Chapter 456 You Don’t Need to Test Me

Amid the noise and chaos around her, the hospital seemed eerily silent to Meryl that afternoon. It was as if all the sound had faded away, and her mind went blank when she looked at the old photo.

The photograph was visibly worn, with the outer edges slightly damaged. It was clear that whoever owned it had handled the picture with care, often touching it, creating those lasting marks over the years. The photo had been laminated in a thin layer of protective film, clearly done at a later time to preserve it.

A flurry of thoughts instantly appeared in Meryl’s mind. She wondered, “Does Chandler love someone else? Then why did he marry me? He once told me he’d loved me for ten years.”

Her lips tightened into a thin line as she mechanically placed the photo back in the wallet. As she finished, Chandler returned with the medication. When he noticed his wallet in Meryl’s hands, he paused.

Chandler nodded, maintaining a calm demeanor as he subtly opened the wallet to check inside. Meryl noticed that his gaze lingered on the compartment holding the photo for a good five seconds. His thumb even brushed over the pocket as if ensuring the picture was still intact and undamaged before he breathed a sigh of relief.

Meryl felt a pang in her chest. “Chandler, that photo in your wallet…”

She was about to ask him about it when Chandler skillfully redirected the conversation, “I’ve taken care of everything. Charlotte won’t bother you anymore.”

“How did you manage that?” Meryl asked.

“I sent her the surveillance footage from the incident.”

The footage clearly showed everything. Anyone watching it would easily understand what happened. It revealed that Lydia had intentionally provoked and dangerously cut in front of Meryl’s car. Even the police had commented on how reckless Lydia’s driving was when they assessed the scene, though Meryl was partly to blame for not stopping in time, which is why they ruled it as a shared responsibility.

Chandler then mentioned, almost as if in passing, “By the way, did you know that Dalton has woken up?”

Meryl raised an eyebrow.

“Would you like to visit him?” Chandler asked, his gaze flicking over her face. He opened the medication and dipped a cotton swab in the antiseptic, gently applying it to Meryl’s cheek to clean the wound.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Meryl replied, “No, why would I want to see him? He has nothing to do with me.”

“But he wants to see you.” Chandler said softly, pausing for a moment. “Are you sure you don’t want to go? Dalton just narrowly escaped death. He almost lost his life.”

Meryl furrowed her brow, thinking, “Why does Chandler’s tone sound a little jealous?” She raised her head and looked Chandler squarely in the face. “Just because he wants to see me, doesn’t mean I have to see him. You don’t need to test me, Chandler. I really have no feelings left for Dalton.”

Chandler pressed his lips together. Even he wasn’t sure why he felt this strange sense of insecurity.

Morton and Charlotte’s faces turned grim as they watched the video Chandler had sent them. Lydia had told her that Meryl had crashed into her car, leading Charlotte to imagine a dramatic love triangle between two women fighting over a man. She even thought her son was quite lucky, with women competing for his attention while he lay in a hospital bed. But the reality was completely different. Lydia had intentionally swerved in front of Meryl’s car and, in the end, hurt herself and lost her own child. She had brought this upon herself.

When Malcolm saw the look on their faces while waiting outside the operating room, he asked, “What’s going on?”

Morton handed him the phone. “Malcolm, take a look at this yourself.”

After watching the video, Malcolm’s face hardened. He realized that this situation had just become a lot more complicated.