Chapter 337: Hospital Heartburn

After three days in the hospital, Ellis was feeling much better and started packing to leave, while her friend Maya handled the discharge paperwork. Just as she was almost done packing, she heard the door open and footsteps approaching. Assuming it was Maya returning after finishing the paperwork, she called out, “Maya, let’s have a nice dinner tonight to celebrate me getting better.”

But Maya didn’t respond, and a tall shadow stretched across the floor. Realizing it wasn’t Maya, Ellis stopped packing and turned around. Easton stood beside her, his gaze lowered to the neatly packed items.

“What are you doing here?” Ellis asked, visibly unwelcoming. She looked away, indifferent to whatever Easton might say, since she was about to leave the hospital anyway.

“Obviously, I came to see you.”

“Who asked you to? Stay away!”

Her words were tinged with the usual disdain she felt for herself, and looking at her cold expression, Easton couldn’t help but recall what Victoria had said about her. Even though he was sure Victoria was just slandering her, a ridiculous hope flickered in his heart. If only she had really loved me.

Disgusted with Easton, Ellis treated him as if he were invisible, not acknowledging his presence. Maya, relieved that her friend was safe and would no longer need hospital visits, hummed a tune as she walked back from the billing department to the room. As she reached the door and saw her friend’s ex-husband inside, and her friend completely ignoring him, Maya paused, wondering whether to follow Ellis’s lead.

Caught up in her thoughts, Maya didn’t notice Easton, who was intently staring at Ellis. He pressed his lips together and asked, “Ellis, did you ever love me?”

The question caught Ellis off guard, almost making her think she had misheard. Easton asking such a pointless question? He must be really bored! She restrained herself from rolling her eyes and gave him a look of disbelief before replying sharply, “Before spouting nonsense, why don’t you touch your heart and ask yourself if you’re even worth being loved by me?”

Hearing their conversation, Maya quietly retreated.

“Just answer my question.” Easton’s urgency seemed to stem from a desire to weave a beautiful dream from her words.

Ellis noticed Maya, although Easton did not. Discussing past affections in front of a third person was the last thing she wanted, making her wish she could just disappear.

Easton stood firm, unwilling to give up. “You never loved me at all, did you?”

Ellis was tired of his persistent nagging. What did it matter if I had loved him or not? What proof could I offer? She had vaguely remembered him asking something similar before, and she had answered. Why was he asking again today? What did he mean by it? If he has nothing better to do, he should find something meaningful to do instead of annoying me.

Maybe his boredom was contagious; seeing him stand there waiting for an answer with a stubborn look, she almost felt pity and countered, “We were married for three years; couldn’t you feel whether I loved you or not?” She had shown her love for him countless times, both in actions and words. What she received in return was his negligence when she was kidnapped, his heart and eyes full of Victoria. Even though his bodyguard had rescued her from Victoria’s people, she felt no gratitude. If he hadn’t cheated with Victoria, and if Victoria hadn’t treated her with such disdain, she wouldn’t have been in danger in the first place. She had no reason to be grateful to him for the danger he caused. She was doing well not to blame him already.

“I only felt that you loved my money, and…” Easton started to speak the truth but stopped halfway, a lump forming in his throat that made his chest feel tight.

“Right. I loved your money, I never loved you,” Ellis had no patience for pointless debates with Easton, who was as good as a nuisance to her. “Are you satisfied now? If so, please leave.”

Annoying ex-husband, now as senseless as ever in her eyes. He always looked down on her with such arrogance, always believing only what he wanted to believe. A person who views others through a biased lens, laden with huge prejudices—and prejudice is a mountain. How can anyone overcome it? Am I supposed to exhaust herself trying to remove his biases? Absolutely not! She couldn’t care less about his prejudices.

Easton could tell she was just placating him, and he pursed his lips tightly. People were inherently greedy; initially, he had just wanted Ellis back by his side, but now, he wanted more than just her presence; he wanted her love.