Chapter 165: Strained Relations (Part 2)
Alison planned to buy a chicken at the supermarket, stew it, and bring it to the hospital for Jack’s mother.
When she got home, she began to cook, and after a long while, the whole house was full of fragrance.
“Mommy, is this chicken soup for us?” The children, drawn by the scent, were already salivating.
“No,” Alison replied, carefully carrying the pot and pouring the soup into a lunch box. She secured the lid, then got ready to head to the hospital.
“Then… is it for Daddy?” the children asked curiously.
“No more questions, dear. Mommy made it for a patient,” Alison replied.
“Who is it? Is it related to Daddy?” Ethan asked, blinking.
It struck a nerve with Alison — she was truly preoccupied with everything about Jack.
Alison stiffened her expression, commanding, “Ethan, take your sister to play. I’m not sure when I’ll be back. If you get sleepy, go to bed early, okay?”
“Got it, Mommy. Don’t worry, if we miss you and Daddy, I’ll call you,” Ethan said sensibly.
“Ethan, don’t call Daddy. Just call me,” Alison instructed. She feared Aimée might pick up Jack’s phone. She didn’t mind enduring hardship herself, but she wouldn’t let her children suffer.
Then she hurried out of the house, hailed a taxi, and rushed to the hospital.
She was still puzzled as to why Aimée had picked up. She didn’t know how to ask Jack; she might as well just trust him.
After getting out of the cab, she walked briskly, taking the elevator straight to Isabella’s intensive care unit.
Her heart pounded wildly. Was he there? Would he be happy seeing me there?
Out of the elevator, opposite was the nurses’ station.
Feeling a bit disoriented, she asked a passing nurse for the exact room number.
“Oh, are you the caregiver for that patient?” The nurse asked, guessing she was delivering food.
“Ah… yes,” Alison replied casually.
“Turn left, it’s the last room at the end. It’s very quiet there. Keep your voice down once you’re inside. There is always loud talking coming from that room these days.”
Who was talking loudly in there? Was it Jack and Isabella?
The nurse added, “Oh, and the patient is asleep now. Her son was arguing with her, and she became distraught.”
Good heavens! Were they arguing because of me? Alison’s steps faltered slightly.
She walked straight to the innermost room, finding it was indeed quiet. She raised her hand to knock, but hesitated, afraid of waking Isabella. Instead, she pushed the door open gently.
Everything in the room came into view — there were two beds. The one by the window might be the patient’s, as an IV bottle hung by the headboard. The patient lay still, motionless, as if asleep. Another figure lay on the other bed, with someone seated beside it. The man on the bed appeared to be Jack, while the woman sitting at his bedside, judging by her silhouette, seemed to be Aimée. Aimée was bent over him, like she was kissing him…
Alison couldn’t tell if Jack was awake, but why was he lying in bed in broad daylight?
Oh my God, Isabella was still in the room. How could they be so intimate…
Her thermos trembled in her hand, nearly slipping to the floor.
She closed the door softly, thinking her coming would only make things awkward. After all, Aimée was his fiancée.
She sneered, heading to the nurses’ station.
She wrote a note:
[Jack, I cooked chicken soup. Please give it to Isabella. Alison.]
After signing her name, she carried the box back to Isabella’s room. She quietly opened the door a crack, placed it inside, then left.
She might pretend to see nothing.
This visit had also forced her to face reality.
Out of the hospital, she wandered the streets in a daze. Amidst the bustling crowds, she felt utterly alone. In her daze, she bumped into someone.
“God damn it!” the person cursed.
Alison only smiled, without apology. A haze seemed to cloud her eyes, blurring everything around her.