.
No one knew how scared he was during those days he was out there.
He was so afraid he'd never see Ella again.
Anyway, Joshua ending up like this now was what he deserved.
Ella stopped managing Dorian and ignored Jasper and Ava. After saying something to Samuel, she took Aurora to change into sterile clothing and led her into the hospital room to see Joshua.
The others stayed outside the room, including Dorian.
Inside the room, Aurora finally saw Joshua.
But Joshua was very different from the tall, handsome dad he used to be.
Joshua lay on the hospital bed, tubes all over his body, his face covered by an oxygen mask, thin and pale.
He looked especially pitiful.
Aurora felt heartbroken and immediately started crying.
Ella stroked her and asked, "Why are you crying?"
Aurora couldn't hold back her tears as they fell in big drops. She pointed at the unconscious Joshua and said, "Why did Dad become like this? He looks so pitiful. Mom, what do I need to do to make Dad better, to make him the super handsome dad he used to be?"
Ella patiently explained to her, "From now on, Aurora can come every day and talk to him in his ear, encourage him to be strong, and tell him to stay with you in the future. Maybe one day he'll wake up."
She knew this method might not work.
But as long as there was a bit of hope, she wanted to try.
Aurora was back, and even though she still resented some of the things Joshua had done, she didn't want Joshua to really leave this world.
Besides, she had been at fault for some of those past things too.
After hearing Ella's words, Aurora quickly stopped crying and leaned close to Joshua's ear, quietly talking to him.
She really hoped Joshua would get better soon.
So she leaned by Joshua's ear talking for an hour or two without feeling tired.
Outside the door, Jasper and Ava were still pulling at Dorian, begging for forgiveness.
Dorian ignored them, turning his back to the wall, not even looking at them once. His pouty appearance was actually quite cute.
Jasper and Ava didn't dare push the child too hard.
As long as Ella brought the children every day from now on, and they could see them every day, they would be satisfied.
In the evening, Ella took the two children home.
As soon as she entered, she saw Rhea chatting with a young woman in the living room.
Rhea saw them and waved them over.
The two children ran toward Rhea.
Ella also walked over and greeted the guest proactively. "Hello."
The other person smiled and greeted her back.
Rhea pointed at Aurora and introduced, "This is my Ella, and these two are my little grandchildren."
Then she introduced Ella to Vida, "Ella, this is your brother's girlfriend, Vida."
Vida Cooper stood up and shook hands with Ella. "Hello, Ella, we've met before."
Ella frowned, looking at the gentle and gracious-looking woman in front of her. She tried hard to remember, but really couldn't recall when she had met this person.
Just as she was embarrassed about how to respond, Vida smiled and said, "You might not recognize me, but I recognize you. We went to the same high school—I was two grades above you.
I guess I'm your senior. Once at a school celebration, my performance costume broke, and you helped me sew it."
Ella suddenly remembered.
"So it's my senior! What a coincidence."
Vida also said, "Yes, quite a coincidence. I didn't expect you to be Mason's sister."
The Cooper family was also part of high society.
Although not at the same level as the Lewis family and the Thomas family.
But she was familiar with all the young gentlemen in high society.
After all, for girls from families like hers, they were taught from a young age that marriage often served the family's business interests.
So she learned early on how to network with people of higher status and how to please men.
Families like the Thomas family were beyond their reach, and she didn't know how Vida's parents had managed to connect with a family like the Lewis family.
But no one knew how much she liked this marriage arrangement.
And no one knew how much she liked Mason.
"That's a long story."
Ella took Vida's hand and sat down. "I'll tell you slowly later about what happened. Are you and Mason confirmed?"
Looking at Vida's beautiful and gracious appearance, her bright clothing—she was no less impressive than Scarlett.
She felt Mason wasn't good enough for Vida.
But Vida had come to their home, so she must have taken a liking to Mason?
"Mrs. Lewis said they would make the decision about Mason's matters. If you don't mind me, you can arrange the wedding date whenever you like." Vida was a bit shy, lowering her head with her cheeks turning red.
Ella was a bit shocked.
Were they already talking about marriage?
Wasn't Mason's heart set on Scarlett? Was he willing to marry?
As she was wondering, Rhea held Vida's hand, very satisfied, "How could we mind you? It's Mason's blessing that you've taken a liking to him. Since you've agreed, we'll naturally bring you into our family with a grand ceremony."
"As for the wedding date, we'll invite your parents over to discuss it later."
Vida didn't refuse.
She seemed quite satisfied with this in-law family.
Ella thought Vida was quite nice.
She just hoped that after Mason married her, he would treat her well and not let her down.
During dinner.
Ella noticed her parents chatting enthusiastically with Vida.
But Mason acted as if it had nothing to do with him, keeping his head down and eating, his expression not good.
It was obvious he wasn't satisfied with Vida.
But he seemed unable to refuse his parents' arrangement, so he reluctantly agreed to this marriage.
Ella didn't feel it was appropriate to interfere in this matter. After dinner, she accompanied Aurora and Dorian in reading and writing.
The next day, after dropping Aurora and Dorian off at kindergarten, she went to work at the company.
After work, she picked up Aurora again to go to the hospital to keep Joshua company.
This kind of life continued.
Until Mason and Vida got married and had a child.
Then the child was born.
Then another two years, three years passed.
A full three years, and Joshua lay in the hospital bed without waking up.
Aurora and Dorian were already six years old and in elementary school.
On this day, Ella still went to pick up Aurora to go to the hospital right after work.
When they arrived, Samuel had just finished examining Joshua. Seeing Aurora and Dorian, he couldn't help but bend down to hug them.
But he could only pick up one.
Aurora was more likable—she spoke sweetly and was so soft that people couldn't help wanting to kiss her.
Samuel held her and gently tapped her little nose. "Coming to see Dad?"
Aurora nodded. "Yes, Mr. Harris, when will Dad wake up? I'm already six years old, and I've grown this tall. I really want Dad to see what I look like now."
Samuel glanced at Ella.
He saw she was also expecting him to give a bit of hope.
He touched Aurora's head and told the truth, "Your dad's condition is much better than before. It's all because Aurora comes to talk to him every day. Now that you're with him every day, he'll eventually open his eyes to see his Aurora."
"But when exactly will my dad wake up?"
Aurora frowned, pouting, very sad that she had kept Joshua company for three years, but he hadn't opened his eyes even once.
To give them hope, Samuel said, "Maybe tomorrow, or maybe in a week. Anyway, as long as we don't give up, he'll wake up eventually."
Hearing this, Ella knew that waiting for Joshua to wake up would probably be another three years and three years after that.
It was also possible he would never wake up in this lifetime.
Pushing down the sadness in her heart, she pushed open the door to the hospital room, came to Joshua's bedside, and continued to wash and massage him.