Chapter 15 He Will Never Fall in Love with Her
Cordelia lifted her gaze to meet his slightly mocking eyes, paused for a moment, then quickly looked away.
"Mr. Hughes, just so you know, even if I wanted to date someone, I'd wait until after the divorce to do it properly."
Her red lips curved into a slight smile as she casually picked up the medical records on the desk and started flipping through them.
"You don't need to worry about me cheating. If there's nothing else, I'll get back to work."
She kept her eyes on the records, her expression calm and composed.
Alaric's face immediately turned cold.
Cordelia was already engrossed in her work, completely ignoring him.
His expression hardened as he stood up, casting a heavy glance down at her.
"Janet wants to see you."
Cordelia raised an eyebrow, closed the medical records in her hand, and nodded.
"Perfect timing, I need to see Ms. Martin too."
Alaric's face darkened even more.
Cordelia smiled slightly, and she softly said, "Mr. Hughes, don't worry, I won't say anything inappropriate in front of Ms. Martin."
Alaric snorted coldly, didn't respond, and turned to leave.
Seeing his displeased expression, Cordelia's eyes flashed with confusion.
She followed Alaric casually, noting his large strides and the apparent concern for Janet being alone in her hospital room. She clicked her tongue, hiding the deep bitterness within her heart.
When Janet saw Alaric walk in from the doorway, she spoke in a weak tone.
"Alaric, I want some water."
At her words, Alaric stepped forward, poured water for Janet, and brought it to her lips.
Janet naturally enjoyed Alaric's care.
Cordelia quietly watched the scene, heartbroken but maintaining a composed and gentle expression.
"Ms. Martin seems to be in good spirits," Cordelia said softly.
Janet finally noticed Cordelia standing at the door, a hint of shyness in her eyes as she spoke softly.
"Thanks to Alaric's care."
Cordelia nodded slightly, smiling as she looked at Alaric. "Mr. Hughes has been quite diligent."
Alaric remained silent, his gaze coolly sweeping over her meticulously made-up face, feeling a surge of irritation.
In three years of marriage, he had rarely seen Cordelia put so much effort into her appearance.
Janet, seeing the strong displeasure in Alaric's eyes, lightly pursed her pale lips.
"Alaric, you haven't gone to the office yet today, have you?"
"Why don't you go handle your work at the office first? I have a caregiver here, I'll be fine."
Alaric glanced at the time and replied, "Alright."
"I'll head back to the office. Call me if you need anything."
Janet nodded lightly, watching Alaric leave.
As Alaric exited the room, he heard Janet gently inquire of Cordelia, causing his steps to slow.
"Dr. Stone, do you have an important date today? You're dressed so beautifully."
Cordelia was checking Janet's wound, calmly replying, "I'm going to see a movie with friends tonight."
Janet smiled, looking at Cordelia with a hint of teasing.
"Then this friend must be very important to Dr. Stone."
Cordelia said nothing more, concentrating on her work.
Outside the door, Alaric, hearing Cordelia's answer, adjusted his tie with a touch of annoyance.
After checking Janet's wound, Cordelia advised, "You need to rest more right now. Try not to touch the wound when you're cleaning up. If it's inconvenient for you, you can ask Mr. Hughes to help."Her gaze fell on Janet as she spoke.
Janet smiled faintly, her face pale, nodding lightly with a natural demeanor.
"Alright."
She agreed readily.
Cordelia felt a pang of discomfort.
Judging by Janet's behavior, it was clear she and Alaric had shared many intimate moments.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have answered so naturally and agreed so quickly.
Cordelia withdrew her gaze, regretting her earlier attempt to probe, realizing she was just causing herself unnecessary pain.
"Take good care of yourself. If you have any questions, you can reach out to me or your nurse."
Cordelia tucked Janet in and prepared to leave.
Janet hesitated and called out to her.
"Dr. Stone, do you know Alaric's wife?"
The atmosphere became tense.
Cordelia paused, then asked softly, "Do you want to meet her?"
Janet shook her head, lightly biting her lip, looking weak and innocent.
"What right do I have to meet her?"
"I just want to know what kind of person she is. Alaric said their marriage was purely a business arrangement, without any feelings involved."
"Alaric assured me he would never fall in love with her."
Cordelia's expression turned subtle.
Janet lightly bit her lip, her tone filled with hesitation and conflict.
"Though I'm confident in Alaric's feelings for me, they've been married for three years. I wonder if my presence has hurt her."
Cordelia remained silent.
Janet sighed softly, looking out the window, tears sliding down her cheeks.
"I've been with Alaric for years, never accepted by Mrs. Hughes. I wanted so badly to stand by Alaric's side that I chose to study abroad, hoping to one day be worthy of him."
"I heard his wife is a wealthy heiress, born with a silver spoon. No matter how hard I try, I'll never be good enough for him."
Cordelia felt her heart tighten, glancing at Janet, and said softly, "Ms. Martin, your priority now is to recover."
Janet seemed not to hear Cordelia, whispering, "I often wonder, in my relationship with Alaric, what did I do wrong?"
"Clearly, Alaric and I love each other, and I met him first. Why am I the one labeled as the homewrecker, the third party ruining their marriage?"
"Shouldn't she be the one ruining my relationship with Alaric?"
Janet's dissatisfied gaze fell on Cordelia.
Cordelia paused, feeling as if a giant hand had twisted her heart, making even breathing painful.
She frowned slightly, looking at Janet's sickly appearance, took a deep breath, and after a long while, forced out a sentence.
"I heard they are discussing divorce."
"Mr. Hughes likes you so much, he won't let you suffer and bear these accusations."
Janet's eyes reddened, and she looked pitifully at Cordelia.
"Really?"