"Yes, you handle it. I'll be back later." While turning the car's steering wheel, Ed ended the call with Otiz. Ruby looked on anxiously.
She had hoped Otiz would call Ed with news of an urgent job that would prevent Ed from accompanying her, but no such luck. It was just a report.
Ruby's hope, present even before they set off—that Ed wouldn't end up taking her—was dashed. They were already on their way to Esli's house.
"Are you okay? Why do you look so pale?"
Ed, now focused on the road again, noticed the change in Ruby's complexion. She looked increasingly pale as they got further away.
"I'm just feeling nauseous. It's nothing." Ruby was, of course, carsick. Esli's house was far away.
"Nauseous? Did you eat something---"
CKITT!
Ed cut himself off and suddenly slammed on the brakes. Ruby was nearly thrown forward.
"Why... UGH!" Ruby, who had been holding back her nausea, felt it worsen due to the sudden stop.
"I was careless." Ed murmured as Ruby finished and sat beside him, waiting for the test results.Ruby, who had just sent a message to Esli informing him that they would be late, glanced at Ed. She hesitated to speak but wanted to ensure her guess was correct."You don't want me to be pregnant." That was Ruby's guess, because it seemed most likely, given Ed's anger right after she mentioned feeling nauseous."Yes. I don't want it."Ruby turned away despite receiving a clear and definite answer that should have been correct. She didn't cry, but she didn't expect the pain that surfaced. Ruby wanted to ask why Ed didn't want it, but she was afraid of hearing the answer. She didn't want to really cry."Let's just hope the result is negative." Ruby responded just as coldly and flatly.Ruby simultaneously affirmed herself in her own heart. She also didn't want to be pregnant because it would be terrifying.Ruby couldn't imagine bearing a child when her name wasn't even Lizeth Ramos. She was
"Finally, you’ve arrived." Esli greeted them with a mixture of concern and joy that felt just right.He knew exactly what had happened because Ruby had kept him updated, including Ed’s arrival. Esli wouldn’t have forgiven the surprise of Ed showing up if Ruby had kept silent."Are you alright? Nothing serious, right?" Esli reached for Ruby's hand, holding it, and then stroked her cheek, playing the role of a concerned father remarkably well.If Ruby hadn’t remembered that this man had once slapped and trapped her, she might have been moved and cried at this show of affection. She never experienced love from her father, who her mother said had died when she was young."I’m fine, Dad." Ruby smiled, managing to suppress the nausea that had nothing to do with motion sickness. She was disgusted by Esli.For the rest of the journey, Ruby hadn’t vomited anymore and felt better as soon as the car stopped and she could breathe in the fresh air around Esli’s vast garden. This was Ruby’s second
"Therefore, I want to ask you to allow Liz to meet her friends. They won't stop bothering me until they've seen her," Esli pleaded with Ed."Whatever." Ed didn't mind. He didn't restrict Liz's social interactions, as long as she wasn't with men like Carlos."Thank goodness you understand. Before this, Liz was indeed very active. Ah, there they are!" Esli pointed to the door as two girls in flashy outfits appeared."LIZ! You finally came!" They exclaimed joyfully and hugged Ruby, who stood there in a panic. She accepted the hugs from the two strangers with confusion.But Ruby remembered Esli's words, telling her to just go along with whatever happened. That meant she had to pretend to know them."Are you well? I missed you so much!" Ruby greeted them as warmly as possible, and they both screamed in excitement."Alright, okay, you should go outside. Don't make a scene here. You don't mind, do you? Liz usually spends time with them in her room until the evening, chatting, eating, or what
"Mamá…" Ruby called softly with a hoarse voice, wanting to approach and talk.However, her mother was now screaming loudly without stopping, throwing pillows and blankets at Ruby. She chased her away in fear."Go! Don't come here! Don't follow me anymore! Go away!"More tears streamed down Ruby's face. Ruby was unable to avoid the impact of all the objects thrown at her."Mamá," Ruby whispered, allowing the pillow to hit her face, followed by the blanket, and lastly, what looked like a flower vase. Ruby saw it, but her eyes remained empty as the vase struck her forehead."Oh my God!" Right after that, the nurse who had been accompanying her entered, pulling Ruby away and pressing the blue button near the door."Vieja!" (Old lady)The nurse approached Ruby's mother, joined by a few others who had just arrived. They tried to calm her down but couldn't. They couldn't be rough, but the hysteria continued.Ruby didn't go far; she just crouched by the door, covering her face with her hands,
"What is ADDF?" Ruby asked."Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. It's a foundation dedicated to discovering Alzheimer's drugs." Lita clarified, "They aim to treat, prevent, or cure Alzheimer's.""I've never heard of it." Ruby frowned. If such a foundation existed, Ruby would have heard about it by now. She had done extensive searches for medications and other treatments related to Alzheimer's."The foundation is in America. There’s nothing like it here. However, the drugs and discoveries are still very experimental. None have been proven to be 100 percent effective yet. But at least there might be something that can slow down the disease's progression."Lita mentioned a glimmer of hope that Ruby hadn't felt in a long time. She hoped that her mother would no longer look at her with a strange face."Where exactly is ADDF?" Ruby asked, more animated now. Even a grain of hope was enough for her."New York. I'll provide you with brochures and additional information.""I’m interested!" R
“Hiding what? You’ve got it wrong.” Esli nervously released Ed’s hand before his own could be severed.“I just want Liz to enjoy herself when she meets her friends.”Esli tried to persuade him, but Ed kept walking inside, not knowing where Liz's room was but guessing it would be on the second floor.“Wait, Don Rosas!” Esli followed in a panic, cursing under his breath.“Hey! Where are you going?”Just as Ed reached the end of the stairs, Ruby greeted them sweetly, looking normal, but her shoulders moved slightly, hiding her labored breathing. It was clear she had been running, but she tried to look as if she hadn’t.“Where have you been?” asked Ed. Ruby had emerged from the hallway leading to the back exit.“Oh, I was just seeing my friends off. They just left.” Ruby forced a smile.“What happened to your forehead?” Ed approached Ruby and tilted her head up. The bandage was quite large.“This? I fell while fooling around earlier. It’s a small wound, but my friends insisted I wear a ba
“Are you crazy?!” Ruby couldn't hold on to her tongue any longer. She wanted to curse at Esli.“Why? This should be an easy task. I see he's already quite interested in you. You just need to seduce him a bit more. Use your body, or whatever; just make him worship you.”Ruby's hand at her side clenched into a fist, preventing herself from grabbing a vase and throwing it at Esli's face. She couldn't understand how someone could be so heartless.“You might think I'm cruel, but believe me. Rosas deserves what's happening to him. You don't need to feel sorry for Rosas or act sanctimonious like Ja—just follow my instructions. That way, you can be with Jade again soon. The sooner you make him fall in love, the sooner I'll give your mother back.” Esli sneered.Meanwhile, Ruby's head was pounding. Her mind raced, searching for a way forward.“Two hundred million pesos. I want 200 million as payment,” Ruby stated firmly.“You must be insane!” Esli raged again.That amount was indeed fantastic.
Ed was about to dive into the pool, but then he saw Ruby moving her hands and feet. She didn't appear to be drowning; she was swimming normally. It wasn't an accidental fall or an accident. Ruby intended to swim.Still, it was an odd decision given that it was nearly three in the morning.Ed stood waiting, unmoving and silent, by the pool's edge. Because there weren't any bright lights around, Ruby was unaware of his presence.Ruby kept swimming back and forth until she finally stopped and stood still in the middle of the pool. She hung her head, her wet hair covering her face. Ed saw her body shaking, naturally thinking it was because of the cold. But then he realized that her hunched shoulders and back were caused by crying. There was no sobbing, but Ruby then covered her face with her hands."Why are you crying?" Ed moved closer and sat by the pool's edge, knees bent.Of course, Ruby was startled. She had been very sure she was alone."You're... why... here?" Ruby inquired, wiping