Chapter 93: Helped Her Twice
The pharmacy was empty when Olive arrived. She switched on the wall lamp and removed her coat. Her skin was pale and purplish, the wounds still bleeding. Olive took 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 at such an early hour. She turned and saw the man who often slept there—a person she’d nearly forgotten. He seemed surprised to see her, and Olive trembled slightly. He glanced at her, then closed the door and carefully backed away.
Olive breathed a sigh of relief. She lacked medicine; the wounds still needed treatment. She decided to buy some later. Opening the lounge door, she paused, spotting a small bottle of ointment on the table beside it. The small ointment in its white bottle looked precious. “Where did this come from?” she wondered. She recognized it as a gift from the mysterious man.
Needing the ointment badly, she took it and applied it to her wounds. The aching pain vanished almost immediately. She then took a pen, wrote a note, and placed it on the man's desk. It was still early, and Olive felt profoundly tired.
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 so hard," Divine chided.
Olive flipped through a book. Elvis's condition had worsened, and she needed to develop a new pill. One particular medicine remained elusive, and she 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 book I'm looking for yet. I really don't need your help. Go tend your flowers."
Divine found Olive somewhat enigmatic. Unlike others, she was not a scholar, and the immense library always made her drowsy. Divine's sharp eyes fell upon Olive's neck.
"Olive, what are those marks on your neck? Who did that to you?"
Olive, wearing a high-collared blouse to conceal her injuries, was caught off guard. Quickly covering her neck, she said, "Divine, it's nothing, just a mosquito bite."
Divine pulled Olive into a secluded corner and whispered, "Olive, I heard you're married to a ghost in the Red Villa. Is he a psychopath? Those are clearly human bite marks; deep, like someone tried to suck your blood." She intently examined Olive's neck.
Olive took a deep breath and placed the 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 incurable." Divine paused, then shared a story. "I had a cousin whose wife was wonderful, caring, and considerate. But he was abusive, a violent man. The more pain he inflicted on her, the happier he became; he was bloodthirsty. Even when she was pregnant, he abused her." She stared at Olive, who seemed captivated.
"What I'm saying is, you're young, your life's just begun. 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.
Divine smirked. "What, do you think I'm just a foodie?" She turned and left.
Olive sat on the carpet, staring blankly. She pulled out her phone and checked it.
Red Villa.
Elvis slowly opened his eyes. The morning light streamed through the windows. He'd slept later than usual. Drowsy, he reached for the girl sleeping beside him, but the bed was empty.