Chapter 202
Lydia let Zinnia pull her down to sit. โIt doesnโt hurt,โ she said. Zinnia carefully sprinkled medicine powder over her wound and then gently wrapped gauze around it.
Perhaps the poison had taken effectโBonnie curled up on the bed with her eyes closed, still clutching her rag doll tightly.
โYouโre bleeding. I know it must hurt,โ Zinnia said disapprovingly. She wrapped the gauze twice and tied it off with a neat bow.
Lydia looked at Zinnia, her voice tinged with worry. โZinnia, do you know how my mom got poisoned? Our lives are so ordinary and uneventful. How could she be poisoned by something as vicious as mind-eroding powder?โ
Pursing her lips, Zinnia said, โSomeone must have transferred the poison to her.โ
โThrough what means?โ A cold glint flickered in Lydiaโs eyes.
โThroughโฆ sex,โ Zinnia said in a low voice. โOnly when two people truly love each other can the transfer succeed.โ
The mind-eroding powder truly devours the mind. Forced to watch helplessly as your beloved suffers and descends into madness, even the strongest love cannot endure such torment over time. In the end, couples who once loved each other deeply are driven apart. Thatโs precisely what makes this poison so vicious.
Lydia suddenly grabbed the armrest of the chair, so hard that her knuckles clicked. โIt must be that man. He actually used my mom,โ a frigid storm raged in her eyes as she thought.
Back then, Bonnie found that man badly wounded at their doorstep. She took him in, tended to his injuries, and cared for him tirelessly. Eventually, the two of them fell in love. But in the end, it turned out he had only been taking advantage of Bonnie all along.
โBut Bonnie must have taken a partial antidote,โ Zinnia continued. โThatโs the only reason sheโs managed to survive for over a decade. Normally, no ordinary person could endure such bone-deep painโmost would die within a year.โ
Lydia pressed her lips together in silence for a moment before speaking, โZinnia, I want to take my mom home to care for her.โ Her gaze drifted to the figure lying on the hospital bed.
After an exhausting time at the hospital, they returned to the apartment complex where Lydia lived. She lived alone in a tidy two-bedroom apartment, its most prominent feature being the sheer number of books neatly arranged throughout.
Bonnie was still unconscious, so Lydia and Zinnia wheeled her home in a wheelchair and put her to bed. Fortunately, Lydia was on break, which meant she could devote herself fully to caring for Bonnie.
Zinnia stepped out of the room and flopped onto the couch. It was already past three in the afternoon, and she was feeling pretty worn out. She stifled a small yawn, realizing she was starting to get hungry.
After tucking Bonnie in, Lydia stepped out of the room. Seeing how tired Zinnia looked, she felt a bit sorry. With her delicate features glowing with tenderness, she said softly, โZinnia, thank you for helping me. What would you like to eat? Iโll cook for you.โ
โYou must be tired too. Letโs just order in,โ Zinnia said, waving her hand. Compared to herself, Lydia was actually the more exhausted one.
โTakeout isnโt healthy. Let me cook for you,โ Lydia said gently. โWhile Iโm at it, Iโll make some soup for my mom so she can have some when she wakes up.โ
โWhateverโs easiest then,โ Zinnia conceded, not wanting to refuse her.
โOkay,โ Lydia smiled softly and went into the kitchen. She soon returned. โZinnia, hereโs some beef jerky I made a couple of days ago, and these strawberries are already washed. Have some to tide you over while I cook.โ
Chapter 202
One plate held beef jerkyโsince Zinnia couldnโt eat store-bought ones, Lydia made it herself. The other plate was filled with egrabentes.
โThanks, Lydia,โ Zinnia said. She was genuinely hungry, and her eyes lit up at the sight of the beef jerky.
Lydia turned back into the kitchen, her slender figure busy at work. Meanwhile, Zinnia pulled out her phone to scroll through videos, nibbling strawberries and beef jerky as she waited for Bonnie to wake up; she needed to check on her before heading home.
When Lydia came out, she found Zinnia had fallen asleep on the couch, her head resting against the armrestโexhausted after hours of busy work. Watching her sleep, Lydia tiptoed over, gently picked up the blanket from the sofa, and draped it over her. Her gaze softened with indescribable tenderness.
Zinnia was lured awake by the delicious smell of food. As she opened her eyes, she saw Lydia just stepping out of the kitchen with freshly cooked dishes.
โLydia,โ Zinnia murmured as she sat up, the blanket slipping from her shoulders.
โFoodโs ready. Letโs eat,โ Lydia said, noticing Zinnia was awake. She put down the dishes, walked over, picked up the blanket that had slipped to the floor, folded it neatly, and set it aside on the sofa.
โOkay,โ Zinnia replied.
The two of them sat down at the dining table. โHas Bonnie woken up yet?โ Zinnia asked, wondering how long sheโd been asleep.
โNot yet,โ Lydia shook her head. โThe medicine makes people drowsyโsome sleep longer, some less. Letโs eat first. I made some soup for her and will feed her when she wakes up.โ
Turning to Zinnia, she added softly, โYou shouldnโt eat too much meat, so I only made some beef today. Next time, Iโll make you something else delicious.โ
Zinnia enjoyed the beef. Lydia served three dishes: pepper beef, roasted vegetables, and chickpea salad. โOkay,โ Zinnia nodded.
After being on a restricted diet for so long, she was used to having just one meat dish per meal. Even if there were several on the table, she never needed remindingโshe wouldnโt eat more meat.
After the meal, it was already a little past four. With autumn setting in, dusk came early and the sun had already set. Suddenly, there was a noise in the room.
Lydia hurried toward the room, with Zinnia close behind.
As they entered, Bonnie stared wide-eyed at the unfamiliar room, terror etched across her face. โMy baby! My baby!โ she cried, frantically rummaging around. โBaby, where are you?โ
She flung the quilt off the bed onto the floor, crawling desperately over the mattress. Seeing the door open, Bonnie curled into a defensive ball on the bed, watching them warily with frightened eyes.
โMom,โ Lydia approached the bedside and called softly.
โWho are you? What do you want?โ Bonnie stared at them, wary and defensive, her voice trembling with fear. โMy baby, where is my baby? Did you see her? Please, give my baby back to me.โ
In the next instant, she scrambled off the bed and rushed toward Lydia, desperately clutching her hand, her voice frantic and pleading as she begged.
The antidote is taking effectโthe mind-eroding powder in her system is gradually dissolving, and her memories are gradually changing. It will take at least two full days for her to completely forget everything.
โMom, your dollโs here. Let me find it for you, okay?โ Lydia comforted as she bent down to look for the doll. They had brought it back, and when Bonnie was asleep, Lydia had tucked it into her arms.
โOkay, please help me find my doll. Find my baby.โ Bonnie was no longer as frantic as before. She was starting to listen and understand.
Chapter 202
Zinnia bent down, retrieved the doll from under the bed, and said, โHere it is.โ
โMy doll. My baby. Iโm so sorry, Mommy didnโt mean to. Please forgive Mommy, okay?โ Bonnie snatched the doll from Zinnia, tenderly stroking it as she sank back into her own world.
Zinnia explained, โHer memories will gradually fade, and in two days, sheโll completely forget what happened before. These next two days, her emotions may be unstable.โ
โLydia, donโt forget to burn the calming candle I gave you in her roomโitโll help her rest. Tomorrow, Iโll prepare a health-building diet to help her recuperate.โ
โOkay,โ Lydia said softly. โThank you so much, Zinnia.โ