Chapter 304
I didn’t know what she went downstairs for, perhaps to ring Neil again.
About half an hour later, the medics showed up. They did a quick check-up on my mom and confirmed that she was okay, then they took her to the hospital for a more thorough examination.
Naturally, I tagged along while everyone else stayed home.
Once we got to the hospital, my mom was taken for further examination, and I was left waiting anxiously in the hallway, jittery as a grasshopper clinging onto a leaf swaying in the wind.
“Irene.” Suddenly, Russel’s voice echoed from behind me. I whipped around to find his familiar figure.
As I suspected, Russel had gone back to work. He donned his crisp white coat once again, looking thinner than ever. His eyes, hidden. behind his glasses, were unreadable.
I thought about his deceit, and naturally, my guard went up.
I never thought I’d see the day where I’d have to be cautious around Russel
“Hey, back on the clock, huh?” I greeted
him politely.
“What brings you here?” Russel looked me up and down.
I gave a small laugh and said, “Mom seems to have woken up. We brought her here for some tests. I’m just waiting.”
Russel’s face finally showed a change. He smiled and said, “Really? That’s great news. Where’s Neil?”
Neil should be with Bonnie right now, I thought to myself silently. Though it was a bit of a downer, I had come to terms with it.
I shook my head and said, “He’s tied up.”
Russel studied me as if he could see right through me. He moved a bit closer and lowered his head slightly, and asked, “Do you trust him?”
“Russel, I decided to get back together with him. Of course, I trust him.” I took a couple of steps back, creating some distance.
“Do you know how he’s been treating you?” Russel scoffed.
Instead of answering, I hit back with a question of my own, “What about you? How have you been treating me?”
Russel paused, slowly removed his glasses, and said, “Don’t you know? Everything I did, it was all to be with you.”
He looked a tad scary at that moment…
I decided not to engage him any further, so I kept quiet.
But Russel was far from done. He spoke again. “Didn’t you get the photo?”
Upon hearing that, shock registered on my face. Did Russel send the photo?
“How did you know about the photo?” I finally managed to ask.
“Because I was the one who sent it to you.” Russel replied.
“You sent it? How did you get hold of it?” I was caught off guard.
Russel raised his hand as if to touch my face, but I quickly turned my head to avoid his touch.
His movements froze for a second, and the smile on his face vanished. He dropped his hand and said, “I took the photo, just so you could see Neil for what he truly is.”
My heart sank
“Clear this up for me. What’s the deal with Neil, Bonnie and Ethan Foster?” I pressed on.
“If you want to know, we can meet up after my shift and talk.” Russel didn’t answer my question directly, instead suggesting a meet-up.
I knew he just wanted an excuse to see me.
I also knew if Neil found out about my meeting with Russel, it would mean trouble.
But then again, Neil had been hiding things from me too. If he was not willing to come clean, why shouldn’t I seek out the truth?
I thought about it for a while, then agreed to Russel’s proposal, “Alright, just text me the time and place. I’ll be there.”
Alsmile spread across Russel’s face. He seemed pleased with my answer.
“Di Russel, the patient in bed 87 is asking for you!” A nurse ran over to inform Russel.
“I have to go now, I’ll text you the details later. Russel told me before tuming to leave.
Watching his thin figure fade into the distance filled me with a flurry of emotions.
I wanted to ask him why he had deceived me. Why had he treated Nell the way he did?
But clearly, now was not the right time for confrontation. His mother had just passed away, and he was engaged to a woman he didn’t love. I was probably the love he couldn’t have.
Confronting him now might just trigger his rage.
After Russel left, I felt like a puppet that had its strings cut. The corridor was bathed in light coming from the window at the end, but all I saw was darkness.
Thankfully, my mom was wheeled out of the examination room not long after. She was doing alright.
The doctor said that she hadn’t fully recovered yet, but with constant stimulation and conversation, she should get better.
The doctor asked me, “Do you want to keep your mom admitted here or take her home?”
I hesitated for a moment before deciding to let her stay.
Previous issues had been resolved, and Neil had been a great help, so I wouldn’t be threatened for now.
I was also worried that my mom waking up in Sterling Estates and seeing Neil and his parents might shock her.
I got her a room in the hospital and hired the previous caretaker again, offering a higher salary.
Just as I was about to leave the hospital, I ran into Bonnie at the entrance
And of course, Neil was with her.
Upon seeing me, Bonnie looked surprised, whereas Neil frowned.
So Bonnie and Neil were indeed together.
“Irene, don’t get the wrong idea. I was just feeling a little off today, and Neil happened to be around, so he gave me a lift here.” Bonnie tried to explain innocently.
“Hmm,” I responded indifferently before turning to Neil, “Your mom has been trying to call you. Did you get her messages?”
Neil scrunched his brows as his gaze landed on Bonnie, who suddenly looked nervous.
Clearly, Bonnie had intercepted Neil’s calls and didn’t tell him about it.
“Oh, right Neil, your mother called while you were away. I answered it for you. She seemed pretty upset, and then she hung up. I forgot to tell you” Bonnie looked embarrassed
Neil’s face darkened even more. He whipped out his phone to check the call logs, then shot back, “You had the brains to forget to tell me, but not enough to delete my call history, right?”
Bonnie’s face went pale as a ghost, biting her lip at a loss for words.
