Chapter 93: Twice Helped

Olive arrived to find the pharmacy empty. She switched on the wall lamp and removed her coat. Her skin was pale and purplish, her wounds still bleeding. She took out a bottle of disinfectant and used cotton wool to treat them. Her eyes were reddened with pain. The door suddenly opened, revealing a handsome figure.

Olive hadn't expected anyone so early. She turned and saw the man who often slept there—a person she'd forgotten. He seemed surprised to see her, and after a brief glance, he closed the door and quickly retreated.

Olive sighed in relief. She had no medicine and needed to treat her wounds; she decided to buy some later. Opening the lounge door, she stopped when she saw a small bottle of ointment on the table. The ointment, in a white bottle, looked precious. "Where did this come from?" she wondered, realizing it was from the mysterious man.

Desperate for relief, she took the ointment and applied it. The pain vanished almost immediately. She took a pen, wrote a note, and left it on the man's desk. It was still early, but Olive felt exhausted.

The man entered, returned to his seat, and saw the note: "Thanks for the noodles and the ointment. Hopefully, I'll be able to repay you in the future." He placed the note in a book, then reread it.

When Divine arrived, Olive was already in the secret library. "Olive, why are you studying so early? You've been working too hard," Divine scolded.

Olive flipped through a book. Elvis's condition had worsened, and she needed to develop a new pill. She was unsure about a particular medicine and hoped to find it in a book.

"Divine, I'm looking for a book," Olive mumbled.

"What book? I'll help you find it," Divine offered.

Olive hesitated. "I don't know what I'm looking for yet, so I don't need your help. Go tend your flowers."

Divine found Olive secretive. She wasn't a scholar; her routines were unusual, and the vast library always made her drowsy. Divine's sharp eyes noticed marks on Olive's neck. "Olive, what are those marks? Who did that to you?"

Olive, wearing a high-collared blouse to hide her injuries, quickly covered her neck. "Divine, it's nothing, just a mosquito bite."

Divine pulled Olive aside. "Olive, I heard you're married to a ghost in the Red Villa. Is he a psychopath? This looks like a human bite; deep teeth marks, like someone tried to suck your blood." Divine stared intently.

Olive took a deep breath and placed her medical book on the shelf. "Suck my blood? It's not a vampire."

"Olive, I'm serious. These people aren't normal. They're mentally ill, and there's no cure." Divine paused, then shared a story about a cousin whose wife was abused by her husband. The more she suffered, the happier he became; he was "bloodthirsty," she said. Even though his wife loved him and was pregnant, she endured his abuse.

"What I'm saying is, you're young. Your life's just beginning. Find a way to divorce him. You'll meet better men."

Olive patted Divine's hand. "Divine, thank you. But I know what I want. Don't worry about me."

"It's fine. If you need anything, let me know. You look pale. I'll make you some soup."

"Divine, you cook here?" Olive asked, surprised.

"What did you think a foodie like me does?" Divine smirked and left.

Olive sat on the carpet, her eyes vacant. She checked her phone. Red Villa.

At the Red Villa, Elvis slowly opened his eyes. The morning sun streamed through the windows. He'd slept late—a first. He reached out to hug the girl beside him, but the bed was empty.