Chapter 8

Zoe tightened the thermal jug’s lid and said softly, “I’ll find a way around it! The money I made from selling my wedding ring will support Dad’s medical bill for half a year.

“As for Noah’s legal fee, I’m going to sell this house. Aside from that, I’ll look for a job that’ll let me support the family.”

Tears started to build up in Zoe’s eyes. Her birth mother left this house for them. They had never had to sell it away despite the hardships they went through in the past.

Mia was taken aback. She might have stopped persuading Zoe, but deep down she disagreed with it. Both of them went to the hospital after Zoe was done with her preparations.

Gordon Sanders had stabilized greatly after the doctor treated him. He was merely a little distressed, worrying about Noah’s future. Zoe said nothing about her divorce. In the afternoon, Gordon’s doctor came to check on him.

Doctor Cecil was a young and revered neurosurgeon with a Ph.D. Boasting a height of six feet, he was graceful, gentle, and easy on the eyes.

Once he was done checking Gordon, he looked at Zoe and said, “A word, please.”

Zoe was startled. She put down her stuff and said tenderly, “Excuse me for a while, Dad.”

They passed by a quiet hallway. Cecil gave her a comforting grin and read Gordon’s medical record.

“I talked over Gordon’s case with other surgical department heads last night. We reached a unanimous decision to arrange for customized rehabilitation for your dad.

“Otherwise, it’ll be hard for him to go back to how he was before. The price will be slightly higher, though. A hundred thousand grand per month. ”

It was an impossible amount for Zoe now, but she answered without any hesitation, “Let’s do it.”

Cecil closed the medical records folder and looked at her quietly. In fact, they had known each other for a long time, but she had forgotten about it.

He was her neighbor when they were very young. The stars were visible outside her balcony when evening came and she missed her mother every day.

“Will Mommy come back, Cecil?”

Cecil had no answer for her. He could not have known either. He stared at her and thought back to the moment he returned to this country three years ago.

He thought she married someone who loved her when he heard about the news, but that was not the case. Mason was cold and treated her terribly.

He was about to say something when someone said from across the hall called out.

“Zoe.”

It was Mason. Clad in his usual business attire, it seemed that he had come directly from his company. He walked toward them, the sound of his shoes clacking crisply across the floor.

Mason extended his hand and said nonchalantly, “It’s been a while, Cecil!”

Cecil looked at his hand, smiled faintly, and took it in his grip. “What brought you here, Mason?”

Mason released his grip briefly and looked sideways at Zoe. “Should we check on Dad?”

Both of them were playing mind games with each other. Zoe did not realize it, though. She did not want to antagonize Mason in front of Cecil, so she just nodded and said, “Please excuse me, Dr. Cecil.”

Cecil gave her a brief smile in response.

Neither of them talked to each other on their way to Gordon’s ward. Ever since she made up her mind to divorce him, she no longer felt the need to please him.

Mason grabbed her hand when they were mere steps away from the ward and pinned her to the wall, a mixture of emotions in his eyes.

The way Cecil looked at her earlier told Mason that he loved her. Mason caressed her cheek. It was fair and smooth, very lovable. He said with a hoarse voice, “What did you guys talk about?”

Zoe wanted to break free of him, but she was subjugated as soon as he exerted more force on her. Both of them were pressed against each other…