By the time Meredith arrived at the hospital, Charlie was still in the ER.A startled Wilma was cowering in a corner while sobbing hard.Standing outside the ER was Charlie's mother who looked as if she was trying hard to stay calm. But the blood was drained from her face and she looked as pale as paper.At the sight of Meredith, Charlie's mother looked as if she had found someone to vent her anger on. She charged toward Meredith, slapped Meredith across her face, then grabbed Meredith by her shoulders and started shaking her. "Meredith Leighton, what do you think you're doing here? Showing up here? Go back and celebrate the new year, go watch the fireworks. What are you doing here? Are you here to make fun of Charlie?"Meredith just stood there as Charlie's mother hit her.Instead, she grabbed Charlie's mother's hands in hers and said, "Ma'am, please calm down. How is Charlie?""The floor of the entire washroom was filled with his blood, what do you think? How do you think he is
"Aunt, it was you and Charlie who forced Meredith to leave," Josiah tried to talk sense into Charlie's mother.Meredith shook her head and said, "Stop it, Josiah. I am after all Charlie's wife and it is my fault that I abandoned him, and now…all I want is for him to be fine. I don't want him to die!""Meredith Leighton! If Charlie dies today, it is all your fault," Charlie's mother raised her hand and was about to slap Meredith again when Josiah stopped her."Aunt, please. Enough is enough!""What did you say?" Charlie's mother pointed at herself and said, "Josiah Shelby, don't you know who I am? I am your aunt!""And it is exactly because you're my aunt that I'm holding back myself," Josiah went on coldly, "it is exactly because you're my aunt that when Charlie staged the accident to hurt me, I would have sent him to jail and today would never have happened."Charlie's mother suddenly burst into laughter.But tears were rolling down her cheeks at the same time. "Josiah Shelby,
Besides, she was the one who was supposed to be in the ER, not Charlie.And she was the one who should be targeted for the car accident, not Charlie.Meredith walked toward Charlie's mother, held her hands that were shaking, and said, "Ma'am, even though you've never acknowledged me as your daughter-in-law. I am after all Charlie's wife. Please let me stay, will you? Let me stay here until Charlie wakes up. And I will never leave him, I promise.""Charlie is already lying in there, what's the use of all this sweet-talking now?" Charlie's mother flung away Meredith's hands and said, "You're doing this to make yourself feel better again, right?"Charlie's mother exerted too much strength, throwing Meredith onto the floor.But Josiah reacted quickly and caught Meredith in his arms."Edith, I've already told you that both my aunt and Charlie have lost their minds. There's no use in trying to tell them anything," Josiah pulled Meredith into his arms forcefully and said, "come home wit
She got up onto her feet to find that she could not feel her legs anymore."Are you okay, Miss Meredith?" One of the nurses who recognized Meredith asked.Meredith shook her head. "I'm fine."She then tried to make her way to the lift to go upstairs.Charlie's mother was still waiting outside the ER and she looked even more terrible than earlier.Meredith wanted to go up to her but she was worried that it would trigger her again. Hence, she held herself back.She did not let Charlie's mother notice her, but instead, she asked a nurse about Charlie's condition.Shaking her head, the nurse sighed and said, "It's best if you head home first, Miss Meredith. I'm afraid Mister Charlie will not wake up so soon.""But why…" Meredith continued to ask, "what did the doctor say? When will Charlie be out of danger?"To be honest, as a doctor herself, Meredith knew that it was important for Charlie to regain his consciousness at this time. Charlie would only be out of danger if he regained
He pulled her into his arms and wrapped his coat around her to help warm her body."Are you punishing yourself?" Josiah asked, feeling bad for her.Meredith remained silent. Perhaps she was too upset to say anything.Josiah then went on, "Didn't you say that you're going to take care of Charlie? How are you going to take care of him if you catch a cold?"In the end, Meredith broke down in tears."Be good now, hmm? Come into the car and keep yourself warm."Josiah opened the car door and forced her into the car.He then turned up the heater to its maximum, held her hands in hers, and started rubbing them gently.Though her entire body was cold, it was as if she did not feel cold at all. Looking into his eyes, she asked, "Josiah Shelby, when I accused you of staging the accident on Charlie, you were devastated, yes? You must have felt disappointed and angry, right?"Josiah froze as he did not expect that Meredith would ask such a question.After a pause, he then replied, "If I
Charlie woke up the next day after New Year's.Josiah felt a sense of relief when he heard the news.At least Meredith would not blame herself if anything had happened to Charlie."How is he doing now?" He asked.Wesley replied, "He is still weak but the doctor mentioned that Mister Charlie will get better if he cooperates with the treatment plan.""Okay."Looking at Josiah, Wesley hesitated before asking, "Sir, do you really think that the accident was staged by Charlie's mother and that Charlie has got nothing to do with it?"Josiah looked at him and replied, "Yes.""But why?""Because my aunt is the kind of person who would do such a thing.""You're saying that…Mister Charlie would not do such a thing?""If Charlie was really the one behind this, my aunt wouldn't have taken on all the blame when she knew that Charlie might die. After all, paying someone to kill is illegal and she still needs to manage the Larson Group."Wesley thought about Josiah's words and thought tha
"Here, let me do it instead. The stalks are prickly." Josiah took the flowers from Nia and helped her.After arranging all the rose bushes in the vase, Josiah pulled into a smile and asked Nia, "So, what do you think of my flower arranging skills?""It's amazing," Nia praised her father while nodding her head.Looking at the bright smile on Nia's face, Josiah could not help but think that the kids were easily satisfied."I'm sorry, Nia."Puzzled, Nia asked, "Daddy, why are you sorry?""I've promised that we'd go skiing in Feldenberg, but we didn't make it there in the end.""That's alright, Daddy. It's not a must to go there. Plus, we can always go some other time.""Okay. I'll bring you there soon, okay?""Okay," Nia replied happily."Let's head out and let your Mom rest."Both of them left Meredith's room. Walking down the stairs with Nia's hand in his, he asked, "What would you like to have for lunch? I'll prepare lunch for you."The servants went on break and Josiah had
The next morning, Meredith woke up as expected.Perhaps it was because she had slept for too long, she was in a dazed state when she woke up.Staring at the familiar ceiling, she tried to recall the fragmented bits of her memory. The more she tried to recall, the more her body started shivering in fear.Charlie had committed suicide…it was not a dream, but it did happen.Meredith sat up abruptly from her bed and wanted to get off the bed when she was startled by the man in front of her.It was Josiah Shelby!He was in his room all this time?"You're awake, Edith," Josiah called out to her gently.Of course, he was going to be by her side knowing that she was going to wake up today.That was why Josiah had been in her room since early morning."How are you feeling? Do you feel uncomfortable?" Josiah walked toward her, put his hands on her shoulders, and studied her carefully.Josiah was worried that the sleeping pills might have side effects on Meredith.Ignoring his questio