Chapter 20
I was startled; I hadn’t expected a single movement to reveal I was awake. I opened my eyes and looked at Sophia, feeling awkward and unsure of what to say. She glanced at me, her eyes red.
“Do you know how worried everyone has been while you were unconscious for so many days? And yet you pretended to be asleep!”
I opened my mouth, my voice hoarse. “I… I just woke up.”
She didn’t dwell on my pretense, quickly getting up to pour me a cup of warm water. “Sit up and drink some water.” As she said this, she seemed to realize something, lowering her head to press a button on the bedside panel. She adjusted the bed’s angle and stopped the controls, asking with concern, “Is the angle too high?”
I shook my head lightly, finding it hard to believe she could be so gentle and considerate. When I didn’t respond, a hint of nervousness appeared on her face. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“No,” I rasped, at a loss for words. It was strange. Despite being married to her and having so much to say in the past, I didn’t know what to talk about now that we were sitting together in peace.
We sat in silence until she broke it.
“Joshua, I’m sorry. I didn’t pay enough attention to your health. And… I locked you in the bedroom for two days. If it weren’t for me, your condition wouldn’t have worsened so quickly. But don’t worry. I’ve already transferred money to the hospital’s account. The doctors have administered the cancer suppression medication. If you cooperate with the treatment, they say you have a good chance of living another decade or more.”
Her tone was serious, as though she truly recognized her mistakes. Yet, I couldn’t bring myself to believe it. I feared this was all a dream.
Before I could process it, hurried footsteps echoed from the ICU entrance. Moments later, Jayden rushed to my bedside, his face alight with joy. “Joshua, you’re finally awake! How are you feeling now?”
“Pretty good,” I smiled faintly at him, though my eyes kept drifting toward Sophia. She still looked concerned, as if she genuinely cared about me. If this was real, did it mean the words I had heard during my semi-conscious state were also true?
She had said, “Joshua, this time, I’m willing to listen to your explanation seriously. When you wake up, tell me everything you’ve been through, okay?”
I lightly rubbed my hand against the bed, calculating the best time to tell her the truth about that year.
Before long, the chief physician finished a basic physical examination. Phillip Cowell looked at me and said, “Your condition has stabilized for now, but you must remember to avoid emotional agitation. Otherwise, it could accelerate the progression of your illness.”
“Understood,” I rasped, feeling my throat uncomfortably sore, like there was a fishbone stuck in it.
After giving a few more instructions, he left the ward. As soon as he stepped out, Juliette’s mocking voice rang out. “It’s true what they say—the wicked live longest.”
“Alright, Juliette. That’s enough.”