Chapter 90
Early the next morning, Susan rushed to the hospital.
She pushed open the hospital room door to see Evelyn leaning against the headboard, her face so pale it was almost bloodless.
"Eve." Susan walked quickly over and grasped her hand. "Are you alright?"
Evelyn lifted her head and looked at her.
Those eyes held exhaustion, emptiness, and a faint layer of detachment.
"I'm fine," she said, her voice calm.
Seeing her like this, Susan's eyes instantly reddened.
This woman, who'd been decisive all her life, now looked like an elder worried sick about her granddaughter, holding her hand and refusing to let go.
Evelyn looked at her anxious expression with complicated feelings.
This woman was indirectly responsible for her birth mother's death.
Yet right now, in those reddened eyes, the concern was real, the heartache was real too.
Evelyn looked away, unwilling to dwell on it.
Susan didn't notice anything amiss and got straight to the point. "What do you plan to do about your relationship with Matthew?"
Evelyn was silent for a moment.
"I hate him," she said, her voice so flat it had no inflection. "And I will definitely leave him."
Susan nodded, a flash of approval in her eyes.
"Good. Clear-headed, no dragging things out," she said. "I'll help you. I'll find some excuse to get Matthew out of the way and take you abroad."
Evelyn looked at her, gratitude rising in her heart.
But leaving the country was easy—the hard part was making sure Matthew never found her again.
She had too many vulnerabilities in his hands.
Friends, family, that charity project she secretly funded... as long as he wanted to control her, all of these could become threats.
She'd been thinking about this problem these past two days, but still hadn't come up with a good solution.
"Maybe only if I truly die in his heart will he let me go," she murmured.
Susan's mind stirred. "You mean fake your death?"
Evelyn nodded.
"That's a good idea." Susan thought for a moment. "No problem. Trust me. I'll help you plan a foolproof scheme."
As they were talking, the door opened.
Matthew stood in the doorway.
He looked haggard, dark circles under his eyes, stubble emerging, his whole person seeming drained of vitality.
Seeing Susan, he froze.
Susan didn't give him a pleasant look either.
"What are you doing here?" She attacked directly. "You still have the nerve to come?"
Matthew didn't argue back.
He just quietly looked at Evelyn.
"I want to talk to you alone," he said, his voice hoarse. "Can I?"
Evelyn wanted to refuse, but she didn't want Susan drawn into this conflict.
She nodded and looked at Susan.
Susan understood, patted her hand, and left.
Only the two of them remained in the room.
As soon as the door closed, the life drained from Evelyn's face.
She looked away toward the window, like a sculpture without warmth.
Matthew stood there, watching her.
Silence stood like a wall between them.
"Eve." He finally spoke. "I... went back to the apartment."
Evelyn froze, then laughed softly.
The laugh was faint, carrying sarcasm. "So what?"
"I know now," Matthew's voice was tight. "The children were ours."
Evelyn said nothing.
"I'm sorry." He took a step forward. "I didn't believe you at the time."
Evelyn finally turned her head to look at him.
That gaze was cold as ice.
"What good does knowing do?" she said word by word. "If you know, can the children come back?"
Matthew froze.
"You killed our children with your own hands." Evelyn's voice wasn't loud, but it stabbed into his heart like a knife.
"Eve..."
"You don't deserve to be their father. You never will."
Matthew's Adam's apple bobbed several times.
"I'm sorry." He repeated the phrase, his voice terribly hoarse. "I was too hasty at the time, believing the evidence my mother gave me. I..."
"Bottom line, you don't love me as much as you think you do," Evelyn interrupted him. "And you don't trust me as much as you think you do either."
Matthew froze.
"If you had truly believed me, none of this would have happened." Evelyn looked at him, her eyes reddening though no tears fell.
"You've always been high and mighty. You've never looked at me as an equal, never respected me as a person." She paused. "Now that you've killed our children, what more is there to say?"
Matthew stood there as if nailed to the ground.
"Eve, give me a chance," his voice was almost pleading. "We can have more children. I'll make it up to you."
Evelyn laughed.
That smile looked worse than crying. "Matthew, it's over between us."
"How many times do I have to say it before you believe me? Do you think I'd be with someone who murdered my children?"
"Am I that cheap?"
Matthew opened his mouth but couldn't say anything.
"I'm tired." Evelyn looked away, lay down, and pulled up the blanket.
"I need to rest. Please leave." She turned her back to him, wrapping herself in the blanket. "If you really care about me, stop pestering me."
Matthew stood there, looking at her curled-up form.
After standing for who knows how long, he finally turned and quietly left.
After Matthew left that time, he didn't come to the hospital room for a long while.
Evelyn was happy for the peace.
With Kevin's help, Monica's room was arranged next to hers.
The two often walked together and chatted.
Monica's condition stabilized day by day, and Evelyn's body gradually recovered too.
Soon came the day for both to be discharged.
That evening, the two walked in the hospital garden. The sunset dyed the sky orange-red, and the wind carried the coolness of early autumn.
"Eve," Monica suddenly spoke. "After discharge, you'll be leaving soon, won't you?"
Evelyn froze and looked at her.
Monica smiled at her. "I know. You must be trying to find a way these past few days."
"It's okay. Whatever you decide, I'll support you."
"Even if you can't contact me anymore, I'll still silently support you."
Evelyn's eyes grew hot as she reached out to hug her.
Her best friend, always thinking of her this way.
"Mon." She released her. "After discharge, can I stay at your place? I don't want to go back to that apartment."
"Of course you can!" Monica smiled. "Why would we be formal with each other?"
The two took a cab back to Monica's apartment.
The place wasn't large, but it was warmly decorated.
Monica cleaned out a bedroom for her, put on fresh sheets, and even placed a potted plant.
The next morning, they ate breakfast together.
"Babe, I'm heading out to work!" Monica grabbed her bag. "Take good care of yourself at home and eat on time!"
Evelyn smiled and nodded at her.
The door closed and the room quieted down.
She curled up on the sofa, scrolling through her phone, thinking about her next plans.
Before long, there was a knock at the door.
Evelyn thought Monica had forgotten something and went to open it.
Thomas stood in the doorway.
He looked troubled, beads of sweat the size of beans on his forehead.
"Evelyn," he spoke with difficulty. "Mr. Perkins said... he wants you to accompany him on a business trip."
"To Serenity Island, it's a resort destination. Mr. Perkins said you could relax and clear your mind while you're there."
Evelyn looked at him expressionlessly.
Thomas's sweat poured even more heavily.
"Could you... just go with Mr. Perkins this once?" he said quietly. "If you don't go, I really can't account for it..."
Seeing him like this, Evelyn sighed inwardly. She didn't want to make things difficult for a working person.
"Call Matthew," she said. "I'll refuse him directly."
Thomas looked relieved and quickly dialed.
The call connected. Evelyn took the phone.
"What are you scheming now?" She suppressed her anger. "I won't go with you!"
The other end was silent for a moment.
"You have to come with me," Matthew's voice came through. "You wouldn't want me to make a move against people around you, would you?"
Evelyn's body stiffened.
"Evelyn, as long as you behave, I won't hurt them," Matthew continued, his tone carrying a hint of barely detectable pleading. "On this trip, I won't arrange any work for you."
"I just want you to be with me. The climate there is warm and the scenery beautiful—you can relax and clear your mind."
Evelyn gripped the phone, her knuckles white.
Another threat.
So she and Matthew were back to that underground lover relationship from before?
But she had no choice but to agree.