Chapter 144 I Hope I Never Have to See You Again
After getting rid of the eyesore, Daisy headed back to the hospital room.
Seeing her return, Arabella asked in surprise, "Why are you back already?"
Fighting off her guilty conscience, Daisy acted casual. "Just called the director. He said my scenes got pushed back—won't need me for at least three days."
Arabella looked at her skeptically. "If you're not needed, why would your scene partner personally track you down?"
"You don't understand." Daisy sat down beside her, propping her chin in her hand. "You can see I'm gorgeous, right?"
"Gorgeous," Arabella couldn't help laughing. "If you could just control that mouth of yours, you'd have people falling head over heels for you."
There wasn't an ounce of exaggeration in that statement. When Daisy kept quiet, she was the textbook definition of a beauty—porcelain skin, stunning features, long legs for days, flowing hair. Add in her excellent fashion sense and styling skills, and she had serious presence.
Too bad the moment she opened her mouth, it all went to hell.
Despite growing up in Majestic City, her childhood environment had taught her to curse like a sailor. Let's just say once Daisy started talking, people had a way of forgetting all about that gorgeous exterior.
Daisy winked at her. "I'm hot, this guy's chasing me, I'm not interested, so he went and weaseled my whereabouts out of the director and hunted me down. Didn't you catch that frustrated, rejection-fueled rage radiating off him?"
Arabella paused, thinking back. Somehow Daisy's logic actually tracked. "Now that you mention it, he did seem kind of pissed."
Following Daisy's narrative thread, Arabella's interest piqued. "What's this guy's name? He looked pretty handsome, tall too. And he's not one of those scrawny types—the boy's got muscle! These days, actual masculine guys in your industry are rare."
Thinking of Ethan's annoyingly pretty face made Daisy internally scoff. That feminine-looking face—who'd want that?
If it weren't for putting her friend's mind at ease, she'd never spin this kind of story. Just having that bastard's name associated with hers, even hypothetically, felt contaminating.
This had to count as a work injury, right? She needed to bring up a raise with Alexander later!
Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Daisy jumped at the chance to change topics and stood immediately. "I'll get it."
Opening the door, she found Daniel standing there.
Daniel had visited twice in the first couple days after Arabella's accident but had been shooed back to class by Arabella after that, so Daisy had never met him.
"Who are you?" She sized him up.
Daniel glanced at her. "I'm here to see my sister."
Daisy froze.
Ignoring her, Daniel strolled in with an air of confidence.
Arabella also paused. If she remembered correctly, this was the first time Daniel had ever called her "sister."
But after entering, Daniel seemed to forget what he'd just said. He dumped his backpack on the table and walked over to the bed. "How are you doing?"
Arabella smiled. "You were here watching over me during the most dangerous part, weren't you? I'm fine now. The doctor says they can remove the bandages tomorrow and I can be discharged."
After a beat, she asked, "Didn't I tell you not to come? Did something happen today?"
Daniel's SATs were coming up soon. Arabella hoped he'd push himself and achieve his dream of joining the military.
Daniel sat down, grabbed an orange, and started peeling it. "I wanted to ask you something."
Arabella immediately turned serious. "Running into trouble?"
Daniel shook his head. "Remember when I got in that fight at school and almost got expelled? How did that get resolved?"
Arabella went still.
Of course she remembered. Daniel had fought with Cassidy's brother Bentley. She'd stepped in to apologize, lowered herself as far as she could go, but Cassidy still wouldn't let Daniel off the hook.
Then Rachel had told her to go to that club called The Eye of Youth. For Daniel's sake, she'd gritted her teeth and gone, only to nearly get assaulted by someone high on drugs.
Alexander had happened to pass by and rescued her that time.
Daniel watched her and repeated his question. "How did that situation get resolved?"
Arabella shook her head. "It didn't. The Eye of Youth got investigated the next day—shut down for allegedly providing a venue for drug users. After that, your school suddenly dropped the whole thing. I don't know why."
She looked at Daniel with concern in her eyes. "Why are you suddenly asking about this? Did something happen?"
Daniel split the orange in half, tossed one half to Arabella, and stuffed the other half in his mouth. After swallowing, he said, "Bentley came to apologize to me yesterday."
"What?" Arabella thought she'd misheard. "That was almost six months ago. What's he apologizing for now?"
Daniel said with casual indifference, "Hell if I know. Just randomly showed up looking for me, face all bruised and swollen like he'd been beaten. Crying with snot running down his face, begging me to forgive him."
Arabella's brow furrowed deeply.
Daniel glanced at her. "I thought maybe you'd done something... or whoever helped us back then warned him off. Otherwise, why would he suddenly apologize? He looked seriously spooked."
Arabella shook her head. "I have no idea what's going on. Maybe he ran into some kind of trouble."
Daniel studied her, looking like he wanted to say more but ultimately swallowing his doubts.
Arabella didn't know what kind of person Bentley really was, but Daniel understood perfectly well. That kid was a conscienceless piece of work. For over two years of high school, Bentley had run wild at school doing whatever he wanted, even beating up teachers and the disciplinary dean.
Ever since their conflict six months ago, Bentley had periodically targeted him at school. But for some reason, Bentley had only ever messed with him verbally—never actually hurt him the way he hurt others.
Even so, their relationship was toxic as hell.
But now Bentley had suddenly come crying and begging for forgiveness, saying if Daniel didn't forgive him, he'd die...
Daniel's gut told him this wasn't simple, but if Arabella didn't know anything, there was no point making her worry too.
She was clueless anyway. Even if she knew, she couldn't help.
Daniel stood and grabbed his backpack. "I'm leaving."
Arabella narrowed her eyes. "You came just to ask me that?"
"What else?" Daniel shot her a look, playing it cool. "You think I was worried about you? You said yourself I'm busy with school and need to focus on studying."
Arabella found herself at a loss for words. The logic was sound, but... saying it so bluntly was brutal.
Still, she'd always been lenient with Daniel and didn't take it to heart. "Study hard then. Be careful on your way."
Daniel waved dismissively over his shoulder and pushed through the door.
After he left, Daisy finally dared to speak. "Arabella, you two are getting along pretty well now, huh?"
She was afraid of Daniel. Back when Marilyn had first married into the family, Daniel had treated Arabella like garbage, and Daisy had defended her friend. Daniel's response? Stuffing a live rat down the back of her shirt.
A living one!
That trauma would haunt her forever!
That huge rat scrambling around inside her clothes, its claws and tail scraping against her skin...
No, can't think about it, can't think about it!
Arabella knew about Daisy's soul-deep terror of Daniel and explained with a smile, "He's just an awkward kid. About a year after Marilyn married my dad, I noticed Daniel would help my dad use the bathroom when Marilyn wasn't looking. You know how complicated that is for someone who's paralyzed. I never expected him to go that far."
Daisy stared at her blankly. "You're talking about Daniel? That little punk?"
"Maybe being a punk is his way of protecting himself from a world that hurt him. He actually understands everything—who's good to him, who cares about him. He's good to those people in return. After Anthony and I divorced, he got in a fight at school defending me because someone called me a homewrecker."
"He acts like he doesn't care about anything, but inside he's kind and soft. He's a kid who breaks your heart."
Daisy touched her nose, still finding it hard to believe. After a long pause, she said, "Alright, guess I misjudged him. I'll be nicer to him from now on."
Arabella gave her an amused look. "Do you even dare talk to him?"
Daisy replied sheepishly, "...No."
So yeah. She didn't even have the guts to speak to the kid, let alone be nice to him.
The afternoon sun was beautiful. Daisy got a wheelchair from the nurses and pushed Arabella downstairs to catch some rays.
Sitting in the wheelchair, Arabella felt the occasional glances from passersby. Even though those looks carried no malice—just curiosity or sometimes no emotion at all—she still felt deeply uncomfortable.
Being in a wheelchair made her automatically shorter than everyone else. Even when people weren't looking down on her, she couldn't help imagining their gazes as hostile.
Was this her father's daily reality?
Her chest tightened with bitterness. Before the accident, her father had been a senior engineer, respected everywhere he went. Afterward, confined to a wheelchair, he'd had to endure strange looks wherever he went. She could barely fathom how he'd survived these past few years.
The shock of her mother's death, the sudden transformation from a spirited middle-aged man to someone wheelchair-bound and helpless... how hard must that have been for him?
Arabella's grip on the armrests tightened unconsciously, her fingers trembling slightly.
Sometimes she wished the whole family had died in that accident. At least they'd still be together, and the survivors wouldn't have to suffer this torment. Other times she thought it would've been better if it hadn't been an accident at all—if it had been a criminal attack or some villain's evil deed. At least then there'd be someone to hate.
Not like now, where the drunk driver got arrested and that was the end of it, while she and her father had to live forever in the painful shadow of that "accident."
Lost in these dark thoughts, the wheelchair suddenly stopped. Arabella snapped back to reality and saw a figure standing not far ahead. A silver suit made him look refined and handsome, his face striking and distinguished, his deep-set eyes gazing at her with manufactured tenderness.
Anthony. He held a bouquet of flowers, standing about ten steps from her wheelchair. Seeing Arabella, he spoke softly. "Arabella..."
Daisy immediately stepped forward, blocking Arabella's view, watching him warily. "What do you want?"
Anthony laughed lightly. "What could I possibly do? Ms. Gray, I just want to see my wife. I miss her very much."
Daisy sneered. "Like hell you do! Don't think I don't know about the disgusting shit you and that bitch Cassidy pulled on Arabella! Let me remind you—Arabella is your ex-wife. Your wife's last name is Sanders. You have no right to miss Arabella!"
She'd always known Anthony had a temper, and she was fully prepared for these provocative words to enrage him. But... she didn't care.
She had Alexander backing her up! Compared to Alexander, what was Anthony?
She waited for Anthony's fury, but unexpectedly, he just smiled casually at her hostility, as if it hadn't registered at all.
"Arabella, I heard you've been recovering well these past couple days. When did the doctor say you could be discharged?"
Anthony looked past Daisy's protective stance at Arabella, his voice gentle.
Arabella's brow furrowed deeply. "Anthony, if you're here for something, just say it."
Anthony smiled and took a few steps forward. Daisy forcibly blocked him, so he spoke to Arabella across the barrier. "Can't I visit you without having business? I already told you—I regret the divorce. Arabella, I really miss you."
Daisy got a layer of goosebumps from the creepiness. She opened her mouth to curse. "Are you sick? Our Arabella is married now! She has nothing to do with you anymore! Who are you putting on this fake deep-feelings act for?"
Anthony ignored her, only looking at Arabella. "Arabella, I want to talk to you."
Arabella refused without hesitation. "I'm sorry, but I don't think there's anything left for us to discuss. Anthony, we've been divorced for over six months. I need you to stay away from my life."
Anthony said, "What if I have something very important to tell you? Important enough to—" He looked at Arabella with a slight smile. "—affect your current marriage."
Arabella's body stiffened momentarily, but then she replied coolly, "If there's a problem with my marriage, I don't need to hear about it from you."
Daisy practically wanted to wave celebratory banners for her friend.
Finally! After over three years, Arabella was standing up to Anthony!
She'd watched helplessly as Arabella transformed during those two years of marriage—from a vibrant young woman into a lifeless, doormat of a worn-out housewife...
Divorce really was the best cosmetic procedure for women. An unhealthy marriage could destroy a woman completely.
She turned the wheelchair around and started pushing in the opposite direction from Anthony.
Anthony watched Arabella's retreating back and called out, "I've already divorced Cassidy."
Daisy stumbled mid-step and instinctively looked at Arabella, terrified this statement would demolish her friend's rationality.
After all, as Arabella's best friend, she knew better than anyone how deeply Arabella had fallen for Anthony back then.
Arabella had met him during her darkest time. He'd been there for everything, propping up her collapsing world. To Arabella, he wasn't just a lover—he was a pillar of support, her greatest source of stability.
In that marriage, Arabella had poured out all her passion and sincerity. She'd respected love, respected her partner, and respected Anthony's family. If her partner had been anyone but Anthony, what genuine devotion she would've received in return!
But what had she actually gotten? Disgust, betrayal, criticism, and accusations.
Daisy was terrified that hearing about Anthony's divorce would make Arabella reconsider.
But she quickly realized she'd underestimated her friend's courage.
"Anthony, let me remind you one more time—we're divorced. You're my past, not my future. Whether you get married or divorced, whether you choose someone or give someone up, it has absolutely nothing to do with me. I hope I never have to see you again."
Without waiting for Daisy's help, Arabella started wheeling herself forward.
Moving without hesitation, without fear, without looking back.