Zoe stared at Leslie, who looked very worried.How hilarious.It was absurd that Ella should fall in love with someone like Leslie. It was outrageous that she would think the Schmidt family would let her friend go when she was pregnant with his baby.Zoe stumbled forward and said in a daze, “She was pregnant with your baby, Leslie! She didn’t want to let you know about it. All she wanted was to live in a faraway city and give birth to the baby. She just wanted to have a family of her own.”Tears were all over her cheeks when she raised her eyes, “It was never her intention to throw a wrench in your marriage. She didn’t even complain when you compensated her with fifty million dollars for making her lose her hearing! “She didn’t accept these cruel fates because she was numbed to them. It’s because she never had much to begin with! She has no family or lover. All she has is her baby! Do you know how happy she’s been ever since she was pregnant? She told me about her baby every sing
Mia said, “That’s fine, too! But at least freshen up and grab something to eat at the cafeteria! You’ll need your strength if you want to look after Ella!”Zoe nodded. Then, she lowered her head and ran her fingers over Ella’s hand, feeling reluctant to leave her.Turning around, Mia was beside herself with sorrow.…Zoe freshened up and went to the cafeteria on the second floor. She was in front of the elevator when she heard someone calling her name.Turning to look, she saw Cecil. Wearing a lab coat, he leaned on the window in the hallway. It was opened, allowing the winds to tousle his hair and bring out the melancholy air about him.It looked like he hadn’t slept the entire night.Cecil was the medical director of the hospital. He could pull some weight around here. She was well aware that he helped a lot in Ella’s case. So, she decided to go over and thank him.He stared at her intensely.She was a lot slimmer now. He could see her shoulders shaking slightly, but she was
Evening rolled on, but Ella had yet to come round from her coma. Mia looked at Zoe’s reddened eyes and said softly, “I’ll watch over her. You should go home, take a bath and get changed. Grab some shut-eye too. How long are you going to last if you keep white-knuckling it? Your dad’s worried sick about you too.”Zoe responded with a simple “Okay.” Before she left, she took Ella’s hands and said, “Wake up soon, Ella.”That made Mia feel sad again. Walking over to Zoe, she asked softly, “I was sending the doctor out and saw you with Cecil this morning. Are you going to give him a chance?”After a brief silence, Zoe responded, “I have no room in my heart for another relationship, Mia. Not for the time being.”Mia hesitated before saying, “I know this might not seem like the right time for a relationship. But don’t just turn him down. I could tell he quite likes you and he’s very respectful toward me and Gordon.”Nodding, Zoe said, “I understand, Mia.”…Zoe chatted with Mia for
“Cecil doesn’t have the kind of power and influence that can help you! He can’t go up against the Schmidts and the Lynches. If you got together with him, all you’re going to get from him is his love and nothing else. He can’t protect Ella! “Then, he’ll find himself in deep sorrow. He’ll regret that he chose to study medicine instead of garnering more power and influence for himself!”“You need to fight fire with fire, Zoe!”…Zoe was trembling all over. She didn’t want to believe him, but she knew clearly that he didn’t have to lie to her. She was also afraid that something else might happen to Ella and she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if it did. He could see what she was wrestling with and smiled lightly. He even leaned over and opened the car door for her and asked her politely, “Are you going to call a cab or should I give you a ride?”“I’ll take the cab!” She stumbled a little when she got out of the car. She was so exhausted.He didn’t offer her help. Sitting in
Zoe knew what Mason wanted to talk about in this phone call! She didn’t want to let Mia know about it, so she excused herself before she answered it outside.Even the tightly closed window couldn’t hold off the bitter coldness of the night. The chilling wind seeped in through the crack of the window at the end of the hallway and hit her squarely in the face.With that said, it was nothing compared to her conversation with Mason. Over the phone, his voice was soft yet heavy with intention. “You should know what the Schmidts’ next move is! I’m the only one who can help you now, Zoe! Ella has to become one of the Lockwoods if you want Langston to back off!”Numb, Zoe asked, “Can you please help me?”After a brief moment of silence, his voice sounded significantly deeper than earlier when he said, “I told you. I’m not a charitable man! I think you know that I won’t intervene in Leslie and Ella’s matters if you’re not in the picture.”Of course, she knew that. She had been married
All of a sudden, Mason’s words rang in her mind. He said Cecil would live in regret if she ended up being with him. He’d regret the day he took up medicine instead of fighting for more power and influence.That wasn’t what she wanted!She didn’t want Cecil to change the way he lived his life because of her.It was exhausting trying to live your life for another person’s sake. She lived through that and she didn’t wish it on Cecil. A healthy relationship requires sacrifices from both of them, and not just one.The truth was, she had nothing she could give to him. All she would be was become his burden. Like what Mason said, she’d make him regret his previous choices that led him to his current career path.About five minutes later, someone opened the ward door.She didn’t turn back. Instead, she continued to look out the window. A decision had been made. She wasn’t going to cushion the blow for Cedric, just like she wasn’t going to give herself a chance to regret her decision.Sh
Zoe stared at him for a long time. She didn’t turn around until her eyes hurt from the crying.The moment she turned around, she donned her identity as Mason’s wife. Walking into the resplendent lobby, she made her way to the elevator. She didn’t turn back and see what was behind her, afraid that she’d regret her decision once she did.The reception hall was wide enough to seat a hundred guests. It was filled with people from high society. Leslie wasn’t here, but Langston and his parents were here to pay respect on his behalf. Nellie wasn’t happy about it, but she put a smile on her face and drank with everyone. At that moment, the door to the reception hall opened and they could the loud, crisp voice of a heel clicking on the floor.Everyone directed their gaze at the door. Wearing a dress fashioned after the revenge dress of Diana, the Princess of Wales, she took slow steps toward Langston’s table and shoved any waiters who tried to stop her.A moment later, she was standin
Langston had no intention of offending Mason. The Schmidts and the Lynches could join forces and they still wouldn’t be a match for him. He was a prodigy in the business world and was known for being ruthless in Brookesville!He had no choice but to say to Zoe, “Name your terms!”Zoe was no fool herself. She knew this was the best she could get. All she could fight for Ella was some compensation!She said gently, “There are two terms!”“Firstly, the Schmidts must assign a team of medical professionals to treat Ella and clear her name to the general public. Tell everyone that she was pregnant with Leslie’s baby and that she was no mistress. Instead, she had a legitimate relationship with him!“Secondly, I want you to financially compensate Ella again!”Leslie’s mother was not happy with this. “Didn’t she already get fifty million dollars? What more do you want?”Zoe retorted, “If you lost your baby and your hearing for good, and I offered you fifty million dollars as compensation